Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Looking back to all that transpired over the year, the most fucked up year any sorcerer who has miraculously survived it would call, and then looking to where they are now it feels crazy. Impossibly, absolutely, completely, outrageously crazy for the lack of better word.

Yuuji cannot say or do anything else other than be grateful. Reminding himself to always be grateful for whatever is left for him, for the people around him who are still alive…as alive as they can be. None of them is still the same person as they were a year ago. Long past all the final battles leading up to this point, the culling game, and even back to the Shibuya incidents. None of them is still intact and untouched, having lost some or too many parts of themselves, figuratively for everyone without exception, literally for some of them. Bodies and souls are carved with too many wounds, some of the physical ones will heal with what's left of their cursed energy and time and the help of advanced medicine, while other wounds…deep inside their hearts and minds that no one, not even the strongest reverse cursed technique user, would be able to reach to help and heal. They might heal with time or fester into something worse. They might heal only when they themselves want to and open themselves to the help of others. The people that are still around they still could trust. For so many of them, those trusted ones have all but gone. Though the rest of them are still lucky enough to have their dear ones within sight.

For some of them, their loved ones come back from the dead…quite literally.

Be grateful for the living, for the present, for the second, or third, or fourth, or the millionth chance of life he is so undeservedly bestowed by the Heavens, Yuuji thinks to himself. As much as he thinks he is the last person on this earth to deserve a life after all this and still has people who care about him, he can do nothing else but keep on living.

Truthfully, he’s tired, completely exhausted.

Tired of blaming himself. Tired of thinking the what-ifs. Tired of feeling regrets. Tired of feeling this void deep within the recesses of his heart that can no longer be filled no matter what without the presence of a few people he holds very dear, who will never come back. The people who he thought…he thinks deserve so much more of this chance at second life than him.

If the Heavens still want him to live despite all that he had caused, willingly or not, then he will live. If only for the sake of the people who are still around him. And just like how he always does things in the 16 years of his life, he will do his best and try not to regret it so much.

As for those who have passed before him, he can do nothing but offer them prayers, every single day, and hopes that they will reach them somehow. No matter how naïve he feels, he reminds himself time and again that he still needs to live for the sake of them. If only to justify to himself why he, of all people, is still blessed to be breathing.

Maybe both his grandparents had accumulated so much merits in their lives to grand him this. That’s what he makes himself think nowadays if only to make it at least a little bit helpful to sleep at night.

“So where’s that big bro of yours? I thought you guys were like…joined at the hip or something.” Maki’s voice enters his peripheral mind, snapping him out of his another bout of zoning out and spiraling.

His mind grasps back to the present. To the four-corner of his room back at the boys' dorm in Jujutsu Tech. The pelting of afternoon summer rain outside, the soft pitter-patter heard against the window along the occasional ‘thud thud thud’ of tree branches when the wind slices through them, add to the calming noise surrounding him. The afternoon sunlight seeps its way in through ventilation and colored glass panes of his windows, splashing the grey walls with patches of gold, light orange, sapphire, and, emerald hues.

Everything feels so alive. Somber, yet alive nonetheless.

His room is cramped now with Maki, Okkotsu, Inumaki, Megumi, and Panda. Megumi is sitting cross-legged beside him. His unruly hair is tamer and still damp from after-training shower, dropping on his head and his long bangs covering some part of his face, sharper now at the angles. Yuuji refuses to think it’s due to his weight loss, because who hasn’t lost a pound or two during this year, and opts to think it’s because Megumi has grown, just like all of them. Becoming more of a man than their younger selves before, as harsh as the environment they all had lived and pushed through to finally get to this point. A black towel circles around Megumi’s neck, catching the occasional dripping water from his hair that has yet to dry. The other boy’s sleek black new smartphone in one hand, his thumb continuously scrolling on the screen. More out of boredom than actually looking at it, proven by how fast he’s scrolling it. It’s obvious his mind is elsewhere at the moment.

Okkotsu sits beside Megumi, wearing a plain white t-shirt with a single picture of huge onigiri and the cute calligraphy of “I love onigiri”. The collar, wide and hangs low around his neck, revealing his tanned collarbone and accentuating his broad set of shoulders. The shirt is just a little bit on the smaller size of what Yuuji usually sees his senpai wear under his white Jujutsu Tech jacket, his muscled arms hugging the sleeves tight. Okkotsu’s back is pressed against Yuuji’s bed, his eyes closed. A mop of jet-black hair, now slightly longer that it almost touches the older boy’s shoulders, is also still wet from the after-training shower. Even longer than Maki’s current hairstyle. Nowadays, Okkotsu has started to tie his hair, or half of his hair, up to a tiny ponytail while training. He leans his head to the back where Inumaki helps dry his hair with a pink towel while occasionally also massaging the older’s temples. There’s a slight tilt of content at the corner of Okkotsu’s lips, his visage reflecting blatantly how much he enjoys this attention lavished at him from the cursed speech user. Yuuji pays rapt attention to these two and can’t help but feel how domestic the view in front of him is, so soft, delicate, and full of care.

Inumaki himself is lying on Yuji’s bed, while his hands…yes, both of his hands, carefully threading the raven locks before him, The left hand, a prosthetic one is attached to a prosthetic arm. It looks almost like a real human hand from afar, courtesy to Ieiri combined with the latest orthopaedic technology from Germany that the doctor somehow had gotten her hands into with the help of her sorcerer colleague living overseas, yet upon touching you’ll figure out immediately that the cold arm comprises nothing but synthetic skin, stainless steels, plastics, and other metallic alloys Yuuji would have no idea about. It’s good enough to be functional as much as a normal hand for holding and grasping things. Yuuji knows Inumaki, Okkotsu, and Ieiri have been training it to perform lighter tasks and this is part of it. By how much Okkotsu seems to be enjoying the ministrations, it’s safe to say that Inumaki has gotten better control of it. His pretty face and big round eyes scrunch up in full concentration to give the right amount of pressure and balance the task between his old and new hand.

Maki, on the other hand, is sprawled on the floor on her stomach, across from Megumi, Inumaki, and Okkotsu with Yuuji sitting in between. Panda perches on the small of her back, punching her upper back repeatedly with his tiny fists to give her a massage. It is overall a hilarious image because Panda looks more like a cute high-tech robotic plushy a rich kid could afford for a Christmas gift than a mighty cursed corpse, yet Yuuji glances at it with slight envy, thinking the massage must be good on his back too. However, there’s no way he’d be brave enough to ask that favor from his senpai, no matter how much smaller Panda still is.

Maki repeats the question again when she thinks Yuuji didn’t hear the first time, one of her hands languidly flipping the shounen magazine before him while the other dips into the bowl of roasted sunflower seeds beside her. The myriads of burn scars crisscrossing her arms are as bright as ever, uncovered by her sleeveless black shirt for every eye to see, along with the jagged ones on her face. Ieiri has offered to fix them, to make them fade out a little, but was met with instant rejection from Maki. None of the boys asked for that either. The reverse cursed technique might as well be spared for anything else that is more important and urgent.

They all live with these scars, somehow. The indelible proof of what they had been through and had become.

Yuuji clears his throat before answering. “I don’t know, haven’t since him since after breakfast. He did say he had a meeting with Noritoshi-senpai, Ijichi-san, and the others.” He furrows his eyebrows, “And we’re not joined at the hip, Maki-senpai.”

Maki just snorts at his answer, focusing back on reading her magazine.

“By others you mean Satoru too?” She asks again after a beat of silence.

“Mn.” This time it is Megumi who confirms.

Maki briefly glances at Megumi, “Hm…that means it must be about that, right?”

“About what?” Yuuji asks back.

Choso didn’t mention what the meeting would be about and Yuuji doesn’t have the habit of prying.  Ever since all this fiasco had stopped, they all joined forces to pick up and mend whatever else they could around them and that extended to the Death Painting too, keeping them all busy day and night while still recovering to some degree. Consequently, Yuuji and Choso are unable to spend much time together and talk more than necessary. He’s aware of how much that actually bothers the older man and admittedly he, too, begins to feel the same. Yet on the other side, Yuuji feels relieved to have more time with his own thoughts, to sort out every jumbled mess still entangled in his mind and heart, as he doesn’t want Choso to constantly hover around him and worry himself to the bone.

While Yuuji is immensely grateful that he still has someone he can call a family who cares about him so much to the point of sacrificing himself for Yuuji after all these disasters, no matter how odd, unbelievable, and one-sided the situation is, he can’t deny that Choso’s attention to him could be very overwhelming most of the times, bordering on being a mother-hen. Something that Yuuji had never been exposed to all his life, before this. His grandfather, while without question loved him so much, had always had more of a tough-love approach while raising him. The old man had never really babied him even when Yuuji was still a baby. Something that Choso, on the opposite, seems to never be able to do.

And on top of it all, Yuuji wishes Choso could start taking more care of his own well-being too, to start with his own life that doesn’t involve worrying his own lips to the point of bleeding at the slightest sign of Yuuji being unwilling to finish his meal for once.

Maki just shrugs nonchalantly, “If your brother is invited and Satoru is there as well, then surely it’s about their position in the current jujutsu society.”

“Their?” Yuuji follows right after, raising an eyebrow.

Maki rolls her eyes at him, “Stupid. Your big bro and Satoru’s boy toy of course, who else?”

It’s not news to Yuuji at this point, but the amount of venom and disrespect oozing from Maki’s last words when referring to that certain man still makes him flinch every time.

“Don’t call him that, Maki-san.” Megumi says, tone clipped and ladened with ice.

The room lapses into a sudden, uncomfortable silence. The atmosphere turns heavy out of the blue, so much so that Okkotsu, whom Yuuji thought had fallen asleep, raises his head and opens an eye. Inumaki also stops massaging the older boy’s head, his hands drop to Okkotsu’s shoulders while staring at the two cousins. Panda is still punching Maki’s back, now onto her shoulders, acting indifferent but still keeping his ears on.

Maki casts her cousin a sidelong glance, “And why is that, Megumi-chan?” There’s a slight mocking tone in there which Megumi definitely doesn’t appreciate, if the crick on his jaw isn't obvious enough.

“I’ll call that jerk whatever I want.”

“You totally know Gojo-sensei won’t appreciate it.” Megumi keeps his voice steady, “And like it or not he’s much older than you, and after all that he’d done-”

“I could care less about that.” Maki cuts him off, now glaring at the younger boy. “Come on, don’t be so naïve as to think all that happened up to this point wasn’t tied to those two, Toji’s involvement aside. If only back then Satoru would just-”

“That’s highly understating all the thousand years of fate that circumvent those old curses, Tengen-sa-”

“Fate?!”

Megumi just glares back as fervently, before exhaling deeply. “Is there any use of pointing fingers now? We didn’t know what they had been through back then, none of us would.”  Megumi suddenly sounds very tired. His shoulders slump while he runs one of his hands down his face. None of the other senpais say anything or try to diffuse the tense atmosphere. Yuuji can do nothing but stare back and forth at his best friend and senpai. Inwardly agrees with Megumi but not brave enough to voice it out, lest he just makes it worse. He disagrees with Maki because he believes, of all the people directly involved with how this started, it shouldn’t be pinned on their Sensei. If anything, for Yuuji it all started because he dumbly swallowed Sukuna’s finger back then, despite all of Megumi’s warnings. Even if he himself was created for the sole purpose of being Sukuna’s vessel, it still wouldn’t have happened if he’d simply had more awareness of safety and self-preservation.

And Megumi wouldn’t have been implicated either.  

“I would never know how it felt to be the receiving end of Geto Suguru’s attack back then.” Megumi carefully glances at Okkotsu then to Inumaki and lastly Panda, then turns back to Maki. “But don’t you think he had paid enough? Gojo-sensei still killed the man, as per order, even if it also killed some part of him with it.” At these words, Yuuji could hear Okkotsu’s breath hitch softly. He sees how the older exchange glances with Inumaki, who is now sitting cross-legged on top of his bed.

“And instead of finally resting, he had his body used against his will, against Gojo-sensei once again, and then came back just to kill himself again so we could all get the upper hand…And now he still has to live with all the impact, fully knowing he had caused the demise of those he once held dear to himself, directly or not.” Megumi continues, his face now grim. Yuuji knows he refers to Nanami and Gojo as well to some extent. Though this feels less and less about Geto than it is about him and Megumi.

Maki seems to have something to retort but decides to stay silent and hears.

“Maki-san, doesn’t that mean you also think Yuuji and I are the same as him?”

“That’s ridiculous! You do realize your situation is completely different-”

“Does it matter how it started? The point is he had no say about it, couldn’t do anything about it, just like Yuuji and I, the end result is the same. Even if it wasn’t Geto-san’s body, that bastard would’ve found another body to use for his plan. It’s not like he hadn’t planned it for as long as he lived.” Megumi pointedly looks at him now. Yuuji is completely aware his best friend is trying to address him too. He appreciates the gesture, really, but it doesn’t deter him from briefly averting his eyes, if only out of bashfulness of suddenly being the center of Megumi’s attention.

“Is that what Satoru wanted you to say to us?”

Megumi casts a sharp glance back toward Maki, his voice firm. “No. It is what I think.” And then lowers his eyes, almost like talking to himself. “And if his being here could finally make Gojo-sensei happy…and complete then…” Yuuji could’ve heard wrong but he thinks Megumi's voice cracks a bit. “…then that’s enough for me…for now…to move on.”

Everyone’s eyes are on Megumi now. Yuuji hears someone in the room take a sharp intake of breath, but he doesn’t know who.

Deep down all of them already understand. Withstanding all of these battles, against enemies or themselves, there’s no use in counting who had suffered the most losses as none of them have that luxury. None of these things happened all by themselves. Everything is a tangled thread with dead knots that are impossible to sever to make it stand on its own. However, who would dare to say that Megumi has fewer losses than any of them? When literally all of his family are dead, save for Maki, and he almost lost the very person, closer to a father figure than he would have ever had in his life, by his own two hands and nothing less.

And who would dare to say Gojo suffered the less? When many people close to him had died. When the very person who held all his heart was used against him over and over again and was made to witness almost losing him all over again, right in front of his eyes. When the man himself had almost gone from the world a couple of times and now, almost blind from the impact of his last battle. Still recovering, yet nowhere as powerful as himself before.

None of them are heartless enough to try to take away a little bit of joy he is finally, miraculously granted at the end of this long hardship, not without some sacrifices of his own.

They all won the battles and they lost some.

Yuuji might be the last one to blow the final attack that caused Sukuna’s soul to cease once and for all, but not without the help of Kashimo, Hakari, Higuruma, and Kurusu who had relentlessly fought to weaken the King of curses first. Not without Megumi’s efforts to finally fight back, regained himself, and helped render Sukuna’s cursed technique backfired.

Same with Kenjaku, Yuuji was filled in by Okkotsu and Choso about what happened in that auspicious battle.

With how at disadvantage Gojo was after his fight with Sukuna, still recovering and dragging himself to another battlefield, with the sole purpose of finally putting his best friend’s body properly to rest, with the help of Okkotsu and Choso. The Death Painting’s last chance to avenge his mother and dead brothers. Inumaki were also there to help as much as they could on the sideline when suddenly, out of nowhere and out of everyone’s expectation, Geto came back after battling the possession of his body, long enough to exchange a couple of words to Gojo. Things that, according to Okkotsu, were only meant for Gojo’s ears and no one else with how close the two were positioned, standing before each other, to prove that it was indeed him in the body and not Kenjaku.

None of them heard what they talked about amidst the chaos, but they were enough to make Okkotsu would never forget the myriads of expression on his Sensei’s face, changing with each second ticking by. From the look of shock, bewilderment, surprise, a slight of happiness before it took a tragic turn to downright horror. The expression so strange and alienated from his Sensei’s mien as Okkotsu had never ever witnessed Gojo would have something to fear about, not to mention to that extent, not even when the man was on his deathbed. The dead grip Gojo had on the long-haired man who, minutes ago, were still trying to kill him and vice versa. The curse user inhabited by Kenjaku, who extended both of his hands to cup Gojo’s face, despite Okkotsu’s and Choso’s warning. Gojo who told both of them to step back. The boy would’ve heeded none of his Sensei’s order if only he didn’t see with his own eyes how gentle the way Geto were with his touch. Gone were the sly smile and sultry voice hinted with strong malice that had been etched to that visage before, as Kenjaku. Geto tilted his Sensei’s head, forced him to look up to his eyes despite the latter was clearly taller. Gojo was still slightly towering over Geto yet he slumped more and more the longer Geto whispered a rushed speech. His Sensei shook his head as much as he could and that was when Okkotsu began to see the tears, trailing down his cheeks, one lone tear at first and followed by another. Clear, shining tracks of water that went past his clenched jaw.

Okkotsu had only heard fragmented speech, when the two adults before him were crying. Geto’s hands holding his Sensei’s face, his whispers firm amidst his own tears, almost like trying but failing to coax a little child to hear his orders. Meanwhile, Gojo was still tightly gripping the shorter man’s forearms. The longer Geto talked the more his Sensei’s chest heaved. What came out of his mouth were nothing but choked sobs.

Perplexed as he was by what was unraveling before his very eyes, Okkotsu thought his Sensei would finally lose it. He saw Geto suddenly flinched and shuddered and tightly clasped his own fists before sliding his hands from Gojo’s face to his shoulders, raising his voice and shook the taller man, yelling something about not having more time…and for Gojo to let him go…

‘No…no no no no! I won’t…Suguru I can’t, I can’t do it I-‘

‘You can and you must. This is the only way.’

‘No!’

‘You have to. Satoru please. You have to live…’

‘I can’t…fuck! Suguru I can’t do this the second time!’

‘You have to let me go, Satoru. Now.’

‘No…please, Suguru please don’t…fight him back, you’re here now you can fight him back!’

‘We’ll meet again someday, I promise. Just not now…’

‘No! please Suguru, please- not again. Don’t leave me agai-’

‘Satoru. This is our only chance.’

‘I can’t do it. I’ve had enough of this! I’m tired I don’t-’

‘Satoru, think about your students…’

Suguru went back to whispering, and for a split second Okkotsu thought the guy would kiss Gojo, yet they just touched their foreheads together. More and more whispering, until Gojo subtly nodded his head, his hands slowly releasing the dead grip he had on his best friend’s arms.

Okkotsu saw how Geto gently wiped the tears on his Sensei’s eyes and Gojo murmured something to him. Geto didn’t murmur back yet he smiled, with so much happiness that the corner of his eyes crinkled and his whole visage, usually sharp with menacing aura, had softened considerably. The look that was so foreign to Okkotsu that he'd never thought the guy would be capable of. From the corner of his eyes, he caught the sight of Choso, who were also looking at the two adults before him. His perpetual bored expression was wiped off and replaced by the mix of absolute terror, revolt, and utter bafflement to the point his eyes bugged out and jaw dropped. The look was so amusive on the Death Painting’s pale face that were it not for the grim situation surrounding them, Okkotsu would’ve burst out laughing.

Geto then leaned his head and planted the slightest of kiss on the older’s cheek before slowly stepping back, one step after the other. Back and back until he was out of reach from both of them. For a few moments, Gojo only looked at the floor, his clenched fists on both of his sides, so tight his knuckles turned to white, as if he was in the midst of thinking hard.

Okkotsu forcedly tear his sight out of his Sensei’s devastated form and to the long-haired man who seemed to be in the midst of doing something and was struggling with it. A determined look now pasted onto his face, though Okkotsu could slightly see the sadness lining it. He frowned trying to make sense of what just happened he didn’t even realize Gojo was beside him before the older man grabbed his arm harshly. Okkotsu widened his eyes at the look of sheer desperation on his Sensei’s visage. The bright cerulean blue of his Six Eyes, who held so much power to make any man lesser than him bow under its immense pressure, now dimmed with sorrow and unshed tears.

‘When Suguru falls, use your reverse cursed technique on him, like what you did to Yuuji,’ Gojo said through clenched teeth.

‘What??’

‘Do it to him, he won’t have any curses anymore, do not waste even a second and don’t come to me.’

‘Wha- what are you talki- what are you gonna do, Sensei?!’

‘Promise me this, Yuuta, I’m begging you, do it the best you can, just until he breathes again, I’ll do the rest. You don’t have to fight him. DO NOT attack him.’

‘But…what are you trying to do? What is he trying to do ?!’  

‘Promise me, Yuuta, no matter what happens you go to him first and not me, do you promise?’

‘How are you sure it won’t be Kenjaku instead that comes back??

‘IT WON'T!’ Gojo was frantically shaking him. ‘Will you promise me or not??’

He nodded eventually, just as frantically.

It didn’t occur to him back then, that he would ever willingly exert his power to bring back a man that had once tried to kill him and his friends. All he thought at that moment was how he would do anything in his power to sweep away that desperate look from his Sensei’s handsome face, once and for all, no matter at what cost.

It was all happened in a blur, according to Okkotsu and Choso. One moment Gojo and Geto stood across from each other, far enough. At first glance it seemed as though the both of them were looking at each other yet also lost on their own minds while at the same time trying to do something Okkotsu couldn’t quite figure out. Both of their immense cursed energy roaring, a void of black surrounding Geto, a slash of bright blue and then purple, a haggard wind almost toppling Okkotsu from where he stood, someone screamed so loudly it pierced his ears, Okkotsu frantically searched for Inumaki and made sure of his safety from the corner of his eyes before turning his eyes back to the scene before him.

And he heard it.

Geto’s last words, not loud enough for everyone in the vicinity, but clear enough for Okkotsu and without doubt, for Gojo.

‘I love you too, Satoru.’

Then a surge of cursed energy from Geto’s side, he witnessed it, rather he thought he witnessed it, when Geto self-destructed. He felt, rather than saw it, his Sensei’s cursed energy blasting toward Geto just a tad later, yet there was something different in how it was usually executed that Okkotsu couldn’t put a finger on. The void of black, brown, and golden surrounding Geto exploded at once before it shrunk and was absorbed into his body like a huge whirlpool sucking in the ocean of cursed energy, at the same time another blast came out of that explosion and shot back toward his Sensei.

On reflex he almost ran to Gojo, his mind screaming at him to make sure his Sensei was alright. He would have, had it not for his promise. Yet he hurriedly ran to Geto, as his heart told him to, while yelling at Choso to look after his Sensei. He was surprised to see how quickly it happened that he could no longer feel any trace of cursed energy left on the man under him. The man didn’t seem to breathe either. Yet for some reason his body was still intact, just as how Kenjaku used it, despite clearly had withstood Gojo’s attack a moment ago.

That was how Okkotsu recited what he saw firsthand back then, to all his friends, Ieiri, and anyone who asked, while Gojo and Geto lying unconsciously next to each other at Jujutsu Tech infirmary for days on end following the aftermath, still breathing, one more precariously than the other, battered black and blue, but pretty much alive. Each one of their hands almost touching, despite lying in different hospital beds, as if they were trying to reach each other’s soul even in their dreams.

However, at the time nobody knew what the extent of damage both would face upon waking up. The only thing they could tell was how one of these two powerful sorcerers was no longer emitting any cursed energy.

It was pretty much the same with Yuuji and Megumi.

After Yuuji’s last blow that finally ended Sukuna’s soul forever, the impact was so much that it knocked him off almost immediately. He wasn’t even able to make sure whether Megumi was still alive before his own eyes closed and endless darkness shrouded his whole being. He woke up a week later, according to Ieiri. The first sight he saw to his left was Megumi’s face, unconscious with an oxygen mask attached to his face. Face as white as the walls and curtains surrounding them. The back of his right hand was attached to a long line leading to an IV fluid while his left forearm was attached to another bag of blood. The monitor, not far over his head, continuously let out a beeping sound, recording each of his heartbeat and rhythm.

The moment he noticed the even breathing of his best friend he let out a relief exhale, one that he didn’t realize had been holding. It was only then that he began to assess his own conditions, amidst his blurry memories, foggy mind, and bleary eyes. It seemed he didn’t fare much better. He got his own IV line and monitor to his left bedside but the bag of blood was absent. A figure was sitting to his right, Yuuji recognized him immediately as the man who had adamantly claimed to be his big brother. His broad shoulders and tall build, his back which was usually ramrod straight, now slouching and hunching, curling to himself to the point it made him look small. His chest, heaved with muffled sobs. One of his hands was tightly clutching Yuuji’s bandaged palm like it was his lifeline. The older man’s raven hair was unbound, draping over his face like a dark curtain. His face, loomed over Yuuji’s head with his eyes closed. Blood was dripping from Choso’s nose and the black mark across his face, so much that it painted Yuuji’s bedsheet and blanket dark crimson. Nevertheless, the tears flowing nonstop from the half-curse man were as clear as glass, running down his cheeks and washing away some of the bloodstains.

Yuuji’s heart clenched so painfully at the sight. He tried to call out but no sound came out of his throat. He yearned to wipe those tears and blood away from the older’s face with his fingers yet he couldn’t even raise his hand. He then tried channeling some of his cursed energy through his blood to his palm that was still clasped between Choso’s hands. The older man gasped and promptly opened his eyes and Yuuji tried his best to meet his stare. He attempted to smile to assure him not to cry again yet all he could muster was a slight nod instead. Choso let go of his palm in order to gingerly stroke his cheeks, so carefully and tenderly as if Yuuji could break at any moment. Yuuji felt rather than heard, the stuttering breath of the older man who were talking to him. However, the fog in his brain filtered out all the words into gibberish. Yuuji saw the other yelled something, at someone who was on the other side of the door. They rushed to his other side and delicate hands, unlike Choso’s calloused fingers, immediately prodded around his body. Ieiri’s hands, Yuuji recognized after a few moments. The female doctor readily examined him from head to toe while his consciousness began to ebb away again, his eyelids drooping more by the minute. He could only catch some of the words Ieiri said, not understanding to whom they were aimed at.

‘He’s stable. Like always.’

‘I’ve said this a million times before, your little brother is stable even when he was unconscious.’

‘It was all just the matter of when he chose to wake up. You don’t have to worry so much anymore.’

‘Yes, Choso-san, he’s just going back to sleep.’

‘Of course I’m sure, that monitor tells me everything I need to know.’

‘Now why don’t you take some time off and go to sleep yourself. Like it or not, half of your body is still human, and human needs to sleep so you won’t get brain damage.’

‘Yes, I’ll be at my office.’

‘Huh? I can’t do that I still have other patients to attend to.’

‘Oh, your being out of this room actually gonna do me a huge favor. Do you know we’re almost running out of bedsheets because of you? You got no clue how hard it is to get rid of bloodstains, do you?’

‘So please stop crying for like one goddamn hour and get the hell out of this room for once.’

Choso’s response to Ieiri’s demand was looking away from her, taking Yuuji’s hand once again, gentler this time, pressing it to his own cheek…and cried even louder.

Yuuji remembered having a sudden urge to chuckle at his brother’s silly antic, but the tightness on his chest didn’t let him. So instead he put more effort to move his fingers, trying to caress the blood-smeared cheek to calm the other down.

Despite it all he remembered feeling warm inside, a content sigh coming out of his mouth, relieved to know that he was safe here with a comforting presence by his side.

 

Just as he was about to drift into another long slumber, it dawned on him that nobody was waiting on the other side of Megumi’s bed.

Back in Yuuji’s room, Megumi and Maki were still staring each other down. However, Maki’s expression now looks a little bit conflicted, slightly different from her prior deviant face.

“I’m not asking for all of you Senpai to forgive him or anything,” Megumi continues, “It’s not my place to ask that of you but…we’re still recovering, all of us. The last thing we need right now is hurting each other with our own words.”

They lapse into another heavy silence.

“Shake…” okay, Inumaki sighs in a soft voice, breaking the silence. “Takana.” I can do that.

Megumi looks at the light-haired boy, a slight smile tugging on his lips.

“Well…I don’t have much to say,” Panda says, now sitting demurely beside Maki, “I understand what Fushiguro tried to say. We all what we have right now and an extra pair of hands wouldn’t hurt in this trying time…

Plus, the guy actually cooks some decent meals, at least we could still eat well enough despite the shortage of food everywhere nowadays.”

Yuuji can’t help but let out a breathy giggle at how random Panda’s opinions are compared to Megumi. Lessening some of the tension in the air.

But he’s right though. With almost the whole of Japan still in the process of mitigating the aftermaths of the apocalypse following what the non-sorcerers say, the freakiest bout of disasters in history, the fact that they could still afford three meals a day is something to be immensely grateful about.

“Tuna mayo?” Inumaki says to Okkotsu.

The dark-haired boy tilts his head toward Inumaki and for a while the two seem to soundlessly communicate. Then the smaller boy squeezes his shoulder, “Mentaiko…” He nods encouragingly.

Yuuji waits for the older boy to translate it. Unlike Okkotsu and the others, he still has difficulties deciphering Inumaki’s one-word responses on the first try.

Okkotsu turns to them and chuckles with slight nervousness, “Um, yeah…Toge is right,” he shrugs casually, “If Geto Suguru didn’t do what he did two years ago, I wouldn’t have known the way to release Rika’s soul and put her to rest in peace…I guess.”

“Shake.” Yup.

“And looking at them now, if we still want to be around Gojo-sensei then sooner or later we’ll have to get used to his presence.”

“Sujiko…” My my…

And that’s all they need to hear, really. If there was anyone Geto Suguru owed the most out of the six of them, it would be Okkotsu. The boy was almost killed by the guy and then in a turn of events, had to give his all to bring that very man out of the brink of death. Yuuji knew just how much he himself owed his senpai.

“Okay, fine!” Maki throws her hands in the air and flops back on the floor from her sitting position, flipping the magazine pages so roughly they almost tear. “Jeez, it’s not like I’m going to call him that to his face or Satoru’s. I’m not dumb.”

“Tuna. Mentaiko.”

“I’m not sulking,” She huffs.

“Okaka…?”

“Shut up!”

Toge snickers loudly, challenging, and Maki quickly throws one of Yuuji’s baseballs, scattered on the floor, toward the shorter boy. Okkotsu easily intercepts, flicking his wrist so the ball bounds to the wall instead.

“Another good thing is that man seems to be able to handle Sensei very well,” Yuuji says, finally voicing out his two cents, “Like, Sensei seems to not be as unruly as he was before, and his smile nowadays is different…though Sensei was always a happy-go-lucky person before too but…”

“That was just how he wanted the others to see him,” Megumi scoffs.

“Well yeah, I mean, I get that now…but recently it’s like he’s kinda glowing more or something and his smiles seem more…genuine? Unrestrained? but maybe that’s just how I see it.” He scratches the back of his head, “If anything, he doesn’t get on Megumi’s nerves as much anymore, right?”

“He’s getting on my nerves for a very different reason now.”

At that, Maki and Panda groan in unison.

“Yeah, at first I thought meeting his other half would bring out the best of Satoru, but maybe not…” Panda pipes up.

“If anything, he’s even more obnoxious and shameless now, making out in public wherever and whenever he pleases.” Maki says with a look of utter disgust, “…saying bullshits like he couldn’t sense people anymore. Damn it, I thought losing his Six Eyes will make him less cocky, finally, but now I’d give everything to make them recover faster!”

“And it’s not helping that his partner seems just as eager but then has the audacity to pretend to be embarrassed, red-faced and all when busted,” Panda adds more fuel to the fire. 

“I know right?! The human scums, both of them, no wonder they flock together. Nobody else in this world can stand them but themselves and- OI!” Maki turns her attention to another couple around the bed, who seem to have zoned out of their conversation and are now making heart eyes with each other, their faces were dangerously close…

She throws another ball in Okkotsu’s direction and this time it hits his head.

“Ow!”

“Okaka!!”

“You both better not turn out like that two sleazy old men or I’ll beat your asses myself!”

“W-what’s this about again?” Okkotsu has the decency to ask, looking perplexed while nursing the angry red bump on his left temple.

“Don’t turn to be a pervert like Satoru! You guys were just about to kiss right there if I didn’t stop you.”

“Caviar!”

“What the hell did you just call me, twink?!”

Inumaki furrows his eyebrows and glares at Maki, but to Yuuji he still looks very cute even while fuming and puffing out his cheeks. Then for a moment, there’s a glint in the light-haired boy’s eyes, the kind he always shows whenever he’s about to troll someone. He swoops his head down, hands reaching Okkotsu’s face and lifting it toward him, catching the taller boy off guard, then kisses him square on the lips.

All of them gasp at the sight. Yuuji feels instant heat crawling up his face. It lasts nothing more than a couple seconds and Inumaki smirks at Maki as soon as they separate.

“T-toge…” Okkotsu flushes from his neck to the tip of his ears.

Maki seems about to burst fire from his head, clearly struggling to reign it in. However, she thinks better as she knows she won’t get the upper hand trying to troll Inumaki back.

“Ah, I see how it is…” Maki drawls, her tone has changed a lot calmer yet her eyes turn threatening, “Toge, do you want me to tell the teachers you guys been fooling around in your dorm room?”

“Okaka!”

“W-we didn’t!!”

“HA! Funny, you really think you two are being sneaky?”

Okkotsu gulps audibly, face getting redder by the second, while Inumaki just looks very annoyed.

“What’s that again? Underage sex? The teachers might have second thoughts on Toge’s permission to come with you, you know.”

“Wha- Toge will turn 18 in a couple months!”

“Hello, you two are going before his birthday, though? And it's not like you guys only started doing it recently!” Maki is now the one smirking, “Jeez I know you guys are stressed and pent-up or something, but can’t you wait until you’re at least out of the school ground?”

“Okaka.”

“W-wait,” Yuuji interrupts, quite desperate to change the subject of their ‘heated’ discussion, “Senpai, are you going somewhere again?”

Okkotsu turns his head to him, obviously relieved by the interruption, “Yeah…Toge as well, you didn’t know?”

“I thought you guys are staying here, I mean…Maki-senpai and Panda-senpai too…” he trails off.

Maki just shrugs, “I’m not staying here like, all the time...it’s still our base but Megumi and I still have a lot to do about picking up our leftover clan, Panda will come with me if he’s bored here.”

Yuuji looks at Megumi, “But didn’t you say you’re going back with Gojo-sensei and Geto-san?”

“That’s the plan, which is why Maki-san stays here so it’s easier for us should we meet.”

“Damn it, Megumi, good luck with that…” Maki cringes, “I’d rather die than live sharing spaces with two Gojo Satoru.”

“More like one and a half, maybe? Obnoxious-wise I mean, at least the other one acts more like an adult,” Panda says.

“That doesn’t make it any better.”

Megumi just rolls his eyes, “It’s nothing I’m not used to.”

Yuuji nods and turns to the other two, “And where are you guys going?”

“I’m going back to Cape Town, that was the last place I stayed at before coming back here. Toge will come with me, Miguel-san is also still there.”

“You're going back to train under him or is this another overseas mission?”

Okkotsu dismisses with a wave of his hand, “If we’re up for it we will, but for now our plan is just to take it easy and live our lives, at least until the school opens again, you know, going back to mundane things? And no, it’s not a mission or anything like that.”

Yuuji frowns, “If that was the case, wouldn’t it be better to just go somewhere closer? I mean, I know Gojo-sensei said the school is closed for a year for system repair but that also means if everything gets better faster then it might only be half a year, right?”

“Tuna tuna…” Look, here it comes... Inumaki throws his hands in the air, sighing heavily for some reason.

Yuuji sees how Okkotsu exchanges glances with Maki, a slight awkwardness crossing his tanned face.

“Yuuta, you haven’t told him?” Maki asks.

“I- uh, I thought that was on Fushiguro?” The older boy says, awkwardly scratching his cheek while glancing at Megumi.

Yuuji frowns at the olders’ antic, suddenly feeling left out of their conversation, “What? What is it? Am I missing something?”

Megumi just heaves a sigh, running his hand through his hair before turning his body to face him, “Listen Yuuji, you do realize that the extent of damage we’re facing now goes beyond just the school system and empty seats of the higher-ups, right?”

Yuuji slowly nods, albeit not convincing enough. Then Megumi explains everything, with the occasional interruptions from Maki and Okkotsu.

To be fair, Yuuji already gets the gist of it anyway. He understands that with such a precarious situation they are in right now, there’s a high possibility of them not returning to school at all. Moreover, they all need to rebuild anew the Jujutsu society including laws, policies, hierarchies, and all that, from the ashes. With Gojo having killed all the higher-ups, leaving the positions empty, and the old-timers, including Gakuganji and the incarnated sorcerers left from the Culling game, have all but relinquished the task to the next generation, it falls to the hands of the current active sorcerers with Gojo at the top of the chain, by default, at least until there's someone volunteering. However, with their strongest sorcerer still being incapacitated to some degree and most of them still recovering, there isn’t much they can do at the moment. Hence, the current elders, or what is currently referred to as The Council (the teachers and other professional sorcerers) all agreed to use this lull period to take a much-needed break while slowly delegating duties. The curse spirits have also toned down considerably in the last couple of months as the old curses and curse users have all been wiped out, combined with lesser non-sorcerer populations due to casualties and massive evacuations, reducing their missions to the point that none of them needed attention from semi first-grade sorcerers or above. Nevertheless, no one can tell when this lull period will be over. As soon as the citizens start migrating back, there will be new curse spirits around. With how severely understaffed they are and still no sight of new students, not even any potential, it’s just a rational thing to say that they, despite still practically being students, will be demanded to enter the workforce by bypassing the curriculum.

They all have to join hands, ready or not. Yuji gets that. But still, some part of himself is wishing he’d come back to school one day. He learned while being around Nanami, that the life of a professional sorcerer is very different from students, despite already taking missions too just like them. But when you’re in the workforce you’ll take all your missions alone. You come back from the mission alone. You don’t come back to the dorm where your teacher and friends are waiting for you, not so much caring about whether you succeeded or not but more out of concern on whether you are alright or hurt or hungry. You don’t go to the same restaurants with them for lunch every other day or shopping with them because everyone has different schedules and responsibilities. You meet with other sorcerers, those you used to spend more time with as students, only once a month for a meeting. Maybe more if there were urgent situations. Like it or not, Yuuji knows that’s the kind of life he’d get in the future if he still chose to tread this path. He just hoped it wouldn’t be so soon, though. Megumi and him had just lost a dear friend and Yuuji has only started to warm up to all his senpai quite recently. He himself really needs this break. To move on and not think about all the uncertainties the future would bring. But he is taking it all under the assumption that he’ll meet his friends again as students, not colleagues.

To be completely honest with himself, after all that happened, Yuuji now doesn’t really know what he actually wanted anymore. Sure, he still wants to help people as much as he can. Yet, without some ancient curse living inside of him now, he realizes he doesn’t have to be a sorcerer to be able to help people in need…

“…even Hakari-senpai and Noritoshi-san have been invited to meetings every now and then,” Megumi continues explaining, “As a special-grade sorcerer, Okkotsu-senpai will bear the most brunt, out of all of us students at least.”

Okkotsu just responds with a lopsided grin. “Which is why, it’s better to use this chance to live ourselves to the fullest, isn’t it, Itadori-kun? You and Fushiguro, especially, deserve that much. Don’t think too much about the future and just…live day by day?” He shrugs again, “At least that’s what I learned after all this and I’m trying to do it.”

“Liar. You’re just taking Toge away so you can elope and marry him overseas,” Maki pipes up while rolling her eyes.

“Shake.”

“See??”

“Toge…please…” Okkotsu can do nothing but bury his crimson face in his palms. 

Yuuji looks at the dark-haired boy strangely. The sight of Okkotsu being all putty in the hands of his two friends, especially Inumaki despite being a lot smaller than him, always manages to give him a mental whiplash. He’s one of the scant people whose presence alone can intimidate Yuuji, even now after they have gotten along pretty well, and he understands why Megumi respects him a lot. Maki said that was only because Megumi and he didn’t know what Okkotsu was like as a first-year, whatever that means. However, Yuuji thinks even the strongest people can be weak in the knees against their loved ones. His sensei is the ultimate living proof of that.

“What about you, Itadori? I heard you’re going back to your family home in Sendai?” Panda asks, “Any plans to do there?”

“Um…yeah, I was told that grandpa’s home suffered some damages from the impact so for now I’m coming back there to repair and manage all the other stuff…” he trails off.

Megumi looks back at him, raising an eyebrow, “This is the first time I hear about it.” His tone was clipped yet questioning, rather than stating.

“Huh? Oh yeah…I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet.” He tilts his head apologetically, “I just got informed like a week ago? Haven’t really thought about it much…I was thinking I’d go there, stay for a while and come back once the repair is done but..now that I know none of you are actually staying here for the rest of the year then maybe it’d better to live there for now.”

“I see…is Choso-san coming along with you?”

He nods slowly at the green-eyed boy, “That’s uh…the plan so far…I mean, to be honest, I don’t really know what to do with him. But it’s not like I can just leave him here? He’ll refuse to be separated anyway.”

“Have you talked about it to him?” Okkotsu asks.

“No-uh I have, but nothing specific I guess…”

“I heard Noritoshi-san offers to host him. What's that all about?”

“...what? Where did you hear that, Senpai?” Yuuji is perplexed.

Okkotsu stares at him awkwardly, “Huh? Your older brother didn’t tell you?”

“No…I mean, I guess that’d make sense if Noritoshi-san is still a Kamo, but he isn’t anymore, right?” Yuuji asks, more to himself than the others. It’s an important thing about Choso, so why would he have to hear this from another person instead of the man himself? For some reason, it doesn’t sit right with him. Given how the half-curse always wants to know every single thing about Yuuji and his whereabouts.

Seemingly, Okkotsu doesn’t think much about it. “It might be he just wants to try training under him and preserve their legacy. Choso-san’s cursed technique is very powerful for its kind. And he’s got the advantage of being a half-curse so he could do and experiment with techniques that go beyond the capabilities of human sorcerers with similar one. It’s a good idea if you ask me.”

“Good idea…how exactly?” Yuuji asks carefully.

“Like it would be dangerous if it falls to the wrong person. We don’t want to repeat history, right?”

At Yuuji’s blatant confusion, Okkotsu clears his throat and elaborates further, “Well..the simple explanation would be like: with Geto Suguru being the example, we know now that even sporadic cursed energy born to a non-sorcerer lineage could be that strong or even overpowering those from the long line of sorcerers.

In the future, someone like him could emerge again, not just for that particular cursed technique but maybe something completely new or the repeat of any cursed technique each of us has now, even the one like Choso-san. On the other side, no one can ensure what happened with Kenjaku and Sukuna will never happen again. So if there’s something we had to learn from all this is that it’s no longer just about improving our skills and powers but also learning the loopholes, which attenuate, which exacerbate, the weaknesses, and how to counter all of that if one day we were facing someone with a similar cursed technique against us.

I assume one of the things the council is discussing might be about how Choso-san and Noritoshi-san could be mutually useful without the interference of the Kamo clan, both for themselves and our current society.”

“I…see.” Yuuji nods, still trying to process Okkotsu’s explanation. He feels conflicted, somehow, though he doesn’t understand why. And it must be apparent on his face because Maki catches on it.

She sighs at him, “Don’t worry about that, Itadori. At the end of the day, no one can force your big bro to do anything he doesn't want to. It’ll come down to his choice, really. We just need to find a way to contribute that is, if we still wanna be in this society.” 

“Yeah, I think you should talk this out with him slowly, ask him what he wants to do going forward,” Okkotsu adds.

“Tuna mayo.”

Yuuji nods again, already knowing what Choso’s answer would be should he ask that question. That man literally only has one purpose in life and had made that clear to Yuuji a long time ago yet none of his friends are privy to it. Yuuji deliberately didn’t tell them that.

He knows what Okkotsu said makes perfect sense. A talent like Choso would be such a waste if not being explored further. He has such powerful techniques, battle prowess, and tactical skills that could be passed down. And with the current meager allies available, Noritoshi is the perfect candidate for that. Yuuji could see why the Council would try to push this into the Death Painting.

Just as he mulls over it some more, Megumi’s ringtone blares and breaks the comfortable silence. The boy fumbles with the screen and right after he slides the green button a high-pitched, cheerful nasal voice of a man screeches through the receiver so loud that they all can hear what the man on the other line says without switching it on to speaker-mode.

“Megumi-chaaaann~ where are you??” Gojo singsongs. They don’t plan on it, but at least three humans and one cursed corpse in the room roll their eyes at the same time.

“Yuuji’s room,” Megumi grunts, holding his smartphone as far as he can from his ear.

“What’s that?? I can’t hear you! Why are you sounding so far?? Are you under the water??”

“Yuuji’s room!” he yells to the phone.

“Ohh Yuuji’s room! Hmm hmm don’t hog him too much to yourself anymore though Megumi, his big bro’s scaryyy~”

“What do you want?” Megumi looks absolutely annoyed.

“Dinner’s ready! Tell all your friends to come down to the kitchen right this minute and help Suguru plate the food and set the tabl-” Megumi hangs up the call without mercy. “Sorry about that, Yuuji.” He glances apologetically at him.

“Hey, ask him what’s for dinner first,” Maki orders.

“We’ll see when get there,” Megumi says.

“Just ask him first, if I had to see them flirting and sucking faces in the kitchen again I’d better get my fill for tasty meals,” she waves her hand dismissively, “if it’s just soba or another different flavor instant curry then I’ll pass.”

“Shake.”

Megumi mutters something under his breath and promptly taps his screen begrudgingly. Soon a chat notification comes one after the other. “He says there’s katsudon…and oyakodon…”

“Tuna!” Inumaki’s eyes sparkle.

Another message.

“And dessert…lava cake.” Maki and Okkotsu perk up.

Another message.

“He says if we don’t get there by the next second he’ll eat all the cakes.”

Maki all but jumps to stand from her lying position, sweeping Panda off the floor into her arms in one swift movement, “C’mon guys! Lift your butts now, go go go! Megumi! Hurry up!”

They all scramble and tumble out of the small bedroom door, not even sparing a second to slip into their indoor slippers. 

Chapter Text

Yuuji was the first person to regain consciousness out of the four people in Jujutsu Tech's makeshift critical care units. The next time he woke up after the first time, again it was to the sight of Choso slumbering right beside him. The man was sitting on the bedside chair while his body was bent in half, leaning on Yuuji's bed with his head propped up by his folded arms. Yuuji saw the half-curse’s face was clean. No longer stained with dripping blood or tear tracks. He breathed evenly and didn’t even stir when Yuuji nudged him. It seemed he actually took the doctor’s suggestion to sleep. It brought instant relief to his troubled mind.

Okkotsu, Inumaki, and Choso had been unofficially selected to assist Ieiri in providing medical care so Yuuji was immediately filled in about all that happened after he passed out.

It was weird, not seeing any form of Sukuna in Megumi’s form and it felt even weirder to know all of that dangers had stopped existing. Sometimes, when he wasn’t asleep he found himself thinking if it was a mere dream, and if it were then he wouldn’t want to wake up anymore. Suddenly they were all allowed to live in this peace? Were those threats completely, totally, absolutely gone now? Then what was the point for that to happen in the first place? What did they gain at the end and where did it leave all the people that had become victims and would never come back?

He was forced to put those depressing thoughts aside when three days after he heard a loud commotion outside the room. He asked Choso to look for it and the man soon came back, saying that Gojo had finally awoke. Unfortunately, their relief was short-lived as they all found out that the wielder of Six Eyes, was now almost blind…

Which also raised another question about his Limitless when the Six Eyes were no longer…

Ieiri had explained to them that, just like with Geto’s current infinitesimal trace of cursed energy, their damages might just be temporary as they were part of their innate constitution. Nevertheless, whether they could regain their previous level of power was yet to be seen.

After Ieiri deemed him fit enough to be discharged, Yuuji was allowed to move back to his dorm. Choso stayed with him, becoming more overwhelming than ever as he followed Yuuji around even more, just like a duckling to its mother goose. Breathing down his neck as the older man reasoned that it might still be too tough for Yuuji to be left alone, saying ‘What if his little brother needed something at night and his body still too ached to move around?’ and opted to sleep on the floor of Yuji’s room with a spare futon. Obviously, it irked him to be fussed over to this degree. Particularly since during the middle of the culling game back then, Yuuji thought Choso had finally learned the proper distance and tone down his overbearing presence around him yet now it was back on full force, just like when they were together on the run after the Shibuya incident. However, Yuuji was too tired to argue and risked a verbal fight between them so he let him be.

It was only after Noritoshi came to stay at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech for some errands and relentlessly asked to train with the Death Painting almost every day that Choso had finally, albeit reluctantly, left Yuuji alone during the day.  

He visited Megumi every day and Gojo every other day. The sight of the man used to be Kenjaku lying next to his Sensei, with his forehead stitches on full display, enraged him the first time, despite knowing that the man was now the real Geto Suguru.

To be fair, Yuuji never knew who that man was beyond Kenjaku so he didn’t really know what to feel. He only found out from hearsay that he was Gojo’s best friend during school days. The insight he got from Okkotsu, however, insinuated that it was something more than just friendship. And the way Gojo blatantly showed it just silently confirmed it. Whenever Yuuji visited the older man, he was always sitting beside the unconscious man. He was back to wearing a blindfold but it was for a totally different reason this time. It wasn’t the stylish black fabric he used to wear but eye gauze that was kept together with bandages which sometimes became crimson when it absorbed the bloody wound beneath it.

Despite the fact he could no longer see beyond the gauze, he stared at the man lying in bed as if he could see it. Yuuji always saw him holding one of Geto’s hands tightly while his other hand carded the long black locks splayed wildly on the pillow. Sometimes the older man would switch to caressing the other’s cheek. It reminded him of how Choso was while Yuuji was still lying in the hospital bed. The exhaustion and sadness lining Gojo’s face were also quite similar to Choso’s back then. Yet that was where the similarities stopped. While Choso kept on crying, Gojo did not. Saved for the occasional blood seeping through, his eyes were dry even when he took off the gauze. There weren’t even unshed tears. Other than that, Gojo would also sometimes talk to the sleeping man as if the other could hear and respond. Even with Yuuji or Okkotsu’s presence there it didn’t deter him from doing so nor did it hold the older back from peppering kisses to Geto’s hand once in a while. And he did it all with so much tenderness in his mien that always made Yuuji’s face heat up. It was nothing like the usual Sensei he had seen all this time. It seemed as if, despite all the time they were together, there was still so much Yuuji didn’t know about Gojo, hidden by layer after layer that the older man purposefully covered himself in order to not show his real self to others that weren’t the unconscious man before him.

It reminded him of one time when Nobara and he were betting on whether Gojo was seeing someone or had prior relationships and what kind of person his significant other would be like. To which Megumi supplied firmly that the answer was ‘no’ for both questions. They didn’t believe Megumi back then and went out as far as trying to stalk the man on his day-offs to prove it otherwise only to find nothing. Yuuji wondered what Nobara would think about this new knowledge. Just like Maki and co, she probably wouldn’t like it at first, given who the other person was. Yet knowing her curiosity about any current issues, she would probably not be able to shut her mouth and would try to coax their Sensei to tell them more about what happened between them. Not that any of that mattered now since she was no longer around, Yuuji thinks bitterly.

Gojo never left the former curse user’s side. Not even once or after Ieiri told him to move to a regular room, bluntly displaying his distrust that someone might hurt ‘his Suguru’ when he or Ieiri wasn’t around and the two adults almost broke into an argument, though Ieiri quickly relented and left them alone. It sounded ridiculous even to Yuuji’s ears but he understood. After all, Choso was like that too that time. And he could see the more days went by without Geto waking up, the more distraught his Sensei looked, even if he tried so hard to mask it.

Five days after Gojo regained consciousness, Megumi woke up and Yuuji finally let himself cry, tears of happiness this time. Gojo, for the first time after waking up, left Geto’s bedside to see Megumi. The older man was in a wheelchair, his eyes unbandaged. Megumi took one look at the white-haired man and immediately crumpled, curling into himself while stuttering choked apologies, thinking what happened to the man was his fault. Gojo pulled the boy into his hug and held him through his sobs, soaking the front of the older man’s hospital gown. It was also the first time Yuuji finally saw the taller man let his tears fall down his cheeks. All the while murmuring consolations, albeit awkwardly, as the man wasn’t used to offering comforts.

A week later, Geto Suguru finally woke up.

He woke up with Gojo cuddling him when the older man had climbed onto his bed to sleep.

That evening, after all the commotion of Geto’s waking up had subsided, Yuuji overheard the soft murmurs from the two adults in the next room when he visited Megumi.

‘I didn’t cry at all you know, when I was waiting for you to wake up…Just like how you asked me back there.’

‘I know….I felt it. I’m very proud of you, Satoru.’

‘I believed you. I always knew you’d come back to me one day. I always believe you, Suguru.’

‘…’

Yuuji didn’t hear what Geto said after that, only some muffled crying. He turned up the TV volume they were watching a little bit, enough to cover the voices, to give the two adults some semblance of privacy. He chanced a look at Megumi next to him and was quite surprised to see the boy’s eyes glistened. 

Two weeks later, on July 7^th, Gojo Satoru proposed to the love of his life, the former worst-curse user of the modern era, the one who came back from the dead for him, his best friend, his one and only…in front of everyone in Jujutsu Tech.

Even making a grand gesture of going down on one knee.

The sight they would have never associated with ‘The Gojo Satoru' they had always known.

Geto’s face was a second away from crumpling.

The long-haired man didn’t say yes…but the way he pulled Gojo to stand up, cupped the older man’s face then crushed their lips together was more than the answer they needed. And the taller man wasted no time before kissing him back with even more fervor as if his life depended on it. 

Yuuji saw how many of them, including himself, could not hold back from shedding tears, touched by how much love and sincerity coming from the scene before them.

The case of Geto Suguru was all they discussed for the week following his official comeback to the living, both with or without the presence of affected parties, inside or outside formal meetings. It was to be recorded in their Jujutsu history, to be appraised critically, analyzed, and theorized for further learning. About the extent of body possession, curse manipulation, or absorbing cursed energy. To be passed down to the next generations as one of their most unusual occurrence, legend, or maybe even as a fable, a bedtime story for a sorcerer’s kids, to convey the take-home messages, the morales.

No one could conclude it in just one theory, as the man himself neither fully understood nor fully aware of what was happening leading up to the taking over his body back and coming out front while pressing Kenjaku’s consciousness. His memory was blurry, fragmented, and abstract for the most part as, according to their most favorable theory, his soul back then was still scattered. Disjointed.

It was, quite possibly, different than Megumi’s case who regained control of his body by fighting Sukuna from inside as the curse got weaker. Megumi had never died in the first place, unlike Geto. Megumi’s soul, body, and consciousness were intact, just in a different domain. So at that point, it couldn’t be applied to Geto’s case.

However, Gojo said that right before he was sealed, Kenjaku was talking about how the ‘body is the soul and the soul is the body’ and that according to his experience, the soul's existence didn’t precede the body. That back then, Geto’s body had reacted against Kenjaku after Gojo called his name. If the theory held some truth in it then it probably meant as long as Geto’s body was intact then his soul, the fragment of his soul to be exact, still existed and was attached to it, which explained the involuntary yet purposeful body movement, holding some degree of consciousness that wasn’t Kenjaku’s. And due to Geto’s innate ability to absorb and manipulate cursed energy, over time, bit by bit, it continued to feed on Kenjaku’s strength, piecing them back together. As the villain himself had acknowledged to Satoru that the uncontrolled movement had never happened to other bodies he had inhabited before, it somewhat could explain that Geto’s constitution might have been a special case. If this was the first time then some oversight from Kenjaku could happen as he wouldn’t feel Geto feeding off his cursed energy a little at a time. There was also the possibility that the fragmented soul might not give off a full presence like an intact one, rendering the villain to not recognize it immediately and continue to let his guard down inside. Finally, during the last battle, with Kenjaku’s reservoir being used up while contending with Gojo, Okkotsu, and Choso at the same time, chipped away bit by bit, that Geto could fight the possession back in his domain.

Geto’s awareness came to life that one time to inform Gojo to finish him off with his cursed energy without him putting up resistance anymore, thus ensuring he wouldn’t turn into a curse. However, there was still a gamble of Kenjaku gaining footing once again when it was Geto at the forefront to get attacked, hence Geto planned to self-destruct while Kenjaku was being overpowered and let his body absorb all the curses and cursed energy left, including Kenjaku’s. According to Choso, the only one alive who had had the most chance of direct face-offs with Kenjaku, what Geto did to self-destruct that day was similar to Kenjaku’s gravity, only this time it was projected onto himself at the center. As ‘gravity’ was Kenjaku’s innate cursed technique and not Geto’s, it might explain why he could use it on his own body.

What came next was for Gojo to blast the body off right after, to put a final stop.

It was supposed to be like that. 

However, it was clear that Gojo didn’t do exactly as Geto instructed. As Okkotsu witnessed how Gojo seemed to gamble something on his own right before he supposedly attacked. That his cursed technique was executed differently. That, for it to not completely eradicate Geto’s body, he was controlling it like he never did before for the price of the technique backfiring on him and rendering the damage he sustained. That of course, Infinity didn’t work because it contained his own cursed energy yet the destructive power it held was the same as ever. Adding his weakened state since fighting Sukuna which had made his reverse cursed technique depleted so much that it deteriorated his healing properties. That at some point, it had passed the golden period of being able to be healed efficiently by either his or the other’s reverse cursed technique, that it had its limitations, that the only way to go after was just to let nature take its courses.

All of those, however, remained as speculations since there was no way for them to know what actually happened unless they could experiment and recreate it all exactly the same.

But for now, it was enough. It wasn’t to be focused on as there were other things more urgent to handle.

Both of them had survived the ordeal, despite no longer having the powers that had defined their names in the jujutsu world. With Gojo the way he was now and Geto losing all of the years' worth of cursed spirits that he had painstakingly amassed all his life, leaving his arsenal completely empty. Despite it all, they were still breathing, all limbs and torso intact, and being together once again. That alone was nothing short of a miracle.

No one could deny that the power of their emotional bond, love, as some might simplify, had played its part in defying the logic and granted them their second chance.

[Juju Stroll]

One day, Yuuji heard the conversation between the two adults during breakfast.

“So Suguru, according to my math, I’m two years older than you now,” Gojo blurted out randomly in between munching on his steamed rice.

“The heck? Where does that even come from?”

“Aren’t you like, still 28?” He pointed his chopsticks at the raven-haired man. A very rude gesture.

“No, I’m not. My body didn't die that long.” Geto slapped the raised hand in front of him.

“That’s not how it works, your soul stopped aging for over a year so it’s 28 now. The soul is the body y’know.”

“Says who?”

“That’s how it is! And I’ll be 30 in a few months while you missed your 28^th birthday and…wait! Doesn’t that mean you’re still 27??”

Geto sighed heavily, annoyed. “Does it even matter…?”

“It matters a bunch! You should call me Satoru-san now!”

“You’re nuts.”

“Ha?! Weren’t you the one always preaching at me to speak politely to older people??”

“So proud of your old age now, huh.”

“Of course! With old age comes great wisdom. I’m your senpai in life now!”

“Whatever, ossan.”

“You’re being awfully rude to your elder, aren’t you? Suguru-chaan~.”

“Stop it, Satoru,” Geto said through gritted teeth.

“You always told me to speak formally but you wouldn’t even address me properly??” The white-haired man lamented fakely, “Swallowing your own words again, huh? that’s what you’re so good at, ain’t it, Suguru-chan? 'Swallowing'…” He smirked obnoxiously. “Even last night-”

“I mean it. Stop!” he snapped, slamming his rice bowl down on the table, then stomping away.

“Wait! Where are you going, Suguru-chan? Finish your meal first!”

Yuuji saw the former curse user rush out of the dining hall while blushing furiously. He thought he now understood what it felt like to be Nanamin and Megumi.

Chapter Text

The post-apocalyptic circumstances had rendered Tokyo Jujutsu Tech as more than just Jujutsu society’s headquarters. It has now become an unofficial, temporary living complex for students and the workforce with its Kyoto counterpart handling the matters for the Kansai region. With internet services and means of communication still limited in many areas, the council had decided it was the easiest way to ensure everyone’s safety and coordinate better until each of them chooses where to be stationed. Professional sorcerers and students all share the living spaces, occupying vacant dorms and guest houses, helping clean and repair the damaged buildings, chipping in for daily necessities, as well as delegating duties, both for ‘house chores’ and missions. With the school closing in for a year, the students are no longer assigned missions for the time being and are expected to spend their time training and learning on their own, while they still can, with the seniors looking after their juniors.

Over a month has passed since the unexpected, official union of Gojo and Geto. Well, unexpected for Yuuji at least. The other adults all seemed to take it naturally as if it was something that had been long overdue, though.

Inevitably, they all are pretty much accustomed to this new routine of living as one big family. Other than attending meetings for the adults and training for the students, doing construction work around the school grounds that need immediate repairs, and cleaning them, the rest is free time. By now, all of them already have fixed chores and responsibilities every day that they rotate every week, except for kitchen work that is allowed only for several people who had been one-sidedly selected as they are entrusted not to poison them all or kill their taste buds with their cooking. Yuuji and Megumi are responsible for breakfast, to provide them with simple and easy-to-digest dishes to start their day. While they take turns buying ingredients from small merchants and markets in and out of town, the choices are quite limited as most are canned or processed foods.

Fortunately, Inumaki and Okkotsu had volunteered to grow their own summer vegetables in the school gardens, which they had planted back in spring and done pretty well, despite their lack of experience, thus helping substantially cut down their meal budget. For lunch, they are free to fix anything for themselves, as it is usually the time when the least people could gather to dine together. Dinner, however, is the most important mealtime as it is when almost all of them currently living in Jujutsu Tech eat together, even those who just come back from the mission or will not stay there for the night. It is entrusted to Geto, as he was proven to be the most adept at cooking than all of them combined, with the occasional help from the assistants.

When Yuuji, Megumi, and the second-years (now supposedly third-years) reach the dining hall in haste due to the threat of not having desserts, it’s to the sight of said man still busying himself in the kitchen, which is separated from the dining hall by a wooden kitchen counter. Geto is, as usual, still wearing a yukata even while cooking. Something that Yuuji had taken notice of since the first time. The man seems to be no longer able to wear casual clothing, much like Choso. The difference is that Choso is indeed a historical being, so his fashion choice is understandable. But this man before them isn’t. Yuuji couldn’t help but think Kenjaku was like that too. So is wearing traditional clothing originally Geto’s habit or is it something that somehow rubbed off on him through Kenjaku? He shivers at the implications and quickly shoves that thought aside.

Geto’s hair is pulled up in a bun with his bangs pinned with a hairclip and he’s wearing tasuki to tuck his wide yukata sleeves to his elbows. Gojo is hovering behind him, as always. The perpetual presence wherever Geto is around, who is there more to annoy the cook and steal food rather than helping anything. The taller man wears a white long-sleeved shirt and black sweatpants, seeming to engage the shorter one in conversation, too close for comfort, that they haven’t realized Yuuji and co’s presence yet.

Yuuji looks at them and thinks how the tables have turned. Now Gojo is the one bearing scars across his otherwise pale, smooth face while Geto’s is free of any blemishes. The taller man seems to keep tugging on some of Geto’s strands that have escaped his bun until the other has to shove him away, playfully, with his elbow. The sight of two special-grade sorcerers, one used to be the strongest while the other the most evil curse user, now looking oh-so-content together while domestically cooking in a small kitchen is still too strange for Yuuji. But then again, after all that he’s been through, nothing could even be considered strange anymore. He’s just still not used to the sight of his Sensei doing anything else other than being a sorcerer and a teacher, and being so lovey-dovey with someone Yuuji had only ever associated with an enemy.

Just when Gojo’s about to circle his arm on Geto’s waist, Megumi clears his throat too loudly to be normal, making a grand entrance of strutting into the dining hall to notify their arrival.

Gojo glances at them and perks up, “Whoa, you guys got here so fast!” Considering the boys' dorm is two buildings away from the dining hall, “C’mon hurry up.” He gestures at the trays, serving plates, and bowls on the kitchen counter, “You guys take what you want first and divide the rest for the others, oyakodon on the right table, katsudon on the left, and put the salad evenly, don’t leave the greens only for the adults, you guys!” 

They all divide the tasks while Maki and Okkotsu, as always, opt to clean the tables and set the cutleries, keeping their distance from the kitchen, or rather a certain man in the kitchen. Megumi goes straight to the couple, however. Out of six of them, Megumi is the only one who can casually approach Geto at will, inevitably acting as the bridge between them most of the time. If Geto felt he was still being treated differently by some of them, which Yuuji was pretty sure he knew, the man tactfully kept quiet about it.

Yuuji, on the other hand, has been wanting to approach him too, ever since he realized that the man was just as much a victim as him and his parents. How fucked up is that? Yet in turn, he thinks it’s why he found himself empathizing with Geto and easily accepted him, just like Megumi. Unfortunately, he just couldn’t strike up a conversation with him. He has too many questions for him but at the same time too afraid to say something that would most likely only open up old wounds and become an insensitive prick.

Choso, apparently, doesn’t seem to share the same sentiments he has for Geto. Despite already being accepted as one of them and treated as such, Choso is still, for the most part, indifferent to anyone who isn’t Yuuji. He’s very quiet, even quieter than Inumaki, and talks less than he needs to. The only one he has warmed up with after all this time living in Jujutsu Tech is Noritoshi. Sometimes, it’s frustrating for the others yet he never makes trouble so they all have come to accept that Choso is just like that. He’s weird and there’s no getting around it. But with Geto, it’s something else. He’s blatantly avoiding him at any given time. Geto didn’t seem to mind, thankfully. Regardless, Yuuji couldn’t help but cringe every time Gojo gave his older brother stinky eyes, whenever they happened to be in the same room, at Choso’s acting as if Geto was a mere dust stuck on the wall.

Speaking of Choso, Yuuji briefly looks around the dining hall, thinking the man must’ve finished with the meeting if Geto was already here long enough to cook dinner, but there’s no sight of the Death Painting anywhere. He wonders if he should save his portion, though. Knowing Choso, he would definitely go for oyakodon rather than any breaded meat, the guy is simply old-fashioned like that.

“Itadori-kun,” Geto calls him from the kitchen. Yuuji promptly puts down the rice bowls he’s preparing and approaches the man, acknowledging Gojo who is now leaning his tall body on the fridge, looking bored. 

“I made Choso-san’s portion separately,” Geto says, gesturing at the bowl by the counter beside the fridge, “Oyakodon, less salt and spices.”

‘He knows?? But how…?’ Yuuji feels surprised yet touched by the attention. Once again randomly being reminded of Kenjaku then stares back at the oyakodon. He shivers at his thoughts and painstakingly gulps the lumps in his throat, before croaking, “Th-thank you, Geto-san!”

“No problem,” he says with a smile.

Yuuji then hears Gojo click his tongue, rolling his eyes at the raven-haired man.

‘Huh? What’s going on between them?’

Geto pointedly ignores the taller man and addresses Megumi instead, “The cakes are in the oven, cool it for a minute then use those serving plates over there,” He points at the overhead cabinet, “You know how to unmold it, Megumi-kun?”

Megumi nods and waits in front of the oven that’s still running. Gojo leaves their side and goes to Megumi at the other side of the kitchen, seemingly more interested in the mention of sweets.

“Um…Geto-san,” Yuuji uses the chance of the man being left alone, “D-do you know where Choso is? He went to the meeting with you, right?”

Geto turns to look at him, “We did, the meeting’s over a couple hours ago, though. I think I last saw him with Noritoshi-kun.”

“Oh…I see.” That means they are still training? Choso didn’t even have lunch today. Yuuji shuffles his feet on the floor, “Can I, uh, separate the portions for both of them then?”

Geto smiles and nods, his eyes soften. “Sure, you can reheat it later.”

Yuuji smiles back, feeling a little blush crawling his cheeks, the older man is indeed very good-looking especially when being seen this close, now with a tender expression instead of the nihilistic smile he was infamous for, coloring his visage. The guy is always polite and soft-spoken, using keigo speech even when talking to those much younger than him. His voice sweet and mellow, unlike the cold, condescending tone with nothing but heartless comments coming out of his mouth when he was Kenjaku.

Yuuji goes back to Inumaki at the dining table, who is currently serving the breaded pork cutlets and salad, and throws a glance at Megumi right at the time when Gojo snatches a plate of cake from the dark-haired boy’s hand.

“Oi…” Megumi sighs disapprovingly at the older, trying to get the plate back to no avail, as Gojo keeps it out of his reach.

“What are you doing?” Geto says to Gojo, seemingly having noticed the childish altercation at the corner of the kitchen.

“I’m just separating my dessert too,” Gojo says, playing innocent. “Don’t worry Suguru, I’ll eat it after the meal, promise!” Megumi scoffs at that and turns his back on the white-haired man, seemingly done with him. He gives it up for Geto to handle and continues unmolding the rest of the lava cakes from the ramekins.

Geto glances at the two plates in each of Gojo’s hands and frowns, “I made just enough cakes for everyone, so no seconds.”

“What.”

“You heard me. Put that down.”

Gojo scowls at his partner and strides back to him, still not letting go of the plates, “Surely, the Death Painting has no business eating chocolate.” He clearly means it as a whisper only for Geto, but his voice is just loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Satoru,” Geto says sternly, his eyes sharp, and takes one plate out of his hand, putting it on the kitchen counter. “Itadori-kun, take this, will you?”

“Ugh…sorry about this, Sensei…” Yuuji grins apologetically, hurriedly taking the cake and putting it on Choso’s tray, along with his rice bowl and salad. Choso may not like spicy things, but sweets especially taste good after a day of hard training and Choso rarely has the chance to eat tasty cakes, particularly the ones fresh out of the oven so Yuuji wants to ensure he gets to try some.

Gojo clicks his tongue again at Geto. Regardless, he still nods at Yuuji.

Sensing failures, the older man turns to the others instead. “My lovely 2^nd-years who usually don’t like sweets!”

“Nope.”

“Definitely nope.”

“Okaka.”

Gojo huffs and turns to stare hopefully at Okkotsu, his last chance. “Yuuta, my boy!”

Okkotsu rubs the back of his neck, smiling awkwardly, “Um…sorry Sensei, it’s cake so…” he trails off.

“Gah! All these brats reaally have no filial piety!”

“And you’re the biggest brat of them all. Stop being embarrassing,” Geto says, cuffing the taller man’s head while walking past him to the table.

Gojo rubs his head, grumbling all along while bringing his tray to the seat next to Geto. “You can make more after this, right?”

“I used up all the ingredients, so no.”

“HA?! Then what about our midnight snack??”

“What midnight snack? You sleep at midnight, Satoru, not snacking. Now be quiet and just eat your dinner before it gets cold.”

Yuuji hears Megumi and Maki snort not-so-subtly from the other end of the table. Gojo pouts but makes no more comment while gobbling up his meal as if the bowl has personally offended him. It’s already become a common occurrence by now, but the fact there is someone who can actually scold his Sensei and make him obey things sends giddiness down Yuuji’s spine.

***

More and more members come while they chat through dinner. Kusakabe, Ieiri, and Ijichi join Geto and Gojo’s table, Hakari comes in not long after and promptly sits next to Maki. The sun outside has completely set yet still no sign of Choso and Noritoshi. Yuuji wonders how they could still train being surrounded by the total darkness of the forest.

He has something important to talk to Choso yet he wonders if it’d be better to wait until tomorrow? The older must’ve been very tired.

Why do they train so hard like this anyway?

***

Dinner ends and still no sign of Choso. He literally hasn’t seen that man since after breakfast this morning. It’s a bit irritating if he’s being honest. It might be because he’s already too used to the older’s constant presence by now but it’s not like this is the first time this has happened. Ever since Noritoshi came here he can get more private time with himself that doesn’t involve Choso hovering around his vicinity. He guesses today is particularly vexing because of his talk with Okkotsu earlier. Moreover, he really wants to know what the meeting is about.

Deciding to wait for him, he volunteers to help Megumi wash the dishes as tonight is the boy’s turn, which the other happily accepts.

He’s cleaning the tables, while Megumi is being instructed by Geto on how to properly store all the leftovers when Gojo approaches him from behind.

“Yuuji buddy~” The older man casually slings his arm around him. Yuuji notices the man briefly looking forlorn at the uneaten cakes beside him before turning to him with his usual binding smile, “So, how’s my little sunshine doing these days?”

Yuuji manages in time to hold his gag at the sudden pet name.

What the hell? Not even Choso calls him pet names…and the guy is the sappiest person Yuuji had ever met in his life.

“I-um…I’m fine, Sensei, thanks for asking.” He gives the man his best grin, “W-what about y-”

“That’s good!” Gojo pats him on the back then leans toward his ear some more, “Is big bro giving you anymore trouble?”

“Huh? No…Choso is…we’re good…”

Gojo stares at him some more at the answer then nods, “Good to hear then, listen, can you come by my office first thing tomorrow morning? There’s something I’d like to show you.”

He raises an eyebrow at the older man, “What’s it ‘bout?”

“You’ll find out tomorrow, but make sure you come alone!”

“O-kay?”

Gojo nods some more then ruffles his pink hair. Just like how he came, he passes by like a storm, dragging Geto along out of the dining hall.

Megumi has started washing the dishes by the time the two adults leave so Yuuji joins him. They work in comfortable silence, Megumi washes and Yuuji dries. By the time Megumi’s almost done washing the last frying pan, he breaks the silence first.

“So…Sendai,” Megumi starts, eyes still looking down on the sink, “You’re really going to stay there? Until the school opens again?”

Yuuji’s hand automatically stops wiping the plate he holds. “Yeah, for now…” He turns his body to face Megumi. The fact that his best friend waits until everyone else has left to resume this talk means there’s something still weighing on his mind. “Why do you ask?” 

The older boy has also stopped washing the dishes, letting the water tap run through the suds on his gloves. “I just… I don’t know, I guess I just assume you, of all people, would wanna stay here, I mean after you take care of things over there, of course.”

“Well, nothing is set in stone yet.” He resumes drying the plates. “I think I’ll decide after seeing the situation there…”

“Is it because of Choso-san?”

“That there too, but…like I said, I haven’t really talked about the specifics with him. And…” He lets out a sigh, “I guess after what happened I realized that I didn’t know a thing about my parents, and the only one who knew about it is long gone.” He puts down the plate and the rag, “I feel like this is the best timing and of course, I can only start that after going back home.”

Megumi has turned the faucet off and took off his gloves, now fully facing him. He seems conflicted about something, as seen by the furrow on his thick eyebrows.

“How are you…um…” he begins after a beat of quiet. “How do you plan on…” He trails off again.

It’s the first time Yuuji sees the dark-haired boy being this nervous.

“How do I what?” he prods.

Megumi lowers his eyes, clenching and unclenching his fist, not knowing how to proceed.

“Just spit it out, man.”

Megumi heaves a deep sigh then looks up at him, “Sorry if I sound like I’m meddling too much, it’s just, h-how are you gonna get by? I mean, you’re still a kid yourself and…” The dark-haired boy says it as if it pains him to do so, “You have someone living with you now and living costs money, but…Choso-san has his own situations like…how-…how are you gonna make a living over there?”

Yuuji widens his eyes, he didn’t think Megumi would be concerned about that kind of thing. Heck, he himself hadn’t really thought about it until he brought it up.

He can’t help but chuckle, regardless.

Megumi furrows his eyebrows, “What’s so funny?”

“So that’s what’s been bugging you?”

The older boy doesn’t answer, just nods.

Yuuji didn’t see this coming, but Megumi’s concern stirred something up in his heart.

“Don’t worry about it. My grandpa saved some money for me, and even though it’s nothing much he also left some assets. Though, they could also be my parents’ actually, I don’t know, but it’ll be mine once I’m of age,” He grins at the other, “I guess that means Choso and I just hafta lay low for a while. It’s only us, anyway, and Choso is far from being high-maintenance.”

At Megumi’s silence, he adds, “And if I really needed some cash I guess I can just start looking for part-time gigs?” He shrugs a little, “I mean I’m sure there’ll be more construction work everywhere soon. Brawn is all I got anyway, it’d be a good way to work up a sweat and make money at the same time. I bet Choso would like that too, rather than just staying at home all day…”

Megumi takes a deep breath then crosses his arms on his chest, staring at him, “You know I just…don’t want you to think that’s he’s your own responsibility to bear. The fact that Choso-san is invited to the council’s meetings is because they value his existence, you know.” 

“I’m glad then.” Yuuji says, looking away from the other’s eyes, “But still, I’m the only family he has now so...” he stops.

Megumi doesn’t say anything either so they lapse into silence.

Megumi leans his hip against the sink, drumming his fingers against the steel counter and taking a full view of Yuuji, then clears his throat, “Yuuji, are you…are you happy now?”

Yuuji raises his head abruptly, so fast it gives him whiplash, caught off guard by the sudden change of topic.

“Huh?”

“You know,” Megumi continues, making a vague swirling gesture with his index finger, “…with all this?”

“Ah…yeah, yeah of course I am,” he nods, “Choso’s a great company y’know, once you get past his…eccentric exterior?” Giggles suddenly burst out of his throat, he’s not really sure how best to define the man.

Megumi rolls his eyes, seemingly not finding it funny, “Well, clearly not every one of us is privileged enough to be his ‘dearest little brother’ but yeah, point taken. I’m not talking about him, though…”

“Then what are you talking about?” he tilts his head, puzzled.

“I’m talking about the way things are now…” Megumi pauses for a beat, “…particularly about yourself.”

“I don’t think I get what you mean, Megumi.”

“I think you know exactly what I mean.”

He lets out a sigh but doesn’t answer. Megumi always knows how to read him, even better than himself sometimes. 

Yuuji pushes himself away from the kitchen counter, putting some distance from the other boy, and leans his back against the fridge. Aware of Megumi’s gaze following his every move.

Yuuji lowers his head, purposefully breaking eye contact, and fidgets with the hem of his hoodie. Then he suddenly takes interest in the callouses of his fingers, picking at some of the dried skin around his nails…anything to stall the conversation to continue. Yet, Megumi waits.

He waits and doesn’t push him to talk.

Yuuji heaves a deep sigh, knowing the boy’s not gonna let him leave without talking.

“Y’know Megumi, you were there from the start, from the moment I got to know about Jujutsu. Gojo-sensei told me that you were the one asking him to spare my life back then,” he starts, keeping his head lowered. His voice is barely above a whisper but he’s sure Megumi can hear him.

The other doesn’t say anything so he continues, “You know how I came to this world, fully aware that I’d be executed in the near future and I even consented to it. But look where I am now.” He rakes his hand through his hair, tugging a few strands, feeling the familiar frustration slowly comes to a boil.

“Why am I still here, Megumi? Why me and not Nanamin? or Kugisaki? Why am I here, still intact, while Inumaki-senpai, fuck, even Gojo-sensei-” he trails off. He can’t continue, not when his chest suddenly constricts and a lump’s lodged in his throat. He rubs his face roughly with his hand, feeling a wetness about to form in his eyes. He calms his breaths, not wanting to shed tears in front of his best friend again.

“Happy is quite a big word, don’t you think? Right now I doubt any of us could genuinely say that they are, not after losing so much...and honestly, I don’t think it matters to me now, as long as I can-…I just need to…” His voice starts to crack so he stops.

“As long as you can still be useful to others. You just need to keep on living, for the sake of those that no longer can.” Megumi helpfully fills in for him.

Yuuji just nods, his eyes fixed on the floor.

“And because you think you already fulfilled your role and do so as long as you live, so you think it doesn’t matter what you feel anymore, right?”

Yuuji doesn’t respond. Megumi always knows how to read him, even better than himself. At times like this though, he can’t really appreciate being read like an open book and getting it shoved on his face.

“You think I helped save you from your execution but then I wouldn’t be here right now, talking to you, if it weren’t for you. So we’re even now,” Megumi continues, “In fact, you’ve saved my life more than I did to you.”

“It’s not about being even or not…” Yuuji objects.

“I guess it’s not, I just want to tell you that, hoping that it’d at least mean something to you.” 

He finally, slowly, looks up at the older boy, meeting Megumi’s gaze square in the eyes.

“You know Yuuji, when I was still trapped inside Sukuna I’d known Tsumiki was long gone. The only family I had left. Back then I didn’t see the point in me to keep on living. I didn’t want to fight anymore. It was much easier to do that anyway, to finally just let go of everything and join her,” Megumi says, his voice low, yet firm and even.

“…but I knew Tsumiki wouldn’t want that, wouldn’t appreciate that I was throwing everything away for her. So back then I asked myself what I wanted and what would be the meaning if I kept on living, enough to warrant myself fighting back.

That time what I wanted wasn’t just to see Sukuna be defeated and for all that to be over. But what I wanted was to see you, Gojo-sensei, and the others’ happy faces after all that with myself still being a part of it. It’d even make me feel better to know that I contributed to their being happy, not just by surviving but because I knew you guys care about me.”

He listens, neither knows how to respond nor what to make of Megumi’s confession.

“Yuuji, I know that you value your worth as a Jujutsu sorcerer with how many people you help, as much as you can and that’s how you see yourself worth. Then in your focus on doing that, I think you start to neglect other possibilities of how those who care about you actually see your worth.”

Megumi takes one step closer before he continues, “Us who care about you don’t value you based on how much you can be of help or what you’re capable of for now, or in the future, more than for you to just…be present…to just be here with us.

I hope you understand that helping people isn’t always about saving their lives or fighting cursed spirits for their sake…sometimes it’s as simple as just smiling at them and making their gloomy day brighter.” He takes another step forward, “That even the slightest, sincere attention from you that you think is nothing, could actually mean the world to someone else…”

Yuuji’s heart skips a beat. He doesn’t really understand where Megumi is headed with this talk.

“But you…” Megumi trails off, sighing deeply, “Of course, none of us is still the same person as we were last year, we grew and some of us changed a little…but you’re just…” the older boy looks away, “You’re just different…you hardly ever smile anymore…”

Yuuji stays silent for a few beats, blinking his eyes slowly trying to process what his friend said, then cocks his head in confusion.

“So you think I need to smile more often? If I wanna make people who care about me happy.”

Megumi gives him a look then shakes his head lightly, “That’s your takeaway from all this?”

He neither denies nor confirms.

“You do realize pleasing others isn’t necessarily the same as making them happy? In the end, you can’t make others happy if you’re not happy with yourself, Yuuji…

I’m gonna be blunt with you and forgive me for saying this, but from what you’ve told me just now, it seems as if…you’re still too hung up on your own ideas of how certain things should’ve been…what they have, what they no longer have, for the people you’ve mentioned, for them to be happy…that you forgot you’re actually projecting your own views on them. It seems like it never even crosses your mind that their thoughts might as well be totally opposite of yours.” 

Yuuji purposefully looks away. He knows Megumi is right, but there’s some part of him that wants to deny it, and some other part that wants to acknowledge that even after realizing it, it still doesn’t bring him any closer as to why he still can’t untangle this huge knot coiling tightly inside his chest whenever he thinks of his future, seeing his Sensei, Choso, Inumaki, or remembers about Nanami.

He’s so caught up in his mind that he doesn’t realize Megumi’s already standing right before him. Not until the older boy clasps both of his shoulders.

“Yuuji…”

He looks up again straight into Megumi’s green eyes. The other’s gaze is sharp and bores into him. Yuuji feels his heart suddenly beat faster and his body stiffens, aware of how much closer they are now.

Megumi has grown taller, probably added another inch on him, while he feels like he stays the same.

Megumi squeezes his shoulder, “You said before you were going to ask your brother what he actually wanna do going forward, but have you actually asked yourself the same question?”

Yuuji bites his lower lip, painstakingly trying to swallow the stubborn lump in his throat. “I-” he croaks, then lowers his head again. He feels Megumi give his shoulder another squeeze, prodding him to talk. “I just…feel very lost sometimes. I asked that to myself and couldn’t really come up with anything, even if there was any, I didn’t know if that’s what I wanna do or what I think I should do...” He takes a deep breath to calm down. “What do you suggest I do, Megumi?” There’s an edge of desperation in his tone, clear even to his own ears.

The taller boy slides his hands from his shoulders to his upper arms, then gives them another squeeze before letting him go. “What you need right now is to make peace with yourself, Yuuji. Only you can answer what will actually make you happy, but…if you still feel lost then there’s no harm in talking to those who are undoubtedly more experienced than you.” 

Yuuji raises an eyebrow, “Like who?”

“Who else more experienced in life than those older than you?”

He can’t help but snort a little, “You mean Choso? The older the better isn’t it?”

“Well…I mean those who have lived longer than you.”

“Gojo-sensei?”

“Yes, he’s one of them. But even our senpai will do. Why not try Inumaki-senpai first since you're worried about him? Or Okkotsu-senpai?” Megumi says matter-of-factly, “Plus, Okkotsu-senpai is the only one of us that had experienced going solo, he might even be able to offer you more insights, lest you stay longer in Sendai.”

The slight change in the subject is unexpected, yet not unwelcomed. He supposes he can start with that. 

Yuuji gives a slight nod, finally feeling he can breathe a little easier.

“All right then,” Megumi pats him on the back then turns his body and starts walking toward the sink, picking up his gloves again, “I think we’re done here, I’ll finish this and lock up, so why don’t you just take the dinners to both of them? They might be hungry.”

“Okay.” He pushes himself from the fridge and back to the table, taking one tray of wrapped dinner in each hand. He turns again to Megumi just before he goes out of the dining hall, feeling his face heat up a little bit. “Meg-Megumi?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks, for um…for talking to me, and for listening…”

Megumi answers with a nod and a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Yuuji hoped he wasn’t blushing, or if he was, he prayed that the light in the hall was dimmed enough to cover it because the way his heart currently thundered inside his chest was absolutely not normal.

Yuuji strolls back to the dorm to find Choso’s bedroom still dark. He knocks and gets no answer so he invites himself in. The room is exactly the same as it was this morning. No new dirty laundry in the corner of the room that would otherwise pile up more after a day of training.

‘Perhaps I should just sleep here tonight if we’re going to talk…’ he muses.

They had never slept in the same room again ever since Yuuji had recovered enough. It was the only line that he firmly drew between them.

At first, it was met with vehement rejection from the Death Painting, arguing that back then, where he came from when they were all alive, he slept together in the same room with all of his 8 little brothers so he couldn’t see the point why it had to be different now when there was only one little brother.

Yuuji had to give his all to refrain from yelling at the older man.

‘That was then and there, this is now and here, brothers in modern days normally don’t sleep in the same room, Choso.’

‘Ridiculous. Families stick together, that’s what it means to be a family.’

‘But not like, 24/7!’

‘Then modern people don’t seem to value the bond between family better. I’m sure the meaning of family should stay the same no matter what era it’s become.’

‘Well, like it or not, when you’re in Rome do like the Romans do.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Like it or not, you’ll need to adjust to how modern people live, you live here now after all.’

‘But why now? Weren’t you okay with that until now, and even when we were on the run…’

‘It was different then, we didn’t have any choice back then, and I’m no longer sick now.’

‘What’s the punishment for failing to do so? For brothers to have to stay in different rooms?’

‘Huh?? there’s no punishment! it’s not like there’s any actual law for it, it’s just how people do things nowadays…’

Yuuji knew he just gave a totally wrong answer because Choso looked even more pissed after, so he relented for one more night. In the following days after their conversation, Choso’s agitation about said subject had made the atmosphere around them unpleasant, for the others. Gojo had even tried to placate them once, saying that Yuuji was a teenager and teenagers should be left alone at night, which was absolutely unhelpful yet Yuuji said nothing. The roundabout way of saying things would never work with Choso anyway.

It wasn’t due to that per se. It was because Yuuji still had bouts of nightmares until now and he absolutely didn’t need to give more reason for Choso to be even more of a worrywart. Choso’s silent tantrum had become so annoying that Gojo even threatened to move him into the teachers’ complex instead of taking another vacant room on another wing, pointing out that he wasn’t even a student hence, according to the school rules, wasn’t supposed to stay at the dorm at all, and that his room would be next to his and Geto’s.

In the end, Megumi felt pity and let the older man have his room. As it was the best option he could have, Choso eventually, albeit begrudgingly, conceded.

Thus, peace was once again restored in Jujutsu Tech.

***

Yuuji takes a spare futon from his own room and lays it beside Choso’s. Despite having a functional bed in his room, Choso still opts to sleep on the floor as he isn’t comfortable with a springy bed. He sits on the bed, waiting for the other while mulling over how to go about their talk the best way.

Agitated by the stillness around him, he decides to get some fresh air outside.

He strolls aimlessly around the dorm and the guest house until he finds both Choso and Noritoshi half an hour later. They are talking right at the entrance of the boys’ building, their backs are on him, seemingly still discussing something.

“Choso!” he calls while quickly approaching him.

The other turns around and Yuuji is immediately welcomed with his warm smile, “Good evening, little brother.”

Yuuji gives a quick nod at Noritoshi and takes a good look at their disheveled state, “You guys are late for dinner, have you guys got back from training just now?”

“Yes, we kind of forgot about the time,” Noritoshi answers sheepishly.

“That must’ve been some good sparring sessions then,” he says with a smile, “but don’t worry, I already put your dinner in the pantry, you can reheat it there, Noritoshi-senpai,” then turns to Choso, “Yours is in your room.”

Choso nods while Noritoshi thanks him.

“Then I should let you both rest now, thank you so much for your guidance today as well, Choso-san.” The archer bows, “Apologies for always taking your time…”

“It’s my pleasure.”

He straightens his back again, now looking more solemn, “But my offer still stands though, please don’t hesitate to reach me whenever.”

Yuuji listens and remembers what Okkotsu said, ‘So it’s true after all…’ He looks back at Choso, who only nods at the younger and doesn’t say anything else.

They part ways as Noritoshi’s room is in another wing. Choso and he walk up the rest of their way in silence. Once Choso opens his room, his eyes immediately zero in on the two futons laid side by side.

“Are you sleeping here tonight, Yuuji?”

He nods, “Do you mind?”

“Of course not, little brother.” Choso’s eyes soften, there’s no hiding the glee on his countenance

“Okay, why don’t you clean yourself first while I reheat your dinner, after that, there’s something- what’s that?” Yuuji glances at the stack of papers Choso suddenly takes out from inside the folds of his vest, putting it on his desk.

“It’s from Ijichi-san, he said these are dok- dokku-”

“Documents?”

“Yes, that. It came with the meeting. He says I need to fill them out and answer the questions properly but…” The older man suddenly looks bashful and averts his eyes, “There’s so many words I don’t know and how to answer…”

Ah…Right. Choso wouldn’t know many of the modern terms in it.

“I’ll help you later then,” he says.

While Choso is in the shower, Yuuji reheats his food and sorts out his laundry. There’s more dirt and grasses stuck in there than usual, even some bloodstains, which means Choso’s sparring partner has gotten better at contending him. He groans a little. He needs to soak these thoroughly tonight with warm water otherwise they won’t be clean by tomorrow and risk the man going shirtless for the rest of the week.

Choso doesn’t have many wardrobes of his own. Yuuji wanted him to assimilate as best as he could so he’d asked Choso to dress more casually. Yet, he hasn’t been able to buy him more as the clothing stores he can afford are still closed. He had lent them his own clothes but with the older being over 180 cm and a much bulkier build than him, it quickly proved to be difficult. He’d given the guy the loosest tees and baggiest pants he had only to be ripped open shortly after (they were some of his favorites too!) the only thing he could wear properly from Yuuji was the oversized hoodie he got from Nanami. However, the other already decided that modern clothing didn’t suit him, as it restricted his movements, and went back to his robes.  

Choso comes back to the room dressed in a thin, blue-gray-striped yukata he usually wears to sleep. (Yuuji bought a few of them when he was on duty to get some fresh produce from far on the other side of the city, which drained his monthly allowance in one go, as prices were all outrageously hiked up during this crisis, but Choso didn’t need to know that). The man goes straight to his meal, starting with the cake he’s been eyeing since earlier. The sight of his surprised face, eyes wide as saucers like a child tasting his first candy, as he finished the treat in just four bites warms Yuuji’s heart. Choso then continues to his donburi, munching in silence while Yuuji watches. He can tell this too, matches the other’s taste.

“It’s made especially for you, do you like it?” Yuuji asks after Choso almost finished all of it.

“It’s very delicious, Yuuji, thank you,” Then takes another bite, “Your cooking has gotten much better.”

“Eh? I didn’t make it! Geto-san did.”

Yuuji sees the man stiffen, looking up at him then back at the oyakodon in his hands. He blinks several times. The pleasant expression that was there a second ago is suddenly gone.

Yuuji knows exactly what’s on his mind and bursts out laughing, “C’mon, it’s not like whatever you think! Don’t waste any food now. It’s not nice.”

“I won’t.” There’s a slight annoyance crossing Choso’s face yet he slowly takes another bite, albeit less enthusiastic than he was a moment ago.

“Y’know what, Geto-san is very kind, he takes into account everyone’s preferences while cooking for us, maybe one of these days you should try talking to him.”

Choso doesn’t reply, Yuuji doesn’t expect him to. He observes the older some more, who resumes his eating. There’s a slight pout tugging the corners of his lips. The first time Yuuji's ever witnessed him showing that kind of expression.

He waits until Choso finishes everything, does his night routine, and gets ready for bed before resuming the talk. All the while convincing himself the faster they go over this the better, even with the risk of it ending in an argument between them. Yuuji really doesn’t want that, but with how stubborn Choso can be, it’s quite inevitable sometimes.

“Choso,” He takes a deep breath, “There’s something important we need to discuss…”

Chapter Text

“Choso...” He takes a deep breath, “There’s something important we need to discuss…”

Choso is halfway lying in his futon before stopping himself and sitting back up, taking off his comforter and sitting cross-legged on top of it. Yuuji climbs down the bed and mimics the older, making sure to put some appropriate distance between them.

“What is it, little brother?” Choso asks, eyes soft and gentle.

Yuji paces his breath, counting to three in silence, then shoulders on.

“The meeting you attended today, what was that about?” he treads carefully, starting with what he supposes is the most innocuous topic.

“They talk about a lot of things…” Choso trails off. Yuuji can’t help but notice how Choso refers to them as ‘they’ despite also being part of the meeting.

“Anything related to you or me?” he tries again.

Choso simply nods, “It’s about Geto and I and our positions within the Jujutsu community.”

At Yuuji’s further queries, Choso explains and Yuuji understands that their crimes related to Shibuya incidents have decidedly been whited out, as they were deemed to be manipulated by Kenjaku under the grand scheme of things. Meanwhile, Geto’s crimes related to the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons have also been evicted as Ieiri had brought undisputable evidence that Gojo had, in fact, killed Geto accordingly back then, as ordered by the former council. Yuuji tries not to think about how his Sensei and Geto-san must’ve felt back at the meeting, of seeing his dead lover’s body being photographed and shown to everyone present or being reminded that your own lover was the one who killed you. There is still a lot about the couple that Yuuji doesn’t understand. But judging how they both were absolutely fine back during dinner, it is clear to say that their past is no longer bothering them that much. That they had passed the most painful of traumas together and accepted them well.

If Yuuji was being honest with himself, he might be a little jealous of their capability to put the past behind them and never let them haunt their new lives anymore.

Regardless, the news has brought immense relief to him. There is no way he can accept if, for whatever reason, The Council had decided to still punish Choso and Geto while letting Yuuji be free when it was he who had the most blood on his hands compared to the two adults.

Choso explains how The Council stated that both Geto and Choso had consistently proven their worth and stand after the Shibuya incidents to the Jujutsu society.

“They asked us to pledge our loyalty and took our oaths,” he says at the end.

Yuuji blinks at that, “What did you tell them then?”

“That my loyalty belongs to my family and my family is Itadori Yuuji. So, as long as Yuuji is tied to the Jujutsu society then so am I and nothing else matters to me. And if one day Yuuji decides to leave this society then I will also leave with him, follow him wherever he goes.” Choso recites them in one breath, tone and face dull as if he’s not talking to Yuuji himself.

Yuuji takes a sharp breath and looks down for a beat.

“Y-yeah…that’s actually what I wanna talk about.” He looks back up at the older. “I heard that Noritoshi-senpai offered you a proposal. And just earlier, didn’t he mention something similar? What was that about?”

Choso gazes at him, head slowly tilting in confusion, “Did Noritoshi-kun talk to you about that?”

Yuuji shakes his head, “No. Which is why I’m asking you. How come I heard about this from someone else and not from you?”

“Who told you that then, Yuuji?” Choso asks back.

“It doesn’t matter who, just answer my question first, please.”

Choso goes silent for a while instead of answering, seemingly mulling over what to tell him.

“He did,” Choso begins, “Since I’ve been teaching him, he asked me to come live with him after this place closed so we could keep training together…and to discuss it with you first.”

“Where is that? Surely not in the Kamo residence…?”

“Of course not.” Choso’s bushy brows instantly knit tightly together, showing blatant contempt. “I would never want to go there, anyway. This place he offered is where Noritoshi-kun resides now. Apparently, his father had secretly owned some acres of land that was inherited by him through his will. He’s been living there with his former maids and attendants.”

“…Can those people be trusted?” Yuuji voices his concern.

“According to Noritoshi-kun, they were the ones who took care of him since little and were fired when Kenjaku took over because they refused to betray their master. He looked for them one by one and invited them back, along with their families, to take care of them.”

“That sounds just like what Senpai would do…” Yuuji nods to himself, “But where is it, exactly?”

“He says it’s in a village, right on the outskirts of Saikyō.”

“Saikyō…? You mean Kyōto?”

Choso lifts a questioning eyebrow at him, “Is that what it’s called now?”

Yuuji has to restrain himself from rolling his eyes right to Choso’s face, yet nods nonetheless. Because of fucking course, the studious Noritoshi will be able to actually hold an equal conversation with this 150-year-old relic-man using all these century-old obsolete terms. For Yuuji, however, talking to Choso is akin to taking Japanese history quizzes every single day. Unfortunately, that subject was one of Yuuji’s regular red-mark contributors in his report cards back at school. His grandfather could care less about that. He had many other urgent things to scold Yuuji about.

However, if 5 years ago someone had told him he would one day live with a century-old man who self-proclaimed as his big brother, then he probably would’ve exerted more effort to listen to his history teachers in class…

Choso divulges more about Noritoshi. Apparently, he and those people serving under him now have worked together as a small community in that inherited patches of land to live down-to-earth and be self-sustainable, with farming and the like, while his family is still overseas for safety precautions. Noritoshi might be the leader of those people but it was more like a newfound family rather than a master-servant relationship, with him also working to his bone to keep their village running. That would explain why the older boy always brought a heap of fresh produce to share whenever he stayed at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech. Looks like the business is at least running smoothly enough to let them live comfortably. Yuuji can’t help but feel glad to hear it. After what his Senpai had been through at the cost of losing his clan, a loyal family who will support him through thick and thin is what he deserves. And it seems to him that Noritoshi might already have some plans in hand, just with the fact he gathered all the people that had fled the Kamo clan beforehand to survive.

Now that there are only two people left who inherited the Blood Manipulation techniques, it is only a matter of time before what was left of the Kamo clan will gravitate back to their former young master. A clan will cease to exist being left without a clan head, after all. And if one day Noritoshi was able to regain his position, now that the evil mastermind has gone, and reform it, there will be a place for Choso there, as the only other inheritor of the Kamo clan. No matter what his true constitution is or how distant he is in both age and lineage, he is still of Kamo origin.

A revered life he deserves as a noble descendant.

Whichever way Yuuji sees it, leading a simple life in the rural mountainous area and farming would serve Choso’s well-being much better than having him assimilate into a modern lifestyle in Sendai. Although Sendai is also located in the countryside, it is urban and densely populated enough to be called a city nowadays. Choso will definitely have a tougher time adjusting to the life that awaits him in Sendai compared to the one being offered to him on a silver platter. Moreover, had Choso chosen to go with Noritoshi, it would mean he had natural open fields vast enough to keep training and cultivating their prized blood manipulation techniques without the risk of hurting non-sorcerers or damaging public properties by accident. Something that Yuuji absolutely could not offer back at his grandpa’s house. It is a win-win situation in every aspect, for Choso, Noritoshi, and their Jujutsu society.

Yuuji clears his throat and glances back at the older man. “How long has he been offering you this?”

Choso glances up at the ceiling, trying to recall it. “Not long after we started training together. That evening after Yuuji’s sensei said that the school would be closed.”

That was over a month ago.

“I hope you told me about this sooner, though. It sounds like a good living environment if you ask me, and the continuous training will only benefit the both of you, right?”

“I suppose so,” Choso replies briefly.

“Then what was your answer?”

“I already rejected him.”

“…” Yuuji feels the frown forming on his forehead, from the contradiction of what Choso thought and what his final answer was. “I hope this isn’t because of me…?”

“It is exactly because of Yuuji,” Choso confirms immediately.

He feels his hackles slowly rise, at Choso’s taking it very lightly. “And yet you’re not even gonna discuss it with me first? Why is that?”

“I rejected the offer for the first time, after that he indeed said that Yuuji could come along as well, but I knew how you would think, you would not want to come and live there anyway.”

“Of course! My family home is in Sendai, I have obligations waiting for me there.”

“Then that is your answer. I was just saving us both from unnecessary conversation.”

“Unnecessary??” Yuuji scoffs, exasperated. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly to calm himself before starting again, “It’s not unnecessary if it’s about your future. Didn’t you say so yourself, that it's gonna be beneficial to you both and our community, in the long run?”

Choso only nods, so Yuuji continues, “At the very least, I could give you some insights about this.”

“Then…” Choso responds, “If I accepted the offer tomorrow, you’d come live with us as well?”

Yuuji feels something thump in his chest, a discomfited guilt he’s already very familiar with by now. “Ugh…no…” He ducks his head, “I’m sorry Choso, I can’t do that, you know that already.”

“Then I’ll stay with you. There is no other option for me.”

Yuuji knows. And it’s a predictable answer for Choso. But the older guy is clearly missing on seeing the bigger picture.

“No. there is another option, aren’t we talking about it now?” He cards his hand through his short peach-colored tufts in frustration before looking back at his big brother, holding up his head, “Look, Choso. I would like to ask you more questions, and please…please think about it seriously before you answer.”

At the heavy tone of his voice, Yuuji sees Choso scrunching his nose for a second but he ignores it. 

“What do you actually want to do with your life from this point on?” He fixes his gaze on the older and starts counting. After 5 seconds and there is still no answer he asks again, “Let me rephrase, how do you…picture yourself in the next, I don’t know… 2, 5, or 10 years? What will you wanna do for yourself?”

“I’ll support whatever you want to do and help you reach it. It is my duty as a—”

“No. stop with that damn big bro duty this big bro duty that. I know that already, for fuck's sake! I’m asking you what you want with your life. Not what you think you have to do as a big brother. C’mon, man!”

Choso visibly flinches at his raised voice and he instantly regrets it. But he can’t help it anymore. Most of the time, talking to Choso is like talking to a brick wall. You cannot push it and also won’t get any reaction.

A tense silence falls around them like the dark sorcerer’s veil coating the air completely and weighing heavily on their shoulders.

For the first time ever, Choso throws him a disapproving look. His lips, pursed and completely sealed. His eyebrows crook upward, showing disappointment through his whole visage.

Yuuji suddenly feels something gripping tightly around his chest.

It’s obvious that Choso won’t respond, so he painstakingly probes again. “Will you say something??” Then remembers and hastily lowers his tone by a notch, adding belatedly, “....please?” 

Choso closes his eyes for a brief second then straightens his slacking posture, now sitting taller and with his bigger build, looks as if he’s towering over Yuuji across from him.

He peers down at him, “I do not appreciate your swearing in front of your big brother, Yuuji,” he says eventually, tone cold and chiding.

Yuuji gapes and slowly blinks, caught off guard by what the older chose to focus on instead.

So Choso is upset because he just swears a little? Not because of what the question entails?

“…I’m sorry.” Yet, Yuuji can’t say anything but apologize. “But, Choso, you don’t understand. I’m asking you this so you can start and think to look at the bigger picture and plan forward. This here…” He vaguely points at the things around them. “This is all temporary arrangements. Right now, this is our turning point to move forward, for all of us sorcerers and you are one of us now.”

He takes a deep breath and exhales shakily, “I’ve seen how the council treated you and the meeting you told me about today just confirmed it. They value you as an individual more than what you think and you have shown us time and again your worth for us.  From now on, what you really want for yourself, you deserve it. You don’t have to keep binding yourself to me and settle for something less.”

Yuuji stops and lets his words sink in. Choso is staring straight at him, listening to his every word yet his face betrays any response. And he is still not saying anything.

“Don’t take me wrong, but from what you told me and you realize you also think the same, that Senpai’s proposal holds many advantages. And not just that, can’t you see that it suits you much better? It’s closer to your origin and you can keep practicing. I can’t…” Yuuji shakes his head desperately, “I can’t offer you even half of what he does. And most of all, you, Choso, don’t have the obligations I have for my late grandpa back in Sendai. It’s different between us.

And if the reason you rejected it is because you’re worried about us being separated, then don’t. We can always visit each other when we can and it won’t change the fact that we’re still brothers, right? In fact, being brothers doesn’t mean we have to stick around and do everything together until we grow old and die at the cost of getting what you really desire for yourself!”

He ducks his head again,”…But if I go with you two and live there, I’m just gonna be a liability for Senpai and his family...”

“Am I a liability to you then?” Choso replies. 

Yuuji swings his head up so fast he gets whiplash, “what..? Of course not!” He stares back at the older, “Where does that even come from??”

“Maybe Yuuji should ask himself and come clean whether my existence has started to become a burden for him.” Choso holds a steady gaze on him. His face solemn.

“Choso…what? No...” Subconsciously he unravels his crossed legs and approaches the other, his right hand almost reaching out to the older’s fist that is clenched tightly on his thigh. Yet, unlike any other time, Choso doesn’t reach back.

And Yuuji feels a strange panic begins to build inside him.

“I-it’s not that at all…God! Don’t you understand that I’m doing this because I care about you? I care about you a lot, Choso. Maybe you don’t see this chance as a good alternative now but trust me you’d live a much better life being surrounded by those familiar with jujutsu than in my hometown. There are…there’s still too many uncertainties awaiting us back there…”

“A life without my little brothers isn’t a life that is worth leading,” Choso says firmly.

Yuuji almost skips it but still notices the plural form of his word. His retorts slowly die down at the tip of his tongue. He gulps down painstakingly. “A- as I said…we can still meet regularly. I just want you to please start thinking about yourself and prioritizing your well-being more than me, Choso, because it makes me feel better too if I know you’re in a good place and live the way you deserve it.”

He really hopes that the older can catch that this is Yuuji’s way of trying to repay him for all that he’d done to him and to mend some of this guilt he always carries around Choso. Even though he will never be able to pay it fairly to the older, for as long as he lives. Because there is no way Yuuji would be enough of a substitute for Choso’s other 8 brothers who will never come back to live with him anymore. And it was all because of him.

After Yuuji’s last words, there is an immediate change in Choso’s mien. His crooked eyebrows relax and so are his lips, his shoulders slump and he leans back on his arms. He looks away from Yuuji and cocks his neck up to stare at the ceiling.

A couple of minutes pass in total silence between them. The only sound drifting into the room is the rustling of tree branches on the window and a distant hum of summer cicadas. The warm golden light of the bedside lamp spills on Choso’s pale face along with the moonlight, rendering his skin shimmer in the dim-lit room and accentuating his sharp jawline and prominent cheekbones. His eyebags seem deeper in the dark yet his eyes are shining, betraying any signs of exhaustion.

“I think you’re the one who doesn’t understand, Yuuji,” the dark-haired man says eventually. Yuuji tilts his head in question, despite knowing Choso may not see it.

“Me and our brothers, we came to this world not because our parents wanted us to. Then Eso, Kechizu, and I incarnated in this time not because we wanted to. In both lives, we did not have a say in it whatsoever.” Choso slowly lowers his head back and continues, “Our clan did not think of us as living beings. Our lives and souls mean nothing to our parents. Nothing, except being mere pawns in his game.” The older man pauses to turn his gaze at him, “So when we could do nothing but accept our fate, we gave ourselves the meaning of our existence and that was the obligation to protect each other until death do us part.

Without that we were nothing, I am nothing.”

Choso’s words slash painfully at Yuuji’s heart. He suddenly finds it hard to breathe.

“It might be true that, to some extent, they have accepted me as your own in relation to you, Yuuji. But the truth is I will forever be flitting between the line of human and a curse because that is what I really am. Nothing can change the fact.

So this is me being true to myself. You ask me what I desire to do with my life and this is my answer. I have no desire to chase what humans covet for a better life because for me, only my brothers will give me the meaning of my existence. And for now, that is you, Yuuji, no one else, and nothing else. Without that, why would I still need to be here?”

Yuuji takes in a sharp breath. He never thought that Choso had always valued his existence this way…this low. When he deserves better, much better.

They lapse into another silence.

“I don’t—” Yuuji begins and promptly chokes on the big lump in his throat, “I’m not…trying to take that away from you, Choso…”

“I know you don’t. But do you understand now how much you mean to me?”

Yuuji doesn’t want to hear it. He doesn’t deserve this level of devotion from Choso, of all people.

The telltale sign of waterwork slowly crawls into his eyes and pressures the back of his eyeballs. His lips wobble so he hastily lowers his head, away from Choso’s stare.

How can this man say all of these things so easily? As if he’s just talking about the weather instead of pouring his heart out to another person, exposing his weakness. 

Yuuji cannot trust his voice so he can only nod.

He feels Choso shuffle before him, closer to him. “I’d leave you alone if you ever find my presence troublesome.”

Yuuji shakes his head frantically at that, yet still not brave enough to lift his face. His eyes are dangerously moist.

“You should promise to be honest with me, Yuuji, when that time comes. I’d gladly do it because your happiness is the meaning of my existence. It beats the whole purpose of my life if I’m the one making you feel troubled.”

“I will never- feel that you…”

“Will you promise me?”

He nods and sweeps his wet eyes before peering up at the older. “I get it now, Choso, I understand, your answer to my question...”

Choso’s eyes crinkle slightly and the corner of his lips tilt up into a gentle smile, yet it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Good, then now it’s my turn to ask you,” Choso says, now recoiling away to his previous position. “And please answer truthfully.”

When Yuuji nods, he continues, “Do you ever think of me as your real big brother?”

Yuuji’s gasps, “Wha…? Of course I do..."

Choso cocks his head at him, “Really?” he asks again, tone unconvinced. “You never address me that way, though.”

“Huh…?” He blinks at the older, “But I did! Don’t you remember?? I called you 'Aniki' back then.”

“Hmm…” Choso nods slowly to himself, and frowns deeply, “Only once…and I prefer the sound of ‘Nii-chan’ better.”

“Ha…” Yuuji lets out an incredulous, shaky chuckle, “Aren’t you being a bit demanding lately?”

Choso shrugs casually, “I guess, a big brother wants to be selfish too, from time to time.”

Selfish? Yuuji wants to laugh at that. Choso is anything but selfish. If anything, Yuuji was the one being selfish toward him since day one.

Regardless, he just shakes his head, “I’m just still not used to it…please understand, I’ve been an only kid for my whole life…”

Choso doesn’t say anything, yet the next second he feels the older ruffle his hair. It is just a one-sweep motion, compared to how he usually does it. However, it melts the tense atmosphere between them immediately.

“It’s all right, Yuuji, the fact that you accept my presence already means everything to me.”

“Cho-…choso…”

“Shall we go to sleep now?”

“...'kay...” he chokes out. 

Choso reaches out to switch off the bedside lamp and crawls back to his own futon, covering himself up to his neck. “Good night, little brother,” he says before closing his eyes.

Yuuji does the same, facing the other side. “Good night, Choso…”

‘Choso-nii...’ He whispers inaudibly to the air.

He closes his eyes and presses his palm into his mouth, holding the sobs that threaten to spill from his mouth.

He finally lets his tears run free.

Yuuji doesn’t remember when exactly he began to drift off after crying in silence. He feels tired physically despite not doing anything much during the day. The weight of his conversations with the senpais in the afternoon and with Megumi after dinner had taken a toll on his tumultuous emotions, yet his talk with Choso earlier had evidently lightened some of the knots binding tightly inside his chest. Still, it doesn’t stop him from having his regular nightmares. He keeps tossing and turning all night. The flurry of images of his dead comrades in their last moments, the ear-splitting screams filled with horror of the people he burnt and cleaved with his own hands in Shibuya, all of them wreaking havoc inside his head, denying him of any wink of sleep.

He almost screams himself awake at the last snippets of seeing Gojo once again die, now on his bed, dead at the hands of no other than Geto who, turns out, is still hosting Kenjaku inside his body.

It takes him almost 5 minutes to calm his thunderous heartbeat, pinching his eyes in the darkness of the room to convince himself that it was just another bout of his nightmare. That his sensei is sleeping peacefully with his real lover in his arms just two buildings away, and not some fake bastard taking over his body for a second time.

He turns to his side, staring at Choso’s sleeping figure. The older man hasn’t moved an inch in his sleep. Always such a pristine sleeper. Yuuji realized this not long after they started to be roommates. That Choso sleeps like a dead man. He neither snores nor moves around and he will wake up in the exact position as he fell asleep. He doesn’t even look like he’s breathing unless Yuuji fixes his stare at the man’s chest for a whole ten seconds to catch the bare movements of his chest walls. At first it used to throw him into a fit of dread, thinking Choso must’ve died in his sleep. However, as time passes, the serenity of his sleeping form ironically soothes him, as it is the complete opposite of the storm raging inside Yuuji’s heart at night when he can face nothing but his awful memories playing in loops inside his head like a broken DVD.

Out of impulse Yuuji throws off his blanket and scoots closer toward his brother. He puts his hand on Choso’s arm which isn’t covered by the yukata’s sleeve, folded neatly on top of his chest, and grips it loosely. The inhumane coolness of the other’s skin immediately seeps into him, chasing away the clamminess gathered in his palm from his frayed nerves. He forces his eyes to shut and focuses on the rhythmic thuds of Choso’s pulse felt on his wrist, soaking himself at the older’s oddly comforting presence.

Just as he is once again about to drift off, he feels a pull on his hand that is gripping the older’s and another arm circling his body to make its way up and gently stroke his back.

Another nightmare intrudes just when he feels he’s about to fall into a deep slumber. The worst one.

As he sees one of his clawed hands tears into Megumi’s heart and next, rips off his head with another. He witnesses as the light recedes his best friend’s eyes along with Sukuna’s tattoos on his face.

Just when he’s about to scream his lungs out, the scene changes abruptly to him running inside a dark and long, winded tunnel with no end in sight. He can’t see anything. A total black, heavy void surrounds his all being. Yet, his body keeps running until he spots a flicker of light, a tiny sparkle in the distance that should mark the end of the tunnel. When he reaches out his hand to that bright light, his whole view tilts upside down and his body is thrown over.

Disoriented, he finds himself kneeling on the floor, on all four on the gray concrete underneath him. Blood splatters soon flood his view, running on the floor like a stream of water from the spring, along with torn-up pieces of what seems to be part of human bodies. The blood, so thick and red that it’s almost black. The putrid smell of it assaults his olfactory sense and triggers his gag reflex.

He feels the blood also spills from his mouth. And a revolting feeling of something akin to rotten meat stuck between his teeth and tongue. His hand, no longer with claws, reaches to his neck and presses it, trying to spill everything still left in his mouth.

His head snaps up when he feels movement before him.

It is Choso, sitting limply against the wall. The man is almost entirely covered by blood save for his face. All around him are more blood splatters, chunks of shredded limbs, and to Yuuji’s absolute horror…empty glass tubes with cracks on them, some of them already broken into pieces, that the man cradles on his lap. 

All six of those tubes.

Upon realizing what transpired before him, waves of potent nausea sweep through Yuuji’s entire body. He covers his mouth just in time before retching his bile out. More blood and torn meat slip through his lips. His lungs seized with painful pressure rendering him unable to breathe. His heart feels like it has been stabbed numerous times. His whole body starts to tremble uncontrollably.

The lifeless Choso before him stirs due to Yuuji's commotion. His blank, resigned face quickly morphed into wrath upon realizing his presence.

His glare is so full of animosity that it paralyzes Yuuji on the spot.

It was a sight he had never seen on Choso’s countenance. Not even on their first encounter at Shibuya station.

‘Itadori Yuuji!!’ Choso shouts his name, boiled with rage and full of venom.

Yuuji feels the urge to scream, to repel the heavy pressure in his lungs so he can breathe and talk, yet nothing comes out of his useless, constricted throat.

‘Itadori Yuu—’

BAM BAM BAM

“OI, ITADORI!!!”

“ITADORI WAKE UP!” another rasp of knocks on the wooden door that soon turns into a banging sound.

“Damn it! Is he deaf or something?? OI, ITADORI!!”

“Tuna tuna.” Another banging joins the other on the door.

Yuuji is startled awake by the ruckus outside his room. He doesn’t remember at what time he was finally able to fall asleep but the nightmare still feels very vivid in his eyes. Quickly clutching his hand on his neck, he croaks. He exhales in relief once he confirms his voice is back. However, he’s still gasping like he had run a mile a minute instead of sleeping. And the stabbing pain in his chest is still there, albeit subsiding. His shirt clings disgustingly to his back and he shivers. Buckets of cold sweat trickle from his nape and down his back.

His body doesn’t feel rested at all, though. He probably sleeps less than two hours in total.

The first thing he notices is, it’s morning already and the bright summer sunlight has slipped through the cracks of curtains that are thankfully still closed. The second is, Choso is no longer there. Their futons are already folded neatly and piled in the corner of the room. To his surprise, he belatedly realizes that he is now lying on Choso’s bed. The older must’ve moved him up from the floor when he went out first and tucked him in as Yuuji is now covered properly with a blanket that he had thrown away sometime at night.

He peeks at his watch. 6.05 am.

Huh?

Choso is a morning person but even he usually lingers in his room until breakfast time, meditating. He wonders where the older went so early in the morning.

He groans when another series of banging sound rattles him. It is still very early even for breakfast, just what are Maki and Inumaki fussing about that they have to wake him up with such a ruckus?

He rubs his bleary eyes and face, only to realize how clammy his hands are. Sighing heavily, he tosses his cover away and takes his sweaty shirt off before rummaging through Choso’s wardrobe to find a fresh one and putting it on.

Sluggishly, he saunters to the door and opens it.

“What is it, senpai?” he drawls.

Maki and Inumaki turn their heads at him from next door.

“So there you are! We’ve been knocking for hours!” Turns out they were banging on his bedroom door, not Choso’s. Yet Maki’s voice is just as blaring as if she shouts it right in his ears.

“Is there something urgent?”

“Do something about your brother, will you?”

He feels his heart skip a beat, “W-what happened? Is he hurt??”

Maki clicks his tongue derisively, “That guy is disturbing our morning meditation, came out of the blue and fucking washed his clothes on the river. The soaps are everywhere polluting the water!”

EH??

"Shake shake!"

"And he doesn't wanna listen to our warning!"

Yuuji hastily snaps his head back to the bedroom, only to belatedly notice the high pile of Choso's dirty laundry is gone.

Shit! He totally forgot he should’ve soaked the bloodstained robes in warm water last night.

“You’d better hurry before he poisons all the fish in there…and if the suds go downstream—”

“Tuna mayo!”

“Y-yeah, sorry about that! I’ll go right now.”

He quickly pads inside and pulls Choso’s hoodie, which is hanging on the back of the chair, to bring along.

He slams the bedroom door closed and is about to run when Maki grabs his arm. “Megumi said you don’t have to prepare breakfast today, Yuuta is already helping him.”

“Eh? But why-so early, is he going somewhere?”

“Megumi, Panda, and I are going to Zenin residence. We’re about to leave now. There’s some urgent errands. He also said that if you or Choso need anything, just tell us, we’ll buy it on the way back.”

“Oh…thanks, but we’re good...I guess. Is everything okay over there?”

Maki just nods, “Nothing major, anyway, if you need anything later just text us, we’ll stay in the town until tomorrow. Borrow Toge’s or Yuuta’s phone.”

“Thank you, Maki-senpai.”

“By the way, this is actually a hassle, you know, always conveying Megumi’s messages to you, just when are you gonna buy a new smartphone?”

“Ah…I’ll make sure to buy it before going back home, I don’t really need it at the moment…Sorry, Senpai, but I have to go now.” He waves back to the older two just before he rounds the corner of the hallway, “Have a safe trip, guys, and please say my thanks to Megumi!”

He finds Choso standing in the middle of the river right next to their main training field. He has stripped off his yukata, leaving his torso bare and his pants on. The man is in the midst of rinsing the soap and water off from the robes by slamming them on the boulder. Though from his movements, it’s more akin to him beating the innocent boulder with all his might.

Yuuji glances at the heap of soaked clothes that are haphazardly piled in a hamper. However, some of them touch the ground and already have dirt stains despite obviously having been washed mere moments ago. A pack of detergent lies not far away, some of the contents spill over but it seems Choso almost used a whole bag, judging from how much suds are floating around and running down the river.

“Choso!” Yuuji runs to him and notices there are his clothes in the pile as well.

Choso turns around and greets him with a soft smile, “Good morning, little brother.” He promptly climbs up to the river bank to meet him.  

“Just what do you think you’re doing?? washing clothes in the river?!”

Choso halts his step and furrows his eyebrows at the immediate reprimand, his smile tilts down a little. “You should respond when someone is greeting you, Yuuji, that is basic courtesy.”

Yuuji feels a violent twitch on his temple for being chided back, yet he relents, “Good morning, Choso…may I know why you do this? I thought I always told you to leave the laundry to me. You should’ve just woken me up!”

The smile is back on the other’s face. “I want you to sleep more since you kept tossing and turning last night. So I decided to help. I took your laundry too.”

Yuuji reaches down and picks some of the washed clothes from the hamper, feeling that the fabrics are still slippery with soap. He feels a headache forming at the back of his skull.

“Yuuji, are you still having nightmares even now? Why didn’t you tell me before?” Choso asks, oblivious to Yuuji's despair. 

He waves dismissively, “Don’t worry about that, I’m used to it by now and it doesn’t affect me. Anyway, Choso…” He points disapprovingly to the river. “You can’t wash clothes in the river, it’s forbidden.”

“What? Why is that?” Choso questions back, “Back then we all washed and bathed in the river—”

“This is not Edo period, okay?” Yuuji heaves heavily, tired of always getting this sort of response from the older. “Plus, you used too much soap and look what you’ve done!”

“That’s right, I didn’t know just a little amount of this thing would produce so much foam. But it’s fine, the stream will wash it down the river.”

“And that’s the problem. Look, the soap we use is a different kind from what you used back then, right? This is called detergent and it’s only for the washing machine. It’s not eco-friendly.”

“What does that mean?” Choso scrunches his nose in confusion. 

“It means it will pollute the water and poison the fish in the river to death.”

He exaggerates of course, but he knew Choso would be stubborn if it meant he could help him. Unless what he does is risking the lives of animals.

Because Choso loves animals, especially the little ones.  

Choso widens his eyes, “I’m…I-I apologize Yuuji, Onii-chan doesn’t know…” he stutters and sounds very guilty.

“And you can’t pile washed clothes on the ground carelessly like that, look, it’s dirty again.” Choso lowers his head the more he scolds him, which makes Yuuji feel very bad for it.

So Yuuji tries his best to maintain a neutral tone, “If you used too much soap it’s gonna be hard to rinse off the suds, feel it here, it’s still not clean and...what the hell!?” Yuuji just spots a huge tear in Choso’s white tunic then hastily skims through the other articles only to find similar tears in not just one but three robes, and shows it to him, “What happened here??”

“Ah…” Choso glances at it and averts his eyes, “The blood stains on it are very hard to come off so I might have rubbed it too hard and it ripped,” he says in a small voice, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

Yuuji scoffs incredulously, almost laughing derisively for the absurdity. To think that the best blood manipulator who is so adept at handling such a delicate thing as blood can’t even control his own strength when washing clothes…

“Just make sure you leave the laundry to me from now on.” He heaves a deep sigh. “I’ll try stitching this back later.”

“But Yuuji, Onii-chan wants to help you too! You already cook and all…” he trails off.

“I’ll let you do it if you’re ready to learn how to use machines.”

At that, Choso visibly recoils. The man has a pretty thorough disdain for using modern technologies.

Yuuji can’t help but chuckle fondly, “Hey, it’s fine, okay? it’s not like I have many things to do nowadays.”

Choso just nods eventually, albeit petulantly, “Okay…then, thank you, little brother.”

“Then are you headed to training now?”

“I suppose. Though I haven’t seen Noritoshi-kun around.”

Yuuji bends down to properly pile the wet clothes inside the hamper, “What about breakfast?” 

“Done. Fushiguro made me some when I asked for that soap earlier.”

“Alright, then I’ll pass by Senpai’s dorm to the laundry room.” Yuuji shoves the hoodie he brought to the other. “Wear this for now, I’ll rewash all of these and I’ll have them ironed by evening. I think you shouldn’t wear yukata to train, the blood stains don’t come off easily.”

Yuuji watches as Choso puts on the maroon hoodie and abruptly, the image from his nightmare flashes back before him. Of Choso sitting lifelessly while helplessly cradling the six empty tubes, surrounded by blood and mutilated corpses.

He gasps and the hamper falls from his hand, making a heavy thud on the ground. Next thing he knows, his body moves on its own and lands on Choso’s.

He can feel the way the older’s body stiffens for a fraction, caught off guard by the sudden act. Although they have hugged several times before, what with Choso being overly and generously affectionate, it is probably the first time that Yuuji ever initiated it between them without any trigger

“Yu-Yuuji, what’s wrong??” Choso hesitantly raises his arms and hugs him back, voice laced with concern, “Are you feeling sick?” He tries to touch his forehead to feel the temperature but Yuuji quickly hides his face, burying it in the older’s shoulder. The telltale sign of tears suddenly forms in his eyes and his throat constricts again.

“Shall I get you to Ieiri-san?”

Yuuji shakes his head, though it looks more as if he’s just rubbing his face on Choso’s hoodie. He paces his breaths until the waves of emotion subside.

Just what should he do to be able to rid himself of this ladening guilt and sorrow whenever he remembers what he did to Choso.

“Come to the kitchen at lunchtime,” he finally croaks, murmuring against the other’s shoulder. “Bring Noritoshi-senpai with you, I’ll make you guys bento so you can take it to the training field.” He pushes away from Choso while stealthily wiping his tears on the hoodie. “I don’t want you two to skip meals like yesterday.”

Choso smiles and gives him the gentlest gaze, “We will, thank you so much, little brother.” He tousles Yuji’s peach-colored hair, “But promise me you’ll tell me if you don’t feel well, okay?”

“Mn…” he hums noncommittally and turns his body to pick up the scattered clothes again, holding the hamper in one hand. “Have fun training today.” He forces a grin at the older and heads back toward the dorm building. Not forgetting to knock on Noritoshi’s room on the way.

Thankfully, the laundry room is totally empty so he can take his time with the laundry.

However, there’s a nagging feeling inside his head that’s telling him he’s forgetting something to do this morning.

Does he have an errand today? He can’t remember, actually, and his training session is in the afternoon.

Yet, that nagging feeling continues until he finishes breakfast.

It seems like there is something urgent that he should’ve done first thing in the morning and it isn’t supposed to be doing Choso’s laundry.

But what is it?

[A few days later]

Yuuji and Choso sit in the empty dining hall. Yuuji hogs the whole table for him with papers strewn across the wooden table. His plate and bowls are already put to the side, having finished with his meal. To the diagonal left of him, Choso is still busy slurping his noodles. Yuuji prepared him some zaru udon with chilled mentsuyu and lots of summer vegetables for toppings, one of Choso’s favorite meals and it’s perfect to combat the searing temperature of summer midday.

Yuuji twirls the pen between his index and middle fingers before bending down to continue writing on one paper after another.

“Man, I never realized it takes this much paperwork for someone to get citizenship in Japan,” Yuuji complains. “And your handwriting still needs a lot of work, Choso. I can’t believe Higuruma-san returned all of these documents you filled out.”

“He says [I couldn’t, for judgeman’s sake, read what you wrote! Just ask your brother to do it and please make sure each question is answered and every blank is filled in.]” Choso says blandly, poorly imitating the lawyer and inciting giggles out of him. “I suppose my hands are more suitable for rough works than calligraphy,” he shrugs nonchalantly.

Yuuji rolls his eyes, “Yeah, right, say that again when you can hand-wash clothes without ripping them apart,” he says with a sneer.

“Yuuji…”

“Welp, I guess that means you just need some extra sessions in writing practice. You know what, Geto-san’s handwriting is very pretty, I’ve seen it. So how about—”

“I’d rather ask Panda to teach me,” The older rudely cuts in.  

Yuuji just shakes his head resignedly. He knew that’d be the response, but he couldn’t help to tease the other.

“Anyway, you can’t put >150 years old for your age, Choso.” He knocks his pen on the wooden table, “Look, no wonder Higuruma-san circled it with big red marks. The staff from municipal office will only take you as a delusional wacko! They are non-sorcerers, remember?”

“Then what should I put there?”

“Hmm…let me see…” Yuuji rubs his chin with his thumb, observing Choso from head to toe and pondering. Technically Choso’s age will be the same as his vessel's body, but the problem is, nobody alive knows the identity of that body. Not even Choso. So it’s up to them to decide.

Yuuji can’t compare Choso’s mien to Nanami or Gojo. Nanami looked older than his age because of his serious and mature bearing while Gojo looks the opposite, even with all his new scars and gained wisdom. Objectively speaking, when Choso dresses up casually, his features look younger than Geto's, except for his eyes that carry over a century-old consciousness, and eye bags.

So compared to him...

“Do you know Geto-san’s age in his new ID form?” Yuuji asks the older.

“27. He yelled at Gojo after receiving the card so we all heard about it.”

Yuuji just chuckles. It wasn’t the first time the couple quarreled publicly so they all are used to it by now.

“Well, yours is…25 then, how does that sound to you?”

Choso lifts a doubtful eyebrow, “Isn’t that a bit too young? Why 25?”

“I think compared to Geto-san, you look younger. Also, I’m 16 this year so 9 years between us seems fitting, don’t you think?”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, because you’re the eldest and I’m your tenth brother, so it makes sense, right?” he grins brightly.

The effect is instant. Choso’s eyes widen as round as saucers and his lips wobble. Next thing he knows, Choso jumps from his seat across him and, only thanks to Yuuji’s fast reflex in pushing the older’s food tray away, that Choso doesn’t knock it with his legs and ruin the papers that he has painstakingly worked on.

“Yu-Yuuji!!" Choso pulls him to his chest and crushes him in his bear hug. "My dear little brother!”

“Yeah, yeah…” He can only pat the older’s back soothingly, letting himself be cuddled and waiting until his big brother’s tears run out.