After parting ways with Nanami, Yuji Itadori followed instructions and began investigating the other areas of the cinema.
He checked the staff break room, inspected the theoretically "malfunctioning" surveillance host, and finally obtained ticket sales records from the box office computer in the back. His eyes quickly scanned the list—for a movie in such an unpopular season, the average attendance was low. Itadori looked it over and found only one name remained besides the three victims: Junpei Yoshino.
Itadori's heart jumped. Whether Junpei was simply a witness to the tragedy or, unfortunately, attacked by a cursed spirit, he needed to be found as soon as possible. He immediately contacted a "window" assistant supervisor and requested Junpei's address and recent whereabouts information.
The "window" was very efficient, and a response came quickly: Junpei Yoshino, a student at a nearby reputable middle school, had an introverted, gloomy personality and a reputation for being bullied by delinquent students. His home address was near the cinema. The last location recorded by public cameras was near a riverside path close to his home.
"By the river?" Itadori frowned, a bad feeling stirring within him. He thanked the assistant supervisor and immediately rushed there.
Shortly after a cursed spirit incident, a boy who might have witnessed something, alone by a remote river... That wasn't a safe choice.
When he arrived at the slightly deserted riverside path, he saw a scene from a distance that angered him. At the entrance to a path leading into a grove, three boys in school uniforms were surrounding a gloomy boy with a thin, hunched figure and slightly longer bangs. They were occasionally pushing him, verbally abusing him, and kicking his calves. The surrounded teenager hugged an old canvas bag tightly, his body trembling slightly, his bangs covering his eyes, not saying a word, just enduring.
It was bullying. Naked, despicable bullying.
Itadori's fist instantly clenched. He didn't even need to confirm if it was Junpei; an instinctive feeling of anger and justice propelled him forward.
"Hey! You guys! What are you doing?!"
Itadori's voice wasn't particularly loud, but the anger and sense of power made the three bullies freeze and turn their heads. Seeing it was just a pink-haired boy, their faces immediately showed impatience and contempt.
"Huh? Who the hell are you? Mind your own business!" A boy with a shaved green head and several ear spikes stepped forward, pointing at Itadori's nose and scolding. "Get lost, or you'll get it too!"
"Yeah, kid, wanna play hero? Don't know how many pounds you weigh!" Another with bleached blond hair responded, cracking his knuckles.
Itadori looked at them, fear on his face, only cold calm. Before becoming a sorcerer, driven by his grandfather's teachings and his own nature, he often "disciplined" thugs around his school. His terrifying physical build and talent had long earned him the nickname "Tiger of the West" in the ordinary world. These three before him were nothing.
"I said, let him go," Itadori's voice dropped, and he took a step forward.
"Tch, you're asking for it!" The green-headed one cursed and threw a powerful punch aimed at Itadori's face. The other two also shouted and lunged from both sides, trying to grab Itadori.
Itadori didn't even use his cursed energy. He just slightly tilted his head, dodging the green-headed's punch, and extended his left hand like lightning, grabbing the opponent's wrist, twisting it down while simultaneously kicking his right foot like a whip, striking the blond's knee.
"Ah!"
"Ugh!"
Two cries sounded almost simultaneously. The green-headed one's wrist ached sharply, and his body involuntarily knelt. The blond felt as if his knee had been hit by a hammer, collapsing to one knee with a thud, clutching his leg and howling. The third guy, who had lunged from behind, was pushed cleanly by Itadori's elbow turn, hitting him square in the chest. He grunted, staggered back several steps, and sat on the ground, clutching his chest, unable to breathe for a long time.
The whole process took less than five seconds. The three arrogant bullies were now collapsed on the ground in various painful positions, groaning, looking at Itadori with eyes full of fear, as if they had seen a monster.
Itadori brushed non-existent dust off his hands, ignoring them, and immediately walked towards the gloomy boy who still stood there, seeming stunned by the sudden turn of events.
"Are you okay?" Itadori softened his voice, trying to appear friendly. Only then did he clearly see the young man's face—pale, with delicate features, but a long-suppressed depression, long bangs almost covering half his eyes, which were evasive, clutching a faded white canvas bag tightly.
Itadori glanced at the student ID badge on the boy's chest—Junpei Yoshino.
Junpei looked at the pink-haired boy who had suddenly appeared, knocked the bullies down in a few moves, and was now looking at him with concern. His lips moved, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he just hugged his bag tighter, shook his head slightly, and looked down at the ground.
"Don't be afraid, they won't be able to get up for a while," Itadori tried to comfort him, then introduced himself. "My name is Yuji Itadori. I was just passing by. You're Junpei Yoshino, right?"
Hearing his name, Junpei's body trembled almost imperceptibly. He looked up briefly at Itadori, then lowered his head again, uttering a barely audible "Mm."
Itadori didn't immediately ask about the cinema. He could see that Junpei was very nervous and wary. Carelessly mentioning something so terrifying might make him more withdrawn or even run away.
"You live around here, right? I was actually... looking for someone and heard you might be here," Itadori scratched his head, fabricating an excuse that wasn't quite a lie, then tried to change the subject and break the deadlock. "Just now... do they bully you like that often?"
Junpei was silent for a few seconds before whispering: "...I'm used to it."
The numbness and helplessness contained in those two words made Itadori very uncomfortable. He thought for a moment, and his gaze fell on the bulging canvas bag in Junpei's hands, with the corner of a DVD case peeking out from the edge.
"Do you like watching movies?" Itadori tried to find a safe topic.
Junpei seemed surprised that Itadori asked about that. He looked at him again, this time his gaze lingered a little longer, then he nodded slightly.
"I like them too! But I haven't had much time to watch lately," Itadori smiled broadly, trying to show goodwill. "What kind do you watch? Action? Or..."
Junpei seemed hesitant for a moment, but perhaps because Itadori had just helped him, or because Itadori's smile was strangely appealing, he whispered a word:
"...The Worm."
"Huh?!" Itadori's eyes suddenly lit up, a genuine surprise. "The 'Worm' series?! You watch that too?!"
This reaction seemed unexpected for Junpei. He looked at Itadori in surprise, and for the first time, a faint light flickered in his always evasive eyes.
"That series is really—unpopular!" Itadori gestured, his voice excited. "My grandpa showed me the first one when he rented a tape. The atmosphere was really eerie, the special effects were very rough, but I don't know why it was so gripping! Especially the third episode, 'Worm's Revenge,' the final twist..."
Junpei's eyes brightened slightly, and he couldn't help but respond, his voice clearer than before: "...Maybe worms are actually the original prototype of humans, and modern humans are the mutants?"
"Yeah, yeah! That's it!" Itadori nodded vigorously, as if he had found a kindred spirit. "Although I see a lot of logical holes now, I was really shocked when I was a kid! I didn't expect you to like it too! This series is almost never mentioned nowadays!"
Because of this extremely unpopular, even somewhat failed cult film series, the invisible alienation and tension between the two teenagers seemed to quietly melt away. Junpei's hand holding the canvas bag relaxed slightly, the gloomy numbness on his face faded a little. Although he still wasn't smiling, a sparkle flickered in his eyes when talking about the things he loved.
Itadori seized the moment and naturally continued the topic: "By the way, have you been to the cinema recently to see new movies? Or do you just watch DVDs at home?"
The question seemed casual, but it was the key to Itadori's mission. He watched Junpei's reaction attentively, but without being obvious.
Sure enough, hearing the word "cinema," the brief brightness on Junpei's face instantly froze, quickly replaced by a deeper pallor mixed with fear, anxiety, and complex emotions. He suddenly lowered his head, his bangs covering his eyes again, his knuckles whitening from gripping the canvas bag.
"...I went last night," Junpei's voice was very soft, with a barely noticeable tremor. "The one near my house... 'Starlight Cinema'."
Itadori's heart tightened slightly. It really was him! He saw the ticket sales record, confirmed the location. And judging by Junpei's reactive expression, what he saw was probably more than just a movie...
Itadori didn't immediately ask "What did you see?" or "Did you see anything strange?" He could see Junpei's internal struggle and fear. Forced questioning would only push him further away and might even cause a psychological breakdown. Everyone has wounds they don't want to talk about, especially when it involves such horrifying, beyond-normal experiences.
"Right..." Itadori responded understandingly, not digging deeper into the cinema topic. He changed the subject and said gently, "I heard that theater is pretty good. But it's getting late, aren't you going home by yourself? Those guys just now..."
He glanced at the three bullies who were still moaning on the ground, not daring to get up, the implication clear.
Junpei looked up at Itadori in surprise.
Itadori smiled at him, a pure, sincere smile. "I'm free anyway, or... let me walk you home? So no one else bothers you." He pointed at the bullies. "They shouldn't dare come back for a while, but just in case."
This wasn't an order, not charity, but more like a proposal and care between friends. Itadori didn't force his role as a "sorcerer investigator" or a "savior," but simply offered a reasonable suggestion as an enthusiastic peer who had just met but unexpectedly shared a common hobby.
Junpei looked at Itadori in a daze, looking at the clear generosity and kindness in those blue eyes. The cold wall around his heart, built by long isolation, bullying, and secret-keeping, seemed to be struck by this sudden warmth, a fine crack appearing.
He was silent for a long time, so long that Itadori thought he would refuse.
Finally, Junpei nodded slightly, his voice barely audible:
"...Thank you."
The smile on Itadori's face grew even brighter. "You're welcome! Let's go!"
He deliberately walked slightly ahead and outside of Junpei, so he could lead the way while subtly shielding him from possible gazes and threats. He didn't mention the cinema anymore, didn't ask questions that would make Junpei nervous, just chatted casually about the "Worm" series, complaining about the funny special effects and strange plots, and occasionally asked what other unpopular movies he liked.
At first, Junpei only answered briefly, but gradually added a few more words. Although still gloomy and quiet, the tension and the feeling that he might break at any moment were much less severe.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long between them. Itadori knew the truth about the cinema and the secrets Junpei hid might be related to this dangerous cursed spirit. But he also knew that some wounds require patience and trust to touch. For now, the most important thing was to build initial trust and connection.
As for what Junpei had seen, why he was so afraid... Itadori believed that one day, when Junpei felt safe, he would want to tell him.
And now, all he could do was safely escort this teenager, possibly on the brink of danger, home.