Chapter Text
"Is everybody there? Yuji? Sukuna?"
"Yes, kaa-san."
Sukuna didn't respond, but his hands stilled — the water still running from the tap, bowls half-washed.
"Wonderful! Had dinner?"
"Yes."
"Choso, did you tell Yuji and Sukuna about earlier?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I mean — not good, given what I have to say. Well, your uncle is at moderate risk of kidney failure. Already at stage three."
Sukuna turned off the tap. The house fell silent.
"Oh," was all Choso could manage as he looked between Yuji and Sukuna, who mirrored the same surprise.
Kaori sighed, "It's quite serious. Diabetes is the root cause. It explains all his constant nausea and digestive issues."
Sukuna dried his hands and joined Yuji and Choso on the floor. Choso locked eyes with him, questioning. Sukuna just shook his head, shrugged.
Yuji asked, "So what happens now?"
"I don't know, Yuji dear!", Kaori's voice regained its characteristic stinging brightness, "The doctor says he needs to take care of himself with controlling his diet, quit smoking. But you know how he is. He never listens to anyone!"
"Yeah, we know."
Yuji glanced uncertainly at Choso and Sukuna. Sukuna held his gaze for a moment before looking away.
"The reason I called is because I'm swamped at work. And you three are living somewhere far. It would be really nice to have some help. Is the place — wherever you're living— far from Sendai? Can you tell me where?"
Sukuna held up a hand, stopping Choso and Yuji from answering. He placed a finger to his lips, signalling them to stay silent.
"It's not easy for us to visit frequently," Sukuna said, his voice even, "if that's what you're asking."
Silence stretched for a moment before a quiet: "Oh, really? That's a bummer."
Choso and Yuji's head snapped to each other, sharing wide-eyed glances as Sukuna stared at the phone, arms crossed, shoulders slightly tensed.
This was the first conversation Sukuna and Kaori — their mom, his mom — had in nearly nine years.
Since Itadori Jin died.
"Well, it'll be really hard for me to take care of Uncle Kenny alone. It would be nice if I had some help."
Before Choso or Sukuna could respond, she hastily clarified,
"Don't mistake me! I don't want you to be with him! All I want is for the three of you to visit him at least once a week."
"But it's not that serious," Sukuna said. "He doesn't need constant monitoring — that's stage five. I think frequent phone calls are enough."
"Oh, Sukuna", Kaori's disappointment was theatrical. "Don't you think that's rude? He's old — "
"We have no obligation to take care of him."
"How can you say that? He's your uncle!"
"We're just related biologically. I never saw him as my uncle. I'm hundred percent sure Choso and Yuji didn't see him as one either."
Painful silence descended on both sides of the line. Choso knew it sounded harsh, but there was no way to sugarcoat this. Sukuna was completely right.
After everything Kenny had done, Choso had expected Sukuna to be biting with his responses. It was a surprise he hadn't blown up yet. But of course, when it came to Sukuna, Kaori was always a sore spot.
He looked at Yuji, who looked extremely conflicted, biting his lip.
'Bless his kind heart', Choso sighed before returning to the phone.
"Yuji," Kaori said softly, and Yuji perked up. "What do you think?"
Yuji looked between Sukuna and Choso. Sukuna was still staring at the phone, tension creasing his brows, while Choso smiled at him reassuringly.
"With school and college," Yuji said slowly, "it would be really hard to visit Sendai that often. And I don't think — "
He swallowed.
"For now, we can stay updated about his health. And if something serious happens, we can come then. But every week isn't- we can't do every week."
Choso nodded approvingly. Sukuna regarded Yuji, his eyes more reddish than brown. Yuji couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"Hmm, I understand what you're saying", Kaori sounded almost appreciative, though her disappointment was clear, "But I don't know how long I can keep going back and forth from Fukushima to Sendai. Even your father would have agreed it would be hard."
"It's twenty minutes by train", Sukuna already had his phone out, the calculation ready. "And Dad wouldn't have agreed to this. Especially if it interferes with our school and college."
"Sukuna, you should know that — "
Choso intervened before it dissolved into an argument.
"Kaa-san, what you're asking is quite unreasonable. Sukuna is in his final year — he can't afford to miss classes. Yuji just started his senior year; it takes time to adjust."
"Choso honey, I completely understand you're packed. But I'm asking you to visit at least once every two weeks. Tell me, is that too much to ask?"
"In that case, only one of us can visit — "
"No", Sukuna cut in, knowing what Choso was implying. "Don't even think about dealing with this all by yourself." He hissed, annoyed, aware she was listening.
Yuji sighed, running a hand over his face, already tired of this.
Kaori's voice turned clipped, "I don't know why you have to think so much. He's your uncle. Is this all the care you want to show, Choso?"
That ticked Sukuna off. He turned to the phone, his heart beating faster as he argued back.
"Care? Why should any of us care about him? He caused us misery after misery those two years we were holed up with him!"
"Sukuna — ", Yuji tried to place a hand on his shoulder, but Sukuna wasn't holding back.
"When we moved away, we decided to cut him off for good! To never speak to him again! But despite all that, Aniki still called him, asked how he was doing. Wasn't that enough?"
Kaori's tone shifted, coaxing, "Sukuna, calm down —"
"No, I don't get it! He didn't let aniki write his university exam for the fun of it! He didn't go to work, didn't support us. He would break things, throw things at us when he was pissed after talking to some nobody on the street! He almost hurt Yuji!"
Yuji and Choso exchanged worried glances as Sukuna's voice shook, but he pressed on.
"He ruined the house and told us off from calling any service to fix things. He stole the savings from Aniki's part-time jobs, blew it on drinks and cigarettes. He fought with his neighbours constantly — sometimes it got so bad the police had to intervene!"
Kaori had gone silent. Dead quiet on the other side of the phone. Sukuna took deep breaths, trying to steady himself.
"After everything I've told you," he asked, shaking, "please tell me why I should care about him, Kaa-san."
Kaa-san.
Choso's eyes stung. It was always "she" or "her", someone from a past life, spoken about in third person.
Yuji stood up and left, then returned with a glass of water for both Choso and Sukuna. He patted Sukuna's back and sat down, his face solemn.
A sigh came from the other side. When Kaori spoke again, her voice was patient, the earlier edge softened.
"Sukuna. I heard everything you said, alright? He made your life hard, and as his sister, I know how he can be. I'll go talk to him about this. I can see how hurt you are."
Sukuna raised a brow.
"But the past is in the past. You're living away from him now. I know it might make you uncomfortable to visit, but sometimes you have to bite your tongue and show up when it matters. That's what it means to be family — no matter how bad the fights were."
'I can't believe her', Sukuna stared at the phone, astonished, 'Does she think she's in Fast and Furious? What "family"? Does she hear herself!?'
Yuji's eyes were wide, mirroring the same incredulity. How could she dismiss this as a normal family brawl?
Choso was the first to recover, resolved to end the conversation, "Kaa-san, as Yuji said, we'll visit when it's really serious. We'll — ", he struggled with the next words, as though his entire soul was against them.
"We'll call him frequently to get updates on his health. I hope you understand that weekly visits, visiting that man in general, isn't feasible for us."
Kaori hummed, then said tiredly, "Fine. But I have to be honest, I'm quite disappointed with today's conversation. Sukuna?"
Sukuna didn't answer.
"I really hope we can speak properly in the future. I know as a teenager, at your age, it must be hard to process your emotions. I know you need space. Next time, I hope we can meet and have a nice... chat."
He looked away from the phone.
She sighed again before bidding them goodnight. "It's nearly half past ten. I usually sleep by this time."
A yawn.
"Good night, my boys."
The call ended.
They remained in their places for several minutes, letting the thick air settle. Choso picked up the phone and sighed at the time.
Sukuna stood, "I need sleep."
Yuji stretched, "Same."
Choso began pushing the chabudai aside. "I don't want to think about this. Please get the futons."
Minutes later, their home was plunged in moonlight. They slept in the living room tonight, the balcony open, a breeze filtering through.
They lay side by side — Sukuna in the middle against his will, Yuji to his left, Choso to his right. The absence of snores made it clear no one had fallen asleep yet.
Sukuna stared at the ceiling, arms tucked behind his head, one leg crossed over the other.
After what felt like an hour, Yuji broke the silence.
"Sukuna aniki."
"Hmm?"
"Do you think we're doing the right thing?"
Sukuna knew what he meant. A beat too long passed before he answered, too honestly,
"I don't know."
Yuji turned to look at him.
Choso answered instead, "It's not about being right or wrong. It's about prioritizing what's important."
Yuji looked back at the ceiling, eyes reflecting the moonlight, "Is Uncle's health important?"
Sukuna scoffed, "I'd say he deserved it, for all the trouble he caused."
A moment later, Yuji added softly, "But it feels wrong not to help."
Choso sighed, shifting. Yuji and Sukuna heard the rustle of his mattress before he spoke.
"Yuji, we never said we wouldn't help. We chose to draw a line on how much we can help Kenny."
When Yuji didn't respond, Choso called both of them,
"Sukuna. Yuji."
Sukuna grunted.
"It's time I reminded you both that you're young. Still growing up. You don't have to take on adult responsibilities or feel guilty for things you're not supposed to carry. Not yet. Kaa-san said she'd take care of Kenny. She took responsibility for him. You have nothing to worry about."
A beat.
"Live your youth. Both of you. It was taken away before, but now you have a chance to enjoy it. Don't let anyone take it away again. That's why we stood our ground today."
Yuji's eyes widened. He let the words sink in, and slowly, he understood.
"Hai, aniki."
Choso smiled at the little conviction in his voice.
Sukuna grumbled loudly, "It's quite unfair, given that you didn't get to live your youth, aniki. Always had to be adult ever since grandpa was around."
Choso looked at Sukuna, who was still staring at the ceiling, a scowl surely already forming. Yuji shifted at the words.
Sukuna was right. Choso hadn't gotten to live his childhood properly, too busy being the adult. But now, it wasn't the same. He had his brothers — both loving and sincere, one a sun, the other a lightning storm. They looked after each other, shared meals with jolly banter and warmth.
His thoughts drifted to Yuki. She was a charm; he didn't think his college days would be complete without her energy and sharp remarks about their teachers. He liked her, knew he wouldn't meet another person like her.
He chuckled softly.
"It was inevitable. It's the duty of an elder brother — "
Yuji and Sukuna opened their mouths to argue, but Choso continued over them.
"But I did get a chance to enjoy my youth. And I am living one right now."
That effectively shut Sukuna up. Yuji's concern morphed into quiet joy as he replied, "I'm so glad you're enjoying it, aniki!"
Choso was touched by his enthusiasm, "I want you to enjoy life too, Yuji. Will you do that?"
Yuji smiled at the ceiling, thinking of Megumi and Nobara.
"I will, aniki. Don't worry."
He began snickered. "It's Sukuna you should worry about. He goes around calling Uraume-senpai his 'acquaintance'— OW!"
Sukuna clicked his tongue, having smacked Yuji's head. Choso laughed.
But a moment later, Sukuna gently ruffled Yuji's soft pink hair. Yuji didn't move rather, he leaned into it.
"Shut up, brat. Calling me stubborn and difficult — "
"I was telling the truth!"
"Liar."
Yuji laughed, "Well, the tall guy who looked like a model was very happy to hear my opinion of you. Even Uraume-senpai was glad to hear about you. They all really seemed to like you!"
"Uraume is cool. The white-haired idiot is not."
Choso smiled at the banter, "I'm glad you're enjoying school, Sukuna, given that you hated going before."
"It's not that bad, I guess."
Choso shifted to face him, "You should enjoy living life too. I was against the tutoring gig, but if that's what you wanted, I don't want to stop you. At the same time, pursue what you find joy and comfort in."
Sukuna rolled his eyes, but his attention didn't waver.
"We can figure out how to build this new life together. You can enjoy it and figure it out at the same time. Live, Sukuna."
Sukuna responded after a beat, the breeze soothing his skin. "Yes, aniki."
One hour later, Sukuna still hadn't fallen asleep.
Thoughts raced through his mind, delaying rest. He thought about what he'd said to Kaori earlier and felt embarrassed for letting his emotions get the better of him.
'I should have stayed calm', He pursed his lips, his neck suddenly warm. 'That was pathetic.'
Yuji and Choso always tried to pull him out of these spirals, but he couldn't shake it. He never understood what made them say he hated himself.
But now, he could understand a little.
He shouldn't be embarrassed about his outburst. When he thought about it, all his points were valid. Kenny was neglectful and hateful, and Sukuna had laid out the proof to his mother exactly how. The anger, the frustration — it was bound to surface when he had to relive those memories as he explained them.
Pursue what you find joy and comfort in.
Well, he already did archery. Read literature. Cooked. Wasn't that enough?
Then another voice spoke in his head, 'Even though you like cooking, it wasn't because you wanted to, right? It started because you didn't have a choice.'
What about archery?
He thought for a while before a realization struck.
'Wait, was aniki talking about hobbies? He should already know my interests — he was the one who brought the archery kit from Sendai.'
He replayed the moment Choso had been advising him and Yuji.
But I did get a chance to enjoy my youth. And I am living one right now.
He'd never heard Choso so happy and content. Sure, his brothers were his greatest source of joy, but Choso being happy for his own sake — that was new.
'Maybe he made lots of friends. No — Choso would befriend a wall before interacting with a human.'
Sukuna considered that college might have changed Choso, made him more open, more social.
'But it's only been a month. And Choso aniki is way more stubborn than me.'
Lies.
His brain supplied immediately. He ignored it.
'Maybe he found someone he likes —'
His eyes went wide.
'No. As much as I wish for the best for aniki, I was pretty sure he was going to die alone. I honestly thought he was too emotionally constipated to have a crush.'
He'd always believed Choso would knock on death's door crying that he'd failed his brothers by 'leaving them stranded alone' on Earth. Dramatic, given that he was sure he and Yuji would kick the bucket long before him, with all their reckless tendencies and the multiple times they'd ghosted the reaper since birth.
One particular instance came to mind when Sukuna had wanted to taste turpentine oil as a kid because the word sounded like "trampoline"— something fun, in his childish brain. He didn't know why he'd thought they were related. He vividly remembered his grandfather swatting his head with a rolled-up newspaper, mistaking Sukuna's curiosity for a desire to kill Yuji over some unrelated prank.
"Brat! If you ever get your hands on it, I'll fry you alive and feed you to the crows!"
And Yuji wonders where Sukuna got his creative rage.
Putting all that aside, if Choso really was seeing someone, Sukuna was happy for him.
Live, Sukuna.
A leg fell on Sukuna's stomach unannounced, knocking the breath out of him. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and threw the leg back to Yuji, who grumbled in his sleep before turning away.
'Well, I'm pretty sure now that it's just me who's going to die alone', Sukuna sighed, staring at the ceiling. The top branches of a tree from the nearby park cast pale leaf-shaped shadows on the ceiling, swaying gently in the breeze.
Yuji was kind and funny. He'd have no problem finding someone.
As for himself... well. He couldn't think of anyone crazy enough not to find him scary or unpleasant. He came across as arrogant and crass, a heartless person who threw people out of windows for entertainment. With his reddish-brown eyes, he could easily be mistaken for a devil who made stew of his victims. There was no way anyone had looked at him and said (mimicking in a high-pitched voice) —
'Oh my god, why is he so hot? I want him all for myself!'
…
He cringed.
He'd never had a full-blown crush, so he didn't know how people usually felt when they saw someone attractive. Between his grandfather acting too mighty while standing at death's door and Kenny being a stinking piece of garbage, he'd never had the mental capacity for crushes, for checking out every person who walked past him.
The closest he had come close to anything resembling attraction was to aesthetic appreciation. Back in Sendai when he was sixteen, there had been a guy living around the corner. Lean build. Nice hair. He'd walk past Sukuna's home with his dog every evening, and it was fascinating because both he and his Shih Tzu had the same luscious brown hair. That had been Sukuna's first clue not to indulge further.
Out of curiosity, he'd struck up a conversation, complimented the dog, and tried to know more about his hair routine — but the moment that guy opened his mouth, Sukuna made sure to never stand outside his house at 7:04 PM again, beginning the very next day.
God, he should have known when that idiot ran his hand through his hair four times in a minute.
The only other time he'd come close to feeling attracted to someone…
Hmmmm.
Sukuna shook his head quickly.
'No. Not entertaining any thoughts of that uggo. Ever.'
He would like to be religious for a day, ask every god — maybe join a few cults — to find answers that explained why he had to meet Gojo Satoru the first thing after stepping into Tokyo.
Was suffering with Kenny for two years not enough!?
Wait.
Now that he thought about it, the Shih Tzu guy and Satoru were quite similar. Both were excellent at setting him off the moment they initiated conversation.
Satoru shooting glares across the classroom, flipping him off, looking at him with disgust in that alleyway after the granny incident, cackling like a maniac when he'd rejected his basketball offer, trying to humiliate him in front of the whole class.
It was a surprise Sukuna had tolerated him this long without throwing a punch at his precious face.
Despite his supposed hatred, Sukuna was frustrated with himself, pouting.
'But why am I not as bothered as I usually would be!?'
I think we could be a great team.
Sukuna stilled.
He turned to his side, surprised.
'Why did I remember that?'
Satoru grinning down at him from across his desk, asking him to join the club, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Sukuna turned to his other side, trying to block the montage he had not consented to watch.
Satoru avoiding him after the truce but turning to look at him anyway, pouting angrily. Satoru smirking, hands in pockets, asking if he wanted to know his classmates better. Satoru holding his wrist as he gets pulled away from their crime scene, Satoru trying not to laugh, failing to hide his smirk right after Sukuna's rebuke against the granny.
'Stop thinking about him, you fucking idiot! He was bullying you! He tried using Yuji against you!'
He cursed at himself, turning to the other side again.
Satoru's unbridled delight when Yuji called Sukuna too annoying and difficult. The one time Sukuna had almost caught Satoru turning back to sneak a glance at him during class — no intent to mock, just curious.
Sukuna shifted one last time, facing the ceiling, rubbing his face with his hands.
Beautiful blue eyes seeming to see right through his soul — turning him completely disarmed and mesmerized.
He dropped his hands to his sides, giving up.
'I hate you, Gojo.'
Satoru thought he'd done a great job avoiding Sukuna for the past few days.
He entered class with a chattering Suguru or a totally-not-amused Nanami and exited immediately with some random classmate he'd never bothered with before. Shoko raised a suspicious brow at this behavior, and Satoru decided to ignore her completely.
'Shoko has become so nosy!'
He sighed pitifully as he dragged a confused Haibara out of the classroom during a short break.
Conveniently for him, Sukuna had minded his business and did not bother with him. He usually hung around the school with Uraume. Sukuna's brother, Yuji, would make an occasional appearance and would wave at him with a welcoming, toothy smile.
Satoru liked Yuji, the happy-go-lucky junior who has too big of a heart. He instantly forgive Yuji for the earlier humiliation because he knows it was Sukuna who was behind the embellishment. His welcoming nature and genuinely kind eyes was unmistakable and that pretty much confirmed his doubts. They immediately clicked as they shared the same wave of frequency of stupidity. He was a ball of sunshine, complete opposite of Sukuna.
But Satoru wasn't oblivious to not notice Sukuna's gaze lingering on both of them.
It was not that Satoru was shaken by his realization. Nor was he pretending Itadori Sukuna didn't exist. It was simply that he didn't care.
Or so he believed, before reminding himself every evening to pay a visit to Utahime — much to Suguru's annoyance at his absence from basketball — at the dojo.
Where, to his complete 'inconvenience', Itadori Sukuna was also present.
'Lord, have mercy', Satoru cried to the sky as he stopped a short distance from the dojo entrance.
But he was surprised when Sukuna was nowhere to be found.
People in the dojo chatted among themselves while Satoru stood outside, hands in his pockets, nonchalant, unbothered, casually waiting for someone.
Waiting for Su—Utahime.
He stood a bit away from the entrance, around the corner adjacent to the dojo. Utahime usually passed through here before entering, so he'd concluded he had an easy answer if anyone questioned him.
'Where the hell is h — she?', he crossed his arms, craning his neck to glimpse inside the dojo. His face soured. 'Guess he skipped —'
"What are you doing here?"
Satoru went still as a rock.
'Of course. Of course it has to be him to find me. Amazing, right!?'
He slowly turned to see Sukuna and Uraume standing before him — one poker-faced, the other suspicious.
Satoru was not going to comment on Sukuna's outfit. Or his appearance. He was barely managing not to ogle.
"Waiting for Utahime, Itadori. I'm her dear friend. Got a problem with that?", he said it loftily, smirking.
Uraume rolled their eyes and walked past him.
Sukuna's brows scrunched in confusion, "Then why don't you just step in and talk to her. I'm pretty sure she'd already reached — "
'Because of you, idiot! You were supposed to be inside! And I thought hime hadn't arrived yet!'
"Can't do that," he said quickly, "I'm not allowed."
Sukuna snorted, "I can't imagine why."
Satoru leaned back, bristling, "Shut up, Itadori. I'm trying to be respectful of the dojo."
"Sure", Sukuna crossed his arms, his grin widening.
"You? Respecting something? Can't believe you."
"Well, news flash — I'm a decent, amazing, wonderful human being. It's a tragedy nobody sees that! Shameful!"
"You don't have a shred of respect for anything old. Especially Gakuganji-sensei."
Satoru corrected, "Not old. Ancient", he scoffed.
"He's just a pile of bones, gonna drop dead any second. Why should I bother?"
Sukuna chuckled, and Satoru's heart stuttered against his will. Soon enough, a small smile formed on his own lips, mirroring Sukuna's.
'That easy to talk, huh?', Satoru noted as Sukuna shook his head in amusement.
'Okay, say something funny. Now!'
He scrambled for another line, all pretense of 'Itadori Sukuna doesn't exist' completely forgotten.
But fatefully, a female voice cut through the conversation from behind him.
"Sukuna-san! There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Sukuna straightened at the call. Satoru turned to see a pretty girl with thick dark hair, wearing the dojo uniform, waving at Sukuna and beaming.
All the grin wiped away from Satoru's face as she approached, her shimmering eyes completely focused on Sukuna, her beam unwavering.
'Why is she so happy to see him? It's not like he kissed her', Satoru was annoyed at the intrusion, his scowl deepening.
"Ah, Yorozu. I was about to go in," Sukuna said, his enthusiasm notably lacking.
Much to poor Satoru's heart and shock, the girl — Yorozu— grabbed Sukuna's hand.
Satoru's eyes went wide as saucers, darting between Sukuna and Yorozu. He didn't notice Sukuna's surprise as he was dragged away, Yorozu giggling. Sukuna glanced back for a second, but Satoru was still looking the other way.
Satoru stood there — rage, hurt, confusion, and twelve more emotions processing in real time.
But one emotion stood out above the rest, which Satoru did not want to acknowledge.
Jealousy.
But he nevertheless asked the question,
"Who the hell is she!?"