Why did you help me?

It was eight in the evening, outside Kichijoji.

"Rihito, hey!"

Junpei stood outside, spotting Rihito from a long way off.

As always, his thick bangs hid half his face.

They were evidence of the prolonged abuse he had suffered at the hands of Kenta Ito and the others, and a manifestation of the resentment inside him.

"Junpei, you're early." The sight of the popcorn container crushed out of shape in Junpei's hands stirred something in Rihito.

"Haha, I haven't been here long." Junpei laughed, trying to hide his awkwardness.

Then embarrassment crept onto his face.

"Um... Rihito, I was going to buy you a Coke, but I accidentally dropped it and ruined it. You... don't mind, do you?"

Rihito smiled faintly. "It's fine. Let's go in!"

Junpei looked up at Rihito's smile, and his body slowly relaxed.

"Okay!"

There were still more than ten minutes before the movie started. The two entered the theater, chose their seats, and sat down.

The audience from the previous screening had not all left yet. Couples sat together in the back rows, reluctantly leaving one pair at a time.

Junpei set the popcorn tub on the armrest between them.

He moved gently, as though afraid of making a sound.

Rihito noticed that after setting it down, Junpei turned the tub halfway around so its opening faced him.

"Rihito," Junpei suddenly said, his voice almost drowned out by the background music in the theater.

"Hm?"

"Today... you didn't actually have to come." Junpei stared at the still-dark screen, his thick bangs covering half his face. "I know you must be busy."

Rihito said nothing.

A few seconds later, Junpei added quietly, "My mom used to take me to the movies, and she'd buy popcorn every time. Then she stopped having time, so I started coming alone."

He paused, his fingers unconsciously pinching the rim of the popcorn tub.

"Watching movies alone is actually pretty nice. You don't have to talk to anyone or think about all that stuff at school. It's just that I could never finish the popcorn."

He smiled, the expression faint in the dim light, as though he were speaking to himself.

"Eventually, I stopped buying it."

Rihito looked at the popcorn tub Junpei had so carefully turned toward him.

Its opening faced him directly. If Junpei wanted any, he would have to reach across the entire armrest.

"Then why did you buy it today?" Rihito asked.

Junpei froze for a moment, as though he had not expected a follow-up question.

He lowered his head until his bangs completely hid his eyes, and his voice grew even softer. "Because I'm not alone today."

After a few seconds of silence, he hastily added, "But don't force yourself if you don't like sweet things, Rihito. This is really sweet."

Rihito reached into the tub, picked out a piece of popcorn, and put it in his mouth.

The syrup melted on his tongue, a little cloying.

"It's not bad," he said.

Junpei raised his head, and his eyes briefly lit up through the gaps in his bangs.

That light was fleeting, quickly hidden again as he lowered his head out of habit.

But the curve of his lips remained.

Rihito turned his gaze forward.

The screen was still dark.

Yet it suddenly occurred to him that this boy might have invited him to the movies for more than just gratitude.

He simply wanted someone to sit beside him, someone he could turn the opening of his popcorn tub toward.

Just then, three figures in the front row caught Rihito's attention.

They were the three unlucky bastards Mahito killed!

Though the anime and reality differed, their approximate positions, coupled with the fact that none of them seemed inclined to leave, convinced Rihito that these were the three Mahito was about to kill.

"Rihito, what's wrong?" Seeing his thoughtful expression, Junpei followed his gaze.

When he saw the three in the front row, his expression changed, and he involuntarily shrank back.

Naturally, Rihito noticed his reaction. "Junpei, do you remember what I told you earlier?"

Junpei stiffened, as though recalling something.

A few seconds later, he slowly straightened, and most of the fear disappeared from his eyes.

Rihito nodded and said nothing more.

More than ten minutes later, the movie began. The latest horror release played on the screen, while the three in front made a noisy, unruly racket, just as they had in the original story.

Rihito knew that, unless something unexpected happened, Mahito would appear soon, and the three would meet the same fate as in the original story: a gruesome death right there.

At that thought, his fists slowly clenched.

It was not pity for their lives, but a profound sense of helplessness at his inability to change the situation.

These three bullied Junpei. Their deaths would not move him in the slightest, but what if it were someone he cared about?

If something like that happened and he was powerless to change it, how would he live with himself? Itadori was a ready example.

"Rihito? Rihito?" Junpei lightly nudged him, assuming the noise from the three in front had upset him.

"It's nothing." Rihito gently shook his head.

Seeing how distracted Rihito looked, Junpei felt a stifling pressure in his chest.

Rihito was a good person. This was the first time he had invited him to a movie, and he could not let these people spoil it. At least... not this time.

At that thought, Junpei's gaze gradually grew resolute.

He looked at the three in front and gathered his courage, intending to ask them to quiet down and stop making so much noise.

Just as Junpei was about to stand, an unexpected figure blocked his view.

The theater was very dark during the movie. Junpei could not make out the person's features, only the lines of stitches crawling over his entire body like centipedes.

In an instant, it felt as though an invisible hand had clamped around his throat. Utter terror left him barely able to breathe.

As Junpei watched in horror, Mahito gently rested his hand on one of the students.

The next second...

"Don't look," Rihito said softly.

His eyes stayed fixed ahead. He did not glance at Junpei.

He successfully drew Junpei's attention. "R-Rihito, that..."

"Don't look," Rihito repeated.

This time, Junpei said nothing. He even lowered his head, not daring to look again.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Three soft sounds rang out in the vast theater, but because

of the movie's sound effects, they barely registered.

Rihito sat in the back row, the sight of the three students' heads swelling like balloons and then bursting reflected in his eyes. He did not make the slightest sound, even after Mahito left.

"Junpei, let's go." Before Junpei could react, Rihito pulled him up and headed for the rear exit without looking back.

"Huh?" Junpei had no idea what was happening, but obediently followed Rihito.

Just as he stepped through the doorway, his curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to glance behind him.

"Urrgh-!"

Almost the instant he saw the bloody scene, Junpei went pale. He broke free of Rihito's hand, crouched in a corner, and vomited violently.

Rihito said nothing, merely watching in silence. It took quite a while for Junpei to calm down a little.

He stood and looked at Rihito, lingering fear still in his eyes.

"R-Rihito, you knew, didn't you?"

Looking into Junpei's eyes, Rihito hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. "It's dangerous. Knowing won't do you any good."

Junpei froze.

Was Rihito protecting me? But if he knew this would happen, why did he still come?

Did he agree to come to the movies because of this, rather than because I invited him?

At that thought, Junpei slowly lowered his gaze.

Rihito naturally noticed his spirits sinking, but now was not the time to think about that.

As far as Junpei was concerned, Rihito felt he had already done enough. Junpei had learned to fight back and avoided tragedy.

He was already very lucky.

"Let's go," Rihito said.

Junpei nodded gently. His thick bangs hid his face, making it impossible to read his expression, let alone guess what he was thinking.

Soon, the two walked out of the movie theater.

At the same time, piercing police sirens rang through the street.

"Rihito," Junpei said softly.

"Hm?" Rihito stopped and looked at the timid boy beside him.

"Today... why did you help me out?" Junpei slowly raised his head and looked straight into Rihito's eyes, as though hoping to find an answer there.

Because I already think of you as a friend. Rihito did not say those words aloud.

He had indeed approached Junpei and helped him out today with an ulterior motive, not out of a desire to help the boy.

If Junpei had not been a key character in Jujutsu Kaisen, Rihito was almost certain he would not have cared whether he lived or died.

But after spending these few hours together, he had come to see Junpei as a friend.

Something like that... better leave it unsaid.

"I happened to hear it, so I went over to take a look." Rihito's expression remained as calm as ever, revealing nothing.

At those words, Junpei visibly relaxed, and a light once again shone deep in his eyes.

"Thank you, Rihito. I'll get going. I'll treat you to another movie next time."

He thanked him sincerely, then turned and headed back.

After a few steps, he stopped again, as though wanting to ask something else. In the end, he merely clenched his fists and continued walking.

Watching Junpei's retreating figure, Rihito shook his head with a chuckle. "Heh, what a sweet kid."

"Rihito-chan, that's not right, you know."

Rihito instantly went rigid, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

The next second, Mahito's face emerged from the shadows, its horrifying stitches clearly visible beneath the streetlight.