"Because it will punch you if you get what we're working on wrong!" he says, brightly.

"I do not like that, Sensei!"

"Too bad, it's the only one nobody will miss!"

Siiiiigh.

He grabs the toy and looks at it. Tries pushing some cursed energy into it?

It... doesn't do anything at all.

"What we'll be working on is cursed energy regulation. To push out a reliable and steady source of cursed energy, no matter what your emotional state at the time, or how distracted you might be. This'll also help you know what your stores are like! And while you're doing that..." He opens plastic box number one. "You'll be watching movies."

He peers over into the box. "Movies," he repeats, slowly.

The box holds many, many DVDs.

"Yeah! We've got all kinds. Romantic comedies, action flicks, horror, even terrible French films. You get to keep hold of your new best friend, and make sure he stays asleep the entire time you're watching them."

"Asleep. So it wakes up if I... stop? Do it too much?"

To answer his question, the boxing bear punches him. In the face. The boxing gloves help, but it is still definitely punching him in the face.

"Once you start putting cursed energy into it, it wakes up if you stop. And punches you. It also punches you if you put too much into it. The longer you do it, the more it ramps up, and it starts requiring more cursed energy to stay asleep, and with less margin for error. Part of your assignment is sensing what that requirement is, it's sufficiently obvious to a skilled sorcerer."

"Ow," he says, glaring at the toy now yawning on the floor. "Nice jab, there, Sensei," he adds, rubbing his face and walking over to the cursed corpse to get it to fall asleep again.

"I call it like I see it, kid."

"Usually like my punches to have more sexual tension behind them," he mutters to himself, walking over to the box of DVDs again while still holding the toy.

"Hey, I won't tell you how to feel about the bear. Now, I'm gonna go grocery and clothes shopping, any last minute additions to what you want? Preferences for brands of toothpaste, maybe?"

"—oh, right! Uh, presumably my actual phone is either destroyed or it would be a bad idea to use it? So, could you get me a new one, Sensei?"

"Yeah, sure. Have fun!"

Gojo gives a little wave and turns to go. The bear chooses this moment to punch its victim again. This time, it's in the gut.

"Urf you motherfucker—" he says, grabbing the bear by the head and throwing it at a wall.

"That doesn't help!" calls Gojo as he leaves.

Indeed, it doesn't. The bear hops up and launches itself at Itadori for another punch.

Itadori's expecting it and blocks, then grabs the bear and resumes the cursed energy output.

This is going to be a long, long while. He picks a film at random (choosing seems against the spirit of the exercise) and puts it on.

Gojo is kind enough to bring him soda and popcorn for his movie night, when he brings in all of the essentials. And the phone. It has Gojo's and Ijichi's numbers already on it. The fashion choices Gojo makes for him are a bit more upscale than Itadori might be used to, but they suit him well enough.

Hours later, Gojo has cajoled Ijichi into driving him to his meeting with Yaga. Mostly because he is so sick of warping space to teleport around, he has been doing it all day, it is the worst. Great for secrecy, but the worst. He is back to pointedly ignoring Ijichi, which is probably preferable to threatening his life. Until he sits up, and says:

".... Stop the car."

"Huh? Right here?"

He stops anyway.

"Yep. Right here." And Gojo gets out, standing in the middle of the road. "You go on ahead."

"Huh? ...a-are you testing me? You're not going to hit me if I actually go on ahead, are you?"

"No. Why would I test you. I already know your worth." He makes a shooing motion with his hand.

"O-oh. Okay."

He drives off, leaving Gojō alone in the middle of the highway.