"Since I'm the team leader, we start at nine in the morning and end operations at eighteen hundred."
Kento Nanami glanced at his watch.
"It's nine-thirty right now. We are still within working hours. Everything will proceed according to standard procedure. Absolutely no overtime."
Yuji Itadori: "..."
Nobara Kugisaki: "..."
At some point, Yu Haibara had wandered over.
"Nanami, don't be so serious. Relax a little. Exorcising Cursed Spirits is serious work, sure, but if you stay tense all the time, your body won't be able to handle it."
"You have to separate work from rest. During work hours, you should act like you're working. That's how you maintain the best condition.
Alright, enough chatting. Let's go inside first and take a look at the scene."
The group crossed the caution tape marked "No Entry" and entered the theater.
...
The victims' deformed bodies had already been removed from the theater, leaving behind only three bloodstained seats.
Kento Nanami adjusted the glasses on his face that looked almost like some kind of detector.
"Can you see it? This is the residual trace of Cursed Energy."
Nobara glanced at the floor and put her hands on her hips.
"Of course I can."
Yuji Itadori widened his eyes and looked in the direction Nobara had just been staring.
"Huh? See what? I can't see anything at all!"
Yu Haibara walked over and patted Yuji Itadori on the shoulder.
"It's fine, it's fine. You've only just started learning. This kind of thing is totally normal."
Kento Nanami also began teaching Yuji Itadori, the complete newcomer to Jujutsu.
"We normally confirm curses through sight without even thinking about it. When a technique is used, traces are left behind. Those traces are called residuals. But compared to a Cursed Spirit, residuals are much fainter. You need to focus and observe very carefully."
Yuji Itadori immediately started inspecting the floor with the same intensity he used when solving math problems.
"Oh! I see it, I see it!"
Nobara walked over and rolled her eyes.
"It's just the basics. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it?"
"It seriously feels like turning on 'true sight' in a game!"
"..."
Yu Haibara came over from the front and looked at Yuji Itadori.
"Right? Right? Doesn't it feel awesome? Being able to see residuals on your very first try is really impressive!"
"Hehe..."
"To become a Jujutsu Sorcerer who can stand on your own, you need to be able to sense the presence of residuals before you can even see them with the naked eye."
Yu Haibara walked over again.
"Nanami, don't be so strict. Encourage your juniors a little more."
"You know how I am. I stick to the facts and hold myself to strict standards. That's all."
Kento Nanami glanced at Yuji Itadori. The boy really did have a good personality, but his way of thinking was definitely a little too jumpy...
"This is definitely Satoru Gojo's fault!"
"Huh?"
Standing closer, Yu Haibara hadn't caught Kento Nanami's unconscious mutter. He turned around and looked at him in confusion.
"Nothing much. Let's just follow the residuals and see what's going on."
After crossing another security cordon, the four of them entered a corridor.
"If Cursed Spirits and residuals can only be observed like this, does that mean the security cameras didn't capture anything?"
Kento Nanami immediately answered Yuji Itadori's question.
"Yes. Aside from the three victims, the only other person visible was a teenage boy."
"So that means the culprit is definitely a Cursed Spirit."
"Yes."
While talking, they reached the inner court area of the cinema. A light drizzle continued to fall, with no sign of stopping.
"Be... bento..."
"So... so good... ha... ha... laundry detergent..."
Two Cursed Spirits shuffled nearby, muttering nonsense as they moved. The Cursed Energy leaking from their bodies was extremely obvious.
One was entirely blue, with almost no flesh on its body. Its bulging eyes protruded outward, and its gums were fully exposed without lips to cover them. Its twisted, deformed limbs supported its body as it crawled along the ground.
The other was completely white, bloated all over. Its teeth stood upright inside its mouth, while a pair of tiny eyes and distorted nostrils stared directly at the humans.
"Perfect. Looks like it's our turn!"
Nobara Kugisaki pulled out her hammer and nails, crossing them in front of her as she prepared to rush forward.
"Yeah!"
Yuji Itadori also took a fighting stance.
But a hand suddenly blocked the two of them.
"Wait."
Facing the two "lovely specimens," Kento Nanami calmly unbuttoned his suit jacket and loosened his tie.
"Haibara and I will handle these two Cursed Spirits. You two stay here and observe."
"Huh? You're seriously underestimating us."
"Exactly. We've already done missions before."
Kento Nanami adjusted his glasses.
"I'm not underestimating you. I'm the adult, and you're children. It's my responsibility to prioritize your safety."
"Children?"
Yuji Itadori folded his arms helplessly.
Nobara sighed as well.
"We've already been through plenty of life-and-death situations..."
"But that doesn't mean you've truly grown up."
Kento Nanami finished unbuttoning his suit and took out a forearm-length blade wrapped in cloth.
"The hair on your pillow slowly increasing, your favorite bread disappearing from the convenience store shelf. It's the accumulation of these small disappointments that turns someone into an adult..."
"..."
"But I don't really have that kind of problem."
Yu Haibara's voice suddenly cut into the conversation at the worst possible moment.
"I like plain rice. You can buy it anywhere. Hehe..."
The atmosphere Kento Nanami had built collapsed instantly thanks to Haibara. He could only shake his head helplessly.
"Even if you like rice, every place cooks it differently. The ratio of rice to water, the heating time, even the cooking method will affect the final result."
"Huh? But it's all just rice, right?"
Yu Haibara slipped on a pair of brass knuckles, looking genuinely confused.
"I just like rice itself. What does flavor or texture have to do with it?"
Kento Nanami glanced at Yu Haibara, then refocused on the Cursed Spirits in front of him.
"That's because you're the unusual one."
Yuji Itadori and Nobara Kugisaki, standing nearby, nearly burst out laughing, but both of them did their best to hold it in.
They hadn't expected Nanami, who always looked so serious, to let the conversation drift so far off track.