For the first time meeting Hayashi, Junpei felt as if he could see his future through his words. But if it were Mahito, could he also bring Junpei a brighter future?
Hayashi's greeting left Junpei momentarily dazed. In terms of right and wrong, Junpei could still distinguish between the two, but when it came to the complexities of human nature, he found himself conflicted.
Seeing Junpei's shyness, Hayashi didn't say much and instead found a topic to discuss. He got Itadori Yuji to join in, and the three began talking about movies, storylines, and settings.
Time passed quickly, and the sun was beginning to set, leaving a half-circle of light on the horizon.
The three of them were chatting and laughing, the atmosphere pleasant. However, none of them noticed a man wearing a cloak and hat standing on a distant bridge, watching everything.
"Why is he here too?" The cloaked figure was none other than Suguru Geto. He had originally come to check on Itadori Yuji's progress but hadn't expected to see Hayashi here as well.
Geto had already received word from Mahito about their earlier clash with Hayashi. Although it was Mahito's first encounter with Hayashi, most of what he knew came from what Jogo had told him.
With this in mind, Geto decided to move up his plans. Originally, he had intended to wait a few more days before taking action, but now that Hayashi had appeared, he would strike while the iron was hot.
As Hayashi laughed and joked with the others, he didn't notice Geto's presence. His cursed energy projection couldn't stay active all the time; he needed to rest.
However, Hayashi's sharp intuition kicked in. Just as Geto turned to leave, Hayashi caught a glimpse of his cloaked figure in the distance, causing him to furrow his brows.
"What's wrong, Hayashi?" Itadori noticed the change in Hayashi's expression, thinking perhaps it was something they had said.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just remembered something." Hayashi laughed it off.
At that moment, a gentle but curious female voice called out, "Junpei?"
The three of them stood up and saw a woman who appeared relatively young and intellectual. She had short hair parted to one side, falling just to her chin, and was wearing a purple stretchy top while carrying a bag of groceries.
"Mom?" Junpei hadn't expected to run into his mother here. The current atmosphere grew a little awkward.
"It's rare to see you out here. Are these your friends?" Junpei's mother, Nagi Yoshino, seemed happy to see him socializing. It was a good sign that Junpei had friends to laugh and chat with.
"We just met," Junpei quickly replied.
"Even though we just met, I think we'll become friends," said Hayashi with a warm smile.
"Yes, Junpei's a great person," Itadori added, looking at Hayashi.
Nagi Yoshino smiled, clearly pleased. "Really? Please take care of him!"
However, Junpei's expression shifted slightly when he saw his mother smoking. Uncomfortable, he said, "Mom, didn't I tell you to quit smoking?"
Hayashi glanced at Junpei. It seemed that Junpei cared a lot about his mother smoking, likely due to their family dynamics. His personality wasn't without reason.
"Oh, sorry, sorry! I promised not to smoke in front of you." Nagi quickly put out the cigarette and walked down toward them, smiling at Hayashi and Itadori. "What are your names?"
Before Hayashi could respond, Itadori jumped in, "I'm Itadori Yuji. But that leek doesn't suit you at all, Auntie."
Nagi laughed. "Oh? You really know how to flatter. My goal is to be a woman who doesn't suit leeks."
"What are you talking about?" Junpei was embarrassed by his mother's casual banter in front of people he had just met.
Hayashi finally introduced himself, smiling. "Hello, Auntie, I'm Hayashi. I'm not as good with words as Itadori, but you do have a very elegant presence."
"Oh my, you're both so polite! Hayashi, Yuji—how about joining us for dinner?" Nagi smiled warmly at the two of them.
Before either of them could respond, Junpei exclaimed, "Wait a minute! Isn't that imposing on them?"
"Hm?" Nagi raised an eyebrow at her son, her tone playful. "Are you saying my cooking is a burden?"
At that moment, Itadori's stomach growled loudly, causing both Hayashi and Nagi to burst into laughter. Itadori's timing couldn't have been more perfect.
"Let's go, boys," Nagi said, leading the way. Hayashi and Itadori followed, while Junpei hesitated for a moment before being called to join them by Itadori.
On the way, Nagi cheerfully chatted with them, asking if there were any foods they didn't like or were allergic to. She was incredibly warm and welcoming.
Junpei's mother was clearly kind-hearted and hospitable.
Looking at her, Hayashi couldn't help but think: how could he allow someone like her to disappear from the world? The ones who deserved to vanish weren't people like her but those horrible individuals.
When they arrived at Junpei's house, Itadori received a call from Ijichi. Just as he was about to answer, Hayashi quickly took the phone from him. "I'll take care of this. You focus on talking with Junpei."
When it came to social interactions, Hayashi believed Itadori was far better suited for the task. He imagined how fun it would be to team up with Itadori on missions in the future. With their shared experiences, they could tackle many tasks together. Maybe he'd even add Aoi Todo to the mix later.
There was only one problem: everything Itadori sensed, Sukuna would also sense. Hayashi couldn't afford for Sukuna to learn too much about him. If they ever fought, it would be a huge disadvantage for Hayashi.
Of course, if Hayashi's strength reached a certain level, he wouldn't be afraid of facing Sukuna head-on.
"Hello, Itadori? How's the situation?" Ijichi's voice came through the phone.
"It's Hayashi. Itadori's busy chatting with Junpei right now, and we're guests at his house. We'll be staying for dinner," Hayashi explained briefly.
"Huh? Hayashi? You're with Itadori? And you're having dinner at Junpei's house?" Ijichi sounded surprised, clearly not expecting Hayashi to answer the call.
He had heard from Gojo Satoru that Hayashi knew about Itadori surviving, though Gojo had falsely accused Ijichi of spilling the secret. It turned out Hayashi had figured it out on his own.
Recently, Hayashi had been spending a lot of time outside of school, always off on his own.
"Oh, Itadori tried calling you earlier, but you didn't answer, so he called me. Don't worry, everything's under control. Talk to you later!" Hayashi hung up before Ijichi could respond.
Ijichi stared at the phone, bewildered. He then remembered that he had indeed missed Itadori's call earlier, nearly causing a major issue.
And if Nanami found out, he would definitely get scolded. He would much rather deal with Gojo's carefree attitude than face the stern Nanami.
Still, since Hayashi was with Itadori, there shouldn't be any problems. Gojo had spoken highly of Hayashi, giving him a solid reputation.
Even so, Ijichi knew he needed to head over and check on them. After all, this was his job, and he took it seriously.