Juicy gossip

Sukuna looked at Gojo, who stood opposite him, unusually excited and ready to open his domain, and felt a shiver crawl over him.

Something was wrong with this guy...

He instinctively spoke up:

"...Wait,"

Before he could finish, Gojo had already removed his blindfold. Beneath his white bangs, a pair of beautiful azure blue eyes opened.

Sukuna's voice abruptly caught, and his eyes went wide-

...Holy... holy shit!

Wh-wh-who was this?!

-Gojo??!

They hadn't switched him out, had they?!!!-

He saw Gojo's lips curl slightly before he looked at him and said with a smile:

"Domain Expansion-[Unlimited Void]!"

The pitch-black domain instantly enveloped Sukuna.

Countless streams of information poured into his mind, and his expression went blank.

Soon, Gojo dismissed the domain. Unsurprised, he watched the light gradually fade from the other man's eyes as he swayed and toppled toward the ground.

He quickly stepped forward to catch him, then lowered his head to look at Sukuna.

Even unconscious, the cursed markings on Sukuna's face hadn't vanished. He hadn't turned back into Yuji Itadori.

His expression was peaceful, stripped of its earlier arrogance. With his eyes closed, even his air seemed gentler.

When that web of Dismantle attacks had come down earlier, Gojo wasn't sure whether Sukuna had instinctively held back at the last second, briefly delaying the attack-

It wouldn't have hurt him either way, but that slight hesitation had changed how Gojo felt.

He wanted to try keeping this Sukuna-this Sukuna who differed from the King of Curses in the records-here, truly giving him a place at Jujutsu High.

Holding Sukuna in his arms, he tilted his head back to gaze at the stars.

Here's hoping...

Hopefully, he wouldn't let him down.

The next morning.

After a comfortable night's sleep, Itadori got up and stepped outside, just in time to run into Megumi Fushiguro emerging from his own room.

He greeted him cheerfully. "Morning!~"

Megumi Fushiguro looked at him, hesitating to speak. Only after a long moment did he tentatively ask, "Last night..."

"Hm? Oh..." Itadori scratched his head awkwardly. "We were supposed to do special training last night, but I think I fell asleep..."

He paused, then immediately added emphatically.

"But it's fine! Sukuna said he and Teacher Gojo have already found a way to keep me from sleeping! We can start the real special training tonight!"

...A way to keep you from sleeping...?

Megumi Fushiguro's expression twisted for a moment.

...Wh... what way???

Itadori didn't notice his strange expression. Seeing how he looked, he asked with some concern, "What's wrong, Megumi Fushiguro? Those dark circles are awful. Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Megumi Fushiguro: "..."

He said nothing, merely letting out a strained breath.

Could he really say... that when he returned to his room last night, he had happened to see Sukuna, still bearing cursed markings on his face and clearly unconscious-

-being carried into Itadori's room by Teacher Gojo in a bridal carry?

And Gojo had stayed inside for two whole hours!

How was he supposed to dare fall asleep next door?!

"...Your... body feels okay, right?" he asked cautiously.

His expression left Itadori at a loss.

"Huh? I... I think I'm fine?"

Megumi Fushiguro managed a small sigh of relief. "...That's good, then."

Itadori: "..."

...What do you mean, that's good...? Explain yourself, Megumi Fushiguro!-

Soon enough.

Through Itadori's account, Sukuna learned this thunderbolt of news.

[A bridal carry? A bridal carry?!!-]

Sukuna went berserk. [Couldn't that bastard Satoru Gojo have carried me in some normal position?]

[And... "two hours"?? Why did he stay for two hours? What the hell was he doing??]

[Satoru Gojo, you... you...]

Sukuna's furious voice gradually faltered.

He remembered Satoru Gojo's face just before his Domain Expansion.

His lips parted with difficulty, then closed again. In the end, he could only force a few words through his teeth.

What a knockout...

From the lower half of his face, he'd thought Gojo was the handsome type. Who would have thought that once the blindfold came off, he'd be... he'd be-

He couldn't help tipping his head back and covering his face with both hands-

A cry rose from the depths of his soul-

He'd be that beautiful...!

-He was damn near the exact embodiment of his tastes!

Why did a man have to look that good? It defied science!

How was he supposed to mouth off at him now?!-

Sukuna was so frustrated and conflicted that he wanted to twist himself into a knot.

At noon, in the school cafeteria.

Sukuna, who had been thinking about Satoru Gojo all this time, fell silent when he saw the white-haired man himself sitting at a table, waving them over.

He didn't particularly want to get close to Gojo right now. One look at that blindfold, and those beautiful azure blue eyes inevitably surfaced in his mind.

Then he felt as though he had shamefully lost to the man's god-tier looks.

Itadori knew nothing of his inner turmoil. Seeing Teacher Gojo, he immediately ran over happily.

"Teacher Gojo!"

He reached Satoru Gojo and looked down at the table-

So much watermelon!

His eyes lit up, and he glanced at the next table. Maki and the other second-year students were already eating, and they greeted him, Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara as they approached.

He happily waved back.

Watching Itadori sit down across from him, Gojo immediately spoke in a gentle tone.

"I just brought this watermelon over. Help yourselves. Eat as much as you like."

He had specially brought five or six watermelons today to share with his students.

Of course, his main aim was to observe Sukuna's reaction. He had teased him several times last night, after all, and didn't want to genuinely upset him.

Without further hesitation, Itadori joined the watermelon-eating crowd, even kindly taking a slice for Sukuna.

Sukuna: *[...]*

He glanced at the watermelon and smacked his lips, tempted.

After a brief internal struggle, he finally stopped resisting.

Fine. The watermelon was innocent. He wasn't going to take it out on the food.

He calmly formed a mouth and started munching on the melon.

Watching Sukuna tuck into the watermelon before him, Gojo thought he really was easy to appease.

He'd originally thought Sukuna might lunge at him and beat him up today... who would have expected him to be so calm?

Clearly, the credit went to the watermelon.

There was no grudge one watermelon couldn't settle. If there was, just bring another.

Gojo quietly pushed the sliced watermelon in front of him toward Sukuna.

As Sukuna munched on his watermelon, his mood gradually settled.

He suddenly remembered the question from this morning and decided he still needed to get it cleared up.

"So... Gojo, what exactly were you doing last night?"

-During those two hours in the room.

He thought as he ate.

He'd been asleep then. Why had Gojo stayed in their room so long?

...Surely he hadn't gone there to steal something...?

With Tiger's finances, there really wasn't anything worth stealing.

Gojo tilted his head, looking puzzled.

-What had he done last night?

"Nothing much, I think? I just... carried you... back to bed?"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough-!!"

Sukuna choked and broke into a coughing fit.

He thought he could faintly hear other people coughing around them, too.

He immediately clarified in a flustered fury, "I'm asking what you were doing staying in the room for another two hours afterward!"

So that was what he meant?

Gojo raised an eyebrow.

He looked at Sukuna, then propped his chin on one hand and leaned closer with a smile.

His lips curled teasingly.

"Then shouldn't you tell me first... what you and Yuji agreed on?"

Sukuna froze mid-bite.

For a moment, he couldn't tell whether it was because Satoru Gojo had leaned closer or because of what he'd said.

Still, that question made him realize-

Last night, only an hour had passed between his taking over and being knocked unconscious by the domain.

After passing out, he seemed to have simply fallen asleep...

But his three-hour allowance hadn't run out yet. He figured he'd slept another two hours before Yuji took over.

So those two hours after Gojo carried him back to the room... he had probably been waiting for him to turn back into Itadori, to confirm how long he could possess him?

With that figured out, he relaxed and lowered his head to keep eating watermelon.

"Then forget about that... and from now on, keep that lousy domain of yours well away from me."

He feared he couldn't take too many more critical hits from that gorgeous face. Besides, that domain really was nasty. Several years' worth of information swirling around made his head hurt.

And collapsing the instant it opened was a real hassle.

Gojo smiled. "Huh? Don't you want me to carry you bridal-style again, Sukuna?"

Sukuna froze.

Then roared, "...Like hell I do!!-"

...A bridal carry??

At the neighboring table, the second-year students eating watermelon all widened their eyes.

What was going on? What bridal carry?

Since when had Gojo and Sukuna gotten so... affectionate?

They swiftly exchanged glances, then immediately pulled out their phones and opened their little group chat. Maki also added Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara, who were eating watermelon at the next table.

Call Me Maki: Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Did you hear that? Did you hear that? A bridal carry!

Nobara: What exactly is going on with Teacher Gojo and Sukuna?? When did those two get like this?

I Really Am Panda: I heard it! Satoru just said himself that he carried Sukuna back to bed!

Call Me Maki: Help! This gossip is so juicy. A hundred times better than the watermelon in my hand!

Far away overseas on an assignment, Okkotsu heard his phone ringing nonstop and took it out in confusion.

Then slowly typed a question mark.

Yuta Okkotsu: ?

Call Me Maki: Yuta, Yuta! Has Satoru ever carried you bridal-style?

Yuta Okkotsu: Huh? I... I don't... think so?

Even if he had, Yuta wouldn't remember. He would surely have been unconscious at the time...

But why were they suddenly asking this?

He quickly skimmed the chat history. When his gaze landed on the message "Satoru just said himself that he carried Sukuna back to bed," he sucked in a cold breath.

If he remembered correctly, this Sukuna was the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna? What kind of horror story was this?

Call Me Maki: Not even Yuta! This has to be true love... ahem, true friendship!

Nobara: Wait, wait, wait. Does anyone know the details? I can't believe I missed it happening. Damn it!

Toge Inumaki's fingers flew across his phone's keyboard.

-He couldn't speak, but surely he could still type!

Mayonnaise Is Delicious: I heard it! I heard Itadori say it himself! He was talking to himself, but I'm one hundred percent sure he was talking to Sukuna!-He said Teacher Gojo carried the sleeping Sukuna back to his room last night and stayed in there for two whole hours!

Call Me Maki: Two hours?? Aaaaaah, what a beautiful love... pfft, friendship?!-The untold story of the strongest jujutsu sorcerer and the evil... no, the amnesiac King of Curses?!

Nobara: Awww, I ship it, I ship it!... Wait, what about our Tiger? I think he and Teacher Gojo make a great couple too!

Megumi Fushiguro stared at the flood of messages in the group chat on his phone, his fingertips trembling slightly.

Why? Why had things turned out like this?

Was Sukuna... going to kill him to keep him quiet?

And... what was this about "sleeping"? He'd clearly said "unconscious"! Tiger, how could you pass it on all wrong!

And so, without Sukuna knowing a thing, the story of Satoru Gojo carrying him bridal-style quietly spread-even Okkotsu, far away overseas, heard about it...

"Oh, right, Yuji. You'll have to work hard from now on!"

Gojo suddenly turned to Itadori.

"While you were away last night, your Sukuna learned to use his cursed technique~"

Itadori: "..."

!!!

What's this about secretly getting stronger after I fell asleep???

He stared incredulously at Sukuna on his hand.

"Sukuna, how did you manage so quickly..."

To master your cursed technique?

-His own cursed energy control training had only just begun!

Sukuna snorted. "Hmph... you've got some nerve saying that to me... who fell asleep first last night?"

You had a nice little sleep and left me to walk straight into every pitfall!

Just thinking about what had happened last night made him angry. Sukuna ground his teeth, then ate another piece of watermelon to express his resentment.

Itadori was immediately left speechless.

True, he'd fallen asleep first. He couldn't blame Sukuna.

Sukuna switched to speaking inside his head and continued.

[By the way, why did I get switched in last night? Normally, I wouldn't come out even if you fell asleep, right?]

Itadori answered in a quiet voice.

"...I think, before I fell asleep, I thought about how you hadn't used your three-hour allowance yet..."

Sukuna: [...]

Well, thank you so much, Tiger.

How thoughtful-

-So thoughtful that you delivered me straight into Satoru Gojo's hands.

Itadori was still frustrated with himself for failing to hold out last night.

But he immediately remembered Sukuna telling him they had found a solution.

His voice unconsciously rose a little.

"Oh, right. You said earlier that you and Teacher Gojo had found a way to keep me from sleeping. What did you mean?"

At the next table, Kugisaki suddenly coughed hard twice, took out her phone, and typed furiously.

Nobara: Did I hear that wrong? Did I hear that wrong? Could it be... all three of them?!

Mayonnaise Is Delicious: You heard right! I swear on my status as a Cursed Speech User! You definitely heard right!

Call Me Maki: What's going on today? All this juicy gossip is catching me off guard-please give us more!

At Itadori's question, Sukuna glanced at him, his eyes full of sympathy.

[Ah, good luck. You'll find out tonight.]

Soon, you'll become a Tiger-Brand Perpetual Motion Machine, full of energy and bouncing around twenty-four hours a day.

Before you have to face such a cruel reality, I'll let you enjoy one more relaxing day.

With a solemn sense of ceremony, Sukuna lit a candle for Tiger in his heart.