"All right, done! Time to clock out!"
I dusted off my hands, despite there being no dust on them, and unceremoniously kicked Tomura, who had "fallen several times before passing out drunk" in a roadside flower bed.
"Huh? Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen Edano this angry."
"Ugh, I hate people who take sides and then lecture you like they're some paragon of justice. And what he said was way out of line!" I crossed my arms indignantly.
Something suddenly occurred to me. "Um, Junpei, you don't mind having someone you hate passed out on your doorstep, do you...?" The more I spoke, the guiltier I felt. I should have made Tomura run farther away first.
"It's fine. I'm just happy you helped me get some payback. Anyway, did you come looking for me for something?"
"Oh, right! Let's go talk over there!" Yuji Itadori smacked his forehead.
We went to sit on the steps by the river. By then, the sky and earth had been dyed a brilliant orange. The sun was setting.
"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable..." The same automated female voice kept repeating from Yuji Itadori's phone.
"Come ooon, pick up! Why isn't Mr. Ijichi answering? What do we do?!"
"Mr. Ijichi is probably busy catching an escaped fly head right now." Yep, that was my doing. I'd left the fly head in the car. After all, we were going to Junpei's house to get the finger later!
Sorry, Mr. Ijichi!
Meanwhile, Junpei Yoshino stared blankly at the button on Yuji Itadori's collar.
If you meet a student with a Swirl Button, remember to make friends with him. They're jujutsu sorcerers, so they're bound to get along with you, Junpei.
But jujutsu sorcerers were Mr. Mahito's enemies, weren't they? Yet Edano was a jujutsu sorcerer too, and that boy had the same button as the ones on her uniform. They must be classmates...
Junpei Yoshino was torn.
Forget it. I'll ask Edano later! He finally made up his mind.
Exasperated, I crept up behind Yuji Itadori, then jumped up, slapped his shoulder hard, and yelled, "Stop agonizing over it! Just ask whatever you want to ask!"
"Aaaaaah-! A ghost-!" Yuji Itadori had been so lost in thought that the sudden scare made him react as if he'd seen a ghost.
He quickly jumped aside and turned around. Once he realized it was me, he breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest, still shaken. "Edano!!! How could you scare me like that? You're awful!"
"I told you to watch fewer horror movies. Look how scared you got!"
"That's not it! It's because I've exorcised too many cursed spirits lately, and they were transformed 'humans'..." He looked at me with aggrieved puppy-dog eyes.
"Sumimasen, Yuji-kun. Watashi won't do it again." Now I really did feel guilty. I apologized, lowering my head and pinching the hem of my skirt.
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm not blaming you, Edano... Wait, why did I mention cursed spirits?!" His hand stopped midway through comforting me, and Yuji stiffly turned to Junpei Yoshino.
"It's fine, just tell him. Junpei knows about cursed spirits~" We'd talked about some things concerning the Jujutsu Society on our phones before.
"Then I'll get straight to it. People died at that movie theater you went to before. Did you see anything?"
"...Huh?!"
"Like those disgusting things, cursed spirits."
"No, I didn't. I've only recently been able to see those things clearly."
"I see... Then that's all I have to ask!"
"Huh? That fast?"
"But could you wait for the person who's more or less our boss to come?"
"Sure, I guess."
"Thanks!" Yuji Itadori plopped down beside Junpei Yoshino. "What did you watch at the theater?"
"It was a rerelease of an old movie. You wouldn't know it even if I told you."
"Tell me, tell me~"
"Worm-Man 3."
"That one was super boring! It even got me hit a bunch of times..." Hearing the familiar movie title, Yuji Itadori instantly turned to stone as the terror of being at the mercy of cursed corpses and Satoru Gojo came flooding back.
"...Hit? Fair enough, though it was a shock-horror movie to begin with..."
I sat to one side, smiling as I watched the two of them chat excitedly as though they'd found their best friends. The sunset shone on us, gilding everyone in gold. It was so lovely. The whole world felt warm...
It might have been even lovelier if a certain Brain Flower hadn't been spying on us from the bridge.
I looked toward "Suguru Geto" on the bridge with a fake smile.
"Suguru Geto" froze for a moment, then gave me an equally fake smile and mouthed across the distance, Hello, first-year Special Grade Cursed Speech User.
Smiling, I mouthed back, Sorry, I don't understand cherry blossom language.
Then I cheerfully watched as he briefly went blank before his grin grew even more unrestrained. I had to admit, Suguru Geto really was a master charmer. Even with someone else inside him and that stiff smile, he was still as beautiful as a painting.
After smiling for quite a while, he nodded at me, pulled his hood close, and left.
Hah. I had every reason to suspect he was using Suguru Geto's looks to keep me rooted in place, though admittedly, it had worked.
"Edano, snap out of it!"
"Ah, what is it, Yuji?" I hurriedly pulled my thoughts back.
"We're talking about our favorite movies. What kind do you like best, Edano?"
"Me...? I can't think of any, but definitely not horror. Life is scary enough already..." I wanted to cry, but no tears came.
"Huh? Hahahahaha! I never would've guessed Edano was scared of horror movies!"
"Yeah, considering how wise and valiant she is."
"Oh, so you're making fun of me now! Watch it, or I'll make you eat poop!"
"Huh? Eat poop?"
"Ahhh, Junpei, listen! Remember when we went to exorcise cursed spirits? She just went and..." Yuji Itadori sneakily pulled Junpei Yoshino aside and quietly aired his grievances about me, concluding with, "So you must never get on her bad side!"
A vein throbbed at my temple. "Yuji Itadori-! I can hear you-!" Now I knew just how good a jujutsu sorcerer's hearing was.
"And Junpei, don't listen to his nonsense!!!"
"Well, this is strange! Junpei!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Junpei Yoshino paused and looked back. "Mom."
"Fancy finding you here. That's rare." Then she abruptly changed gears. "Wow, what a pretty girl! You must be Edano. Junpei's told me about you~"
Junpei Yoshino's mother gave me a hearty smile, then looked at Yuji Itadori. "Is he your friend too?"
"We just met!"
"We only just met, but we're definitely going to be friends!" Yuji Itadori raised his hand high like a little kid as he answered.
"Really? Make sure you spend lots of time with him!" Junpei's mother, Nagi Yoshino, raised her hand, revealing a cigarette between her fingers.
"Mom! That cigarette... Didn't I tell you not to smoke?" Junpei Yoshino's expression darkened, and he clenched his fists.
"Ah, sorry, sorry. I promised not to smoke in front of you."
"What are your friends' names?"
"I'm Yuji Itadori!"
"I'm Takechi!"
"Green onions don't suit you at all, ma'am!" Yuji Itadori had noticed the green onions in Nagi Yoshino's hand.
I nodded in agreement beside him. They really didn't suit her at all!
"Oh, you get it! My goal is to become a woman who doesn't suit green onions!"
"...What are you even talking about...?" Junpei Yoshino looked embarrassed.
"Yuji, Taketori, how about coming over to our place for dinner?"
"Huh?! W-wait, we'd be imposing!"
"Hm? Is my cooking an imposition?"
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr." Yuji Itadori's stomach growled with perfect timing.
Holding back a laugh, I said, "Sorry for the trouble, ma'am. We'll be coming over to scrounge a meal!"
"Hahaha! Is there anything you can't eat? Any allergies, for instance?"
"No!" ×2
"Wow, perfectly in sync~"
"Nanami said that too!"
"Huh? Who's Nanami...?"
"He's..." Blah, blah, blah.
Before you continue