Becoming Sukuna

This chapter might have some name mistakes .

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The stay of older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, aside from occasionally having to deal with her sudden tests and pranks, didn't really have much of an impact on Yukinoshita Yukino's life, except for making her even more troubled.

Especially last night when Yukinoshita Haruno insisted on taking a bath with her. It was really annoying.

If it had been a week ago, Yukinoshita Yukino might have half-heartedly agreed to her sister's pestering, but now, with an uninvited tenant inside her body who doesn't pay rent, she could only firmly refuse.

Just recalling the chaotic scene from last night gave the girl a headache, let alone the thought that such days might continue.

Having a noisy parasite inside her mind was already busy enough, and now with a sister who loves to prank her, the house was becoming a bit "too lively."

"What a pity," Sukuna said regretfully.

"The parasite in your brain, full of obscene thoughts, should be sprayed with insecticide!" Yukinoshita Yukino said coldly, her ethereal voice carrying a chill, as if a Siberian wind had blown through.

Unfortunately, this had no effect on Sukuna.

"The pity I'm talking about is your sister strictly monitoring you, not allowing you to act freely. What are you even thinking about?" he said seriously.

Upon hearing this, the power dynamic shifted.

Yukinoshita Yukino, who rarely surfed the internet and had never been through the "online baptism," never expected Sukuna to shamelessly talk such nonsense with a straight face.

The way he said it, it almost made it seem like she was the one with unhealthy thoughts, causing her face to flush slightly. Her words also lost some of their force: "I underestimated the shamelessness of the parasite. I truly lost to you."

At that moment, there were only two people in the service club room, and if anyone unrelated came in, Sukuna would naturally hide, so they didn't communicate through their mental channels.

Soon after, Hikigaya Hachiman entered the room.

"Good afternoon... Eh, you're here, old man." When he saw Yukinoshita Yukino staring at him with both eyes wide open, he was momentarily startled.

As expected, no matter when, seeing that scene would still be shocking.

"I haven't seen you around these past couple of days," Hikigaya Hachiman said as he set his bag down and casually started a conversation.

"Well, more people have been coming to this club lately, and there hasn't been much chance for me to get out and breathe," Yukinoshita Yukino replied.

"Yeah, probably because Hiratsuka-sensei has been quietly promoting it," he remarked.

Not to mention, there's also a regular person like Yuihama who has joined the club now, making it inconvenient to discuss things about the curse world.

At first, Hikigaya Hachiman thought it was Sukuna's idea to let Yuihama join, but later realized it wasn't. It was just that Yukinoshita couldn't resist Yuihama's enthusiasm.

Yukinoshita was too soft-hearted.

After reflecting on this in his mind, Hikigaya Hachiman took the opportunity to ask, "So, how's the situation with Yukinoshita's sister? Shouldn't be too big of a problem, right?"

"No big problem. It's just that Yukinoshita is being kept at home by her sister."

"Please don't use such bizarre words," Yukinoshita Yukino said helplessly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's because of work that my sister is staying with me, making things less convenient than before."

"If there's a good reason, she wouldn't stop me from going out… probably."

With her understanding of Yukinoshita Haruno, if she said she wanted to go out now, her sister would probably follow her.

"Probably?" Hikigaya Hachiman instinctively commented, then immediately realized something important, "So, does that mean you can't go out to exorcise curses until Yukinoshita gets her freedom back?"

"Logically, that's true," Sukuna said with a grin.

However, before Hikigaya Hachiman could be pleased for a few seconds, Sukuna continued meaningfully, "But is this really okay?"

"What do you mean?" Hikigaya Hachiman had a feeling Sukuna wasn't going to say anything good, and tried to preemptively explain, "I've been training my body and cursed energy at home, I'm not neglecting myself!"

"I'm not talking about that," Sukuna waved his hand, but in Hikigaya's eyes, it was Yukinoshita Yukino making the gesture.

"Normally, if a regular person encounters a strong curse, they would almost instantly be killed. Even if it's a weaker curse, if an ordinary person gets tangled up with it, they'll face negative effects like physical exhaustion or mental instability. If it's not dealt with, over time, it's hard to escape death."

"I remember you mentioned seeing many curses on your way to school when you first arrived here? Those were weak ones, even with your current strength, you could probably deal with them easily."

"Even if it's a dog about to be hit by a car, you would risk yourself to save it. You're capable of saving others, so how could you ignore those regular people?"

"Honestly, whether or not I exorcise curses doesn't concern me. Teaching you all is just a hobby." Sukuna said casually. "Unlike Yukinoshita, who has a troublesome sister, how you act depends on you."

After hearing Sukuna's words, Hikigaya Hachiman's face immediately turned ugly.

He let the earlier comment slide as just drinking a cup of bitter chicken soup, but why the hell does Sukuna know that I got hit by a car while saving a dog?!

Even though he thought he was super cool at the time for saving that dachshund, looking back now, he realized how stupid that action was.

"Think about it yourself. Someone's coming," Sukuna said, then hid away to eavesdrop, leaving a boy with dead fish eyes, his expression complex.

Before long, Yuihama opened the door and entered, followed by a small... girl?

No, this is a boy, right?

Through Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes, Sukuna's sharp observation caught sight of the slightly prominent Adam's apple, not very obvious but somewhere between a boy and a girl.

"Hello~ I brought a client!" Yuihama cheerfully greeted everyone, then pushed the cute boy forward with a smile.

"Uh, I'm Ayaka Hozuki, from the same class as Hikigaya. Nice to meet you."

Hozuki Ayaka, with short silver hair, had a slightly flushed face and a shy smile. He looked a bit embarrassed as he scratched his cheek, then smiled brightly. His soft, gentle, neutral voice almost made it impossible to tell his real gender.

For instance, right now, a certain boy with dead fish eyes was utterly captivated by this beautiful sight.

I want to protect this smile forever!

Here's the translation based on the previous conditions:

"Please have a seat."

Yukinoshita Yukino brought a chair over for Hozuki Ayaka.

"Thank you." The silver-haired boy quietly expressed his gratitude, his cute face showing a faint shy smile, as if a magnet pulling someone's gaze.

"So, what's your request?"

"Well, I'd like to ask for your help in improving my tennis skills." Hozuki Ayaka said, scratching his cheek.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but our school's tennis club is really weak. After the third-year students retired, it's gotten even weaker."

Here's the translation based on the previous conditions:

"Please have a seat."

Yukinoshita Yukino brought a chair over for Hozuki Ayaka.

"Thank you." The silver-haired boy quietly expressed his gratitude, his cute face showing a faint shy smile, as if a magnet pulling someone's gaze.

"So, what's your request?"

"Well, I'd like to ask for your help in improving my tennis skills." Hozuki ayaka said, scratching his cheek.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but our school's tennis club is really weak. After the third-year students retired, it's gotten even weaker."

When it comes to the sports clubs at Sobu High, the first thing that comes to mind for everyone is the football club. Even within the prefecture, the football club at Sobu High is considered top-tier, and it even boasts the honor of reaching the top eight in a major competition.

Therefore, the football club receives the largest budget of any sports club at Sobu High.

As for the other sports clubs, they're mostly unremarkable, with the tennis club being one of the least impressive.

When Hachiman Hikigaya spoke about the current state of the tennis club, a hint of melancholy crossed his face.

"Perhaps it's because we've never achieved any real results, but the other members have become lethargic during club activities. After the third-year seniors handed me the position of club president, this situation only got worse."

"So, I was thinking, if my skills could improve a bit, maybe the other members would see it and feel motivated to work harder."

"Could I ask for your help?" Hachiman Hikigaya said, his eyes welling up as they slowly turned toward Yukinoshita Yukino.

No, don't look at me like that. I'm not the president of the club.

Hachiman Hikigaya averted his gaze and turned his head away. He feared that if he didn't, he would impulsively slam the table and shout, "A man of integrity cannot live in the shadow of others. Today, the Service Club is under my command! I'll definitely help Hozuki!"

Then Yukinoshita Yukino would throw him out the window again.

And let's not forget the hole in the window, still covered by the curtains.

"I understand the situation," Yukinoshita Yukino said. "However, your idea might not be feasible."

"Huh?" Before he could even feel happy, his smile froze. "What do you mean?"

"From what you're saying, your club members seem like people who don't strive for anything and simply wait to fade away. Do you really think that if they see your skills improve, they'll suddenly change and get serious about club activities?"

Yukinoshita Yukino stood up, walked over to the window, and continued speaking the harsh truth. The evening breeze gently lifted her long hair, and the setting sun bathed her in a golden glow.

She gazed out at the view, and in her pupils, the red sky was reflected like a clear mirror. It seemed like Hachiman Hikigaya's description had reminded her of some unpleasant experiences from her childhood, causing a flicker of disgust in her eyes.

"A group of people unwilling to put in the effort will huddle together for warmth, and someone who works hard like you will end up an outcast." Yukinoshita Yukino turned to face the stunned Hachiman Hikigaya. "People naturally follow those who are better, but only if they haven't given up on themselves."

"Is... that so?" Hachiman Hikigaya mumbled, his head sinking in disappointment.

Off to the side, Yui Yuigahama watched anxiously, unsure of what to say. She could only signal Hachiman Hikigaya with her eyes, urging him to think of a solution.

Isn't there anything we can do to help Hozuki?

Before Hachiman Hikigaya could voice his thoughts, he heard Yukinoshita Yukino's cold voice ring out again: "I won't help someone who's given up on themselves, but if all you want is to improve your tennis skills, the Service Club has no reason to refuse."

"Little Yukino, you're so!" The pink-haired, dumpling-headed girl, who had been on the verge of tears, finally broke into a smile and rushed to hug Yukinoshita Yukino, like a dog reunited with its master after a long time. "Don't talk so dramatically!"

"Is that so? I just said what I needed to," Yukinoshita Yukino replied, a bit embarrassed. "And, by the way, you're too close, Yui."

As for the dramatic speech... well, it must have been the parasite's fault for infecting me with germs.

"Thank you, Yukinoshita," Hachiman Hikigaya said, touched.

"Don't get too happy just yet. My training will be very strict."

Yukinoshita Yukino finally freed herself from Yui's embrace. Although she tried to look stern, after the earlier display of some natural behavior, it was hard to re-establish her intimidating image.

With her hands raised in front of her to half-heartedly block Yui, who was smiling foolishly and closing in again, and looking at the smiling Hachiman Hikigaya, Yukinoshita Yukino let out a helpless sigh.

...

After officially accepting Hachiman Hikigaya's request, Yukinoshita Yukino returned to familiar territory and began formulating his training plan.

The first thing to focus on was physical fitness, the foundation for all sports.

To make the training plan more suited to Hachiman Hikigaya's condition, Yukinoshita Yukino researched a lot of material online, and after considering Hachiman Hikigaya's actual performance, she revised it multiple times until she came up with a plan she was satisfied with.

However, physical fitness isn't something that can be perfected in just a few days; it requires persistent effort to reap the benefits.

Tennis skill training also had to progress simultaneously.

Under Yukinoshita Yukino's guidance and Hachiman Hikigaya's own hard work, his skills were improving rapidly.

Every day during lunch breaks, he practiced with the Service Club trio. The tennis club's club activity time was dedicated to physical training, and he even practiced on his own in private.

He was really determined to improve.

However, everyone has their limits. After several days of intense training, Hachiman Hikigaya's body finally gave out.

During a practice match with Yui, when Hachiman Hikigaya had perfectly anticipated the ball's trajectory and was about to strike it, his fatigued body chose to shut down.

As he prepared to receive the ball, his legs suddenly gave way, and he lost his balance, falling to the ground under the pull of gravity.

His knees scraped the ground, and the wound, now covered in dust, began to slowly bleed.

"Ayaka!" Yui cried out anxiously from across the net.

"I'm fine, just keep going." Even though tears welled up in his eyes from the pain, Ayaka refused to stop the training.

"Are you really going to keep training in this condition?" Yukinoshita Yukino asked calmly after checking his wounds and confirming they weren't serious.

"Yeah, after all, everyone's been training seriously with me. I don't want to waste anyone's time," the silver-haired boy said gently yet resolutely.

Faced with Ayaka's sincere attitude, Hachiman Hikigaya, who had planned to tell him to rest, couldn't bring himself to say it.

He really... I can't.