Chapter 197 : Choso - I understand, Lai is also my little brother
Itadori Yuji walked out of that talisman room.
After Gojo Satoru finished talking with him, he waved goodbye. He said he still needed to go down the mountain to pick up a little friend, so he'd return to school the next day, telling Itadori Yuji not to wait for him and to return to the dormitory first.
The cherry-pink haired boy walked slowly, the moonlight clear and bright, thin mist drifting and hazily shrouding the forest path.
Itadori Yuji's mind was still swaying with the content of his conversation with Teacher Gojo, his attention unfocused.
Without realizing it, when his consciousness returned, he found himself having walked to the other side of the school, to that other talisman room.
The one where Choso was currently staying.
Though still some distance away, Choso seemed to have already sensed Itadori Yuji's cursed energy aura. His voice came from the talisman room: "Yuji? Why haven't you rested yet so late?"
"Oh right, I seemed to hear loud sounds from the distance earlier. Are you alright?"
"......I'm fine." Itadori Yuji hesitated, then walked forward a few steps to the front of that room's door. "Earlier, Sukuna came out."
"That bastard Sukuna?!" Choso's tone grew heavy. "Don't be afraid, Yuji. He's just a bad tenant, you're the real landlord."
After staying in the human world, Choso had also learned many vocabulary words humans used.
"I'm not worried about Sukuna. I'm just......" Itadori Yuji paused again, remembering what Gojo Satoru had said, that the truth about identities could only be told to the most trusted people.
Was Choso a trustworthy cursed spirit? They had only known each other for a short time.
But Choso had saved him and his classmates, and had told him about that person in advance. Most importantly, what Itadori Yuji felt from Choso was immense sincerity and care.
Choso said he was the eldest son of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, his big brother.
Itadori Yuji exhaled, finally saying: "I remembered events from long ago, and also remembered that question you once asked me."
Choso very cleverly guessed: "About that black-haired young man?"
"Right." Itadori Yuji nodded, pressing his lips straight as he revealed: "He really is......my elder brother. From a thousand years ago."
With one sentence, he revealed two points. Itadori Yuji didn't know which point Choso would pursue.
However, contrary to his expectations, Choso didn't pursue anything, but directly exclaimed: "Really?"
Choso's voice sounded quite joyful, genuinely happy for Itadori Yuji. "Congratulations, Yuji! You found your big brother."
"......" Itadori Yuji scratched his right cheek with his index finger, somewhat at a loss.
Choso continued speaking, his tone seemingly very moved as he said deeply: "Looking at it this way, he really is a good big brother. Since he's truly your big brother, then I'll definitely treat him like my own little brother too."
Hearing this, Itadori Yuji was stunned for a moment, coughing to remind him: "Uh, actually, his age should be older than yours."
"That's right." Choso first confirmed, then said seriously: "But I'm the big brother, Yuji."
Choso quickly added: "Don't worry, Yuji. I'll take care of his big brother status while also caring for him like a little brother."
Itadori Yuji: "?"
Wait, so what kind of relationship is this exactly?!
In the end, Itadori Yuji couldn't understand this relationship, but he knew what Choso meant: that when they met again in the future, he would be on the same side as that person.
Since that was the case, it was enough.
After chatting with Choso for a few more sentences, Itadori Yuji returned to the dormitory. But unsurprisingly, once back in the dormitory, he had insomnia again.
After tossing and turning in bed several times, Itadori Yuji simply got up and walked to the desk in his dormitory room in a few steps.
A stack of letter paper was placed beside the clean desk surface. Itadori Yuji pulled it out, holding a pen in one hand, his gaze falling on the blank paper.
He originally wanted to write down those recalled memories, but then felt this seemed somewhat dangerous, since Ryomen Sukuna was still in his body and could peek at what he wrote at any time.
And what if the Supervisory Committee or something saw his diary? Wouldn't that expose everything?
Teacher Gojo had said to keep his relationship with that person secret. He could only tell people he absolutely trusted.
So Itadori Yuji's movements paused, gripping the ballpoint pen in his hand, staring blankly at the spread letter paper on the desk.
After a long while, he still lifted the pen.
If he couldn't record experiences, then he'd write things he wanted to say. Itadori Yuji's amber eyes lowered.
Since he couldn't acknowledge that person or speak his true feelings, he'd record all he wanted to say in veiled terms.
When some day in the future came, he'd deliver all these whispered words.
Thinking this, Itadori Yuji hesitated no more. Emotions like waves had long surged in his heart, so he put pen to paper and began writing carefully, word by word.
[To 'You':
Hello! I'm well, I hope you are too.
Starting with this sentence might seem strange, but it really is the first sentence that came to mind.
If someday later this first sentence causes you confusion in understanding, I apologize in advance! Sorry about that.
There's so much I want to tell you, but so much can't be expressed even in writing.
Thinking it over, let me share my life with you. I hope someday in the future, my daily life will include you too.
The weather has warmed recently, so training on the field isn't cold anymore. We do combat training with the second-year seniors, and learn so much each time (Maki-senpai's physical techniques are amazing!).
The school lunch added several dishes, even pizza. But it was stopped after just a few days, back to the healthy meals of three meat dishes, one vegetable, and one soup.
......]
After Itadori Yuji started writing, he seemed unable to stop, his wrist moving as he wrote line after line until the ballpoint pen in his hand ran out of ink.
Only when he stopped writing did he feel the soreness in his fingers and wrist.
Without realizing it, he had already written several pages.
Itadori Yuji looked down at what he had written, scratching his cheek with one hand, thinking:
Though he hadn't faced that person directly, thinking of him while writing felt like casual chatting with his elder brother, freely writing about his youthful daily life.
So many trivial matters, he wondered if the other would read them.
However, Itadori Yuji had a natural intuition in his heart that the other would read them. Maybe not only read them, but read them very seriously.
Recalling that smile of the black-haired young man from a thousand years ago, Itadori Yuji blinked lightly, feeling immense peace and comfort.
He liked watching that person smile.
Itadori Yuji picked up the ballpoint pen, using the last bit of ink to conclude.
[I don't know when you'll see these words, maybe soon, maybe very long from now.
I hope I can acknowledge you before my execution, but if there's no chance, that's okay too.
I won't be sad, and you shouldn't be sad either. Being able to die meaningfully and valuably isn't regrettable.
No matter how time and the world change, no matter what happens, I sincerely hope that you reading this can still smile knowingly (you look beautiful when you smile).
Wishing everything well in the future!]
After finishing the letter, Itadori Yuji blew on it, drying the remaining ink.
He shook the paper, confirming the writing was dry before folding it neatly and placing it in a wooden box beside him.
That small wooden box was originally a gift when buying books, something Itadori Yuji had never used. Now it came in handy, used to contain his full heart.
Until he could truly acknowledge each other, he'd write down everything he wanted to say. Itadori Yuji thought. This way there wouldn't be regrets from unspoken words.
The next day started sunny when the sun rose, but suddenly began pouring rain mid-morning, so outdoor training was suspended and they had self-study in the classroom instead.
Having barely slept the previous night, now staring at textbooks, waves of drowsiness surged over Itadori Yuji, making his eyelids fight each other.
Suddenly a book slammed on his desk from the side. Itadori Yuji jolted awake, instinctively looking over.
Kugisaki Nobara raised her eyebrows: "I say, Itadori, don't you have anything you want to chat with me and Fushiguro about?"
Fushiguro Megumi on the other side had also put down his textbook long ago, silently watching the cherry-pink haired boy.
Itadori Yuji didn't react at first, staring blankly: "Eh? Something to chat about?"
"About last night's events, or rather early this morning, I don't remember the exact time, but that's not the point." Kugisaki Nobara crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You went to talk with Teacher Gojo, any gains?"
"You didn't come find me last night, and didn't say anything this morning either." Fushiguro Megumi added quietly.
Only then did Itadori Yuji remember the scene when he said goodbye to his classmates before leaving last night.
Itadori Yuji knew that Kugisaki Nobara and Fushiguro Megumi's attitude wasn't pressing for secrets, their eyes carried barely noticeable concern.
So he scratched his head and smiled, scanning around to confirm no one else was there before stammering: "I also remembered events from a thousand years ago. I didn't meet you then because, I wasn't human."
Fushiguro Megumi: "?"
Kugisaki Nobara: "?"
Itadori Yuji: "Then, I also saw that person a thousand years ago. That person is actually......my elder brother."
Fushiguro Megumi: "?"
Kugisaki Nobara: "?"
Itadori Yuji: "Teacher Gojo said he'll pay attention going forward. He promised me that if he encounters that person again, he'll tell me about his condition. But I can't acknowledge him openly right now."
The black-haired sea urchin boy and brown-haired girl both had expressions that wanted to speak but stopped, stopped but wanted to speak again.
After a long while, Kugisaki Nobara finally said: "Honestly, the first two sentences were shocking. But after hearing it all, I can understand the last sentence too."
Fushiguro Megumi nodded and continued: "Indeed need to keep it secret. Currently enemies remain, and that person's identity is very sensitive, not suitable for acknowledgment."
At this point, Kugisaki Nobara couldn't help but ask: "You said you weren't human a thousand years ago, so what were you then? A monster? I remember there were quite a few monsters in the Heian-kyo era."
"No." Itadori Yuji scratched the back of his head, grinning cheerfully. "I was a rock."
Kugisaki Nobara & Fushiguro Megumi: "???"
A thousand words condensed into one sentence:
"Huh?"