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The Itadori clan had survived centuries of curses, political disputes, territorial wars, and assassination attempts, yet Sukuna firmly believed his greatest challenge was raising his nephew.
At thirty-nine, Ryomen Sukuna was the terrifying head of the Itadori clan, while 18-year-old Yuuji was technically his successor despite possessing approximately none of Sukuna's interest in politics.
“You need to start attending council meetings, brat,” Sukuna told him one morning over breakfast, and Yuuji replied, “I attended the last one, but everybody spent forty minutes arguing about ceremonial robes.”
Sukuna narrowed his eyes and said, “Those robes represent twelve generations of tradition.”
Yuuji continued eating his cereal and answered, “Well, they also make you look like an angry curtain.”
The other great clans presented their own headaches, particularly the Gojo clan under Satoru Gojo and the Zenin clan under Naobito Zenin.
Gojo had adopted Megumi Fushiguro years earlier after successfully maneuvering him away from the Zenin household, but Sukuna insisted that adoption did not erase the fact that Megumi possessed Zenin blood and inherited techniques.
“That boy is still technically connected to Naobito,” Sukuna complained during a clan meeting.
Gojo lounged opposite him and replied, “Megumi considers Naobito approximately as important as expired yogurt.”
Naobito, seated between them, sighed and muttered, “Sometimes I wonder why I attend these meetings.”
Sukuna immediately replied, “Because unlike Gojo, you're occasionally capable of behaving like an adult.”
When Gojo suggested sending Yuuji to Jujutsu Tech High, Sukuna nearly refused outright.
“Absolutely not, because he can study here,” Sukuna said, while Yuuji listened quietly outside the meeting room, his ear pressed to the door.
Gojo replied, “He's 18, Sukuna, and unless you're planning to marry him to the compound, perhaps let him meet people who aren't related to him.”
Sukuna crossed his arms and said, “He has friends.”
Gojo smiled and asked, “Then name three who aren't clan employees.”
Sukuna remained silent for considerably too long. Gojo leaned forward with a triumphant grin and said, “Exactly, so send him to Jujutsu Tech where he can train, make friends, develop social skills, and experience the delightful horrors of institutional education.”
Sukuna replied, “You're only encouraging this because your brat studies there.”
Gojo gasped dramatically and said, “My, my, Sukuna. Megumi is a wonderful influence who reads books, respects schedules, and only threatens to summon apocalyptic entities occasionally.”
Sukuna stared at him before answering, “That final qualification did not help your argument.”
Eventually Sukuna agreed, although not without conditions. The night before Yuuji moved into the dormitories, Sukuna summoned him into the clan training room with enough seriousness that Yuuji assumed he was receiving instructions regarding forbidden techniques.
“Listen carefully here brat,” Sukuna said, “because Jujutsu Tech contains one person you absolutely must not trust.”
Yuuji immediately leaned forward and asked, “Is it a curse disguised as a student?” Sukuna answered, “Worse, it's Fushiguro Megumi.”
Yuuji blinked. “Gojo-sama's kid?”
Sukuna nodded gravely. “Zenin blood, Ten Shadows Technique, politically dangerous, probably manipulative, and raised by that insufferable white-haired peacock.”
Yuuji asked, “Didn't you say Gojo-sama was your friend?
Sukuna's expression darkened as he answered, “Frenemy, which is a sophisticated adult relationship you'll understand when you're older.”
Yuuji nodded seriously and promised, “Don't worry, Uncle, I will absolutely never become friends with Fushiguro Megumi.”
Sukuna placed both hands on Yuuji's shoulders. “Good.” Yuuji smiled proudly. “I'll maintain constant vigilance.”
Neither of them understood what a catastrophic sentence that would become.
Yuuji met Megumi during orientation, where he immediately positioned himself beside Kugisaki Nobara as though she were defensive infrastructure. Megumi entered wearing the standard uniform, quietly introduced himself, and took the seat directly behind Yuuji.
“That's him,” Yuuji whispered to
Nobara. Nobara glanced backward and asked, “The attractive emo one?”
“The enemy.”
Nobara stared at him and replied, “You've known me for twelve minutes, and somehow I'm already concerned about you.”
Their teacher asked everyone to pair up for a combat assessment, and Megumi unexpectedly approached Yuuji.
“Itadori, want to partner with me?” Megumi asked.
Yuuji narrowed his eyes and replied, “Trying to gather intelligence already, Fushiguro?”
Megumi blinked before slowly smiling. “If you want to call it that.”
Yuuji pointed at him and said, “I knew it.”
Megumi's smile grew slightly wider as he answered, “You're surprisingly easy to understand.”
Yuuji immediately turned toward Nobara. “Did you hear that psychological warfare?”
Nobara stared at him. “He asked you to practice punching.”
Megumi found Yuuji fascinating almost immediately. He had expected Sukuna's nephew to be arrogant, calculating, or at least slightly intimidating, not an absurdly friendly athlete who became suspicious whenever Megumi offered basic human kindness.
More importantly, Yuuji was handsome in an uncomplicated, bright way that Megumi found increasingly difficult not to notice. By the end of their first week, Megumi had already decided he liked him. Yuuji, meanwhile, had decided Megumi was conducting a long-term infiltration campaign.
Two weeks later, Megumi noticed Yuuji repeatedly stealing pieces of Nobara's lunch because he'd forgotten his own.
“Stop eating my chicken,” Nobara complained as Yuuji reached toward her container again.
Yuuji replied, “I'm maintaining my combat energy.”
Nobara slapped his hand and answered, “Maintain it somewhere else.”
Megumi quietly pushed half his bento across the table. “You can have mine.” Yuuji froze.
He slowly looked at Megumi. “Why?” Megumi replied, “Because you're hungry.”
Yuuji narrowed his eyes. “What's in it?”
Megumi stared at him and answered, “Rice, vegetables, chicken, and apparently enough paranoia to feed you for a week.”
Yuuji inspected the food suspiciously before eating one piece. His expression immediately brightened. “This is really good.”
“I made it.” Yuuji nearly choked.
“You cooked this yourself?” Megumi nodded and replied, “I cook most mornings.”
Yuuji stared at him with newfound interest and asked, “What else can you make?”
Nobara slowly lowered her chopsticks. Megumi smiled and replied, “If you come by my dorm tomorrow morning, you can find out.”
Yuuji's eyes widened as he whispered, “He's inviting me into enemy territory.”
Nobara rubbed her forehead. “You're going, aren't you?”
Yuuji immediately answered, “Obviously, because reconnaissance is important!”
The following morning, Yuuji spent an hour inside Megumi's dorm eating pancakes and asking about his cooking. Megumi learned that Yuuji preferred strawberries to blueberries, hated bitter coffee, liked slightly crispy bacon, and became unusually quiet while eating something he genuinely enjoyed. Yuuji returned to his own room convinced he had successfully collected valuable information. Megumi returned to bed wondering how Sukuna had managed to raise someone so catastrophically oblivious.
Their first joint mission sent them into an abandoned shopping center on the outskirts of the city, where several low-grade curses had nested among the shuttered stores and broken escalators. The building smelled faintly of dust and old rainwater, and every sound seemed to travel farther than it should through the empty atrium. Yuuji moved ahead whenever the path opened, relying on speed while Megumi kept watch for movement from the upper floors. They worked surprisingly well together despite neither of them being willing to admit it. That changed slightly when Yuuji attempted to jump between two stalled escalators and his shoe slipped against the metal edge.
Megumi reacted before he had time to think. One arm caught Yuuji securely around the waist while the other braced against the railing, stopping both of them from pitching toward the floor below. For several seconds, Yuuji remained suspended awkwardly against Megumi's chest with one hand gripping his shoulder. “I've got you,” Megumi murmured, steadying his footing before looking down.
Yuuji looked down at the floor and then at Megumi. “Your reflexes are impressive.”
Megumi adjusted his hold slightly and observed, “You're heavier than you look.”
Yuuji frowned. “Are you insulting me while holding me?”
Megumi smiled and said, “I'm appreciating you while holding you.”
Yuuji's eyes narrowed. “That sounded suspicious.”
Megumi set him down and replied, “Everything sounds suspicious to you.”
The mission ended without further disaster, although Megumi noticed Yuuji moving more carefully by the time they returned to campus. It wasn't until later that evening, while they were reviewing the mission report, that Yuuji winced while reaching across the table. Megumi immediately noticed. “You hurt your ribs.”
Yuuji lowered his arm and tried to look innocent. “That feels like an accusation.”
Megumi stood and gestured toward him. “Lift your shirt.”
Yuuji immediately stepped backward and asked, “Why?”
“So I can check the bruise.”
Yuuji crossed his arms protectively and replied, “You expect me to expose my torso to a Zenin?”
Megumi stared at him. “I've seen you shirtless during training approximately twenty times.”
Yuuji paused, clearly running through the evidence against himself. After several seconds, he reluctantly admitted, “That's true.”
He lifted the edge of his shirt just enough to reveal a darkening bruise along his ribs. Megumi crouched slightly and carefully pressed around the edge of it, his fingertips warm against Yuuji's side. “Does this hurt?”
“A little.” Yuuji's shoulders tightened as Megumi shifted his hand.
Megumi looked up at him and asked, “Here?”
Yuuji inhaled sharply. “More.”
Megumi's gaze lingered for half a second longer than medically necessary. “Interesting.”
Yuuji immediately dropped his shirt. “You're studying my weaknesses.”
Megumi stood and answered, “Very closely.”
Yuuji spent the entire evening writing ‘Fushiguro appears interested in ribs’ inside a notebook titled Zenin Intelligence, underlined it twice for emphasis.
A few weeks after their first joint mission, Megumi eventually decided subtlety was getting him nowhere. Yuuji had somehow interpreted compliments, prolonged eye contact, casual touching, and even Megumi checking his injuries as increasingly sophisticated attempts at gathering intelligence. So one afternoon, while they were leaving training, Megumi simply asked, “Do you want to see a movie this weekend?” Yuuji stopped walking and frowned at him. “Just us?”
Megumi nodded and replied, “That's generally what I meant.”
Yuuji stared at him for several seconds, clearly attempting to identify whatever hidden motive might exist behind watching a movie together. Megumi could practically see the calculations happening behind his eyes. “I'll think about it,” Yuuji finally replied with unnecessary seriousness. Megumi sighed and continued walking.
Yuuji immediately sought Nobara's advice. He found her sitting outside the dorms, scrolling through her phone, and lowered his voice as though discussing classified information. “He's trying to isolate me.”
Nobara looked up from her phone and said, “He's asking you on a date.”
“No, he's gathering intelligence.”
Nobara stared at him. “You might genuinely be the stupidest person I've ever met.”
Yuuji looked offended. “That's unnecessarily harsh.”
Nobara pointed toward him. “Itadori, if Fushiguro asks you to dinner next, are you going to assume he's studying your chewing patterns?” Yuuji hesitated just long enough that Nobara groaned and covered her face.
Yuuji went anyway. He insisted to Nobara that refusing would reveal fear and potentially give Megumi a psychological advantage, although he spent considerably too long choosing what shirt to wear for someone supposedly attending enemy surveillance. Megumi met him outside the theater wearing casual clothes and somehow looked relaxed enough to make Yuuji suspicious all over again. Megumi purchased the popcorn while Yuuji bought their drinks, and they settled into neighboring seats as the lights dimmed. For the first half of the movie, nothing remotely tactical happened.
Then both of them reached into the popcorn bucket at the same time. Their fingers collided, and Yuuji immediately froze. Megumi didn't move his hand away. After a brief internal debate about whether retreat would demonstrate weakness, Yuuji left his hand there too.
For almost thirty seconds, they sat silently with their fingers touching. Megumi eventually intertwined their pinkies. Yuuji's eyes widened in the darkness.
Megumi whispered, “Problem?”
Yuuji whispered back, “I-I'm observing your technique.”
Megumi almost laughed aloud. “What technique?”
Yuuji glanced sideways at him with deep suspicion. “Distraction.”
Megumi leaned slightly closer, enough that Yuuji became extremely aware of the warmth beside him. “Is it working?”
Yuuji swallowed. “M-moderately.”
Megumi smiled to himself and kept their pinkies linked for the remainder of the film. At some point, their hands shifted completely out of the popcorn bucket and rested between them, still loosely connected. Yuuji did not attempt to separate them, though he periodically reminded himself that this was purely observational. Megumi didn't challenge that interpretation. He was becoming increasingly convinced that patience would eventually accomplish what direct flirting apparently could not.
Afterward, Yuuji reported to Nobara that Megumi had attempted “advanced hand-based psychological warfare.”
Nobara asked, “Did you move your hand away?”
Yuuji replied, “No, because then he'd know I was affected.”
Nobara stared at him for a long time. “You're going to marry him accidentally.”
The summer heat had settled heavily over the training grounds by mid-afternoon, turning the air thick and shimmering above the packed dirt. Most of the students had already retreated indoors, which was probably why Yuuji had decided it was the perfect time to train without an audience. He had abandoned his uniform jacket on the grass and was working through hand-to-hand combinations in a sleeveless black shirt, each strike sharp enough to disturb the dust around his shoes. Sweat darkened the fabric between his shoulders, but Yuuji barely seemed bothered, resetting his stance every time he finished a sequence.
Megumi found him like that and, instead of announcing himself, quietly sat beneath the shade of a nearby tree to watch.
Several minutes passed before Yuuji finally noticed the unmistakable presence sitting at the edge of the training field. He stopped halfway through a punch and squinted toward the tree, wiping his forehead with the back of his wrist. “Are you spying on me?” Yuuji called, sounding offended despite the fact that Megumi had made absolutely no effort to hide.
Megumi rested an elbow against his raised knee and answered with complete honesty, “Yes.”
Yuuji immediately pointed at him and shouted, “I knew it!”
Megumi's mouth curved faintly as he watched Yuuji try to decide whether being correct outweighed the problem of apparently having an enemy casually observing his training. “You're attractive when you're concentrating,” Megumi offered, almost conversationally.
Yuuji's pointing hand slowly lowered until it hung uselessly at his side. “What?” His expression emptied so completely that Megumi could practically see every thought abandoning him at once.
Megumi stood, brushed the grass from his trousers, and repeated, “I said you're attractive.”
Yuuji stared as Megumi crossed the training ground toward him, suddenly looking far less comfortable than he had while throwing punches beneath the blazing sun. “Why would you tell your enemy that?
Megumi stopped directly in front of him, close enough to notice the fresh flush already spreading across Yuuji's cheeks. “Maybe I'm trying to make my enemy blush,” he murmured, tilting his head while studying the result.
Yuuji's face immediately turned red. Megumi nodded and said, “Successful.”
Yuuji crossed his arms over his chest, apparently hoping irritation could restore whatever dignity had just abandoned him. “You're incredibly manipulative,” he accused.
Megumi stepped around him and answered, “You're incredibly easy.”
Yuuji whipped around with an exaggerated gasp, watching Megumi continue toward the path. “That's exactly what Sukuna warned me about!” Megumi's laughter followed him across the empty training grounds, leaving Yuuji standing beneath the afternoon sun with the unpleasant realization that Fushiguro's greatest weapon might actually be his face.
That evening, Sukuna received a text reading: ‘Fushiguro has started weaponizing compliments. Situation under control.’ Sukuna stared at the message for several seconds before replying: ‘Eliminate vulnerability.’ Yuuji answered: ‘Working on it.’
Autumn arrived, and Yuuji discovered he'd forgotten his jacket after evening training. Megumi removed his own hoodie and tossed it toward him. “Wear this.”
Yuuji caught it and immediately asked, “What about you?” Megumi replied, “I don't get cold easily.”
Yuuji put it on. The sleeves were slightly long and smelled faintly like Megumi's detergent. Megumi stared at him.
Yuuji noticed. “What?”
Megumi looked away and muttered, “Nothing.” Yuuji narrowed his eyes.
“You're doing something.” Megumi replied, “I'm walking.”
“You're staring.” Megumi sighed and answered, “You look good in my clothes.”
Yuuji stopped walking.
Megumi continued several steps before turning around. “Coming?”
Yuuji hurried after him. “You're trying to establish ownership through clothing.”
Megumi nearly tripped. “What?”
“I understand territorial behavior.” Megumi covered his face.
Yuuji continued proudly, “Sukuna taught me about clan politics.”
Megumi looked toward the sky as though requesting divine assistance. “Your uncle has ruined you.”
Yuuji wore the hoodie back to the dormitory. Then he slept in it.
He forgot to return it for three weeks. Megumi never reminded him.
One afternoon, Nanami had instructed them to practice close-range grappling, and Yuuji immediately pointed at Megumi and declared, “Don't think I'm going easy on you just because you've spent months studying my weaknesses.”
Megumi rolled his shoulders and replied, “Why would I need you to go easy on me when you're the one who's going to lose?”
From the sidelines, Nobara muttered, “I give it four minutes before this becomes whatever weird mating ritual you two refuse to acknowledge.”
Yuuji shouted, “We're enemies, Kugisaki,” while Megumi quietly smiled and answered, “Of course we are.”
Yuuji attacked first, attempting to catch Megumi around the waist, but Megumi pivoted smoothly and hooked one leg behind Yuuji's ankle.
“Too predictable,” Megumi said as Yuuji caught himself and immediately spun around.
Yuuji grinned and replied, “That's because I wanted you to think I'd do that, so technically you're falling into my strategy.”
Megumi raised an eyebrow and asked, “Does your strategy usually involve nearly falling on your face?”
Yuuji pointed at him and said, “Mocking me is exactly the kind of psychological attack Sukuna warned me about.”
Megumi answered, “Your uncle seems to have spent a concerning amount of time convincing you I'm plotting your downfall.”
Their next exchange ended with Megumi catching Yuuji's wrist, twisting around him, and pinning his arm behind his back.
Yuuji laughed through the discomfort and said, “You keep grabbing me from behind, Fushiguro, and I'm starting to think your combat technique lacks variety.”
Megumi stepped closer until his chest nearly touched Yuuji's back and replied, “Maybe I've simply discovered a position where you're unusually easy to control.” Yuuji's laughter faltered as he became abruptly aware of Megumi's breath near his neck.
From several meters away, Nobara lowered her water bottle and whispered to herself, “There is absolutely no reason sparring needs to look like this.”
Yuuji attempted to escape, but Megumi anticipated the movement and tightened his hold just enough to stop him. “Your right side is stronger, so whenever you're cornered, you instinctively turn left,” Megumi murmured, his voice suddenly much quieter.
Yuuji swallowed and replied, “That's valuable information, which means I was right about you gathering intelligence.”
Megumi leaned toward his ear and continued, “Your ribs are sensitive, your balance gets worse when you're distracted, and your ears turn red whenever I stand this close.”
Yuuji immediately protested, “My ears are completely normal, and you should stop studying them.”
Megumi's mouth curved into a smile that Yuuji couldn't see. “You told Sukuna you were going to learn all my weaknesses, didn't you?” he asked, and Yuuji proudly replied, “Obviously, because I'm currently conducting an extremely successful infiltration.”
Megumi whispered, “Then it's only fair that I attack all of yours.”
Yuuji stiffened when Megumi's lips moved closer to his ear and asked, “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”
Megumi paused deliberately before murmuring, “Don't worry, Itadori, because I'll save the really dangerous attacks for bed.”
Yuuji made a sound so startled that Nobara nearly dropped her drink. He tore himself free, stumbled forward, and spun around with a face so red that Megumi immediately started laughing.
“BED?” Yuuji demanded, while Megumi calmly straightened his uniform and replied, “Interesting, apparently that weakness is more severe than I thought.”
Yuuji pointed at him with a trembling finger and accused, “That was deliberate psychological warfare, and I'm absolutely reporting this to Sukuna.”
Megumi smiled sweetly and said, “Please tell your uncle exactly what I said.”
Yuuji immediately reconsidered. “Actually, certain intelligence should probably remain classified.”
Nobara finally lost control and doubled over laughing while Megumi asked, “What's wrong, Itadori? Worried he'll realize I'm flirting with you?”
Yuuji stared at him and replied, “You're not flirting with me; you're destabilizing the enemy.”
Megumi sighed and muttered, “At this point I could propose marriage, and he'd call it a territorial maneuver.”
Nobara wiped tears from her eyes and answered, “Please do someday, because I desperately want to watch him explain that one to Sukuna.”
During winter break, Yuuji returned to the Itadori estate. Sukuna summoned him for what he called a ‘strategic progress report.’ Yuuji sat proudly opposite his uncle with his notebook. “I've learned a lot about Fushiguro.”
Sukuna smiled approvingly. “Excellent.” Yuuji opened his notebook.
“He prefers dogs but secretly feeds cats.” Sukuna's smile faltered.
“He hates red peppers, likes ginger, drinks coffee black, reads before sleeping, and gets grumpy if he sleeps less than six hours.” Sukuna stared at him.
Yuuji continued enthusiastically, “He likes mystery novels, hates overly sweet desserts, sleeps on his left side, and gets embarrassed when someone compliments his eyelashes.”
Sukuna slowly asked, “Why do you know which side he sleeps on?”
Yuuji replied, “Reconnaissance.”
Sukuna leaned backward. “Continue.”
“His hands get cold even though he claims they don't.” Yuuji flipped another page. “He likes when I play with Divine Dog, he makes really good pancakes, and if I fall asleep against him, he usually doesn't wake me.”
Sukuna's expression became increasingly disturbed.
Yuuji continued, “His biggest physical weakness is around his ribs.”
Sukuna finally brightened. “Useful.”
“He laughs if you tickle him there.”
Sukuna's smile vanished.
Yuuji proudly closed the notebook. “I've completely infiltrated his defenses.”
Sukuna stared at his nephew for almost thirty seconds. “Has Fushiguro infiltrated yours?”
Yuuji remembered the latest training that he had with Fushiguro… but he scoffed. “Impossible.”
Sukuna considered explaining what was happening. Then he remembered Yuuji had successfully gathered an absurd amount of personal intelligence on Gojo's adopted son.
He placed a hand on Yuuji's shoulder. “Good work.”
Yuuji smiled proudly. “Thanks, Uncle.”
Sukuna later spent twenty minutes wondering why something about the conversation had felt profoundly wrong.
Several months later, Sukuna made the questionable decision to secretly visit Jujutsu Tech after Yuuji casually mentioned an upcoming training evaluation. He told himself he was only there to assess Yuuji's progress, although the fact that he had crossed half the city without telling his nephew suggested a level of concern he would violently deny if questioned. Sukuna remained hidden among the trees overlooking the practice field, keeping his cursed energy suppressed as much as possible. Appearing openly would inevitably attract Gojo, and Sukuna preferred limiting his exposure to that man whenever humanly possible.
The evaluation had apparently ended already, leaving several students scattered around the grounds recovering from training. Sukuna quickly found Yuuji sitting beneath a large tree near the edge of the field, his uniform jacket folded beside him and his hair still damp with sweat. Megumi sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders nearly touched while they quietly talked about something Sukuna couldn't hear. Sukuna narrowed his eyes immediately. He had tolerated their developing friendship because Yuuji repeatedly insisted that maintaining diplomatic relations with the enemy was strategically useful, but something about the distance between them seemed suspiciously undiplomatic.
Megumi reached toward Yuuji's face. Sukuna's cursed energy immediately stirred. Megumi gently wiped something from Yuuji's cheek with his thumb. “You had dirt here.”
Yuuji touched the same spot afterward and smiled without the slightest suspicion. “Thanks.”
Megumi didn't move his hand away. His fingers lingered against Yuuji's cheek before tracing lightly along the edge of his jaw, the gesture slow and unmistakably deliberate. Sukuna's eye twitched.
Yuuji looked confused. “Is there more?”
Megumi stared at him with an expression so openly affectionate that Sukuna experienced a sensation dangerously close to cardiac distress. “No.”
“Then why are you touching me?”
Megumi's thumb brushed once more across his jaw before his hand finally dropped, though his smile remained. “Because I want to.”
Color immediately climbed into Yuuji's cheeks, and he turned his head as though the practice field had suddenly become extremely interesting. “You're trying that distraction thing again.”
Megumi laughed softly. “Something like that.”
Sukuna stared from the trees, attempting to reorganize the situation into something tactically reasonable. Perhaps Fushiguro was genuinely attempting psychological warfare, which Sukuna could respect even if he disapproved of the methodology.
Then Megumi leaned against Yuuji's shoulder. Yuuji stiffened.
Sukuna silently prepared to intervene. After several seconds, Yuuji relaxed and rested his cheek against Megumi's hair. Sukuna's soul briefly left his body.
A voice suddenly appeared beside him. “Beautiful, isn't it?”
Sukuna nearly attacked on instinct before recognizing Gojo standing less than a meter away, sunglasses perched over his eyes while he calmly ate ice cream from a cup.
Sukuna's expression darkened as he forced his hand away from where it had automatically prepared a technique. “How long have you been there?”
Gojo took another spoonful. “Long enough to witness the birth of diplomacy.”
Sukuna pointed accusingly toward the tree where the boys were still sitting together. “Your brat is manipulating my nephew.”
Gojo followed his gesture and found Megumi currently holding Yuuji's hand while Yuuji pretended not to notice how their fingers had become intertwined. “Yes,” Gojo murmured gravely, nodding as though observing an international crisis. “Absolutely terrifying.”
Sukuna's eye twitched. “Tell him to stop.”
Gojo laughed. “Why?”
“Because Yuuji promised not to befriend him.”
Gojo looked toward Megumi, then toward Yuuji, then slowly back at Sukuna. Something delighted began forming behind his sunglasses. “Sukuna.”
“What?” Sukuna snapped, immediately suspicious of his tone.
Gojo pointed toward the boys with his spoon. “I don't think friendship is your biggest problem.”
Sukuna frowned before reluctantly following the direction of the spoon. Megumi had shifted even closer while speaking, their thighs now pressed together, and he was staring at Yuuji like the idiot had personally invented sunlight.
Sukuna's expression slowly changed. “No.”
Gojo's grin became enormous.
“No.”
Gojo finally lost whatever restraint he possessed and started laughing. Sukuna pointed furiously toward them. “Absolutely not.”
Gojo wrapped an arm around Sukuna's shoulders before Sukuna could escape. “We're going to become in-laws.”
Sukuna immediately shoved him away hard enough to send him stumbling several steps through the grass. “Remove those words from existence.”
Gojo recovered without spilling his ice cream, which somehow made the situation even more offensive. “Imagine the wedding.”
“There will be no wedding.” Sukuna's voice became dangerously calm.
Gojo thoughtfully tapped his spoon against his cup. “I'll handle flowers.”
“Gojo.”
Gojo continued as though discussing perfectly reasonable arrangements. “You can give Yuuji away.”
“I will kill you.” Sukuna's cursed energy stirred visibly this time, but Gojo only wiped tears of laughter from beneath his sunglasses. “This is the happiest day of my life.”
Across the field, completely unaware that their guardians were moments away from starting another war, Yuuji suddenly sneezed. Megumi immediately straightened beside him and asked, “Cold?”
Yuuji rubbed his nose and shook his head. “Probably someone talking about me.” From behind the distant tree, Sukuna watched Megumi reach for Yuuji's hand again, and somehow Yuuji allowed it without hesitation.
Sukuna whispered, “Run while you still can, brat.”
Gojo whispered, “Too late.”
By their second year, Yuuji and Megumi had become so inseparable that everyone at Jujutsu Tech had quietly stopped questioning why they were almost always together. They trained as partners whenever assignments allowed it, studied in Megumi’s room because Yuuji claimed his desk was “strategically uncomfortable,” ate breakfast together nearly every morning, and regularly fell asleep in whichever dorm room they happened to be studying in late at night.
Megumi had stopped correcting people whenever they assumed he and Yuuji were best friends, mostly because explaining the strange one-sided enemy narrative was considerably more exhausting.
Yuuji, however, remained fiercely committed to the promise he'd made Sukuna during his first year and insisted that spending nearly every waking hour with Megumi was merely part of his ongoing surveillance.
“I haven't become friends with him,” Yuuji reminded Nobara one afternoon while the three of them ate lunch together. “I've just gotten extremely good at keeping my enemy close.”
Nobara slowly lowered her chopsticks and stared at him across the cafeteria table. “You literally have a key to his room, Itadori, and I know because I watched you unlock his door yesterday without knocking so you could take a nap in his bed.”
Yuuji nodded seriously and replied, “That's operational access, because knowing I can enter enemy territory whenever necessary gives me a strategic advantage.”
Megumi calmly continued eating his noodles beside him, apparently having decided long ago that correcting Yuuji would only deprive him of entertainment.
Nobara pointed toward Megumi and said, “He gave you that key voluntarily, which means your so-called enemy personally authorized your invasion.”
Yuuji frowned before answering, “That's because I've successfully gained his trust, which means my infiltration is progressing exactly according to plan.”
Megumi finally glanced at him and said, “You also keep a toothbrush in my bathroom, but I'm sure that's essential to the mission.”
Yuuji nearly choked on his rice before recovering enough to reply, “Obviously, because sometimes surveillance extends overnight, and proper dental hygiene doesn't stop being important just because I'm conducting reconnaissance.”
Nobara pressed her fingers against her forehead and said, “Fine, then explain why you buy his groceries whenever you go shopping, because last week you came back carrying his coffee, his shampoo, his favorite fish, and those crackers he likes.”
Yuuji answered without hesitation, “Logistics, because if Fushiguro runs out of supplies, he'll waste valuable time shopping when we could be training.”
Megumi took another bite of noodles and quietly added, “He also bought the expensive coffee instead of the regular one because he remembered which brand I prefer.”
Yuuji pointed toward him and replied, “Knowing an enemy's preferences allows you to predict his behavior.”
Nobara stared at him and said, “Apparently your combat strategy involves making sure your enemy has a pleasant breakfast.”
Nobara refused to surrender and leaned forward with renewed determination. “Then how do you explain knowing his entire skincare routine, including which moisturizer he uses in winter because his face gets dry?”
Yuuji looked almost offended by the question and answered, “That's intelligence gathering, because Fushiguro leaves his products sitting openly on the bathroom counter like he has no understanding of information security.”
Megumi raised an eyebrow and replied, “You were the one who reminded me to reorder the moisturizer before I ran out.”
Yuuji nodded and said, “Exactly, because I needed to verify whether you'd purchase the same product again, and you did, which means I correctly identified a behavioral pattern.”
Nobara looked toward Megumi as if expecting assistance and asked, “Do you hear the things he says?”
Megumi's mouth twitched as he answered, “Every day, and I've decided correcting him would be less entertaining.”
Nobara's eyes suddenly dropped toward Yuuji's clothes, and the expression on her face became triumphant. “Fine, explain the hoodie you're wearing right now, because unless I'm hallucinating, that's Fushiguro's.”
Yuuji looked down at the oversized black hoodie and casually replied, “Camouflage, because wearing something associated with the enemy allows me to blend naturally into his environment.”
Megumi turned toward him and asked, “Is that also why you've had it for five months?”
Yuuji tugged defensively at one sleeve and answered, “Long-term camouflage is more convincing than temporary camouflage.”
Megumi added, “You sleep in it too,” and Yuuji immediately protested, “Only because it's comfortable, which I'm sure was intentional because you've clearly designed it to lower my defenses.”
Nobara stared between them and whispered, “I cannot believe Sukuna sent you here worried that Fushiguro would manipulate you, and somehow you've interpreted becoming his domestic partner as successful counterintelligence.”
Megumi finally lost his composure and smiled openly into his bowl, which only made Nobara point at him accusingly.
“And look at him, because he's enjoying every second of this,” she said, while Megumi calmly replied, “Immensely, actually, because I've never had someone court me this thoroughly while insisting we're enemies.”
Yuuji immediately turned toward him and demanded, “Who's courting you?”
Megumi looked directly at him and answered, “Apparently nobody, because the person who cooks breakfast with me, keeps clothes in my room, buys my groceries, sleeps in my bed, and carries my spare key insists he's conducting military surveillance.”
Yuuji narrowed his eyes suspiciously and said, “See, Kugisaki, he's mocking me because he knows we're enemies.”
Nobara stared at him in exhausted disbelief before asking, “What exactly would Fushiguro have to do before you considered the possibility that he might actually like having you around?”
Yuuji considered the question seriously and replied, “That's precisely the kind of assumption he wants me to make, so I'm not falling for it.”
Megumi turned toward Yuuji and noticed a small streak of sauce near the corner of his mouth.
“Hold still,” he murmured, reaching across the table and gently wiping it away with his thumb before Yuuji could ask what he was doing.
Yuuji went completely silent when Megumi's thumb lingered for an unnecessary second against his lower lip, and Megumi's eyes briefly dropped toward Yuuji's mouth before returning to his increasingly red face.
“You had sauce there,” Megumi explained, although the faint smile pulling at his mouth suggested he was perfectly aware of what the extra touch had done.
Yuuji swallowed and managed, “You could've just told me.”
Megumi leaned slightly closer and replied, “I could have, but apparently we're terrible enemies.”
Yuuji's ears became so red that Nobara slowly pushed her lunch away and said, “I'm leaving before Fushiguro kisses you and you classify it as an assassination attempt.”
Yuuji immediately called after her, “That wouldn't happen because I'd recognize an assassination attempt,” which only made Nobara laugh harder as she walked away.
Megumi rested his chin against one hand and asked, “Would you recognize a kiss, though?”
Yuuji turned toward him suspiciously and replied, “Why are you asking me that?”
Megumi smiled with the patient amusement of someone who had already realized he could flirt outrageously without Yuuji understanding any of it.
“No reason, Itadori, because I'm only gathering intelligence,” he said, deliberately borrowing Yuuji's favorite excuse.
Yuuji nodded as though that answer made perfect sense, while Megumi returned to his noodles and quietly wondered how much more obvious he could become before Sukuna's beloved nephew finally realized the enemy had been courting him for almost a year.
By third year, Yuuji had become completely comfortable with the strange relationship he insisted was an elaborate rivalry, right up until another student began showing Megumi the kind of attention Yuuji apparently believed only he was allowed to give him.
Takahashi, a confident second-year from another class, started waiting near the training grounds after Megumi's afternoon sessions and bringing him coffee from the cafe outside campus.
Yuuji noticed immediately that Takahashi was handsome, well-spoken, annoyingly charming, and entirely too interested in whatever Megumi had to say. He also noticed that Megumi accepted the coffee instead of immediately rejecting it, which Yuuji considered a catastrophic lapse in security.
“He's suspicious,” Yuuji announced to Nobara one afternoon as they waited for Megumi in the common room.
Nobara didn't even look up from her phone before asking, “Which part is suspicious, exactly, because so far you've only told me that he buys Fushiguro coffee and talks to him like a normal human being?”
Yuuji crossed his arms and replied, “He smiles too much whenever Fushiguro talks, and yesterday he laughed when Fushiguro made a joke that wasn't even funny.”
Nobara slowly looked up and said, “You smile constantly, Itadori, and I've personally watched you laugh because Fushiguro called Gojo an idiot.”
Yuuji pointed at her as though she'd proven his argument and replied, “Exactly, so I know how dangerous excessive smiling can be when somebody has an agenda.”
Nobara stared at him for several seconds before asking, “And what agenda do you think Takahashi has?”
Yuuji frowned toward the doorway and muttered, “I don't know yet, but I'm gathering intelligence.”
Nobara's eyes narrowed with sudden amusement as she replied, “Interesting, because you sound considerably more jealous than you usually do when discussing enemy activity.”
Before Yuuji could defend himself, Megumi entered the common room carrying a takeaway cup with his name neatly written across the side. Yuuji's eyes immediately locked onto it, and his expression darkened when he recognized the logo from the cafe Takahashi frequented.
“Where did you get that?” he asked, sounding far more accusatory than someone asking about an innocent cup of coffee had any right to sound.
Megumi glanced at the drink and casually replied, “Takahashi brought it after training.”
Yuuji frowned and demanded, “Why would he bring you coffee when you already have coffee here?” Megumi noticed Nobara's delighted expression behind him and decided almost instantly that this situation deserved encouragement.
Megumi took a deliberately slow sip before replying, “Because he wanted to give it to me.”
Yuuji's brows drew together as he asked, “But why does he want to give you things?”
Megumi shrugged and answered, “Maybe he's courting me.”
The effect was immediate enough that Megumi nearly felt guilty, because Yuuji's suspicious frown disappeared and was replaced by genuine alarm.
“C-courting you?” Yuuji repeated, looking at the cup as though Takahashi had handed Megumi a marriage contract rather than an iced coffee.
Megumi concealed his amusement and replied, “Possibly, because he asked whether I was seeing anyone after training yesterday.”
Yuuji stared at the coffee, then at Megumi, and finally back at the coffee as though hoping one of them would provide a less horrifying explanation.
“You can't let him court you!” he blurted, causing Nobara to sit forward with the delighted concentration of someone watching the final episode of a drama she'd followed for three years.
Megumi raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why can't I?”
Yuuji opened his mouth confidently, but no explanation emerged because apparently ‘Megumi belongs to me’ wasn't something his brain was prepared to examine.
“Because... because he's suspicious,” Yuuji finally said, recovering the argument that had served him reliably for several years.
Megumi sighed and replied, “You've called me suspicious since first year, and that somehow hasn't stopped you from spending nearly every night in my room.”
Yuuji immediately defended himself by saying, “That's completely different because I've known you for three years and already identified most of your weaknesses.”
Nobara covered her mouth to hide her laughter while Megumi asked, “And Takahashi hasn't earned enough clearance to buy me coffee?”
Yuuji replied, “Absolutely not, because we don't know what he wants from you...”
Megumi took another sip and said, “I think we have a fairly good idea what he wants from me.”
Yuuji's face tightened in a way Megumi had never seen before, and suddenly the joke felt less funny when Megumi realized Yuuji was genuinely upset. Nobara noticed too and quietly returned her attention to her phone, deciding that whatever happened next probably needed to happen without her assistance.
Yuuji remained strangely irritated for the rest of the afternoon, becoming particularly unbearable when Takahashi appeared near the courtyard and waved at Megumi.
“Why is he waving?” Yuuji muttered as they walked toward the dormitories, and Megumi replied, “Because people occasionally acknowledge each other when they meet.”
Yuuji looked over his shoulder and complained, “He didn't wave at me.?”
Megumi answered, “Well, he's not interested in you.”
Yuuji immediately replied, “Exactly! Which proves his motives aren't friendly.”
Megumi stopped walking. “Are you seriously jealous?”
Yuuji stopped too and looked genuinely offended by the accusation. “W-why would I be jealous of someone who's obviously attempting to infiltrate your personal life?!?”
Megumi stared at him before answering, “Because for the last three years, you've apparently considered infiltrating my personal life your exclusive privilege.”
Yuuji opened his mouth to argue, but Megumi walked away before he could invent another explanation involving reconnaissance.
For the first time, Yuuji spent the evening wondering why the idea of someone else becoming important to Megumi made his chest feel unpleasantly tight.
Megumi found him later that night outside the dormitories, sitting on the steps and pretending to examine messages on his phone.
He stopped in front of Yuuji and asked, “Do you actually dislike Takahashi?”
Yuuji put his phone away and answered immediately, “Yes... Because I don't trust him.”
Megumi folded his arms and asked, “Why?” Yuuji looked frustrated as he replied, “Because he wants something from you, and you barely know him.”
Megumi stepped closer and said, “So do you.”
Yuuji blinked and asked, “W-what am I supposed to want from you?”
Megumi looked almost incredulous as he replied, “My attention, apparently, because you get annoyed whenever I spend too much time with anyone else.”
Yuuji's face warmed as Megumi continued, “You complain when Yuuta and I train together, you interrupt whenever someone talks to me too long, and today you spent twenty minutes glaring at a cup of coffee because another guy bought it for me.”
Yuuji looked away and muttered, “I'm protective because you're terrible at identifying threats.”
Megumi moved another step closer. “You sleep in my bed at least three nights a week.”
Yuuji immediately replied, “Your mattress is better than mine, and we've established this!!”
Megumi continued, “You hold my hand whenever we're walking somewhere crowded.”
Yuuji answered, “Your hands get cold, and you have a terrible habit of wandering away.”
“You bought me gloves.”
Yuuji nodded and replied, “Exactly! Because the cold-hand situation required a long-term solution.”
Megumi's mouth twitched as he added, “You still hold my hand even when I'm wearing them.”
Yuuji opened his mouth before slowly closing it again. Megumi tilted his head and asked, “What's your strategic explanation for that one?”
Yuuji's expression became increasingly desperate. “It's... It's easier not to lose you in crowds.”
Megumi nodded as though taking the excuse seriously and continued, “You kissed my forehead last week when I fell asleep after our mission.”
Yuuji went completely still. “You were tired...” he eventually answered, although even he seemed aware that this explanation made absolutely no sense.
Megumi stepped close enough that Yuuji had to tilt his head slightly to maintain eye contact and asked, “And kissing me somehow helps with fatigue?”
Yuuji swallowed. “It was encouragement!” Megumi stared at him. “I was asleep.”
“Subconscious encouragement.” Megumi finally laughed, dropping his head for a moment because Yuuji's determination to avoid the obvious had become genuinely impressive.
Yuuji frowned and asked, “Why are you laughing when I'm trying to explain myself?”
Megumi looked up again and replied, “Because you've spent three years doing everything a boyfriend does while insisting it's advanced enemy surveillance.”
Yuuji stared at him. “I'm not your boyfriend!”
Megumi replied, “I'm painfully aware."
Yuuji looked strangely offended by the answer and asked, “Why did you say it like that?”
Megumi's expression softened because there it was again, the unmistakable jealousy Yuuji apparently understood everywhere except inside himself. “Because I've been waiting three years for you to figure out what everyone else figured out during first year,” Megumi admitted.
Yuuji frowned in confusion. “Figure out what?”
Megumi sighed and asked, “What exactly do you think we are, Yuuji?” Yuuji's eyes widened slightly because Megumi rarely used his first name when they were having serious conversations.
“W-we're enemies,” he answered automatically. Megumi's expression went completely blank.
Yuuji immediately realized that answer had somehow been incorrect. “Friendly enemies?” he offered. Megumi continued staring.
“Extremely close enemies...?” Yuuji tried again. Megumi's eyebrow twitched.
Yuuji swallowed and finally suggested, “Enemies with complicated boundaries...?” Megumi stared at him for another second before suddenly laughing.
“What's funny?!” Yuuji demanded, genuinely bewildered.
Megumi shook his head and replied, “The fact that Sukuna successfully convinced you not to become my friend, but apparently forgot to warn you about every other possible relationship.”
Yuuji was still trying to understand that statement when Megumi grabbed the front of his uniform and pulled him closer.
“W-what are you doing?” Yuuji asked, but his voice came out much quieter than intended.
Megumi looked directly into his eyes and replied, “I'm... I'm just testing a theory.”
Yuuji's hands automatically settled against Megumi's waist, which only made Megumi's expression soften.
“What theory?” Yuuji whispered, suddenly aware that their faces were only centimeters apart.
Megumi kissed him before answering. It was brief and gentle, just enough pressure for Yuuji to understand unmistakably what was happening, but the moment their mouths touched, Yuuji became completely motionless.
Megumi pulled away after only a few seconds and watched Yuuji stare at him with enormous brown eyes. “That,” Megumi said quietly, “was not enemy behavior.” Yuuji remained frozen with both hands still resting around Megumi's waist.
Megumi waited. Yuuji slowly lifted one hand and touched his own mouth as though checking whether the kiss had actually happened. “You kissed me,” he whispered.
Megumi nodded and replied, “Yes, Yuuji, that's generally what happens when two people's mouths touch like that.”
Yuuji stared at him. “On purpose?”
Megumi's expression flattened immediately. “No, I tripped while standing completely still and somehow landed directly on your mouth.”
Yuuji's eyes widened before Megumi sighed and clarified, “That was sarcasm, and I'm beginning to understand why Nobara looks exhausted whenever she talks to you.”
Understanding finally arrived all at once. Yuuji looked at Megumi, remembered three years of shared breakfasts, intertwined hands, borrowed clothes, late-night conversations, Megumi touching his face, Megumi whispering into his ear during training, and every single moment he'd confidently classified as psychological warfare.
“Wait,” Yuuji breathed, his face becoming steadily redder. Megumi watched realization spread across his expression and almost laughed when Yuuji whispered, “You've been flirting with me?”
“For three years.”
Yuuji looked horrified. “Three years?!”
Megumi nodded. “Very aggressively.”
Yuuji covered his face and groaned, “Oh my God! The bed comment during first year!”
Megumi finally laughed and replied, “That one was particularly obvious.”
Yuuji dropped his hands and stared at him. “The movie!?” Megumi nodded.
“The hoodie?” Another nod.
“The time you told me I looked good shirtless?” Megumi replied, “Yuuji, I genuinely don't know how I could've made that one clearer.”
Yuuji looked suddenly stricken. “Does Sukuna know?” Megumi smiled. “That's what you're worried about?”
“My uncle specifically told me not to get close to you.”
Megumi stepped forward again and said, “Technically, you promised not to become my friend.”
Yuuji stared at him. Megumi's smile became mischievous. “Nobody said anything about becoming my boyfriend.”
Yuuji's face turned scarlet again. “Your boyfriend?”
Megumi's confidence finally faltered slightly as he asked, “Unless you don't want that?”
Yuuji immediately grabbed Megumi by the shoulders. “Do it again.”
Megumi blinked and asked, “Do what again?”
“Kiss me.” Megumi's smile returned.
This time Yuuji didn't wait. He pulled Megumi toward him and kissed him with considerably more enthusiasm than technique, bumping their noses and nearly stepping on Megumi's foot in the process. Megumi laughed against his mouth before wrapping both arms around Yuuji's neck and kissing him properly. Yuuji's hands returned to Megumi's waist, and whatever remained of Sukuna's three-year anti-Zenin conditioning collapsed with remarkable efficiency.
When they finally separated, Yuuji was smiling so widely that Megumi couldn't help smiling back. “So Takahashi can't court you anymore,” Yuuji said, still slightly breathless.
Megumi raised an eyebrow and replied, “Interesting that this is your first concern after realizing you've been in love with your supposed enemy.”
Yuuji tightened his arms around him and admitted, “I've apparently been jealous of people talking to you for three years without knowing what jealousy was, so I deserve some patience.”
Megumi laughed and replied, “Fine, but tomorrow you're telling Nobara.”
Yuuji's smile vanished. “Absolutely not.”
Megumi asked, “Why?”
Yuuji looked genuinely distressed and answered, “Because she'll tell me she was right, and she'll never stop talking about it.”
A window suddenly opened above them. Nobara leaned halfway out of her second-floor room and shouted, “I WAS RIGHT!”
Yuuji looked upward in horror while Megumi immediately started laughing. “HOW LONG WERE YOU LISTENING?” Yuuji demanded, and Nobara replied, “Long enough to witness the historic collapse of the Itadori anti-Fushiguro defense strategy!”
Yuuji buried his burning face against Megumi's shoulder. Megumi wrapped an arm around him and called up, “You can tell everyone tomorrow.”
Nobara shouted back, “I'm texting Gojo right now!!”
Yuuji immediately lifted his head and yelled, “DO NOT TELL SUKUNA!!!” while Megumi laughed so hard he had to lean against him for support.
Somewhere across Tokyo, Sukuna remained blissfully unaware that the nephew he'd ordered never to befriend Megumi Fushiguro had technically kept his promise and found a far more disastrous loophole.
By graduation, Sukuna had stopped pretending the situation could be salvaged. He walked through the Jujutsu Tech grounds wearing ceremonial clan robes and the expression of a man attending the funeral of his own authority.
Beside him, Gojo was practically vibrating with joy. “Beautiful day for clan diplomacy.”
Sukuna replied, “Speak again, and I'll remove your tongue.”
Ahead of them walked the graduating students. Nobara was arguing with Panda about photographs. Maki was trying to organize everyone. Yuuta and Inumaki carried flowers.
And Yuuji was attached to Megumi. Literally.
Yuuji had one arm wrapped around Megumi's waist while Megumi carried both their graduation certificates. Every few steps, Yuuji leaned over and whispered something that made Megumi smile.
Sukuna looked physically ill. “I raised him better than this.”
Gojo adjusted his sunglasses. “You specifically taught him to study Megumi's weaknesses.”
“I meant combat weaknesses.”
“He found those too.”
Sukuna glared at him.
Gojo continued cheerfully, “Ribs, apparently.”
Sukuna stopped walking. “How the hell do you know that?”
Gojo smiled mysteriously. Sukuna's cursed energy surged.
Ahead, Yuuji suddenly turned around. “Uncle!”
Sukuna immediately composed himself. Yuuji waved enthusiastically. “Come take pictures with us!”
Megumi looked toward Sukuna. “Congratulations, Itadori-sama.”
Sukuna grunted.
Yuuji frowned. “Hey! You can call him Megumi.”
“I will not, brat.”
Yuuji leaned against Megumi. “Well, he's basically family now.”
Sukuna stopped breathing. Gojo made a strangled noise beside him while Sukuna slowly looked at Yuuji. “What the hell did you say?”
Yuuji smiled brightly. “I said Megumi is BASICALLY family now.”
Megumi's ears turned red, and Gojo bent forward laughing.
Sukuna pointed toward Yuuji. “You promised me, brat!”
Yuuji blinked. “Promised what?”
“During your first year.” Sukuna's voice became dangerously quiet. “You promised you would never become friends with Fushiguro Megumi.”
Yuuji considered this. Then he brightened. “Oh!”
Sukuna waited. Yuuji smiled proudly. “I actually kept that promise.”
Everyone became silent. Sukuna looked toward Yuuji's arm around Megumi's waist. Then toward Megumi holding Yuuji's hand. Then toward the matching rings hanging from chains around both their necks.
Sukuna's eye twitched.
Yuuji continued, “Megumi isn't my friend.”
Megumi covered his face as he anticipated the next line that Yuuji would say: “He is my boyfriend!”
Gojo collapsed onto the grass, laughing. Sukuna stared at his nephew.
Yuuji smiled. “Technically, I did follow your instructions.”
Sukuna slowly turned toward Gojo. Gojo was crying.
“I told you!!!” Gojo wheezed. “I told you we'd become in-laws!”
“We are not fucking in-laws.”
“Give it time, Sukuna!”
“There will be no marriage.”
Yuuji glanced toward Megumi. Megumi glanced toward Yuuji. Both became suspiciously quiet.
Sukuna noticed. “No...”
Yuuji smiled nervously. Sukuna shouted, “NO!"
Megumi looked away. Sukuna pointed between them. “Whatever you're thinking, you better STOP.”
Gojo stood and wiped his eyes. “Should we discuss venues?”
“GOJO!!”
Yuuji burst out laughing and tightened his arm around Megumi. Megumi finally laughed too.
Sukuna stared at them with the exhausted expression of a clan leader who had spent four years preparing his heir to resist enemy infiltration, only to discover that his heir had responded by learning the enemy's favorite food, stealing his clothes, memorizing his sleeping habits, falling hopelessly in love with him, and somehow considering the entire operation successful.
Beside him, Gojo leaned closer and whispered, “Look on the bright side, because our grandchildren would have incredible cursed techniques.”
Sukuna's face went completely blank as Yuuji shouted, “Uncle, why did your cursed energy suddenly spike?”
Gojo immediately ran across the courtyard laughing, and Sukuna chased him while promising several inventive forms of murder.
Ahead of them, Yuuji kissed Megumi's cheek and proudly decided that after four years of careful observation, he had finally neutralized his greatest enemy.