Ch.80 Ooh~Ooh~Ooh~Ooh~Ooh~

As a rhythmic BGM played, four men, arranged from tallest to shortest, stepped forward in unison, each wearing the latest casual summer outfits.

Their feet moved in sync with tap dance steps, fingers snapping in turn like some alternative roll call.

Though all four looked decent, and their dance moves were on point, combined with the overly simplistic music and tagline, the scene somehow felt... cheap.

The women watching felt a complex mix of emotions.

The Zen'in sisters, Maki and Mai: We shouldn't have come here.

Nishimiya Momo: Why did I even come along?

The whole fiasco began simply enough—Akira and Satoru Gojo were people of action. Once they decided to do something, they got right to it.

Satoru reached out to his newly acquired retail chain, Hailan Home, while Akira started recruiting people.

There was no escaping it for Yuta Okkotsu, who was roped in right away, as was Toge Inumaki.

Not to brag, but Tokyo Jujutsu High's "Four Princes" were quite a sight. Gojo was the mysterious and aloof type, Akira was the warm and sunny type, Yuta was the sensitive type, and Toge was adorably cute.

With the right outfits, Akira felt confident enough to take on even an Italian host club.

With the team assembled and a location secured, they needed a professional crew.

Since Gojo didn't know anyone in Kyoto, Akira thought of contacting the locals, leading him to call Mai Zen'in.

That was the phone call Maki, Nishimiya, and Miwa Kasumi had witnessed.

Initially, Mai didn't want to answer, but her two friends grabbed her phone and made her pick up.

When they heard Akira was inviting Mai out to shop, they went a little wild, ignoring the rest of his explanation as they teased their friend and debated whether they could sneak along.

On the other side, Maki also felt herself going a little mad as she grabbed Akira by the collar and shook him furiously.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Exactly what I said! How was I supposed to know how the women would react?"

Akira was a little lost. I only called Mai to ask about logistics. Where did the other two come from?

"If you're that worried, why not come along yourself? We're all going together anyway, and we still need female roles in the MV. Gojo-sensei already approved it; clothes are free. He's footing the bill."

So, Maki decided to come along. It wasn't about saving money; her intense Spartan training style often shredded her workout clothes in a month, to the point that even patches couldn't save them.

But then—

This? This? This?

The Zen'in sisters found it hard to keep up with these two maniacs' logic.

Nishimiya, too, was exasperated, though her attitude was closer to Panda's: We came for cute moments, not some ridiculous performance.

Is everyone at Tokyo Jujutsu High a weirdo?

As for Miwa Kasumi, she probably would have had a lot to say as well, but since her idol Gojo was there—changing outfits four times, no less—she was completely satisfied, snapping photos non-stop.

This only darkened the mood for the other three girls.

Maki: "Let's just go back."

Mai: "Agreed..."

Both realized they were echoing each other and exchanged glares, turning away simultaneously.

Trying to leave, they found themselves stepping in sync again, turning around once more.

"What are you doing?"

"I should be asking you that!"

"I asked first!"

Nishimiya raised her hands in exasperation between them: "You two might be tall, but come on."

"Leaving so soon?" Gojo called out, poking his head out.

"Your turn to shoot is coming up!" Akira chimed in.

"I'll pass on this ridiculous game." Maki didn't even look back.

"I'm just here to help with the filming..."

Mai was more tactful; after all, the other side included two special grades and one near-special grade, with the last member at least set for grade one.

"We're just warming up," Yuta explained. "The real shoot has a different script."

"Salmon." Trustworthy as ever, Toge the parroted echo.

"Even so, the real shoot still sounds silly, not cute at all..."

With the sisters bickering again, Nishimiya had no choice but to try and engage alone.

No sooner had she spoken than a familiar roar echoed nearby.

"Gojo... You... What are you doing?"

Wearing casual overalls instead of her usual shrine maiden outfit, Iori Utahime stormed in, grabbing Gojo by the collar with the same ferocity Maki had used on Akira.

She had been helping Shoko with injured students in the infirmary when Gojo suddenly called, blurting out:

"Get to the new Hailan Home store downtown. Bring your voice. And get that old man, Gakuganji, too."

Then he hung up.

Utahime tried calling back, but Gojo didn't pick up, leaving her so furious she nearly smashed her phone.

Luckily, Shoko talked her down. Don't you know Gojo by now?

It was practically tradition to sulk on Shoko's shoulder after Gojo or another hothead got on her nerves—this had been their routine since school days.

Though she sometimes turned to Mei Mei for comfort, that got pricey if she went too often.

What did I do to deserve knowing these weirdos?

But annoyed as she was, Utahime knew she had to come. Gojo was a massive liability, especially here in Kyoto, the stronghold of the conservative faction. He was bound to cause trouble if left alone.

After all, this was Kyoto. Certain people had been itching for a conflict with Gojo for a while now.

The issue with the Q organization was still unresolved, and now with Yuta Okkotsu in the mix, even Gakuganji had shown up, though he did nothing to hide his disapproval.

Gojo remained calm. "It's just as we discussed, right? You sing, Principal Gakuganji provides the accompaniment, and we'll do the backup dancing. Snap, snap, snap."

He triple-snapped his fingers, his over-the-top charisma on full display.

But this was lost on Utahime, who only felt disgust: "I refuse. Get away from me."

"Fine, then I'll let the mastermind explain." Gojo backed away, "Akira!"

"Coming! Utahime-sensei, Principal Gakuganji, here's a song and score I wrote. I never found the right singer and player—please take a look."

Akira handed over two sheets of paper.

Neither Utahime nor Gakuganji expected much, but since they were already there, they figured they might as well take a look.

As soon as they did, they couldn't stop.

"Lost in Paradise."

"A rap song... with some EDM elements. Not bad at all."

Indeed, it was the first ending theme from Jujutsu Kaisen.

Thanks to its catchy melody and animation, it once sparked a trend. The last time something this big happened was during the iconic Chika dance in Kaguya-sama.

Since most of the lyrics were in English, Akira had once taken time to learn it. Shortly afterward, he ended up in this world, which uncannily resembled the one depicted in the song.

Sixteen years later, he had forgotten many other songs, but this one remained deeply engraved in his memory, waiting for a chance to resurface.

Perhaps it was due to some mystical connection or because singing and music were Utahime and Gakuganji's bread and butter, but they picked it up effortlessly and quickly got into the groove.

Thus, an audiovisual feast officially began.

The conservative principal cast off his traditional style, tying his coat around his waist and wielding an electric guitar like a rock star.

Utahime shed her usual teacherly image, donned a baseball cap, and made rapper hand signs as she sang a freestyle-filled song.

The backup dancers, now fully dressed, glided between dressing rooms, strutting in time to the beat, striking poses.

Soon, the entire place was filled with that unmistakably catchy sound.

"Ooh~Ooh~Ooh~Ooh~Ooh~Ooh~Ooh~—"

"Lost in paradise

Night and day are fading out

Keep on dancing now!"