The wind rattles the windows of the training room, but inside, it was quiet, too quiet. Megumi sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the faint scuff marks beneath his fingers. Nobara leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, her lips pressed into a tight line.
The silence between them was heavy, thick with unspoken thoughts.
"Can you believe it?" Nobara finally mutteres, her voice low and bitter.
"How quickly, they move on?" Megumi's gaze flicked upward. He knew exactly what she was talking about, how the others seemed to accept Yuji's death without question, without suspicion, without much grief, even. It grated at him too, but he'd been trying to keep a lid on the anger that threatened to bubble over.
"They talk about him like he's a distant memory," Nobara continued, her voice growing sharper with every word. "Like he wasn't our friend."
"Like he didn't mean anything."
"It's not even been a week," she continues kicking her heel out and wiggling it.
He'd noticed it too, how Maki, Panda, and even Toge seemed to have adjusted. The first few days were rough; they talked about Yuji in hushed tones, avoiding his name when they could, but soon, things returned to normal.
Too normal.
It was as if Yuji's absence had been just another passing storm, something they could move past.
This society is cynical and he hates it.
"I don't get it," Nobara spat, pushing herself off the wall and pacing the room. "It's like they didn't even care." And for someone like her, raised in a small countryside village, he is sure she's been sheltered to the true horrors of jujutsu sorcery, "Like he was just another casualty."
"How can they act like everything's okay?" It was like they'd accepted Yuji's supposed death without truly grieving him. The worst part was that he and Nobara had to stand by, pretending to feel the same way.
Pretending that their friend was gone when he was still out there, alive, being hunted like a dog if they knew.
"I think it's easier for them," Megumi finally said, his voice low. "To just… move on."
"To keep going." He strugs that's what he did with his bullshit, he doesn't even know his parents, but he has had gojo so what's the point of crying about it.
Nobara whirled around, her eyes blazing. "How are we supposed to act like this is normal? I'm supposed to sit with Maki during dinner and laugh about some stupid training exercise like everything's fine?"
"That we won't be killed if we step a single toe out of line!?" Her anger was palpable, filling the room like a storm ready to break.
Megumi couldn't blame her, but he shushes her before her treasonous words could be heard. He runs a hand through his hair, trying to shake the frustration creeping into his thoughts, "Maki's focused on the mission," he said, trying to sound reasonable.
"She doesn't let things get in her way."
Nobara scoffed at his words, her voice thick with sarcasm, "Right. 'The mission.' As if that's all that matters." As much as he admires Maki's resolve, sometimes it stings to see how cynical she is, and her brashness can be an acquired taste.
Panda was the same, throwing himself into training sessions, cracking jokes, keeping the group dynamic light, as if nothing had changed. Even Toge, with his limited speech, had been eerily calm about it. None of them seemed to carry the weight that he and Nobara did, as if Yuji's absence was just another thing to adjust to.
For Megumi, it wasn't that simple, for Nobara, it wasn't that simple.
"How do they not see it?" Nobara asked, her voice quieter now, but no less intense. "How do they not see that something's wrong? That this system isn't good?" Megumi looked down at his hands. "Because they're not carrying the same weight. They don't know."
"They should know," Nobara snapped, her eyes flashing. "They should feel like something's off."
Megumi stood up, crossing the room to where she stood. "They don't see it like we do, Nobara. They don't have the same relationship we have with him."
Nobara turned away from him, frustration and grief etched into every line of her body.
"I just-" She paused, taking a deep breath. "I just thought it would hurt more."
"Will they react the same when I go? 'Oh well'."
Megumi placed a hand on her shoulder, his grip firm but gentle. "Iif they can't see you're worth then they don't matter, besides imagine the tears Lenji would have if you died."
Nobara laughs, "He would make Gojo look normal with the hysterics." She discreetly whips a tear of frustration.
Yuji sat cross-legged on the cold basement floor, staring blankly at the homework Kenji had dropped off earlier. It was all done, but the boredom was suffocating. He sighed, tossing a pencil onto the desk before flopping back onto the floor, staring up at the ceiling.
"Man, this sucks." A soft knock interrupted his moping, and Yuji perked up.
The door creaked open, revealing Kenji, his pseudo-older brother, with his usual grin and a bag of food in hand.
"Hey, little bro!" Kenji greeted and boy does that send a jolt of gooe down his spine every time Kenji casually says that to him. His self proclaimed bro stepped in and set the bag on the desk. "Brought you some food."
"Figured you could use a break from staring at these walls."
Yuji shot up with excitement. "Kenji! You have no idea how bored I've been. I finished the homework hours ago!"
Kenji laughed, ruffling Yuji's hair. "You're making Gojo proud, you know."
"Doing homework like a proper student." He teases, and Yuuji squirms, still embarrassed by the casual affection all he's ever had was his grumpy grandfather.
Not that he didn't appreciate the old coot.
"Yeah, well, there's nothing else to do." he shrugs self-deprecatingly, " I can't exactly go curse-hunting from down here," Yuji grumbled, though his spirits were noticeably lifted by Kenji's presence.
"It's always good to get the basics down, i'm still learning, me and you are in the same boat, I just have more freedom as an adult." Yuji appreciates the attempt to soothe his insecurities.
As they dug into the sandwiches Kenji brought, Yuji noticed something odd. His gaze lingered on Kenji's neck, there was a faint mark peeking out from under his collar.
It takes him a second but his eyes widen, and he nearly choked on his food.
"Wait… is that..!? Did you-!?" He sputters flailing around pathetically.
Kenji merely grins in amusement, and too casual, as he rubbed at the mark. "What, this?"
A flush appeared on his face, "Yeah, Gojo and I… Well, we had a bit of fun."
Yuji turns his head, his face burning. " Oh, man! I did not need to know that!"
Kenji laughed at Yuji's reaction, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "What can I say?"
"He's persistent." He wants to gag!
Yuji slumps back against the wall, groaning. "I'm never going to unsee that now…" Suddenly, a sinister voice slithered into Yuji's mind, causing him to tense.
Sukuna's presence was like a dark cloud taking over the space inside his head. 'A hickey, huh? That insufferable brat dares to mark him?'
Yuji's heart skipped a beat. 'Oh, no…'
Sukuna's voice grew sharper, more possessive, as he hissed, 'Kenji belongs to me.'
'That scum should know better than to touch what's mine.'
'You three seriously need to get a room, preferably without me there,' he thinks morbidly. It wasn't the first time Sukuna had made strange, possessive comments about Kenji, but this, this felt different.
It felt like jealousy.
And he does not know what do do with that information
Kenji must've noticed something was off because he waved a hand in front of Yuji's face. "Earth to Yuji."
"You good?" Yuji snapped back to reality, forcing a weak smile.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just… uh… thinking." Kenji raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but let it slide.
He picked up his sandwich and took a bite. "Alright, well, just let me know if you want more food later."
Before Yuji could respond, Gojo's voice rang out from the top of the stairs. "Oi, Kenji, stop spoiling him! We need to keep him in shape."
Kenji smirked. "Says the guy who ordered takeout for the last three days." Gojo appears at the door, as carefree as ever, but Yuji notices his gaze flicker briefly toward Kenji's neck.
For a split second, a knowing smile tugged at the corner of Gojo's lips.
'Ew'
'I'll kill him!'
'Oh please, stop!'
"Oh, that's how it is, huh?" Gojo teased, and Sukunas rage fluctuating makes him wince.
Kenji just shrugged, though Yuji could tell from the way his body tensed that Gojo's teasing wasn't entirely welcome, before the banter could escalate, a new figure stepped into the room.
An intimidatingly stern looking blonde man, looking composed and professional. He glances around, his sharp eyes assessing the cramped basement.
"Yuji," Nanami greeted with a stiff nod. "Names Nanami, I'll be taking over your training for now."
Yuji quickly stood up, surprised and a little nervous. "Nanami-senpai. Uh, nice to meet you!"
Nanami's gaze shifted to Gojo, disappointed evident in his gaze. "You didn't tell me he was living in a basement."
Gojo shrugged, unrepentant and entirely unbothered. "It builds character."
Nanami's silence was palpable, fortunately he ignores Gojo's comment and focused back on Yuji. "You've got potential, Itadori." that makes him brighten.
"But potential needs discipline. We'll start training tomorrow." Yuji nodded eagerly.
Junpei stood stiffly beside his mother at the grocery store counter, shifting uncomfortably as she fumbled through her purse. His eyes darted between the cashier, who was politely waiting, and the small pile of groceries they had set down. He could feel the heat rising in his face, the growing tension in his chest as his mother murmured apologies to the cashier.
"Ah, I'm so sorry, I thought I had more change," she said, her voice filled with warmth and embarrassment. Junpei could hear the strain in her tone, the subtle plea that things would somehow work out.
The cashier offered a tight smile, but Junpei knew the look. It was the same one teachers gave him when they thought he wasn't paying attention in class, the same one people flashed at his mom when they realized she couldn't afford something.
Junpei clenched his fists, staring down at his shoes.
He hated this. Hated seeing her like this, scrambling over a few yen. He hated that they were always short on money, that she worked so hard just for them to scrape by. It wasn't fair.
"Mom, we can just put some things back," Junpei mumbled, his voice low, trying to keep the frustration out of it. He didn't want to make her feel worse, but he couldn't stand this anymore.
The whole scene made his stomach churn, fortunately he took up Mahito's offer, so he'll be able to provide for her soon, if it all plans out as he is promised.
Before his mother could respond, a voice cut through the air, light, casual, as if it had no business being so carefree in the middle of their little crisis.
It makes him instantly jealous, the scars on his forehead throb.
"Hey, no need to put anything back. I've got you covered." Junpei looked up, startled.
A man with dark hair and an easy smile stood before them, casually tossing a handful of yen on the counter like it was nothing. Junpei blinked, trying to process what was happening. His mother opened her mouth to protest, but the man waved her off with a laugh, as if paying for their groceries was the simplest thing in the world.
"It's really no trouble. I was just about to blow this on way too many snacks anyway." The cashier, looking slightly relieved, took the money and started bagging their groceries without hesitation.
Junpei could only stare at the man, his guard immediately going up.
Who was this guy? Why was he being so…nice?
No one did that for strangers, at least not without expecting something in return.
"Uh, thanks. You didn't have to do that," Junpei muttered, feeling awkward under the stranger's friendly gaze.
The man shrugged, still smiling as he handed over the now-paid-for groceries. "It's no big deal." It is.
"Everyone needs a little help now and then, right?"
Junpei's mother finally found her voice, bowing her head slightly as she thanked the man over and over. He kept his eyes on the man, studying the way the guy moved. Sometimes guys tend to be nice with nefarious intentions.
It's envying watching the relaxed way he leaned against the counter, as if this whole encounter was no more significant than a passing breeze.
"You remind me of my little brother," the man said suddenly, leaning in just a little toward Junpei.
"Same serious face when he's worried about something." Junpei blinked, caught off guard.
"Oh yeah?" He raised an eyebrow, trying to act cool, even though he could feel the unexpected compliment settle awkwardly in his chest. "I didn't think I was that easy to read."
The man chuckled, a sound that somehow managed to relax the tension in the air just a bit. "Don't worry, most people probably don't notice."
"I've just got a knack for it." Junpei didn't know what to say to that. He stood there for a moment, unsure of how to respond to someone actually seeing him, acknowledging his worry.
It was strange, this feeling of being noticed, but not in the judgmental way he was used to.
"Thank you again," his mother said, finally regaining her composure and grabbing the bags of groceries.
"We should be getting home now, but I hope we see you around." Junpei nodded silently, following his mother as they left the store. He glanced back at the man one last time, his thoughts swirling in confusion.
Who the hell was that guy? He didn't feel like just another passerby, but then again, maybe that was just his mind playing tricks on him.
As they walked, Junpei tried to shake off the encounter, but he couldn't help but think about the stranger's smile and the way he'd so casually compared him to a little brother.
It had been years since Junpei had felt like anyone's family, and now, some random guy had done more for him in a minute than most of his so-called friends had in months.
It was weird, but then again, everything in Junpei's life was a little weird lately.
Shaking his head, Junpei shoved his hands in his pockets and hurried after his mom.
Whatever had just happened didn't matter.
Not really.
A/n:
Jealous Sukuna is a lot more entertaining than I thought.
So, Junpei has entered the chat, will he survive the spotlight tho?
As always suggestions and praise is always welcomed~