Chapter 17. Roppongi

We finally squeezed into a small restaurant in Roppongi after moving around Tokyo for a while. The place was packed, with a line stretching out the door. The place was lively with laughter and the clinking of dishes, and the rich mouthwatering scents of various Japanese delicacies made my stomach rumble with anticipation.

Earlier, we had decided on Roppongi, and as we moved to get there, Yuji was practically bouncing with excitement. "After we eat, we should check out the arcade! Roppongi is known for its awesome game centers."

His statement had only invoked another argument with Nobara that led to them dissolving into bickering once again. "Please, shopping is way better. There are so many trendy stores here and you could use some style on you."

Megumi just shrugged, clearly indifferent. His hands stayed in his pockets.

Gojo, meanwhile, walked along with a bemused smile, clearly enjoying the banter.

Now, seated around a low wooden table, we were crammed together, practically elbow-to-elbow. Plates of food filled every available space: tempura, sushi, sashimi, yakitori, and steaming bowls of ramen. With the warmth of my companions and the restaurant's liveliness, I couldn't wait to dig in.

"This is amazing!" I said, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm famished all of a sudden."

Nobara smirked, picking up a piece of tempura with her chopsticks. "Well, you're about to taste the best of the best. Roppongi has some of the finest food in Tokyo."

Yuji nodded enthusiastically, slurping up a mouthful of ramen. "Yeah, but you have to try this ramen. It's the best! Way better than anything Nobara can suggest."

Nobara shot him a glare. "Excuse me? My tempura is top-notch. You've got no taste, Yuji."

Megumi quietly dipped his sushi into soy sauce and took a delicate bite, watching the exchange with no visible amusement. I could almost here him think, "they just never stop, do they?"

I picked up a piece of sushi, mimicking Megumi's careful dipping technique. "This sushi is incredible. I've never tasted anything like it."

Yuji leaned in, his eyes shining. "I told you! Sushi here is like nothing you've ever had back home."

Nobara rolled her eyes, picking up a piece of yakitori. "Please, the yakitori here is on another level. Try it, Jamal. You'll see what real food is like."

I took a bite of the yakitori, the savory flavors exploding in my mouth. "Wow, this is amazing too. You might be right, Nobara."

Yuji scoffed, waving his chopsticks. "Don't let her fool you, Jamal. The ramen is still the best."

I could feel Nobara's and Yuji's desire to win my approval, but I chose to remain warm to each of them and let them come to an agreement on who worn in their non-stop protests. As I continued to stuff myself, laughing at their theatrics, I noticed Gojo sitting a few tables away, chatting with a serious expression with the restaurant owner.

"What could he be talking about?" I wondered as I swallowed another mouthful of ramen.

Guilt gripped me like a guillotine hanging over my head. I knew why Gojo had brought the students to Roppongi for their first meeting. There was a cursed spirit nearby that he intended for Nobara and Yuji to exorcise, though he hadn't mentioned it to them yet. Moreover, a kid's life was probably in danger, but since Gojo didn't seem urgent about it, I deduced that the immediate threat had likely passed. So, I chose to keep enjoying myself.

"Hey, Gojo-sensei!" I called out, waving. "Join us!"

Gojo turned and smiled, standing up to make his way over to our table. "Having fun, you guys?"

"We're introducing Jamal to the wonders of Japanese cuisine," Yuji said with a grin.

Nobara pointed at Yuji with her chopsticks. "And I am showing him what real food tastes like. Unlike some people's mediocre ramen."

Yuji pouted, but Gojo chuckled, patting his shoulder. "Looks like you're fitting in just fine, Jamal."

I smiled, feeling a warm sense of belonging. "Thanks, Gojo-sensei. This is amazing."

We continued eating, the banter and laughter flowing freely. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had so much fun. But as the plates began to empty and my stomach reached its limit, a nagging thought crept into my mind.

"Hey, um, who's paying for all this?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light. I was already mentally calculating the few yen I had left in my non-existent wallet.

Yuji and Nobara exchanged glances, and then both of them burst out laughing.

"You of course," Nobara declared, rolling her eyes as if it was obvious.

"Yeah, you're the new guy from the US," Yuji added, grinning. "Consider it your welcome party."

"What?" My heart sank a little. If only they knew how broke I was. But I forced a smile, trying to play it cool. "Oh, right. Sure, no problem."

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Both Nobara and Yuji gave me child-like expressions as if they were bubbling with excitement inside them. Then, after failing to hold it in any longer, they burst into a laugh, practically recoiling on their seats from the force.

"Of course we'll split the bill you idiot!" Nobara said.

"I can't!" Yuji laughed harder, clutching his belly. "The expression on his face!"

"Price-less!" Nobara added, giving Yuji a friendly tap. These two had already forged an unbreakable bond.

"Haha.." I laughed nervously. "You got me. Right, Megumi?"

Megumi nodded, only giving away a smile, but I could tell that he too was enjoying this.

The rest of the meal was a blur of flavors and laughter. We tried everything on the table, and each bite seemed to be better than the last. By the end, I was stuffed to the brim, but I couldn't stop smiling. This was my new life, and it was off to an incredible start, discounting all that drama with the dungeon.

"So, what's next?" I asked as we left the restaurant. The sun was setting.

Gojo stretched his arms above his head, looking relaxed and content. "Well, now that we've had our fill, how about we explore a bit more? There's plenty to see and do in Roppongi."

"Like what? Killing curses?" I had 'that feeling' and already knew where Gojo was about to go with this. Since the sun was setting, I figured it was his time to reveal the real reason we were in Roppongi.

Yuji's eyes lit up naively. "Oh! Let's go to the arcade! I heard there's an awesome one nearby."

"I see you're looking for something thrilling," Gojo started, and I knew how it would end. "I know just the perfect place!"

"Sorry, Yuji," I mumbled quietly and inaudibly. "I did the best I could."

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"You liar!!!" Yuji screamed at Gojo, hands covering his eyes. "This is no arcade!"

Gojo's smile widened.

"There are curses here, aren't there?" Megumi observed, his eyes suddenly sharper than usual.

"Thrilling, isn't it?" Gojo said in an amused tone. "What do you think, Jamal?"

"I-I-I," I stammered, desperately struggling to maintain my smile. I had finally managed to get used to constantly smiling, but now, it was becoming increasingly difficult due to the oppressive atmosphere. "I don't feel like smiling anymore."

"Huh?" Megumi wondered, alongside Nobara's and Yuji's behind-the-scenes yelling at Gojo.

"Don't stop yet," Gojo instructed. "I'll tell you when to stop smiling.

"Hm?" Megumi wondered more loudly, but I was in no position to explain. I was seriously struggling to keep a smile because of the atmosphere. A huge cemetery loomed not far from the building, and the overwhelming cursed energy in the area indicated the presence of a curse nearby.

Taking on a more composed note, Yuji came to his senses to theorize, leaving Nobara to yell at him for switching sides, "I'm guessing curses easily come out of a gravesite."

Megumi went on to explain that curses come from gravesites because of people's mindsets thinking gravesites are scary.

"He's in Jujutsu High and he didn't know that basic detail?" Nobara wondered, and Megumi revealed to the both of us who Yuji was. I already knew, of course, but it was hilarious seeing Nobara reacting to discovering Yuji had swallowed Sukuna's finger and had become Sukuna's vessel.

In this world, Sukuna was the King of Curses. Defeated long ago, he left behind twenty potent fingers, remnants of his body. Scattered all over, each finger carried immense cursed energy. If a cursed spirit consumed even one, they would become exponentially more powerful and harder to exorcise. Yuji had swallowed one of these fingers, becoming Sukuna's vessel.

Nobara, clearly grossed out as evident in her flinching, pointed out the unsanitary aspect of swallowing a grotesque, ancient, cursed finger. However, Gojo cleared his throat to capture everyone's attention.

"This is a test for Nobara, Yuuji, and, Jamal," Gojo instructed with a more serious note. "Both Yuuji and Nobara will be the first to head in to exorcise the curse in the building."

"Jamal will go in on my signal," Gojo added, causing Megumi to glance at me curiously.

"He already knows what I'm capable of, and I just came from an intense fight," I pondered quietly to myself. "Why does he want me fighting another curse that Nobara will easily defeat?"

"I guess the answer will come in good time," I resolved quietly, wondering if Gojo's signal was to tell me to stop smiling.

After Gojo equipped Yuji with Slaughter Demon', the two headed inside, and we retreated to wait outside for their outcome while Gojo shared his insights.

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