The walk back to the dorm was silent. Sōjun Minamoto led the three of them in without a word.
He poured them each a cup of tea, then returned to his seat on the sofa.
Looking at the three standing before him, he thought—since he'd agreed to teach them, he should at least act the part. He began recalling Masamichi Yaga's demeanor and presence.
The living room was still and quiet, a strange atmosphere settling over them. Sōjun Minamoto straightened his back, his expression tightening into something more serious.
When it comes to presence, it's always a matter of gain and loss. The more I assert, the more they yield.
The three of them felt the shift immediately, instinctively lowering their heads a bit.
Did we mess up that badly? Is he mad?
Sōjun Minamoto, unaware of their thoughts, was focused on how to actually teach them.
He had some advice to offer, sure—but Cursed Technique development was a personal journey. He couldn't do it for them.
After a moment of thought, he called Kento Nanami over and asked,
"Your technique isn't limited to dividing by total length, is it?"
"Huh?"
Nanami blinked, caught off guard. But then something clicked. He thought for a moment and replied,
"…No, it's not."
"So it could also apply to arm span, or the head, torso, upper arms, forearms—those kinds of segments. There aren't really strict limits, right? All of those can be division targets, correct?"
"Y-yeah." Nanami was beginning to catch on. Embarrassed, he wondered—why hadn't he thought of this sooner?
"If you broaden your perspective, you'll find way more weak points. Your attack range would increase significantly too."
Nanami nodded, fully grasping it now.
He really didn't need to limit himself to height alone. He could factor in body width—or isolate and treat individual parts as a whole. That would let him generate a lot more weak points at once.
It'd also make it exponentially harder for the enemy to defend.
He ran the idea through in his head. His technique could handle this—it was totally doable.
A spark lit in his chest, and then he heard Sōjun Minamoto continue:
"Then what about trying to control the point of 70:30 division more precisely? Align it with actual anatomical weak spots—to enhance the power and maybe even take down an enemy in one strike."
Nanami was stunned.
"Techniques are heavily shaped by intent. The sharper your perception, the stronger your technique."
Sōjun Minamoto's tone was calm and steady.
"If you got better at using it—couldn't it be that everywhere you looked, a weak point would appear?"
Nanami was completely speechless.
Is this really my technique? It's this powerful? I can actually do all that?
Sōjun Minamoto motioned for him to step aside and reflect, then called Yu Haibara over.
He looked at him quietly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table...
After a long silence, Yu Haibara had sunk into self-doubt so deeply that he couldn't bring himself to speak—until he heard:
"Hmm—you don't have a technique? Your Taijutsu isn't particularly strong either, and your control over Cursed Energy is still at the level of just gathering it into a ball and throwing it out."
Yu Haibara stayed quiet. Everything said was true, and that just made it even harder for him to respond.
Just as he was beginning to feel disheartened, Sōjun Minamoto spoke again:
"But you have two very clear strengths—your Cursed Energy reserves… and your perception."
"Your perception, especially, is exceptional."
"How did you notice my body shape kept changing?"
Yu Haibara scratched his head, looking a little unsure of himself. He couldn't quite explain it.
"Uh… I just… kind of sensed it, from what I saw and heard."
So, the five senses?
There was likely some Cursed Energy involved too, amplifying his perception.
No wonder he had no Cursed Technique, yet his Cursed Energy output wasn't low.
"So, your technique is the Five Senses Cursed Technique?" Sōjun Minamoto asked casually.
"Uh, I don't have a technique."
"You do. It's the Five Senses Cursed Technique," Sōjun Minamoto repeated.
Only then did Yu Haibara begin to understand. He froze in place. How was that not a technique? It was something innate to him, something that worked in sync with his Cursed Energy.
He had just never paid it much attention.
But that—that was where his strength lay.
Yes, this was an Innate Technique.
"My technique is the Five Senses Cursed Technique!" Yu Haibara said with conviction.
Sōjun Minamoto nodded with a small smile.
Yu Haibara lacked confidence. Always putting on a bright and cheerful front, but really, that was just the part he showed to others. He kept the shadows to himself.
You could see it during sparring—his movements were hesitant, his attacks lacked confidence, and he wasn't bold in how he used his Cursed Energy.
He simply trusted his friends and didn't want to let them down. That mindset—wanting to give his all for them—was what pushed him to charge in without hesitation.
What he needed most was to recognize himself,
And to be recognized by someone else.
So Sōjun Minamoto gave him that—recognition from a Special Grade sorcerer, the kind of validation that held real weight in the Jujutsu world.
From now on, if anyone tried to criticize him for not having a technique, he'd have the perfect comeback:
A Special Grade praised my technique. Said it was pretty damn good.
What—your judgment better than a Special Grade's?
Honestly, not having a technique meant nothing. Sōjun Minamoto had never subscribed to technique supremacy.
Shiko Mishima didn't have one either, yet she was already near Grade 1 in strength—stronger than most sorcerers in the Jujutsu world.
As long as you find the right approach and put in the effort... you'll improve.
And if you're not improving, then maybe you just don't want it badly enough.
...
"What about me? What about me?" Riko Amanai stepped up, looking at Sōjun Minamoto with hopeful eyes.
You?
He'd been teaching her from the start. Back when her technique hadn't fully awakened, there was no point in talking about development.
Now that it had, Sōjun Minamoto actually felt it'd be better if she explored it on her own.
Her thinking was wild and unpredictable—she often managed to surprise him.
All she needed was a little nudge.
You should be an assassin.
He told Riko Amanai, "Talk to me again when you manage to scare me."
The Shadow Fixation Technique could be used for support or burst offense. It all depended on how she chose to develop it.
From what Sōjun Minamoto knew of her, she'd almost certainly pick the latter.
Don't let her bubbly attitude fool you—always making friends and hanging around others—but deep down, she'd already grown used to being alone, used to not relying on anyone.
Sure, she often asked Sōjun Minamoto for help, but it was always small favors, little things that barely required effort. It was her way of keeping up the connection.
Most of the time, when she borrowed even trivial things from Sōjun Minamoto, it was because she was thinking about the safety of the other two.
Riko Amanai grit her teeth at his comment.
She'd already seen Satoru Gojo's sunglasses up close. She'd watched Suguru Geto comb his bangs. Two out of her three "missions" were complete.
Only one remained: scare Sōjun Minamoto out of his mind.
Still hadn't managed it.
She needed to come up with something.
I'm not giving up!
Riko Amanai fell deep into thought.
Sōjun Minamoto looked at the three of them and suddenly realized—they made the perfect team.
A sunshine boy with hidden insecurity, a cold gloomy one with a soft heart, and a social butterfly who never asks for help.
Problem children, all of them—outwardly fine, inwardly a mess.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake