Meanwhile.
Maki frowned toward the direction Itadori had left in.
"Why isn't Yuji back yet? I only sent him on that errand because he's fast."
Panda scratched his chin, suddenly remembering something. "Could he have run into them? I think Kyoto Jujutsu High's principal came over for a meeting today..."
Maki looked stunned. "Huh? Surely not that much of a coincidence?"
Before she could finish, a miserable wail came hurtling toward them-
"I'm serious, Todo! I've never even heard of that middle school you mentioned! We didn't go to the same middle school! Please, just leave me alone!!-"
"I don't mind fighting you at the Goodwill Event, but stop charging at me like you want to hug me!! Help!!!-"
Maki: "..."
Panda: "..."
Everyone else: "..."
Good grief! We leave you alone for a minute and now you're hugging? What exactly is going on between you two?!
Itadori and Todo? What bizarre new ship was this?
Itadori looked up and spotted his friends. His eyes immediately lit up, and he ran toward them, his gaze pleading for help-
Then he saw-
Led by Maki and Panda, everyone took a synchronized step back at the sight of Todo behind him, streaming tears and snot as he cried, "My best friend!"-
-Clearing a wide-open path for the two of them.
A bewildered sense of abandonment washed over him, but to avoid crashing into anyone, he kept running down that wide-open path...
Todo chased after him without slowing down...
Everyone felt two terrifying whirlwinds rush past, kicking up clouds of dust like a pair of bulldozers.
Everyone: ...
Hmm... Leaving Todo to Itadori really was the right choice... These two were such a perfect match~
...No, no, no! We have to stop them!
When Itadori came around for his second lap, they immediately stepped in. Toge Inumaki's "Stop" successfully halted Todo's charge, rescuing a bewildered and terrified Itadori.
Itadori darted behind Megumi Fushiguro, leaving only his head peeking out.
Megumi Fushiguro: "..."
Are you a baby chick? You sure made yourself at home back there.
A vein throbbed on his forehead. "What are you hiding for? Even if you can't beat Todo, you don't have to be this scared, do you?"
Itadori: "...Huh? I'm allowed to fight him?"
Megumi Fushiguro: "...?"
Itadori: "I thought we were only allowed to fight during the Goodwill Event. When I saw him charging over to hug me, I ran..."
Megumi Fushiguro: "..."
Oh, really? Well, congratulations. You picked up a best friend without even leaving campus.
After that silent jab, Megumi Fushiguro breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Itadori hadn't run because he'd been beaten. Otherwise, their plans for the Goodwill Event would need changing.
"Aaah, Todo! Where did you run off to?!" Mai, who had come to the school with him, finally caught up.
But before she could say anything else, Todo dragged her away, declaring that "Takada's handshake event is about to start."
"Yuji Itadori, my best friend! I'll see you at the Goodwill Event!"
"Right now, I have to go see Takada first. Wish me luck!"
Itadori: ...I'm seriously not your best friend...
...Anyway, thank you, Miss Takada, for saving my life. I'll buy a ticket to support you next time!
Everyone else: "..."
So...
What exactly had they come here for? Had they really just come to make a friend and leave?
Should they hold the Goodwill Event early just for those two?
Itadori: Thanks, but no. Leave me out of this.
"Um..."
Finally recovering, Itadori looked pitifully at Maki.
"The assignment..."
"We're not switching assignments!" Maki swiftly cut him off.
She coughed twice. "There's nothing to be scared of. If he still tries to hug you at the Goodwill Event, you can beat the crap out of him!"
Get in a few extra punches, and hit him hard!!
You have all our moral support!!
Itadori trudged aside and sat down, utterly dejected.
Sukuna comforted him.
[It's fine. Just like Maki said, if he comes at you again, beat him up.]
[Though, to be fair, that guy's pretty strong. You're already fast, but you couldn't shake him at all.]
[He must be great at close combat. You need more practice. His cursed energy control looked incredibly smooth. You're still lacking a little there.]
"Huh?... Really?"
Itadori's attention shifted.
"So if I can use my cursed energy smoothly, I'll be able to shake him off?"
"Then what should I do? I feel like I'm already using it pretty smoothly."
Sukuna: ...
Sorry, he had no answer for that. His own control was naturally incredibly smooth.
[Why don't you ask Gojo tonight?]
"Okay."
That evening.
"Huh? Well..."
Gojo looked at Itadori in confusion too.
Cursed energy... wasn't that just how everyone used it?
Having never experienced what it meant to have "insufficiently smooth cursed energy control," Gojo felt a flicker of confusion.
He didn't seem to know how to explain something this basic either... So, why did one plus one equal two? That was quite a question.
The two strongest stared blankly at each other.
Neither dared meet Itadori's hopeful gaze.
"How about... we start with some actual combat?"
Gojo's suggestion broke the silence.
"I've already got a Grade 1 mission ready."
Sukuna nodded solemnly in agreement.
Practice makes perfect. Go on, kid. Maybe you'll figure it out after a few missions.
Itadori: ...Fine, then.
Once they arrived.
Standing inside the Haunted House, Itadori saw tonight's Grade 1 Curse, and the light slowly drained from his eyes...
Why... Why could he see that "Todo" even here???
This Grade 1 Cursed Spirit only had Grade 2 combat strength, but it possessed a special ability-
It could make an opponent see it as whatever they feared most.
That ability allowed it to rapidly erode its opponents' will during combat, keeping it alive to this day.
And so, in Itadori's eyes-
An enormous "Todo" with twenty arms appeared, chanting "Hug... hug... hug..." as he charged straight at him.
Itadori: ...
-His fists clenched.
Seeing it through Itadori's eyes, Sukuna immediately burst into wild laughter.
[Hahahahaha!-So that's what that guy looks like to you? I'm dying!]
He watched the show as he laughed, not forgetting to urge Itadori on.
[What are you waiting for? Beat it up! There's a perfectly good curse right in front of you, and you won't get in trouble even if you kill it~]
And so, from the curse's perspective, the human who had stood frozen a moment earlier-making it secretly rejoice that its ability had frightened another victim-delivered the most vicious beating it had ever received a moment later.
-The kind where he was especially enthusiastic about beating it to death.
The curse: ???
Wasn't he supposed to see what he feared? Shouldn't he be trembling in terror or fleeing for his life?
Why was he beating it like he'd just met his sworn enemy?
You're not following the script!
I demand a different opponent!-
And so, tonight, Itadori's results were:
Grade 1 Cursed Spirits exorcised: +1 Improvement in cursed energy control: +0 Dismantle training progress: +0 Sense of accomplishment: +0 Psychological trauma...: +10000
Before you continue