chapter 4 chestnuts and inconsistencies

For her part, Yujii pressed her phone against her chest, as if to protect her virtual interlocutor from the poisonous words of her comrade.

"A... pussycat? But... Absolutely not!" objected the demon bearer firmly. "She's a nice girl, that's all! Sweet and innocent..." he continued before murmuring "not like some..."

"Excuse me?" Nobara vociferated, offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She said she wouldn't be long... What are we going to do, wait for her? "Yuuji shuffled from one foot to the other, clearly nervous, deliberately ignoring his comrade who turned round to sulk.

Megumi looked at her own phone to check the time. They wouldn't want to overstep the curfew at their very special school, the vice-principal being a stickler for details like that. A complete idiocy in his opinion, they were being sent out at just 15 years old to kill plagues and risk their lives but, off mission, they couldn't stay out after 10pm? No logic there... He sighed, this sort of thing exasperating him somewhat. But everything was fine, it wasn't 7pm yet, they had plenty of time. Basically, if Yuuji wanted to be a gentleman for once, he didn't want to stop him.

"We can wait for her, it would be more polite anyway," said the dark-haired man flatly. "She might not be able to read Japanese either, you could help her with her order."

The bearer of the scourge stared at his interlocutor for a few seconds, absorbing his words, before feeling a flush of heat rise to his cheeks. He'd never been around European women before and it all seemed almost... exotic. Their cultures were so different from their own! He had heard, for example, that in France people kissed each other on the cheek to say hello... Even between men and women! What if she was French? What if she tried to kiss his cheek? Oh God, it was too much physical closeness when he didn't even know her! He could feel his brain churning with improbable, unanswerable questions, plunging him into a state of exponential shyness, even though he was one of the most sociable people in the world.

"I... er... yes... of course, to help him with his order..." he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck in an attempt to regain some composure, chasing away his unanswered questions as best he could.

What if..." he said to himself. What if she wants to kiss my cheek and I shake her hand instead, is that diplomatic drama? Am I insulting her? Would she cry? I've never kissed anyone at the same time! Would it count as my first kiss even if it's just the cheek?' he continued to grind in his tormented mind.

'Oy, kid.' Sukuna inwardly interjected in his deep, mocking voice, sinking with disdain into the buffalo skulls that served as his throne. Stop behaving like the nias virgin you are, you make me sick... She's just a female...'

The spike hit home and had the immediate effect of transforming the slight redness in the schoolboy's cheekbones into a crimson blaze devouring his entire face, causing him to stammer as he tried to respond to his plague of a tenant.

Megumi watched the whole thing, guessing that the thousand-year-old demon was up to no good beneath his comrade's outburst of embarrassment. Life really couldn't be easy every day with that lunatic in his head all the time...

Old misogynist!" Yuuji finally spat mentally at the King of Plagues, who didn't seem to be offended by the insult, checking his fingernails with one of his hands. You're trying to be clever, but you've never seen a European before! '

He thought for a few seconds, recalling his life 1000 years ago. Back then, there was no contact between Japan and all those strange countries that make up Europe.

No... it's true...' he admitted nonchalantly, resting his chin on his closed fist. I'm curious to know if their meat is different from that of Japanese women...' he added in a purring, greedy voice, a carnivorous smile on his lips.

"Crazy!" Itadori blurted out.

He sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair to regain his composure. He shouldn't be arguing like he was with Sukuna, he knew that for a fact. Professor Gojo had advised him to turn a deaf ear and close his mind as much as possible to the demon and his ravings, but he was rather difficult to ignore. HE. WOULD. EVER. TO. TALKING.

The teenager didn't know if it was due to his isolation of a thousand years or if it was (ESPECIALLY) due to his immeasurable egocentricity, which made him in love with his own voice, but it chirped incessantly in his skull, commenting, questioning, pestering him non-stop. Yuuji preferred to say something back, even if it meant getting annoyed, otherwise he'd go completely mad.

"Are you all right?" enquired his cobalt-eyed comrade, sensing his inner struggle.

"Yes, yes..." he replied, pretending to cover his ears. "If only this patient had a mute button, it would make my life so much easier!

A slight smile played across Megumi's thin lips. No-one else would have had the mental strength to put up with this constant torture. Itadori never ceased to amaze her...

"She's not going to kiss me, is she?" questioned the flail receptacle in a small voice, almost to himself. "No, it's just myths, all that..."

"What the hell is Itadori babbling about?" questioned Nobara, having only caught the word 'kissing', frowning. "That was a burger you offered her, not a four-star restaurant and a limo tour. Calm your ardour! And it's not even sure she'll show up in the end, she might just be marinating you for the fun of making fun of..."

"ITADORI-KUN!" cut in a slightly breathless voice from nearby, drawing the three teenagers' attention back to the restaurant entrance.

Just in front of the restaurant's automatic glass doors, which closed with a soft slide, the young foreigner stood breathless, tossing back her long autumn-coloured hair and staring at them with her unlikely golden gaze. She exhaled for a few seconds before stepping confidently across the space between them, flashing them a beaming smile.

"My god!" she began in English before continuing in a slightly formal Japanese with a sharp accent, "you waited for me for dinner? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting! I had a... slight hitch on the way..."

She displayed an amused pout at this mention, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"I'd like to apologise for being late," she continued, clasping her hands together and adorably tilting her head to one side. "Shall I invite you?"

Yuuji stared at her like an apparition, lost between all the internal and external debates he'd had so far about her hypothetical arrival. But she was really there... Soft, beautiful and radiant. She was looking at him with an unsettling intensity, troubling him to the core, a mischievous smile on her lips. The Europeans were definitely formidable!

Don't exaggerate, kid" retorted Sukuna, a pout on his lips as he gazed into his host's innocent eyes at the stranger facing them.

Even so, the King of Plagues could see some glaring differences with the women of his time. Firstly, in their physiognomy, which was much more pronounced and sensual thanks to their more generous and enticing curves, inviting all sorts of vices. Then there was the attitude, even when it was supposedly polite, in the way loose-fitting clothes were worn, consciously yawning to reveal a milky complexion and an advantageous cleavage, a straightforward gaze impaling her interlocutor, a hint of mischief, an impertinent smile...

Women of this age really don't know their place' sighed the demon as he passed a hand over his lips, feeling his blood heating up in his veins. Ah... if only he'd had control of this carnal envelope... He would have taught her to lower her golden eyes and would have wiped that over-confident smile from her sensually hemmed lips. However... there was a gleam in the depths of her piercing feline gaze that somehow echoed a familiar sensation. A fire he knew all too well... It was... intriguing... for a human...

"Itadori? Itadori? Are you with us?" repeated Megumi, staring at her colleague with her cobalt eyes.

The latter shook his head in an attempt to banish the scourge's deep voice from his mind. He then turned his attention back to the stranger facing him, a gentle smile on his lips. Her breathing had calmed down but it was obvious that she had run to join them as quickly as possible.

"You don't have to apologise... Kali-san, isn't it? We barely waited," Yuuji finally said, giving her a sincere smile. "And besides, it's my turn to invite you, I'm the one who has something to apologise for!"

Suddenly he looked terribly serious, folding his arms around his body. He bowed deeply to her, solemn, taking the young woman a little by surprise.

"I'm sorry again for rushing you and staining your blouse, Kali-san!" he said loudly and formally, drawing the attention of the other customers.

The girl stared at him, a little surprised, for a few seconds before letting out a light laugh. The teenager raised his head to stare at her, perplexed, as she walked the few steps separating them.

"Come on, Itadori-kun," she reassured him in a gentle voice as the teenager straightened up, blushing slightly, and plunged his golden gaze into hers. "You're taking this way too much to heart! I haven't broken anything and clothes can be washed. Everything's fine, really, don't worry..."

As she said this, she reached out as if to pat him gently on the shoulder. But the instant her fingers brushed against his exorcist uniform, a violent jolt of electricity ran through them both, causing them to pull away from each other. Kali stared at him, disconcerted, her hand pressed against his chest while Yuuji placed his on her shoulder, also taken aback by the violence of the powerful energy shock still stretching between them. There was a... strange sensation there, beyond simple static electricity, like a latent taste of metal, an oppressive impression that made Sukuna twitch inwardly, making him sit up a little straighter in the middle of his skulls... He was pretty sure he recognised the sensation...

"Kali-san! Are you all right?" the high-schooler inquired, concerned, not questioning more than that on his side, uneducated in such details, approaching his interlocutor again.

"Yes, of course... What a chestnut! We seem to have a pretty good rapport!" she laughed lightly, giving her a knowing wink.

"Well, if not..." interrupted Nobara, a little exasperated by the scene. "Are we going to order or are we waiting for the flood?"

"Ah..." dropped Kali as she turned to the teenager, causing Yuuji to cringe. "Sorry, I'm causing you a lot of trouble today... I'm right behind you. Your help will be a lifesaver, I can't read your language very well yet!"

Megumi slipped a knowing glance at her comrade who tensed up suddenly, obviously taking this mission very much to heart, which amused the brunet a little.

"Don't worry, Kali-san!" the scourge-bearer exclaimed powerfully, bringing her attention back to him. "I'll act as your translator!"

She looked at him with a slight smile on her lips, placing her arms behind his back as she moved a little closer to him, though without touching him this time.

Thank you," she said. I-ta-do-ri-kun..." she whispered with the tip of her lips, unsettling him somewhat. "But if, and only if, you stop with the 'san'... I'm much younger than I look."

"Oh..." the future exorcist blurted out. "It's a... A mark of respect in Japan..."

"I know." she continued. "But... you can also just call me Kali, I don't mind."

Suddenly, at this simple idea, an incandescent fire invaded the face of the high school student who was staring, speechless, at the European.

"I'm sorry!" she apologised shabbily when she realised how deeply embarrassed her interlocutor was, "Forget it, Itadori-kun... I didn't mean to embarrass you at all!"

"In Japan," Megumi interjected, seeing that her classmate had literally blundered, drawing the foreigner's golden gaze to him. "We only use people's first names when we have a certain intimacy with them. Kali is your first name, isn't it?"

The young woman nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes, it is. But I don't mind! And then... what a waste!"

"A mess?" repeated the dark-haired man, perplexed.

"Yes, it is. The family name, it's like... hummm" she began, placing her index finger on her lips, musing "a common trunk!" she finally dropped, clapping her hands. "That's right, a common thread running through the whole family!" she affirmed, turning completely towards the owner of the jade dog, a little surprised by his obvious enthusiasm. "But each of its members is unique," she continued enthusiastically. "That's why we give them first names, to differentiate each person who makes up this group. And a first name is given for a reason: there's thought behind it, involvement, a wish for the person to whom it's given. To use only the family name is to waste all that individuality and latent power that is locked up in it and that characterises the person who bears it... isn't it?"

She remained silent, staring at the young man whose first name had been chosen without distinction of sex by a father who was far less attached to this kind of detail than she appeared to be. At this very moment, Megumi thought she looked terribly like her often too childish comrade...

"Probably in Europe..." the dark-haired man finally said. "But here, it's not like that."

"You're rude, Fushiguro!" Yuuji cut him off, physically interposing himself between him and his interlocutor, who had visibly woken up from his torpor. "It's nice what Kali-sa just said... sempai, I think!"

He turned to her, his cheeks still flushed but looking determined.

"You can call me Yuuji if you like! That's fine by me!"

She stared at him for a few seconds, a little surprised, before tilting her head slightly to the side, giving him a radiant smile.

"Then so be it, Yuuji-kun. ''

"For heaven's sake!" Nobara shouted curtly, growing exasperated, startling the other three. "Get a room or come and order! And the age of majority here is 21! Otherwise it could be judged as statutory rape!" she said curtly to the European woman, a little disdainful.

Kali stared at her before laughing and covering her mouth with one hand, clearly very amused by her remark.

"If you only knew..." she murmured as if to herself, slightly puzzling the two young men around her who hadn't quite understood her words. "Your friend is right about one thing" she continued in a louder voice. "We should go and order! Yuuji-kun, I'm with you!"

She gave them an innocent pout, silencing his questions. He preceded her, guiding her towards the counter, only too happy to be able to play the gentleman.

"Follow the guide, sempai!" He said with a smile, earning a burst of laughter from the young woman, delighting him to no end.

As for Megumi, she remained motionless for a few seconds, watching the European woman who was striding away at Yuuji's side. He didn't know why, but there was something about her that seemed... familiar... Yet she was human, there wasn't an ounce of occult strength in her, he was sure of that... So why this strange sensation...? Like... Incoherence... It was strange, maybe just her way of being, a little disconcerting compared to his Japanese habits... Then he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, snapping him out of his thoughts. He reached for it, immediately recognising the name displayed on the luminous screen, and instantly let out a deep sigh. He had no choice but to answer... With dragging steps, he took the call as he made his way towards the restaurant exit, the better to hear what the other man had to say...

"Don't deprive yourself, sempai" commented the plague-bearer on his side as he tapped on the digital screen where the restaurant's menu was scrolling, adding multiple items to his future order, hungry. "I'm inviting you, so take whatever you feel like! Even a salad escapes me, but I'd understand..."

"You're lovely, Yuuji-kun," the young woman chuckled at him, making his heart miss a beat. "But I'm not much for salad, I'm an inveterate meat-eater."

A female who doesn't starve herself on lettuce like a rabbit, the foreigner has good taste..." intervened Sukuna.

"I can't read your language yet, so if you can get me any burger with double steaks and cheese, I'll be perfectly fine."

"Sure..." smiled the amused high schooler as he tapped on the numeric keypad, looking for something matching the description. "Is there an Italian or Mexican style, with spicy sauce and guacamole? And the cooking?"

"Spicy... And blue. Can you eat meat any other way?" she quipped, giving him a falsely outraged look.

I'm beginning to like it now..." resumed the carnivorous demon, sinking back into his throne of skulls.

"Chips? Itadori continued, turning a deaf ear.

"Fries," she nodded in agreement. "Eeeeeeand... this... thing here in a drink, please".

She leaned against him, pointing to an apple-flavoured lemonade, creating a kind of electricity between them once again, which she ended by moving imperceptibly away. A shiver ran through the teenager, making his shaven hair stand up on end. He pretended not to notice, swallowing discreetly as he continued to fill their joint order. Why did every contact they had put him in such a state? He wasn't that prudish!

Virgin..." laughed Sukuna, though he could feel that strange, slightly unpleasant electrical sensation that ran through his host's body after each brush with the European. It reminded him terribly of something without him being able to put his finger on it at the moment, intriguing him more and more.

"Shut up, you old freak..." the teenager muttered through gritted teeth.

"I beg your pardon? Did you say something, Yuuji-kun?" Kali worried, snapping him out of his unpleasant thoughts.

"Ahah, no, sorry! Would you like some dessert?" eluded the interpellant, wishing to drown the fish.

"No, thank you, I don't. I already feel like I'm taking advantage of your kindness, Yuuji!"

"Of course not," he retorted. "It's the least I can do and I'm happy to do it. The order's in, sempai!" he continued as he went to the counter to collect the unlikely heap of food he'd bought after a few minutes, causing his guest to raise an eyebrow. "Now all we have to do is sit down and enjoy!"

The high-school student guided the young woman across the restaurant to the table where Nobara was seated, stubbornly tapping on her phone to avoid looking at them, obviously in a bad mood, noisily sipping her soda. Kali nevertheless sat down beside her, putting her bag on the floor and scanning the table with her eyes, while Yujii sat down opposite her and laid out his tray, distributing the many dishes between him and her.

"Weren't there three of you?" she questioned, retrieving the paper napkins the teenager handed her, obviously referring to the dark-haired man who had effectively disappeared from the room.

"Ah, yes there were..." replied Yujii as he began to unwrap the first burger, retrieving with one hand one of the multiple packets of ketchup he'd asked for, much to the dismay of Sukuna who deeply disliked this condiment. "Nobarra, where's Fushiguro? Is he in the toilet?" he shouted at the teenager, who remained silent for a handful of seconds, apparently unwilling.

"He got a phone call from our teacher I think... He went out earlier" she finally blurted out, continuing to pester her mobile. "Probably to do with you-know-what, Itadori. You know, what we were there for in the first place. Maybe there's been some change..."

"Some... change?" he repeated, puzzled.

He didn't realise that his guest, opposite him, tensed up a little, absent-mindedly playing with her sandwich wrapper as she listened attentively.

"I don't know any more," the schoolgirl continued. "It was Fushiguro that Gojo sensei called. He'll tell you more when he gets back."

"I see, well... All right..." murmured Yuuji, a little concerned. The scourge they'd been hunting unsuccessfully all afternoon was already responsible for several murders, so this was a serious matter. They needed to put it out of its misery as quickly as possible to protect the young women it preferred to attack. At this thought, the demonic receptacle returned his hazel gaze to his foreign counterpart, telling himself that she unfortunately met the criteria of the monster who had escaped them... As long as they hadn't exorcised her, she would be in danger, she who knew nothing about their country and who seemed so fragile and gentle...

"Any worries?" intervened Kali innocently, a worried gleam crossing her golden eyes, reinforcing Itadori's chivalrous feeling towards her even more.

"Nothing that concerns you, Madame" retorted the future exorcist grudgingly.

"Hey oh, take it easy, Kugisagi..." hissed his classmate between his teeth, a little overprotective compared to his new acquaintance, causing him to laugh slightly.

"In any case," she continued, "I hope it's nothing serious..."

"No," said Megumi, who had just appeared beside their table, staring intently at the European. "It's nothing serious. But surprising, on the other hand, that's for sure..."

"Fushiguro?" questioned the King of Plagues' receptacle in alarm.

"The mission is over. Someone got here before us..."

"AH?" blurted Yuujii, staring at his comrade with a slightly bewildered expression. "They sent another team on the same mission? Didn't they trust us? That's bad!"

"No, Yuuji. No other team was sent." Declaimed a man who crept up beside the dark-haired man, towering over the table with his tall stature, catching the three seated people off guard. "That's what's so intriguing. I went to the place, it was really nearby... and it was worth the diversions. It's... very interesting, to say the least."

"Gojo sensei!" blurted the surprised teenager, half rising from his chair. "What are you doing here?"

"Yo, kids! To tell you the truth... I'm hunting for inconsistencies..." replied the man whose eyes were camouflaged under a blindfold.

He then leaned towards Kali, nonchalantly thrusting his hands into the pockets of his dark outfit, bringing his face to within a few centimetres of hers. Instinctively, she sank into the back of her seat, trying to restore some distance between herself and the wearer of the 6th eye. The situation had clearly got out of hand and it was very, very bad.

"So... Miss Incoherence... "said the snowy-haired man, staring at her with overwhelming intensity through his black headband. "It must be quite a pain to wear all those seals, mustn't it?... What exactly are you... ?"

'AND SHIT' thought the interested party inwardly, feeling her blood freeze in her veins as the three teenagers stared at her, each intrigued in a very different way. Sukuna, for his part, raised an eyebrow from his macabre throne, intrigued by this unexpected twist which would perhaps make this interminable day a little more interesting...

It was EXACTLY the situation she would have preferred not to have to face... It was time for talent... even genius... Her survival was clearly at stake...

.

A word from the author :

M: Hellooo everyone! Hope you're all well! Thanks for following this story, things are slowly but surely falling into place! I don't know if you've seen what happened yesterday in Japan, but a rock that was supposed to hold a thousand-year-old demon split in two, for no apparent reason! Does a thousand-year-old demon ring a bell?

Sukuna, laughing out loud: AHAHAH, is that an invitation? You want me to come into your world too, is that it? From what I understand of your current situation, that would just be the icing on the cake, wouldn't it?

Megumi: What have you been up to now, Itadori?

Yuuji: What? ME? I didn't do anything!

Nobara: Calm down, it's more like a fox with nine tails than a crazy old man with four arms.

Sukuna, sighing: Those foxes are so annoying... With all their tails they get hair everywhere, it's like hell... I could only stand them in their coats back then.

Nobara, rolling his eyes: Of course, he had to add animal torturer to his list of innumerable qualities...

Gojo: Yo youngsters! Grab your clicks and clacks, we're off to see what's really going on with this big rock! Onwards and upwards!

M: Well, we'll leave you dear readers, see you soon for the rest!