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“No one can know you’re alive, alright Yuji-kun?” Gojo crossed his arms over his chest, the corners of his lips quirked up slightly.
“Ah… sensei…” Yuji let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly and avoiding looking at Gojo.
“Yes, Yuji-kun?”
“I may have… called Fushiguro and left a voicemail. So, he definitely knows I’m alive, and naturally so will Kugisaki.”
“When did you do that? How did you do that?” Gojo’s voice took a surprised tone.
“Earlier I asked Ieiri-san for her phone and she let me borrow it.” Yuji shrugged and finally looked up. It was hard to gauge what his sensei was feeling with the blindfold covering his eyes, from which he would normally discern an expression or emotion.
“Ah, well, I suppose that can’t be helped,” Gojo let out an exaggeratedly heavy sigh and dropped his arms, sticking his hands in his pockets and leaning back against the wall. “I will speak with them myself, ask them to keep that information to themselves. No one else can know.”
“Why not, sensei?”
“It’s too dangerous, Yuji-kun,” Gojo explained gently. “The higher-ups, those bastards, have it out for you. I want you to get a little stronger before I bring you back into the game, understand? At least then you’ll be able to defend yourself better against whatever they decide to toss at you. The less people know you’re alive, the better. Not that I suspect anyone would rat you out to those fuckers, it’s just safer that way.”
“Understood! You’re training me, Gojo-sensei?” Yuji’s eyes practically sparkled.
“Indeed I am, Yuji-kun! You get the strongest sorcerer as your sensei, isn’t that awesome?”
“So cool!” Yuji nodded, a bright beam on his face.
Megumi frowned at his phone, seeing a message from Shoko. He didn’t recall a single time she had called him, and didn’t know why she would right now. “Kugisaki, I have a voicemail from Ieiri-san…” He spoke to the girl sitting opposite him at the table in the student kitchen.
“From Ieiri-san?” Nobara’s eyebrows furrowed and she lifted her gaze up from her nails, which she had been painting so carefully in a shimmering purple colour (that her and Yuji had picked out together). “That’s… weird.”
“Yeah.”
“Well?” She huffed impatiently, brushing her hair out of her eyes with her unpainted hand. “Play it! I’m curious now!”
“Fine, fine.” Megumi grumbled, turning up the volume on his phone and tapping the message.
“Fushiguro.”
Megumi’s phone slipped out of his hands at the sound of Yuji’s voice. The boy he had watched bleed out right in front of him, the one who told him to live a long life and then dropped dead at his feet. Nobara had a similarly shocked expression on her face, the nail polish long abandoned as her eyes widened.
“Ah, you’re probably really confused right now,” Megumi heard that familiar huff of laugher and he swore his heart skipped a beat because only a day ago, he was convinced he would never hear it again. “To be completely honest, I… I’m really confused too. I remember dying, I – I don’t really know how I’m here right now, only that it must have something to do with Sukuna.”
“Of course,” Nobara breathed. “That ass Sukuna.”
“I woke up right as Ieiri-san was about to dissect me. I think I gave them all a shock, just sitting up like that out of nowhere, I think Ijichi-san might have pissed his pants.” Another laugh, and this time Megumi felt his own lips curling up in amusement. Nobara let out a little giggle, hiding her mouth behind her hand as she gazed at the phone with suspiciously bright eyes that Megumi was not going to comment on, because he actually feared for his life.
“Uh, so yeah… I – I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back to the school, I’ll speak to Gojo-sensei about that. I just wanted to tell you I wasn’t dead… it didn’t feel right to keep quiet about something like that. Tell Kugisaki I’ll see you guys soon!”
And the message ended.
“He’s –”
“He’s alive,” Megumi nodded, and then his phone started buzzing. “Gojo?” He frowned at the contact name, tapping the green icon, and putting it on speaker so Nobara could hear.
“Megumi!”
“Gojo.” Megumi greeted.
“I assume by now you’ve already listened to that message, haven’t you?” Gojo’s knowing voice filtered through.
“Yeah. He’s alive, we know.”
“We? Ah, of course, you’re both there. I was not initially planning on you two knowing Yuji-kun was alive, but before I could tell him that, he’d already contacted you. You cannot, under any circumstances, tell anyone of this,” Gojo explained, his voice hardening. “The higher-ups are after him, and I need him to get stronger before they can know he’s alive, understood?”
“Yeah, we got it.” Nobara nodded, picking up her nail polish brush again.
“When do we get to see him?” Megumi asked.
“Not for a while,” Gojo’s tone took an apologetic turn. “Sorry, but he needs to train and I’ll probably send him on some missions to get him stronger. He can’t see anyone during that time, it’s way too risky. I’m planning for him to come back during the event with the Kyoto School, so you’ll see him then. Gives you all plenty of time to train and get stronger.”
“Two months? We have to wait two months?” Megumi found himself surprised at the ache that bellowed in his chest, the longing to see Yuji again after he witnessed his heart being ripped out and his eyes fade of the brightness that often occupied them. He was surprised how much he wanted to hug Yuji, feel his warmth and his heartbeat.
“What is that I detect in your voice, Megumi?” Gojo teased and Megumi’s longing turned into scorn and his faint smile melted into a scowl.
“Shut up. We can’t even keep in contact with him?”
“Too risky!” Gojo repeated in a sing-song tone. “Even this conversation we’re having right now is too risky. Your senpais can’t know he’s alive either, understand? I have to go now. Take care.”
And he hung up.
“I hate Gojo sometimes.” Nobara sighed wearily.
“Try living with and being raised by the guy.” Megumi groaned.
“You were what?”
I could really use a hug right now, Yuji thought, laid in his bed, arms crossed over his chest and his eyes wide open, no trace of sleepiness in his body despite it being very late, or early depending on how you looked at it.
There was no way he could sleep, not after that had happened just a few days ago. Not after Junpei. Not after that humanoid curse with a patchwork face. Every time he drifted a little into the dark abyss, his unconscious moments were plagued with everything from that night, from seeing Junpei morph into what the curse turned him into, to his last breaths begging to be relieved from what he had been turned into.
Yuji remembered sadness… he remembered rage, oh the rage, it had burned so painfully in his chest. The only thing he could think of was making the curse pay for that it had done to Junpei, to his friend. The one he’d spent hours talking about movies with, whose mother invited him over for dinner, who died and Yuji was helpless to stop it. He’d never felt so weak.
The rage was gone now. It was sadness now. He was grieving for a friend whose life was ended far earlier than it should have. Staring up at the ceiling now, he could feel the tears prick at the corners of his eyes and a shaky breath left his chapped lips. He lifted his hand, clenching the fingers into a fist and examined the bruises on his knuckles. Shoko had healed the holes left behind after the fight but he took his anger out on a punching bag after and the pain had helped. He didn’t need to be healed, not from that. He didn’t deserve to be healed.
God, he really wanted a hug right now. Wanted to feel warm arms wrapped around him, a hand running through his hair and whispers of assurance, even if they were fake assurances. He just wanted someone to be there for him. He didn’t want to burden Nanami or Gojo with how he was feeling, he knew they had a lot to deal with other than him, it didn’t feel right. He couldn’t contact Megumi or Nobara, so he simply had to suffer in silence.
It was fine.
He was fine.
He had to be.
Oh, Megumi thought, there he is.
Thankfully, it wasn’t another one of Gojo’s ridiculous plans, because if he knew his guardian, and liked to think he did, he would have had Yuji pop out of some sort of cart for the drama. But thankfully, Yuji and Gojo simply strolled up to them right before the students from the Kyoto school showed up.
Megumi knew Yuji was alive, he had heard his voice and even Gojo confirmed it, but knowing something and seeing it were two very different things, and now that he was seeing Yuji with his own eyes, he could feel a knot coming loose from around his heart, could feel a weight on his shoulder vanishing at the sight of those bright eyes and that beam that he thought he’d never see again.
“Yo!” Yuji lifted a scarred hand in greeting and Megumi wanted so badly to inquire about the bruises on his knuckles and the sadness behind his smile, but he figured maybe now wasn’t the best time, not in front of everyone, and not just after they’d seen each other for the first time in two months. Maybe later.
“Aren’t you… supposed to be dead?” Panda asked. “Isn’t he supposed to be dead?”
“A panda?” Yuji’s eyes widened and he took a step back. “Sensei!”
“Yuji-kun, these are your senpais. This is Panda, this is cursed speech user Inumaki Toge, and that is cursed tool user Zenin Maki,” Gojo introduced them. “Second years, this is Sukuna’s vessel Itadori Yuji! He’s, as you can see, very much alive.”
“Yeah, no shit,” Maki drawled. “You don’t seem very surprised.” She directed to Nobara and Megumi.
“We knew he was alive.” Megumi admitted.
“Yeah, he told us. And then Gojo-sensei said we weren’t supposed to tell anyone,” Nobara sighed. “I would have told you otherwise, Maki-san!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Maki waved her off but Megumi could see the smile growing on her face.
“It’s nice to meet you all!” Yuji beamed at them.
“So what can you do, Itadori Yuji? What can you provide to this team for the event today?” Maki crossed her arms over her chest, an inquisitive look on her face.
“Uh – I can punch and kick…” Yuji answered in an almost questioning way.
“I trained Yuji-kun myself!” Gojo wrapped an arm around Yuji’s shoulders, beaming brightly.
“Maki-san, I don’t know how much he’s improved, but he could probably take on everyone from Kyoto.” Megumi murmured to the older, who hummed in contemplation, nodding her head slightly.
“Hmm, I see,” Maki looked up from the ground and met Yuji’s eyes sharply. “I have a plan for you, but we can leave that for after. I see the Kyoto students approaching.”
The next chance Megumi had to talk to Yuji, alone, was after the event was over. After they had had to fight a special grade curse and Gojo wrecked half of the forest with his technique. Megumi had been forced to stop fighting earlier than he would have liked because the bud growing inside him would have ripped him apart had he continued to use cursed energy.
He had to step back and let Yuji and Todo handle it. Step back and willingly let Yuji into danger, danger way worse than anything they’d faced in the past.
And now he was laying in his bed, Yuji only a wall away. Him being next door was more torturous than Megumi was expecting it to be, for him to be so close and yet not close enough. He had had enough, sitting up and wincing slightly, pressing a hand against his abdomen, which still ached a little, even after Shoko had healed it with reverse cursed technique.
Heaving himself onto his feet, Megumi walked to the door and opened it, stepping in the dark hallway, barely illuminated by the faint light from the moon and some lampposts not too far away. There was no light coming from Yuji’s room, but there was a light in the kitchen. Megumi knew Yuji tended to venture into the kitchen late at night to snack. Must be him then.
A short walk down the corridor later, and he was sliding the door to the kitchen open and leaning against the doorway to watch Yuji rifle through the fridge, only the back of his hair and a faded hoodie shown. The lighting was dim in the room and once Yuji closed the fridge; it got even darker. The pink haired boy’s eyes widened when he saw Megumi and he took the chopsticks out of his mouth, lifting a hand in greeting. “Fushiguro, hey.”
“Late night snack?” Megumi asked, pushing himself off the doorway.
“Instant ramen. Want some?” Yuji gestured to the boiling kettle and the opened ramen container on the kitchen island in front of him.
“I’m good,” Megumi shook his head, sitting opposite to where Yuji was standing, a hand still on his abdomen. “Thanks.” He added quietly.
“Yeah,” Yuji hummed, turning away to take the kettle after it finished boiling and pour hot water onto his ramen before he covered it with the lid and returned the kettle, sitting in front of Megumi. “Ieiri-san healed you, yeah? Are you –”
“I’m okay. Just sore.” Megumi crossed his arms on the table, tapping his fingers on the cool ceramic top.
“That’s good. You had me worried there.” Yuji smiled but it wasn’t the smile Megumi remembered. It was sadder almost but at the same time it was relieved.
“Did… did something happen?” Megumi asked hesitantly. “During those two months?”
“Why do you ask?” Yuji looked down at his ramen, removing the lid and stirring it with his chopsticks.
“You have a different look in your eyes. Your smile’s different too. Your – your whole demeanour, Itadori, it’s changed.” Megumi said softly, aching to stretch his hand out and take the others in it.
“Yuji,” he replied, just as soft. “I think we’ve past the point of you calling me Itadori.” He lifted his gaze slightly and plastered a small smile on his face, this one felt more genuine than the last one.
“Yuji,” Megumi tested it out, seeing the smile on Yuji’s face grow bigger ever-so-slightly. “Megumi, then.”
“Megumi,” Yuji nodded. “Different how?”
“It’s… you seem sadder.” The darker haired boy exhaled.
“You can tell?”
Only because it’s you, Megumi thought, but he wasn’t even denying it and maybe that hurt more.
“Yeah. It’s not like how you were before.” Megumi explained. “So… I’m guessing something did happen.”
“Yeah,” Yuji sighed, looking away and taking a bite of his noodles. “It did.”
“Is it something you want to talk about?”
“Maybe,” Yuji swirled his noodles around, staring at the broth. “I haven’t really… talked about it. To anyone. Gojo-sensei and Nanamin… they – they’re busy, I don’t want to bother them with this –”
“Lucky for you, I am neither of those. You’re never bothering me.”
“Never?” Yuji looked up, a teasing tone in his words.
“Never.” Megumi replied vehemently, which seemed to surprise Yuji a little. He put the chopsticks down and stopped stirring, clasping his hands together tightly.
“Gojo-sensei had something to do so he left me with Nanamin. Nanami Kento, grade one sorcerer. He’s really cool. I like him,” Yuji smiled faintly. “We… had a mission. And it involved another guy… who was my age. Long story short, I – uh – I couldn’t save him. He died.” Yuji whispered.
“Do you know who –”
“Yeah,” Yuji gritted out. “I do. I do know. A humanoid special grade curse with a patchwork face.”
“Special grade?” Megumi breathed out; eyes wide.
“He got away. But I – I’ll get him next time.”
“I know you will. You’ll have me next time, of course you’ll get him,” Megumi said firmly and Yuji met his determined gaze and saw him holding a hand out, which he took curiously, only for Megumi to lace their fingers together and lay it on the island between them. “You’re not alone anymore.”
“Thank you,” Yuji murmured. “Thank you, Megumi.”