Jujutsu Kaisen: Naoya Zenin Wants to Live! Chapter 53: Finally Seeing Someone Normal

"Naoya Zenin, you bastard, where the hell did you go?!"

Mai was frantically searching for Naoya Zenin.

Her body was already so exhausted she was on the verge of collapsing, and even her eyelids were struggling to stay open, but she bit down hard on her lip and kept searching for any trace of that sadistic cousin of hers.

Because she had done it.

Mai had done it.

She was no longer that worthless piece of trash.

She was no longer that timid crybaby.

Mai had not given up.

She had completed the test Naoya Zenin had set for her.

So Naoya Zenin...that bastard had to apologize to her. He had to admit he was wrong.

He had not misjudged her.

She really was soone with talent. She was not so useless ornantal doll who only knew how to obey her mother's arrangents and crawl into his bed at night with her legs spread.

But no matter how hard Mai searched, she could not find even a shadow of that blond bastard.

He had spent so much ti on her for no apparent reason just monts ago.

And in the end, had he really turned around and walked away without looking back?

Were you really disappointed?

Mai only felt her legs go weak as she collapsed to the ground in despair.

Did you really not intend to see us... as family anymore?

If that truly was how this story ended, then what exactly had all her effort today been for?

All those years of senseless abuse. The apology he had always owed her. The jujutsu techniques he had finally taught her today. What exactly did any of that amount to?

In your eyes, was she really no longer part of the Zenin Clan?

"Um... Mai, are you okay?"

A deeply hesitant voice ca from the darkness nearby.

At this hour, how could there still be soone at school?!

Mai Zenin shot to her feet at once, quickly schooled her expression, and then said coldly, "Who's hiding over there?!"

"Uh, well, it's-it's ..."

From behind a pillar, a blue-haired girl stood there trembling, waving at Mai from a distance.

Kasumi Miwa?

Why was she here at this hour?

Normally, the mont school ended, she would imdiately head off to her part-ti job.

So why was she still at school now, of all tis?

"When did you get here?"

Mai was not stupid. She imdiately sensed that sothing was off, so she frowned and shot back the question.

"Ahahaha... I-I-I-I just got here..."

Kasumi Miwa's whole body was stiff, and her voice ca out horribly stilted. It was obvious at a glance that she was lying.

"You're not working today?"

"Well... how do I put it... I recently ca into a huge sum of money. Seems like so big shot wants to focus all my ti on studying..."

Kasumi Miwa scratched the back of her head with an embarrassed look.

The fact that she had received a fifty-million-yen sponsorship was common knowledge at Jujutsu High.

After all, Kasumi Miwa was the most useless student there, yet so mysterious person had defied all opposition to back this idiot girl and sponsor her with such a massive amount of money. The whole thing had caused an uproar, and conspiracy theories were flying everywhere. Plenty of people were privately convinced it had to be hush money from so patron.

After all, aside from having a pretty face, Kasumi Miwa really did not have any other quality worth praising.

But Mai Zenin could not accept that explanation.

Because what bothered her most was not that Kasumi Miwa had returned to school early. It was that from the mont they t, Miwa had been acting all awkward and fidgety, and there was even a strange sense of distance in the way she treated her.

...She definitely heard it.

Mai's heart sank.

The conversation she had just had with Naoya Zenin in the classroom had absolutely been overheard by Kasumi Miwa.

Exactly how much had she heard?

...What a pain.

Kasumi Miwa must have heard sothing she simply could not accept, which was why she had been so wary around her this whole ti.

It made sense.

After all, Miwa probably had no idea what Naoya Zenin was really like before this. Mai herself had never talked about what happened at the Zenin Clan. And on top of that, since Naoya Zenin had always belittled and humiliated her in front of everyone, Miwa probably now thought she was so spy he had planted among the students.

"Ahahaha..."

Kasumi Miwa just kept laughing awkwardly.

That expression on her face, as if she were trying to say she knew absolutely nothing, made Mai's mood sink straight to rock bottom.

Kasumi Miwa was the kind of woman with a big mouth.

If Mai did not do sothing now, Miwa would definitely tell every single student in their class about this.

Mai had never wanted other people to know about the relationship between herself and Naoya Zenin.

This was real, genuine social death.

After all, at school she had always kept a very obvious distance from Naoya Zenin.

Up until now, everyone had thought the two of them were just distant relatives, the kind of family mbers who only ran into each other at clan banquets and were otherwise basically strangers.

But after today, Kasumi Miwa definitely knew that she and Naoya Zenin were actually cousins who had grown up together since childhood.

And what irritated Mai most of all was this.

Kasumi Miwa absolutely did not know that this sibling-like bond had just been severed by Naoya Zenin himself.

If Miwa started spreading this gossip tomorrow, that would be the thing Mai found most unbearable.

Because with Naoya Zenin's personality, he would definitely publicly deny those rumors and announce in front of the whole class that he and she were no longer siblings.

And if that happened...that would be the future Mai least wanted to see.

"Kasumi Miwa, I'm warning you. You absolutely cannot tell anyone else about what happened tonight."

Mai Zenin stepped closer and whispered like a vengeful spirit.

"If I hear that three people know about tonight, then even if I die and beco a ghost, I won't let you off!!!"

"O-Of course! Mai! S-S-Sothing like that! I-I-I-I'd never tell anyone!!!"

Even Mai herself had not expected her threat to work so well.

Kasumi Miwa's whole face turned bright red, and she nodded frantically like a rabbit.

...Maybe I am just being too sensitive.

After all, no matter what, Kasumi Miwa was still one of her close friends. When it ca down to what really mattered, she would definitely stand on Mai's side.

Sigh. Too much had happened tonight.

If her mother found out that Naoya Zenin had beco completely disappointed in her, how was she supposed to face anyone back ho...?

After all, no matter how angry that cousin of hers had gotten over the years, he had never once said anything as ruthless as cutting off their bond...

But what would her sister think?

Sigh. Better not think about it anymore. She should just go back to the dorm and sleep.

In the end, Mai Zenin did not keep pressing Kasumi Miwa and simply decided to head back to the dorm.

Kasumi Miwa, anwhile, stayed crouched behind the pillar, her mind in complete disarray.

"No way... h-h-how can this even be..."

The blue-haired girl covered her burning face with both hands.

"Oh my God... what exactly did I just hear..."

"Mai... and Naoya-sensei... they're actually that kind of relationship..."

Ti rewound to a little earlier.

In the past, every ti school ended, Kasumi Miwa would run off campus to work part-ti and help support her younger brothers at ho.

But because she had recently received a huge mystery transfer, that whole part-ti work phase had co to an abrupt end.

That money felt way too hot to touch. Miwa knew herself well enough to know she simply did not deserve such a massive sponsorship.

Sure, she had been dazzled senseless when the money first hit, but the mont she ca back to her senses, she had already made up her mind to return it.

Because Grandma always said it.

Labor is glorious! We may be poor, but we are poor people with backbone! We absolutely do not live off handouts!!!

Kasumi Miwa really had wanted to turn that money down.

But the problem was, the sponsor had simply offered too much.

Fifty million yen.

That was fifty million yen!!!

Her two younger brothers' schooling was basically covered now!!!

So in the end, Kasumi Miwa still could not bring herself to reject the money.

She simply shut her eyes and wired the entire fifty million yen straight ho.

But there was no such thing as reward without rit.

So Kasumi Miwa really wanted to know exactly which big shot had taken a fancy to her and specially wired her fifty million yen.

The problem was, with this kind of angel investnt, the sponsored student was absolutely not allowed to know the sponsor's identity.

Because there had been so very bad precedents in the past.

Not every sponsor was a dumb, kind-hearted good person.

Most sponsors had ulterior motives.

And those powerful people especially loved sponsoring female students.

There was no complicated reason for that.

Because the sponsored student would inevitably end up developing a strange kind of admiration for the sponsor.

Take soone like Kasumi Miwa.

A poor girl stuck supporting her brothers, from a broken family, a high school girl who could barely afford food or clothes. Once soone tossed fifty million yen at a girl like that, what even needed to be said?

Everyone was an adult here. No need to beat around the bush. Just hurry up and send over the hotel address. Once the lights were off, all she had to do was lie on the bed and spread her legs.

Of course, Kasumi Miwa was not that kind of vulgar woman.

Fifty million yen! It was not like she could never pay it back!!!

So while she had decided to accept the sponsorship, deep down she had always held onto one thought, repay kindness with gratitude.

Who would have the authority to know the sponsor's identity?

Utahi Iori-sensei, who always cared about her students, would absolutely never do sothing like leak a sponsor's identity.

And Kusakabe-sensei, her senior in New Shadow Style, was the kind of unethical teacher who would switch off his phone the mont a student got into trouble.

So after thinking it over, the only person left was Naoya Zenin, who had just recently taken up the post and had a very unconventional way of doing things. He was the only one who might actually tell Kasumi Miwa who the mysterious sponsor was.

That was also the key reason why Kasumi Miwa had completely changed her attitude from open hostility at first and started being obedient in every possible way toward Naoya Zenin.

And it was absolutely, definitely not because he was rich, okay?!

So after school, when she discovered that Naoya Zenin had not left the classroom and had actually stayed behind to work overti, Kasumi Miwa imdiately ca up with a brilliantly clever plan.

The [Warm Little Padded Jacket Strategy]!!!

In other words, she would wait until Naoya-sensei had worked himself dizzy and parched from overti, and then appear at just the right mont with a bright smile and hand him a pot of steaming hot tea.

My God!

Kasumi Miwa, you are seriously a genius!!!

So after carefully timing it, Kasumi Miwa snuck back toward the classroom, carrying hot tea and preparing to give Naoya-sensei a pleasant surprise.

Only for that pleasant surprise to very quickly turn into a horrifying shock.

"Huh? What's that sound?"

As soon as Kasumi Miwa approached the classroom, she heard a fierce argunt coming from inside.

"I-Is that Mai and Naoya-sensei?"

Kasumi Miwa rose up on tiptoe with all her strength and secretly peeked through the window to see what was happening inside.

What were they talking about?

So Kasumi Miwa pressed her ear against the wall and began eavesdropping on their conversation.

[Even I, a man who hates won, have at tis been tempted to drag the two of you back to the Zenin Clan.]

"Huh?"

That was Naoya-sensei talking?

Why did the topic sound kind of weird?

[Just imagining the miserable sight of the two of you shackled up and kept in a dog kennel, where all I would need to do is toss in a single bone to make you sisters hang your tongues out and tear at each other.]

[I have no need for useless trash by my side, and I have even less need for so sex slave who only knows how to lie in bed with her legs spread.]

"Haaah?!"

Kasumi Miwa nearly scread on the spot. She grabbed her own hair with both hands and started stuffing it into her mouth in panic.

What?!

W-W-W-W-What is he even talking about?!

S-Sex slave?!

Mai is really Naoya-sensei's sex slave?!

Aren't they cousins?!

What is this conversation even supposed to an?!

"Oh crap! T-They're coming out!!!"

H-H-H-H-Hurry up and f-f-f-find sowhere to hide!!!

Kasumi Miwa was so frightened she practically lost control of her limbs. Like a sewer rat fleeing with its head in its hands, she scrambled for cover behind a pillar.

Dear God.

What kind of gossip had she just stumbled into today...

No wonder Mai had never wanted to talk about her life back ho...

No wonder every ti Naoya-sensei ca up, Mai always avoided the subject...

Were the two of them really that kind of relationship behind the scenes?!

N-No, that can't be okay!

That kind of thing is not okay!!

We're still students!!!

Though co to think of it, which was worse: a teacher-student romance or a taboo family relationship?

Kasumi Miwa clutched her head in despair.

So everyone had just been pretending to be innocent and pure all this ti? And except for , nobody's actually a virgin anymore?!

"Haha! I guess that makes sense! Mai is pretty feminine at school too! So it's because she's experienced? Hahaha! Why did nobody ever tell ? I seriously never noticed at all!!!"

"D-Does that an... I'm the only idiot here?!"

So when I used to make dirty jokes, everyone was just pitying and pretending to blush?!

So I'm the only one who still hasn't climbed the stairs to adulthood?!

"Hm?"

The mont Naoya Zenin stepped out of the school building, he frowned and looked at Kasumi Miwa, who was squatting on the ground and furiously drawing circles with a stick.

"It's this late. Why are you still here?"

"I-I just have this habit of taking walks..."

Kasumi Miwa gave a violent shudder and did not dare lift her head to look at Naoya Zenin.

"You walk all the way here from the dorm building?"

Naoya Zenin blinked.

Could it be that Yuji was not the only sports-type student in the jujutsu world?

Was Kasumi Miwa also so hidden athletic monster in the making?

"It's late. Which dorm are you in? I'll walk you back."

"N-No, you can't... If you do that, I-I'll definitely get pregnant...!!"

Kasumi Miwa clutched her head with both hands and started rolling around on the ground.

"...?"

Naoya Zenin's brow twitched.

Just what the hell did this airhead girl usually have inside her head?

"Then watch yourself. You know what happens if you're late tomorrow."

Naoya Zenin straightened his collar and decided not to bother with her anymore.

"Have a safe trip back, Naoya-sensei..."

I'm sorry.

I was clearly still in kindergarten, and yet I used to talk to you so arrogantly...

Grandma, school is really scary...

Kasumi Miwa, age eighteen, suddenly felt very alone.