The silence was deafening.

The air was heavy, and the weight of his words settled on Megumi's shoulders like a physical presence.

"No," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "That's not... It's not possible..."

He felt the bile rising in his throat, and the nausea washed over him in waves. The jet-black hair, the cruel, sharp features, the muscular build. He had recognized them, had seen the similarities, and yet...

It can't be.

He took a deep breath, and swallowed hard.

"You're sure?"

Nanami's face was grim, and he nodded slowly.

"Yes. I've never actually met him, so I didn't recognize him at first, but I've seen his picture, and more importantly, heard the stories about his strength. It's unmistakable."

Megumi's eyes went to the body, lying lifeless on the ground, the hilt of the knife protruding from his skull.

His father.

His father.

"Were there stories about him?" Megumi asked, his voice hoarse.

Nanami looked like he was trying to choose his words carefully. "There were many stories, most of them about his prowess as a fighter."

Megumi raised an eyebrow at the vague answer, and Nanami sighed.

"Look, Fushiguro-kun, this is not my place to tell you."

Megumi bit his lip. "But... there was something. Wasn't there?"

"There was," Nanami conceded, his expression guarded. "You should talk to Gojo about it."

"Gojo-sensei?"

"He knows the story, and I'm sure he would tell you."

Megumi clenched his jaw, and nodded. "Okay. Okay, I'll talk to him."

"We need to get back to the school," Nanami said, looking down at Ino. "He needs medical attention. While you were fighting, I managed to stabilize him, but he needs to be taken care of properly."

"Right, of course," Megumi agreed, his thoughts racing.

"I'll report in," Nanami said, taking out his phone.

They headed to the car that was waiting for them, the tension palpable.

What did Gojo know? What had he not told him? Megumi always assumed his father was a good-for-nothing, deadbeat loser, who sold him to the Zen'in clan in exchange for a large sum of money. But, he never really had any interest in finding out anything about him. After all, the man had abandoned him and Tsumiki, and there was no reason to care about him.

Well, he supposed, it was still strange to find out that the man you just fought was your father, even if you never had any desire to know him.

Of course, Megumi knew that it wasn't his father's real body, but still...

"Are you okay, Fushiguro-kun?" Nanami asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Megumi replied, not meeting his gaze.

"If you want to talk, I'm here."

"I know."

"And, Gojo, too," Nanami added. "He's a pain in the ass, but he cares about you."

Megumi didn't answer, and the rest of the ride passed in silence.

When they reached the school, they took Ino to the infirmary, and Nanami went to report to Yaga. Apart from Ino, there were a couple of other sorcerers who had been injured, but no one was seriously hurt.

Most of the teams were yet to return, though.

Megumi sent Yuji a quick text to let him know they were back, but he didn't get a reply.

Gojo was nowhere to be seen either.

Megumi tried to focus on getting his breathing under control, but his mind was racing.

He should probably have been relieved that they had managed to complete their mission, but instead, all he felt was a strange sense of foreboding.

A sense that, despite their victory, there was still much worse to come.

-

Feeling powerless was something Gojo hated more than anything.

Seeing the look of fear and panic in Yuji's eyes, his heart breaking into a thousand pieces, had made him want to tear the world apart with his bare hands.

He was staring at the boy, curled up on the floor, his body wracked with sobs, and the anguish was overwhelming.

He had failed him.

Again.

He had sworn he would protect him, had sworn he would never let him suffer again, and yet, he was broken, lying there, crying.

After killing Kenjaku, he went and made sure that Maki and Todo were okay, and that they would be able to make their way back to the school safely. They were exhausted but alive, and that was the most important thing.

By the time he returned to him, Yuji was asleep, the exhaustion finally taking its toll. His cheeks were stained with tears, and his eyes were red and puffy. Gojo laid him down gently on the grass, and placed his jacket over him, hoping the gesture would bring him some comfort. He would take him back to the school in a minute, but he needed a moment to himself.

He retrieved Suguru's body - or, what was left of it - and sat down next to him.

The rage was gone now, and the grief was settling in, the ache in his chest threatening to consume him.

"Suguru..."

His voice broke, and he had to take a few deep breaths before continuing.

"I know you're not in there anymore," he began, his eyes welling up with tears. "But I needed to say this. Since I didn't have a chance before."

The tears fell, and he wiped them away angrily.

"I'm sorry, Suguru," he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. "How many times will I be forced to lose you? Will you never stop haunting me?"

He closed his eyes, his memories flashing through his mind.

The good, the bad, and the devastating.

"I loved you, Suguru," he continued, the words spilling out of him. "I loved you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything. You were the first person who understood me, the first person who believed in me. You were the only one who could challenge me, and keep me on my toes. You were the first person who saw me as Satoru, and not just the strongest. You were the first person who made me feel human."

The memories were painful, but they were also precious, and he clung to them, holding them close.

"But even when I stood there in front of you, hearing you take your last breath, feeling the life drain out of you, even then, I refused to admit to being weak."

His voice was laced with bitterness, the pain and anger he had kept bottled up inside for so long, finally coming to the surface.

"I thought that by not admitting to it, by not letting myself break down, by pretending that I didn't care, that I could somehow convince myself that it wasn't true. I told myself that it didn't matter, that we were on opposite sides, that it was inevitable."

He let out a humorless laugh, his heart heavy with regret.

"You know, if it weren't for Yuji and Megumi, I probably would have kept this up forever. This lie that I was telling myself, that I was okay, that I was fine, that I didn't miss you, that I didn't care."

He paused, gathering his thoughts, the words tumbling out of him.

"Yuji reminds me of you sometimes, in a weird way. The way he wants to save everyone. You used to want to save everyone, too. You wanted to create a world where the weak could live without fear. It's funny how you ended up becoming the very thing you despised, the very thing you were trying to protect people from. And yet, you were right, in a way. People are weak, and they do need protection."

He ran his hand through his hair, sighing heavily.

"You would have liked Megumi, I think. He's a good kid, and he has a strong sense of justice. And he's got a mouth on him, too. You would have gotten a kick out of that. You always did enjoy riling me up."

A faint smile ghosted over his lips.

"And I guess he's the kind of person I never was. The one who actually manages to save people. You should see him, Suguru. He's amazing. He's grown so much, and I'm so proud of him. I guess seeing him allow himself to feel and grow made me realize how much I had shut myself off. How much I had locked my own feelings away."

His eyes fell to the ground, and his heart ached.

"And I never got to tell you, Suguru. I never got to tell you how sorry I was, and how much I missed you. How much I wish we had more time. How much I wish I could go back, and do it all differently. How much I wish you were here."

The tears were streaming down his face, and he could barely choke the words out.

"I'm a pathetic mess, aren't I? Talking to a corpse. Crying for the first time since I was a kid. Maybe I'm going soft."

He laughed, the sound hollow and empty.

"I failed you and now I failed them, too. I've been doing that a lot lately, haven't I? Failing people."

He looked at the boy sleeping next to him, his face stained with tears, and the pain and guilt threatened to swallow him whole.

"I don't know how to save them, Suguru. I don't know how to protect them. I don't know how to do anything right anymore. I can't keep letting them down. I can't keep letting everyone down. I'm supposed to be the strongest. So why can't I stop this? Why can't I stop any of this?"

The weight of everything was bearing down on him, and the exhaustion was overwhelming. He leaned against the tree behind him, closing his eyes, his head pounding.

"I wish you were here," he whispered. "I could really use your help right now."

He was exhausted. He was tired. And for the first time, he wasn't sure he had the strength to carry on.

-

As the hours passed, Megumi was getting increasingly anxious.

Yuji still hadn't replied to his text, and Gojo was still nowhere to be found. He wondered if something had happened. If Yuji had been injured, and that was why Gojo was taking so long.

Upon returning to Jujutsu High and getting his injuries treated, Megumi was adamant on going back out there and helping other sorcerers, but Yaga forbade him from doing so, telling him that he needed to rest and recover. Shoko threatened to put him in the infirmary, if he didn't cooperate.

Eventually, he relented, knowing that there was nothing else he could do.

He went to his room and flopped down onto his bed, closing his eyes. He tried to relax, but the events of the day kept replaying in his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling of dread.

Something wasn't right.

He opened his eyes and checked his phone, hoping to see a reply from Yuji, but there was nothing.

He tried to push his worries aside, telling himself that everything was fine, but he couldn't quite convince himself.

He had learned to trust his instincts, and right now, they were screaming at him.

Just as he was about to get up and head back to the main building, there was a knock on his door.

"Megumi? Can I come in?"

It was Gojo.

Gojo never knocked, and his voice sounded different, a little subdued, which was unlike him.

"Come in," Megumi called, sitting up.

The door opened, and Gojo walked in, his usual air of cockiness missing. He was wearing his sunglasses instead of the blindfold, but Megumi noticed that his eyes looked red and swollen.

But that was impossible because Gojo didn't cry.

A wave of ice washed over him, and he felt the panic rising.

"Where's Yuji?"

He knew his voice was trembling, but he couldn't help it.

Gojo's expression was pained, and his voice was gentle, almost pleading. "Megumi..."

"Where's Yuji?!" he repeated, the panic rising, the desperation threatening to consume him.

"He's alive, Megumi. He's alive," Gojo said quickly, his tone soothing.

The relief was immediate, but it was short-lived.

"What happened?"

Gojo let out a deep sigh. "Kenjaku attacked them. Yuji got hurt. I managed to defeat him, but... there's something else."

"Something else? What do you mean?"

"It's... I..." Gojo trailed off, struggling to find the words.

"Just tell me, Gojo-sensei," Megumi said, his voice firm.

"By the time I got there, Kenjaku had fed twelve of Sukuna's fingers to Yuji."

Megumi's blood ran cold. "Twelve?"

"Twelve," Gojo confirmed, his voice heavy with resignation.

"So, he has... he's..." Megumi trailed off, the horror dawning on him.

"Yeah. Sukuna had taken over his body and tried to fight me. But Yuji was so strong. He managed to suppress him."

"He did? Really?" Megumi asked, hope rising in his chest.

"Yes, but..."

Gojo trailed off, and Megumi could tell there was something he wasn't saying.

"But what, Gojo-sensei?"

"Yuji has consumed 15 fingers now," Gojo said quietly, his voice strained.

"15..." Megumi's mind reeled, and the horror settled in. "Is... is that how many he had consumed when...?"

"Yes."

There was a ringing in his ears, and he could barely breathe.

"Megumi... You can't be near Yuji right now," Gojo said gently.

"No! I have to be there! He needs me!" Megumi cried, the panic and desperation rising in his chest.

Gojo shook his head. "He wouldn't let you."

"No, no, no, you don't understand. I need to be there. He's my boyfriend. He needs me. I have to—"

Gojo interrupted him, his voice firm. "Yuji needs you to stay away, Megumi. For your own safety."

Megumi's eyes snapped up to Gojo's. He felt the anger welling up inside him, hot and fierce.

"Fuck you. Fuck you, Gojo-sensei."

"Megumi..."

"You were supposed to protect him!" Megumi screamed, his voice raw with emotion. "You were supposed to save him!"

Gojo looked stricken, but Megumi couldn't bring himself to care. He felt the anger and frustration bubbling up inside him, the pain and betrayal threatening to overwhelm him.

"I'm sorry, Megumi," Gojo said, his voice thick with remorse.

"Sorry? Sorry?! You're sorry?! That's all you have to say?!"

Megumi was shaking with anger, his fists clenched tightly.

"Yes, Megumi, I'm sorry. I failed you. I failed Yuji. I failed everyone."

Gojo's voice was laced with regret and guilt, but it did nothing to lessen the rage burning in Megumi's chest. He wanted to lash out, to hurt Gojo as much as he was hurting.

"Fuck you," Megumi spat. "You're not sorry. You don't care about anyone but yourself."

Gojo flinched, but didn't say anything.

"I hate you. I hate you," Megumi choked out, his voice breaking.

He was overwhelmed with pain and fury. He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest, and the agony was unbearable.

The tears streamed down his face, and he couldn't stop the sobs that wracked his body. He was shaking, and his knees buckled beneath him, sending him to the ground.

He buried his face in his hands, his body trembling, the anguish washing over him.

The sorrow was too much. The pain was too much. He felt like his heart was shattering into a million pieces, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He felt a pair of arms wrap around him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

He wanted to push him away, to lash out, to yell and scream, but the words wouldn't come.

"I'm sorry, Megumi," Gojo said softly, his voice cracking. "I'm so, so sorry."

Megumi clung to him, the tears streaming down his face.

"I know," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I know."

Gojo held him tighter, his arms wrapping around him like a vice.

"I'll make this right," Gojo vowed, his voice low and fierce. "I promise."

Megumi clung to him, the words spilling out of him. "Please. Please. I can't lose him."

"I know," Gojo said softly. "I know."

They stayed like that for a while, the silence between them thick and heavy.

Gojo's hand came up to run his fingers through Megumi's hair. It was a closeness that never existed between them before, and the gesture was so unexpected and yet so familiar, it made Megumi's chest ache.

"I love him," Megumi whispered, his voice hoarse and broken.

"I know," Gojo said gently.

Megumi's grip tightened, and he buried his face in Gojo's chest, the sobs coming in waves. He didn't even notice when Gojo's own tears began to fall, his hand continuing to run through his hair, the motion soothing and familiar.

"I will fix this," Gojo promised. "I will make it right."

And despite everything, Megumi believed him.

-

When he woke up, Yuji felt numb.

He was expecting himself to crumble, to break down, to shatter. But instead, he felt hollow, like there was a gaping hole inside him, eating him from the inside out.

It was a strange kind of numbness, like he was detached from his own body. He was in the infirmary, he noted distantly. Gojo must have brought him here.

He turned his head and saw Yuta and Maki sitting beside him, talking in hushed tones.

"Hey," Yuta said gently, giving him a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," Yuji replied automatically, the words falling out of his mouth before he could even register what he was saying.

Maki gave him a skeptical look. "Are you sure? Because you don't look okay."

Yuji stared at her, the words sinking in. He didn't feel anything. Nothing at all.

"I'm okay," he said again, his voice flat.

Yuta and Maki exchanged worried looks.

"I'm glad you're okay, Maki-senpai. I'm glad you're both okay," Yuji continued, his voice distant and emotionless.

"Yeah, we're fine. We're a little beat up, but we're okay," Maki said, her tone gentle.

"That's good," Yuji said, his voice hollow.

He was silent for a moment, his gaze distant.

"Yuji, you really don't look so good," Yuta said, his concern evident.

"I'm okay," Yuji replied, his tone unwavering. "Where's Gojo-sensei?"

"Uh, he went to talk to Fushiguro," Yuta said hesitantly.

"Fushiguro," Yuji said, the word rolling off his tongue.

His emotions were muted, like they were trapped behind a wall, and the realization made him feel even more numb.

"Is Fushiguro okay?"

"Yes, he's fine. He was a little banged up, but Ieriri-san took care of him," Maki replied.

"That's good," Yuji said, the words mechanical.

He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. They were pale, his knuckles white.

"Yuji..." Maki began, her voice cautious.

"Okkotsu-senpai, did Gojo-sensei make you promise to watch me?"

Yuta looked taken aback. "Yes, he did. How did you—"

"I figured," Yuji said, his tone impassive.

Maki and Yuta exchanged another look, the worry written plainly on their faces.

"I guess you're the only one besides him that could kill me if I go berserk," Yuji continued, his voice monotone.

Yuta's eyes widened. "No, that's not—"

"It's okay," Yuji cut him off. "I understand."

Yuji was silent, his gaze fixed on the wall. He could feel Maki and Yuta's eyes on him, but he couldn't bring himself to meet their gazes.

The numbness was spreading, the emptiness consuming him. He could hear Maki and Yuta whispering, but he couldn't make out the words. He didn't care.

He was drowning, and the emptiness was pulling him under.

-

By the end of the day, all the teams had reported back, and the situation had been contained.

Miraculously, the death toll was low, with only a handful of casualties, all civilians. The damage was extensive, but it could have been worse. Much worse.

Everyone was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and the mood was somber. There was a silent agreement to not discuss the events of the day, and everyone went their separate ways.

Nanami was laying in his bed, in the room he used whenever he was at Jujutsu High, but he couldn't sleep. His thoughts were racing, his emotions a jumbled mess. He kept replaying the events of the day, trying to figure out what he could have done differently, what he could have done better.

He thought about Yuji, his heart clenching. The poor kid had already been through so much, and now this. He knew Yuji was strong, stronger than anyone he'd ever met, but he couldn't help but worry.

As he was mulling over everything, the door to his room opened, and Gojo walked in.

Nanami raised an eyebrow. "Do you always let yourself into people's rooms without knocking?"

Gojo shrugged. "I've never been much for formalities."

"Clearly," Nanami said, his tone dry.

"Can I sit?" Gojo asked, gesturing to the empty space next to Nanami on the bed.

"You're going to anyway, so I suppose there's no point in saying no."

"Smart man," Gojo said, his lips quirking into a faint smile.

"What is it, Gojo?"

Gojo let out a sigh, and Nanami was surprised by the exhaustion and defeat in his expression.

"Have you ever fucked up so badly that you don't know how to fix it?"

The question caught Nanami off guard. He hadn't expected Gojo to be so direct, especially when it came to admitting he was wrong.

"Is this about today?" Nanami asked, his tone careful.

"Yeah," Gojo said, his voice quiet. "Everything just went wrong. I was late. I didn't protect them. I... I didn't do my job."

Nanami's eyes widened. Why was it that lately, all his conversations with Gojo were turning out to be so personal?

"Why are you telling me this?" Nanami asked, his surprise obvious.

Gojo let out a humorless laugh. "Honestly? I have no fucking clue."

"I see."

Gojo fell silent, his expression uncharacteristically serious.

"I killed him. Kenjaku. I killed him," Gojo said quietly, his voice heavy with emotion.

"I know."

"I felt so much rage, Nanami. I've never felt like that before."

"Gojo..."

"I wanted to hurt him, Nanami. I wanted to make him suffer. I've never wanted to hurt anyone like that before."

Nanami was shocked by the raw emotion in Gojo's voice. It was a far cry from his usual carefree attitude.

"It was his face, you know? I was killing the face of the person I used to love. For the second fucking time," Gojo continued, his voice tinged with bitterness.

"I can't imagine how hard that must have been," Nanami said, his tone genuine.

Gojo let out a dry chuckle. "You can't, and that's fine. I'm not asking for sympathy. I just... I don't know. I just needed to tell someone."

Nanami nodded. "I understand."

"Are we friends, Nanami?"

The question caught Nanami off guard. He had always viewed Gojo as a colleague, a fellow sorcerer, and occasionally an annoyance, but not a friend.

"I'm not sure," Nanami replied honestly. "But I think you could use a friend right now."

Gojo's lips quirked into a small smile. "Yeah, I think you're right."

They sat in silence for a few moments, neither of them quite knowing what to say.

"I talked to Megumi earlier," Gojo said, breaking the silence.

"And how did that go?" Nanami asked, his tone careful.

"Not well," Gojo said, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "He was... angry. Rightfully so."

"I'm sure he's just worried about Yuji."

Gojo nodded. "Yeah, I know. He was devastated, Nanami. I've never seen him like that before."

"That's understandable," Nanami said, his tone gentle.

"You know, when we first met, he was a little shit. Way too smart for a preschooler, but a little shit nonetheless. I could never figure him out. He was just so cold and aloof. But he grew on me."

"He's a good kid," Nanami agreed.

"He's a lot like me, you know?" Gojo said, his voice soft. "He has the same determination, the same stubbornness. The same wall he puts up to keep everyone else out. The same fear of getting close to people. Of losing them."

Nanami remained silent, sensing that Gojo needed to get something off his chest.

"Can you imagine being seventeen and meeting this scowling little kid, who hates the world, and deciding to protect him? To train him? And then watching him grow up, seeing him become the person he is today, a strong and capable sorcerer, and thinking that maybe, just maybe, you had a hand in that?"

"You sound like a proud father," Nanami said, a small smile playing on his lips.

"I guess I am, in a way," Gojo said, a sad smile playing on his lips. "I never had any intention of getting close to him. I told myself that I would train him, teach him how to control his technique, and keep him away from the Zen'in clan. I guess it was my way of making amends for killing his father and all."

That reminded Nanami of what happened earlier, during the fight.

"Gojo, did Fushiguro-kun mention his father at all?"

Gojo shook his head. "No, why?"

Nanami didn't know what to say. Of course Megumi would be too distraught to bring it up.

"Nanami, what is it?"

Nanami let out a sigh. "One of the curse users we fought had a seance technique. She summoned a vessel for her grandson's consciousness, but the vessel overpowered his soul and went rogue on us."

Gojo's eyes widened.

"He was faster than anyone I've seen. His strength was superhuman. And..." Nanami paused, bracing himself for Gojo's reaction. "He had no cursed energy at all."

Gojo's jaw clenched. "What are you saying, Nanami?"

Nanami took a deep breath. "I think the man we fought was Fushiguro Toji."

"Impossible," Gojo said, shaking his head. "Toji is dead. I killed him."

"Well, it wasn't really him, not really. He was like a mindless killing machine. But for a moment..." Nanami trailed off, remembering the look in Toji's eyes. "He recognised him."

"Megumi?" Gojo asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Nanami nodded. "He asked for his name. When he said his name was Fushiguro, he smiled, and then he- he stabbed himself."

Gojo's eyes widened. "He killed himself?"

"He seemed to regain consciousness only for a moment. I guess when he realized he was fighting his own son, he did the only thing he could. He sacrificed himself."

"Fuck," Gojo muttered, burying his face in his hands. "Fucking fuck."

"I thought you should know," Nanami said, his tone gentle. "It might help you to talk to him about it."

Gojo was silent for a moment, processing the information.

"Does he know?"

Nanami scratched his neck.

"Well, he knows it was Toji. I told him that. But he seemed surprised about how strong he was. I told him to talk to you about it."

"Damn," Gojo said, running a hand through his hair. "I never planned for going so long without telling him about his father."

"I think it will help him to hear it from you," Nanami said, his tone careful.

Gojo nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. Not now, though. He's too emotional right now. It will just hurt him more."

"I think that's for the best," Nanami agreed.

Gojo sighed. "This whole day has been one clusterfuck after another. I just- fuck."

"I know. Want a drink?" Nanami asked, reaching for the bottle of whisky he kept on his bedside table.

"I don't drink," Gojo replied automatically.

Nanami arched an eyebrow. "That's not what I asked."

Gojo's lips quirked into a small smile, the tension easing slightly.

"You know, I could really use a drink."

Nanami nodded and poured them both a generous amount.

They sat in silence, sipping their drinks. It was a comfortable silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

"It's strange," Gojo said, breaking the silence.

"What is?" Nanami asked.

"We're sitting here, drinking, and I feel like I can actually relax."

"Isn't that the point of drinking?" Nanami asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"Sure, but it's never really worked for me before," Gojo replied, his tone thoughtful.

"Maybe it's because you have a friend."

Gojo looked at him, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Maybe you're right."

-

Nobara was still in the infirmary when Maki told her about what happened.

She was feeling overall good about her mission - she was paired with Kusakabe and Mai, and despite her differences with Maki's twin, she had to admit they made a pretty good team.

They ended up exorcising several first-grade curses besides the special-grade one, and while they were successful, the special-grade curse proved to be a lot stronger than they had anticipated. They managed to subdue it, but not without sustaining some injuries.

Nobara managed to heal a particularly nasty wound on her leg with a reverse cursed technique, and even though it was a bit sloppy, it did the job. She was exhausted and sore, but otherwise, she was okay.

But when she saw the expression on Maki's face, she knew something had happened.

"Maki-san, what is it?" Nobara asked, her voice laced with worry.

"There was an incident," Maki said, her tone strained. "During out mission."

"What kind of an incident?"

"Kenjaku found us."

"Oh my god," Nobara said, her eyes wide. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Maki said, reassuring her. "It's Yuji. He- he fed him twelve of Sukuna's fingers."

Nobara felt her blood run cold.

"What? What do you mean? Is he- is he okay?"

Maki shook her head. "He's not hurt, physically, but he's... he's different."

"How so?" Nobara asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"He's shut himself off, emotionally. It's like he's... numb. He doesn't care about anything. It's like there's no spark, no life, left in him."

"Where is he?" Nobara asked, her worry growing with every passing second.

"He's here in the infirmary, in the other room. Yuta's with him."

"What about Fushiguro?"

Maki let out a heavy sigh. "Gojo-sensei said he's not allowed to be near Yuji, but I don't know why. I think there's more to the story."

"Can I go talk to Itadori?" Nobara asked, desperate to see her friend.

Maki nodded. "Of course."

Nobara thanked her and they made their way to the other room. She hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.

"Come in."

She opened the door and the two of them stepped inside. She saw Yuta first, sitting on a chair by the bed, his expression concerned.

Her eyes drifted to the figure laying on the bed, and her heart clenched. Yuji looked terrible, his skin pale and his eyes vacant.

"Itadori," Nobara said softly, not wanting to startle him.

"Kugisaki, hi," Yuji said, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"How are you feeling?" Nobara asked, moving to sit on the bed next to him.

"I'm fine," he said, his tone flat.

"It's okay, you know, to not be fine," Nobara said, her tone gentle.

Yuji shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

Nobara could feel tears stinging her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had to be strong for him.

"Itadori, please talk to me," she pleaded. "Why are you not allowed to see Fushiguro? I thought you would want to be with him right now."

"I do," Yuji replied, his voice barely a whisper. "But I can never see him again."

Nobara's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"He can never see me again. He's never allowed to be near me."

"Why not? You're not making any sense."

Yuji let out a humorless laugh. "No, I'm making perfect sense. It's a funny story, really. About how Sukuna will take over his body the very first chance he gets."

"What?" Nobara breathed, unable to comprehend what Yuji was saying.

Yuta and Maki remained silent, clearly just as shocked.

"Apparently, that's the only way he can regain his full power," Yuji explained, his tone lifeless. "And the best part? Not even Gojo-sensei can stop him. So yeah, there's no point in pretending that we have a future together. That's over. I'm alone."

Nobara could feel her heart breaking for him. She had never seen him so defeated, so hopeless.

She didn't understand anything Yuji had said. How could Sukuna take over Fushiguro's body? But she didn't care. She didn't need to understand it, she just needed to be there for him.

"You're not alone, Itadori," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "We're all here for you. We'll get through this, I promise."

Yuji's eyes were dull and empty as he looked at her.

"There's nothing to get through, Kugisaki. This is it. This is my life now."

-

For the next three days, Megumi didn't leave the dorms.

He stayed in his room, barely eating or sleeping, only coming out when necessary. He ignored the worried looks his friends gave him, too lost in his own despair to care.

Yuji wasn't replying to his texts. Megumi had sent him dozens, but he hadn't received a single reply. He tried calling him, but his calls went straight to voicemail.

He found it fucking ridiculous - the way he was just at the other side of campus, yet Megumi was unable to reach him. He was tempted to break down his door and force him to talk, but he knew that wouldn't end well.

So he just laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his heart aching with every beat.

On the third day, Gojo came by his room.

Megumi didn't say anything when he entered, simply glancing at him before turning his attention back to the ceiling.

To be honest, he was expecting a pep talk. He'd gotten plenty of those over the last few days, mostly from Nobara, who refused to give up on him, despite his attempts at pushing her away. But the second-year students had also tried, in their own way. Maki offered to spar with him, while Inumaki had brought him a few new manga to read. Even Panda had visited him, offering to play video games together, but Megumi politely declined.

He knew they meant well, but the last thing he wanted was for anyone to try and cheer him up. He was perfectly fine being miserable and wallowing in his self-pity.

But Gojo didn't offer any words of encouragement. Instead, he walked over to the desk, took a notebook out of his jacket pocket and set it down. Megumi recognized it as the notebook Yuji used to write down the details of his previous timeline.

"Megumi, do you remember a mission I took you on when you were younger? You were probably around 5 or 6," Gojo asked, his tone light. "We defeated a cursed spirit that held some children hostage. There was a girl around your age. She escaped by following Shiro, and we left her at a bus station for the police to find her. She was looking at you the whole time we were there."

Megumi vaguely remembered the mission, and he did recall the girl. It was one of the first missions he'd been on. He nodded slowly.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Gojo opened Yuji's notebook and flipped through it until he found the page he was looking for.

"Her name is Kurusu Hana. She was a player in the Culling Games," he continued, pointing to the name written in the notebook. "A Heian-era sorcerer named Angel incarnated in her body, but, unlike other ancient sorcerers, she didn't kill the host when she awakened. She was able to coexist with the original soul, resulting in a situation similar to Yuji and Sukuna."

"I don't understand what you're getting at," Megumi said, his tone impatient.

Gojo closed the notebook and turned to look at him.

"According to Yuji's notes, Angel had a technique called Jacob's Ladder. It was able to nullify any cursed technique, by extinguishing cursed energy."

Megumi frowned, still not seeing where Gojo was going with this.

"Again, why are you telling me this?"

Gojo sat down on the bed next to him.

"They used her technique to unseal me from the Prison Realm," he continued. "But, she was crucial for another plan, one that was ultimately unsuccessful."

"What are you talking about?"

"When Sukuna took over your body, there was a plan to exorcise him using Yuta's copy of Angel's technique. If the connection between your soul and Sukuna's was weak enough, they could eradicate Sukuna from your body and exorcise him in the process."

Megumi's eyes widened.

"You're telling me there's a way to save him?" he asked, his voice shaking with hope.

"Yes, that's precisely what I'm saying. The only reason it didn't work on you in Yuji's old timeline was because you lost your will to live and didn't cooperate. I suppose Yuji told you about that?"

Megumi nodded.

"But Yuji is in control right now, so the connection between him and Sukuna is weak to begin with. The technique has the biggest chance of working on him. It's his best chance."

Megumi could hardly believe what he was hearing. There was a way to save Yuji.

"Okay, so what are we waiting for? Let's go do it!"

Gojo held up his hand. "Not so fast. It's not that simple."

"What do you mean? What else is there to it?"

"Well, first of all, we don't know where Hana is. Judging by Tsumiki's case, if she was selected as vessel by Kenjaku, she could well be in a coma," Gojo explained. "Second, since the Culling Games were never launched, Angel wasn't incarnated. Even if we would find Hana, we would need to to ask Yuta to use Idle Transfiguration on her, to awaken Angel in her body. Which, morally speaking, is a bit tricky, since we're basically forcing someone to become a vessel."

Megumi took a moment to digest all the information.

"So, let's say we can find her. If she's in a coma, we'd basically be saving her life, right?"

Gojo sighed.

"You can't always see the world in black and white, Megumi. Just because we'd be saving her doesn't mean we have the right to do so. But yeah, let's assume we could make that work."

"What if she's not in a coma?" Megumi asked.

"Now that's where it gets complicated. We'd need her to agree to sharing her body with an ancient sorcerer, which is a lot to ask."

"We could pay her," Megumi suggested. "Money is no problem, right?"

Gojo raised an eyebrow.

"Are you suggesting we'd bribe her?"

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but if it can save him..." Megumi trailed off.

"We're not doing that, Megumi."

"Then what are we gonna do? Did you come here just to tell me there's a chance to save him, only to shoot me down?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm trying to make you see the bigger picture. There is a chance that we can do this, but I need you to be prepared for the possibility that it won't work."

Megumi felt frustration boiling up inside him.

"Are you seriously trying to discourage me?" he snapped.

Gojo sighed, clearly exasperated.

"No, I'm trying to protect you from getting your hopes up and then having them crushed. Look, I know you're upset. But getting angry and lashing out won't help. If you want to help Yuji, you have to stay calm and collected."

"Okay, I'll stay calm. I promise," Megumi said, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "How are we going to find her? Do you have any ideas?"

"I'm already on it," Gojo said, giving him a reassuring smile. "Leave it to me."

"Thanks," Megumi said, his tone sincere. "And, um, sorry. For lashing out."

Gojo waved his hand dismissively.

"It's fine. Part of parenting, I suppose," he said, chuckling.

Megumi felt his cheeks heat up.

"What do you mean, parenting?"

"I mean, as a parent, you have to deal with your child's mood swings. That's what it's like with you and the rest of the first-years.

A/N: Uh-oh, sorry to leave it on such a sad note. The angst is real!

I think exploring the repercussions of Yuji's situation will be very interesting to explore in the coming chapters. Yuji is obviously very affected by the loss of his future with Megumi, and Megumi is obviously not faring much better.

But hopefully Gojo can keep his promise and make sure they see each other again soon.

Also, I couldn't resist a bit of SatoSugu angst - Gojo needed closure and a chance to say goodbye, so I wanted to give that to him. It was sad, but hopefully it gave some sense of resolution.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for all your wonderful feedback so far!

PS: Lol I don't have a lot of irl friends who are into JJK, and I really really wanna show someone my new (3rd) JJK tattoo, and i'm literally sooo happy, so I'm gonna spam it here: https://www.tumblr.com/jujutsushiboat/755620130090844160/