Preparing for the Goodwill Event

Tokyo Jujutsu High, 8:00 a.m.

Satoru Gojo stood in the dormitory lounge with a megaphone, drawing a breath before calling out, "Shin, Megumi, Yuji, Nobara, time to get up."

Megumi Fushiguro heard him from his room and was the first to open his door, followed by Yuji Itadori. The two headed down the hallway together.

Nobara Kugisaki came down from upstairs a little later.

Chiyo Shin was last.

He jolted awake and rolled out of bed, taking a moment to collect himself. Once he was sure he had heard correctly, he put on his shoes and went out.

The four gathered in front of Satoru Gojo one after another.

Megumi Fushiguro had come out as soon as he heard the call and was still in his pajamas. "Today's our day off. What did you call us all out here for?"

Satoru Gojo glanced over the three of them. "There's something important I need to tell you."

Yuji Itadori scratched his head. "What is it, Gojo-sensei?"

Satoru Gojo walked over to the couch and sat down, tilting his head as he looked at the three. "You all got a firsthand taste of that mission at the Juvenile Detention Center. How did it feel?"

All three fell silent.

Only Chiyo Shin yawned and sat down on the couch as well. "I got a lot out of it. After fighting Sukuna, I can expand my domain now."

Megumi Fushiguro looked at Chiyo Shin, unspeakable shock in his eyes.

Nobara Kugisaki pointed at Chiyo Shin. "Are you a monster?"

Yuji Itadori held out his fist and looked at Satoru Gojo with determination. "Then how do we get stronger, Gojo-sensei?"

Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki turned to Satoru Gojo as well.

Clap, clap, clap.

Satoru Gojo applauded. "Good question, Yuji."

"To get stronger, of course you have to..."

The sports field, with the sun shining overhead.

Nobara Kugisaki sat on the steps with her head lowered. "Are we supposed to get stronger just by waiting here?"

Megumi Fushiguro rested his hands on his knees. "That bastard always walks the line between reliable and unreliable."

Chiyo Shin crouched on the field, picking up pebbles. "Maybe this time will be different."

"Megumi, Shin."

Chiyo Shin and Megumi Fushiguro looked up at the voices to find Maki Zenin, Panda, and Toge Inumaki standing before them. They hadn't noticed their arrival.

"Zenin-senpai."

"Maki-senpai."

Maki Zenin looked displeased. "Megumi, I told you not to call me by my last name. Call me Maki. See? Shin never gets it wrong."

Panda reminded her from beside her, "Hey, Maki, be a little gentler. There's a first-year girl here, too."

Maki turned around. "Huh? What did you say, Panda? How am I not gentle?"

Panda stated the facts. "Unless you're with Okkotsu, you're never gentle."

Toge Inumaki backed him up. "Tuna mayo."

"Panda!! Inumaki!!"

Nobara Kugisaki pointed at the chaotic scene and looked at Megumi Fushiguro. "Uh, who are these people?"

Megumi Fushiguro began introducing them with a helpless expression. "They're our second-year seniors.

"The one carrying the long black case is Zenin-senpai. She's the best at using cursed tools out of all the students here.

"Inumaki-senpai is a Cursed Speech User. He only says words for rice ball fillings so he won't curse anyone with his speech.

"Then there's Panda-senpai.

"There's also Okkotsu-senpai. He was the person I respected most even before I enrolled, but he's overseas right now."

Nobara Kugisaki hadn't heard the answer she wanted. "Hey, aren't you going to explain the most important part-the panda?"

Chiyo Shin tossed a pebble at Nobara Kugisaki. "Panda is Panda. What's there to explain?"

"Chiyo!"

The fight between Maki Zenin, Panda, and Toge Inumaki ended in Maki Zenin's victory.

With a large red lump on his head giving off a faint wisp of smoke, Panda looked at the three on the steps. "Are we missing one?"

Chiyo Shin stood up. "Gojo-sensei took Itadori away for individual training."

"I see," Panda said. "Then we'll tell you first. We came to ask you to take part in the Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event."

"The Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event?" Nobara Kugisaki asked.

Megumi Fushiguro explained beside her, "It's an exchange event held between the Kyoto and Tokyo schools.

"But isn't that an activity only second- and third-years take part in?"

"The third-years are still suspended, so we're short on people," Maki Zenin said. "That's why we're inviting you."

Nobara Kugisaki still didn't quite understand. "What do you do at the Goodwill Event? Play video games?"

Panda explained in detail, "Tokyo and Kyoto compete over two days in events decided by the principals. Basically, it comes down to team battles and individual battles."

Nobara Kugisaki was shocked. "Jujutsu sorcerers fight each other?"

"That's right," Maki Zenin confirmed. "Anything goes during the competition, except killing."

Panda kept striking bodybuilding poses beside her. "Except for Shin, I'll give you all proper training so you won't get taken out so easily."

Nobara Kugisaki continued, "But aren't we short on jujutsu sorcerers? Especially at this time of year?"

Maki Zenin patiently explained, "Curses build up from the end of winter through spring, then erupt in early summer. But once these next few days are over, things should settle down."

"So? Will you take part?"

"Of course we will."

We have to get stronger!

The screening room on the dormitory's first floor.

Yuji Itadori looked at the large screen in front of him. "Gojo-sensei, we're practicing cursed energy here? It doesn't look like the right place at all."

Satoru Gojo took two bottles of soda from his pockets and set them on the floor. "Hey, don't rush, Yuji. Let me demonstrate first. Watch closely."

As Satoru Gojo finished speaking, one soda bottle twisted, while the other crumpled inward.

"See the difference, Yuji? The twisted bottle was a cursed technique, and the crumpled one was cursed energy."

Yuji Itadori looked at the soda bottles. "I still don't really get it."

Satoru Gojo put it more plainly. "Think of it this way: cursed energy is electricity, and a cursed technique is an appliance. You have to send electricity into the appliance to produce different effects."

Yuji Itadori finally understood. "So, if I just learn a cursed technique, I can..."

Satoru Gojo cut him off. "No, Yuji. You can't use jujutsu.

"It's different from simple things like controlling cursed spirits through a medium or using a Barrier Technique.

"Jujutsu is innate. About eighty percent of a jujutsu sorcerer's strength depends on their cursed technique."

After hearing that, Yuji Itadori slumped onto the floor. "I thought I'd get some cool ability."

Satoru Gojo looked at Yuji Itadori and decided it was better not to tell him that Sukuna's cursed technique would soon be engraved into his body. "All right, Yuji, don't get hung up on cursed techniques. Think about what would happen if you combined cursed energy with the hand-to-hand combat you're good at."

Lying on the floor, Yuji Itadori raised his head. "But I can already do that. I got the hang of it a little when I fought that special grade cursed spirit."

Satoru Gojo raised a hand and beckoned Yuji Itadori over. "Really? Then try hitting me with everything you've got. Don't worry about hurting me."

Yuji Itadori sprang up from the floor with a kip-up. "Then don't blame me if you get hurt."

"Come on," Satoru Gojo said confidently.

Yuji Itadori stepped in front of Satoru Gojo, twisted his body, and drove a punch into his hand.

Nothing happened.

Satoru Gojo withdrew his hand. "You didn't put any cursed energy into that. Cursed energy comes from negative emotions. You were probably full of anger and fear during that fight, weren't you?"

Realization suddenly dawned on Yuji Itadori. "Oh, that explains why Fushiguro and Chiyo always look so angry when they fight."

On the sports field.

Panda and Toge Inumaki tossed Nobara Kugisaki back and forth.

"You bastards! What kind of training is this?" Nobara Kugisaki yelled in midair.

Panda caught Nobara Kugisaki and tossed her to the side. "You're just too weak, Kugisaki."

Toge Inumaki quickly ran to the other side. "Salmon."

Chiyo Shin, who had been dozing on the ground, suddenly sat up and sneezed. He looked at Nobara Kugisaki being put through her training. "Keep at it, Kugisaki."

Meanwhile, Megumi Fushiguro felt a sudden chill down his back as he sparred with Maki Zenin. "I've got an unpleasant feeling."

Maki Zenin bristled. "Huh?"

Sensing her murderous intent, Megumi Fushiguro hurried to explain, "Ah, I wasn't talking about you, senpai."

Maki Zenin tossed a long weapon to Megumi Fushiguro. "There's a month and a half until the Goodwill Event. Get your head in the game."

The screening room.

Satoru Gojo crossed his arms into an X. "Wrong answer!

"Cursed energy is refined from faint emotions. A sudden surge of emotion will only waste it.

"Of course, there are several ways to train. I've chosen the toughest one for you."

Yuji Itadori looked puzzled. "What is it?"

At some point, Satoru Gojo had pulled several movie discs from behind his back. "Watching movies."