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He navigates through a particularly congested intersection with the kind of casual confidence that suggests he could probably drive this route blindfolded, which given his actual condition is pretty much true. The morning sunlight filters through the windshield, catching on the white of his hair and making it seem to glow slightly in the natural light. There's something comfortable about the silence that follows his revelation, like they've both stumbled into a rhythm of conversation that feels natural despite only knowing each other for such a short time. When he continues speaking, his tone has shifted slightly from the playful banter to something more genuinely contemplative, as if the question about what bothers him has prompted actual self-reflection rather than just a quick deflective answer.
"You know what's interesting about this whole situation? Most people in your position would be completely overwhelmed right now. They'd be asking a million questions about cursed energy and jujutsu society and what their life is going to look like going forward, but you're just sitting there watching people on the street like this is any other Tuesday morning drive to campus. You mentioned earlier that you stress about normal things like dentures and stoves and first relationships, but the genuinely abnormal situation of discovering that supernatural monsters are real and you can apparently sense them doesn't seem to be registering as particularly stressful. That's either a really healthy coping mechanism where you're compartmentalizing the big stuff to deal with later, or you genuinely just process reality differently than most people and I'm going to need to completely rethink my teaching approach because standard methods aren't going to work on someone with your particular brand of.....unusual. I'm honestly not sure which explanation I prefer, though both have merit and would explain why you've managed to survive this long with curses attracted to you without even knowing what they were." He makes a smooth turn onto what she recognizes as the street leading to campus, the familiar buildings starting to come into view as he continues to navigate with that effortless precision that suggests he's probably mapped out the entire route in his head despite never having driven it before.
"Also, I want to circle back to something you said that I think deserves more attention than I gave it in the moment. You mentioned being scared of fire, which is actually a pretty significant detail given that some curses have elemental affiliations and fire-based techniques are common enough in jujutsu that it's going to come up eventually in your training. That's the kind of thing I need to know about because pushing someone past their reasonable limits is one thing, but forcing them to confront genuine phobias without proper preparation is just bad teaching and potentially dangerous for everyone involved. So when we get past this exam and start working on your actual cursed energy development, we're going to have a proper conversation about your fears and concerns and how to work with them rather than just bulldozing through them, because that's what separates good teachers from mediocre ones who just throw students into situations and hope they survive the experience. I may come across as casual and playful most of the time, but I take your safety and wellbeing seriously even if my methods seem unconventional." He pulls into a parking spot near the building where the exam is being held, checking the time on the dashboard with a satisfied nod that suggests she's going to make it with her usual minimal time buffer intact.
"I thought we agreed I wasn't going to be fighting curses & that we'd find some other way for me to fit into the Jujutsu world? I told you, I'm really not a fighter," She questioned as she climbed out of the car, waving bye at him. "But we'll talk about it later? The exam is starting soon. Thanks for the ride!"
He turns off the engine and gets out of the car with her, his tall frame unfolding from the driver's seat with that characteristic fluid grace as he follows toward the building entrance. There's something protective in the way he positions himself slightly behind and to her left, like he's already catalogued potential threat vectors in the surrounding area despite the campus being relatively safe compared to the apartment. When he speaks, his voice carries a gentle correction.
"Hey, you're right, and I apologize for the mixed message. When I said we'd find you a place in the jujutsu world, I was referring to that." He emphasized "Not every sorcerer is a frontline fighter, and there are plenty of roles that utilize cursed energy sense and other abilities without requiring you to directly engage in combat. There are support positions, research roles, detection and monitoring specialists, barrier technique users who never see actual curses, and administrative positions that help coordinate curse elimination without putting people in direct danger. Your ability to sense cursed energy is valuable regardless of whether you're willing to fight, and I'm not going to push you into a role that doesn't align with who you are as a person." He lightly shrugged his shoulders, not seeming bothered at all by this "We'll figure out what fits your strengths and comfort level once we get past this exam and can have a proper planning conversation about your future. For now, go ace that statistics test and show your professor that showing up in regular clothes instead of beachwear doesn't negatively impact your academic performance. I'll be right here when you're done, and we can grab food afterward if you want to continue our morning conversations over something more substantial than rushed cereal." He leans casually against the car with his arms crossed, clearly planning to wait for her despite the exam probably taking at least an hour, and there's something reassuring about knowing he'll actually be there when she comes back out rather than just dropping her off and disappearing like a normal ride would.