It was almost noon by the time Ren finished cleaning.
The apartment was small, but after the chaos of the last night, it had felt like a warzone. He swept up every trace of panic—the torn papers, the broom he'd thrown, the shattered talismans. The door creaked, but it held. The light didn't flicker anymore.
Everything felt… still.
And for the first time since waking up in this cursed world, Ren felt calm.
Not because he was safe.
He wasn't.
But because now, he had cursed energy.
And that made him something.
Not a sorcerer. Not yet.
But not just a bystander either.
He sat at the desk, his notebook open beside him, the cheap ink pen in his hand ticking softly against the wood.
He began to plan.
---
TIMELINE (ESTIMATED):
- Present day: BEFORE JJK 0.
- Suguru Geto is alive and planning.
- Gojo Satoru is likely active and monitoring threats.
- Yuji Itadori has not yet eaten Sukuna's finger.
- Shibuya Incident… far off. But inevitable.
---
GOALS:
1. Learn to control cursed energy consistently.
2. Confirm whether I have a cursed technique.
3. Develop a method of self-defense, even without a technique.
4. Avoid all major canon events unless prepared.
---
It was a sobering list.
And worse—he realized as he stared at the "3" on the list—he might not even have a cursed technique.
He ran a hand through his hair.
What then?
Could he live without fighting? Could he run? Hide?
He looked out the window at the city.
"Leave Japan?" he asked himself. "Run as far as possible?"
The thought twisted in his gut. He stood and opened Ren Sato's desk drawers—rifling through old documents, receipts, anything useful.
He found a single folder labeled with Ren's school name.
Inside was a simple ledger, probably school-issued.
A student ID copy.
A half-empty notebook.
And a tiny bank statement.
He opened it.
残高: 50,124円
He laughed. Bitter and dry.
"Fifty thousand yen. That's barely 300 bucks."
It wasn't even enough for a one-way flight.
He tried the next drawer. More old receipts. A copy of his apartment lease.
He blinked.
There it was.
Outstanding Loan Balance: 300,000 yen.
"…Of course," Ren muttered.
He slumped into the chair.
"So. Let's tally that up."
He grabbed a fresh page.
ASSETS:
- Apartment (owned, small, maybe haunted)
- Bank account (¥50,124)
- Supplies (pen, notebook, cursed knowledge, Jokes, old cloths)
LIABILITIES:
- Outstanding debt (¥300,000)
- No cursed technique (yet)
- No job
- No exit strategy
He set the pen down and stared at the ceiling.
This life—Ren Sato's life—was a mess.
He wasn't the chosen one.
He was a nobody.
And somehow, that made things easier.
Because it meant no one was coming to save him.
So he'd save himself.
He took a deep breath.
Picked up the pen.
And kept planning.