"Fushiguro, Fushiguro! Fushiguro, Fushiguro!! Fushiguro, Fushiguro!!!"
Yuji Itadori's loud, rapid-fire shouting made Megumi Fushiguro's head throb.
"I heard you. Stop saying it over and over.
…What is it?"
"Where's Kugisaki?"
"She dragged my sister out shopping with Mimiko and Nanako, I guess…
I heard they even went to look for Geto-sensei, but Geto-sensei hasn't come back since last night."
Having been dragged along by the three Jujutsu High teachers since he was young, Megumi Fushiguro had long since had his sharp edges worn down. Even with Tsumiki, he didn't bother putting on an annoyed face just to keep distance.
And honestly, Kugisaki and Tsumiki got along absurdly well. The first time Kugisaki met Tsumiki after arriving at Jujutsu High, she latched on immediately, practically ready to declare her a long-lost sister on the spot.
Kugisaki had always wanted the big city. She left home for Tokyo because she wanted to become a stylish urban woman, not slowly turn into some country girl in a poor, closed-off rural town.
And Tsumiki matched that image perfectly. Pretty, gentle, open, with fair skin that looked healthy. The kind of person who clearly took care of herself and actually kept up with exercise.
Just like Saori, the "girl from the city" she'd always imagined.
"Ugh…"
Bored, Yuji Itadori crouched down, picked up a small rock, and tossed it away.
Megumi Fushiguro watched as it skimmed past him.
"They won't be back anytime soon. If it's them, it'll be the usual. Picking out clothes, crepes, cold drinks…"
"If Kugisaki's not here and Ijichi's not here, can we still go observe Okkotsu-senpai on a mission?"
Seeing the longing in Yuji Itadori's eyes, Megumi let out a quiet sigh.
"Seriously, what do you think exorcising curses is? It's not something you go do for fun."
"Punish evil, protect the good! Uphold justice!"
Yuji Itadori immediately seemed to realize how corny that sounded, and he scratched his head with a grin.
"Honestly, I just want to learn. So when it counts, I can save more people…
Being a Jujutsu Sorcerer is about taking down Cursed Spirits and protecting the weak, right?
And… back then, if it weren't for you, Fushiguro, I wouldn't have made it. Thank you."
That blunt, straight-to-the-heart gratitude left Megumi Fushiguro not knowing what to say.
"Do what you're capable of. Being a Jujutsu Sorcerer is brutal. Don't go around thinking you can save everyone."
"Then you must be really strong, Fushiguro! You didn't hesitate at all when you chose to save me!"
"… "
Megumi Fushiguro couldn't keep up with Yuji Itadori's pace. Maybe the only person who could match his brain wiring was Gojo-sensei.
"Um, Fushiguro, about that call you took…
What kind of mission is Okkotsu-senpai on this time?"
"An Imaginary Cursed Spirit's Cursed Womb showed up at the Eishu Juvenile Detention Center in West Tokyo City. Ijichi said if the curse fully mutates, it might end up producing a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
And the Cursed Womb's already been seen by a few ordinary people."
"Special Grade?"
"Stronger than Grade 1. If you need a comparison, it's around the same level as that thing from before that controlled those metal blades."
"Then Okkotsu-senpai…"
"He's a Special Grade Sorcerer. And he's the one who saved us last time, remember?"
"Oh. Right…"
...
After a short silence, Megumi Fushiguro looked up at Yuji Itadori.
"If they still aren't back, go review the basics from class. Cursed Technique fundamentals, sociology too.
You'll need all of it later."
"Okay."
"Hey? Fushiguro! Fushiguro!!"
"Like I said, I can hear you. Once is enough!"
"Is that Ijichi?"
Megumi Fushiguro followed the direction Yuji Itadori was pointing. A thin, slightly frail-looking man was shuffling toward them, clutching a file folder, his steps unsteady.
Caught between several Special Grade Sorcerers, Ijichi had somehow survived the night in one piece...
The hard-drinking Spicy Party had kept pressuring him to drink, the extreme Sweet Party kept stuffing pastries into his hands, and there had even been the occasional coffee concoction thrown in. His stomach was in complete chaos.
On top of that, sitting for so long had left his shoulders and neck stiff. If Suguru Geto hadn't refrained from "sharing" with him, he might not have made it back today at all...
And there was still a mountain of work waiting for him.
"Ijichi, Ijichi~~"
Ijichi froze as he watched Yuji Itadori running toward him, waving enthusiastically. Come to think of it, Satoru Gojo had told him early this morning to notify the students about the mission.
Suppressing his discomfort, Ijichi straightened up, rolled his shoulders, and instantly slipped into assistant manager mode.
"Itadori. You and Fushiguro are both going, right?"
Since the main force for this mission was Yuta Okkotsu and the first-years were only there to observe, Ijichi actually felt fairly at ease despite it being a Special Grade mission.
"Yeah!"
"Alright. Get in the car in a bit. Special Grade Yuta Okkotsu and Support Rika Orimoto should already be waiting there..."
Ever since Satoru Gojo brought her over to Jujutsu High, Rika Orimoto had been studying Assistant Manager courses, which Ijichi himself had taught.
Now, she accompanied Yuta Okkotsu on missions as his dedicated Support.