Those curses... are humans!
The thought struck Yuji like a thunderbolt. How could such a thing be possible?
Lost in his confusion, he was caught off guard by the pitcher plant curse. A fist slammed into his nose, sending him stumbling back, blood gushing from his nostrils.
"Sukuna-sensei! What do you mean they're humans?!" Yuji yelled, frantically dodging the curse's attacks.
Distracted, he left an opening. The curse punched him in the gut, doubling him over. Then, an uppercut sent him flying, landing hard on the ground.
"Exactly what I said," Sukuna replied, casually tossing popcorn into his mouth as he watched Yuji get pummeled.
Meanwhile, Yukino stood frozen, her umbrella shielding her from the rain. She closed her eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line. Sukuna saw the sadness etched on her face.
A moment later, she opened her eyes, a flicker of pity in their depths.
Invisible slashes flew from her slender hands, slicing through the curse's neck.
"Your… ticket?" the curse uttered in confusion, tilting its head.
The next instant, its head rolled off its neck. It died without pain.
Yukino walked over to the severed head, knelt down, and gently closed its eyes, feeling no revulsion towards its grotesque appearance.
"May you find peace in your next life," she whispered.
Two crystal-clear teardrops slid from the curse's closed eyes, tracing paths down its green skin before mingling with the rain.
Sukuna watched with a small smile, a hint of warmth in his eyes.
Yukino, having finished her battle, moved to help Yuji, but Sukuna stopped her.
"This is his fight. Don't interfere." He jumped down from the ledge and, to Yukino's speechless surprise, dumped his bucket of popcorn into her arms.
Yuji seemed to be struggling, merely blocking the pitcher plant curse's punches without retaliating.
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and scrambled back to his feet.
He gasped for breath, his hands trembling, his punches losing their strength."Damn it! They're humans?!"
Yuji blocked another punch, sliding back before regaining his footing. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever.
I'll lose if this keeps up...
His stamina and strength were exceptional, but even he couldn't endure endless punishment. More importantly, how could he bring himself to kill what were essentially people?
Gritting his teeth, Yuji charged. Dodging a punch, he circled behind the curse, grappling it and pinning its limbs. The curse thrashed wildly.
"Sukuna-sensei! Can't you do something to save it?!" Yuji yelled desperately.
"No," Sukuna said flatly. "The moment they transformed, they were already dead."
"How can that be..."
Yuji faltered, his grip loosening. The curse broke free, elbowing him in the face and sending him crashing to the ground.
His head spun as he hit the floor. Seeing the curse about to crush him, Yuji rolled aside
"I'm sorry, I can't save you," he said, his voice filled with pain.
Then, as if reaching a decision, he slapped himself hard across the face. His eyes regained their focus. "But I can't just give up here!"
The curse lunged again, but this time, Yuji was ready.
His fist, infused with cursed energy, connected first. It slammed into the pitcher plant head. A surge of cursed energy flowed from his abdomen, amplifying the blow and blasting a hole through the curse's head.
"Laundry…detergent..." the curse mumbled as it collapsed, its life fading.
Yuji looked down at the corpse, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him. "So it really didn't disappear..."
He clasped his hands together, closing his eyes to offer a silent prayer for the departed soul.
"Well done." Sukuna walked over, clapping him on the shoulder and offering him a bucket of popcorn. "Here's your reward."
"Thanks… Wait, did you disappear just to get popcorn?!" Yuji's gratitude turned to disbelief.
Sukuna-sensei is just as unreliable as Gojo-sensei...
"I didn't buy it, I took it," Sukuna corrected. "Since the movie theater staff is gone, and there's a lot of popcorn left in the warmer, I figured it would be a waste to leave it."
"One for each of us." He pulled another bucket of popcorn seemingly out of thin air and started munching.
"Taking something without permission is stealing, Sukuna-kun. Don't you know that?" Yukino's cold voice came from behind them. Turning around, Yuji saw that she was also holding a bucket of popcorn.
"It's called 'reasonable requisitioning'," Sukuna retorted.
"That's not even an excuse. You're just being unreasonable," Yukino sighed, then popped a kernel into her mouth.
Watching their interaction, Yuji chuckled. "You two seem close."
"Well, we get along," Sukuna said with a smile.
"How can you tell?" Yukino looked away. "What should we do now?"
"There are no more clues here. Let's head back for now." Sukuna glanced at the drenched Yuji. "You should change your clothes, Yuji. Don't catch a cold."
"I'll be fine. I'm very healthy. I don't think I've ever been sick." Yuji flexed his arm playfully. "But being wet is uncomfortable."
"There's no point staying here. Let's go." Sukuna led the way back into the building.
Before leaving the theater, Yukino stopped by the ticket counter and left money for the three buckets of popcorn.
For some reason, she felt like a parent cleaning up after their mischievous child.
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At Jujutsu High's Kanagawa branch...
Yuji Itadori, freshly showered and changed, entered the small conference room. The bodies of the two humans-turned-curses had already been sent to Jujutsu High headquarters for analysis.
Still reeling from the recent fight, Yuji sat on the sofa, a towel draped over his head, his expression downcast.
"Still feeling guilty?"
Sukuna entered the room, tossing a can of drink to the dejected pink-haired boy.
"Yeah, kinda," Yuji caught the can, about to thank him, when he noticed something was off. "Wait, isn't this beer?!"
He looked at Sukuna questioningly. "I'm still underage, I can't drink."
"Don't worry, it'll make you feel better." Sukuna cracked open his own beer and took a sip. He raised his can towards Yuji with a smile. "It's a step towards becoming an adult."
"Encouraging underage drinking is a crime," Yukino interjected, her eyes sharp. "Are you looking to change your 'shell,' hermit crab-kun?"
"Don't sweat the small stuff." Sukuna pulled a strawberry milk carton from his pocket and offered it to her. "Here's your hush money."
Yukino rolled her eyes but accepted the milk. Turning to Yuji, she advised, "Don't become an adult who relies on alcohol like Sukuna-kun."
She paused, then added, "This time is an exception."
Yuji stared at the beer can for a moment, then popped it open and chugged it down.
"Good, good. That's how you do it," Sukuna praised.
With a can of beer down his throat, Yuji's cheeks flushed, and he became more talkative. "Yukinoshita-senpai, you were so cool back there, taking them down so decisively."
"Are you implying I'm cold-blooded?"
"Of course not!" Yuji denied loudly, then his voice dropped. "I just think it's amazing how quickly you made up your mind… Unlike me, hesitating for so long."
"My grandpa told me before he died that since I'm strong, I should help others. It was his dying wish, I guess." He gave a self-deprecating laugh. "But whether it was at the juvenile detention center or today, I couldn't save anyone."
"These recent events made me realize how weak I am. Not just physically, but mentally too..."
"Like I said before, a student from our school was also killed by this perpetrator," Yukino said softly, watching Yuji with his head lowered.
"Yeah..." Yuji looked up, confused.
"I killed him myself," Yukino stated calmly.
"What?" Yuji's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat.
"Just like you killed that human turned into a curse, the student from my school was also modified. He could use cursed energy and even awakened a cursed technique, but a curse had already latched onto him. Before he completely lost consciousness…"
"He told me to run."
"Then the curse took over his body completely and attacked me."
"After a fierce battle, I killed him."
Yukino's voice remained even, as if recounting a story unrelated to herself.
"That's so messed up..." Yuji croaked, crushing the empty beer can in his hand.
Both Masaru Ōoka at the juvenile detention center and the victim today were strangers to Yuji, and even then, their deaths had filled him with pain and rage.
He couldn't imagine the helplessness and despair of having to kill someone he knew, someone turned into a modified human.
No wonder Yukinoshita-senpai had acted so decisively today. It must have been incredibly difficult for her to go through such a thing again.
Only he had been so pathetic…
"Sukuna-kun once told me that the path of a jujutsu sorcerer is a thorny one, stained with blood, and the road ahead is long and unclear," Yukino said, glancing at Sukuna, who was absorbed in his phone.
She continued, her gaze returning to Yuji, "He said I can't afford to be unaccustomed to death."
"But I don't think I'll ever get used to it." Yukino's eyes lowered, her voice soft. "I'll always feel sadness, anger, helplessness…"
"All I can do is accept these feelings, carry them with me, and keep moving forward."
"I believe doing so is the right thing."
"So, keep moving forward, Itadori-kun."
Yukino looked at him earnestly.
Yuji stared at her, speechless. He felt something ignite within him, his blood boiling with newfound resolve.
"Accept, carry, and move forward..."
He muttered the words, then clenched his fists and raised his head, the pathetic look in his eyes replaced with determination.
"You're right, Yukinoshita-senpai," Yuji declared, his voice firm. "I will keep moving forward. I'll become stronger, strong enough to stop those unjust deaths!"
He scratched his head, a sheepish smile spreading across his face. "Sorry for letting you see me like that."
"Just give me some time. I'll become stronger."
Yukino unwrapped a straw and stuck it into her strawberry milk, taking a sip. "To be honest, whether you become stronger or not doesn't really concern me. I don't really care."
"Ugh! Don't say things that ruin the mood!" Yuji complained.
The rain outside had stopped, and the clouds were parting. A ray of sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the room.
Sukuna, who had put away his phone, watched this scene with a smile. His gaze settled on Yukino.
She had grown so much since they first met. Now she was even offering guidance to others.
As he marveled at her growth, he inadvertently met her eyes.
Yukino spoke up. "Shouldn't you, as a teacher, say something?"
Sukuna shrugged. "Didn't you already say everything?"
"Isn't guiding students also part of your job?"
"It's fine. I hereby appoint you as my assistant."
"..."
Yukino was speechless, rolling her eyes in exasperation.