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Yuuji clicked his tongue softly and looked out the window. The sky was clear, and the morning had been pleasantly warm. Shifting his gaze, he fixed his amber eyes on the furniture to his right. Hanging precariously from the knob on a hanger in his wardrobe was an orange yukata. He smiled faintly as he looked at the garment.
Kugisaki had insisted that the three of them go to the local Tokyo festivals held around that time of year. Yuuji had agreed immediately, though Fushiguro had been quite resistant at first. It had taken some persistence from both Kugisaki and him, but Fushiguro had reluctantly agreed to join them.
They were supposed to meet at the school entrance in about half an hour and then head to the festival location by train. Yuuji began taking off his uniform, tossing it carelessly onto the bed. He walked to the wardrobe, grabbed the yukata, and put it on, making sure to tie the white sash securely around his waist.
To properly put on his tabi socks and geta sandals, the teenager had to sit on the bed, though it only took him a few seconds to be fully ready.
"Took you long enough to dress decently, Yuuji," Sukuna remarked in his mind as the young sorcerer checked his reflection in the mirror, making sure everything was in place.
The pink-haired boy rolled his eyes and chuckled slightly. "You talk as if I dress in rags," he replied, turning his body slightly to view himself from all angles.
"Your fashion sense leaves much to be desired, brat," the King of Curses retorted, opening one of his eyes to glance at the reflection of his vessel. "Though I must say, you've at least chosen the yukata well," he added with a hint of approval in his voice.
"Thanks," the boy murmured aloud, his smile widening slightly. He grabbed a black waist pouch from his desk, opened it, and slipped his phone inside after checking the time. "Well, I better head to the entrance before Kugisaki starts complaining again about how slow I am," he said, fastening the pouch around his waist.
Striding to the door, he opened it and stepped outside, pausing as sunlight hit his face directly. Squinting against the bright rays, he quickly shut the door.
The young sorcerer made his way to the stairs, descending two steps at a time without much caution, despite the risk of slipping. Sukuna remained silent, observing the school's surroundings, and for a moment, Yuuji almost forgot his presence. That's why, when the King of Curses spoke suddenly again, the young sorcerer couldn't help but flinch.
"I understand you want to spend time with your friends, but don't let your guard down, Yuuji," the special-grade curse warned.
The teenager stopped in his tracks upon hearing that, his smile shrinking until it disappeared entirely. "I don't think they'd dare do anything in such a crowded place," Yuuji replied, though the King of Curses could clearly sense the uncertainty in his vessel's voice.
"Itadori!" Fushiguro's voice calling out to him snapped Yuuji out of memories of the recent assassination attempt he had survived.
Hearing his classmate's approaching footsteps, the teenager quickly plastered on his trademark wide grin and turned to face Fushiguro. Nervous as he was, Yuuji didn't notice Sukuna shutting his eye and retreating completely.
Fushiguro reached him shortly after, throwing him a stern look. "I've been calling you for a while. Where was your head at?" he asked, frowning slightly with concern.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't hear you," Yuuji apologized, laughing a little. "I was thinking about the festival. It's my first time going to one in Tokyo, you know?"
"That's obvious," Fushiguro said, walking ahead. Despite his apparent indifference, Yuuji couldn't help but notice that he had dressed for the occasion. The dark blue yukata and black sash suited him perfectly, the pink-haired sorcerer noted as he quickened his pace to walk alongside him.
"Have you been to one before?" Yuuji asked curiously, glancing at his friend.
"No, I've never been interested in those kinds of things," the young sorcerer admitted, serious. "But Maki told me the parades are worth seeing."
Last year, his cousin had insisted he join her and Toge at one, but fortunately for Megumi, an unexpected mission had prevented him from going. Still, Maki had made sure to buy him several souvenirs from the stalls.
"Do you think there'll be food stalls?"
Megumi rolled his eyes and sighed in resignation, glancing sideways at his friend. Despite Yuuji's apparent enthusiasm, the user of the Ten Shadows Technique hadn't missed how tense his shoulders were or the nervous gleam in his amber eyes.
"Well, according to Maki, there are usually plenty," he said. Yuuji's smile grew a bit more genuine at this, though it still didn't quite reach his eyes. "We should hurry, Itadori. I wouldn't be surprised if Kugisaki is already waiting for us at the gate."
"...You're right," Yuuji agreed, picking up his pace without realizing it and leaving his friend behind.
Megumi clicked his tongue and hurried after him, quickening his steps as much as he could, though he couldn't match Yuuji's speed.
As the two teenagers had feared, Nobara was already waiting for them at the entrance. The girl stood with her arms akimbo, glaring at them with a frown.
"Where were you!?" she snapped as soon as they reached her. "For your information, I've been standing here for over half an hour waiting for you to show up!"
Megumi rolled his eyes, looking at her with mild irritation. "We're not late," he informed her, maintaining his composure. But the girl had just noticed the waist pouch Yuuji was wearing and ignored her companion entirely.
"And what is that tacky thing you're wearing, Itadori!?" she yelled, stepping closer to her friend. "Take it off right now!"
Yuuji gave Nobara a confused look. "What's wrong with it? I need somewhere to put my phone."
"What's wrong with it!?" Kugisaki couldn't believe what she was hearing and stared at her friend in disbelief. "For starters, it doesn't match your outfit at all!" she snapped, annoyed. The girl checked the time on her wristwatch and growled in frustration. "And since you two took so long to get here, you don't even have time to leave that thing in your room." Nobara let out a sigh, shaking her head. "Let's go. Or we'll end up being late."
Megumi let out a grunt, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Nobara and Yuuji were browsing through the various items at one of the stalls, trying to decide what to take home as a souvenir. There was still over an hour left before the first parade began, so they seemed to have plenty of time.
The girl was torn between several keychains and didn't seem likely to make a decision anytime soon. Yuuji was in a similar situation, holding a pair of bright red plastic glasses decorated with the theme of the current year. The user of the Ten Shadows Technique wrinkled his nose at how hideous they were but refrained from saying anything aloud.
"At least he seems more cheerful than before," Megumi thought, allowing himself a small smile. Just then, he noticed Yuuji narrowing his eyes slightly and falling completely silent, as if intently listening to someone.
A bad feeling settled over Megumi, and his smile faded immediately. He hurried to act, stepping closer to his friend and placing a hand on his shoulder. Yuuji jumped, startled, and looked at him with wide eyes.
However, realizing it was just Megumi, Yuuji quickly relaxed and gave a small smile.
"Something wrong, Fushiguro?"
"Have you decided what to buy yet?" asked the dark-haired teenager. Yuuji looked back at the glasses and placed them back on the display.
"Not really," he admitted, his gaze drifting to a white uchiwa fan adorned with red flowers.
He picked it up and examined it silently for several seconds. Once again, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were listening to someone, and Megumi had to suppress a shiver. Glancing at Nobara, he saw she was still unaware of what was happening. She seemed to have made up her mind about one of the keychains and was heading toward the vendor.
"I think I'll take this," Yuuji said suddenly, showing the fan to Megumi. "It's nice, don't you think?"
"Well, it's not bad," the young sorcerer admitted, inspecting it with little interest. "Are you going to buy it?"
"Yeah, I like it," Yuuji murmured thoughtfully, his amber eyes fixed on the fan as he twirled it between his fingers. Megumi raised an eyebrow slightly, but his friend didn't notice, distracted by the vendor nearby. Yuuji approached to pay, leaving Megumi no time to question him.
Clicking his tongue softly, Megumi followed after him. It wasn't long before Nobara joined them, proudly displaying the keychain she had chosen. It was a metallic one shaped like the letter "N."
"Are you two getting anything else?" asked the dark-haired sorcerer, crossing his arms. Nobara and Yuuji exchanged a quick glance before shaking their heads. Megumi stifled a sigh of relief and continued speaking. "Then we should go find a spot. Maki told me the crowds can get pretty intense."
"What are we waiting for?" Nobara asked, frowning. "I'm not missing this for anything, so you'd better hurry up."
Megumi and Yuuji looked at her in silence, then followed her without making any comments about her behavior.
Nobara watched the various floats passing down the road with keen interest. After much jostling and weaving through the crowd, they had managed to secure a good spot where they could see the parade clearly.
Around them, a sea of people dressed similarly to them stood mesmerized by the spectacle. Children whispered excitedly among themselves, their enthusiasm evident in their wide-eyed expressions and giggles.
The orange-haired girl glanced sideways at her friends and froze momentarily. Sukuna's right eye was open on Yuuji's cheek, though the pink-haired boy didn't seem to notice. His focus was entirely on the parade, a wide smile spread across his face. Nobara realized with a jolt that the crimson eye of the King of Curses was also fixed on the floats.
She swallowed hard and shivered visibly. Clearing her throat in an attempt to get Yuuji's attention, she found her effort drowned out by the murmurs of the crowd. He remained oblivious. Nobara tried again, reaching out to grab his arm, but before she could, a familiar voice rang out.
"Well, if it isn't the curse sympathizer and Sukuna's vessel."
Nobara scowled and spun around quickly, her expression twisting in disdain as she spotted Mai and two other students from Kyoto. Yuuji, having heard the voice as well, stopped smiling and visibly paled.
"Get lost," Nobara snapped, glaring daggers at Mai.
"Or what?" Mai retorted, an arrogant smirk curling her lips as she raised an eyebrow. "I only told the truth."
"Kugisaki," Megumi called, grabbing her arm firmly before she could escalate the argument. They had already begun drawing disapproving and reproachful stares from the surrounding crowd. "Ignore her."
"I was just about to have a nice, civilized conversation with her," Nobara said with mock sweetness, crossing her arms.
One of the Kyoto students, clearly uncomfortable and hesitant, spoke up softly, her voice barely audible. "Um… Mai, Momo, maybe we should go somewhere else? We came to watch the parade, and…"
"They should leave," Mai cut her off sharply, her eyes locked on Nobara, who refused to back down an inch. "We were here first."
"…Mai, please," Kasumi insisted, casting an apologetic look at the Tokyo students.
Mai rolled her eyes and let out a huff, finally noticing the unwanted attention they were attracting.
"You know what? Fine. Let's go somewhere else. I don't want to stay in the same spot where Sukuna's vessel and his little friends have been," Mai sneered, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
Before Nobara could fire back at the insult, the three Kyoto students turned on their heels and quickly disappeared into the crowd. Megumi released Nobara's arm and stepped back slightly. A heavy silence settled between them as they watched the girls vanish, and the crowd gradually lost interest in the scene.
"…I'm sorry," Yuuji said at last, his gaze dropping to the ground. He clutched his elbows tightly, his voice trembling. "This is all my fault."
"Don't be stupid," Nobara snapped, irritated. "Don't listen to anything that idiot said."
"But—"
"We came here to enjoy the festival," Megumi cut in firmly. "And Kugisaki is right. So don't start thinking like that, Itadori. You don't need to apologize."
"…Thanks," Yuuji murmured, tears welling up in his eyes. He wiped them away quickly and forced a shaky smile.
"You don't have to thank us, idiot," Nobara responded affectionately, softening her tone just a little.
Yuuji closed the door to his bedroom and completely relaxed. He let out a sigh and walked toward the bed. The teenager placed the uchiwa on his nightstand and collapsed onto the mattress. He felt Sukuna pulling at his consciousness, and the young man didn't resist.
When he opened his eyes, Yuuji found himself atop the mountain of skulls. Sukuna, standing a few steps away, observed him in silence with a serious expression.
"I warned you something like this would happen again," Sukuna said, getting ahead of Yuuji. The boy averted his gaze and tensed up.
"I already told you I don't want to talk about it," the young sorcerer replied, clenching his fists. The King of Curses growled at his response and looked at him sternly.
"Running away won't get you anywhere, brat," he warned. "We need to have a plan ready for when things truly get ugly."
"You say that like it's going to happen again," Yuuji protested, and Sukuna burst into laughter at his remark.
"Because it will. You can be sure they'll try to take you down again, Yuuji."
The boy swallowed hard and fidgeted nervously with his fingers. "Can we not talk about this right now, please?" he pleaded.
Sukuna rolled his eyes and sat down. He gestured for his vessel to sit beside him, and after a moment of hesitation, the young man obeyed.
"I'll drop it on one condition," the King of Curses agreed seriously. Yuuji looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "We'll revisit the topic later, and you'll listen to what I have to say. No more avoiding the subject."
"Alright," Yuuji murmured as the tension in his shoulders completely dissipated.
"Don't forget, Yuuji," Sukuna said. "With how things are right now, I'm your only ally."