The plane had fully settled into "long trip chaos mode" now.
Music still playing softly. Snacks half-open. People rotating conversations like it was a group playlist.
Takeru leaned forward in his seat again.
No clipboard.
No planning tone.
Just casual curiosity.
"…We should play would you rather."
Silence.
Yuji blinked.
"…That's actually normal."
Hakari squinted.
"…Why does that scare me more than the field trip plan?"
Maki crossed her arms.
"…Depends on the rules."
Gojo finally turned slightly from the window.
"…Oh, I'm in."
Panda immediately perked up.
"…This could get dangerous."
Kirara nodded.
"…Emotionally or physically?"
Takeru shrugged.
"…Both are fine."
Yuji immediately:
"…NO THEY ARE NOT—"
Hakari pointed.
"…Alright I'll start."
He grinned.
"…Would you rather fight one special grade cursed spirit every day for a year…"
He leaned in.
"…or fight Sukuna once… but he picks the rules."
Silence.
Yuji froze.
"…Why is that your starting question?!"
Maki narrowed her eyes.
"…That's just trauma selection."
Gojo smirked.
"…Easy. Sukuna."
Yuji shouted:
"…YOU SAID THAT TOO FAST—"
Panda raised a hand.
"…Special grade daily sounds exhausting."
Kirara added quietly:
"…Sukuna is worse, but more predictable."
Inumaki:
"…Tuna."
(Sukuna option is bad)
Takeru nodded.
"…Interesting distribution."
Yuji stared at him.
"…Why are you analyzing it like data?"
Takeru shrugged.
"…Habit."
Hakari leaned back.
"…My turn."
He grinned.
"…Would you rather lose your cursed technique permanently…"
Pause.
"…or lose your ability to sleep normally ever again?"
Yuji immediately:
"…WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?!"
Maki clicked her tongue.
"…Neither."
Gojo tilted his head.
"…Sleep."
Hakari blinked.
"…Wait seriously?"
Gojo shrugged.
"…I already don't sleep normally."
Panda nodded.
"…That checks out."
Kirara sighed.
"…That's depressing."
Takeru leaned back slightly.
Thinking.
"…Sleep loss reduces recovery efficiency."
He paused.
"…But technique loss reduces combat capability."
Yuji pointed.
"…Stop making it a research paper!"
Takeru nodded.
"…Sleep."
Hakari grinned.
"…Correct answer."
Maki muttered:
"…This is getting worse."
Then Yuji leaned forward.
"…My turn."
He hesitated.
Then pointed at Takeru.
"…Would you rather never train again…"
A pause.
"…or never be able to use cursed energy in a real fight again?"
The mood shifted slightly.
Even Hakari stopped smiling.
Panda went quiet.
Kirara looked over.
Gojo didn't speak immediately.
Takeru paused.
Longer than before.
Then:
"…Train."
Yuji blinked.
"…That was fast."
Takeru nodded.
"…If I stop training, I become inefficient."
A pause.
"…If I can't fight, I adapt anyway."
Silence.
Maki exhaled slowly.
"…That answer is exactly the problem."
Gojo smiled faintly.
"…Yeah."
Hakari leaned back.
"…Alright, next question needs to be dumber before this gets deep again."
Kirara nodded.
"…Agreed."
Takeru, casually:
"…My turn."
Yuji groaned.
"…Oh no."
Takeru thought for a second.
Then asked:
"…Would you rather sit in silence for one hour…"
"…or have Hakari explain every thought he has for one hour?"
Hakari immediately:
"…HEY—"
Yuji pointed.
"…SILENCE."
Maki immediately:
"…Silence."
Gojo:
"…Silence."
Panda:
"…Silence."
Kirara:
"…Silence."
Inumaki:
"…Salmon."
Hakari stared at all of them.
"…That was unanimous betrayal."
Takeru nodded once.
Satisfied.
"…Game balance maintained."
Yuji leaned back.
"…This is the most normal thing we've done and it's still weird."
Hakari sighed dramatically.
"…I'm offended."
Gojo smiled.
"…Good bonding exercise."
And for a while—
the game continued.
Louder.
Sillier.
Less about rules.
More about them just talking.
Exactly what Takeru had accidentally started.