Chapter Text
"Thank you for shopping at our store. Come again, okay."
That was the last customer Yuuji served, and now his shift was over, and he said goodbye to the friend who replaced him.
Yuuji went to the staff room and changed out of his uniform into normal clothes. After leaving the convenience store, Yuuji went back to his apartment.
He has been working at a convenience store in Tokyo for 3 months. It's quite difficult to find a job with a criminal record.
He was grateful that his friend Junpei had found him a job, and that the owner didn't mind his somewhat troubled past.
He passed several shops that were brightly lit, indicating that it was already night. He turned into an Alley that wasn't too bright, walking casually, passing several homeless men and greeting them occasionally.
Eventually, he arrived at a residential area that looked dull, dirty, and old. Since his grandfather's death, his older brother Sukuna had kicked him out of their home in Sendai. Recklessly he set off to Tokyo, leaving behind all his past in Sendai.
Provided with his savings and money from his part-time jobs. Yuuji was able to survive in Tokyo for a few months, but there was a problem that caused him to go to jail, when he was released he started looking for a job.
And of course, it was very difficult at first, especially with the scars on his face and lips, which made people a little afraid of Yuuji, plus his criminal record. This made looking for a job even more difficult.
Until he finally met his old friend, Junpei. When he told him about his problem. His friend was the one who told him about this job and when Yuuji was accepted. He was very grateful to him and was determined to keep the trust of the shop owner who gave him the opportunity.
The area where he now lives is a bit shabby. But rather than not finding a cheap place to live, it is better than nothing.
As he entered the area of his block of apartment, not far from it, there was a special playground for children, although it was questionable if it was suitable for children, because some of the equipment was damaged and old, some even rusty.
On one of the swings, which was still in good condition, there was a man, whose body was quite large, wearing simple clothes, sitting there contemplatively. Yuuji knows this man, he is the neighbor of the apartment building next to Yuuji's.
Toji Fushiguro.
This man has been there for a week, Yuuji notices every time he comes home from work. Sure, he was sitting there looking thoughtful, and Yuuji was a bit worried about him, especially since he had been sitting there for quite a long time. Yuuji is afraid he's got the flu, because the night wind in Japan is quite cold, even though it's spring.
Yuuji walked over to him as he sat on the swing next to Toji, the guy with the scar on his lip. Not moving, still silent, looking at the ground below him.
Swinging the swing a little, Yuuji started the conversation.
"Fushiguro-san, it's not good to keep it hidden, if something is bothering you, it's better to say it."
Hearing the words of the teenager next to him, Toji glared in displeasure. His green eyes stared at Yuuji disapprovingly. Meanwhile, Yuuji just smiled and waited for the adult beside him to react.
"This is none of your business, mind your own business, don't get involved."
After saying that, Fushiguro left Yuuji and went to his apartment.
Yuuji just smiled and entered his house, his apartment was a bit cramped, but looked neat so it didn't look like a dirty and neglected apartment. He turned on the lamp, took off his shoes, changed clothes, and cooked dinner.
Just Tamagoyaki (rolled eggs) and Hiyayakko (Japanese chilled tofu). He takes rice from the rice cooker. Yuuji ate his food with pleasure, and after eating and washing up, he went to his room and took the comic book he'd bought but hadn't had time to read.
As he read and turned the pages, he tried to concentrate, but his mind kept going back to his neighbor, who had a scar on his lip.
Yuuji's first impression of Toji is that he is like a street dog who has experienced the harshness of the street world, just like he did before he got this job.
When he first met Fushiguro, he seemed to see himself in the past. A gloomy aura, lots of thoughts, and no purpose in life. He was lucky to have someone who genuinely helped him, his friends Junpei and Gojo-san, who got him out of prison.
But it seems that Fushiguro is out of luck, and every day he sees Toji, he worries more and more about his health. His body was still good, but he saw that he had several bruises from blunt force trauma, and his face was pale and looked unhealthy.
Curious, he asked the lady who owned Toji's apartment building, and from there he learned his name. And the problems Toji often faced.
It can be said that Toji's life was very chaotic, gambling, fighting, playing with women, and getting drunk. Because of that, yuuji tried at first to ignore him and just mind his own business.
But everything changed on this night, for the first time, yuuji started to bother Toji.
Closing his comic book, and turning off his bedroom light. Covering himself, he looked up at the ceiling on the roof of his room.
"I decided to help him if only Junpei and Gojo-san hadn't helped me. I'd probably be like him or worse like Sukuna."
Excitedly, he couldn't wait for tomorrow. Maybe he would bring some beer to fushiguro.
The next day, after returning from work, he stopped by the park. And sure enough, the man with the scar was again sitting on the same swing. Walking over to the older man, she handed him a cold beer. He had bought it at his workplace when he came home.
Green eyes met dark brown eyes, furrowing his brows and slightly staring at Yuuji, with a heavy voice he said,
"What is the meaning of this? I told you not to bother me!"
Yuuji just smiled and they were silent for a few seconds. Before finally toji took the beer can. Without taking too long, he drank it in one gulp.
"The beer is not hard enough, next time buy me a beer with the brand *****." Before Yuuji could respond, toji stood up and left Yuuji alone again.
And so on, yuuji brought him something, or when Yuuji opened up a conversation, toji would leave and sometimes he would sit without saying anything, and let the younger man tell his story.
For over a month, they did the same thing, every night, toji see the boy coming home from work, and always brought something and sat next to him.
Until the umpteenth meeting, as usual, toji sat in that place. He didn't know what he was thinking, why didn't he just move to another place so he wouldn't be disturbed?
He was also confused with himself.
'It's strange that the boy didn't come. He's usually here and bothering me' thought Toji, his eyes glancing at the road several times waiting for the pink hair to come.
And 15 minutes later, when he wanted to go home, from the right side of the park, he saw the boy walking slowly and looking very tired.
"Fushiguro-san!" The boy shouted and slightly ran towards him.
"I thought you had gone home, so I didn't bring you anything."
"It's okay, sit down." Hearing for the first time the man speaking to Yuuji. Making him a little surprised, he eagerly sat down beside the man.
"So, why are you late?"
"There was new stock coming in, so I was helping one of my friends. I couldn't bear to leave her."
"You know, she wouldn't necessarily do the same for you, right? So what's the point?"
"Yes, but I don't mind. Sometimes she helps me out too."
"So fushiguro-san, sorry if I interfered, but what are you doing brooding here every night? Do you have a problem? If I can help I will."
Toji was silent for a while, if it had been a month ago, maybe he would have just gone and left this brat. But he admitted, he was getting close to him, and dare he say, already considered a friend, not an acquaintance, or a good friend. But a friend.
And if you think about it, all this time he has always heard this boy's complaints. Now it's the kid's turn to listen to his story and the kid asked because he is worried not pretending to be worried so that later the things he told him would be gossiped.
The last thing he wanted was pity.
'Worth to try.'
"I feel like I have no purpose in life, ever since I was kicked out of my family's residence because married a woman they thought was unworthy.
And they were right, that woman was just using me, and when I realized it was too late. My family didn't want to accept me back, they said I was a family disgrace. And well, I went pub and tried some bad things."
"You mean..."
"Well, I tried drugs, I'm a former user. It's been five years since I quit and three years since I touched that stuff, and I've been declared clean."
"You're doing great fushiguro-san, you're awesome, I'm proud of you!" Hearing this boy's encouraging words made Toji snort.
"You wouldn't say that if you knew what happened next.
"Ehh...what happened?"
"After that, I had an incident that made me very sad. So I turned to alcohol."
"Alcoholic."
Toji just nodded, he waited for the pink-haired boy to judge him and lecture him. However, all he saw was a Compassionate look and a smile that gave Toji the courage to continue.
"I tried to do other things so I wouldn't get too deep, but---"
"Only alcohol can make you forget everything, even if it's temporary."
"Yes, that's it, you seem to understand my problem, is there something you want to tell me?"
"You must think that I'm just a country boy trying to find opportunities in Tokyo. I had a hard time at first."
And there yuuji recounted how he was kicked out by his older brother, and the money his late grandfather gave him that was supposed to be his Inherited money was taken by his twin.
And he was almost desperate, almost like Toji, he tried drinking to feel numb but then he remembered his grandfather's last words. So that is why he changed, and wanted to be a new beginning.
he was almost killed by his twin, in order to get death insurance. As a result, he received wounds on his face and lips due to his resistance to the person who wanted to harm him.
Unfortunately, the police thought he wanted to harm the perpetrator because his position was like he was trying to kill him, the perpetrator was on the ground with a body full of wounds and looked at Yuuji fearfully, while Yuuji stood up and cornered him.
"Don't tell me you went to jail because of that?"
When Toji saw Yuuji nodding, he couldn't believe it.
"For real, because of that?!!!"
"Yup, but when I was dragged by the police. I said out loud to him and said I am gonna kill you, even If you come back with a new identity I'll kill you, change your name, change your form, I kill you! "
"You know, if you say that the police will suspect you even more."
"At that time I didn't care, how many times I almost died and he hurt people around me. And I was fed up and in the end, I fought him."
The two of them talked until it was 1 pm, yuuji who realized it, immediately said goodbye, because tomorrow he started the morning shift instead of the afternoon one.
When Toji also returned to his house, his heart felt a little relieved because he managed to get everything out of his chest.
Without Toji realizing this is the beginning of his life it will be changed and not only he, but his family too Will be affected.
by a stranger with a good heart named Itadori Yuuji.