Chapter Text
Yuji opens his eyes to find himself lying on the bed in Ieiri-sensei's office. She's writing something on her laptop, which is placed on her knees. The woman is sitting on a chair next to Yuji's bed on his right, and she has...
“A lollipop?” Yuji mumbles, and the woman hums, not even looking at him.
“Satoru didn't like the flavor.” She says like it explains everything and… it does.
"Um, how long have I been gone?” Omega asks with uncertainty, sitting up, and Ieiri-sensei finally looks at him.
She smirks.
“You took your sweet time, huh, Itadori?” She asks with a lollipop still in her mouth, and Yuji splutters.
“Tch. Not a word.” Sukuna says, and, oh, he must have manifested the mouth on Yuji's cheek.
“I'm kinda sorry.” Omega laughs sheepishly.
“You were gone for almost two hours.” She responds and goes back to typing.
“White Broom?” Sukuna asks, and the woman snorts, probably at the nickname.
She takes out the lollipop and swirls it in her fingers.
“I send him back to his students. Imagine my surprise when he came here. Those alpha’s pheromones were thick with the urge to protect.” She signs. “I'm sorry, Itadori.” She looks up at Yuji for a second. “He freaks out around omegas. But it's not your fault; it's personal. He lost someone dear to him, and it messed him up a bit.” She pauses and smiles sadly. “They were an omega sorcerer too.” She adds, and Yuji perks up.
“Really? So there are others.” He wonders.
“Not that I am aware of. But if you want to know more about Su... about this omega, you should hear it from Satoru himself.” She offers, closing the laptop, and Yuji nods. “Also, Satoru told your classmates to keep a secret that you're an omega, and I need to ask you, Itadori, to cooperate too.” She shifts her attention to the boy and puts the sweet back into her mouth.
Omega frowns.
“Why? Is it really that bad to tell the truth?” Yuji tries to understand. “Will people start treating me differently because of this?”
Ieiri-sensei shakes her head.
“We can't guarantee anything, Itadori. Some sorcerers may discriminate against you; some may try to claim you as theirs; it's hard to predict. Let me just call this idiot here.” She says it tiredly, crushes the lollipop in one bite, and takes out her phone.
Yuji observes it all, perplexed.
“Oh, Satoru? Yes, he is awake. No, it's fine. Yes. Yes, I'm sure. No. Stop whining into my ear, just get your ugly ass here.”
“–not ugly.” They hear when Gojo-sensei appears in all his glory with a blindfold and an easy smile.
He immediately brightens at seeing his student, and the woman rolls her eyes while Sukuna groans. The man approaches them and stands behind Ieiri-sensei, putting his hands on the back of the chair.
“Yuuuujiiii~~~ Sensei was sooo worried! Don't disappear like that on me; I'm too young and handsome to die of a heart attack!” He complains childishly, and Yuji sighs with relief. “Eh? What's with that reaction?”
“I'm glad it's the usual Gojo-sensei.” Yuji says with a small laugh, and he scratches his scent gland nervously.
“Eh? No way. Yuji, have I freaked you out back there?” The man asks incredulously, pointing at himself.
“Um. I wasn't freaked out, just uncomfortable?” Omega explains uncertainly.
“Satoru, what have you done?” Ieiri-sensei turns to the man and asks in a ‘I'm so done with you’ tone, looking him dead in the eye.
“Eh? I was just trying to provoke Sukuna to see if they had a binding vow. But Sensei says sorry, if it was too much!” He whines.
“Ha?” Sukuna growls.
“Oh! So that's what it was about! That part about me being your wife and bearing your child wasn't real!” Yuji laughs, relieved.
Ieiri-sensei quickly hits Gojo-sensei’s arm, glaring disapprovingly.
“Aw!” He pouts, rubbing a sore spot.
“You literally have limitless technique, you stupid alpha.” She scowls, and Gojo-sensei pouts harder.
“I am turning it off around people I trust.” He mumbles accusingly. “Maybe not for long.” He adds quietly, and she sighs.
“That's why I prefer to work with dead people. They don't talk back.” Ieiri-sensei concludes, and Sukuna snorts.
The woman raises her eyebrow at that, and Yuji giggles.
“Sukuna has a weird sense of humor. You will get used to it.” He explains, smiling.
“Excuse you? You laughed at every joke I made.” Sukuna points with his playful voice.
“Because you're ridiculous.” Omega offers in the same tone.
“Tch. What can we expect from a person who enjoyed watching the Human Earthworm series.” Sukuna speaks slowly, and Yuji gasps.
“Take it back!” He exclaims.
“No taking backs; we had this discussion earlier.” Alpha reminds.
“I would pout at you if you could see me.” Yuji mumbles, annoyed.
Sukuna snorts.
“Cute.”
“What the hell are we witnessing just now?” Gojo-sensei asks disbelievingly, and Yuji is snapped from their own bubble. He blushes.
“Um. Sorry.” Omega apologizes.
“I wanted to say that I wouldn't really mind making you my wife, but I guess I'm too late now.” The teacher jokes, and, predictably, Sukuna growls at his words. “Shoko, they are for real like that.” He points at Yuji, and the woman nods. “I think this mouth of his was genuinely smiling for a second, and it gave me chills.” He complains.
“I told you. I don't think we need to worry about Sukuna going rampage until Itadori is around.” She muses with a knowing smirk.
Yuji gapes at that.
“Right. Let's get back to the main issue.” Sukuna reminds. “I am against revealing Yuji's secondary gender either.” He declares.
“Yuji?!” Gojo-sensei echoes in shock. “A name basics?! Since when?!”
“Is this still about you not wanting to share me with anyone?” Yuji asks at the same moment.
“Still?!” The man shouts, shocked again.
Everyone ignores him.
“No. It's about your safety. I think they are not telling us everything, so let's hear it then.” Sukuna demands.
Yuji looks up at the adults questionably.
“Sharp as I expected.” Ieiri-sensei smirks and glances at Gojo-sensei.
He switches to serious mode, leaving his shocked act immediately, and he nods.
“Yuji, you are under my protection right now, but if the word comes out of this school, we have no idea who we would have to deal with then.” The teacher explains calmly. “And this is not just because you are an omega sorcerer; we don't find anything wrong with it. It's more about you being Sukuna's vessel.”
Sukuna grunts.
“I will protect my omega, but I still have my limits. That's why I need to find all my fingers.” He says it thoughtfully. “Which brings up my new question. Do you possibly have problems locating them, you dumb sorcerers?”
Gojo-sensei tilts his head and scoffs.
“Of course you know something about it.”
“Satoru.” Ieiri-sensei warns.
The man sighs.
“Yes, we do have problems locating them. Happy? What now? Do you have a better way of finding them than we do?” He asks in a mocking tone.
“No.” Is the response, and everyone seems surprised at that. “If that's how it is, then there is no need to search.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Gojo-sensei asks immediately, full of suspicious.
Yuji blinks several times, trying to organize everything in his head. He frowns.
“Um, can we go back to the part where I have to hide being an omega?” The boy interjects shyly. “I get that this is dangerous, okay. But I still don't see why.”
“Indeed. You are surprisingly adamant about hiding my omega, scums. As much as I appreciate it, you surely seem to have a different reason here. Are you afraid of someone leaking this information to unwanted sources, perhaps?” Sukuna wonders aloud.
Gojo-sensei sighs again and takes off his blindfold. Then he brings a second chair and places it next to Ieiri-sensei’s. He sits, crossing his legs and arms.
“What I am going to say now needs to stay in this room, only between us.” He starts and looks straight at the boy. “I will protect you, Yuji. Higher-ups, Sukuna's followers, random curses, name it, I can fight them all. But I need you to trust me on this one. Something bigger is coming, and we think hiding your secondary gender will be necessary to win.” He says it seriously, his eyes boring into the boy.
“Why?” Yuji whispers.
“Because of me.” Sukuna admits, and the boy frowns. “If you can't find the fingers, I am assuming who the reason is. They surely took on a new identity after all these years. I am unaware of their objective, but we made a pact of sorts in the past, and I might be a part of their bigger ploy. But I don't intend to be involved with them anymore.” He explains. “I just need my fingers that they are presumably collecting to gain my gratitude, or use me.” Sukuna snorts. “Like it would work on me.”
“How can we believe you?” Gojo-sensei asks, observing Yuji's cheek vigilantly.
“Sukuna doesn't lie.” It comes from the boy himself, and everyone seems to be surprised by that. “I believe him. If you can't believe Sukuna, believe me then.” Yuji says, determined.
Gojo-sensei clicks his tongue, suddenly irritated, while Ieiri-sensei snickers.
“Stop with the pleasant scent.” He mumbles. “You're happy; we get it. So? What is your goal then?” The man goes straight to the point.
“Oh? Simple, really. Consume my fingers. Get my own body. Claim my omega. Keep him safe.” He counts.
“And then?” Ieiri-sensei probs, raising her brows teasingly.
Yuji shakes his hands feverishly.
“Wait, wait, wait, I still haven't agreed to mate with you, remember?” The boy points.
“Then I will court you until you do.” Sukuna responds like it's obvious.
Yuji blushes and tries to utter something intelligible.
“You really are unfair.” He murmurs.
“Yes, I'm aware.”
There is a loud throat clearing, and Yuji snaps his attention back to the teachers.
“Sorry.”
“Okay, but just to be clear. You still won't be our associate.” Gojo-sensei makes sure, addressing Sukuna.
“No. I am taking all the measures with my omega’s safety in mind only. Nothing in addition to it.” He responds dryly. “Don’t involve me in your foolish affairs.”
“I can't believe this.” Gojo-sensei scoffs. “But I guess we don't really have a choice now.” He sighs in defeat. “Yuji.” He looks the boy in the eye. “Can you still pretend to be an alpha?”
“Eh? I mean, it's not like I pretended in the first place?” He reminds them, puzzled.
“Then let me rephrase it.” Ieiri-sensei butts. “Just be yourself and act like usual, but don't say you're an omega to anyone beside us two here and your classmates.”
Yuji nods slowly.
“I still don't really get it, but if this is important, I will do it.” He agrees. “I don't really care about my secondary gender in the first place.”
She nods too.
“Like Sukuna said earlier, we have a suspicion that there might be a mole.” The woman continues.
“Shoko!” Gojo-sensei looks betrayed.
“No, Satoru. We should tell them. Even if Sukuna is not on our side, Itadori is. That's good enough.” She smiles at the boy, and Sukuna grumbles.
Yuji smiles back gratefully.
“We are trying to find out who is selling us out.” Gojo-sensei admits after a moment. “Until then, we wait unless they make a move.”
Yuji nods.
“That sounds complicated, but I don't need to understand it fully.” The boy chuckles. “I'm kinda dumb, so I will let you all handle the thinking part.” He says cheerfully, and Gojo-sensei smiles.
His hand comes to the boy's head, then pauses and falls.
“Right. I will miss our hugs, Yuji.” The man says in a crying tone, sniffling exaggeratedly.
“Huh? What do you mean, Sensei?” Yuji asks, perplexed at the sudden change.
Ieiri-sensei snorts.
“The scent tells us that it's better not to touch you anymore.” She explains with a knowing smirk.
“Eh? What does it mean?” Yuji's brows furrow, and he looks at Gojo-sensei for answers.
The man promptly bursts into fake cries, leaving the boy even more confused.
“They are growing so fast!” Alpha laments, and the woman rolls her eyes at his antics, then shakes her head.
“Why does everyone always know something that I don't know a thing about?” Yuji complains, frustrated.
“Because you are too oblivious.” Sukuna offers, sounding amused.
The boy groans.
“Ieiri-sensei?” He asks hopefully, doing his best puppy eyes.
She winces like the sight pains her physically.
“Well… I don't know what happened in those two hours there, but congratulations, Itadori. It seems like you are engaged now.” Ieiri-sensei says slowly and smirks.
Yuji must have overheard.
“Enga– Engaged?!” The boy repeats incredulously.
“You didn't refuse.” Sukuna remarks unceremoniously.
A beat.
“SO IT REALLY WAS A PROPOSAL?!”