After lunch, the group headed to the field and began the afternoon's physical training.
Megumi casually pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Yoshino Junpei.
"Teacher Gojo just told me your biggest problem right now is your poor physique. Even if you can use Shikigami, you'll still die easily in a fight against a Curse if your body can't keep up."
"So the most important thing for you is to build up your stamina. On this paper is the workout regimen Teacher Gojo wrote for you—just follow it item by item."
Junpei took the sheet, thanked him, and unfolded it.
Yuji and the others curiously leaned in to look.
From top to bottom were more than a dozen exercises—
200 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 200 pull-ups, ten 1,000-meter shuttles… As Junpei read on, his hands began to shake.
This workload… Was a hard-core movie-watching shut-in like him supposed to survive this?!
He drew a deep breath and looked at Megumi—
eyes full of hope—
"Is this… for a whole week?"
Megumi: "…"
"…Sorry, but that's for this afternoon."
Junpei: "…"
Junpei felt the whole world spinning.
Yuji chipped in, "That's not so bad, right? We'll finish in a bit."
…Not so bad…?
…In a bit…?
Junpei was bewildered and couldn't help asking,
"How long does it take you, Itadori?"
Yuji thought for a moment.
"About thirty-something minutes?"
Junpei: "…"
He whipped his eyes from the list of a dozen items to Yuji and back again, several times.
—Thirty-something minutes???
You've got to be kidding me?!
"…Are you sure? Just the 1,000-meter shuttle alone is ten rounds!"
Ten rounds, not one! That's twenty kilometers in total!
"Yeah… twenty kilometers only takes twenty minutes, right?"
Yuji looked puzzled.
He pondered, then added,
"You can reinforce yourself with Cursed Energy; the list doesn't forbid it."
Not that he needed it—thanks to nightly forest runs, his consistent 3-second 50-meter sprint could last for kilometers.
Junpei: "…"
Even with Cursed Energy I couldn't finish that!
Megumi couldn't bear to watch. He coughed and said,
"Itadori's physique is special; don't compare yourself… Just improve gradually."
Junpei shot him a grateful look.
"How long do you take, Fushiguro?"
Megumi: "…With Cursed Energy, about ninety minutes."
Nobara added, "I'd probably need two hours."
Junpei: "…"
…At my rate, I'll need a lifetime… He lowered his head and stared at the mountain-heavy list.
He'd thought entering Jujutsu High would let him stand beside Itadori… but now… he'd probably stand… a little closer to heaven… While Junpei petrified under the wind, Megumi and Nobara dragged Yuji aside and showed him a text Megumi had just typed.
Yuji instantly looked at Megumi in admiration—
Their very own Fushiguro Holmes was amazing; he'd even figured that out!
Megumi merely shrugged, face saying "nothing to it," and hid his glory.
Nobara asked anxiously,
"What are you going to do? You can't keep this up forever."
Only half a day had passed and she already missed her dear Nao Naozi.
If Junpei stayed at school, would Sukuna never appear again? No way!
Yuji was equally distressed, face bitter.
"I don't know, but he won't let me say anything!"
Won't let you, huh… Megumi thought, then said calmly,
"Fine, I'll handle it later."
Right now let's sort out Yoshino's problem."
When Teacher Gojo wrote this list he factored in Sukuna's Reverse Cursed Technique. In the current situation, I don't think Yoshino can finish it."
Yuji: "Eh… then… cut it in half?"
Megumi glanced at him—Yuji's idea of normal human capacity was drifting further from reality… no surprise after being trained by two monsters.
He turned to Nobara.
"I think one-fifth sounds right."
Nobara: "Agreed—he looks like a gust of wind could blow him away."
Yuji: "…?"
Why do I suddenly feel left out?
…Megumi delivered the good news; Junpei exhaled in relief.
Back to a human workload… still terrifying, but maybe—just maybe—he could finish.
One-fifth meant four kilometers of running—he'd covered that in elementary winter endurance runs… whether he still could was another matter… Junpei confronted his bleak task.
Even at one-fifth, the chasm looked unbridgeable.
He nervously psyched himself up while warming up.
The scrawny limbs of a veteran shut-in were on full display, making Yuji worry.
"Junpei, you're so thin… you've gotta eat more."
"What if you get blown away in one hit?"
Junpei: "…"
Blown away in one hit… seriously?
Thanks—now I'm worried about staying alive!
He inhaled, nodded with difficulty.
He'd stepped into this world; there was no turning back. To protect his mom—and himself—he had to grow strong.
Step one: finish four kilometers.
"Relax," Megumi coached patiently. "Channel Cursed Energy into your legs, bit by bit. It feels odd at first, but once you're used to it, this distance is nothing."
Junpei was a Shikigami user—same type as him; he had to be cherished.
He'd only touched Cursed Energy for a week. Gifted with Shikigami, but a complete novice at energy control—
which meant huge room to grow.
Megumi guided him step by step, even running alongside.
Megumi's care touched Junpei; having someone patiently accompany him melted all his tension.
So nice… Everyone around Itadori really is kind!
If only there weren't this crushing training… Touched, Junpei matched Megumi's pace, adjusting his breathing and Cursed Energy flow, while mentally giving the workout list a big thumbs-down…
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