Author's Note: I'm a pretty hypocritical guy... But fuck it, I'll try until the end, no more giving up on this shit. I've given up on too many things already, so enough. But the only one that won't come back will be Jujutsu Kaisen Heian Era, since it has one Jujutsu active, two are just extra work.
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Shugen walked down the streets with his hands in his pockets. In his last fight, his clothes had ended up completely dirty, torn, and worn out, forcing him to buy a new wardrobe. Not that he had many options; his old clothes had been destroyed along with his house in Roppongi, reduced to rubble after the confrontation.
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And despite his situation, Shugen was still rich, very rich. Money had never been a problem for him. Without hesitation, he bought another apartment, but not in Roppongi. In fact, he'd acquired several apartments scattered across different cities in Japan, each serving as a possible residence in case he needed to disappear for a while. Whoever his enemy was, destroying his home without touching his fortune had been a mistake. As long as he still had resources, he'd always be able to start over.
Currently in Musutafu, Shugen walked without much hurry until he entered a record store. A small bell above the door announced his arrival, while his eyes scanned the shelves organized by musical genre.
'Let's see... the old man liked Rock, didn't he?' Shugen thought, approaching the rock section and sliding his fingers over the displayed records. His gaze moved from one cover to another, until he found one that immediately caught his attention. 'His favorite band... Skillet.'
Shugen stood staring at the record for a few seconds. His expression hardened, but his eyes betrayed the sadness growing in his chest. The memories of his father came back with force, especially the image he tried hardest to forget: his body impaled by countless steel bars, with no chance of survival.
He took a deep breath, shaking his head slightly as he brought his right hand to his forehead, pressing it as if he could push those memories away.
"You're missed..." Shugen murmured quietly, almost in a whisper, before slowly lowering his hand and turning his gaze back to the record in front of him.
With a melancholic smile, Shugen picked up the record and walked slowly toward the register to make his payment. His steps were calm, even as he tried to push away the memories that insisted on lingering in his mind.
However, before he reached the counter, his gaze happened to meet that of a girl with short purple hair. She was holding two records against her chest, glancing back and forth between them, clearly unable to decide which one to take. Her look of indecision was so obvious that it caught Shugen's attention.
Without thinking much, he approached and placed his hand on the girl's shoulder.
"AH!"
The sudden shout echoed through the store, making some customers and even the clerk turn to look in their direction.
"Sorry." The girl said quickly, realizing she'd overreacted.
She turned her eyes back to Shugen and, for a moment, stayed there staring at his face, as if lost in thought.
"Are you okay?" Shugen asked, arching an eyebrow slightly.
The girl blushed immediately.
"Ah... yes. It's just that I can't decide which record to get." She raised the two albums she was holding. "They're too expensive for me to buy both."
"Hmm..."
Shugen glanced down at the records in her hands, quickly scanning the covers. Then he looked back up at the girl, who still seemed quite undecided.
He let out a small sigh.
Foosh!
Without saying anything else, Shugen gently took both records from the girl's hands, ignoring her surprised expression.
"Huh...?"
Before she could ask what he was doing, Shugen had already walked over to the register.
Stopping in front of the clerk, he set the Skillet record and the other two albums on the counter, then promptly pulled his debit card out of his pocket.
"I'd like to buy these three." He said casually, holding the card out to the clerk, while the girl stood a few steps behind, completely stunned by what had just happened.
"WHAT?!"
The girl's shout echoed through the entire store, once again drawing the looks of customers and even the clerk, who just smiled discreetly as he finished up the purchase.
...
Outside the store, the girl seemed unable to contain her happiness. With both albums held tightly against her chest, she was practically dancing down the sidewalk, spinning and hopping with excitement.
Meanwhile, Shugen walked calmly beside her, one hand in his jacket pocket and the other holding the Skillet album.
His gaze followed the girl's exaggerated celebration for a few moments.
Shugen let out a soft sigh.
That dance was ridiculous.
Even so... he didn't regret it.
For some reason even he couldn't explain, helping that stranger hadn't bothered him one bit.
"Well, since you're so happy, I'll be on my way. After all, I've already finished what I came here to do." Shugen said calmly, turning to go his own way.
"W-wait!"
The girl quickly reached out and grabbed the hem of Shugen's coat, stopping him before he could take a second step.
He turned his head just slightly.
"What?"
"I... I should thank you for buying those albums for me."
"Huh?"
"By the way..." She took a deep breath before breaking into a smile. "I'm Kyoka Jiro."
Shugen looked at her for a brief second.
He could just ignore her and keep walking. There was no reason to prolong that conversation.
But then he remembered the old man's words. Regardless of the situation, women should always be treated with respect. After a brief silence, he answered simply.
"Shugen Kanzaki."
Kyoka smiled at him before holding out her hand in a friendly gesture.
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
Without delay, she took the lead and started walking down the sidewalk, gesturing for Shugen to follow. He followed without saying a word, carrying the bag with the album in one hand while keeping the other in his jacket pocket. His expression remained just as disinterested as before.
After a few seconds of silence, watching only the girl's back ahead of him, he decided to ask:
"Where are we going?"
"To a bakery." Kyoka answered without slowing her pace. "At the very least, I'll buy you some cake and coffee. It's the least I can do after what you did."
"Hm."
Shugen let out a brief sound of agreement.
"By the way... are you aware that you just invited a stranger out for coffee?"
Kyoka simply shrugged.
"I am. But I can handle myself." She replied calmly. "And besides, we're heading somewhere public. If you tried anything, it'd probably get recorded, and then a hero would show up."
Shugen turned his gaze toward her.
The trust she placed in someone she didn't even know brought a small look of disdain to his face.
'A hero would show up? What an idiot.' The thought surfaced automatically. 'This society's dependence on heroes is pathetic. Instead of learning to protect themselves or facing their own problems, they just wait around for someone to show up and save them.'
His gaze stayed fixed on Kyoka for a few more moments.
'Sure... some of them genuinely want to help people. But plenty of them only care about fame or money. Just look at how they live surrounded by cameras. Some don't even bother acting until they realize they're being filmed.'
After brushing those thoughts aside, Shugen simply let out a faint sound of agreement, giving no indication of what he actually thought.
"I'm just kidding." He said casually. "I'm not some lowlife."
Kyoka shot a teasing smile over her shoulder.
"Is that so? You don't seem like the type who'd be interested in someone like me."
"Huh?"
Shugen frowned slightly.
"What do you mean by that?"
She simply crossed her arms, waiting for his answer.
"If we're talking about looks..." Shugen shrugged. "You're not bad. Honestly, I prefer bodies like yours. Maybe some women with a bit more curve or chest might catch my attention too, but anything too exaggerated just isn't my type."
Kyoka went quiet for a second.
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"...Idiot."
Suddenly, the earphone-like jacks attached to her earlobes shot out toward Shugen's arm, trying to pierce his skin.
Tak.
The jacks simply stopped upon touching his arm, unable to get through his resistant skin.
"OW! What the hell?!"
Kyoka yanked the jacks back, glaring at them indignantly.
"My skin is resistant." Shugen answered as naturally as could be. "It's hard for anyone to hurt me."
The very next instant—
WHAP!
Kyoka landed a precise kick right on his shin.
"Ow." Shugen finally showed a reaction, bringing a hand to his leg as he frowned.
Kyoka broke into a satisfied smile.
"But apparently, that doesn't stop pain." She remarked smugly, clearly pleased to have finally gotten a reaction out of him.
...
Patisserie Plain
In the cozy bakery, Shugen and Kyoka sat at a table near the window. On top of it was a good variety of cakes and sweets, plus a cup of hot chocolate for each of them. The sweet aroma of the place mixed with the smell of freshly brewed coffee, while soft music played in the background, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Shugen looked over the desserts spread across the table for a few seconds. His gaze moved from one plate to another before finally settling on Kyoka.
"You like sweets, huh?" Shugen asked, glancing at the table in front of him.
Kyoka smiled, looking almost offended by the question.
"I love the sweets from this bakery." She answered cheerfully. "Whenever I get some free time, I come here. It's basically my favorite place."
She pressed her hands together for a moment in thanks for the meal.
"Thanks for the food."
Right after, she picked up her fork, cut off a piece of cake, and brought it to her mouth with a satisfied smile. It only took one bite for her expression to show just how much she really enjoyed the flavor.
Shugen watched the scene in silence.
Without saying anything, he looked down at his own plate. He picked up his fork, cut off a piece of cake, and started eating as well.
For a few moments, neither of them said a word, simply enjoying the calm of the moment while the quiet sound of cutlery and the surrounding conversations filled the bakery.
However, that peace lasted only a few minutes.