Archive of Our Own

The night ends after hours of gruelling events and fighting. Shibuya is vacated, worse than any ghost town Yuuji has ever seen in movies.

They relate to that. Inside, they also feel empty. There's… nothing left. They don't have anywhere to return to; they're a threat now, nothing else. The early morning is cold but they don't feel much.

Yuuji decides to disappear into the vacated streets of Shibuya. Following close behind is a man claiming he's their brother. He tried to kill them mere hours ago, this weirdo…

Not that they'd mind dying right now. If he decides to ambush them, they won't resist. If he doesn't, well, they don't know what then. They don't know anything.

Their body trembles at a gust.

The stitched head dude disappeared before they could do anything. The lady talking about a lot of complicated things gave chase. Gojou-sensei…

They want their teacher back. They want to see Gojou-sensei. They need to be executed as soon as possible. They're too dangerous now. They're a mass murderer.

"Pay attention, Yuuji." A flash of red zaps past them, piercing a snake-like curse. It returns to dust, scattering in the breeze.

Oh. The man following them saved them again.

"What was your name again?" They ask, though they're hardly interested. Has that guy even introduced himself? Somehow they feel they should know his name.

No clear thoughts for them, they suppose.

"I'm your older brother, Choso." He introduces himself. His droopy eyes fix them. "I'm sure you'll remember in time, don't worry."

Remember what exactly?

They definitely don't have any siblings. Not even Toudou, no matter how often he's called them brother.

Why is everyone and their cousin so eager to adopt them as a sibling? Ugh. Well, no point in fighting it. They won't be able to get rid of him anyway. Best to just let him be and ignore him as much as they can.

Another cursed spirit appears and… many more follow. It should be no surprise that there be so many around. Dead people often become curses, Yuuji knows. Especially young ones, with dreams of the future. There's also so many deformed humans and curses still crawling out from the abandoned subway stations.

They're responsible for most of the deaths that happened, so they suppose they'll fight for now. After all…

"You take it from here." Nanami's voice echoes through their mind as they take down a bunch of weak curses alongside Choso. It's so… easy to fight with him. The coordination between the two of them is as easy as breathing. It's almost like it's ingrained in their mind, Yuuji thinks. Their body seems to move in sync with him all on its own.

Weird but not unwelcome. It's easier than ever to erase curses with Choso at their side. Maybe they'll simply do that for now. Eliminate the threads those special grades left them with.

Nanamin is counting on them. They punch right through the skull of the next curse they see.

This kind of distraction feels incredible. For now it's their only way to begin repenting.

As if. There's no way they can make up for what they've done.

Choso pulls them off the streets when the sun is closing in on the horizon. Their clothes are caked with dry and fresh blood. There's tears and scratches scattered around his jacket as well.

Their mouth is dry and they feel dizzy. It's hard to put up a fight when Choso pulls them along; they've reached their limits long ago. Their body is heavy and their chest aches.

How long have they been at it? The curses are endless and they… never thought of stopping for a break. They don't deserve one.

Their self proclaimed brother thinks otherwise. The place he drags them to seems to be a small supermarket. A shelf has fallen over, one of the windows is cracked and obviously there's no one in the store.

"Sit." Choso points at a chair behind a conveyor belt. "I'll be right back."

Yuuji has no mind to disobey so they do as told. Once they sit, exhaustion hits them with its full force. Their legs feel numb, their head begins hurting and…

They can't even begin listing all the parts of their body that are roughed up. Ow. They wanna do nothing but sleep. Sleep and maybe not wake up.

They rest their head on the conveyor belt and stare at some newspaper shelf at the back of the store. Nanami… used to read the newspaper daily. Sometimes Yuuji would demand to read it once he was done. All they did was try their best at the crossword section, though.

It seems like years ago. Their lip wobbles. Their eyes feel wet, yet so dry.

Nanami is dead.

He won't come back like they did. Not ever.

What would Gojou-sensei say about that? They have to sob. It's not even their fault, but… if they'd been with Nanami just a bit earlier… if they'd reacted faster to Mahito reaching for Nanami…

If only.

They're so weak and pathetic.

Yuuji slams a fist down on the conveyor belt and screams. It's all their fault! All of this!

"Yuuji." And now the stranger is back. Choso. What does he want with them so badly? Why is he here? They're not his sibling. This is so stupid. "Hey, Yuuji. What's wrong?"

What is wrong? They wanna laugh. They can't find it in themself though. They don't want to see him right now.

"Go away." They cross their arms on the counter and hide their face in them. He doesn't know the first thing about them and yet he acts concerned?

"Can't do that." He says and they listen to him moving around. "I'm your older brother. Family. It's my duty to look out for you."

Again with that. Why can't a hole open up right underneath them? They wanna be swallowed up by it and disappear. Not seeing, hearing or feeling anything sounds so amazing right now.

"Let me help you." Choso talks quietly, with genuine care in his voice. "Talk to me."

He won't go away, will he? Regardless, he's one of the last people they wanna talk about this to.

Choso sighs and they can hear him move once more. Something is placed beside their elbow on the conveyor belt and then he's walking away.

Hm… he seemed more the persistent type before. They're glad he's gone though. What he left with them is… fizzy lemonade, a pack of chocolate cookies and some packaged Yakisoba bread.

This… is coming real close to their favourite food and drinks. Just how? They reach out for the bottle of lemonade. Really, they're not sure they can stomach anything solid right now.

But they have to survive, they believe. Nanami… he's counting on them. And running before all these curses are exorcised would be extremely cowardly. Thus, they have to survive. They twist the lid and take a good, long drink.

So sour and good. The drink initiates a small chain reaction, though. Their stomach… has never felt this empty. They rip open the yakisoba bread and stuff as much of it into their mouth as possible.

Food always lifts the mood, they firmly believe in that. For now, it simply helps them stop the tears from falling. They may not chew enough and swallow each bite too quickly, but they couldn't care less at the moment. The bread isn't even that great, but it serves its purpose.

Their head feels clearer and they become less shaky. The headache persists though.

Once the bread is down, they sip on the lemonade again and slowly take in their surroundings once more. Footsteps resound from the very back of the store. The fruit and vegetable section is mostly empty and what's left doesn't seem so fresh any more. Dirt and glass shards are scattered across the floor. Hm…

They get up to find Choso. Sure, they don't know him at all, but he didn't do anything to them but try to help. Heck, he even shielded them when this Getou person or whoever showed up.

He isn't their enemy. They need to apologize.

Man, their feet are heavy though. They wanna sleep so bad. They wonder if they'll be able to. If not, would Choso do them a favour and knock them out?

Eh, probably not.

"Choso." They find him at the back, browsing candy lazily. Yuuji keeps a distance between them and him, peeking out from behind a shelf.

"There you are." Choso looks over his shoulder, a chocolate stain on his upper lip. "Did you eat?"

He sure looks as tired as they feel now that they look at him more closely.

"Yeah, thank you." They mutter, not flinching or moving when he walks up to them. "I'm… sorry for snapping at you."

"No need to apologize." He stuffs a piece of chocolate into his mouth. "If you want to talk, just let me know."

Yeah, they still don't. So they shake their head slowly. All they want is some sleep now.

"You… look tired, Choso." They check what's on the shelf beside them. Bandaids and cosmetics. Reminds them of how they're kind of battered and honestly, so is Choso.

This Getou is extremely strong. And so is the one with the ice technique…

"Maybe I am." He shrugs. "By the way, so do you."

Well, no shit.

"It's pretty much safe in here." Choso throws a gaze at the streets outside. Vacant and silent. Eerie. "Let's sleep for a bit."

Sounds like a plan.

"Yeah, let's. Maybe there's some break room in the back somewhere." Yuuji checks around, finding a door beside some fridge with drinks. It's really unsettling to open it and proceed to the private part of a store. They're no employee; this is off limits ground. But it's like the apocalypse out there and they can't imagine anyone coming back here all too soon, so they begin exploring. There's a tiny bathroom, first of all. A storage hall. Some room with computers and lastly… a breaktime room, probably for the workers.

Heavens, it's a sight for sore eyes. There's a couch, worn and a bit shabby, but it's there. They hold themself back from walking over there and flopping right down on it.

"Not bad." Choso checks out the table and chairs. The small stove and fridge. There's even a coffee machine, though they're not very into the bitter drink. Fushiguro was kind of addicted to it…

They sit on the couch and wonder where he is. What he's doing right now. At least he is okay, even if he's one of the very few.

They kinda wish he was here. That's selfish though; he'd comfort them and not let them feel guilty about everything that happened. That's something they don't deserve since it's undeniably them who caused most of the damage that happened mere hours ago.

Choso sits next to them, albeit with a comfortable distance to them. He brought the chocolate he was munching on and puts the remaining piece into his mouth. He must have quite the sweet tooth if that's all he wants to eat.

"Let's rest now." He licks his lips to get rid of any stains around his mouth. With a yawn, he leans back against the couch comfortably. "We'll have to move places in a few hours. I'll wake you then."

Yeah. And there's still so many curses to defeat. Yuuji closes his eyes, but as soon as he does, he recalls everything.

Kugisaki dying next to them. Nanami turning to sheer dust. The entirely obliterated area Sukuna left them with. Gojou-sensei getting sealed. The forehead stitches man. Toudou…

They can't stop themself from shivering. How are they supposed to sleep like this? They have nothing to distract themself with anymore.

Warily, they gaze at Choso. His eyes are closed and he looks relaxed, but they doubt he's sleeping yet.

They hug themself and frantically look around the room, trying to find something, anything to distract them from hearing the thud of Kugisaki's lifeless body hitting the ground. The screams of the people Sukuna murdered. The low plop as Nanami dissolved into nothingness.

"Choso." They can't do this. "You awake?"

He opens one eye and trains it on them. Good.

"I uhm. I don't think I can sleep." They watch his second eye open, and then he musters them more thoroughly. It's like he wants to stare into their soul. "So, if it's not too much a problem… could you knock me out?"

Absurd. Saying it aloud they realize how stupid their request sounds. The way they see it it's their best bet at rest, though. It'll be long before their mind shuts up.

"No way." Choso rolls his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

Yeah, figures. What did they even expect him to say to their request anyway? Ridiculous.

"If you can't sleep, though…" He continues, raising an arm and gesturing at the space right next to him. "I heard hugs help."

If it was Megumi, Yuuji would definitely go for it. Still, Choso is a strange person. They don't know if they'd be comfortable being so close to him. Probably wouldn't help either.

He's a complete, albeit benevolent, stranger to them.

Choso soon realizes they're not gonna take him up on his offer and sighs. He lets his arm drop again and looks at the ceiling. "Well, the offer stands."

He doesn't realize he's toying with them. They hate that they're starting to think of leaning against his shoulder to sleep as a possibility.

They don't even know if it'd work at all, damn it.

The fatigue wins over their rationality quickly. They scoot over until they can comfortably lean against Choso's shoulder. He smiles the tiniest bit and snakes his arm around their shoulders.

"There, that's a good sibling." He praises in a non mocking way. They can admit that this kind of physical closeness helps more than they thought. Choso feels like home for no explicable reason. "Now close your eyes. I'm here to watch over you."

His head tilts to lean against the top of theirs and it's so… warm. Their eyelids drop.

"Hey, Choso. Can you talk for a while?" They should feel embarrassed for letting their guard down and relying on him, but they don't. They want his comfort. "About anything."

Choso doesn't question. Without delay he begins speaking of his other brothers, naming all of them and talking of what makes each of them special to him. It's soothing. It chases unwanted thoughts and guilt away almost entirely. At some point they fall asleep.

Dreamlessly so, they find as he wakes them an unknown period of time later. If they had a nightmare they don't remember it at the very least.

Choso gets them cereal for breakfast and they discuss plans on how to proceed with each other.

"I can sense more of them than yesterday." Choso has acquired a lollipop, looking extremely pleased with the treat. "Curses. Strength wise they're coming close to what you called special grades yesterday."

"I see." Yuuji feels well rested and full enough after his cereal and cup of soy milk. It's dark outside by now but they suppose their simple meal counts as breakfast. "Where are we gonna stay next? I saw some good places last night."

"Dunno. You decide." Choso tosses the empty lollipop stick over his shoulder and gets up. "I'll be in the bathroom for a minute. If you wanna take anything from the store along, go and get it."

He leaves the room with a low yawn. They feel gross, honestly. They want new clothes at the very least, but there's probably no time to be nitpicky. They move to the front of the building and browse shelves. What kind of stuff could be useful? Oh. They could pack ingredients and make lunch later on. If they find anything potentially suitable as a weapon they're also taking it. Oh and… water bottles. Maybe bandages.

Then again, they can't bring too many things. A heavy bag would be a burden, nothing else.

"Do you want to bring anything?" Yuuji asks Choso once he emerges. By now they've sorted out essentials to take with them. Maybe they'll use the bath as well though.

"Let me see what you already got." Choso moves close to them and peeks into the bag. He hums, scanning the shop lazily.

"I'll use the bath for a moment." They inform and slip away. Oof. They wash their face and take a deep breath. Their clothes really are dirty, huh. They kinda stink.

Whatever. They can't complain when there's work to do.

Yuuji finishes up as much of his routine as he can in a tiny grocery shop bathroom and rejoins Choso quickly. He packed a variety of chocolate bars on top of their essentials.

Isn't he just predictable?

"Do we really need this?" Yuuji asks but already knows the answer.

"Yeah. I'm carrying the bag if you want." He lifts the paper shopping bag. Oh whatever.

"Alright, but no dropping it."

Yuuji's sense of time vanished sometime after eating yakisoba bread yesterday; they don't have any clue what time it is. All he knows is that the moon is bright and clear in the sky as they exterminate curses. Big, grotesque creatures.

It feels less amazing than yesterday. Their mind doesn't go blank like before. No, thoughts are constantly coursing around their brain to torture them.

Today it's mostly Gojou-sensei occupying their thoughts. If only they had their teacher. If only they could get their hands on that cursed cube. Once Gojou-sensei is back out they'll ask to be executed straight away.

The thought of that oddly enough makes them feel more at peace.

They need to die.

Sukuna must be erased.

They smash the head of some curse and join Choso on the bridge they're currently passing. They suppose they're a bit out of breath.

On the horizon, the sun is slowly rising once again.

"Yuuji. How are you feeling?" Choso plays with the wrapping paper of a chocolate bar. He's staring at the river below.

"I'm okay." They reply, because they're a good liar at times.

"Lies." Choso instantly accuses. "Do you think you can fool your own brother?"

Seen right through.

"I need to die." They're so tired of keeping everything inside. It's too much. They're gonna say it all. They're gonna let it out, to this almost complete stranger. "I'm a murderer, I don't deserve to live. I let Nanamin and Kugisaki die. I killed hundreds of people. I couldn't save Gojou-sensei. I… I'm nothing but a threat."

They're so pathetic.

Choso stuffs the chocolate bar wrapping back into their bag. He doesn't say anything as he approaches and hugs them tightly.

"I don't know much yet, Yuuji." He runs a hand through their hair. "You're possessed by a curse, though. Don't blame yourself for the things he did."

Choso doesn't know anything indeed.

"I'm supposed to keep him down." They argue but can't help melting into the embrace. He definitely has a way to make them feel calmer. "He's not supposed to come out."

"Yeah, I don't get it." Choso sighs in irritation. "What's most important right now is that he's back under control."

He's probably right. For now.

They need to be careful each time they devour a finger from now on. After all, they haven't had the last five of them yet; and they kind of can't die and leave even one digit behind.

"Also. The scale of what happened last night…" He keeps patting their head. They lean into the comforting touches. "The area was far too wide. It's unreasonable to think that you could have protected everyone dear to you."

Also true.

None of his words eases their guilt regardless.

It is still true that Nanami counts on them, though. And maybe Kugisaki, no matter the slim chances, is alive. Even if they don't plan on seeing anyone from school again, they feel easier knowing she might me okay.

Shouko-san is extremely powerful in her own regard after all.

"Thank you." They allow themself to hug him back. "Brother."

They want to ask him to not leave them but they're not that selfish. He's all they have left any more, but should he want to leave they won't stop him.

"Let's take a break." Choso suggests. Yeah, seems like a sound idea. There's no more curses around for now anyway.

"I'll make food." Yuuji could have hugged him for a bit longer, but they back off. "Let's find some place to stay."

"Lead the way." Choso is smiling for the first time since they've met him. They wonder what made him so happy. Maybe he loves hugs? That's cute.

They should indulge him more often if that's the case.

Yuuji checks left, then right. Yeah, they remember this place. There's a parking lot nearby. And if they recall correctly, there should be a hospital and a hotel not far from the bridge.

"Let's go." They grab at Choso's sleeve and tug once. "Don't forget the bag."

He keeps smiling the entire way to the hotel. At some point he stuffs another piece of chocolate into his mouth. This seems to be getting unhealthy, isn't it?

Then again, he isn't exactly human, is he? He looks like it, but his aura resembles a curse's. He's warm like a human, though. What exactly is he?

Curious as they may be, it's probably rude to ask. Maybe he'll tell them sometime. And if he doesn't then whatever.

He's their brother before anything else after all.

"Oh, these are amazing." Choso digs a hand into the bag once more and pulls forth yet another chocolate bar. It's wrapped in bright orange. He holds it out to them. "You should have one."

They take it, because why not? Though they only play around with the wrapping as they lead him towards the hotel.

"Wow, that's a huge building." He sounds impressed when the hotel comes into view.

In this kind of situation, they shouldn't feel proud of themself for finding a hotel, but well… they do. Choso didn't exactly praise them, but it sure feels like he did.

Heheh.

Yuuji is impressed that the electricity is still working. The massive hotel doors slide open when they approach. In apocalypse movies that'd be unthinkable.

And Shibuya looks exactly like a scene in one of those films now.

Thinking about it, electricity has no reason to be cut even if there's no people around any longer. They're happy it isn't.

By the looks of it there'll be TVs in each room. And luxurious beds. And showers! Maybe even baths!

It's likely the water supply is also intact, so they should be able to clean up. They can even wash their clothes!

Feels like paradise at the moment.

They unwrap the chocolate treat and stuff it into their mouth. It really does taste amazing.

"Let's wash our clothes." Yuuji snatches Choso's sleeve again to tug at it. He's been staring at everything in the grand reception hall, totally awed. Especially by the fountain.

It's like he's never seen one. But then again, he might not have?

"Right." He tears his eyes away from the fountain and follows them further into the hotel. Up the stairs they go.

There's quite a few rooms, some of them seemingly vacated in a rush. Yuuji settles on one that seems relatively untouched and clean.

Choso follows them in, setting the paper bag on a chair. There's only a single, king sized bed. Though there's also a couch and two love seats. It seems like an extremely luxurious hotel, huh?

There's even a fridge and, most importantly, a big TV.

Yeah, maybe they deserve to be proud to have found a place like this.

"You mentioned washing our clothes." Choso moves to the walk-in wardrobe of the hotel room. It's unsurprisingly empty though. "There's nothing to change into in the meantime, though. Shall I check the remaining rooms for clothes left behind?"

Since hijacking the store last night, they've wondered. They don't feel guilty like they should, but they're taking things that don't belong to them here.

That's not really okay, is it?

"Haven't we simply been stealing stuff?" Yuuji sits on the ground, legs crossed. "That's not okay."

Their words make him sigh. "There's no way around it. The bread you ate yesterday would have spoilt before anyone came to pick it up. The clothes here are people's least concern."

Fair point. Besides using clothes from strangers here can still be considered borrowing. Fine.

"Right, sorry." They grab for the remote and turn on the tv. Even the channels work perfectly. Some commercial for ice cream is playing on screen.

"So don't worry, Yuuji." Choso pats their head for a second. He glances at the TV. "Alright, I'll go and find some clean clothes. I won't be long."

"Thank you." Yuuji really appreciates it. They don't wanna move.

Choso leaves, moving sluggishly. They take off their shoes and toss them in the general direction of the door to the hallway. Ugh, stinks. But feels so great to take them off.

Ah, they're exhausted.

A show begins playing on TV. It's kinda lame, but they don't focus much on it anyway.

They said they'd make food, they even packed everything they need for one of their specialties and yet. They don't have a kitchen here.

Ugh, they're hungry.

"I found some hoodies." Choso waltzes back in after a while of them mulling over how to solve their problem. "You like those, right? Other things, too. They're all clean, don't worry."

He places the heap of clothes in his arms on the bed. Woah, he went all out there. The colourful mess on the bed distracts them from pondering.

"Some guests brought rations too." He continues, turning around and walking back out the room. "Mostly drinks but there's some food as well. Go ahead and use the bathroom if you want. I'll be right back."

Oh.

Yuuji rummages through the pile of clothes for something easy to wear. Something robust and flexible. A deep red hoodie stands out; it's a little big, but otherwise perfect. There's not much to choose from pants wise, but they find a pair of black ones that should do their job.

They gather the fresh clothes in their arms and proceed to the bathroom. It's clean and spacious. They are tempted to take a bath, but scold themself for it. No, a shower suffices.

They may have agreed to rest up here, but they don't have all the time in the world to slack off. Preferably they want to go back out there after a quick lunch. They can't imagine they'd got rid of all remaining curses yet.

Yuuji peels off their sweaty and dirty clothes, discarding them on the floor to wash later. They turn on the shower and let the warm water work it's wonders. Their entire body is sore.

Choso, they think as they use the soap provided by the hotel to scrub their body. Choso is continuously doing so many things for them. He doesn't ask for anything in turn. He's simply happy just being here with them.

They need to repay him somehow. If they can't make lunch, they'll wash his clothes and try to find new hair ties for him. Actually, they should make sure he doesn't keep his hair tied the entire time.

Doesn't he get headaches from it?

They wash their hair and sigh blissfully. Yeah, they'll try to look after Choso the way he does with them. It's the least they can do.

When they step out of the bathroom, dressed and refreshed, Choso is watching the awful tv show from earlier. Or maybe he's spacing out, they can't tell.

"The shower is free." They announce, immediately catching his attention. He nods and approaches them.

"Leave your old clothes on the ground. I'll wash them when you're done." They reach up towards his hair and remove the ties as gently as possible. His hair is a knotted mess though, so it probably stings a couple of times. Still, they manage to untame his hair eventually. "By the way, you shouldn't always wear these hair ties. Don't you get headaches?"

Choso's black hair half covers his face. It's a mess of knots. He blinks from behind some strands, eyes a little wide.

"Yuuji." A smile appears on his face, albeit a small one. "Thank you."

They grin as well, giving him the gentlest shove to urge him into the bathroom. "Yeah, yeah. Now go and get clean."

"Ahh, being the oldest can be so rewarding." He drags his feet moving into the bath. They close the door behind him.

Is this really what having an older sibling feels like? They've always imagined they'd get bullied if they had to live with an older sibling. They've always cringed at the idea.

This the exact opposite of what they've always thought it'd be like having to share the same parents with anyone. Choso is… appreciative. Kind. Protective. Caring and supportive.

They move to check the fridge. They'll whip something up, no matter how. With the bread they took along from the store and what all they find in the fridge they should at the very least be able to make some mediocre sandwiches.

They choose sandwich stuffings that'd fit well together and set them up on the table by the balcony. It's a bit hard to work without a knife or any utensils, but they manage to achieve decent results.

A few sandwiches sit on the table before them. Each has a different stuffing. They listen to the sounds of the shower and stare out the balcony windows.

This is…

Yuuji's always wanted to prepare some special stuffed bread for Nanami. It was his favourite, but… they never found the right time. Or any time at all. It's too late now.

They never got to give him a gift of gratitude for all he's done for them.

They try to gulp down the disgusting lump in their throat, to no avail. Tomatoes, boiled eggs, lots of cheese and lettuce and… all that inside a baguette…

Why are they crying again? Because Nanami would have loved the sandwich they had in mind?

Pathetic. They're pathetic.

Always crying.

They're not sure they can stomach the food they made any longer.

Unappealing. That's all it is now. They're not hungry any more either. In fact, they need to--

Yuuji hurries to get up and turn their back to the food. They can't stand looking at it. No.

Nanamin…

The sounds in the bathroom die down. Yuuji goes to sit on the bed. Well. Choso can eat all of their breads. They just wanna sit here for a while and. Cry.

And exist for no reason.

The bathroom door opens. Choso steps out, wearing a long, plush bathing robe. It reminds Yuuji of the outfit he wore before in a way. Hmm.

His hair also sticks to his head, giving him a wet dog look. They'd laugh at it, but they can't even lift either corner of their mouth. Heavy.

They flop down and curl up. They won't see any one from Jujutsu tech again. They firmly decided on that, yes, but it hurts. Especially Megumi.

They miss him pretty bad.

"Are you crying again, Yuuji?" Choso doesn't sound like he's mocking them. Or teasing. No, he's concerned, his voice soft. He's approaching the side of the bed they're curled up on.

They mutely nod, letting him touch them. He runs a hand through their damp hair.

"Want to tell me what's on your mind?" He's so gentle urging them to speak.

"He's not coming back. I never got to…" They can't help a sob escaping them. "Never got to thank him. I can't… I'm too late."

"I'm sure he knows." Choso sits on the bed, next to their head. "Gratefulness is a feeling. It can be understood without words."

"I miss him, Choso." They turn their head so they can look at him. "So much."

"He must have meant a lot to you." Choso muses. "So he must have been a good person. He wouldn't want you to cry for him. Or for you to give up."

He's right. So right.

They sit up, aware that Nanami counts on them once more. What are they doing, coming to a halt over some sandwiches? They inwardly apologize to Nanami.

They'll need the energy. They must eat.

"You're right." Yuuji hugs him for a single moment, getting up right after. "Thank you, Choso. I made food, let's eat."

Choso simply hums and follows them to the table. They sit across of him, watching as he inspects every single sandwich carefully. Looks like he's got a hard time deciding which one to pick.

Regardless they'll wait until he's taken one. He's got to choose first after all. They made the food for him to enjoy.

He picks a tuna sandwich and they're secretly glad he didn't pick the one they had their eyes on. Heh.

Eating with him makes them feel less guilty for feasting here. It's almost… nice. Sharing a meal.

Afterwards they'll do their other chores, as promised. They should also try to find a brush; they can't stand looking at Choso's hair for much longer.

"This is good." Choso speaks with his mouth full. "Thank you, Yuuji."

They chow on their mixed bean sandwich and nod. Of course. Sandwiches are simple but they never get old.

Once Yuuji's done eating they feel somewhat better. Must be true that a full belly makes one happier. Though it also makes one sleepy at times.

They definitely feel their eyelids become heavy this time. Ugh. No, they must stay awake.

"By the way, you should get some actual clothes." They watch Choso stretch on his chair.

He looks down at the bathing robe pensively. "Hm yeah. I'll find some before we go back out. There's still no curses anywhere close."

That's fair, they suppose. Bathing robes are extremely comfy and soft.

They're taking a break here anyway so it's whatever. Yuuji gets up to start on the laundry. Choso stares at the TV again, getting absorbed into a comedy show.

Time passes slowly for a while. Yuuji manages to remove most stains and dirt from the laundry. Choso has dozed off when they return from the bathroom, wet clothes in their hands. They move quietly, hanging everything up to dry on the balcony.

Choso peacefully sleeps despite them moving around. His head is on the table, damp hair covering his face entirely now.

Hmm…

If he's sleeping so well, they'll go ahead and figure out how to deal with his hair. It looks real soft like this; it must be fun to brush.

Yuuji enters the bathroom once again, searching for something usable for his endeavours. And, because this place has everything, there is indeed a narrow comb. It's new, hasn't even been unwrapped. Probably also an item that comes with this room. Just like the soap and towels and Choso's bathrobe.

They tear off the plastic encasing the comb and head back to the main room. Their brother is still asleep. They turn off the TV and get behind him.

Should they wait or just begin even though he's asleep? They quickly decide for the latter option. They'll be real gentle and careful… Choso won't wake up. He won't feel the comb in his hair!

Except he does almost immediately. They slide the comb through a strand of hair across his nape and hit a knot.

They pull at his hair by mistake therefore. It causes him to groan. Slowly he raises his head and gives them a bleary gaze. "What are you doing?"

"Your hair, I." They lower the comb, a bit embarrassed.

"Oh okay." He slurs and lays his head back down. Is he really that exhausted? Maybe it wasn't the fact that he ate his fill after all. Maybe his technique and all the fighting is taking a bit of a toll on him? "Go on, then."

They do. They comb, slowly, gently. They watch at how smooth and shiny his hair becomes the longer they work on it. He falls asleep again sometime in between comb strokes, snoring softly.

Maybe it'd be best to go out by themself this time? He doesn't have anything to do with their goals. Even if they somewhat accept him as brother, it's their burden to carry. Alone.

They set the comb down. While they're at it, they could probably procur some more rations. They make for the door, sneaking out stealthily. For a moment, they wait, but nothing moves behind the door to the room.

Maybe he'll be angry when they return, but they can't sit still right now. They're cleaned up, rested and all. There's no more time to waste idling around.

And so Yuuji is off.

They return hours later with a backpack full of snacks and whatever else they managed to find. Their trip didn't really go as planned; fighting without Choso is more different than they thought. It's not exactly harder, just more annoying to take out curses alone.

It takes a lot more time to finish a wave of first grades being all alone.

There's a gash across their chest. It's not deep, but it's there. And it's bleeding.

Choso sits by the lobby's fountain when they return in the evening. He spots them almost instantly and hurries to their side. He's fuzzing over them, looking so worried that they feel terrible.

"Why'd you leave?" He asks, grabbing their shoulders. His hands are shaking. "You should have woken me. It's dangerous out there, Yuuji."

He likes hugs, their brain provides. They move half a step forward and wrap both arms around him to comfort him. The shirt he's wearing now makes for a great spot to hide their face in. They're tired now.

"I'm sorry." They mutter. "I won't do it again."

"I'm just glad you're safe." Choso hugs them back, but doesn't squeeze them too hard. They love his hugs. So gentle.

He's taking deep breaths and the shaking subsides. After a minute or two he retreats a step to gauge the seriousity of their minor injury.

"Let's get that wrapped up." He puts a hand on their back. "Can you walk?"

They have to smile. He's seriously so caring and forgiving.

"Yeah, it takes more to sway me." They nod and let him guide them towards the stairs.

He hasn't tied his hair back up, they notice. It's dry now, shining under the hallway lights. They don't think about anything and touch it.

It feels light as a feather. So smooth.

"Oh right." Choso opens the door and makes sure they step into the room before he does. "My hair has never looked like this. Thank you."

He makes them sit down on the bed and saunters around, finding a first aid kit and various other things. Isn't he overdoing it? Though he has been like that since he decided they're his sibling…

"It's fine. I just thought it might be more comfortable like this." Yuuji pulls the torn hoodie over their head and toss it to the ground. They'll need another. And they really liked that one too.

Damned curse.

They zone out while Choso does his best to clean their wound and wrap it. He obviously doesn't have much experience but he's doing his best. It doesn't really matter; Yuuji's healing properties have increased after ingesting ten fingers at once.

It would be just as good to leave it as is and wait for a few hours. They won't tell him that, though. He's totally in the zone and it's endearing.

"By the way, I brought some stuff." They look at the backpack they discarded on the ground once Choso is finally done. They grab it and place it on their lap. Colourful treats almost spill out when they open the zip. "I thought you might like these, so--"

But Choso has stopped listening to them. His eyes seem to sparkle; he takes out snack after snack. Each of the sweets is mustered carefully and added to the pile beside the backpack.

Haha, he really is such a junky for sweet stuff.

"That's a lot." He blinks at them. "Thank you."

He got them all out. Inside the backpack only more nourishing food and drinks remain.

Choso already snacks away on some rainbow coloured marshmallow. He looks like he's on cloud nine, haha.

Yuuji is also a little hungry, so they dig around the backpack as well. They find a pack of dried meat and some bread sticks. Nice.

They begin eating, not giving a damn that they're getting crumbs on the bed. The meat is delicious and their stomach is happy.

"Tomorrow, let's search underground." They gulp a piece of meat down and retrieve a bottle of water. "We haven't been to the subway stations yet."

"No, we're not moving tomorrow." Choso decides and pokes the bandages around their chest. "Not until you're better."

Ugh, of course he'd say that. This is nothing, though! They've dealt with so much worse.

"Not even a scouting trip?" They wonder why they feel like they gotta do as he says. Older brother rights or whatever.

"Okay, fine. But no fighting for you." Choso collects his snacks and puts them on the nightstand. He licks his lips, content.

"Alright, alright." They roll their eyes and flop onto their back. Such a soft bed. So tired.

They close their eyes.

About twelve hours later, Okkotsu Yuta appears.

An hour after that, they die.

Then they come back to life, confused. Their emotions are a whirlwind. Megumi is there and Okkotsu isn't an enemy after all and…

They lost Choso. He isn't there with them. Last time they saw him, he was fighting some Zen'in person.

Even after receiving a hug from Megumi, they feel uneasy. His comforting words touch their heart as always but…

Is Choso even alive?

Okkotsu is talking of the sorcery world and things that have happened in the past few days. He lays out plans on what to do from here on out. Megumi asks for their help regarding an urgent issue regarding his sister.

It's then that they feel a familiar aura.

Choso, alive and well, joins their little group.

All of them travel to the now mostly vacated sorcery school in Tokyo.

Maki-senpai and the woman who appeared back in Shibuya to talk to Getou are already waiting there.

There's talk of a potential way to get Gojou-sensei back, which fills them with hope.

"So, by the way." Maki then asks after Choso revealed to be key in their plans. "Who even is that guy?"

They don't have to think twice to answer that. By now they're so sure of the bond between him and them.

"He's basically my older brother!"

Barely anything that ever left their mouth has felt like more of the truth.