If I turned into a puppy, would you still love me?

"Shoko~ I really am fine now~" I clung pitifully to Shoko's hand as she prepared to keep examining me.

Shoko Ieiri coldly slapped my hand away. "Nope~"

Faced with Shoko's firm stance, I could only lie back and let all the equipment scan me.

Shoko Ieiri took off her gloves. "All right, you can get up. Gojo told me everything. Is this really the only way you can get stronger? It's too dangerous."

"Ah... yes, but I can seal away most of my opponent's strength, so it's not that dangerous~"

"Either way, you still need to be careful. Don't push yourself too hard. Even if the sky falls, you have us adults to hold it up."

"But I want to grow stronger quickly so I can help you all~"

Shoko stroked my head. "All right. With such a strange constitution, I'm getting more and more curious about your background, Edano."

I laughed awkwardly, brushing it off. "Hehehe, you'll find out when the time comes, Shoko."

The truth was, I hadn't made anything up yet.

Xiao Ba, hurry up and give me a script!!!

[Ahem, darling~ I can stay awake for a little while each day now~]

[That's great! How are you doing? How much energy do you still owe?]

[Ummm... only 358 million!]

[...? What did you say? Say that again?]

[358 million!]

[...Xiao Ba, I think we should break up. My parents would never approve of us being together.]

[I'll never mess around again! Darling, we can't break up! Waaaaaah...]

Xiao Ba's wailing was giving me a headache.

[Stop! Don't cry. Seriously, how much is left?]

[Rounding down, 3,800.]

[*...*] I gritted my teeth. [Fine! I'll fight a few more cursed spirits!]

[Ahem, Edano, I'm out of time for today. I need to go back to sleep...]

Before Xiao Ba even finished speaking, the sound of an electronic device forcibly shutting down rang through my mind.

[Xiao Ba? Xiao Ba?]

Fine. It looked like Xiao Ba had been forcibly shut down.

"Edano? What are you thinking about?" Shoko's slightly cold hand gently touched my forehead, pulling me out of my conversation with Xiao Ba.

I sat up obediently. "Huh? Nothing, Shoko."

"...All right. Your classmates probably miss you too. Go on, I still have a report to write."

"Okay! I'm off, Shoko!"

Once the girl had completely disappeared from the Infirmary, Shoko Ieiri's smile fell away, and her brows knitted tightly.

Can constantly coming so close to death really leave her mindset and mental health unaffected? I'll have to ask Gojo to keep an eye on her.

"I'm back~" I pushed open the lounge door and found the second-year upperclassmen there too. "Oh, does nobody have a mission today? That's rare!"

Nobara Kugisaki threw herself into my arms. "You're finally here! We've been waiting forever. You're not hurt, are you, Edano?"

Maki came over too. "We came to discuss tactics for the team battle at the Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event."

I sat down beside Nobara and Maki. "You've probably worked most of it out already, right? How's it going?"

"We'd already put together a battle plan, but your situation is a special case. Jujutsu High wasn't going to let you participate at first, but Gojo-sensei insisted you join us, so we need to revise the plan."

"Salmon."

"Got it!" Once we'd finalized the plan, I looked around. All the first- and second-years were here, but I couldn't see Yuji Itadori anywhere.

"Where's Yuji?"

"Hehehe." Panda chuckled and shifted his large body aside, revealing Yuji Itadori behind him.

"?!!"

"Yuji, what did you..." What unforgivable crime did you commit?

Maki crossed her arms and snorted. "Hmph. Ask him what he did with my Slaughter Demon."

Yuji knelt on the floor, holding a picture frame up with both hands and looking ready to cry. "You know, this counts as pretty serious bullying... Also, Edano, you only just noticed I wasn't here?!"

"Ahem." Guiltily, I averted my eyes and quietly asked Megumi Fushiguro, "What's going on...?"

"Itadori accidentally broke the Slaughter Demon when the three of us went on our last mission," Megumi Fushiguro explained just as quietly.

Well... looks like the Slaughter Demon was destined to get broken.

"Come on, spit it out. Give me back my Slaughter Demon."

Yuji Itadori practically lost all his color in fright. "Uh, Gojo-sensei took it..."

Maki was furious. "Hah! That blindfolded idiot!"

Pfft, ahem. Looks like Gojo-sensei was destined to take the blame too.

"Um, I have something to say!"

"Speak."

"To celebrate Edano officially becoming a special grade and successfully completing her first mission, why don't we throw a party?"

As he spoke, Yuji Itadori frantically winked at me. I winked back to show I'd gotten the message. "What do you think? None of us have missions today, either!"

"Hmm, sure. Is there anyone else we should invite?"

Megumi Fushiguro rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment. "Nanami probably wouldn't come. Ieiri-sensei is busy, Gojo-sensei is away on a mission, and Principal Yaga is even less likely to join us."

"Then let's just celebrate by ourselves!"

Yuji Itadori raised his hand. "Fushiguro and I will do the shopping!"

After thinking for a moment, I added, "Then Panda and I will decorate!"

"Salmon!"

"Of course, our adorable upperclassman Inumaki is joining us too!"

"Bonito flakes..."

"Right, Nobara and I will prepare the food." Maki and Nobara exchanged a knowing glance.

That evening.

"Hehehe, Edano, you smell so nice~" Nobara snuggled into my arms, her face flushed, while I leaned limply against Maki, quietly dozing.

The boys sitting together watched the girls, who were practically glued to one another, with indescribable expressions. "...Is Kugisaki drunk? And where did the alcohol come from?"

Megumi Fushiguro suddenly realized something and frowned at the drinks on the table. "This is... [Pineapple-flavored beer beverage?]"

"Huh? Sorry, I didn't notice..." Under Megumi Fushiguro's exasperated gaze, Yuji Itadori silently cradled his head in his hands.

Panda was holding a bottle of the same beer beverage, his face flushed from drinking it. "Hehehe, good thing Kugisaki was the only one who drank it by mistake. I can hold my liquor pretty well."

Before he finished speaking, they saw the girl who had been resting so quietly against Maki suddenly pull off the Silk Ribbon covering her eyes and sit bolt upright.

Her eyes were unfocused, but she seemed to quickly discover something new and fascinating. Suddenly excited, she shook Nobara Kugisaki and shouted,

"[If I turned into a puppy, would you still love me?!]"

"Huh? Who-aaah, mmm, s-so, so dizzy." Already dazed from the alcohol, Nobara Kugisaki was shaken into complete incoherence, answering instinctively through her stupor.

"Huh? It's you, Edano. Of course I would~" As soon as she finished speaking, Nobara Kugisaki toppled headfirst to the floor and stayed there.

Megumi Fushiguro snapped to attention at the fluctuation of cursed energy, but before he could say anything to stop her, the Cursed Speech had already taken effect.

Pop!

The dazed girl suddenly turned into a white puppy. No, not entirely-she had only gained a puppy's features, with a pair of white ears sprouting from her head and a big, fluffy tail.

"..." ×5

The other four who weren't drunk all turned ominous looks on Yuji Itadori. "Itadori/Yuji, just how many kinds did you buy by mistake?"

"Ah... um, I think there's still a chance to save me..."

Megumi Fushiguro wore an icy, utterly exasperated expression. "Itadori, I think we need to step outside and have a talk."