Curse Return: Demon Void Girl Doesn't Want to Be a Weakling

In the evening, Mashiro was curled up on the sofa scrolling through her phone when the doorbell rang.

I stood up, walked to the entrance, and opened the door.

Huzhang stood outside the door, carrying several large plastic bags in each hand, all filled with ingredients, with cabbages even sticking out halfway out of the bags.

Behind him stood Nagasaki, carrying a bag of oranges and a carton of milk.

So much food? Can we finish it all?

Mashiro stared at the bag and blinked.

"What are you standing at the door for?" Kugizaki glanced over Mashiro's shoulder and inside. "All moved in? Pretty fast."

"It was a gift from the moving company, it didn't take much time." Mashiro stepped aside from the doorway. "Come in."

Itachi took off her shoes, picked up the groceries, and walked straight to the kitchen, looking around as she went: "Mashiro-nee, your house is huge!"

"It's twice as expensive as the one in Sendai."

"That's worth it, it has a separate kitchen and a balcony." He put the bag on the stove and started taking things out. "Where's the pot? Sukiyaki needs a shallow pot, do you have one?"

"All kinds of pots and pans are prepared and are in the cupboard."

Huzhang opened the cabinet and saw the brand-new stainless steel cookware set. The packaging film had been torn off, and there were water stains on the bottom of the pots.

He picked it up and looked at it: "Did you use it yesterday?"

Masashi opened his mouth, but still honestly told the truth: "They're all brand new, and I washed them all."

Huzhang nodded without asking any further questions, placed the pot on the stove, and turned on the gas stove knob.

Tap tap tap, boom.

Blue flames leaped up, and Itajima nodded in satisfaction: "The fire's burning brightly; new stuff is always good. Mashiro-nee, could you get me a bowl? I'll prepare the broth first."

Mashiro took a few bowls out of the cupboard and placed them on the table. She had just bought them this morning, along with a whole set of kitchen utensils.

Tiger Cane picked up the kitchen knife and tried it out: "This one's pretty good."

"I bought the expensive one."

"A wise choice."

Kugizaki had already walked around the living room, a two-bedroom apartment, much larger than his previous house in Sendai.

The living room has light-colored wooden floors, and outside the floor-to-ceiling windows is a large balcony with empty clothes racks. There is very little furniture, just a large dining table, a luxurious-looking sofa, and a matching coffee table.

"Your living room is so empty." Kugizaki sat down on the sofa, instantly enveloped by its softness, and let out a soft, comfortable sigh. "There's nothing there except a table and a sofa."

"We just moved in, and haven't had time to buy anything yet."

"Where's the TV?"

"I won't look."

"What are the guests doing here?"

"Have a meal."

Kugizaki choked for a moment, then laughed: "Fine, then, you're perfectly justified."

Fushiguro was the last to arrive. When Mashiro went to open the door, she saw him carrying a bag of apples and a box of snacks.

"Sorry to bother you."

Mashiro glanced at the apples and snacks: "You don't need to bring anything."

"I'm sorry to come empty-handed."

Mashiro didn't say anything more and stepped aside to let him in.

Fuhei changed into slippers, put the apple on the shelf, then sat down at the coffee table and quietly poured himself a glass of water.

"Fukuguro, you're sitting on the sofa too? It's so comfortable." Kugizaki had already closed his eyes and was enjoying himself.

"You're so rude..."

Mashiro returned to the kitchen, where the sukiyaki broth was bubbling in the pot. Itari stood in front of the stove and stirred the bottom of the pot with chopsticks to prevent it from sticking.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Okay, then Mashiro-nee, please help me prepare the ingredients."

walk slowly.

She picked up the kitchen knife, tossed it around to feel its texture, and then nodded.

The sound of the cleaver falling was both light and quick.

With steady fingers and precise placement, the cuts were clean and neat, and the ingredients were quickly processed. The scallion segments were all the same length, the tofu was cut into squares, and the konjac noodles were arranged neatly.

It's pretty simple, similar to using the Murasaki-kiri spirit. I think I can do it.

Mashiro nodded proudly.

"Your knife skills are good enough to work in a restaurant." Dingzaki leaned against the kitchen door frame, munching on a bag of potato chips that he had somehow gotten out of nowhere.

"You can only cut, but you can't cook." Mashiro scooped the chopped green onions into the bowl.

"Chopping vegetables relies on knife skills, cooking relies on experience." Itari took the bowl, poured the scallions into the pot, and said, "Mashiro-nee, what you lack is experience."

"Too lazy to learn."

"Then I'll do more in the future," Itajimaru replied casually, then scratched his head, feeling something was off. "No, I meant I came to help..."

"Oh, then it's up to you." Mashiro ate the potato chips Kugizaki had fed her and mumbled, "I'll give you the money."

Huzhang paused for a moment.

Kugizaki walked past him to get a drink and muttered, "She's being kept."

"No! I just meant I'd come and help cook every day!"

"You'd better shut up. The more you explain, the weirder it gets," Fuhei said, sitting on the living room sofa. In the end, he was still caught.

No wonder it's a high-end sofa that cost 15 yen; it can even win over Fushiguro.

Soon after, the doorbell rang again.

After chopping the vegetables, Mashiro wanted to do something else but almost caused a problem. She was kicked out of the kitchen by the two of them and went to open the door.

Gojo Satoru stood outside the door, holding a convenience store plastic bag in his hand, with three two-liter bottles of oolong tea and some snacks peeking out from the bag.

He was dressed casually today, in a dark gray hoodie with the hood pulled down, and wearing his favorite sunglasses.

Gojo Satoru tilted his head: "I'm not late, am I?"

"You timed it pretty well."

"That's called time management." Gojo Satoru handed her the plastic bag. "I brought the drinks as you said."

"What kind of drink is this? Can't you buy something else?"

Mashiro took the bag with disdain and stepped aside to let him in.

"Huh?" He paused, taken aback. "Isn't this where we usually eat?"

"I don't like drinking it; it tastes bitter."

"Here'll have some pudding, it's sweet." Gojo Satoru shrugged, walked into the living room, glanced around, and finally his gaze landed on the kitchen.

Huzhang was facing away from the living room, controlling the heat, with plates of ingredients already set up beside him.

"Itadori-kun is already working." Gojo Satoru sat down on the sofa casually. "Then I'll just wait to eat."

"Teacher, aren't you going to do anything?" Kugizaki poked his head out from the kitchen.

"I brought drinks," Gojo Satoru said matter-of-factly.

"But Mashiro doesn't like it, does she?"

"Then don't worry about it."

Mashiro put the oolong tea in the refrigerator and returned to the living room. Itadori's voice came from the kitchen: "Mashiro-neechan, is something baking in the oven?"

Mashiro, without changing her expression, said, "Yes, cake."

All eyes turned to her.

Kugizaki was the first to stand up and walk into the kitchen, opening the oven door to take a look.

A small cake, enough for one or two slices for each person.

The appearance is fairly intact, with a few small cracks on the surface, and the color suggests it's edible.

Kugizaki blinked, then hesitated before asking, "What is this cake?"

Mashiro paused for a second: "Test the work, check if the oven is broken."

Kugizaki had nothing to say and closed the oven door.

Tiger Knot poured the prepared sauce into the pot. The moment the broth came into contact with the beef, it sizzled, steam rose, and the aroma spread.

He picked up the spatula and flipped the beef slices: "We can eat now!"

Five minutes later, everyone sat down around the table.

The sukiyaki on the table was bubbling away, the cabbage was cooked until soft and tender, and the beef slices coated in raw egg melted in your mouth, making it look incredibly appetizing.

Gojo Satoru was the first to pick up his chopsticks, quickly picking up a slice of beef, dipping it in the egg mixture, and putting it in his mouth.

"good."

"Not bad, right?" Itajō grinned.

"It's only considered passing."

"Could you please refrain from saying that while secretly taking a few more slices?"

Seeing the teacher's incredibly fast hand speed, Kugizaki quickly pulled Fushiguro Megumi along to start eating.

Mashiro didn't stop after taking the first bite.

The chef at Huzhang is truly skilled; the beef is tender and not dry, the broth has a perfect balance of salty and sweet, and the tofu is stewed to perfection.

She can make three large bowls.

While eating, Kugizaki asked Mashiro, "By the way, what are your plans for the future?"

"Intend?"

"So you settled in, and then what? You're a level one sorcerer, so the academy will assign you tasks, right?"

"Yeah, I have a mission tomorrow, I'll be partnering with Nanami."

"Which Nanami?" Kugizaki paused for a moment. "Nanami Kento?"

"Do you know him?"

"I heard it recently. Apparently, he used to take classes at a vocational college, then quit to become a salaryman, and now he's back." Kugisaki rested his chin on his hand. "You've partnered with him before?"

We collaborated once in Tokyo.

"How is it?"

"Reliable."

Kugizaki nodded and continued eating.

Gojo Satoru finally had a moment to speak and chimed in, "Nanami is definitely reliable; you don't have to worry about anything else when you're partnered with him."

"You're just too lazy to bother with it every time."

"Haha, Mashiro-chan, you really understand me."

"Shut up and eat."

The heat of the sukiyaki pot gradually decreased, and half of the soup in the pot had evaporated.

Japanese knotweed added the prepared broth to the pot, then added the udon noodles, using chopsticks to separate them so that the noodles could absorb the broth.

After the udon noodles were almost cooked, add the remaining beef slices.

"You bought too much." Kugizaki looked at the mountain of beef piled up in the pot.

"Teacher Gojo told me to buy more."

"You'll buy it just because he tells you to?"

"It's alright, there's someone to eat anyway." Itadori pointed to Fushiguro Megumi, who hadn't said a word and had been engrossed in eating.

"Any objections?" Fushiguro Megumi looked up, her face sullen.

"No problem, please enjoy your meal."

Gojo Satoru, standing nearby, gave a thumbs-up: "It's okay, the teacher is here. Just leave it to me after you finish eating."

After everyone had finished eating, Mashiro stood up, opened the oven, and took out the cake.

The cake was placed on a white plate, with a few strawberries placed next to it.

"Everyone, have a taste! It's all gone in no time."

Kugizaki was the first to come over and poke the surface of the cake with his fork: "Looks... alright?"

"The taste is probably just average," Mashiro said honestly. "It seems like there wasn't enough sugar, and judging from the color, it's probably burnt a bit too much."

"For someone who can't cook, this is already quite impressive for their first attempt." Kugizaki cut off a piece, put it in his mouth, chewed for a moment, and said, "It's not sweet, but it's not so bad that you can't eat it. It's alright?"

He also cut a piece of Japanese knotweed, and he never hesitated to praise it: "It's better than the convenience store cake I had in Sendai. The convenience store cake is too sweet."

Fuhei didn't say anything; he just ate what he could, so he ate too.

Gojo Satoru looked at the cake on the table but didn't take a bite.

Mashiro stared at him: "Aren't you going to eat?"

Gojo Satoru, without changing his expression, said, "I'm full."

"You just ate pudding."

"Pudding is another stomach for desserts."

"So your other stomach is full now too?"

"...I'll eat it."

Kugizaki and Itadori laughed out loud.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Gojo Satoru reluctantly ate a piece, then quickly rinsed the taste in his mouth with oolong tea.

Mashiro looked at the cake plate, which was almost empty, and reached out to pick up the last piece and put it in her mouth.

It wasn't sweet enough and the texture was too dry; it really wasn't as good as the ones from the convenience store.

But this was the first time she had ever made food herself in this world, and it turned out alright.

Okay, I won't make it next time. Just wait to eat.

While clearing the dishes, Itadori rushed to carry the pots and bowls into the kitchen, and Mashiro followed, wanting to help him.

He waved his hand and said, "I'll do it, Mashiro-nee, you go and sit down."

When she came out, she found that Fushiguro had quietly put the trash on the table into a plastic bag, and Kugizaki had also helped wipe the table.

So, are only she and Gojo Satoru free?

Upon seeing Mashiro appear, Gojo Satoru put down his phone.

"I'm leaving now." Gojo Satoru stood up, didn't say anything more, and walked towards the door.

After changing his shoes, he turned to Mashiro and said, "Have a good mission tomorrow. If you need to contact me, just give me a call."

"I don't have your number."

"Oh, that's true."

After exchanging contact information, Gojo Satoru opened the door and left.

The footsteps in the corridor gradually faded away, and Mashiro closed the door and returned to the living room.

Kugizaki had finished wiping the table and was leaning against the kitchen doorway drinking water when he saw Mashiro come out. He waved the empty glass in his hand and said, "Where's the water? I'll pour myself."

"There's a water purifier there."

Kugizaki poured himself a glass of water, drank it, and then left with Fushiguro Megumi.

As Itari came out of the kitchen and put on her shoes in the entryway, she glanced at Mashiro and asked, "Mashiro-neechan, what time are you going on your mission tomorrow?"

"10:00 AM."

"Then I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Need not."

"Yes, I want it. Convenience store food isn't nutritious. Didn't you say you're still growing?"

Mashiro opened her mouth, but found she couldn't find a reason to refute it. "Whatever."

Itachi smiled and said, "Little Mashiro-neechan, you've got her figured out."

"I'm off then! See you tomorrow!"

After Huzhang left, he closed the door behind him, and the room became quiet.

Night had fallen in Tokyo outside the window, and the trees in the distance, heading towards the high school, cast shadows on the ground under the streetlights.

She tidied up the living room, then collapsed on the sofa and took out her phone.

I called Nanami this morning and added him on LINE. Then he sent me a task, which seemed suitable, so Mashiro accepted it.

Nanami's LINE message is still stuck on the last one: "See you at the coffee shop at 10 a.m. tomorrow."

She had memorized the location of the coffee shop on the map; it was about a 20-minute drive away, and she could get there if she got up early tomorrow.

She turned off the living room light, went back to the bedroom, and lay down on the bed she had made that morning.

Lying on a soft bed, I was faced with an unfamiliar ceiling.

It was the first time she had eaten with so many people, and the emptiness after everyone left made her feel a little uncomfortable.

I've been used to it for a long time.

Lost in thought, she shook her head when she came to her senses.

Tomorrow she'll be going on a mission with Nanami, a level one cursed spirit. They'll be partners, and she's already familiar with the process.

Let's get a good night's sleep today.

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