That Day When Suzuki-kun Wasn't the Mob-B! Chapter 493: The Tiger and the Chihuahua (Patreon)

"..."

Suzuki blinked slowly, staring at the towering, musclehead idiot who had just ripped his shirt off in the middle of the school courtyard.

Naturally, as a former student at Kyoto Jujutsu High, Suzuki should have known Aoi Todo. But frankly, he didn't. By the time Todo had enrolled, Suzuki had already graduated and moved on to Kyoto University. He had been far too busy to pay attention to what had happened at his school, especially since he intentionally kept his distance from the Jujutsu world at that time.

Yet, even if Suzuki didn't know Todo, every single student at Kyoto High definitely knew him. Suzuki was the young Lord of the Zenin Clan, the one who had ruthlessly overthrown the Elders, and the man who was currently monopolizing the entire Jujutsu society through intelligence and power.

So, when faced with Todo's incredibly arrogant, impatient, and utterly ridiculous question, Suzuki didn't humor him as Yuki Tsukumo might have. He simply stared.

Around them, the crisp, cool autumn breeze rustled the orange leaves of the ancient maple trees lining the training grounds. The smell of dry earth and pine needles hung in the air, creating a serene, traditional atmosphere that stood in stark contrast to the absolute tension gripping the rest of the students. Every single one of them had a drastically different reaction to Suzuki's sudden appearance.

"Awawawa... this is the richest man in the entire Jujutsu world..." Kasumi Miwa muttered under her breath. The cute, blue-haired girl nervously clutched the hilt of her signature katana. Her palms were sweating against the dark fabric of her suit. Unlike the others, she had become a sorcerer entirely to escape her family's poverty. To her, Suzuki's aura of limitless wealth was practically blinding, smelling faintly of crisp, newly minted banknotes and luxury.

"He's... so handsome..." Momo Nishimiya whispered, entirely in a daze. The petite, blonde-haired girl with pigtails resembling animal ears felt a sudden, feverish heat rush to her cheeks. She had seen K-Pop idols, Korean drama actors, and Western movie stars, but standing in front of Suzuki, all of them were reduced to peasants. Her eyes shamelessly raked over his broad, perfectly proportioned shoulders and his sharp jawline, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs.

A few feet away, a tall, mechanical puppet made of dark metal and wood stood in heavy silence. Kokichi Muta—operating Mechamaru from a distant, dark bathtub—stared through the puppet's glowing red eye slot. The faint, mechanical whir of the puppet's gears was the only sound it made. What was Kokichi feeling? Nervousness? Bitter envy? When Suzuki casually glanced in his direction, Kokichi felt an ache in his ruined body. Suzuki possessed everything Kokichi had been denied: freedom, power, and health.

But the most complex reaction belonged to Noritoshi Kamo.

The heir of the Kamo Clan stood with rigid, perfect posture, his eyes narrowed into thin slits. He was the future head of one of the Big Three Families, yet standing before Suzuki, his clan felt insignificant. The Kamo Elders were currently roaring in panic back at their estate, horrified by how Suzuki had forcefully seized two Elder seats and gone on a rampage to bring down all of those who were close to the Elders, including their ally, yet there was nothing they could do. 

No, there was one thing that they could do.

If there was one thing the Kamo Clan could do, it was ally with the Gojo Clan to stop the Zenin Clan's expansion. Yet, seeing Principal Gakuganji walking side-by-side with Suzuki, Noritoshi felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. Kyoto Jujutsu High... is going to become a branch of the Zenin Clan.

Despite the heavy, suffocating political tension and the awe-struck stares, Todo remained completely oblivious. He operated on a wavelength entirely his own.

While the others marveled at Suzuki's face, wealth, and terrifying influence, Todo just flexed his massive pecs. "Hey! Hurry up and answer me!"

The other students panicked, stepping forward to try and stop the muscle-head. But before Todo could even take another breath, Suzuki answered. It just wasn't with words.

"Eh?"

There was no resistance. Todo didn't even have a second to put up a guard. He just saw a blur of motion, felt a displacement of air, and then a foot buried itself into his face.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The shockwave rattled the windows of the nearby dormitories. Todo's massive body was launched backward like a cannonball, violently crashing through the thick stone wall of the Kyoto High training facility. A massive cloud of pulverized brick, plaster, and gray dust plumed into the crisp autumn air. The smell of crushed stone immediately overpowered the scent of the pine trees.

"..."

A pin-drop silence fell over the courtyard.

"Don't worry. I will pay for the repairs," Suzuki said, his voice perfectly calm as he smoothly lowered his leg, not a single speck of dust on his tailored trousers.

"D-Don't worry about it..." Gakuganji laughed awkwardly, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his wrinkled cheek as he stared at the massive crater in his school.

Suzuki had changed quite a lot over the years. In the past, would he have kicked someone so casually? Probably not. But then again, did Todo think they were best friends? There was a concept known as hierarchy. Some thought it was just a meaningless societal construct, but Suzuki had the overwhelming power to back up his status.

It was like a yapping Chihuahua trying to pick a fight with a resting tiger. Fortunately for Todo, Suzuki was feeling gentle today. Otherwise, that kick would have taken his head clean off.

"That guy is such an idiot," Mai sighed, completely unbothered by the fact that her classmate was currently buried under half a ton of rubble. 

The other students were frozen in sheer terror. They knew exactly how strong Todo was. Yet, the strongest student among them had just been punted into a building with a single, casual strike. None of them had even seen Suzuki move!

"So, what do you want me to do here, Principal?" Suzuki asked, turning his attention back to Gakuganji. "Did you invite me just so this meathead could provoke me?"

"N-No, of course not!" Gakuganji quickly corrected, his tone far more polite and cautious than before. If Suzuki decided to throw a tantrum, the entire school would be leveled before sunset. "I was just wondering... if you could perhaps teach them for a bit? The Goodwill Event between Kyoto and Tokyo is about to begin."

"Oh?"

Suzuki glanced at the remaining students, watching them collectively flinch under his gaze.

"Okay." Suzuki nodded slowly.

It wasn't a bad idea. He needed a light warm-up, and he was curious about the current students of Kyoto High. Frankly, the plot was moving fast. In the original timeline, after the Shibuya Incident, the disaster curses, and Yuji's 'death' at the detention center, this school competition acted as the calm before the ultimate storm. Perhaps Suzuki would encounter those disaster curses sooner than he thought.

But for now, he wanted to test these kids.

"Your principal kindly invited me, so I will teach you for a bit," Suzuki said, casually folding his arms across his chest. The fabric of his shirt pulled tight over his muscles, drawing Momo's flushed gaze instantly. "Don't worry. Just use everything you have. You won't be able to hurt me anyway."

Suzuki gave them a lazy, provocative smirk. "Come on. Attack me."

"..."

Nobody moved an inch. They were utterly paralyzed by a mix of confusion and fear. Was it really okay for them to attack the head of the Zenin Clan? And more importantly... how could anyone be this arrogant?!

Only Mai didn't hesitate. A sultry, wicked smile crossed her lips. With fluid grace, she drew her heavy revolver, aiming it squarely at Suzuki's chest.

BANG!

The deafening crack of the gunshot made Miwa shriek, the smell of burnt gunpowder instantly stinging the air.

The swift, lethal attack stunned the students, but Suzuki's reaction shattered their reality completely. He didn't dodge. He didn't blink. He simply raised his hand.

Pinched perfectly between his index and middle fingers, smoking slightly in the crisp air, was Mai's bullet.

"Yup. Still weak," Suzuki smiled.

"..." The students stood entirely petrified, their jaws practically hitting the floor.