You Absolutely Must Not Tell Anyone!

Itadori reacted far better than Sukuna had imagined, and Sukuna couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.

Still, he couldn't resist checking one last time.

"You really don't think... don't think this place..."

His innate domain-

"...is scary?"

Sensing the caution in Sukuna's voice, Itadori felt his heart tremble. The boy grew a little emotional, his words coming much faster-

"Sukuna, it's not scary at all. Really!"

He turned his head and looked earnestly into Sukuna's eyes, speaking with all the sincerity he could muster.

You-

"Really aren't scary at all!"

-are actually really cute.

He was too embarrassed to say that last part aloud, afraid his Sukuna would bristle.

"Really?"

The tips of Sukuna's ears turned a little red.

He bashfully averted his eyes and looked elsewhere.

"As long as it's not scary..."

The blood-soaked space came into view again, and his softened emotions wavered once more. He quickly pulled his gaze away.

...But I think my innate domain is a little scary...

He clenched his hands nervously.

After a moment's thought, he sneaked another quick glance at Yuji, then looked away again.

Yuji's gaze was warm, his light brown eyes holding Sukuna's reflection and a look of joy. It made Sukuna feel as though there wasn't quite so much to fear.

...Then...

He thought.

...Since you don't think I'm scary...

...I guess I'll believe I'm not scary, too...

He thought this rather awkwardly, gradually settling down inside.

Just thinking about his Tiger made his whole body relax without his realizing it.

Deep in his heart, it was as though the tip of a tail had gently curled through empty space and hooked onto something.

The corners of his mouth couldn't help secretly lifting.

See? He really is cute.

Itadori took in Sukuna's little gestures, a happy smile curving his own lips.

Watching his cute, awkward Sukuna, he hastily lowered his head to look at his feet, afraid he would laugh aloud.

"Huh? Sukuna."

He suddenly looked down with curiosity.

"I came up through that blood... red water down there just now, right? It looks like the water doesn't stick to you. Look, even my shoes aren't wet."

Hmm?

Coming back to his senses, Sukuna took a look.

Sure enough, Itadori's shoes were perfectly clean, with no sign of dampness.

Considering he had just waded through the bloody water, neither his shoes nor his trouser cuffs should have escaped unscathed.

...So this water doesn't stick to you?

Ever since waking up here, he had never dared go down, afraid he would get his clothes dirty.

So it doesn't?-

His eyes lit up, and he rose to his feet.

"I'll go down and try."

He leaped lightly down to the edge of the pool. Standing on the bones, he hesitated before finally gathering up his sleeve and gently touching the water with his fingertips.

When he lifted his hand, the pale red water slipped off his fingertips and fell back into the pool. His hand was perfectly clean, without a single drop left behind.

It really doesn't get you wet!

Sukuna was delighted.

He reached out to try again, and even his clothes stayed dry.

Great!

His eyes shone.

Now he could finally stop sitting on the pile of bones all the time and go out for a walk.

Heaven knew how bored he had been up there.

"Su-Su-Su~~Sukuna~~~~!!"

Itadori's voice suddenly cracked behind him.

He turned to see Itadori looking delighted and astonished, pointing behind him as though he had discovered a whole new continent-

"There's actually a bow on the back of your kimono!!!"

At first, Itadori had thought this was the one they had bought, but a closer look told him it wasn't.

When Sukuna had turned his back just now, Itadori had immediately noticed that the sash of this kimono-was actually tied in a cute bow!

A... a bow???

What?!-

Sukuna's eyes widened.

He immediately scrambled to inspect the back of his clothes, staring in shock at the cute bow on his sash.

What was going on? Why was there a bow on the back of his sash?!

He tugged hard at it, only to discover that it wouldn't come undone.

The bow was incredibly tenacious, firmly fastened in place with both sides perfectly aligned. It defended its unwavering existence as though it were defending the very laws of the world.

And... that wasn't all-!

He soon made an even more shocking discovery-the thing he was wearing was actually-

-a. Women's. Kimono!

What the hell was all this?!

Sukuna was shocked speechless-

A women's... a women's kimono??!

...What kind of bizarre taste in clothes had he had a thousand years ago?!!-

It took him ten full deep breaths to rein in his emotions before they could completely fall apart.

He quickly ran through the facts in his head:

-There are no other clothes here.

-If I don't wear this, I'll have to run around naked.

-Something is better than nothing.

-Besides, only Tiger will see me in here. No one else can get in.

All right...

...I'll just happily give up, then!

Having abandoned all hope of fixing this, Sukuna returned to the pile of bones with a thoroughly depressed expression.

Then he glanced at Itadori and coldly threatened him with an imperious air.

"You absolutely must not tell anyone!"

"Okaaay~~~!"

Itadori smiled so happily that he didn't look threatened in the slightest.

That smile left Sukuna feeling particularly aggrieved.

Once Itadori had laughed his fill, he worked hard to control his expression so he wouldn't irritate his Sukuna.

He gave the women's kimono with its cute bow a few more curious looks, then voiced his question.

"Sukuna, where did you get this kimono? Is it something you wore a thousand years ago?"

Sukuna fell silent.

How could he answer without making his past self sound quite so eccentric?

"Probably..."

The corner of his eye twitched as he desperately tried to salvage the situation.

"...But I think I might not have been right in the head when I picked it."

Seriously, I really don't have a thing for dressing as a woman.

And I don't like bows... ahem, at least not on myself.

With a face as handsome as mine, suddenly adding a bow just looks way too out of place.

"It's okay. I think it looks pretty good."

Itadori reassured him.

Actually, that bow looked pretty cute on his Sukuna.

Something little and cute paired with someone big and cute-double the cuteness.

"Besides, I'm the only one who'll see you here. I definitely won't tell anyone."

I'll just keep this adorable Sukuna all to myself~

Sukuna thought, ...True. That's really my only option.

He sighed. He did trust Itadori's promise.

Besides...

If Yuji really did accidentally let it slip...

-The next time I take over, I'll wear women's clothes in Tiger's body!

Then I'll take a hundred photos and post them! That'll drown out all the talk about me wearing a women's kimono!

That's called fighting magic with magic!!

Just watch me make Tiger headline news at Jujutsu High in no time!!!