First answer: a compact three-cell turn
Trace JET through 1 at row 2, column 2; 2 at row 3, column 2; 3 at row 3, column 3. The letters appear as J → E → T, so the three occupied cells match the first answer slot without requiring any repeated letter choice.
The route moves down once and then right once. That produces one turn and two straight segments across a row span of two and a column span of two. It begins with three open orthogonal neighbors and finishes with two, visits no edge or corner cell, and leaves 18 open cells for the remaining three answers.