One could say the label "mischievous cat" had never been undeserved.
Ten minutes later, after Hanakaiin Tomitaka finished his shower, a towel draped around his neck, he stepped out of the bathroom—and immediately spotted a certain cat-eared girl sitting at the dining table. The seal-covered suitcase lay open before her, and under the overhead light, she was inspecting the purple-black finger wrapped in talismans, turning it over in her hands.
"Hey, hey, Tomitaka! Come look—doesn't this look like one of your Onmyoji things?"
"…Let me see."
Though he had just said before entering the bathroom not to open the box, Tomitaka knew that one casual remark could never contain Kuroka's curiosity. Seeing her examining the sealed item didn't surprise him in the slightest.
He walked over and sat beside her at the table.
But instead of handing him the sealed object, Kuroka leaned all the way onto him.
Through the thin fabric of her kimono, she could feel the warmth of his body. A faint steam hung in the air, carrying the scent of his shower gel.
Like she'd found her favorite spot, Kuroka smiled in contentment, pressed her cheek against his chest, and then finally passed him the sealed finger.
"Here."
"Mm…"
Tomitaka took the talisman-wrapped finger from her, barely glancing at it before shaking his head.
"This has nothing to do with Onmyoji techniques. It's the work of a jujutsu practitioner."
"Is there a difference? Looks like scribbles to me."
Kuroka gestured at the finger, tangled with countless talismans.
"…Exactly because it's all scribbles, it's jujutsu."
With his thumb, Tomitaka carefully lifted one end of the talismans and tugged. One loop after another unwound, revealing that the entire finger had been wrapped in a single continuous strip of talisman paper. Like a neglected plastic pipe covered in tape from end to end.
He laid the finger flat on the table and stretched the talismans out for Kuroka to see.
"Now, you can probably see the difference."
"Honestly… I still don't get it."
"Impossible… Can't you see how repetitive the jujutsu writing is? Compare that to our Onmyoji talismans—they're concise, precise, and effective. No extra fluff."
Kuroka poked him lightly on the cheek, exhaling a soft breath.
"You always get a little… aggressive when talking about jujutsu, don't you?"
Tomitaka shrugged. "Not aggression, just stating facts. Most jujutsu practitioners are ordinary people who suddenly awaken power. Rarely do they inherit proper training or tradition. So when someone suddenly gains superhuman ability… well, it tends to shape their personality. They're basically nouveau riche with wild growth. No one ever simplifies or organizes their spells, so whatever they awaken with, that's what they're stuck with. Rough. Crude. That's the word."
"Even the so-called top three families in the jujutsu world aren't much better."
"Take the Zen'in family—they specialize in ten shadow techniques. Master all ten, and you can automatically inherit the house leadership. The current head didn't even inherit all ten. The Gojo family specializes in limitless techniques, but you need the Six Eyes to use them. A true prodigy with both appears maybe once in centuries. The Kamo family's specialty is blood manipulation. Easy to learn, but you drain your own life while fighting—win a battle, lose just as much. Meanwhile…"
He slammed his fist into the air, pride flashing in his eyes.
"Our Hanakaiin family—our ancestral spell, Hakan, is basically a portable moving ancestral shrine. Each generation adds more power. The more generations we summon, the stronger the effect. That's true legacy, not just sudden power like the jujutsu nouveau riche."
"Oh…"
Kuroka's eyes lit up.
"So… you can use Hakan?"
Tomitaka paused, then nodded vaguely but firmly.
"Yeah, it's not that hard. My little sister Yura already knows how to use it in middle school."
"I see…"
If Yura can, surely he can as well, Kuroka thought. She turned her gaze back to the purple-black finger, now stripped of talismans.
"So… what do we do with this? The seal is gone. If we just leave it… won't something pop out?"
"Rewrapping the talismans would theoretically work. But these ones are almost expired. Might as well make a new seal."
With that, Tomitaka's fingertips glowed with spiritual pressure. He touched the suitcase containing the finger.
In an instant, mystical runes etched themselves across the surface, flowing as if alive, forming a complex seal in seconds.
"That's done. Just toss it inside and close the lid later."
"But… what is this thing anyway?"
He tilted his head, examining it from every angle, then snapped a photo with his phone. Opening a forum app, he posted it online.
"What's that?" Kuroka leaned over.
"A paranormal forum. Run by students at the Tokyo Jujutsu Academy. Mostly jujutsu practitioners, a few enthusiasts. I've taken some jobs from there before."
"Jobs? But didn't you say jujutsu people were all nouveau riche brats?"
"Money's money," he said, typing rapidly.
He uploaded the finger's photo with the caption:"How do you guys even know I caught this while night-fishing?"
"Done?"
Seeing the "Post Success +3 EXP" pop up, Kuroka tilted her head.
Tomitaka powered off the screen, placed the finger back in the suitcase, and patted Kuroka's rear through her kimono.
"Of course, I don't need to stay up for replies. Tomorrow morning's fine."
"Mm…"
Kuroka didn't move as he expected. Instead, she shifted ninety degrees in his lap, now facing him directly, arms wrapping around his neck, legs tucked around his sides. She leaned in close, whispering.
"Since you've eaten and showered… now it's time for me to eat big brother."