Jujutsu Kaisen returns after Gege Akutami hiatus due to illness. After the fall of the Zenin Family and the rise of Maki, the Perfect Preparation arc shifts. In Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 153, “Underground Fight Club,” Megumi and Yuji search for Kinji Hakari. According to Master Tengen, Hakari is a bookie for an underground fight club at the abandoned multistory parking garage. Kinji Hakari was first seen in chapter 11 of the manga. Yuji and Megumi change out of their school uniforms so Hakari won’t flee. Kinji Hakari had a falling out with the authorities from Jujutsu High and is suspended. He’s important due to his strength, which Yuta Okkotsu claims is greater than his.

When our duo arrives at the parking garage, they’re meet with hostility from a bouncer. He feints a strike at Megumi’s face but the latter doesn’t even flinch. He asks “who told him about the club,” Megumi lies, claiming that he killed “him” before getting his name. This is obviously a lie, but it lines up with the disappearance of someone named Kondo. Megumi and Yuji are entering into an environment that they’re unfamiliar. There’s so much they don’t know, they risk being exposed as frauds. Regardless, Yuji concludes that he should “keep his lips sealed,” which is the best decision.

The first rule of fight club

The boss takes an instant dislike to Megumi and demands Yuji fight. This obviously works to their advantage, as Yuji is the superior fighter. Megumi hopes to be able to sneak around while Yuji gains Hakari’s trust. Megumi is hoping to get Hakari’s cooperation before his sister, Tsumiki deadline to declare participation passes. Yuji notes they have nine day left. The fight club has two rules. First no cursed techniques (spectators can’t see them), second “no running away, because spectators can’t you if you run. In addition to this, the fight club has two kinds of matches, scripted and unscripted. The scripted ones are fixed by the boss, Yuji will be participating in a unscripted match.

His opponent is Panda. The last time we saw Panda he was weeping over the corpse of Masamichi Yaga. He’s seems to be in good spirits. He and Yuji give a show. They deliver high octane battle, while having a conversation. Panda knows Hakari, but the latter is avoiding him. Yuji “wins” becoming a crowd favorite quickly and Hakari takes notice. He wants Yuji to become a scripted fighter. So far Megumi’s plan is working. Can Yuji keep up the ruse? Panda mentioned Hakari’s partner Third Year Kirara Hoshi is “a problem.” I wonder how strong she is. The authority surrounding Jujutsu High are corrupt, so Hakari coming into conflict with them isn’t actually a sign he’s a bad guy.