A gloomy hallway.
"I can't take you on this mission, but don't worry. I've called in a junior colleague you can trust."
Satoru Gojo pushed the door open and rushed over, throwing an arm around Nanami, who had his back to us.
"Kento Nanami, the Jujutsu Sorcerer who quit being a salaryman!"
Satoru Gojo practically radiated sparkles. If you asked me, he was the real sun!
"Please don't introduce me that way."
Boohoo, look at that bearing, listen to that tone! Was this what a mature, dependable adult looked like? Tears streamed down my face.
Couldn't you learn a thing or two from Nanami, Gojo-sensei? You were supposed to be his senior!
"There are lots of weirdos among Jujutsu Sorcerers, but this guy's actually held down a proper office job, so he's reliable~"
"And he's a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer, too!"
Nanami coolly adjusted his glasses. "I imagine the others wouldn't appreciate you describing them that way, either."
"If you were going to quit being a salaryman, why didn't you just become a Jujutsu Sorcerer in the first place?"
Oh no, emotional knives! Knives everywhere! Hahahahahaha, nothing but knives!
"...You should start by greeting people."
Nanami straightened and gave a slight bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Itadori, Taketori."
Look at him, then look at yourself, Gojo-sensei!
Satoru Gojo looked baffled by my reproachful gaze, wondering, Did she find out I sneaked some of the desserts I brought for Megumi and the others?
"Yes! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Two bows.
"While studying at Jujutsu High, I realized..."
"Being a Jujutsu Sorcerer is shit!" ×2
I knew this one! Me first, me first!
"Huh??? You too, Edano?" Yuji Itadori turned to stone.
Nanami gave me a speechless look. "...While working at a company, I realized..." He paused, then, seeing I wasn't jumping in, felt safe enough to continue.
"Work is shit!!!"
I know! Satoru Gojo is the king of shit!!! Of course, I didn't say that aloud. It would hurt the kitty's feelings too much.
"Is that so!"
"If both are shit, I might as well choose the one I'm better suited to. That's why I came back."
Satoru Gojo secretly huddled with Yuji Itadori and even tried to get me to join them, but I heartlessly refused.
The two whispered to each other. "He's so gloomy."
"Right!"
"...Itadori, please don't assume I share Mr. Gojo's views. I trust him, and I have faith in him..."
"Hehe!"
Gojo the kitty was happy. The kitty showed off. The kitty winked flirtatiously at us (scratch that).
I pinched my palm hard to keep myself from laughing... Pfft, I couldn't do it. Holding it in made my stomach hurt.
"Cough, cough, cough... cough, cough... cough." I'd choked.
"But I do not respect him!!!"
"Pfft, hahahahahahahahahaha..." Before Satoru Gojo could react, my barrage of laughter cut him off, and he gave me a wounded look.
"...Is it that funny, Edano?"
"Hm? Pfft, cough, cough, n-no, cough, cough... pfft, hahahahahahahaha..." I couldn't hold it in anymore. Sorry, Gojo-sensei. I'll treat you to Kikufuku when we get back!
"...Ahem, sorry. Please continue." I finally stopped laughing at him and composed myself.
"I dislike how those at the top operate, but I stand on the side of the rules."
By those at the top, he meant the higher-ups, right? Just thinking about their disgusting antics had my Cursed Speech itching to act.
Even if I couldn't kill them, making them eat shit should be fine!
"...I've said too much. In short, I haven't acknowledged you as a sorcerer yet, either. Even with the bomb that is Sukuna inside you, you can still be useful in your own right. But please do your best to prove that." Kento Nanami looked at Yuji Itadori.
"...I've become painfully aware lately that I'm weak and useless. But I'll get stronger." Yuji Itadori lowered his head and clenched his fists. "If I'm not strong enough, I won't even get to choose how I die."
"Even if you hadn't said anything, I'd still make you acknowledge me! Just give me a little more time!" Yuji Itadori brushed his forehead with a dashing gesture, turning back into sunny Yuji as if that fleeting moment of vulnerability had never existed.
My heart ached a little. He was still just a kid...
"No. Don't tell me that. Tell those at the top."
"Huh? Okay."
"To be blunt, I don't care either way!!!"
That damn Jujutsu Society. Look what it had driven Nanami to. Jujutsu Sorcerers really were all lunatics...
"Got it, got it!"
"...Taketori."
"Huh? Here!" My turn, my turn! Go ahead and scold me!
"Although you're Special Grade and very strong, please don't act on a whim. You're a child, and I'm an adult."
He really gave off homeroom-teacher vibes... Actually, Nanami seemed much more like a homeroom teacher than Satoru Gojo! Satoru Gojo was more like a PE teacher whose classes kept getting taken over, forcing him to be perpetually "sickly."
"Yes, sir!!!" I stood at attention.
"Let's go."
"Have a safe trip~" Satoru Gojo waved at us.
"Yes!" ×2
Movie Theater.
"This is Cursed Residue left by cursed energy." Kento Nanami pointed at the ground by the entrance.
I craned my neck behind Nanami, trying hard to see. Well, I couldn't see it, either.
"There's nothing there. I can't see anything."
"That's because you aren't trying to see it. Normally, we take it for granted that we can identify curses by sight. Using a Cursed Technique leaves traces behind. Those are Cursed Residue."
"But compared to things like Cursed Spirits, Cursed Residue is much fainter. Focus your eyes and concentrate. Look carefully."
Yuji and I concentrated hard, using both hands to tug up the corners of our eyes as we glared fiercely at the ground.
The traces on the ground came into view.
"Oh, I see it! I see it!"
"I see it, too!"
Yuji happily patted my shoulder, only to have a huge bucket of cold water dumped on his enthusiasm.
"Of course you do."
"You'll only be able to hold your own once you can sense its presence before seeing it."
"..."
Even his spiky pink hair drooped.
Yuji and I ducked out from under the police tape. "Couldn't you give us a little more praise? Some encouragement or something!"
"I won't praise you, but I won't belittle you, either. Stick to the facts and hold myself to strict standards. That's who I am."
"Though I once mistakenly believed society worked the same way... Let's leave that aside for now."
"Let's follow it."
"Okay! Let's get fired up and go!" Yuji Itadori said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
"No, let's settle for doing an adequate job where we can."
"Huh?!" Yuji Itadori froze, turning to stone.
"Let's go."
Yuji and I slowed a few steps, gradually falling behind. He tugged at my sleeve and leaned close to my ear, whispering, "I feel like we don't really click... He doesn't even respond to what I say."
I whispered back, "But don't you think Nanami's reliable? Now that's a mature, dependable adult! Do you think Gojo-sensei would tell us any of this? He always makes us figure everything out ourselves."
"That's true! When you put it that way, Mr. Nanami seems pretty great, too! But Edano, why do you call Mr. Nanami 'Nanami'?"
"Huh? Don't you think 'Nanami' sounds cute!"
"I guess it does..."
Huh, Nanami seemed to stumble for a moment. Had I imagined it?
"...Keep up. Don't stray too far from me."
"Yes!" ×2
Before you continue