The intro plays out with [ Kaikai Kitan - Eve] playing in the background.
Kanoko - "Hey, wait! You can't just cut to the intro after that!" she leans forward frustratedly, but upon acknowledging the fact that she can not do anything about it, she sulks back to her seat while waiting impatiently for the intro to finish.
While the intro is playing, they would ponder themselves to recall every event that had just happened for the past half an hour.
Hiroki's stunning display of his exceptionally supernatural strength and speed. The passing of his grandfather and his last words to him. The discovery of Curses and what they are. He battled curses alongside Fushiguro.
Swallowing a finger and now becomes the vessel of what might be a dangerous Curse.
Because the curse inside his body is a 'dangerous' one, he will be executed. But his execution was postponed once they realized they could make use of the boy by absorbing the other remaining fragment of Sukuna before he was killed off.
What a crazy situation for Hiroki, and they could not help but feel even more worried for him. After all, even after he has to absorb all the remaining 19 fingers like Gojo had told him.
He would still die at the end.
Kaede - 'Hiroki... P-Please come back home... I-I want to talk to you again... Even if it is just one last time...' she silently pleads. Either way, if Hiroki dies and is all because of her hands, she could never forgive herself. Even after the day of her passing.
Kanoko - 'Little... bro...' her mouth quivered into a shaky one before looking down. No words could explain how much of a silent emotional breakdown she is going through as of speaking. She could feel a drop of a tear rolling down her cheek, filled with nothing but regret, 'Fucking useless sister... Dumb-ass...! Abandoning your little brother? Yeah right, no other big sister would do that... Except... Except... me...'
Ayumu - 'Hiroki-senpai...' she looks down, ashamed of herself even more than before, 'I-If I never do any of that... He would have reconsidered before eating that finger... I-It's all my fault... He would still have hope left if I wasn't so... stupid back then.'
Nao - "... S-So like that?" she murmured, feeling an absolute level of regret as she saw the only person she broke spiraling down even deeper into his pit. She may also have a feeling she could not apologize to him seeing the current situation he is in.
Is there any other way to save Hiroki?
Hiroki is just gonna be used as some sort of disposal of Sukuna's fingers and be killed off at the end.
And the worst part is.
There is nothing they can do about it.
But seeing the intro finally ending, they switch their attention back to the screen again. Watching the screen with attention.
The scene cuts back to the sight of Sugisawa Hospital under the noon.
Inside a room, the sight of Sasagi sitting down solemnly next to Iguchi lying on his hospital bed with a bandage plastered across his forehead and eyes.
The title card of the episode: "For Myself" appears on the bottom right corner of the screen.
The sight brings pity to the female viewers.
Ayumu - "That's Hiroki's friends, right?" she remarked, feeling a little sad about them, especially for Sasagi.
Kaede - "Poor them..." she said in empathy.
Sasagi then heard an unexpected knock on the glass door. Looking at where the sound came from, she saw Hiroki standing in front of the door while taking a look inside.
Sasagi - "Itadori." she mumbled in a low voice.
Hiroki - "How's Iguchi-senpai doing?" he asked while walking inside the room, taking a look at the sight of Iguchi in deep sleep alongside Sasagi.
Sasagi - "The doctors say he's fine, but he hasn't regained consciousness." tears welled up in her eyes, "It's all my fault."
The sight of Sasagi crying brings sadness to them, because they understood her well... Even to the point where she blames herself, which they also did.
Rightfully so.
Sasagi - "If I hadn't asked him to come to the school that night..." she muttered before sobbing quietly, tears falling down her face as Hiroki watched, "I know you won't believe us, but this weird monster attacked us, and I was captured, too."
Hiroki - "I believe you." he responded reassuringly, "Those weren't monsters. They were curses."
Sasagi looks back at him, her eyes glossed by the result of her crying.
Nao - 'She wouldn't understand, would she...?' she tilted her head slightly down, her gaze still fixated on the screen.
Hiroki - "That finger was a special-grade cursed object. It had the power to draw other curses to it to make them stronger. So it wasn't your fault." he explained. He knew she would not understand, but at least he wanted to wash her off of her regrets.
He grips on the bar of Iguchi's bed tighter.
Hiroki - "It was mine for picking it up." he lamented, earning a light gasp from Sasagi.
That sentence alone fills the girls with another layer of regrets. Even if it is his fault, they cannot help but feel responsible for it too.
Kaede - 'I-It's not your fault, son... It's... It's mine...' she bit her lower lips, looking like she was close to crying again.
Sasagi's mind was filled with confusion as to what Hiroki could mean, but she was grateful for him to... say all of this for her sake.
Hiroki - "Sorry." he quickly apologized, "It'll be all right, though. Someone capable of fixing Iguchi-senpai will be here tomorrow."
Sasagi - "Itadori." she tries to call him out again.
Hiroki - "Sorry, senpai." he apologized once more, feeling more sorry than before, "There's somewhere I need to go."
Sasagi stood up from her seat, looking at Hiroki like she wanted to say something else to him.
Hiroki - "Bye-bye!" he farewelled with a sad smile, finally walking away. Leaving Sasagi and Iguchi alone.
Ayumu - "A-A bye... bye..." she recalled, knowing it was certainly worse than just a regular: 'See you later'.
Kanoko - "They're not gonna see him again, would they?" she stated, feeling bad but also incredibly sad.
Nao - "And us..." she added while tilting her head down solemnly, filling the other three girls and herself with even more sadness.
A sight of crematorium can be seen, still at the same time in the noon.
While outside, Hiroki and Gojo can be seen sitting down on the bench placed in front of the building.
Gojo - "Who passed away?" he asked, sounding more reserved than his playful self.
Hiroki - "My grandpa. Although he was like a father to me." he answered, still feeling a little sad by his grandfather's passing.
Gojo - "I see. Sorry if happened at a time like that." he apologized with a hint of empathy.
Kaede swallows a lump down her throat. She could not bear the sight of her son grieving anymore. She just wants to reach out and comfort him, holding him in her motherly embrace like how things should go.
She wished... She wished she was there.
But just the thought of not being able to be there for him... Leaving him behind again... Because she was busy having... that with the exchange student. It fills her with even more regret than what she could bear.
Silence fills the two of them for a few moments.
Gojo - "So have you decided what you want to do?" he questioned, looking at Hiroki sitting next to him.
Hiroki - "Are casualties like these from curses pretty common?" he asked back, looking at the blindfolded sorcerer.
This catches the attention of the girls.
Despite still being down and blue from Hiroki and his current situation, they could not help but listen.
Perhaps they might find answers sooner rather than later.
Gojo - "This one was a rather exceptional case, but in terms of damage, this happens all the time." he responded, Hiroki listening attentively, "It's a good night when someone dies a normal death after encountering a curse. Finding a body that's all torn apart is on the better end of the outcomes."
Hiroki can not bring the thought of that as he looks back down.
Gojo - "If you plan to hunt down Sukuna, you're gonna witness some gruesome scenes, and I can't guarantee you won't end up that way yourself." he touches his nose, his legs crossing the entire time, "So, choose your hell."
Ayumu - "..." she could not help but stay silent.
Nao - 'Choose your hell...' she repeated inside her mind, disturbed by that sentence alone.
Kanoko - 'Can Hiroki even handle something like that? He still hasn't matured enough...' she holds her head down. Hiroki is 14 the last time she saw him, which was six months ago, and now he may be 15 if she is correct.
Hiroki kept staring down at the ground, contemplating his life choices.
Getting flashbacks of Megumi getting hurt, Iguchi laying on his hospital bed, and Sasagi crying... And then the scene switches to Wasuke's cremated corpse on the dirt, with his dying words in the background reading: "You're a strong kid, so help others."
Hiroki - "If all the parts of Sukuna were gone, would there be fewer people who get harmed by curses?" he asked whilst picking up his grandfather's remains into an urn.
Kaede could not help but sigh at her own son's decision. While it is respectable that he has such high ambition as that, she still does not want to see her son in even more pain and suffering.
Though, one thing is for sure. She feels proud.
To have a son like him.
Kanoko - "That's our Hiroki, alright." she lets out a proud smile.
Ayumu - "Hehe! Yeah, our Hiroki!" she repeated dreamingly, earning a glare from Nao.
Gojo - "Of course." he smiled, leaning back against the wall.
Placing down the chopstick and closing the urn, he looks back at Gojo.
Hiroki - "Do you still have that finger?" he asked, in which Gojo pulled out what he asked for.
Taking the finger from Gojo's hand, he looks at it with a weirded-out expression.
Hiroki - "Looking at it again, it's pretty disgusting." he cringed, looking down at the finger with a grimace.
Kanoko - "You think?" she deadpanned, her arms and legs crossing.
Nao - "Honestly, I don't blame him." she shook her head, "He cannot think of anything else when he has the finger, he was about to get swallowed by a curse."
Taking it all in one bite, he quickly swallows in a desperate attempt to ignore the taste.
GULP!
Ayumu - "Blegh..." she yucked in disgust.
Kanoko - "Eugh..." She also gagged alongside Ayumu.
Nao - 'That's two out of twenty...' she thought, carefully observing.
Gojo - 'Well, that's the second one. One-tenth of the whole.' he silently observed, 'What's going to happen?'
With Sukuna's markings appearing over Hiroki's face once more, his eyes shot wide open with a dark and horror atmosphere surrounding them in an instant.
Ayumu's legs quickly curled up on her seat as she hid her face behind her hands once more, yelping a little.
Kanoko - "G-Gosh... I'm shivering again..." she muttered, shaking by just Sukuna's overwhelming presence.
His face twitched abnormally, marking the appearance of Sukuna while we could hear his faint but noticeable crazed laughter in the background.
The girls hold their breath instinctively, anticipating any dread to come.
His head immediately went down and held his neck tightly with ragged breaths, stumbling forward towards the now-alerted Gojo.
He chuckled darkly, holding his face even more lower until it was not in sight.
Ayumu - "H-Hiroki-senpai?" she stuttered, looking back at the screen with fearful eyes.
Kanoko -"Crap! That curse is taking over him!" she gripped the arms of her seat yet again, leaning forward.
Upon noticing Hiroki or... Sukuna stumbling toward Gojo, they tensed up even more. Ayumu even covers her face with her hands, anticipating any possible gruesome outcome.
Hiroki finally held his head up, which shows he no longer has Sukuna's marking across his face as he sticks his tongue out in disgust.
Hiroki - "Gross!" he gagged, having tears swelled up his eyes, "So gross it's funny!"
The girls immediately let out a breath of relief at the false threat.
Kanoko - "Had me scared there, little brother." she slumped back in her seat, now relaxed.
Kaede - 'H-He's alright...' she told herself, feeling at ease.
Gojo - 'That settles it.' he commented with an amused smile, 'It's not just a physical tolerance. He can control himself against Sukuna without issue.'
The white-haired guy kept watching as the teen walked around the room, still keeping his disgusted expression.
Gojo - 'We haven't seen someone with talent like that in a thousand years.' he thought, impressed.
Ayumu - "H-Heh? So does that mean there are other people like Hiroki? But... failed to contain Sukuna?" she tilted her head.
Nao - "It's either that or they just assume like it." she blinked, as clueless as Ayumu.
Kanoko - 'One in a thousand years talent...' she narrowed her eyes, both impressed and shocked.
Hiroki - "Something's wrong?" he looks back at Gojo, now out of his nauseate.
Gojo - "No, it's nothing." he shook his head, walking away, "I take it this means you've steeled your resolve?"
Hiroki - "Not at all." he took a look back at the portrait of his smiling grandpa, "I'm still wondering why I have to be executed. But, I can't just do anything about the curse. That last request is gonna be a pain in the ass."
Making up his mind, he walks around the room once more.
Hiroki - "I'll eat every part of Sukuna. I don't care what happens from there.' he stopped in his tracks before looking back at Gojo, "I've already decided how I'm going to die."
The girls' eyes widened.
They did not expect Hiroki to just choose carelessly like that. He seems like he is aware of the consequences of his reckless decision, but he does not care.
As long as his death has a meaning behind it, no matter if it is executed or not.
Gojo - "Nice! I like people like you!" he grins cheerfully, hands inside his pockets, "Sounds like a fun hell awaits."
He walks over and pushes the button next to the steel door, opening it while Hiroki faces toward his back.
Gojo - "Make sure you're packed by the end of the day."
Hiroki - "We're going somewhere?" he questioned.
Megumi with different bandages and across his face can be seen when the door opens.
Megumi - "Tokyo." he answered nonchalantly.
Kanoko - "Urchin!" she gleamed. Despite knowing him for only a few minutes, she felt joy in his appearance.
Nao - "Eh, but he doesn't look so fine?" she stated, looking at the bandages plastered across the teen's face.
Kanoko - "He's fiiine..." she shrugs it off with rolled eyes.
Hiroki - "Fushiguro! Looking good!" he beamed while giving the black-haired teen a thumbs up.
Megumi - "You think after this?" he points at his forehead, which is wrapped around in a bandage, "You're going to transfer to the same school for the jujutsu sorcerer I attend."
Ayumu - "Transfer... Wait, he's going transfer to another school again?!" her eyes widened upon taking those words in.
Nao - "I-It seems like it." she responded, quite surprised.
Kanoko - "Not only that, but he's also gonna be what is called a Jujutsu Sorcerer?" she quirked her eyebrows.
Kaede - "... He's moving out again?" she questioned quietly, silently hoping that was not the case.
If it is, then it would certainly be harder to try and ask for his forgiveness.
Hiroki - "Huh?" he looks at him with a confused stare.
The girls giggle at Hiroki's straightforward yet funny response.
A sight of Jujutsu Tech can be seen from the sky, consisting of traditional buildings and houses surrounded by trees.
"Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School."
An amused whistle from Kanoko.
Kanoko - "Doesn't look that bad for a school." she thought.
Gojo - "By the way, you're the third first-year" he explained while holding a three with his fingers, causing Hiroki to look at him dumbfoundedly.
Hiroki - "Only three?!" he sweatdropped, completely taken back.
Ayumu - "That's way too small!" she shouted out loud, but blushed upon noticing the glances she got from the other girls, "I-I mean, small amount!"
Nao - "Is it even called a school if they had that few students?" she questioned, looking back at the screen.
Kanoko - "Maybe they're just lacking in students is all." she folded her arms, "Though, I still can't help but wonder. What exactly will they be teaching? That school looks way too much like a full-on actual school with hardly any students."
Kaede - "Well, dear. Whatever the case may be, how about we continue watching and find out?" she said patiently, eyes glued to the screen.
Next scene, Hiroki is seen kneeling down while clasping his hands together in a praying position. He was wearing the same attire but had a backpack filled with his belongings, and what was in front was...
His grandfather's grave.
The sight surrounds the girls with quietness once more.
Both Ayumu and Nao stayed silent to pay respect to his grandpa who had passed away.
While Kanoko and Kaede were also doing so, they also silently prayed with a more solemn expression on their faces.
Hiroki - "Okay, I'm going out, Grandpa." he stands up before walking away with his hands in his pockets.
Deep in the mountains, the pink-haired boy and his soon-to-be teacher are walking side by side, traveling up the road.
Hiroki - "So deep in the mountains!" he commented, looking around baffled, "Are we even in Tokyo?"
Gojo - "Even Tokyo's like this on the outskirts." he responded.
Hiroki - "Where's Fushiguro?" he questioned.
Gojo - "He's fast asleep after receiving Jujutsu treatment." he replied right after.
Ayumu - "The school is located deep in the mountain?" she repeated, eyes tilting slightly to the side.
Nao - "I'm pretty sure that's the reason they have very few students. It's pretty isolated, unlike schools that are in a town or city." she theorized.
Gojo - "Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School. It's one of only two Jujutsu education facilities." he lectured.
"On the surface, it's known as a private religious school. Many jujutsu sorcerers continue to use it as a base even after graduation."
"It's a pillar of the community, not just for education, but for support and meditation in missions too."
The two can now be seen walking up the stairs and into the main ground of the school.
Gojo - "By the way, you're about to have an interview with the principal." he declared.
Hiroki - "The principal?" he repeated.
Ayumu - "Principal? Does that mean he's not the top dog in his school?" she asked, curious.
Kanoko - "Doesn't that sound funny?" she chuckled slightly, "Claiming himself as the strongest but didn't have the highest position in his occupation?"
Nao - "The strongest don't have to always be on the top, you know?" she looks at Kanoko, while Hiroki's sister replies with a face that reads; 'Fair enough'.
Gojo - "Screw it up and he'd reject your admission, so go all out." he advised.
Hiroki - "Heh?!" he points at himself with a comical panicked expression, "And what then? An immediate execution?!"
"What? So you're not the boss?"
The voice of Sukuna sends chills down their spine once more.
Nao - "I-Is that Sukuna?!" she stuttered, "Did he come out?"
Kanoko - "I doubt so. He would have attacked Gojo immediately if he did." he leaned back against her seat.
Looking back, Gojo saw a pair of mouths on Hiroki's mouth, presumably Sukuna's.
Ayumu - "E-E... What?!" her eyes widened at the screen.
Nao - "A mouth!" she shouted, 'I-It all make sense now! From the intro...'
Kanoko - "Eugh..." she gagged again swallowing a finger is pretty disgusting but also seeing a literal mouth on your cheek? It gives her the creeps, "It's like the things you find in horror movies or some crap."
Sukuna - "Any hierarchy other than strength is boring." he, but was cut off by Hiroki covering his own cheek with his palm.
Hiroki - "Sorry about that. He pops out sometimes." he apologized, hand still on his cheek.
Nao - "So while not in control, he can still appear?" her eyes widened.
Kanoko - "That's... terrifying honestly." she sweatdrops. The thought of having a curse living inside you that can monitor your every move throughout your day? Even in a bath or bed? 'Yeah... I don't think I could live through that...'
Ayumu - "Scary..." she covered her cheeks in an instinct.
Gojo - "What an interesting body you have now." he observed Hiroki with a hand on his chin.
Sukuna's mouth appeared once again on the hand he used to cover his cheek, making a slight crunching sound.
Ayumu - "E-Even in hand!" she swiftly yet unconsciously covered her hands between her thighs.
Sukuna - "I owe you one, you know?" he spoke in a low voice, earning a stare from Hiroki.
Hiroki - "Not again!" he fumed in slight annoyance.
Sukuna - "Once I make this brat's body my own, you'll be the first one I kill!" he threatened.
Gojo - "Me, a target of the great Sukuna? What an honor." he smiled, flattered humorously.
Covering Sukuna's mouth with his other hand, Hiroki looks back at Gojo.
Hiroki - "This guy's really that famous?" he asked, curious.
Kanoko - "Now that I think about it again, Sukuna sounds like a pretty big deal to me." she crossed her arms.
Ayumu - "Ooh! History lessons!" she jumps excitedly on her seat.
Gojo - "Ryomen Sukuna, with four arms and two faces, is a demon of legend." he lectured, his expression becoming more serious, "Truth is that he was a human who actually existed, but that was over a thousand years ago."
[ A sight of Sukuna in an old-times robe can be seen standing on top of piles of burning and burned bodies ]
"In the golden age of jujutsu, sorcerers gathered up all their might to challenge him and failed."
[ Next up, we see a full look at what Sukuna originally looked like. Four eyes glowing in the dark and each of his four arms seems to be holding a different kind of weapon]
"Crowned with the title of Sukuna, he traveled the ages after his death as a cursed object."
"We couldn't even destroy his remains."
[ At the final sight, Two pairs of Sukuna's eyes are seen, ones belonging to someone so sinister and malicious ]
"Without a doubt, he is the King of Curses."
Nao - "K-King... of curses." she muttered, intimidated by such a name.
Ayumu - "W-Wait! So that means Hiroki has a literal demon king inside of him?!" she gasped, both utterly terrified and fascinated.
Kanoko - "I'm even more impressed how he managed to contain him!" her face matching that of Ayumu's.
Nao - "W-With that information, does that mean Hiroki is much stronger than Sukuna since he's able to contain him?" she asked hypothetically.
...
Kanoko - "Wait, you might be onto something!" she looks at Nao with wide eyes.
Ayumu - "I-I don't think that's the case. If Hiroki is stronger than Sukuna, he would have killed that giant curse back at his previous school with no problem. Maybe he's simply built differently?" she reasoned.
Nao - "I-... Oh, yeah." she quickly shut her mouth in realization.
Hiroki - "Who's stronger? Him or you?" He asked again, looking even more curious now.
Gojo - "Well, good question." He nodded, as they continued walking again, "If Sukuna regained all his, he might cause me a little trouble."
Hiroki - "But would you lose?" he asked once more.
Gojo - "I'd win." He spoke confidently.
Kanoko - "He seems awfully confident about himself." she deadpanned, "I already get that, but I feel like he's talking way too much about himself."
Nao - "Well, he did call himself the strongest." she shrugs, "Maybe what he said is true?"
Kanoko - "Or just his delusions." she added, leaning back against her seat.
Going inside one of the traditional-looking buildings, they walk past a column of pillars with their surroundings dimly lit by candles.
"You're late, Satoru." the voice of a man... rather a guy in his middle age echoed through the insides of the building.
Hiroki - "Huh?" he looks behind to see the doors closing in on itself.
"Eight minutes late."
The sight of different kinds of dolls can be seen, and in the middle is a middle-aged man with shaded glasses... needle felting a cute doll.
Guy - "Not late enough to get me angry, but I thought I told you to fix that habit of yours." he huffed strictly
Ayumu - "Cute dolls!" she bubbled, though, her cute smile was quickly replaced with a confused one upon seeing the man.
Kanoko - 'Creepy...' she thinks otherwise. Seeing a full-grown man making cute dolls is a sight to see.
Kaede - "He's making... dolls?" she stated, quite perplexed.
Hiroki - 'That old dude's making cute dolls!' he thought with a sweatdrop.
Gojo - "If it's not enough to get mad about, then please cut me some slack." he protested, "You're just making dolls, anyway. Eight minutes is no big deal, right?"
He then looks back at the slightly uneasy Hiroki, returning his iconic smile.
Gojo - "That's Principal Yaga Masamichi." he told the pink-haired teen.
Nao - "He's the principal?!" she stammered, stunned.
Kanoko - 'Even more creepy...' she added silently.
Yaga - "That's the kid?" he asked, switching his attention toward Hiroki after his doll.
Hiroki - "Itadori Hiroki!" he introduced while bowing down, "I'm into girls like Jennifer Lawrence! Nice to meet you!"
Silence...
Until it was broken by Kanoko's laugh.
Kanoko - "That's his introduction? Man, that's hilarious." she wiped off the tears from her eyes.
Kaede - "Oh my, it seems like Hiroki had taken his father's charm!" she touched her cheek with a sweet smile.
Ayumu & Nao - "Jennifer Lawrence.." they both muttered quietly, 'Who is she? What does she look like?'
Yaga - "Why are you here?" he asked bluntly, causing Hiroki to be taken back.
Hiroki - "An interview." he answered hesitatingly.
Yaga - "But why Jujutsu Tech?" he asked back, silencing Hiroki for a few moments.
Hiroki - "To learn jujutsu?" he answered yet again.
Yaga - "I mean beyond that." he corrected, "What happens after you learn about curses and the way of exorcism?"
Hiroki - "Well, I mean..." he stands up straight while making gestures with his fingers, "I'm gonna collect the fingers of Sukuna. Can't just leave them all out there."
Yaga - "Why?" he asked back, causing Hiroki to let out a small confused noise with a hint of annoyance.
Kanoko - "Jeez, this guy likes questions." she crossed her arms under her breasts again, feeling slightly irritated.
Yaga - "People you don't even know are dying due to crimes, accidents, and diseases in the natural course of life." he yakked.
Gojo - "There he goes again." he looks away with a defeated smile, preparing himself for another one of the principal's trivial chatter.
Yaga - "But you're telling me you can't overlook it when that death is caused by a curse." he added, looking at Hiroki with a stoic expression.
Hiroki - "It was someone's dying wish." he finally admitted, head tilting down with a now-serious expression, "I don't care about the details. I just wanna help people."
Yaga - "A dying wish?" he repeated, unsatisfied with the young teen's answer, "So you're saying you'll fight curses because someone else told you to? You failed."
Kanoko - "He said he wants to save others, isn't that enough for you?!" she yelled frustratingly.
Ayumu - "H-He didn't even give him a chance!" she exclaimed, feeling worried now.
Now standing up, Yagi held his hand up and opened his palm. One of his dolls, more specifically a green; chubby one with a small cute face, rose from the like a miracle.
Kanoko - "It's... I-It's!" she slowly pointed at the screen, eyes widening along the way.
Nao - "It's alive!" she exclaimed, gripping the edge of her seat.
Ayumu - "So cute!" she cooed, resting her palms on her cheeks with puppy eyes.
Kaede - "Well, that's... unexpected." she holds an unsure smile on her face, but she can not deny it was also adorable.
Hiroki - "Those weren't dolls?" he asked cluelessly, looking at the dolls.
Yaga - "-Cursed corpses-" he explained, "They're dolls infused with my curse."
Nao - "-Cursed Corpse-..." she repeated, "Curse can be put inside everyday objects too?"
Kanoko - "What can it do, though?" she asked with a poker face, "They're just dolls."
Yaga swiped his hand as a form of instruction for the cursed corpse he rose, which, in the blink of an eye, appeared right in front of Hiroki ready to punch him.
With a gasp, Hiroki uses his backpack as a shield to block an incoming strike.
Hiroki - 'Heavy!' he thought with sweatdrops, feeling the intensity of the doll's sheer strength.
However, that block is not enough for him as he is sent flying back and lands on one of the pillars.
Hiroki - "Is that really a doll?" he looks up to see the doll posing in victory.
This catches the girls off guard.
Kanoko - "H-How?!" she stares with wide eyes, "They're just dolls?!"
Nao - '-Cursed Corpses-... -Cursed... Corpse...-' she studied in a thinking pose, 'It's dolls infused with a curse... Does that mean the dolls would inherit the same strength and power as the original curse?'
Ayumu - "Hiroki!" she shouted in panic, watching her best friend being flung back onto a pillar.
Yaga - "A person's true nature reveals itself during a crisis." "I'll keep attacking until I get an acceptable answer."
This filled the viewers with worries to the brim. He is gonna attack Hiroki until he is satisfied?!
Ayumu - "H-He's gonna keep attacking him?!" she repeated the principal's words.
Kanoko - "What kind of interview is that! Just say that he failed and get it over with!" she leans forward with a cold sweat.
Nao - "B-But he needs to join in!" she looks at Kanoko, "If he doesn't, he'll just get executed immediately right after!"
Kanoko - "I-..." she shut her mouth and blink in realization, "Shit..."
Kaede - "Hiroki... P-Please be alright." she murmured in distress.
Hiroki - "Look, man, it's not just someone else." he stands up while tossing his bag away before running toward the -Cursed Corpse-, "It was a family member's last request!"
Ayumu - "Go, Hiroki!" she cheered with a determined expression, leaning forward.
Kanoko - "Yeah! Show 'em what you got!" she punch the air in front of her.
Nao - 'First she is telling him to leave, and now she is encouraging him?' she sweatdrops while looking at Kanoko.
With a punch, Hiroki sent the -Cursed Corpse- flying back until it hit and just missed Yagi. But instead of stopping, the -Cursed Corpse- bounces off wall after wall, pillar after pillar until its speed is outmatched by the naked eye.
Now and then, the -Cursed Corpse- also passes by candle after candle, extinguishing them in the process which makes their surroundings dark.
Ayumu - "I..." her eyes widened in shock at the doll's overwhelming speed, "N-Nevermind! Get out of there now!"
Kanoko - "I take back what I said! Run away, Hiroki!" she shouted, leaning forward while gripping the end of the arms of her seat.
Kaede - "Gosh...!" she muttered, leaning her back against her seat with a tense look on her face.
Hiroki - "Crap. Where is it?!" he questioned while desperately looking around the room, trying to catch up with the doll's insane momentum.
Landing on one of the pillars, it shines its bright red eyes before zooming itself toward Hiroki like a spring.
Before the teen had any time to react, he was met with a headbutt to the face which flung him rolling backward and crashed onto a pillar once more.
Hiroki - "Ow..." he held the back of his head, which was aching in pain.
They winced at the sight. One even sucked air through her gritted teeth.
Nao - "Ouch..." she cringed, feeling the pain through the screen.
Ayumu - "That looked like it hurt..."
Kanoko - "No kidding..." she shook her head, "I felt that one."
Yaga - "A family member is still someone else." he affirmed stoically, walking toward the pink-haired teen.
Hiroki looks back at the doll which seems to be facing its butt toward him and slapping them playfully, mocking the annoyed teen.
Hiroki - 'Right, it's a doll.' he thought, 'It doesn't get hurt or frightened.'
Yaga - "A jujutsu sorcerer is constantly facing death." he lights up a match and brings it over to the extinguished candle, "And not just their death." he swipes the match to put the fire out, "Sometimes you must ignore the victims. Or tear apart the flesh of a curse."
Ayumu - "F-Facing death!" she stuttered in shock and horror, not knowing that being a jujutsu sorcerer could be so... terrifying.
Kanoko - "Is being a sorcerer that dangerous?!" her eyes widened.
Kaede - "Hiroki..." she muttered, even more worried than before.
The -Cursed Corpse- is now seen stretching its face in an attempt to ridicule the boy longer.
Yaga- "It's an unpleasant job. You have to be highly motivated and perhaps a little crazy to handle it." he fumed, "You'd do it because someone else told you to? Don't make me laugh!"
Hiroki's frown deepens, now bitterly looking at the principal.
Yaga - "It'd be more believable if you told me you were doing it to postpone your execution." he said, sharply and bluntly.
Hiroki - "Screw you! I-" he was immediately cut off.
Yaga - "Is it gonna be your grandfather's fault when you get killed by a curse?" he points at the boy, causing Hiroki to widen his eyes in reconsideration.
Silence fills the theater, just like on the screen.
All of them stared at the screen with their shocked expression.
Hiroki - "You say some pretty darn harsh things, old man." he pointed out with a hint of upsetness in them.
Yaga - "Education includes helping students make realizations." he recalled, running his fingers down his beard.
Hiroki - "I'm not really..." he placed his index and thumb fingers on both cheeks in a thoughtful manner, but it was cut off by-
PUNCH!
Yaga's -Cursed Corpse- from before suddenly appears under and gives Hiroki a strong uppercut from below.
Kaede - "Hiroki!" she cried out.
Kanoko - "Damn... He really is serious when he said he will keep attacking until he gets the answer he needed..." she frowns.
Nao - "H-Hiroki's really taking the beating!" she sulks back in her seat, getting flashbacks of him being beaten by Kokujin.
Yaga - "It's not easy to imagine how you'll feel on the verge of death." he marked, "However, I can say one thing for certain."
Everything is all in slow motion, as Hiroki is seen still recovering from the punch with blurry vision.
"With the way things are going, you might end up cursing your beloved grandfather."
"Jujutsu sorcerers never die without regret."
"I'll ask you once more."
Hiroki looks back at the -Cursed Corpse- launching at him again with its big fist pulled back, ready for another punch.
"Why have you come here to Jujutsu Tech?"
This left the girls speechless, as they could do nothing but stare at the screen.
Hiroki - 'I've always been better than most in sports and fights.' he thought deeply.
Ayumu inhaled softly at those words, feeling the tears swell up in her eyes.
It reminded her of that day when she was being harassed by a group of bullies. She had remembered all the pain she tried to endure on that very day, but it was all prevented from being made worse because of one person...
Hiroki.
And from that day on, Hiroki not only became her first and only best friend but also the inspiration of her life. It is what gets her interested in learning martial arts, and Hiroki was also the one encouraging/teaching her along the way.
Ayumu never had any friends before, because people always judged her for being too 'Boy-ish' and not 'girly' enough. It fills her with many insecurities during childhood, but Hiroki does not care about any of that. He told her she was okay the way she was and he was more than happy to be her friend.
Every day, they walk home together along with Nao. She had always loved his corny jokes and his energetic self so much that she soon developed a crush on him.
But all of that came crashing down when the day when the transfer student arrived.
She did not know why, but one vague memory tells her that she did it because the exchange student simply looked a lot stronger than Hiroki.
Not because he defended her from bullies, not because he had treated her like she was his best friend.
It is all because she is an idiot.
She instantly forgot what she was fighting for and her true motivation in life, taken by pleasure and lust. And when she finally recovers from it, she loses someone very important in her life.
Her one and only true best friend, Hiroki.
And it made her... hate herself more. Not because of the past action she did, but how she reflected herself as a person.
Ayumu - "Hiroki..." she muttered, mouth trembling as she sobbed quietly. All of the past guilts and memories came crashing down on her twice as hard as she could ever imagine.
She continues to get emotionally attacked by her soul-crushing guilt, but she let it happen.
I deserved it, after all, is what she thought.
'But I've never once thought that there is something only I could do.'
Dodging the punch, he headbutted the -Cursed Corpse-, tackled it, rolled a few times forward, and held the doll within his strong grasp.
Hiroki - "Consuming Sukuna is something only I can do." he stares back at Principal Yaga with a determined frown, "Even if I managed to run away from my execution or from this responsibility, I'd be there eating, taking baths, or reading manga."
"But I'd get depressed the moment I stopped to think..."
"Oh, I bet someone's dying right now because of Sukuna."
"But that doesn't concern me."
"It's not my fault."
"You expect me to tell myself that?"
Hiroki - "No thanks." he refused, "I don't know what I'll be thinking when I die, but I don't want to regret the way I live!"
The girls kept staring at the screen with surprised eyes, one being more surprised than the others.
Hiroki finally revealed his true motivation, and it was far from what they had imagined.
He does not care how or when he will die, but he chooses to die rather than regret the way he lives.
Everything just felt personal and... from the heart.
A combination of hope and hopelessness.
A line between sane and insane.
Even Nao is mostly perplexed by this, as she did not expect nor thought that those words would ever come out of Hiroki's lips.
This is the first time she has seen Hiroki getting out of trouble without having anyone or even her begging for the others to stop.
He took care of the situation all by himself without needing the help of others.
Ayumu - "Woah..." she muttered in awe, and at that moment, she felt inspired again.
Kanoko - '... Is he even Hiroki?' she asked internally, almost not believing he was the same Hiroki she used to know.
Kaede - 'Son... You're...' her eyes widened in hope.
Yaga - "Satoru." he called with a satisfied smile, "Show him to the dorm. Explain the security and rules to him too."
Hiroki - "Hm?" he looks at him with promising; wide eyes.
Yaga - "You're in." he declared, "Welcome to Jujutsu Tech."
Ayumu - "H-He got in!" she exclaimed with a relieved and excited smile.
Kanoko - "Way to go, little brother!" she pumped her fist with a proud grin.
Kaede - "H-Hiroki... You're safe!" she smiled, her hopeful expression returning.
Nao simply smiled at the sight, both relieved and excited for what the future has in store for Hiroki as a jujutsu sorcerer.
Now she wondered, what would his life look like after this? Would it simply be better without them?
Smiling, Hiroki felt at ease again until suddenly...
PUNCH!
He was given a right hook by Yaga's doll he completely forgot to restrain, knocking the boy onto the floor with his butt sticking up humorously.
Kaede and Nao flinched at this with a sweatdrop, but the other two giggled slightly at the comical scene that was presented to them.
The important thing, he is finally accepted at Jujutsu Tech. Which means, his execution will be postponed.
That is enough to finally calm the girls down for now.
Yaga - "Oh, sorry. I forgot to release the curse." he apologized, as his doll danced in victory while making squeaking sounds.
Kanoko - "Do you?" she chuckled, leaning forward while still folding her arms.
The next scene shows a traditional-looking house, supposedly a dorm. Though the environmental background noises were silenced by a familiar voice coming from the inside, that being Hiroki's:
"Whoa!"
Hiroki is taken to his new room by Gojo, while the room consists of normal things such as a bed, window, and a cabinet.
Hiroki - "This place is huge!" he opens his arms wide in surprise and excitement.
Gojo - "All the second-years and third-years are out at the moment." he kept looking at Hiroki strolling around his room, "But you'll meet them soon enough. There aren't many of them."
Kanoko - 'He looks pretty happy for a guy with a death sentence under his name.' she thought with a sweatdrop.
Even when she thought about that, the others instead chose to talk about other topics to not think about his death sentence until time calls for it.
Kaede - "He is still as lively as ever." she commented in a sweet, motherly tone.
Nao - "That's Hiroki for you." she sighed with a smile plastered across her face.
Ayumu - 'That reminds me of when we used to play around in my house's backyard!' she cooed with bubbly cheeks, looking at Hiroki checking around his room like a child.
Gojo - "There's no reason for you to fight, you know?" he bantered, causing Hiroki to look back at him after he placed a poster of a girl in a bikini on the wall.
Ayumu - "I-" she kept her smile but froze after seeing the poster, while Kanoko next to her laughed in amusement.
Nao - "Yep, Hiroki alright." she rolled her eyes playfully.
Gojo - "Fushiguro and I could retrieve Sukuna's fingers." he said, "You could just wait here."
Hiroki - "It's fine! I said I'd do it, and I'm doing it!" he insisted, placing his hands back on the poster, 'Though, lazing around...'
Inside Hiroki's imagination, he is seen sitting down on the bed completely relaxed while flipping through manga pages.
But then, Megumi, in his jujutsu tech uniform and all roughed up steps into the room, breathing heavily.
Hiroki - "Hey." he waved simply.
"... while Fushiguro came in all beaten up to bring me a finger would be a funny sight."
Megumi shows him the finger with a scrunching frown, growling irritatedly.
Gojo - "I know, right?" he chuckled, agreeing.
Ayumu giggled slightly, imagining the scenario on top of her head as well.
Nao - "I'd highly doubt that" she shook her head, "No way he wouldn't do anything if he got accepted in by a principal like... that doll-maker..."
Kanoko - "His sensei seems okay about it, though." she shrugs, leaning back against her chair, relaxed once again by the calm atmosphere.
Gojo - "Well, there's no way in hell you're not fighting." he scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile.
Hiroki - "Hey, were you testing me?" he clenched his fist with a challenging look.
Nao - "See?" she looks at Kanoko, in which she simply ignores her.
Hiroki quickly shut his mouth once Gojo approached and brought his index finger inches away from the teen's lips.
Gojo - "If they were that easy to find, we would have found them all already." he remarked, "Some have an overwhelming presence, and some keep quiet. Some have already been consumed by a cursed spirit. There is nothing more annoying when it comes to searching for them."
He points at Hiroki, in which the teen pats his stomach.
Gojo - "To regain its power, the Sukuna within you will direct you to all the other fingers." he explained, "You're both a vessel and a locator, our very own radar." he leaned backward, straightening his posture, "So we won't get anywhere without you in the field."
Kanoko - "Radar..." she repeated.
So in other words, they are just gonna use Hiroki like he is some kind of radar and disposable for Sukuna's fingers... then kill him off afterward?
Just the mere thought of that made Kaede frown.
Hiroki - "You think he's going to be that nice?" he questioned with a doubtful look on his face.
Stepping out of the room, the two are now back in the hallway of the dorm which is made of mostly wood and windows to let the sunlight shine in.
Gojo - "I think we can come to a win-win agreement there." he stated, but their attention was quickly switched by the sound of the door opening.
Megumi - "Wait, you're next door?" he asked in disbelief.
Hiroki - "Oh, Fushiguro!" he calls him out enthusiastically, "You're looking good for real this time."
Kanoko - "Urchiiiiin~!" she chirped. Looking pleased to see him, even more than ever before.
Megumi - "There were a bunch of empty rooms, weren't there?" he looks at the approaching Gojo irritatedly.
Gojo - "I thought it'd be more lively this way, you know-" he tried to reason with open arms, but was cut off by Megumi himself.
Megumi - "Classes and missions are enough." he protested with folded arms, while Hiroki walked past the two and took a peek at the black-haired teen's dorm. "This was an unwelcome favor."
Hiroki - "Woah, it's so organized here!" he commented joyfully, placing his hand against the door frame while poking his head slightly inside.
Megumi - "Back off." he held the door of his room, "I just said you're not welcome!"
With force, he slams his door shut on Hiroki's neck which in return, causes the teen to wince in pain.
This, of course, caused the girls to flinch. They did not expect Megumi to be so... violent out of the blue.
Kaede - "My word..." she frowned a little, not too happy with the boy's sudden aggressiveness.
Ayumu - "Ow..." she instinctively rubs her neck.
Kanoko - "Was that even necessary?" she sweatdrop.
Nao - "Maybe that's a normal thing for him..." she sweatdropped alongside her.
Gojo - "Well, it's all good!" he clasped his hands together, "More importantly, we're heading out tomorrow!"
Both Hiroki and Megumi looked at him with a hint of curiosity in their eyes.
Gojo - "We're gonna pick up the third first-year!" he declared, keeping a goofy grin on his face.
Ayumu - "Ooh! Another one!" she holds a curious expression, 'I wonder what they would look like...'
The next shot shows a station named "Morioka Station" in the daylight with people everywhere, and trains honking in the background.
Train carts can be seen attaching from one to another while the instructor instructs the passengers on safety measures.
Inside one of the train carts, a girl can be seen stretching on her seat.
'It took four hours just to get as far as Morioka.' a feminine voice can be heard, 'I can finally kiss that damn countryside goodbye.'
With the train finally departing, she looked out the window and saw the scenery of the city.
Girl - "Guess I'll be in Tokyo by the afternoon." she said enthusiastically, having chopsticks in her hold.
The camera pans slowly from her bento box toward her face, which reveals a young female teen with brown short hair.
Girl - "Like, by stardust?" she looks up with an excited smile.
This caught the interest of the four girls.
Ayumu - "Eh?" she tilt her head in confusion, her mind pondering in curiosity, "Who is she?"
Nao - "Is she the third first-year like Gojo mentioned?" she asked, feeling a little unsure.
Kanoko - "Well, she is wearing the same-looking uniform as Urchin." she shrugs, "So I assume she is."
________________________________________
[ Outro plays out with "LOST IN PARADISE - by ALI ft. AKLO" in the background ]
An animated style of pomade appears and opens itself mid-air.
Someone grabs a gel and rubs it against their palms to spread it out evenly.
Then, Hiroki can be seen applying the pomade to his hair through a mirror.
[ Gotta get it homie, gotta move it ~Oh~ ]
With a few more side steps, an animated style of Hiroki in a yellow t-shirt, blue shorts, and yellow/blue sneakers (with the addition of a small travel bag and a watch) can be seen walking out of a door while busting down some dance move to the beat of the music.
[ If you gonna do it then hiko ni no tsugi (push everything to the side) ~Yeah~ ]
This caught the girls off-guard.
Kanoko - "Uh... What?" she quirked her eyebrows in confusion, watching Hiroki dancing.
Though confused, one could not stop herself but nod her head to the beat of the music... That being Ayumu.
[ Everybody just talk ]
An image of Hiroki standing inside a moving train.
[ Nobody really do it ]
The next image shows Hiroki eating a bowl of ramen.
[ Nannara yarumade shitokeyo himitsuni ]
{ You should keep a secret until you actually do it }
Hiroki was in the middle of catching a fish with shining eyes he caught one.
Kaede - "Well, this is unexpected..." she giggled, "Though, I don't mind much."
Nao - 'So this is the outro?' she blinked in surprise, finding the song quite catchy.
[ Dareka to kakunin nante fuyou, Jibun no jajji dake de break the walls ]
{ No need to double check with someone, use your judgment only, break the walls }
With a few more dancing moves, one or more of Hiroki sitting down and eating down his snack and energy drink while looking at the camera is seen.
[ Dohade na fake, yaroi yori cool, Low ni prove them ]
{ Let's do a flash fake, more cool, keep it low, prove them wrong }
Giving the camera one last smile, the door closes whilst he continues to dance along the way.
[ I won't giving up fight in my life ]
Opening the door, Megumi can be seen walking out of the door with a plain white T-shirt, and red headphones around his neck, carrying a duffle bag with dark pants and red shoes.
Kanoko - "Urchin is here too." she marked, crossing her arms.
Nao - "Is everyone gonna be present here like in the intro?" she guessed.
[ 'Cause my life is feeling for love ]
Megumi can be seen riding a bicycle, eating his salad while reading a book, and walking his -Demon Dog- outside.
[ I won't giving up fight in my life ]
Dusting himself while walking toward the camera, the screen briefly shows Megumi riding on his bicycle again while drinking from a bottle before it shifts to the door closing again.
[ Stand off and groove on time ~Woo!~ Tokyo prison, going to relight your feelings ]
The girl from the train is seen walking out the door and jumping around while holding two shopping bags, her movement matching that of Hiroki's energetic dance.
[ When times get to rough ~Oh yeah~ ]
The young female teen is seen trying out dessert before showing her walking across the crosswalk with the same two shopping bags from before, looking joyful and content.
[ Night and day are fading, going to relight your feeling ]
A close-up shot of her holding a slushie while smiling at the camera before it cuts to her dancing some more.
[ There's no time to explain! ]
With the scene shifting to the closed door again, Gojo comes out of the door while dancing much like the other two in a more swaggy manner.
[ Ooh ooh oohoo ooh ooh~ Give me your love ]
Gojo is seen checking out glasses at a store with his free hand in her pocket.
[ Access to your love~ Ooh ooh oohoo ooh ooh~! ]
The next cut shows him preparing to eat a snack, more notably sushi, before the scene cuts to him dancing some more.
[ Ooh ooh ooohoo ooh ooh~ ]
Ayumu - 'Gojo is here too!' she thought, eyes filling in excitement.
Seeing the upbeat and happy atmosphere returning after what felt like a long time, all of them started to simmer down into a calmer state.
Though, during this time, Kanoko could not help but feel bad and embarrassed regarding the fight between her and Nao from before.
So to help ease the tension between them, she faces Nao, ready to apologize.
Kanoko - "So uh... Nao." she called with her hand on her nape, causing Nao to look at her curiously, "Sorry about that... You know? The outburst I had earlier. It was just-... I wasn't in the right mind is all, and I-"
Nao - "N-No no, I apologize too." she shook her hands apologetically, "I'm also sorry, I shouldn't have argued back to make things worse for the both of us..."
Kanoko - "Oh, uh..." she blinked in surprise, though, she offered Nao a handshake, "Does that mean we're cool now?"
Nao - "Sure!" she immediately took her handshake, "L-Let's call it even."
Kaede smiled at the two and apologized to each other, but she chose to not intervene so she focused primarily on the screen. In the meantime, Ayumu starts to bop her head up and down in sync with the song's tune.
[ Lost in paradise~! ]
The green-ponytail-haired girl with glasses can be seen sitting with hands under her chin,
[ Night and days are fading out! ]
Next is the panda handing out a balloon to a girl,
[ When times get too rough. ]
Then the bop-haired guy drinking some sort of cough syrup,
[ Access to your love~ ]
the blonde-haired guy with green spectacles eating dinner in a fancy suit,
Soon enough, two more girls joined in the euphoria with Ayumu as they started to bop their heads to the rhythm of the song. However, the more mature one, that being Kaede remained still in her seat.
Enjoying but not to the three girls' extent.
Kanoko - "This is not so bad after all." she commented with a smile.
Ayumu - "Everyone really is here!" she stated, looking at the variety of casts that are shown on screen.
Nao - "The panda too, apparently?" she added. Although she finds it weird, it is a cute sight to behold.
Kaede - 'Hiroki...' she smiled before closing her eyes, 'If you're doing much better in there, then I wouldn't mind considering letting you go with your own life.'
[ Love in paradise! ]
A random woman looking over her shoulders while holding shopping bags,
[ Night and day are fading out! ]
A happy guy shakes his hands with his supposed idol as she poses for him while doing so.
[ Keep on dancing now! ]
A middle-aged guy with square glasses cleans the dirt on his car with a duster.
[ Hey hey hey hey yeah~! ]
And to end it all; the star of the show, Hiroki poked his head right in front of the camera before doing a backflip, landing a few steps back before posing in his Jujutsu Tech uniform.
Marking the end of the outro.
________________________________________________
(I am tired but here you go my dear readers. I got another two-story so you readers can read it if you want.)