Chapter 194 : Good Little Brother and Good Big Brother
After that silent phrase rippled through his heart, the dream shattered and reality returned.
Everything at the school reflected in his eyes, but Itadori Yuji's thoughts still lingered within, unable to pull away for a moment.
So at that time, Itadori Yuji didn't say a word.
It wasn't that he had nothing to say, but by the time his consciousness returned, everything had already ended, leaving only a glimpse of dark blue kimono fabric in his vision.
Itadori Yuji only managed to catch sight of that person's back.
His companions began walking toward the dormitory in small groups.
Itadori Yuji initially accompanied his classmates toward the dormitory as well, but after walking for some distance, his pace gradually slowed.
Fushiguro Megumi and Kugisaki Nobara stopped and looked back at him. The two seemed able to tell that Itadori Yuji had something on his mind.
Having spent so much time together, they had long become good friends who needed no words.
Even though Itadori Yuji hadn't said anything, they both guessed his concerns were related to that person.
Kugisaki Nobara clicked her tongue and said: "Whatever you want to do, whatever you want to ask, just go ask. Being indecisive isn't your character."
Fushiguro Megumi said: "If you want to understand that person, Teacher Gojo does know more information than we do."
"......" Itadori Yuji took a deep breath, his amber eyes focusing as he looked back at the white-haired man still standing in place.
"I'm going to talk with Teacher Gojo." Itadori Yuji said quietly. "Sorry everyone, I'll tell you all the details tomorrow."
"No need to apologize. We can hear the complete story tomorrow anyway." Kugisaki Nobara waved her hand, placing one hand on her hip. "This young lady doesn't want half-truths. You'd better find out everything!"
Fushiguro Megumi paused, then added: "......Don't leave any regrets."
Itadori Yuji turned and walked back toward the original location. He had a feeling Teacher Gojo was still standing there.
And that led to his earlier conversation with Teacher Gojo.
Now, he followed Gojo Satoru to one of the talisman rooms, of course, not the one where Choso was currently staying.
Tokyo Jujutsu High had talisman rooms in each of the four corners: east, west, south, and north. To facilitate imprisoning and sealing cursed objects, cursed spirits, or enemies, and to prevent them from communicating with each other, they were designed as several widely separated talisman rooms.
Gojo Satoru brought Itadori Yuji to one of them. The talisman room's cursed energy isolation effect was excellent, making it a good place for secret conversations.
"Come on, sit, sit, sit." Gojo Satoru pulled out a chair from the room, turning the back forward and casually sitting backward, then gestured for Itadori Yuji to sit in the chair across from him.
Here, he also half-jokingly said: "Does this feel familiar, Yuji? This scene, doesn't it look like how we first talked?"
"Ah......" Itadori Yuji was stunned for a moment, remembering the very beginning when he had swallowed Sukuna's finger, woke up in a room covered with talismans, and first met Teacher Gojo to discuss [execution].
Though less than a year had passed, looking back at those memories felt like a lifetime ago......
Perhaps it was because he had just awakened from that ethereal, hazy, long dream.
"Alright, scene setup complete, absolutely guaranteeing student privacy~ What does Yuji want to talk to me about?" Gojo Satoru cheerfully snapped his fingers, gesturing.
Itadori Yuji opened his mouth, waited a few seconds, then said: "......Does Teacher know that person from today?"
Gojo Satoru casually crossed his arms, resting them on the forward-facing chair back.
Hearing Itadori Yuji's question, he replied naturally: "You guys seem to have asked me this question before, though I never gave you a direct answer previously. Since you're all so curious, your teacher isn't unwilling to answer~"
Gojo Satoru slowed his tone: "We're old acquaintances."
What Gojo Satoru didn't say was that they weren't just old acquaintances.
Itadori Yuji pressed his lips together. He wasn't too surprised by the white-haired man's answer.
Teacher Gojo's previous attitude had shown they weren't strangers.
"I see." Itadori Yuji's amber eyes blinked lightly, then suddenly asked: "Did he......ever have long hair?"
This question surprised Gojo Satoru a bit. He crossed his hands, made a brief "hmm" sound, then answered:
"How should I put it, anyway, I haven't seen him with long hair in this lifetime~"
This was very sincere truth. Gojo Satoru used some linguistic artistry here.
Itadori Yuji: "What about last lifetime, Teacher?"
Having heard Fushiguro Megumi and Kugisaki Nobara describe events from a thousand years ago, Itadori Yuji precisely saw the key point behind the linguistic artistry.
Gojo Satoru tilted his head slightly, smiling lightly at this: "Oh~ Very novel angle. Does Yuji believe in past and present lives?"
"I never thought about this question before." Itadori Yuji said honestly. "But I now believe in reincarnation."
His eyes were sincere. "Fushiguro and Kugisaki told me about events from a thousand years ago. I believe what they said."
"And just now......I also had a long dream." Itadori Yuji said softly. "That scene was like a page from a history book."
Gojo Satoru didn't respond. He could see Itadori Yuji hadn't finished speaking, so he quietly waited for the next sentence.
Itadori Yuji lowered his eyelids, slowly saying: "In history, was there ever the most brilliant meteor shower?"
In that dream, what impressed Itadori Yuji most deeply, besides the figure with long black hair in a dark blue kimono, was the background of brilliant stars magnificently falling in a grand spectacle.
Such beautiful scenery hadn't even been shown in astronomy documentaries. Even seeing it once would be memorable for life.
"......" Gojo Satoru lowered his arms from the forward-facing chair back. "The Heian-kyo City incident. History books have several paragraphs describing it, though without real pictures. However, based on people's records at the time, it must have been a very beautiful meteor shower."
For confidentiality and to prevent students from getting involved in danger, Gojo Satoru didn't reveal more intelligence, only answering Itadori Yuji's doubts ambiguously from the side.
Hearing Gojo Satoru's reply, Itadori Yuji seemed to silently repeat "Heian-kyo."
His expression looked like he was remembering, though it wasn't clear whether he was remembering content from jujutsu world history books or real past events.
After a brief moment, the cherry-pink haired boy spoke: "I dreamed of it."
He paused, then said: "No, I experienced it."
"In the minute when Sukuna came out, I recalled events from long, long ago."
"A thousand years ago, I wasn't human and seemed to have always been bound and trapped in darkness, so I never knew everyone."
"The first time I saw light, which was also the last time a thousand years ago, was when I met that person. He said we agreed to see each other again in the future."
"When the battle just now was near its end, when Ryomen Sukuna went back and my consciousness appeared, I was in mid-air. But an invisible force supported me, preventing me from falling. It should have been that person's spatial technique."
"And before, when Fushiguro and I went on missions, that person secretly helped us......He gave us a lot of silent assistance."
"I'm not too clear about his current situation. I know he seems to have memory problems, but his subconscious seems to still remember me, so even though his own condition isn't good, he'll still reach out to help me."
Itadori Yuji said all these key points in one breath, his amber eyes gradually becoming determined.
"I think I know that person. Not just know him, perhaps there's an even deeper connection."
Itadori Yuji raised his eyes, saying directly: "Choso asked me whether that person was my elder brother. At that time I had no memory, but now I think he is."
Here, Itadori Yuji earnestly repeated: "I think he's my elder brother."
Recalling the past, Itadori Yuji could remember seeing the other during winter snowfall.
At that time, that person was surrounded by dangerous indifference. Thinking about it now, perhaps it was the hedgehog-like aura the other instinctively put up due to memory confusion.
After New Year's, when they interacted again, that person seemed in better condition. Perhaps the confused memories had improved somewhat.
But Itadori Yuji still felt some regret and sadness in his heart......During the other's most difficult period, he hadn't been able to stay by his side. Even now it was the same.
Gojo Satoru placed one hand on his chin, listening.
He had long been clear about the relationship between Itadori Yuji and Jiang Lai. Jiang Lai had previously told Gojo Satoru about [Existence].
But hearing it from Itadori Yuji's mouth at this moment still surprised him somewhat.
He hadn't expected Yuji to know too? It looked like Yuji had remembered his experiences from a thousand years ago.
Lai would surely be very happy, right?
Gojo Satoru's thoughts flowed, his azure eyes under the blindfold curving upward, genuinely filled with joy for his friend. The good little brother had finally remembered him.
It was just unfortunate they couldn't have the brothers recognize each other now. Gojo Satoru immediately thought. After all, the Supervisory Committee matter was at the most critical period, preparing to bite their tails.
Most importantly, Ryomen Sukuna was still inside Itadori's body, possibly eavesdropping, so he couldn't leak real intelligence.
Though thinking much in his mind, Gojo Satoru's expression didn't change much. He just kept one hand on his chin, going along with Itadori Yuji's words: "Eh? Sounds very mysterious~ I understand."
"What I said is all true, Teacher Gojo."
"Of course, of course I believe Yuji." Gojo Satoru's tone was cheerful. "I've heard legends of reincarnation spanning a thousand years since childhood."
"But it's quite surprising that he has this kind of relationship with you. Don't worry, I'll consider this point when weighing future encounters."
Gojo Satoru held up one finger: "But, Yuji must remember this point well: at most tell people you absolutely trust like Megumi and Kugisaki. Don't casually tell others~"
"No matter what, his current identity isn't suitable for being your [brother] openly, and it's best not to have too much obvious connection."
Gojo Satoru lifted his blindfold with one hand, revealing his glass-bead-like translucent blue pupils: "Do you understand, Yuji?"