Chapter Text
Sukuna looked around the place he had just acquired, satisfied at the ridiculously low price he had paid. He began to walk through the premises, wrinkling his nose as he noticed the thick layer of dust covering every corner.
"At least that's nothing that can't be easily fixed," he thought, just as his attention was drawn to an area of the floor where the wooden planks were in poor condition, visibly burnt. The walls needed to be repainted urgently. Nothing he couldn't fix in the blink of an eye, but, in order to avoid unwanted attention, there was no other option but to take the long route. Sukuna clicked his tongue in irritation and headed toward the stairs leading up to the upper floor.
It was the living area, though relatively small and equipped with only the bare essentials: a bedroom, a bathroom, and a moderately functional kitchen. At least its state was much more acceptable than the lower floor.
"It's not like I'm going to need much more," Sukuna said out loud. At first, he had considered acquiring only the lower area, but not having a place to live would have drawn too much attention. And for now, it suited him to remain unnoticed for as long as possible.
With his mind focused on the work ahead, Sukuna descended to the lower floor and noticed the pink-haired boy who had stopped in front of the establishment, watching him with curiosity.
Sukuna stood still for a fraction of a second before offering a friendly smile and walking briskly toward him. He opened the door abruptly and looked at him.
"Good morning," he greeted with an amiable expression. The boy fixed his amber eyes on him and for a second he looked startled but quickly returned the greeting. "I'm Sukuna Ryomen, and I arrived in the city a couple of days ago," the adult introduced himself.
"I'm Yuuji Itadori". The boy extended his left arm and they shook hands. "Welcome to Kanazawa, Ryomen-san".
"Thanks, Yuuji-kun".
Yuuji scratched the back of his neck a bit and gave a hesitant look at the man. "Uh…, do you need help cleaning the place?" He offered. When Sukuna fixed his eyes on him, the boy quickly added. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude, it's just that…"
"Don't worry". Sukuna cut him off quickly. "To be honest, a bit of help would be welcomed. I have some back problems and I'm afraid that certain physical efforts are beyond my reach".
"Oh… I see," Yuuji said, looking at him with some sympathy. Yet, he hesitated to enter the building for a few seconds, earning a quizzical look from Sukuna. Yuuji finally entered and went to grab the broom that the adult had left leaning against one of the walls.
Sukuna began dusting one of the shelves while the young man swept the floor. The adult glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Yuuji, judging by his appearance, had to be close to his twenties—if he hadn't already reached them.
"I'm glad someone took over this place," Yuuji commented at that moment. "Ever since there was a fire here almost twenty years ago, no one had dared to buy it." Sukuna watched him with some curiosity, silently prompting him to continue. "It happened when I was little, but my grandfather insists something strange took place." Sukuna had to stop himself from snorting after hearing that and forced himself to keep his charade.
"Yeah, I heard something at the real estate agency when I acquired the place," Sukuna recalled, bringing his right hand to his chin. "They tried to dissuade me from buying it, but I couldn't let the opportunity pass."
"Well, to be honest, a lot of people here are a bit superstitious," the young man admitted with a slight grimace. He stopped sweeping the floor and looked at the adult.
"I noticed that, although I'm sure sooner or later they'll stop by the shop once it's open." Sukuna sounded confident, almost as if he was sure of it. "But, what do you think? Do you believe this place is haunted or something too?" Sukuna couldn't help but sound a bit mocking and, given the way Yuuji was looking at him, didn't go unnoticed.
"No…not really," the young man replied after a brief hesitation.
"Good," Sukuna commented, giving him an approving look. "Superstitions are nothing more than beliefs meant to scare humans." Sukuna sneered, showing unnaturally sharp teeth for a few seconds.
Yuuji paused and pressed his lips, visibly uncomfortable now. Without saying anything, he proceeded to leave the broom against one of the walls. Looked at his watch and cast an apologetic glance to Sukuna.
"I hope that's all, Sukuna-san...I remember that I have an errand to run as well for my grandfather!" Yuji spoke, hesitation evident in his voice.
Sukuna snorted internally, "what a pathetic excuse," he thought. He cleared his throat a bit and sported a polite smile, trying to reassure the kid. "Don't worry, but, before you go, I wanted to give you a small token of gratitude." Sukuna did not give Yuuji time to say anything and disappeared into the back room.
"It's not necessary, really. I am in a bit of a hurry," Yuuji finally commented, slowly going towards the exit. He could hear Sukuna moving around and the sound of boxes getting opened. The young man reached for the door's knob when Sukuna spoke again.
"Here it is!" Sukuna returned then, holding a small pendant in his right hand. Walked towards Yuuji and showed it. It was small, a very fine looking gold chain with a small red stone. Pretty and, for some reason, it felt familiar, as if Yuuji had seen it before somewhere.
"It's beautiful, don't you agree?" Sukuna offered it to the young man, who hesitated to grab it. Yuuji took it and examined it briefly.
"I cannot accept it, it's too much," the pink-haired man muttered, apologetic, returning the pendant as quickly as possible.
Sukuna grabbed it and sighed. "I cannot allow you to leave just like that after helping me. It would be too impolite."
"It's okay, really," Yuuji was about to open the door when Sukuna spoke again.
"How about I invite you to eat something here later? You like sweets, right?" the adult asked, again smiling politely.
"I…Yeah, I do," Yuuji admitted and looked at his watch. "I would love to keep talking, but I should finish all my errands before the stores close," the young man finally stepped outside and turned to look at Sukuna. "See you around, Sukuna-san". Yuuji left without giving the other man the chance to add anything.
Sukuna's eyes were fixed on Yuuji until the young man disappeared from his sight. Only when that happened, Sukuna burst into laughter.
"So, my hunch was correct. I won't get bored this time," Sukuna mused darkly.