[KNB] Chapter : 14

Riko, during her lifetime.

A pivotal supporting character in the Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory Arc, she possessed a rare and sacred constitution—the Star Plasma Vessel.

What exactly did that mean?

Well, let’s just say it wasn’t a blessing. And we won’t dive into the gory technicalities here. What mattered was this:

She was never meant to live past 18.

Riko had known this since childhood. She understood that one day, her body would no longer be hers—it would become a vessel, a container for someone else.

Sure, she wore a proud face. She often said she was honored to be part of something greater. But beneath that calm, dignified exterior… she wanted to live.

That truth revealed itself in her final choice: refusing assimilation with Master Tengen, even when the moment came.

Yes—Riko died.

Shot, in classic cinematic style, by a man with a voice eerily similar to Dio's. The whole thing felt more Western crime thriller than tragic anime death.

“Wait… I’m dead?”

“Yeah. Shot clean through. Collapsed instantly. Probably didn’t even hurt.”

Excuse me? How do you know if it hurt? That bullet didn’t pass through your head.

Riko struggled to accept the truth. Her last memory was of that outstretched hand—of the moment time just... stopped.

It wasn’t until the Usagi floated up and tapped her forehead with a paw that everything clicked into place.

Even then, it took her over thirty minutes just to calm down.

“You’re saying… you want me to help you act?”

“Yup. That’s the deal. Help me out, and you get to live an extra year and a half.”

“Why not two and a half?”

“Legal says I’ll start getting sued. What, you trying to bargain?”

“Tch. Not worth it. I’d rather die than help a scumbag like you pretend to be a decent person.”

She hurled a pillow at his face and stormed upstairs.

“Where’s my room?!”

“Find it yourself.”

Han sighed, casually tossed the pillow aside, and ran a hand through his hair.

“What if she refuses to cooperate?”

“Hell if I know.”

He wasn’t a director. He barely had a plan. Even if Riko agreed to act, he had no idea how to pull it off.

After all, Riko wasn’t an actress—just a teenage girl burdened with fate, violence, and now… a second chance.

It’d be pointless to force her into some contrived performance.

Let’s just see what happens.

A year and a half… there’s still room to tell a story.

The next day.

Han brought Riko to meet the boss lady.

Thanks to the system, Riko’s new identity had already been properly filed. In this world, she wasn’t some ghost or illegal entity—just another girl with papers, background, and a clean start.

But the day-to-day details? Still needed sorting out.

While Riko wasn’t keen on "acting" with Han, she was more than happy to take the deal that let her keep breathing. An extra year and a half of life? Worth it.

The boss lady didn’t ask many questions. After hearing their explanation, she allowed Riko to stay—and even gave her a part-time job at the shop.

Rent, of course, still applied.

Next on the list: school enrollment.

The two made their way toward Teikou.
Riko led the way, walking briskly with her head down, gripping her schoolbag tightly. Her steps were fast—almost like she was trying to outrun something.

Behind her, Han strolled casually, swinging his arms with the ease of someone completely unfazed.

“Why are you walking so fast?”

“Because I’m trying to stay away from a scumbag who makes teenage girls sell their body and soul!”

“I didn’t force you into anything! And besides… do you even know the way to the school?”

Riko stopped and turned to glare at him.

Despite being younger than she was in her original timeline, and missing the graceful build she once had, her presence still hit hard. That cool, long, jet-black hair—the timeless kuudere vibe—still intact.

Right now, she stared at him with unfiltered resentment.

But rather than being intimidating, it made her look… even more adorable.

“Come with me, self-proclaimed beautiful girl.”

“I’m not self-proclaimed. I am a beautiful girl!”

Riko shot him a glare but still followed obediently behind Han, making their way into Teikou.

It didn’t take long—within a few days, all the paperwork was completed, and Riko was officially enrolled.

Unfortunately for her, fate—or misfortune—landed her in the same class as Han.

The moment she stepped into the classroom with the teacher, her eyes instinctively went to the back row by the window. Sure enough, there he was—Han—waving smugly like a celebrity on parade.

“We have a new student joining us today,” the teacher began.

“Han,” she added sharply, “please remove your shades. It’s class time.”

“No problem, sensei.”

With practiced flair, Han whipped off his sunglasses.

The reaction was immediate. The classroom erupted into squeals and howls from the girls, like a pack of wolves spotting fresh meat.

Riko stared, deadpan. His sparkling teeth practically turned into shark fangs, and those smug eyes made her want to hit something.

He’s exactly like that Gojo guy. Five stars for arrogance!

The teacher sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to calm the chaos.

“Next time you bring those ridiculous sunglasses to class, I will confiscate them, Han-kun.”

“Ouch. Hissss!”

He didn’t look remotely remorseful.

The teacher turned back to Riko. “Please introduce yourself, Miss Riko.”

“...Hey.”
And with that anticlimactic greeting, her rather unusual school life began.

After school.

Though Riko had been a little stiff at first, her classmates—bubbly, nosy, and aggressively friendly—swarmed her like bees to honey.

When you’re a student, the social ecosystem runs on central air conditioning. If you’re likable, it doesn’t matter what kind of personality you have—people will flock to you.

Of course, many of these kids would either become shameless manipulators or silver-tongued devils once they hit the real world. But for now, they were just loud, kind, and curious.

Riko found herself navigating both the clingy enthusiasm of her new “little sisters” and the pestering attention of a few bold little brothers.

Han watched from a distance, smirking as he slipped his sunglasses back on.

Who needs a script?

Riko’s borrowed year and a half… was the script.
She just had to live it.

After hours.

Han handed over his cleaning duties to a group of eager fangirls and made his way to the basketball club.

Just like yesterday, the gym was buzzing. The club had attracted more new recruits than usual, enough that Coach Shirogane had to expand the original setup—forming not just a first and second string, but now a third string as well.

Thanks to their standout performance the previous day, five players were bumped up directly to the second string:

• Han

• Aomine Daiki

• Akashi Seijuro

• Murasakibara Atsushi

• Midorima Shintaro

No one questioned it. Their skills had spoken loud and clear.

As everyone warmed up, the ever-competitive Aomine came jogging over, bouncing the ball between his hands.

“Yo, Han. That steal of yours yesterday was nasty. Wanna go one-on-one later?”