Yuji, today's meal is riding on you

"Whoa, this uniform looks pretty nice."

Back at the dorm, Itadori received his new uniform. He ran his hands over it inside and out, then immediately changed into it.

"It's the same material as Megumi Fushiguro's uniform. But why does mine have a hood?"

[Hmm? A hood's not bad, is it? I remember your old clothes had hoods too.]

"That's true."

His new clothes put Itadori in a great mood. Still admiring himself in the mirror, he suddenly said:

"Sukuna, want to come out and try it on?"

[Me?]

Sukuna eyed the outfit with mild disdain. What was so great about something that was black all over?

[Well... since you asked so sincerely, I suppose I'll do you the favor of coming out to take a look.]

Itadori: "..."

Why did he keep getting the feeling that Sukuna was a bit of a tsundere?

Soon, black Cursed Markings surfaced.

Sukuna opened his eyes and sized himself up in the mirror. Almost instinctively, he hooked a finger under his collar and tugged it down slightly, slipping his other hand into his trouser pocket.

With his body tilted slightly, he radiated the understated luxury of a runway model.

Mm. Very good.

Even dressed like this, I'm still outrageously handsome.

[Sukuna, you...]

Watching Sukuna suddenly strike a pose, Itadori sounded conflicted from inside their body.

[When did you learn to do that?]

"What's there to learn?"

Being handsome was something you were born with.

Sukuna lowered his hand and returned to a normal stance.

"All right, I'm done looking. You can take over."

[...Sukuna.]

"What?"

[Don't you want to stay in control a little longer?]

Sukuna went still.

That question... of course he did.

Being confined inside Itadori's body, seeing and hearing only what Itadori saw and heard, was entirely different from having a body of his own to experience everything.

The feeling of wind brushing against his skin, the scent of flowers and grass, the warmth of sunlight...

Inside Itadori's body, he could feel none of it.

Sukuna's silence left Itadori hesitating for a while before he finally made up his mind to speak.

[From now on, when we're in the dorm, you can tell me whenever you want to come out.]

[It probably won't work outside, but it should be okay here... right?]

[As long as nobody else sees! What do you think?]

Something stirred faintly in Sukuna's heart.

He knew this was a gesture of kindness from that sunny boy.

What he had learned over the past few days had also made him understand just how rare such kindness was in his current circumstances.

He was a curse, an enemy of humanity.

And everyone here-including his host-was a jujutsu sorcerer whose mission was to eliminate curses.

The only reason they would spare him was so they could kill him again-kill him for good, using his host as the medium.

Both of them would die.

He rubbed the unusual fabric of his clothes, feeling a touch both unfamiliar and familiar against his fingertips.

He did not really care about dying.

He had already died a thousand years ago, and now, without his memories, he had no idea what he wanted to do or what meaning there was in coming back to life.

Even if he would be killed again later, he did not mind.

But now...

"Okay."

He answered softly.

Feeling the boy's soul inside him let out a long breath of relief and brighten with happiness, he curled his lips into a faint smile.

Now he knew what he wanted to do.

He wanted to let him live.

He did not want Itadori to die.

Yuji Itadori should not have his life senselessly taken away just because he was the vessel for "Ryomen Sukuna."

[Oh, right, Sukuna. Why don't you call me by my first name from now on? Just call me Yuji.]

[We'll be together every day from now on, after all. Looking forward to getting along with you!]

"...Okay."

Sukuna shifted his shoulders and neck a little awkwardly.

Still, Itadori had been calling him by his first name all along, so calling him Yuji seemed perfectly normal.

"Yuji..."

The name left his lips with a softer feeling than the way he had addressed him before.

He instinctively closed his mouth, the tips of his ears twitching nervously. Somehow, it felt...

...as though some strange illusion had taken shape...

Knock, knock, knock.

A knock suddenly came at the door.

Itadori scrambled to take over from Sukuna and hurried to open it.

"Megumi Fushiguro?"

"Teacher Gojo just told us to meet in Harajuku tomorrow... why's your face so red?"

"Cough, cough..." Itadori's eyes darted around. "It's nothing. I got a bit hot changing into my new uniform."

He quickly wiped the flustered look off his face. "Oh, right. What do you think of this outfit?"

Without thinking, he struck the pose he had seen Sukuna make in the mirror, earning a twitch of Megumi Fushiguro's brows and an indescribable look.

"Hmm..." Megumi Fushiguro thought for a moment. "As long as you're happy."

"...Oh. All right, then."

The next day, in Harajuku.

"Hey, sorry for the wait."

A certain irresponsible teacher who was over half an hour late waved at the two of them.

"To make up for being late, tell me whatever you want to eat. It's my treat today!"

Itadori instantly lit up with joy.

"Really?! Then I want popcorn and cola!"

...What is this, your standard movie snack combo?

"No problem~ Is that all you want?"

This kid's way too easy to buy off... no, appease.

[Chocolate too.]

Itadori paused at that, then smiled brightly. "And chocolate~"

Gojo: "That one's Sukuna's order, right? No problem~"

Sukuna: ...He can even tell that's from me???

Megumi Fushiguro: Wait, are you two elementary schoolers?

The elementary schoolers got their snacks and dug in without the slightest hesitation.

It was free. Why let it go to waste?

Gojo watched with interest as Itadori broke the chocolate into small pieces and brought them to his palm.

Although Megumi Fushiguro had mentioned it, he had not expected them to have genuinely unlocked such a unique feeding method.

Who would have thought the legendary King of Curses was actually a foodie?

Gojo casually led the way, while his Six Eyes gave him a live feed of the two behind him.

Watching them happily chatting away as one fed the other...

What do I do? Now I suddenly want to turn around and feed him too.

Soon, the three met the person they had come for.

"Nobara Kugisaki," declared a girl with shoulder-length orange hair in Jujutsu High's female uniform... no, a fierce tomboy, planting her hands on her hips with absolute confidence. "Rejoice, boys. Your lone flower has arrived."

Sukuna: ...This girl's a little unusual.

Quite commanding. I could learn from her.

But he soon regretted that thought.

Because one minute later-

"Huh?-"

"You ate a special grade cursed object!!"

"Gross!! Seriously?! Have you never heard of hygiene?!"

Kugisaki waved her hands frantically, shaking her head like a rattle.

Itadori: "..." He was furious, but could not find any grounds to argue.

...Was he supposed to wash it before eating it?

Sukuna: Hey!-

A certain King of Curses was equally furious, but...

Well, even he thought that finger was disgusting. Had it been him, he absolutely could not have brought himself to eat it.

He could not blame the girl for being disgusted-he was disgusted himself!

Heartbroken, Sukuna crouched in a corner and drew circles.

Why? Why did I have to be a curse? Couldn't I have been some cute, charming, handsome creature instead?

After a round of less-than-pleasant introductions, Gojo suggested sightseeing in Roppongi, earning unanimous support from the two out-of-towners.

Then he led them to a building beside a cemetery, one that radiated an intense, terrifying aura of resentment.

Sukuna: *...*

How is this Roppongi... it's more like Roppongrave, isn't it?

"Liar!!-"

The two deceived out-of-towners let out anguished screams, then, unsurprisingly, were sent off by their teacher to deal with the curses inside the building.

"You can't let Sukuna out this time~"

Gojo suddenly stopped Itadori.

"If you let Sukuna out, he'll kill the curses instantly. This time, I want to test your abilities, Yuji."

Sukuna, who had been rubbing his hands together in preparation for a good fight: "..."

There's racial discrimination even in something like this?

"If you manage it, you can order whatever you like when we go out to eat afterward~" Gojo added with a smile.

Sukuna immediately put his hands away and sat down properly.

[Go get them, Yuji. Today's meal is riding on you.]

Itadori: *...*

How are you so practiced at this whole "release the hounds" routine?

Holding the cursed tool Gojo had given him, the Slaughter Demon, Itadori strode into the building full of enthusiasm for his new weapon.

His earlier suggestion that Sukuna help deal with the curses had only been a joke to lighten the mood. He was not afraid of curses, and he understood that he would inevitably have to deal with them himself in the future. He could not simply leave them to Sukuna.

The higher-ups had allowed the two of them to live not merely because he was a vessel, but because he could suppress Sukuna. In their eyes, he was the one in control, while Sukuna was the one trapped inside. But if he left even dealing with curses to Sukuna, their positions would appear reversed, and the higher-ups would absolutely not allow them to keep living.

He tightened his grip on the Slaughter Demon, a flash of determination passing through his eyes.

"I'll work my way down from the top. You work your way up from here. Whoever finds a curse deals with it."

Nobara's irritated voice came from the stairs.

Itadori blinked at her words. "Huh? Shouldn't we be a little more careful? Curses are dangerous."

Already in a bad mood, Nobara instantly flew into a rage.

"I don't need that from someone who was an ordinary person until just recently!! Get moving!!!-"

She stomped down the stairs and kicked Itadori into a 3,600-degree aerial spin, leaving Sukuna dumbfounded.

Are even the women among jujutsu sorcerers this savage?

"Hey!-"

Itadori climbed to his feet, his face full of indignation, only to see Nobara's departing back as she strode coolly away.

He took a deep breath, exhaled, and could not resist complaining to Sukuna.

"Sukuna, did you see what she-"

Sukuna: *...*

[What good would looking at her do? Could I help you beat her up?]

Itadori: "..." Apparently not.

If Sukuna dared to make a move, the two of them would be sent straight to the afterlife ahead of schedule.

Itadori held back and held back, but finally muttered in a tiny voice, "She also said I wasn't popular."

Sukuna thought for a moment, then said,

[It's okay-]

He offered some comfort.

[I'm even less popular than you.]

Itadori: ...

With one sentence that brought two people to tears, Nobara successfully unlocked the double-kill achievement.