Chapter Text
Being on strict orders of bed rest was not as fun as Yuji first initiated. It started out decent, a 30 minute manga read, then some flopping around on his bed like a fish, and he snuck snacks in his time there.
30 minutes had passed.
“Concussions are fairly boring,” He thought, groaning as boredom took over. “Why can’t I do anything? I mean Fushiguro only brought 3 manga books!” He frowned at the thought.
He glanced at the small stack on his nightstand like it had personally betrayed him.
He’d reread two of them already. Twice.
The third one was open on his chest, but he wasn’t absorbing a single panel. His head still felt… fuzzy. At least it wasn’t painful, just slow, like his thoughts were wading through syrup. Every time he tried to focus too hard, Shoko’s voice echoed in his head: No strain. No overthinking.
“Yeah, yeah,” Yuji mumbled to the empty room. “Easy for you to say.”
He reached blindly toward the snacks he’d hidden earlier, fingers brushing against a crinkling bag. Yuuummyy.
He fished out a handful of chips and shoved them into his mouth, chewing noisily. The crunch echoed way louder than it should have.
“Oops,” he whispered, glancing toward the door like it might snitch on him.
Nothing happened.
Encouraged, Yuji grabbed another chip, then froze.
Something felt off. Of course it did.
He swallowed, frowning slightly, and let his gaze drift toward the window. Outside, the campus was quiet, washed in the dull glow of evening lights. Normally, he’d be out there, running stupidly, training, doing something. Bothering Fushiguro or teasing Kugisaki. Moving forward always made things easier. Sitting still gave his thoughts too much room.
Unwanted memories crept in.
The concrete. The thud. The words.
Kill his ass already.
Yuji squeezed the chip bag a little too hard.
“Stop, you’re very annoying.” he told himself.
He wasn’t scared. At least he didn’t think he was. The thought just lingered.
A knock broke the silence.
Yuji jolted slightly. “Ow—!” he hissed, hand flying to his head.
“Idiot,” came Megumi’s voice from the other side of the door. “I didn’t even open it yet.”
Yuji laughed despite himself. “Come in!”
The door opened just enough for Megumi to step inside, hands in his pockets like always. He took one look at Yuji, then his eyes drifted to the snacks everywhere, manga discarded, bed a mess, and took one sigh.
“You’re supposed to be resting,” Megumi said.
“I am resting,” Yuji argued. “I’m just… lazily…resting?”
Megumi’s eyes flicked to the empty snack wrappers. “Shoko said light eating.”
“She didn’t say no eating.”
Megumi didn’t respond to that. He walked over and sat on the chair beside the bed instead, posture straight, gaze assessing.
“You dizzy?” he asked.
“A little,” Yuji admitted. “Mostly bored.”
Megumi nodded, like that explained everything. “Nobara wanted to come too.”
Yuji blinked. “What happened?”
“She got distracted,” Megumi said flatly. “By a sale.”
Yuji snorted. “Of course.”
Silence settled between them—not uncomfortable, just quiet. Megumi pulled out his phone, scrolling absently, but he stayed. Didn’t rush. Didn’t leave.
Yuji stared at the ceiling again, feeling something warm settle in his chest.
“…Thanks for the manga,” he said after a moment.
Megumi shrugged. “I’ll bring more tomorrow.”
Yuji smiled, eyes closing.
A good 10 minutes passed before Megumi looked up from his phone. Yuji was asleep.
“Good night Itadori.”
—
Morning was by far the worst stat for a day. Not because Todo decided to visit him, sitting down for around an hour only talking about some girl named Tamara-Chan, or “Nobuko Takada”
“Itadori, my brother! Do you understand my feelings?”
Yuji flinched. “A little quieter plea-“
“AH! Todo gasped, “Your injury!”
He leaned in far too close, inspecting Yuji’s face with intensity usually reserved for life-or-death combat. Yuji could smell his cologne. It was very overpowering.
“You are wounded,” Todo said gravely.
“Yeah,” Yuji replied. “Concussion.”
Todo sat back abruptly, crossing his arms. “Then this visit was fate. A warrior must never face recovery alone.”
Megumi muttered, “We tried to stop him.”
Todo ignored him.
“For recovery,” Todo declared, “one must nourish the soul. Which is why I shall continue.”
Yuji’s eye twitched. Todo,” Yuji said carefully, “I really need to rest.”
Todo gasped again. “Rest? After I’ve only just begun explaining Tamara-chan’s laugh?”
Megumi finally stood. “You’re leaving.”
Todo turned slowly. “You challenge me?”
“No,” Megumi said flatly. “He needs the rest.”
Yuji blinked at Megumi, touched.
Todo studied him for a long moment… then laughed loudly. “Very well! A true brother knows when to retreat.”
He rose dramatically, pointing at Yuji. “Heal quickly, my brother. We still must debate our ideal women!”
The door slammed shut behind him.
Silence.
Yuji stared at the ceiling.
“…Morning really is the worst,” he muttered.
Megumi sighed.
After a few seconds of silence, Yuji spoke.
“Where is Gojo-sensei at?” Yuji asked quietly.
Megumi answered without hesitation. “On a mission.”
Yuji frowned. “Again?”
“Yes.”
There was something about Megumi’s tone, neutral. Yuji noticed the way his eyes flicked toward the window, then back.
“Must be a big one,” Yuji muttered.
Megumi shrugged. “Probably.”
Yuji stared at the ceiling again, listening to the distant sounds of the school waking up. Footsteps in the hall. Doors opening. And annoying voices carrying.
He knows Gojo isn’t there.
The room felt smaller without him. Definitely way more quiet than it should be. 100% less chaotic.
“Do you think he’ll be back today?” Yuji asked.
Megumi considered it. “Hard to say.”
Yuji nodded, fingers curling slightly into the blanket. He didn’t say anything else, but Megumi didn’t leave.
He stayed by the chair, arms crossed, silent and steady, like he was standing guard.
Yuji sat up.
He shifted back against the headboard, adjusting the pillow behind him until it was just right. The room tilted for a sec, but he blinked it away.
“Whoa,” he muttered. “Okay. Minor spin. We’re good.”
Megumi hovered closer, hand half-raised. “You’re not—”
“I’m fine,” Yuji said quickly, waving him off. “Promise. If I pass out, you can say ‘I told you so.’”
“That’s not reassuring.”
Yuji laughed, light and easy. “C’mon, you’d enjoy it a little.”
Megumi snorted before he could stop himself. He looked away. “Idiot.”
“Okay, Okay.” Yuji side eyed Megumi.
“Fushiguro you suck at worrying.” He spluttered out.
“I don’t even worry—?”
SLAM.
Yuji’s door flung open. It slammed so hard it rattled the thin frame, the sound cracking through the room like a gunshot.
Yuji flinched violently.
“Ow—!” He grabbed his head, vision swimming for half a second as the world tilted.
Megumi was on his feet instantly.
“What the hell—” he snapped, spinning toward the door, cursed energy flaring just enough to prickle the air.
“GOOD MORNING, SUNSHINE!”
Nobara Kugisaki stood in the doorway, hands planted on her hips, breathing like she’d sprinted the entire way there. A plastic bag swung dangerously from one wrist, the logo of a convenience store stretched across it.
Yuji blinked. “…Good morning?”
Megumi’s eye twitched. “Do you know how loud that was?”
Nobara scoffed. “Oh relax, emo prince. If his brain was gonna fall out, it would’ve happened already.”
Yuji winced again. “That’s..not reassuring.”
She ignored him, stomping into the room and dropping the bag onto his bed with a thud. Bottles clinked. Wrappers crinkled.
“I brought food,” she announced proudly. “Approved food. Doctor-approved-adjacent food. Don’t say I don’t take care of you.”
Megumi leaned over the bag, squinting. “Why is there soda?”
“It’s ginger soda,” Nobara shot back. “It’s basically medicine.”
Shoko’s voice echoed in Yuji’s head: No caffeine.
“…Isn’t ginger soda still—”
Nobara shoved a finger in his face. “Don’t.”
Yuji shut his mouth.
She finally looked at him properly then—really looked. Her expression shifted, sharp edges softening just a fraction.
“…How’s your head?” she asked, quieter.
Yuji shrugged. “Still attached.”
Megumi frowned. “You shouldn’t have startled him.”
Nobara rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She hopped onto the edge of the bed anyway, crossing her legs.
“Sensei gone?” she asked.
Megumi nodded. “Mission.”
“Figures.” She clicked her tongue. “Every time something serious happens, he disappears like a cursed dad.”
Yuji laughed softly, then hissed. “Okay. No laughing.”
Megumi shot him a look. “I told you.”
“I forgot!”
Nobara leaned back on her hands, staring at the ceiling. “…Those idiots yesterday.”
Yuji swallowed.
“They really pissed me off,” Nobara continued, voice low. “Like—who do they think they are?”
Megumi didn’t respond, but his jaw tightened.
Yuji picked at the blanket. “It’s fine.”
Both of them snapped their heads toward him.
“No, it isn’t,” Nobara said sharply.
Megumi’s eyes darkened. “Don’t say that.”
Yuji blinked, caught off guard. “…I just meann. I’m used to it.”
“That doesn’t make it okay,” Megumi replied.
Nobara leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “You shouldn’t have to be.” She rolled her eyes, lowly whispering.
Silence pressed in again, heavier this time.
Yuji forced a small smile. “Hey. I’m still here, right?”
That didn’t help.
Megumi looked at him. Eyes squinting.
Nobara muttered, “You’re such an idiot.”
Yuji chuckled weakly. “That’s bullying.”
“it’s true.”
She stood abruptly, pacing the small room. “You know what I hate? That they feel like they can pick on US.”
“I’m not mad,” he said quietly.
“That’s the problem,” she snapped, then stopped, biting her lip.
Megumi stayed quiet, and looked around.
Yuji opened his mouth—
—and froze.
He sighed. Sukuna. Of course.
A chill crawled up his spine.
Megumi felt it too.
He straightened instantly. “Yuji.”
Nobara stiffened. “What??”
Yuji pressed a hand to his chest, heart suddenly pounding. “I—I don’t know. It’s just—”
A laugh echoed in his head.
Low. Amused.
Well, well.
Yuji sucked in a breath, already preparing.
Yuji swallowed hard. “…Sukuna.”
Nobara swore. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. Of course this bitch has to interfere—“
The room darkened, shadows stretching unnaturally along the walls.
Humans really are fascinating, Sukuna purred. Beat you, spit on you, tell you to die… and you still smile.
Yuji clenched his teeth. “Huh—“
Why? The voice curled, sharp with delight. They’re right, you know.
Yuji squeezed his eyes shut, breathing hard. “I’m fine. I’m fine.”
You could’ve killed them, Sukuna continued. One move. One breath.
Yuji shook his head. “I don’t want to.”
A pause.
That’s why you’re interesting.
The pressure vanished as suddenly as it came.
Yuji slumped back against the pillows, chest heaving.
“He’s so annoying.” Yuji muttered.
Megumi watched him dumbly.
Nobara squinted at him.
“Does he always do that?”