Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Yuuji woke up early in the morning and let out a grunt as he fumbled for his mobile phone. Still half asleep, he managed to turn off the alarm and, after yawning, reluctantly got out of bed.

He went to the bathroom attached to his bedroom and stopped in front of the sink, observing his reflection in the small rectangular mirror. The young sorcerer frowned at how messy his hair was and suppressed a sigh of exasperation.

Turning on the tap, he splashed some water on his face, washing it with a bit more vigor. After that, Yuuji rummaged through one of the drawers of a nearby white cabinet and took out a brush. He began to comb his disheveled hair as best he could, hissing occasionally as he encountered tangled strands.

The second-year student just tidied up his hair enough and then returned to his bedroom. He walked over to his desk and picked up his uniform. Yuuji had left it draped over the chair the night before. He quickly got dressed and after buttoning up his jacket, he left the bedroom with a small smile.

The sixteen year old teenager shuddered as he clearly felt Sukuna's presence inside him and swallowed hard, trying to keep the King of Curses at bay. He closed his eyes for a moment and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Controlling Sukuna when he had his power was no easy task at all.

"Don't start already, Sukuna," he warned, unable to hide the exhaustion in his voice. Yuuji had barely slept a wink that night. If anything, he had been able to sleep for three hours at most.

"I haven't done anything yet," said the King of Curses, sounding annoyed, but still not withdrawing completely. Yuuji let out a sigh and shook his head. He still hadn't gotten used to that, doubted he ever would.

The sorcerer descended the stairs and as he turned the corner of the building, he bumped into Hana. The girl was softly whistling a melody Yuuji didn't know as she calmly watered several beds of red tulips with a metal watering can.

Yuuji forced a smile and approached his classmate. "Good morning, Kurusu!"

The petite girl startled at the shout and turned around. She smiled widely upon seeing Yuuji and waved at him. "Good morning, Yuuji!" she exclaimed cheerfully, approaching. "How are you?"

"Fine," the boy replied, putting his hands in his pants pockets. He stopped in front of the girl and looked at her. "You've woken up quite early today," Yuuji commented.

Hana chuckled a bit. "Ángel woke me up," she admitted, embarrassed, scratching her blond hair with her left hand after placing the watering can on the ground.

Yuuji nodded. "Well, I'm going to have breakfast at the cafeteria, have you already had breakfast?" the boy asked.

"Well, no, actually," the girl admitted. She looked at the flowerbeds and squinted slightly for a moment, thoughtful. "I got caught up with the plants and forgot," the sorceress laughed. "I'm going to put the watering can away and I'll be right back, will you wait for me?"

Yuuji nodded and the girl quickly hurried off to the shed where they kept the gardening supplies. The smile faded from the boy's lips and he let out a sigh.

"Anyone who saw you would think you've forgotten about your dear friend Nobara," mocked the King of Curses.

Yuuji rolled his eyes and grunted. "I haven't," the boy retorted defensively. "But Hana isn't to blame for what happened to her." He felt Sukuna manifesting a mouth on his left cheek and opening one of his eyes.

"What the hell do you want?" Yuuji asked, tense, furrowing his brow.

"Can't I check on my twin brother?" Sukuna wanted to know, maintaining a mocking tone throughout.

"We're not brothers," Yuuji spat, disgusted.

"Not liking the truth won't change the fact that Kenjaku created you using a part of me, Yuuji," the King of Curses reminded him, amused. "Besides, for your information, you resemble me more than you'd like to admit."

"Yuuji doesn't resemble you at all," intervened Hana, who had just returned and had heard the last part. She glared at the eye of the King of Curses, obviously angry. Ángel had manifested a mouth on the girl's cheek, ready to intervene if necessary.

The boy covered his cheek, completely covering Sukuna, and gave Hana an apologetic look. "Don't mind him, Kurusu, he's just talking nonsense."

The young sorceress looked at him doubtfully and squinted slightly, as if she were hearing something only she could hear. "Are you sure, Yuuji?" she finally asked.

The pink-haired boy nodded. "The best thing we can do is ignore him, I assure you."

"If you say so…"

"Let's go have breakfast then," Yuuji continued, closing the subject, ignoring the concerned look his friend was giving him.

Megumi stared silently ahead. His appearance was completely unkempt; there were deep bags under his eyes, and his hair was disheveled and somewhat greasy. He had just barely gotten out of bed and was looking at himself in the bathroom mirror.

He swallowed hard and felt a knot in his stomach. Clenching his fists, Megumi didn't think twice before smashing his left fist against the surface of the mirror. It shattered immediately, and when he withdrew his hand, he saw that there were blood stains left behind.

Somewhat bewildered, he looked at his fist and observed the wounds he had just caused. He felt some pain, but he couldn't break out of that state of indifference. With effort, the teenager returned to his bedroom and moved blindly in the darkness as the blinds were completely closed, and not even the slightest ray of sunlight entered.

He got into bed and leaned his back against the wall. Megumi pulled his legs against his chest and wrapped his arms around them. The sorcerer stayed like that, completely still, as memories of the time when his body was used by Sukuna passed through his mind as if he were nothing more than an empty shell.

He tensed up when he heard footsteps approaching, and someone gently tapped on the bedroom door. "Megumi?" Yuuji's voice resonated from the other side, filled with concern. "Are you awake? Kurusu and I are going to have breakfast, in case you want to come with us."

Megumi felt his hair stand on end upon hearing Yuuji's voice. He felt the presence of the King of Curses on the other side of the door with astonishing clarity, almost as if he were right there instead of his friend. The black-haired boy curled up even more and didn't respond. Yuuji called several more times until, receiving no response, he finally gave up and left. Megumi held his breath, listening to the footsteps receding. He only relaxed when he stopped hearing them completely.

Some tears rolled down his eyes, but the boy made no move to wipe them away, letting them run down his cheeks and fall onto his black pants.

"I don't deserve their company," Megumi thought uncontrollably. The idea of spending time with Yuuji and Hana pretending that everything was fine wasn't something he felt entitled to.

He began to gag as he remembered the moment when Sukuna had attacked Yuuji as soon as he possessed his body and when he had ended up ripping one of Hana's arms off for intervening in the battle. At that moment, Megumi couldn't contain himself and ran to the bathroom. He barely had time to lift the toilet lid and vomit.

He gasped for breath when he finished releasing everything and brought a trembling hand to the flush, pulled it, and watched as everything went away. Megumi got up reluctantly and wiped his mouth on the sink, avoiding looking at himself in the mirror at all times.

Like a zombie, he returned to bed and lay down in any way. He closed his eyes tightly as he curled up and hugged his legs. The nausea hadn't completely disappeared, although the urge to vomit seemed to have subsided.

Hana glanced sideways at Megumi's empty seat. The boy hadn't attended a single day of class all week. The girl frowned, concerned. She quickly turned her head when the girl heard the classroom door open and couldn't help but grimace in disappointment when she saw that it was their tutor, Atsuya Kusakabe.

The sorcerer also noticed the empty desk and grumbled, "So he's not here either, huh?" he muttered. The teacher looked at the two students, and they shook their heads.

"We haven't seen him anywhere, sensei," Yuuji replied. "If you want, I can go look for him."

"It doesn't matter," Kusakabe replied impatiently. "Maybe it's better if you take care of the mission, Itadori."

The two students exchanged a brief glance, and the pink-haired boy nodded somewhat uncertainly. "What is it about?"

"A curse that has been attacking a rural town in the Kyoto area. According to reports, it's a grade two curse. Can you handle it?"

Yuuji nodded. "No problem," he replied.

"Good, then get to work," the teacher instructed, pointing to the door with his left thumb. "There's an assistant waiting outside the Institute, don't make him wait."

Yuuji nodded and after saying goodbye and exchanging a quick glance with Hana, he left the classroom and ran down the hallway.

"Is there no mission for me?" Hana asked, raising her only arm.

"No, I'm afraid not," Kusakabe said, twirling the lollipop he was eating. The girl nodded and rested her head on the desk.

When she was suggested to enroll in Jujutsu High, the girl had accepted gladly, believing that it would give her more opportunities to spend time with Megumi. But he, upon waking up from the coma he had been in for months, had withdrawn into himself and she had barely seen him.

The only positive thing about being part of the institution was that she had become friends with Yuuji, and they had even participated in missions together. She pouted in annoyance and looked at the teacher. "Can't I go with Yuuji? Just in case he needs support."

"It's a grade two curse," Kusakabe said. "Itadori can handle it perfectly well on his own."

Hana sighed and didn't lift her head, bored. "I just wanted to skip class too," the girl thought with annoyance.

"Hana, attending classes is very important," Angel scolded her immediately, with some irritation. "Wanting to skip them is being irresponsible."

Hana rolled her eyes and didn't say anything. She knew very well how strict Angel was with the rules and that she wouldn't get anywhere by arguing with the millennia-old sorceress.

Yuuji observed the landscape from the car window. As soon as they had left Tokyo, it had started raining heavily, and it didn't seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. The boy let out a long sigh and glanced at the driver.

Ijichi kept his gaze fixed on the road and drove cautiously, activating the windshield wipers every now and then.

"Have you read the mission briefing?" Ijichi finally asked, glancing at him sideways.

"Yeah, of course," Yuuji replied, looking at the tablet and stifling a yawn. "It doesn't seem too powerful."

Ijichi nodded. "How's everything at Jujutsu High?" the assistant asked, turning his gaze back to the road.

The boy bit his lower lip. "Fine, I guess," he replied, turning his attention back to the landscape and crossing his arms.

Ijichi nodded and glanced at Yuuji several times before continuing the conversation. "And Fushiguro? How's he doing?"

"...I haven't been able to see him much, to be honest," the boy admitted, trying to push away memories of the moment when his friend woke up from the coma he had been in for months. "But he was discharged recently."

Megumi had suffered a panic attack as soon as he opened his eyes and saw Yuuji. They had to hold him between Maki and himself to make sure he didn't harm himself. And Ieiri had no choice but to sedate him immediately. And that had been three weeks ago. Megumi spent the following two weeks under observation, and Ieiri had finally discharged him the previous week.

"I see," Ijichi murmured, sounding somewhat nervous judging by the tremor in his voice. "Fushiguro is strong, I'm sure he'll be okay."

Yuuji didn't respond; he just looked at him silently, and the assistant gripped the steering wheel with some force as he swallowed hard.

"I hope so," the pink-haired sorcerer finally replied, grabbing the tablet and reviewing the mission data again.

Silence once again filled the vehicle, and neither of the two occupants made an effort to break it.

Yuuji frowned, extremely annoyed. It wasn't a particularly strong curse, but it was quite elusive, evading the boy's attacks with a level of ease that was almost insulting.

The sorcerer gritted his teeth and looked around, trying to focus. He could hear the scaly body of the curse slithering through the ground, near where he was.

The teenager tensed up and prepared to deliver the finishing blow to the curse as he felt it approaching. However, before he could do so, he felt something invisible collide with him, causing him to stagger back a few meters.

Yuuji gritted his teeth and stood up as straight as he could. "Open. Divine Flames," he murmured, determined, fixing his gaze on the curse, who for some reason had decided to stop hiding and was looking at him expectantly. Bluish flames appeared in Yuuji's right hand, and the boy joined both hands, quickly molding that fire into a blue arrow that dimly illuminated the sorcerer's face.

The boy launched the attack, causing it to hit the curse head-on, and it burst into flames. Yuuji gave a small smile of satisfaction, and for some reason, at that moment, he was overwhelmed by an excessive exhaustion, and the sorcerer fell to the ground semi-unconscious.

His vision began to blur, and he thought he saw the figure of a child nearby, however, he couldn't distinguish the child's features well, and perhaps due to his state, Yuuji believed that the child had a couple of extra arms. Before he could understand what was happening, Yuuji lost consciousness right there.

Chapter Text

Yuuji shifted uncomfortably as he noticed extra weight on his chest. He groaned and tried to remove it, but he couldn't, and all he managed to do was make whatever it was cling tighter to him.

He opened his eyes and looked around. He recognized the room instantly. The infirmary of Jujutsu High. He grunted a little as he felt an incipient headache.

"How long have I been unconscious?" he wondered aloud.

"You're awake!" he heard the enthusiastic voice of a child beside him. He frowned and looked in that direction. He froze when he saw a miniature version of Sukuna. Panic and confusion must have been evident in his gaze because the little one tilted his head and stopped smiling. "Is something wrong, Aniki?"

Yuuji's complexion lost even more color upon hearing that, and he abruptly moved away, releasing himself from the child without any care. He put as much distance as he could and looked suspiciously at Sukuna. He didn't seem to be more than four or five years old, Yuuji noticed then.

The child had stayed on the bed and looked at him with hurt eyes, seemingly on the verge of tears at any moment. At that moment, the infirmary door opened, and Ieiri entered.

The woman with brown hair sighed at the sight and pushed some strands back. "I'm glad to see you've woken up, Itadori," the woman said, remaining calm despite the absurdity of the situation.

"What the hell is going on!?" Yuuji shouted at the woman.

"You were hit by the cursed technique of the curse you faced," Ieiri explained, sitting in the swivel chair behind her desk. "But for some reason, instead of affecting you, it affected Sukuna," the woman said, casting a meaningful glance at the child. "Oh, and don't worry about the curse. Another sorcerer was assigned the case, and they took care of it. But the effects, for some reason, didn't vanish."

"This has got to be a joke, right?" muttered Yuuji, observing the child, who was now reaching out to him with his hands.

"That's how it is," reiterated the doctor. "I estimate the effects will disappear in a couple of days, but until then, Sukuna will have the appearance and... the mentality of a young child."

"And what are we supposed to do until then?" Yuuji asked, moving away from the child, ignoring his pleas.

"I'm afraid the best thing is for you to take care of him until then," Ieiri said. The woman sighed when Yuuji grimaced. "He refused to leave your side while you were unconscious," the sorceress argued. "And he wouldn't let anyone else come near."

"Just because of that, I have to take care of him?" the young man with pink hair retorted, incredulous.

Sukuna, upon hearing Yuuji's words, began to cry loudly and murmur things that were impossible to understand through the sobs.

"We found that he doesn't remember what happened in the past few months," the doctor continued explaining. "Right now, he's just a child, Itadori."

Yuuji gritted his teeth and took a deep breath, trying to relax. "So, am I supposed to treat him like nothing happened these past few months?"

"I know it's not easy, Itadori," the woman insisted. "And I don't like asking you this, but it's just for a couple of days."

"I'll do what I can, but I can't promise anything. I've never taken care of young children that long," he admitted, not sounding happy at all, but knowing this was a lost battle. He approached the child, and with some roughness, he picked him up.

Sukuna automatically clung to him and looked at him. "Do you hate me, Aniki?" he asked, his face stained with streaks of dried tears. Some snot peeked out from his nose.

Even as a child, Sukuna had two pairs of eyes and that strange mask covering part of his face. He also had four arms, with which he held onto Yuuji's jacket tightly.

"No, I don't hate you," the young sorcerer reluctantly said, trying to adopt a friendlier tone, although he wasn't too sure if he succeeded. "But don't call me Aniki, we're not brothers."

"Yes, we are!" the child replied immediately, looking serious at the young man. "Your cursed energy is identical to mine!"

Yuuji bit his lower lip forcefully to not say something he might regret later. "Whatever you say," he said, ending the matter.

Ieiri observed the exchange in silence, looking curiously at Sukuna. "So I can count on you, Itadori, right?"

"Yes, if there's no other choice..."

"Thank you. If you have any doubts, come see me, okay?" Ieiri said, opening a folder on the table and pulling out several papers.

Yuuji nodded and headed for the door. He left and walked quickly through the school grounds. He went to the boys' dormitory and stopped at his door. He opened it and entered. The teenager closed it with more force than he intended and walked towards the bed.

He left Sukuna on the bed and crossed his arms. "I don't know what you're playing at, but I don't believe for a moment that you've lost your memory," he snapped. "So stop pretending once and for all."

However, Sukuna's expression of confusion didn't change in the slightest, and Yuuji suppressed a growl. "Fine, if you want to continue with this charade, I can play along too," the boy thought. "I wonder how long you'll last if I treat you like a young child," he wondered, serious.

Sukuna's stomach growled at that moment, and the child brought his lower arms to that area and looked embarrassedly at Yuuji.

"You're hungry, huh?" the sorcerer asked. The child nodded vigorously and looked expectantly at him. "Well, I'll bring you something now," Yuuji said, turning around and heading for the door.

Sukuna, seeing him leaving, quickly got off the bed and ran to Yuuji. He clung to his legs. Yuuji stopped and looked at him. "I want to go with you!" Sukuna exclaimed, raising his head and looking at him.

Yuuji sighed and crouched down. "I won't be long," he assured. "But it's better if you stay here," he said, softening his voice a bit. But Sukuna shook his head, not giving in at all.

"Don't leave me alone!" the child pleaded, not loosening his grip for a second. Yuuji sighed and looked at him.

"It's too dangerous for you to go out," the young man argued. "Besides, I told you I wouldn't be long."

Sukuna whimpered a little and let go a bit. "Are you really going to come back?" he asked. Yuuji nodded, but the child didn't seem entirely convinced. "Promise me!" he demanded.

Yuuji raised the little finger of his left hand and waited for Sukuna to do the same. After observing the finger confusedly for several seconds, the child raised the one from his right hand, and

Yuuji intertwined both fingers. "It's a pinkie promise. I'll go get something to eat, but you won't move from here," Yuuji said, forcing a somewhat insincere smile. "And this kind of promise can't be broken, you know? Something very bad will happen to whoever breaks it," Yuuji explained. "Besides, I need someone to take care of this room, can you do that?"

Sukuna adopted a somewhat solemn expression and nodded energetically. "I won't let anyone in while you're away!" he assured.

Yuuji laughed forcedly and ruffled his hair. "Whatever you say, little man," he said, hurrying to leave. He closed the door and collapsed.

He brought his hands to his hair and grabbed it tightly. Yuuji rubbed his eyes and, gathering some strength, he got up and headed for the dining hall.

He walked with his hands in his pockets, barely paying attention to his surroundings. "Sukuna must be pretending," the boy thought as he crossed the school grounds. "But why do something so ridiculous?" he wondered, tense. The idea of having to pretend to be a good older brother with Sukuna made his stomach churn.

He finally reached the dining hall and entered. He went straight to the kitchen and smiled a bit when he saw Maki there. "Good morning!" he greeted, approaching.

The girl turned and finished putting the French fry she was eating into her mouth. "Yuuji, it's three in the afternoon," she pointed out lightly. "How's it going?"

The young sorcerer, who had been rummaging in the fridge, sighed and looked at her. "I have to take care of Sukuna, who, for some reason, acts and looks like a young child. And you?"

Maki made a sympathetic face upon hearing that. "The politics of the sorcerer society is a pain."

"I'll trade with you," the boy said immediately.

"No thanks," the seventeen-year-old girl refused immediately. She glanced at him sideways. Yuuji had just taken a potato omelet out of the fridge and put it in the microwave to heat it up. "How's Megumi?" the girl asked.

Yuuji, who had been staring at the appliance, wrinkled his brow. "He doesn't leave his room. Hana and I try to visit him every day, but there's no way. He doesn't want to see us either."

"I see," Maki murmured. "I'll stop by later to see him," she assured, although she didn't sound too confident. "I'll try to get him out."

"Good luck," said Yuuji, taking the omelet out of the microwave and cutting it into cubes with a knife. He took out a jar of chopsticks and skewered each piece with one. "I'm leaving now, in case his majesty's patience runs out and he throws another tantrum."

"Good luck," Maki wished him. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she turned to look at Yuuji. "Ieiri explained to us that it was all because of a cursed technique, why don't you ask Hana for help?" she suggested.

"Now that you mention it..." muttered Yuuji. His face lit up. "Maybe that'll work. Thanks, Maki!" he shouted, quickly leaving with the food.

He ran all the way to his dorm room and entered without much thought. Sukuna was sitting on the floor, staring at the door. As soon as he saw him, the child stood up and walked towards him.

"You didn't take long!" the child exclaimed happily.

"Of course, I promised you, didn't I?" Yuuji asked, leaving the plate on the wooden table at the back of his dorm room. Then he glanced sideways at Sukuna and, suppressing a sigh, picked him up somewhat clumsily and sat him in the chair in front of the table.

The child looked curiously at the omelet and then looked at Yuuji. "What food is this?" he asked. "I've never seen it before."

"It's a potato omelet," the sorcerer explained, grabbing one of the chopsticks and handing it to him. Sukuna eyed the food suspiciously and took it. He turned it over several times. "Does it have meat?" he asked, bringing it closer to his face and smelling it.

"No, nothing at all," Yuuji said, crossing his arms. Sukuna took a small bite and chewed slowly.

"It's not bad," he finally admitted. "But I would have preferred some meat," he acknowledged.

"Well, this is what's available," Yuuji interjected, not yielding at all.

Sukuna pouted with annoyance and finished chewing. He took another piece into his mouth and swallowed it whole. When he finished swallowing, he turned and looked at Yuuji. "Aren't you going to eat, Aniki?"

"I've already eaten," Yuuji lied, serious. "I got that for you, so you better not leave a single crumb, understand?"

Sukuna, reluctantly, nodded and continued eating in silence. Yuuji stepped aside and collapsed on the bed. He closed his eyes and settled in. Barely ten minutes later, Sukuna got off the chair and walked to the bed.

He silently observed Yuuji and lay down beside him. The young sorcerer opened one eye and looked at him, serious. "Are you done eating?" he asked.

"Yes, and now I'm sleepy," Sukuna assured, yawning a little and snuggling against Yuuji's chest. He closed all four eyes and stayed there, still.

The sorcerer tensed a little and looked at him in silence. The child was completely relaxed and breathing peacefully. In those moments, with that appearance, it almost seemed like he wasn't pretending. Yuuji furrowed his brow and shook his head. He clenched his teeth as he remembered all the harm Sukuna had caused.

"Don't let your guard down. Even though he looks like this now, he's still the same monster as always," he told himself. He moved carefully, making sure not to disturb Sukuna's sleep, and tried to leave the bedroom.

He would heed Maki's suggestion. He would talk to Hana, and surely she could cancel all of this. With that in mind, he headed for the door and left after giving one last look at Sukuna to make sure he was still asleep. He closed the door carefully, trying not to make any noise, and quickly walked away towards the girls' dormitories.

Maki stopped in front of Megumi's room door and, after calling several times and getting no response, entered without warning.

The light from outside illuminated the bedroom, and the young woman frowned upon seeing everything in darkness. She closed the door behind her and walked over to the window. Without a word, she drew back the curtains, allowing the sunlight to stream in.

Megumi, who was in bed completely covered with the sheets, grunted a bit and refused to leave his refuge.

Maki sat down near him and looked at him seriously. "How are you?" she asked, trying to start a conversation.

"What do you think?" the young man responded with another question.

"What I mean is, how long do you plan on hiding from the outside world, Megumi?"

"It's none of your business," he replied. Maki frowned, grabbed the sheets, and pulled them back abruptly.

Megumi protested and closed his eyes tightly upon feeling the sunlight. "What the hell are you doing, Maki!?"

"We're all worried about you, and I think it's time for you to stop hiding. You're not a coward, Megumi."

"Leave me alone! You have no idea what it feels like to be used like a puppet!"

"You're right, I don't know," she conceded, furrowing her brow. "But what I do know is that you gain nothing from hiding from the world."

"You say that as if after everything I've done, I deserve something else," Megumi muttered, looking away. "I'm tired, leave."

Maki shook her head, serious, and stayed by her cousin's side, racking her brains on how to make him see reason. "If I leave this room, you're coming with me, understood?"

"Leave me alone!" the boy shouted, making a gesture with his hand to push her away. However, a cut appeared on Maki's clothes, and some blood oozed from a small wound in that area.

The girl lowered her gaze and observed, stunned, the wound. Megumi, despite being in a similar state, took advantage to get her out of the bedroom. He closed the door forcefully and looked at his hands, trembling violently.

"What the hell did I just do?" the young man wondered as he felt a knot in his stomach. "It can't be Sukuna's cursed technique... can it?" he murmured mentally, fearful. He trembled violently and began to feel cramps as vivid images flooded his mind.

He got up quickly and went to the bathroom.

Hana tilted her head as she listened to Yuuji. The boy had come to fetch her from the dormitory and was telling her about what happened with Sukuna.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea," the girl murmured when her friend finished speaking. "Even though Sukuna is now separated from you, there's no guarantee that using Angel's cursed technique won't affect you as well."

"It's worth the risk," Yuuji insisted, serious, holding her gaze. "If Sukuna keeps pretending, I'm sure that would put an end to this charade."

"No, I'm not going to put your life at risk that way," Hana refused categorically. "Ieiri told you that we just have to wait a few days, right?"

Yuuji reluctantly nodded. "That's right."

"Well, there you have it, Yuuji," Hana concluded the issue. "I'm sure that in a couple of days, everything will be back to normal."

"But why wait, when we can use Angel's cursed technique?" the young sorcerer insisted.

"Hana is right," Angel intervened, manifesting a mouth on the right cheek of the girl. "It's too risky, and we don't know for sure if you'll be affected. And you know the power of my cursed technique."

Yuuji growled and closed his eyes. "I understand," he murmured, getting up.

Hana looked at him and offered a small smile. "If you need help with anything else, don't hesitate to let me know, okay?"

"Sure, thanks, Kurusu," Yuuji said, trying to return the smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Hana, I'd prefer you to call me Hana," the girl interjected, also getting up. Yuuji, despite not looking entirely convinced, nodded.

"Well, I'm off, lest Sukuna wakes up and throws a tantrum when he sees that I'm gone."

Hana nodded understandingly. "See you tomorrow in class then, Yuuji. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye," the pink-haired youth replied, with less enthusiasm. He left the dormitory, and Hana closed the door.

"I hope he doesn't try anything foolish," Hana murmured, worried, her gaze fixed on the door.

"I echo that sentiment," Angel agreed, serious.

"I think I should keep an eye on him," the blond-haired girl thought aloud, hesitantly.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea, even though he's a young child now, Sukuna is still the King of Curses."

Sukuna opened his eyes and quickly sat up when he didn't see Yuuji beside him. The boy looked around the room and found no trace of the young man. He frowned and swiftly got out of bed.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated, trying to locate Yuuji's cursed energy trail. It didn't take long for him to find footsteps leading out of the room, and the boy grunted a little when he realized he couldn't reach the doorknob properly.

He stepped back several paces and, seeing no other option, activated his cursed technique, directing all his slashes against the door. He managed to completely destroy it, though he also left marks on the nearby walls.

Sukuna paid no attention to any of that and quickly exited. The cursed energy trail continued to a staircase area on the right. The boy made his way there and carefully descended the steps, mindful not to trip.

The trail continued forward, traversing an area completely covered in grass. Sukuna moved as quickly as his small legs allowed, though the blue kimono and sandals he wore didn't afford him much freedom of movement.

Still, the boy refused to give up and kept advancing until, after stepping awkwardly, he stumbled and fell to the ground. He quickly got up and noticed that he had slightly scraped his knees, staining the kimono with blood in the process.

"Sukuna! What the hell are you doing here?" he heard his Aniki's voice calling out to him. The boy panicked and tried to conceal his wounds.

"I woke up, and you weren't here!" the boy shouted, angry.

Yuuji scratched his head and looked at him. "I haven't been gone that long," he said, clicking his tongue at the bloodstains on the kimono. Before Sukuna could do anything, he picked him up and removed the fabric, examining the small scratches. There was some blood, though not much, the sorcerer noticed. "Do they hurt?" he asked.

Sukuna immediately shook his head. Yuuji sighed and placed his right hand over the wounds. A brief white flash occurred, and when the young man removed his hand, there was no trace of the scratches left.

Chapter Text

"Why did you leave me alone, Aniki!?" Sukuna cried out, unable to hold back his tears as he clung tightly to Yuuji's uniform jacket. The sorcerer awkwardly picked him up, but Sukuna didn't loosen his grip in the slightest.

Yuuji let out a grunt and looked at him. "I'm sorry, I had to go do some things, and since you were asleep, I thought nothing would happen."

His words didn't soothe Sukuna at all. The child kept crying hard. The young sorcerer pulled a handkerchief from one of his pants pockets and carefully wiped away Sukuna's tears.

Sukuna rested his face on Yuuji's neck and stayed there, his head leaning on Yuuji's left shoulder. Yuuji slowly headed back toward the dorms. The boy clung tightly to his shirt, and the young sorcerer was fully aware of how the area where Sukuna had laid his head was starting to get damp.

Yuuji let out a sigh and headed back to his room, carrying Sukuna in his arms. He softened his expression slightly and tried to look at the boy. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone," he apologized again.

The only response from the boy was to grip his shirt even tighter. Yuuji bit his lower lip hard. "What do I do now?" he wondered, nervous. It wasn't like he hadn't taken care of a neighbor's children when he still lived in Sendai, so he had some experience looking after young kids.

A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he remembered those times. That woman had paid him well, and Yuuji needed money to pay the bills and his grandfather's hospital stay.

But with Sukuna, it was different. How was he supposed to treat him like an ordinary child when it was so obvious that he wasn't? The most reliable option was to keep him in his room at all times until the effect of the cursed technique wore off. But keeping a child locked up for two days wasn't very plausible. "It's just a couple of days. Then everything will go back to normal," he told himself, trying to relax. "I know. What I can do is tire him out by playing something," Yuuji decided, smiling, pleased with the idea.

"Do you want to play something?" asked the pink-haired young sorcerer. Sukuna lifted his head and looked at him, confused.

"Like what?" Sukuna asked, a hint of caution in his voice.

"Red Light, Green Light," Yuuji said. Sukuna looked at him, not understanding, so the young sorcerer began to explain how the game worked. The boy listened attentively and nodded at what Yuuji said. "Do you want to play?"

Sukuna shrugged, and Yuuji looked around, searching for a good place to play quietly. He carried the boy to a small area with trees nearby. With some effort, he set Sukuna down on the ground. The boy stayed close, looking at him seriously.

"Now we need to decide who's the curator and who's the statue," Yuuji said, bringing his right hand to his chin.

Sukuna shrugged again. "I don't care."

Yuuji sighed a little at that response. He noticed that the boy refused to let go of him. He wiped Sukuna's eyes when he noticed a few tears and observed him. "We don't have to play if you don't feel like it," he said, trying to gently pull away from the boy, but Sukuna wouldn't allow it. He held on even tighter.

The young sorcerer sighed and gave in. He looked at Sukuna and forced a small smile. "We can take a walk around here if you'd rather do that," he suggested, adjusting the King of Curses more comfortably in his arms.

The boy shook his head vigorously and buried his face in Yuuji's neck when he heard someone approaching. Yuuji looked in that direction, and after readjusting Sukuna to free one arm, he waved to Inumaki and Panda, who were passing near the dorms.

"Then we'll go back to my room," Yuuji decided, trying to hide his relief. Fortunately, Sukuna didn't resist. "Just a little longer," the pink-haired young man told himself.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he quickly made his way back to his room.

Yuuji opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing them. He thought he had heard something that woke him up.

He looked around, noticing that Sukuna was still sleeping soundly beside him. The pink-haired young sorcerer visibly relaxed, realizing it hadn't been Sukuna. Yuuji silently observed the boy. Seeing him like this, completely asleep, he looked like just any other child.

Yuuji raised his head when he heard the noise again. It sounded like crying, and he tried to locate its source. Slowly, the teenager got out of bed and moved toward the left wall. He pressed his ear against it and stayed silent, straining to listen.

He heard it again, this time more clearly, and there was no doubt that it was coming from Megumi's room. Glancing back at Sukuna, Yuuji began to quietly make his way to the door.

He stopped in front of it and opened it slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. He glanced back several times to make sure Sukuna didn't wake up.

Leaving the door slightly ajar, Yuuji continued to the entrance of Megumi's room. At that point, he hesitated. The young sorcerer reached out his right hand to the doorknob and turned it, unsure if it would be unlocked. But the door opened without any trouble.

Yuuji entered the room and stopped at the threshold, uncertain. He turned on the light and saw that Megumi was sitting on the bed. His back was pressed against the wall, and he was hugging his knees tightly, his eyes closed.

"Megumi?" Yuuji murmured as he approached slowly, but his friend didn't seem to hear him. He continued to move forward until he was in front of the bed. He looked at Megumi with concern, realizing that he still hadn't reacted.

He placed his right hand on one of the other sorcerer's shoulders. The reaction was immediate; Megumi's eyes shot open, and he looked at Yuuji, frightened. The young man's chest was heaving rapidly.

The next thing Yuuji noticed was a slight sting on the bridge of his nose. He touched it with his hand, and when he pulled it back, he saw his fingers were slightly stained with blood. At that moment, Megumi let out a choked sob, and Yuuji's attention shifted back to him completely.

The young sorcerer wanted to ask if Megumi had done that to him, but the words got stuck in his throat. Megumi's reaction was answer enough. He could also use Sukuna's cursed technique.

Hoping to calm him, Yuuji quickly healed the cut with reversed cursed energy. "I'm fine, Megumi, it's nothing," he murmured as he sat down beside his friend.

"How can you stand being near me after everything I've done?" Megumi murmured, his voice broken. His eyes were red, and his face betrayed that he had been crying.

"You haven't done anything wrong," Yuuji immediately replied, looking at him with concern and noticing how pale his friend was.

"I let Sukuna use my body to kill my sister. It's my fault that Gojo-sensei..."

"You're wrong," Yuuji cut him off quickly, looking at his hands as memories of what had happened in Shibuya and the binding vow he had made with Sukuna flooded his mind. "It's not your fault that Sukuna did that," he murmured, turning his attention back to Megumi, who didn't seem to believe his words.

"But I..."

Yuuji shook his head firmly. "When Sukuna killed all those civilians in Shibuya and I couldn't stop him, I thought it would be best if I died," the pink-haired young man recalled.

Megumi looked at him silently, though he soon averted his gaze. "And how did you manage to move forward?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

"Because I have people who need me. People who make life worth living," Yuuji murmured seriously. "I can't erase what happened. The only thing we can do is keep moving forward."

Megumi let out a bitter laugh. "You say it like it's easy."

"It's not, but you're not alone, Megumi," Yuuji urged, his tone serious. "But you have to let us help you. Please," he murmured. Megumi remained silent, staring ahead. Yuuji swallowed hard before continuing to speak. "You asked me to save you. Let me do it, please, Megumi."

The young man with black hair didn't know how to respond. He licked his lips, visibly nervous, and chose to remain completely silent. Yuuji didn't say anything either, and a comfortable silence settled between the two young men, neither making any move to break it.

However, the peace didn't last long. They both heard hurried footsteps, and seconds later, Megumi saw a miniature version of Sukuna peeking through the door. He rubbed his eyes, convinced that his lack of sleep was causing hallucinations, but Yuuji cursed under his breath and quickly ran to the door.

"What are you doing here?" Yuuji murmured nervously, glancing at Megumi, who was still staring at them in confusion.

"I woke up, and the door was open," the boy said, yawning a little. He blinked and looked at Megumi quietly. He tilted his head slightly, sensing that Megumi had the same cursed energy as he did.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to wake up so soon," Yuuji confessed, casting a furtive glance at Megumi. He swallowed hard and suppressed a sigh. "During the last mission I was on, I got hit by a cursed technique, but it affected Sukuna," he explained hastily. "And it turned him into a child."

"Is he my brother too?" Sukuna asked, pointing at Megumi and looking at Yuuji, waiting for an answer.

Chapter Text

Yuuji noticed Megumi's look of horror and disgust, and before his friend had a chance to say anything, the pink-haired boy stepped forward and picked Sukuna up in his arms. He quickly left the room and let out a sigh.

He cast a reproachful glance at Sukuna and headed to his bedroom. Yuuji noticed the door was slightly ajar. The young sorcerer opened it fully with his right foot and went inside. Only then did he set down the King of Curses and crouched down to his height.

"I need you to stay here," he asked seriously. Sukuna frowned at hearing this, but before he could protest, Yuuji continued speaking. "I won't be long, but I need to talk to Megumi about something very important."

"I don't want to," Sukuna said, shaking his head, serious. Yuuji scratched his head a little and remained silent, thinking of how to convince him.

"It's something very important," Yuuji bit his lip, hesitating how to say the next part. "As soon as I finish talking to him, I'll come back, I promise," he said. The teenager knew full well that his words sounded like an excuse, but what else was he supposed to say?

As expected, Sukuna didn't seem convinced at all. He made a face of disgust and crossed his arms, looking annoyed at Yuuji, which made the boy improvise. "When I come back, we'll play whatever you want, okay?" he promised. "And I'll give you something sweet, does that sound good?"

But the boy didn't answer. He just lay down on the bed, turning his back to him. Yuuji frowned slightly at that but let out a sigh and stood up. He walked to the door and grabbed the handle, but before leaving, he turned around one last time and looked at Sukuna.

"I don't know how long I'll take, but I promise we'll play something afterward," Yuuji said. Again, he got no response, and the boy, after one last glance, quickly left the room.

He returned to Megumi's room and found his friend just as he had left him. The black-haired boy watched him, visibly tense, but upon seeing that Yuuji had come back alone, he relaxed slightly.

"Was that really Sukuna?" Megumi demanded to know, in a low voice. Yuuji walked over to him and sat nearby, giving him a concerned look.

"Yes," he said, fiddling with the hem of his sweater. "Though Ieiri told me that the effects of the cursed technique wouldn't last long and he'll be back to normal soon," he explained. Megumi nodded, distracted, and looked ahead.

"How can you stand his presence?" the green-eyed boy finally asked, glancing at him sideways.

"Honestly, I don't know," Yuuji admitted, remembering the doctor's words. "To be honest, I'm just waiting for all of this to be over."

Megumi nodded and bit his lower lip slightly. For a few moments, silence reigned until the young black-haired sorcerer broke it. "I don't know if I have the same strength as you to keep going."

Yuuji looked at him, alarmed by those words. "I don't have the right to ask you to keep going if you don't want to," he admitted reluctantly. "But we miss you. All of us, Megumi."

If his words reached his friend, Megumi's face didn't show it at all, but Yuuji didn't know what else he was supposed to say to him.

"I hurt Maki," Megumi said then, looking at his hands. "I don't know how, but I was able to use Sukuna's cursed technique," he said, raising his head and looking his best friend in the eyes. He expected to find fear or disgust, but instead, Yuuji looked at him with understanding.

"I'm sure she's fine," Yuuji tried to calm him. "Maki is tougher than she seems," he said. Then he flashed a bitter smile and continued speaking. "And you're not the only one who can use that technique," the young sorcerer admitted. Yuuji pulled a small pen out of his pocket and held it between the fingers of his right hand.

Megumi watched the line and the small scissors that appeared on the object. Seconds later, the pen broke cleanly in half, staining Yuuji's fingers and hand with some blue ink.

"It took me a while to get used to it," Yuuji said. "To consider the technique as mine, not Sukuna's. And I realized something—I know it sounds cliché, but it depends on how we use the cursed technique, don't you think?"

"I suppose..." Megumi replied, shrugging. "But yeah, you're right, it sounds pretty cliché."

Yuuji looked at his hands, thoughtful. "What else can I say?" he wondered. He felt like he had done everything he could, and that the rest depended entirely on his best friend, but he wasn't sure if it was right to leave it at that.

"If you feel bad about Maki, the best thing you can do is go and apologize to her," Yuuji suggested, bringing his right hand to his chin. He was convinced that the third-year student had already forgiven him, but if it would help ease Megumi's mind, it would be worth it.

"I'll go in a while, yeah," the black-haired boy murmured seriously. Yuuji nodded and let out a sigh.

"If you need anything, Megumi, please tell me," the pink haired teenager asked. "You can count on me for anything, okay?"

The sorcerer nodded, and Yuuji, knowing there wasn't much more he could do, gently squeezed his right shoulder. When Megumi looked at him, he gave him a small smile.

Yuuji headed for the door and, after one last look, said goodbye and left the room. Megumi returned to his previous position, turning Yuuji's words over in his mind.

For a second, he imagined both his sister and Gojo scolding him for isolating himself from the world and insisting he shouldn't do that. Megumi chuckled a bit bitterly and brushed the hair out of his face.

Summoning a courage he didn't know he had, the sorcerer managed to get up and walked to the bathroom. Megumi looked in the mirror, observing his reflection. He was pale, and his dark circles were prominent. Also, his hair was a bit greasy.

It was clear that if he wanted to apologize to Maki, the first thing he had to do was clean himself up so he didn't look like a vagrant. The teenager sighed and started taking off his clothes reluctantly.

Sukuna was startled when he heard the door open and quickly sat up, almost falling off the bed in the process, but at the last moment, he managed to avoid it. The kid stared at Yuuji in disbelief, who had just entered and was silently watching him from the doorway.

"You're back!" the boy exclaimed, hurriedly climbing off the bed, barely avoiding getting his feet tangled in the sheets. He ran toward Yuuji and looked up at him with a shy smile.

Yuuji, surprised by the reaction, knelt down to his height and looked at him. "Of course, I told you I'd come back, didn't I?" he said, reaching out his right hand, and after a moment of hesitation, he ruffled his hair. Sukuna protested a little and tried to fix his hair as best as he could. "Come on, let's go play outside for a bit, okay?" Yuuji said as he stood up.

Before Yuuji could take a step outside, Sukuna grabbed his right hand tightly and nodded with a bit of shyness. "But I don't know how to play anything."

"Well, then we'll try something simple," Yuuji decided as they left the room and approached the stairs. "One person hides while the other counts to twenty," he explained. "And the seeker has to find the person who's hiding. Once they do, they have to tag them to win."

Sukuna looked down at his blue kimono and frowned. It didn't seem ideal for running around. Without thinking twice, he placed his left hand on it, tearing part of the fabric with his cursed technique. He smiled a little when he found he could move more easily and looked at Yuuji, waiting for his approval.

"Better now?" Yuuji asked, raising an eyebrow. His first reaction had been to scold Sukuna for that, but it wasn't something that really bothered him. Besides, Ieiri had assured him that no one used that kimono anymore.

"Much better," Sukuna admitted as the two of them arrived at a green area near the dorms. Yuuji surveyed the area, searching for possible hiding spots. There was another building nearby, the young sorcerer noticed. And the nearby trees provided plenty of hiding places as well.

"To avoid disturbing anyone, it's best if we use the outdoors as the play area," Yuuji said, pointing at the building. "No hiding in there or in the dorms, okay?"

Sukuna nodded in agreement. "And who hides first?"

"You do, so you can see how it works, okay?" Yuuji suggested, approaching a tree on his right. "When I come after you, you have to touch this tree to save yourself, understood?" Sukuna nodded energetically and watched as Yuuji leaned against the trunk. "I'll start counting now. You have twenty seconds to hide, Sukuna," Yuuji instructed as he closed his eyes and started counting out loud.

The small boy dashed off and hid behind the first tree he found. From there, Sukuna could see Yuuji perfectly. He watched as the teenager finished counting and announced he was coming to find him.

Sukuna tried to stay as hidden as he could and waited. He could hear Yuuji approaching slowly. He had to stifle a giggle when the pink-haired boy got confused and checked behind the wrong tree, but the sound gave him away, and it didn't take long for Yuuji to find him.

Remembering his brother's explanation, Sukuna began running toward the tree where Yuuji had been counting. Even though he could hear the boy close behind him, he didn't stop running, convinced that if he hurried, he'd make it in time.

His goal was getting closer, so Sukuna sped up as much as he could, and when his fingertips brushed the rough tree trunk, the boy let out a shout of joy and turned to look at Yuuji.

"I won!" he shouted proudly. The young man nodded and gave a small, tense smile.

"Yeah, I guess it's my turn to count again," Yuuji laughed as he headed back to the tree and turned his back to Sukuna.

As soon as Yuuji started counting, Sukuna dashed off, quickly putting distance between them as he searched for a new hiding spot.

Hana yawned a little, bored, and stretched slightly. Angel had convinced her to go for a walk, forcing the girl to stop playing with her console, something the young sorceress had reluctantly done after the ancient sorceress became really insistent.

"But there's nothing to do outside," Hana protested irritably. She had been close to passing an important part of the PC game True Fear: Forsaken Souls, after having wandered around the setting for a while. At least she didn't have to start over, thanks to the game's autosave feature. "I'd rather stay and play a little more."

"Hana, it's not good for you to spend so much time cooped up in there," Angel scolded her.

"I was about to defeat the villain, I won't take long," the young girl insisted.

Fortunately for Angel, Hana noticed Yuuji and Sukuna at that moment. Otherwise, she would have kept insisting until she got her way. The sorceress smiled and ran toward her friend.

"Yuuji!" she shouted when she was close enough to them. The boy turned and waved when he saw her. Hana stopped in front of them and looked at them curiously. "What are you two doing?" the sorceress asked, noticing the happy smile on Sukuna's face.

"We're playing hide and seek tag," Yuuji replied. Hana's eyes lit up at that.

"I want to play too!" she said, excited. Yuuji immediately nodded, though Sukuna seemed a bit bothered. However, he didn't protest, and Hana quickly joined the game. Since she had arrived last, Hana was the one who had to count and seek.

Hana began counting while Yuuji and Sukuna ran into the woods to hide. Yuuji hid behind a tree. Sukuna went to hide with him, but Yuuji pointed insistently to a large bush that would perfectly conceal the boy.

After examining the bush, Sukuna hid as best as he could and held his breath as he heard Hana finish counting and begin searching.

"Hope you hid well!" Hana shouted.

The girl started walking through the forest, scanning for potential hiding spots. Just in case, she looked up at the tree branches but didn't see any sign of Yuuji in the treetops.

The sorceress strained her ears, hoping for some small clue, but the silence was complete. Smiling slightly, she continued her search. When Hana looked behind one of the trees, she came face-to-face with Yuuji. Surprised, she took a moment longer to react, and her friend used that opportunity to run off.

Hana quickly recovered and started chasing him. Yuuji glanced back out of the corner of his eye and noticed that Sukuna was taking advantage of the situation, running toward the counting tree.

Yuuji sped up when he realized that Hana was gaining on him. However, what he didn't expect was for the girl to sprout two white wings from her back and use them to propel herself forward, catching up to him.

"Got you!" Hana shouted, grabbing Yuuji's jacket tightly.

"That's cheating!" the pink haired teenager protested, eyeing the wings. Hana laughed a little at that.

"Well, you should've said something before."

"Didn't I tell you?" Yuuji asked as Hana finally let go of him. The girl shook her head and looked around, amused. Her friend leaned against the trunk of a tree and watched her.

"Well, now I have to find Sukuna," the girl murmured as she continued to look around.

"I think you're a little late," Yuuji couldn't help but comment. "He ran toward the counting tree a while ago."

"And you're telling me this now!?" Hana yelled, taking off toward the tree, with Yuuji following leisurely behind her.

By the time Yuuji finally reached it, he was greeted by a very satisfied Sukuna and Hana's defeated expression. The young sorcerer hurried over to them, feeling completely relaxed for the first time.

"Looks like you're it again, huh, Hana?" Yuuji asked in a good mood.

"This time, I'm going to win," the girl declared, turning around and starting to count again.

Sukuna and Yuuji ran to hide nearby and waited for her to finish counting. The pink-haired sorcerer was perched on a high branch, while Sukuna had once again hidden behind a bush.

Hana finished counting and began searching for them again. Yuuji watched her from his high branch without making a sound. He noticed the girl was getting dangerously close to where Sukuna was hiding, and without thinking twice, he jumped.

Yuuji landed near her, causing Hana to let out a startled gasp. Once she recovered from the surprise, she started chasing him.

Yuuji glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled triumphantly. He sped up as much as he could, reaching a superhuman speed.

Hana frowned and tried to use her wings to propel herself to catch him, but her friend, who quickly noticed what she was trying, increased his speed even more, staying out of her reach with insulting ease.

"Hey, Yuuji! You're cheating!" Hana yelled, imbuing her wings with cursed energy, but even with that extra boost, she couldn't catch up to Yuuji.

The teenager suddenly turned sharply, forcing his friend to stop abruptly to avoid crashing into the building in front of them. Hana wiped some sweat from her forehead and resumed her chase after Yuuji.

By the time she caught up with him, both Sukuna and Yuuji were standing next to the tree where she had been counting. Hana leaned on her right knee, panting and out of breath.

"Let's… add a new rule…" the girl said with effort, breathless. "No using cursed energy or techniques, okay?"

Yuuji nodded immediately and smiled, amused. "Fine by me," he agreed without any objections.

Megumi squinted as the sunlight dazzled him again. He raised his right hand to shield his eyes and scanned his surroundings. Following Yuuji's advice, he had finally decided to leave his room.

The sorcerer had been searching for Maki for quite some time but hadn't had much luck. With a grunt of frustration and no other option, Megumi headed toward the classroom building.

"Hopefully, she's there," he thought, quickening his pace. The teenager lowered his hand once he was in the shade.

He entered the building and climbed the stairs to the second floor. Megumi walked briskly to the third-year classroom and opened the door without bothering to knock. He stifled a groan when he saw that only Panda was inside.

The third-year student looked at him with some confusion but quickly smiled. "Megumi!" he exclaimed, standing up from his chair and walking toward him.

"Where's Maki?" Megumi asked bluntly, getting straight to the point.

Panda stopped and scratched his head a bit. "Well... I don't know," he admitted. "She's probably training, you know how she is."

"Okay. Thanks," Megumi said, turning around. He ignored Panda calling after him and hurried away. Retracing his steps, he made his way to the training area.

He stopped abruptly when he saw Maki sparring with Yuta. He swallowed hard, feeling that familiar sense of unease. He watched the two third-year students fight for a while, neither of them having a clear advantage.

Finally, Maki managed to break through Yuta's defenses, landing a blow to his legs followed by one to his forehead. Yuta fell to the ground, and Maki pointed her wooden staff at him.

Megumi watched as she helped Yuta back to his feet. It was at that moment Maki noticed him. Megumi let out a sigh of relief when he saw that there was no trace of the cut he had accidentally caused.

The dark haired teenager waved at her, and she returned the gesture before he quickly shoved his hands into his pockets. He hesitated about whether to approach, but fortunately for him, Maki made the decision and started walking toward him, with Yuta following behind.

"How are you, Megumi?" was the first thing Maki asked when she reached him. Megumi shrugged in response.

"I suppose I could be worse," he murmured, ignoring the worried glance the two sorcerers exchanged. He cleared his throat a little, gathering the courage to speak. "Can we talk for a moment, Maki?"

"Sure," she replied, starting to walk again. Megumi followed her, feeling relieved when Yuta stayed behind. Maki stopped several meters ahead and looked at him seriously. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry," Megumi immediately apologized. Maki looked at him, puzzled, frowning slightly as she tried to figure out the reason for his apology.

"You don't have to apologize," she said, improvising.

"I didn't mean to use Sukuna's cursed technique and hurt you," Megumi insisted seriously, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Megumi, that cut was nothing," Maki quickly reassured him, downplaying the situation. "Besides, Ieiri healed it right away, so there's nothing to worry about." Megumi didn't seem entirely convinced by her words, but Maki didn't give him a chance to dwell on negative thoughts. "So stop saying nonsense, okay?"

"It doesn't feel like nonsense to me," Megumi protested.

"If you want to make sure it doesn't happen again, what you need to do is learn how to use it," Maki advised. "And for that, the best thing you can do is practice with it. Make it your own technique. Let us help you, Megumi," she urged.

Yuuji was carrying a sleeping Sukuna in his arms. They had spent more time playing than he had originally planned, and the boy had fallen asleep before even reaching the dormitory. Hana followed closely behind, silently. The girl glanced at Sukuna from time to time, but she stayed quiet, trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to wake the boy.

The pink-haired young man glanced at him sideways, seeing Sukuna so calm, sleeping peacefully, was a bizarre sight. "Maybe I've been wrong all along, and Sukuna isn't pretending," Yuuji thought. The way the boy had enjoyed that playtime had been too genuine, something Yuuji seriously doubted Sukuna could fake. He let out a sigh and began to climb the stairs. Once both sorcerers reached his floor, they walked down the hallway until they reached the door to his dorm room.

Yuuji adjusted Sukuna in one arm and prepared to open the door with his free hand, but Hana was quicker and opened it for him. The sorcerer entered his room and looked at Hana, who remained at the door. Yuuji walked to the bed and carefully placed Sukuna down. He covered him with the sheets and finally relaxed.

The teenager walked over to the window and drew the curtains, ensuring the room was in complete darkness. He made his way to the door in the dark and slipped out quietly. Although the idea of letting Sukuna sleep until the next day was tempting, Sukuna hadn't eaten anything.

Hana watched him curiously from the door, silent. Yuuji approached her and stopped by her side. "Hana, can I ask you a favor?" he asked. The girl raised an eyebrow but nodded. "I'm going to get something to eat; would you mind staying here just in case Sukuna wakes up?"

"Sure, no problem."

Yuuji scratched his head a little. "Do you want anything?" he offered, but Hana firmly shook her head.

"No, I already had dinner earlier; don't worry."

"Well then, I won't be long," assured the pink-haired young man. "Thanks a lot, Hana."

With the idea of getting some food in mind, Yuuji quickly made his way to the dining hall. "But what should I get for him to eat?" he wondered, realizing that he had no idea what kind of food the King of Curses liked. "It can't be that complicated, right?" he thought.

He arrived at the building minutes later and entered quickly, heading to the counter where the different dinner dishes were laid out. Yuuji critically examined the Chinese noodles with vegetables and seafood and shrugged. It looked good, so he served a generous portion in a bowl. His eyes landed on the white rice to the right, and he opted to fill another bowl with it. He also noticed a jar of furikake seasoning and sprinkled it over the rice to give it more flavor.

"I think this will do," Yuuji murmured out loud, thoughtful. If it had been any other child, he would have opted for pizza or chicken nuggets, but he had a feeling that Sukuna would reject both options. And he didn't feel like arguing with him about it.

The teenager placed both bowls on a tray and then picked something for himself. He didn't think too long and went straight for the five-cheese pizza that was there. Yuuji cut it in half and served himself a slice, placing it on the tray.

Satisfied with the chosen food, he headed to one of the vending machines. The sorcerer inserted a few coins and pressed the button for bottled water, grabbing two.

With everything ready, he left the dining hall, carrying the tray with him. Yuuji returned to his dorm room quickly, finding Hana at the door. The girl relaxed when she saw him and glanced at the food he brought.

"I hope I didn't take too long," Yuuji murmured, smiling gratefully at his friend. Hana returned the smile and shook her head.

"You didn't take long at all, don't worry," the girl said. She cleared her throat a little and stepped aside. "Well, then I'll be going, Yuuji. See you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," Yuuji said, turning and entering the room once his friend left. He walked across the room and placed the food on the table. He turned on the light and approached the bed. He gently shook Sukuna a couple of times until the boy finally opened his eyes and looked at him in confusion.

"Is something wrong, Aniki?" the boy asked, rubbing his eyes, still drowsy. Yuuji brought the tray over and placed it on the sheets. He planned to change them the next day, so he didn't mind if they got a bit dirty.

"I went to get some food," Yuuji said, handing him the bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks. Sukuna eagerly grabbed them and started eating right away. Yuuji watched him, amused, and grabbed a slice of pizza.

He ate calmly while the boy devoured the food, finishing the rice in no time. Yuuji handed him the other bowl, but instead of paying attention to it, Sukuna's eyes were fixed on the pizza.

"What's that?" the boy asked. "Is it good?"

Yuuji broke off a small piece and handed it to him. Sukuna popped it into his mouth and chewed. Although he swallowed the piece, the boy made a face of disgust and looked at the pizza with some distaste.

"It doesn't taste good," Sukuna said, wrinkling his nose, staring in disbelief as Yuuji continued eating the pizza without issue.

"I figured you wouldn't like it," admitted the pink-haired sorcerer. "That's why I got you the noodles."

Sukuna eyed the other bowl and started eating the noodles. He didn't even get halfway through when he set the bowl back on the tray and let out a sigh.

"I'm full," Sukuna admitted. Yuuji nodded and, after opening one of the water bottles, handed it to him. The boy grabbed it and drank with some clumsiness. Once satisfied, he handed it back to Yuuji, who closed it.

Sukuna let out a big yawn at that moment, and Yuuji, who had just finished the last slice of pizza, removed the tray and placed it back on the table.

"I think it's time to sleep," the young man said, smiling kindly. Sukuna nodded and lay down on the bed.

Yuuji moved closer to him and wiped the boy's lips with a paper napkin. Once he was satisfied with the result, he crumpled the napkin into a ball and tossed it toward the trash can without checking if it went in. The sorcerer lay down next to the boy, and Sukuna snuggled as close to him as he could while closing his eyes.

"Good night, Aniki," Sukuna mumbled, already sleepy.

"Good night, Sukuna," Yuuji whispered, closing his eyes as well.

Yuuji woke up to the sound of the alarm clock and groaned as he fumbled to find it. He turned it off and switched on the light. He looked around, expecting to find Sukuna still asleep, but the bed was empty.

Frowning, he got up quickly. "Sukuna?" he called out, scanning the room, thinking at first that the boy might have hidden or something.

"What the hell do you want, brat?" Yuuji froze as he realized the voice of the King of Curses was coming from his right cheek.

"So, you're back to normal," he muttered, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"That's right," Sukuna replied. "Did you want something else, brat? I don't feel like wasting time talking nonsense with you."

Yuuji rolled his eyes and bit his tongue to avoid saying something that might lead to an unnecessary argument. "Whatever you say. I don't feel like wasting time with you either," he shot back.

"At least as a kid, you were more tolerable," Yuuji thought to himself, surprised to find that he actually missed that version of the King of Curses.

Sukuna remained silent, and Yuuji almost thought he had withdrawn. So when the King of Curses spoke again, the pink-haired boy couldn't help but jump.

"Whatever you say, brat," Sukuna said, retreating for good. Yuuji touched his cheek, confirming that Sukuna had indeed left. Used to the whims of the curse, he shrugged, deciding not to dwell on it.

Feeling more upbeat and with a small smile on his face, he walked over to the door of his room and opened it, letting the sunlight flood in.