A chance encounter

The weather was still lovely on the second day of the holiday.

Madara slept until he woke naturally. By the time he opened his eyes, sunlight was already spilling through the gap in the curtains, forming a warm strip of light on the floor.

He lay in bed for a while, his mind blank, listening to the birds outside the window and savoring this rare sense of relaxation.

Then he remembered that he had no plans for today.

The other three all had plans of their own, while Panda had to stay at Jujutsu High.

So Madara decided to go out for a stroll alone.

He changed into casual clothes, a simple black T-shirt and jeans, tucked his Jujutsu Sorcerer ID and phone into his pockets, and headed out just like that.

He had no destination. He would simply wander around and see what ordinary life in this world was like.

The streets were already bustling that morning.

Madara mingled with the crowd and walked aimlessly, looking at the shops along the street, the customers relaxing in cafés, and the children playing in the park.

All of it gave him a strange sense of peace-as though he really were an ordinary boy living an ordinary life.

Then he passed a movie theater.

Trailers for the latest releases scrolled across a giant electronic screen: explosions in action movies, embraces in romances, interstellar voyages in science fiction.

Madara stopped and looked up for a while.

It occurred to him that he seemed not to have watched a movie in a very long time.

No, to be precise, he had "never" watched a movie in a theater.

And after coming to this world, his life had been filled with training and missions, leaving him no room to think about such things.

On impulse, he bought a ticket.

It was for the next showing, a superhero movie with an impressive-sounding title he had never heard of.

He chose a seat in the middle, then went to the counter to buy popcorn and cola-for some reason, he felt that watching a movie ought to involve those things.

The lights had already dimmed when he entered the screening room, and the trailers had just begun.

Madara found his seat in the dark, sat down, set the popcorn bucket on his lap, and placed the cola in the armrest's cup holder.

Then he noticed someone in the seat beside him.

It was an adult man wearing a neatly pressed shirt and suit trousers, his upright build apparent even in the dim light.

He sat perfectly straight with both hands on his knees, as though attending a meeting rather than watching a movie.

Madara thought the figure looked a little familiar.

He turned his head and took a closer look by the light of the screen.

Dark blond hair, meticulously combed back.

A serious profile, a straight nose, and thin metal-framed glasses.

Even in the dim theater, those eyes held an earnest look.

Madara froze.

Kento Nanami seemed to sense his gaze as well and turned his head.

Their eyes met.

The air froze for a few seconds.

Madara felt a little awkward.

Extremely awkward.

It was like getting caught secretly playing games by a parent, or being called on by a teacher while daydreaming in class.

Although Nanami was neither his teacher nor his parent, the feeling of "being caught by an elder doing something not entirely serious" was the same.

If Satoru Gojo was an inadequate adult, flighty, impulsive, fond of sweets and playing pranks on people...

Then Kento Nanami was the adult among adults, serious, meticulous, punctual, and true to his word.

Watching a movie with someone like that...

Madara opened his mouth, closed it again, and finally squeezed out a few words. "L-long time no see, Mr. Nanami."

His voice was so quiet that it was nearly drowned out by the trailer's sound effects.

Nanami looked at him, blinked behind his glasses, then gave a slight nod.

"On holiday?"

"Yes, I'm on holiday."

"Is that so?" Nanami turned back to the screen. "Enjoy yourself."

And just like that, the conversation ended.

Madara had no idea what else he should say.

Talking to someone as utterly serious as Nanami really was difficult-you could not joke, make small talk, or say anything pointless.

Every sentence had to be meaningful, precise, and logical.

He silently grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth, letting the cloying sweetness dissolve on his tongue.

The cola's bubbles burst on his tongue, bringing a familiar tingle.

Nanami glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

The popcorn bucket, the cola cup, his relaxed posture, his body leaning slightly forward-he seemed like an entirely different person from the Jujutsu Sorcerer who was calm and decisive on missions and never flinched before Cursed Spirits.

Something stirred faintly in Nanami's heart.

Perhaps because he had grown used to Madara's almost cold composure on their missions together, he had forgotten that the boy was only fifteen.

In battle, Madara was a sharp blade, precise and lethal, drawing blood whenever he was unsheathed.

But in everyday moments like this, he was simply a boy.

He came to watch superhero movies, ate popcorn and drank cola, and felt ill at ease sitting beside an elder.

The corners of Nanami's mouth curved upward slightly.

Hmph. Children really should act like children.

Just then, he thought of Satoru Gojo again.

Although that man possessed unbelievable power and was acknowledged as "the strongest" in Jujutsu Society, his personality was that of a child who never grew up.

Willful, self-centered, fond of sweets and playing pranks on people, with absolutely no awareness of being an adult.

Adults, however, should still act like adults.

The movie began.

It was a standard superhero movie.

An ordinary person suddenly awakened superpowers, felt lost, met a mentor, encountered a villain, suffered setbacks, finally awakened his true power, defeated the enemy, and saved the world.

The plot was clichéd, but the effects and visuals were well done, the fight scenes were spectacular, and the sound effects were powerful.

Madara was completely absorbed.

He frowned when the villain knocked the hero down, clenched his fists when the hero fell into danger, and breathed a sigh of relief when the hero finally awakened his power and unleashed a finishing move to turn the tables, his eyes shining.

Nanami was not really watching the movie.

He had bought the wrong ticket.

He had originally wanted to watch the workplace drama in the adjacent screening room-a serious film about how a middle-aged office worker balanced work and family.

But his mind had wandered while buying the ticket, and he only realized it was a superhero movie after receiving it.

Since he was already there and the ticket was nonrefundable, he had resigned himself to watching it.

So he paid more attention to Madara.

Watching Madara's emotions shift with the plot, watching this boy who was frighteningly calm on missions now worry, grow excited, and breathe a sigh of relief over movie characters like an ordinary high school student...

For the moment, the weight on Nanami's mind lifted.

At least for now, the person before him was a child.

A child who had not yet been corrupted by power, had not yet been swallowed by darkness, and had not yet forgotten how to enjoy an ordinary life.

That was enough.

The movie reached its climax. The hero and villain began their final showdown above the city, explosions and visual effects filling the entire screen.

Madara clutched his popcorn bucket, his eyes unblinking.

Although Nanami was not particularly interested in the content of movies like this...

Madara was enjoying himself.

That was good.

The movie ended, the closing song began, and the lights gradually brightened.

The audience began to leave, the sound of seats flipping up rising here and there.

Madara gathered his empty popcorn bucket and cola cup, preparing to leave, but felt that he ought to say something.

After all, having run into Mr. Nanami, he could hardly part with him in silence.

"Ha, ha..." He gave two dry laughs, trying to find something to talk about. "The movie was pretty good, right, Mr. Nanami?"

Nanami was adjusting his shirt cuffs. He looked up at that. "Indeed. It was well produced."

"Right!" Madara's tone unconsciously grew a little brighter. "The scene where the hero used his finishing move at the end really blew me away! The effects for that energy cannon, and the sound effects-"

"Mm." Nanami nodded and stood. "Don't consume too much sugar. It's bad for your health."

He glanced at the empty popcorn bucket and cola cup in Madara's hands.

Madara looked down at them, a little embarrassed. "Oh, right! Understood."

"Enjoy the rest of your holiday." Nanami picked up the suit jacket draped over the armrest. "Work seriously during working hours, and rest properly during your time off."

He paused, then added, "And of course, there's overtime."

He said it with complete seriousness, but somehow Madara heard a hint of self-mockery.

"All right." Madara stood as well and tossed his trash into the nearby bin.

Nanami glanced at his watch-a very fine mechanical watch with a simple dial, its hands ticking precisely.

"Well then, I'm off to work."

"Take care, Mr. Nanami."

Nanami nodded, then turned and walked toward the exit.