Don't Stop Him, Let Him Talk!

[Knock, knock, knock.]

While the two of them were chatting in the innate domain, an echoing knock suddenly rang out.

They both looked up at the same time.

It came from outside!

Itadori immediately glanced at Sukuna, signaling that he would go out first, then switched back with a thought.

Then he hurried out of bed to open the door.

Megumi Fushiguro stood outside.

The black-haired boy's brows were slightly furrowed, his expression somewhat conflicted.

Itadori asked in confusion, "Fushiguro? What's wrong?"

...Fushiguro had never come to see him this late before.

Fushiguro opened his mouth, hesitated, then gave a soft cough.

"...I'm here to see Sukuna."

Itadori: "...?"

...Huh?

Fushiguro actually wanted to see Sukuna?

Itadori's eyes lit up.

What wonderful news! Fushiguro had actually come looking for his Sukuna!

He hurriedly stepped aside and invited Fushiguro into the room.

"Did you need Sukuna for something?"

Itadori sat on the edge of the bed and gestured for Fushiguro to take the chair opposite him.

Fushiguro glanced at the chair but didn't sit. Instead, he leaned against the desk, bracing his hands behind him on its edge.

He looked at Itadori as though he didn't know how to begin.

His gaze started wandering around the room.

Itadori started feeling a little guilty too.

Fushiguro wasn't... wasn't here to... lecture them because he'd let Sukuna out to make a cake last time, was he?!

He stammered, "Fushiguro, are you here to see Sukuna because you want to... Um, that cake last time really was something I insisted he make. Could you just lecture me...?"

His Sukuna was innocent, okay? If there was a problem, come at him instead!

Fushiguro: "..."

He said irritably, "Of course not. If it were about that, I'd have dealt with you two right then, okay? Why would I wait until now?!"

If he had a grudge, he'd settle it on the spot... no, if there was a problem, he'd punch them on the spot, okay? A former school delinquent wouldn't leave things until the next day!

Phew...

Itadori breathed a sigh of relief.

Good, good.

Watching Fushiguro continue to hesitate in silence, his miraculous sixth sense suddenly kicked in.

He asked cautiously.

"Then... do you need me to switch with Sukuna?"

At Itadori's question, Fushiguro seemed to relax.

"Yeah."

He gave a small, restrained nod.

Itadori's eyes shone even brighter.

Fushiguro had actually agreed to let him switch with Sukuna... this was a sign of friendship!

He immediately told Sukuna inside him, then switched with him.

Black Cursed Markings surfaced.

Sukuna opened his eyes and looked at Fushiguro, calm yet nervous, as though awaiting a criminal sentence.

He genuinely had no idea what expression to wear when facing someone who refused to let him out all day, every day.

When Fushiguro saw Sukuna appear, his expression stiffened, and his gaze involuntarily drifted aside.

To Sukuna's surprise, a trace of embarrassment seemed to have appeared on the black-haired boy's face.

"Ahem..."

Fushiguro coughed again.

He seemed even more nervous than Sukuna.

After thinking for a moment, Fushiguro summoned the white Divine Dog under Sukuna's puzzled gaze.

The Divine Dog emerged from the shadows, sat obediently, and gave a soft bark of greeting to Sukuna.

Its fluffy, snow-white tail swished behind it.

Sukuna: ...What's this supposed to mean?

...Is he going to sic his dog on me?

What kind of bitter feud do we have that you'd come all the way here late at night just to sic your dog on me?!

Then he heard Fushiguro mumble something-

Even with his hearing, he could only make out one word-

"...Pet..."

Sukuna: ...

...Pet...?

Seeing Sukuna's bewildered expression, Fushiguro, now embarrassed beyond endurance, finally seemed to give up and spoke in a rush.

"When we fought that special-grade cursed womb before, didn't Itadori say you wanted to pet the Divine Dog?-"

"So..."

At that point, his words began to falter.

His long eyelashes trembled over his tightly shut eyes.

"Well, the Divine Dog... you can... I'll let you pet it..."

Sukuna stared at Fushiguro, dumbfounded.

Then his face filled with shock.

...Huh?

Did that mean... he could pet the Divine Dog?

And Fushiguro had offered it himself?!

Could something this wonderful really happen?!-

"A-anyway-"

The black-haired boy's voice suddenly rose. He turned his gaze aside, a faint blush appearing on his face.

His voice quickly dropped back to a mumble.

"...Thank you for saving the Divine Dog that day... consider this... my thanks..."

"...I'll leave the Divine Dog here for now. Be careful not to hurt it..."

"-I'll head back now!"

With that, he turned and marched swiftly but stiffly to the door, opened it, stepped outside, and shut it with a bang.

Left behind, Sukuna and the Divine Dog looked at the door together, then at each other, exchanging bewildered stares.

"Wait, wait, wait, Yuji! What does this mean? Do I have official permission to pet the dog now?"

Once he recovered, Sukuna hurriedly called out to Itadori.

[...It certainly looks that way!]

Itadori's delighted voice rang out in his head.

[Wow, Fushiguro actually let you pet the Divine Dog! Isn't this amazing?]

[Hurry up and pet it, then switch with me. I want a turn too!]

At those words, Sukuna cautiously reached out.

His hand gently settled on the Divine Dog's head.

The Divine Dog didn't resist. Instead, it nudged his palm with its head, its eyes narrowing contentedly.

Feeling the softness beneath his hand, Sukuna thought his heart might melt. Without another word, he immediately lunged forward, hugged the Divine Dog, and rubbed it all over.

Finally, he buried his face in its long white fur and took a deep breath.

Ah...

At last...

-At last, he had something fluffy to pet too!

He no longer had to envy his self from a thousand years ago!

Itadori's urgent voice came from within.

[Sukuna, Sukuna, switch with me! My turn! I want to pet it too!]

"No! Fushiguro left it here for me! If you want to pet it, go find him during the day!"

Sukuna clung to the Divine Dog for dear life.

Next door.

Fushiguro sat on the edge of his bed, listening to the voices coming from the room beside his. He lowered his head and covered his face with both hands.

How... how... how could he have done something so childish?!

What kind of thank-you gift was letting someone pet a dog? Had Itadori and Sukuna's way of thinking infected him?!

Why had he done something so mortifying?!-

He wailed inwardly.

Little did he know-

Something even more mortifying lay ahead.

Early the next morning, too embarrassed to wait for Itadori and leave together, Fushiguro left the dorm first.

He ran into Kugisaki, Maki, and the others in the cafeteria, greeted them, settled his nerves, and began eating breakfast.

Then Itadori arrived.

And the very first thing out of his mouth was-

"Ah! Fushiguro!"

He spoke with particular delight, loud enough for everyone in their group to hear-

And said something that sent Fushiguro into a meltdown-

"Sukuna said thanks for letting him pet last night..."

-He hadn't even gotten the words "the Divine Dog" out.

The instant Fushiguro heard the beginning, he shot to his feet, sprinted toward Itadori at emergency speed, and clapped a hand over his mouth!

He lowered his voice and warned him with murderous intent.

"Don't-say-it-out-loud!"

Don't let everyone else find out he'd done something so embarrassing as going out of his way to let Sukuna pet the Divine Dog as thanks!

With his mouth covered halfway through his sentence, Itadori immediately nodded frantically in fright.

Everyone else in the cafeteria: "..."

Wait, what? What was that?

...Huh??

Sukuna and... Fushiguro??? What was this bizarre, juicy new gossip?!!

Fushiguro, don't stop him! Let him talk-!!!