"Watch movies?" Yuji Itadori wondered how watching movies could make him stronger.
"That's right. All kinds of movies that stir up your emotions. But you can't just watch them normally." Satoru Gojo pulled a sleeping boxing-bear cursed corpse out of his pocket. "You have to watch them with this."
Yuji Itadori took the boxing-bear cursed corpse. "What's this doll for?"
Satoru Gojo stepped back twice. "It's a cursed corpse specially made by the principal."
Yuji Itadori looked at the doll in his hands. "I see, but I still don't get what this doll is supposed to-"
Before he could finish, the doll's eyes snapped open, and it landed an uppercut on Yuji Itadori's chin.
"Ow!" Yuji Itadori let go in pain, dropping the cursed spirit on the floor.
Watching Yuji Itadori clutch his face, Satoru Gojo explained with a smile, "This cursed corpse needs a constant, steady supply of cursed energy to stay asleep and not attack.
"If your cursed energy output fluctuates, it'll wake up and attack.
"Watching movies while holding this cursed corpse will train you to maintain a steady output of cursed energy through all kinds of emotions.
"Of course, we'll start easy and work our way up. Right now, it's set to a level you can maintain even with your tiny amount of cursed energy, Yuji.
"But the amount of cursed energy it needs will gradually increase, so be careful."
Yuji Itadori picked up the cursed corpse. "Looking at it, I don't think I have a choice."
Satoru Gojo started picking through the DVDs on the table. "All right, now that you understand, let's start training. I brought soda and chips, too. Which one do you want to watch first? I'd recommend this one..."
The sun was setting over the athletic field.
Nobara Kugisaki returned to campus after going out to buy sportswear.
Along with her clothes, Nobara Kugisaki carried a heap of ingredients. "I bought everything you asked for. I spent ages in the supermarket getting it all together. Tonight's shabu-shabu is going to be delicious."
Panda stepped forward to take the ingredients. "Thanks for the hard work, Kugisaki. But since you skipped today's training, you'll have to do extra tomorrow."
Nobara Kugisaki planted a hand on her hip. "Of course. Like hell I'd slack off."
After hearing Nobara Kugisaki's reply, Panda turned and shouted, "Hey, the ingredients are here! Let's call it a day!"
Toge Inumaki perked up at Panda's shout. "Tuna mayo."
At the edge of the athletic field, Chiyo Shin rolled over.
Not far away, Maki Zenin was still sparring with Megumi Fushiguro.
Maki Zenin spun the staff in her hands, striking with the long end before abruptly pulling it back and sneaking in an attack from below with the short end.
Megumi Fushiguro also held a staff, but he clearly wasn't used to it yet. Struggling to handle Maki Zenin's mix of feints and real strikes, he kept taking hits.
Megumi Fushiguro blocked an incoming blow. "Zenin, it's time to stop."
"Don't rush, Megumi." Maki Zenin swiftly drew her staff back, then thrust it into the gap between Megumi Fushiguro's hands and twisted it with deft force.
Caught between moves, Megumi Fushiguro lost his grip on his staff. It spun several times in the air before falling to the ground.
Maki Zenin's staff came to rest against Megumi Fushiguro's throat.
"Now we're done."
Panda stepped between them. "All right, that's enough for today. Keep training and we won't get any shabu-shabu tonight."
The four of them packed up and headed back. As they approached the Dormitory Building, Nobara Kugisaki suddenly stopped. "Aren't we missing someone? Fushiguro, isn't Chiyo still on the field?"
Crap, I forgot Shin. Megumi Fushiguro visibly faltered, then turned around. "It's fine. You go ahead. I'll go back and get him."
Back at the athletic field,
Megumi Fushiguro found that Chiyo Shin had rolled all the way to the edge and was fast asleep.
Helpless, Megumi Fushiguro walked over, crouched down, and nudged him. Chiyo Shin kept sleeping. He patted his face, but he still wouldn't wake up.
After a long silence, Megumi Fushiguro stood and left.
Rather than going straight back, Megumi Fushiguro headed to the screening room.
When he walked in, Satoru Gojo turned toward him. "Hey, Megumi. Finished training?"
Megumi Fushiguro glanced at the movie playing before answering, "Yeah, we're done. I came to ask if you two want shabu-shabu tonight."
Satoru Gojo rubbed his chin. "Tonight? That's a shame. I've got something to do."
Yuji Itadori turned around on the sofa. "I'll pass too, Megumi. I haven't finished my training for today."
"All right, then." Having gotten his answer, Megumi Fushiguro turned and left.
In the room at the far left of the dorm's first floor,
The three of them arrived and gave the room a quick cleanup.
They were more or less finished.
Megumi Fushiguro pushed the door open and came in. "I couldn't wake Shin. Let's eat without him."
It was getting late.
Chiyo Shin suddenly woke with a start on the athletic field. He had dreamed of a very important problem.
Money.
He had fallen out with the higher-ups after refusing to follow orders.
As a result, they stopped assigning him missions and confiscated his assets.
Usually, he could only tag along on Megumi's missions and split the payment eighty-twenty.
Now it's the slow season for cursed spirits, and Megumi has to train for the Sister-School Goodwill Event, too. What am I supposed to do for the next month or so?
Chiyo Shin opened his phone and counted the digits in his balance. "Not good. Really not good."
He looked up and scanned his surroundings. There wasn't a soul in sight. "Those bastards left without even waking me."
In Jujutsu High's kitchen,
Panda chopped ingredients on a cutting board. "Is it really okay to leave Chiyo out on the field like that?"
Megumi Fushiguro stirred the meatball mixture. "He wouldn't wake up, so I had no choice but to let him keep sleeping there."
Panda nodded. "True."
The two of them worked in the kitchen a while longer.
Panda placed the prepared ingredients beside Megumi Fushiguro. "Everything's ready."
Shaping meatballs and dropping them into the water, Megumi Fushiguro glanced at the ingredients. "Then go take a break, Panda. It'll be ready soon."
Panda took off his apron. "Great! I'll go back and tell everyone."
In the little room,
Nobara Kugisaki lay on the floor. "When's it going to be ready? I'm starving."
Maki Zenin adjusted the stove. "Should be soon."
"Salmon."
Clang!
Panda opened the door and spun into the room, making a heart over his head. "Good news, everyone! The shabu-shabu's almost ready."
"Finally!"
"Tuna mayo."
Before long, Megumi Fushiguro came in carrying a pot full of ingredients.
As he walked, a section of the shadow behind him stretched out, and a rice cooker, bowls, and chopsticks slowly emerged from it.
Megumi Fushiguro set the pot on the portable stove. "Sorry for the wait, everyone. Let's eat."
"Woo-hoo!"
"Salted roe."
Megumi Fushiguro untied his apron, folded it, and set it aside. Just as he sat down, his phone rang. It was Chiyo Shin. "Hello?"
"Megumi, you bastard! You left me all alone on the field without even trying to wake me!"
"I did try. You're the one who wouldn't get up."
"Tch. Anyway, where are you? I've got something important to discuss with you."
"The room at the far left end of the dorm's first floor."
"What are you doing there? Never mind. I'll come find you."
The call ended with a few beeps.
Megumi Fushiguro looked at his phone, a bad feeling creeping over him. "Everyone, eat fast. Shin's coming over."
"What?" Hearing that Shin was coming too, Nobara Kugisaki immediately started eating faster.
Panda paused with his chopsticks in hand. "Why do we have to eat faster just because Shin's coming? Don't we just need another bowl and pair of chopsticks?"
Megumi Fushiguro explained calmly, "It's different. Ever since the higher-ups confiscated his assets, he's been like a swarm of locusts. We'd better hurry up and eat."
On the winding mountain road,
Ijichi drove Satoru Gojo. "There's still plenty of time before your meeting with the principal. Would you like to look around?"
For once, Satoru Gojo wanted to arrive early, so he declined. "No need."
Before you continue