Chapter Text
It’s been around two weeks since the Detention center. After that absolute fuck-up of a comment, the paintbrush went completely still and froze up like a statue. And now, ever since he has recovered from his sputtering shock, he’s started teasing Sukuna for it every single day without fail (for TWO weeks straight). By extension, annoying Yuuji. ‘Now, the fact that the poor boy hasn’t already murdered the yapping paintbrush is a mystery to me. If it was me, his corpse would’ve already been incinerated with the remaining dust dumped on Kenjaku.’
But Yuuji is Yuuji. So he tolerates it somehow.
‘Since Gojo is always busy, Ijichi’s basically Yuuji’s our personal grocery shopper, this has allowed me to ogle study the man carefully…’
So. Originally, Ijichi was simply one of those easily forgettable but cute characters to him. Sukuna simply regarded the man as a cowardly but well-meaning person.
But- Well, he’s always had a soft spot for those somewhat pathetic men… And- and Ijichi was just so- so sassy. He never really realized it when he first saw the show but Ijichi has funny and sassy little quips all the time.
Detention center was an interesting (read: disastrous) first meeting, even if all Sukuna got was a mere glimpse of the guy. ‘Sure, seeing him through Yuuji’s eyes counts too, but still. It’s different when I’m in the pilot seat.’
Ijichi comes twice a week, or at least this is the schedule he’s adhered to for the past two weeks. The man would ask Yuuji, very politely what Sukuna wouldn’t give to have Gojo even half as polite , if he was missing anything, or—
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“Yuuji-kun, since Gojo-san is busy, I’ll be the one providing for your necessities.” He lightly bows, then soothingly smiles, though it does look a bit wobbly.
“Please do not hesitate to ask for anything, though I unfortunately cannot guarantee that I would be able to buy everything you request for. As the higher ups are still surveying my actions. Equally alongside all the others who were related to your ‘death’.”
Ijichi adjusts his glasses with his pointer and forefinger, the small habit quite endearing.
Yuuji then proceeds to list the things that he would need, having already made something of a plan for all the recipes and foods he wanted to try his hand at making. ‘For just about everything else, Yuuji is quite disorganized. However, he takes cooking very seriously… If he wasn’t the protagonist of a shounen, could he have been a cook?’
‘He would’ve been good at it.’
Sukuna has always had a soft spot for food, and cooking. ‘I wonder, how is Urau-
… I’m not him.’
When Yuuji finished with his list (yes, he was thoughtful enough to include some desert recipes for Gojo. Ugh. No. I am not jealous of the fact paintbrush got thought of when I didn’t get anything—)
“Oh! And some art supplies please Ijichi-san! I hope I’m not asking for too much.” Yuuji worried sheepishly, finding his shoes (a new pair of designer sneakers Gojo bought on a whim for all of his students, spoiling them with a few souvenirs from his mission trip at Shibuya) very interesting.
Ijichi quickly reassured Yuuji, “No, no! It’s fine. But may I ask why Yuuji-kun? I mean not to offend but I don’t exactly remember you taking any particular interest in, well, the arts. Outside of reading mangas.” The man curiously inquired about the rather unexpected request.
“Well, I don’t know if Sensei told you or not, but I- well, I might’ve made a binding vow with Sukuna.” Seeing Ijichi’s rising panic and paling face at the, undoubtedly, shocking and new(—could Gojo seriously not have bothered to tell or somewhat explain the poor man a minimum of anything?) news. Yuuji quickly clarified the situation though, not wanting Ijichi to go into cardiac arrest or something of the sort. “But- but don’t worry! It’s just that he gets to come out for a bit, he also isn’t allowed to hurt anything either! So it’s safe, please don’t worry Ijichi-san! And to answer your question, well- Sukuna’s pretty passionate about drawing, so I thought it might be a good pass-time for him…”
Yuuji said it so care-freely, as if he hadn’t just struck a punch into the soft spot of Sukuna’s heart. As if this act of consideration was normal.
And Sukuna?
He was… happy.
Happy to be shown kindness for once since he was ‘reincarnated’. It’s nice to be thought of. Happy to be shown consideration… Happy to… feel normal again.
… He slept peacefully that day.
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‘Yuuji seemed both baffled and unimpressed at the same time when I had admitted my budding interest in Ijichi. Mumbling something ‘being hopeless’.’
…He was probably talking about his own situation, it can’t be fun to get punched constantly by that atrocious bear.—
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“No Yuuji, no matter what you try to gaslight yourself into thinking, that Cursed Corpse is not cute. It is the literal opposite of it. An atrocious thing. Truly.” Sukuna scoffed at the mere suggestion of it.
“C’mon Sukuna, Tsukamoto isn’t that bad. You’re just mad it punched you in the eye earlier. Look how docile it i- Ow!”
Yuuji then got punched at that exact moment for being distracted enough to not input the correct amount of Cursed Energy into Tsukamoto.
“Heh… Karma.”, said the petty man-child king of curses. Sukuna was extremely smug while saying it, the mockery in his voice evident. Being the petty man child he is.
“Yeah, yeah. Real mature Sukuna.” Yuuji just grumbled a bit, deciding to give up on convincing the curse and to put convincing him to another time. He quickly moved on from it though, leaving Sukuna to his thoughts.
…
‘… It is a somewhat cute creature I guess...’