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‘Knotweed.’
From the comfort of his beach chair, Yuji’s ears perked up at the sound of Sukuna’s voice echoing between them. Being possessed by his husband had a lot of strange things to contend with— most of which left Yuji bewildered and laughing by the end of it —but the unconscious movement of his head in the search of where Sukuna’s voice originated as though the curse was right there beside him was always… Disheartening. He felt like an idiot, falling for the same trick children play where they clap hands or snap fingers next to one ear before moving to another. Yuji knew these things were not the same, but without fail, both experiences brought a mild sigh, then a smile on reflex to counter it.
‘What are you looking at?’
“My phone?” Yuji gently waved the device in his hand, believing his actions to have been obvious. It was only after Sukuna withheld a proper growl did Yuji realize he’d been mistaken.
‘On your phone. You’ve been swiping up between pages for the better part of the afternoon.’
“On my— Oh!” And just like that, a blush washed over Yuji’s face. He also smacked his head with his palm, making the same motion Sukuna would have felt down in jest if they were sitting together. “I’ve been reading up on popular summer festivals. Since we move around a lot, I got curious about what was happening and when.”
‘You sound rather fond of them.’
“Festivals?”
Yuji received a light hum in response, permitting him to continue.
“I love festivals! Jiji’s been taking me to them ever since I could remember. Even when he was sick, he put on a mask and endured it… Then he became too sick. But you know that already.” Eager to change the tone of the conversation to something lighter, Yuji darted through his thoughts until he found the fun fact he was looking for. “The last festival I went to was the cherry blossom viewing festival I was walking home from when stumbling through the torii. It was also the first festival I went to unsupervised, so if I had gone with someone….”
‘An eye should be kept on you at all times. Is that the wisdom you’re trying to impart?’
“No!” Yuji huffed, arms crossed while he defensively curled his legs up against his chest. Sticking his tongue out felt less effective when he couldn’t face Sukuna directly, but he still did it anyway. It made him feel better. “Enough about me. What about you? Do you like festivals?”
‘Not particularly,’ Yuji felt his chest deflate at the curse’s answer. ‘Except for the ones in my honor.’
And just like that, Yuji perked up.
“You had festivals in your honor?”
‘Oh yes. If you had stayed at my estate longer, I would have taken you to one in my era. We would travel to whomever requested an audience in the hopes of my appeasement. Upon our arrival, we would sit on a grand stage, offerings laid at our feet. Dancers and musicians would perform as if their lives depended on it while even the highest of lords would bow in submission.’ Sukuna’s boasting came out as a whisper, effortlessly weaving Yuji into the hypothetical scene. It was both daunting and flustering, yet Yuji couldn’t find it in him to say he disliked it. ‘I would have loved to properly introduce you to the world as mine. Imagine having all of history envious of our love.’
“I can imagine you making me do something stupid to show off your beloved Knotweed.” Such as archery or poetry. And if Sukuna had found out about Yuji’s penchant for vocal performances in the shower, well, the potential embarrassment across history was not worth it.
‘Why must you ruin such a beautiful image? If such a blunder were to have occurred, I would have taken the head of anyone to make a mockery of it.’
“Isn’t my Kuna so considerate?” Yuji did his best to keep himself composed. God—Why was such a threat so hot? How can Sukuna keep getting away with twirling his enormous fingers around his heart?
‘For you, always.’
He could practically feel Sukuna kissing the edge of his ear, sending a shudder down his spine. With no one close by, Yuji was content to continue being caressed by Sukuna’s voice until he melted into a puddle then and there. But when Sukuna moved on to ask further questions regarding the original topic of interest, Yuji reluctantly pulled himself together.
‘Those festivals you were looking at, what purpose do they serve?’
“They’re firework festivals.” Yuji paused for a moment, unsure if the curse had an understanding of what fireworks were. “They’re like these big exploding flowers in the sky—”
‘I know what fireworks are.’
“Oh.”
‘They may not be the large, headache-inducing displays depicted on your phone, but there were some in my era who thought that smaller firecrackers could ward off evil spirits.’
“Was it true?” While completely inaccurate, the image of someone down on one knee, defiantly aiming a bundle of firework rockets at Sukuna’s face appeared in his mind. It was an amusing thought, prompting a giggle Yuji failed to hide with his hand until the curse’s answer made him come to an abrupt stop.
‘Not in the slightest, though they stung quite a bit on my skin.’ Before Yuji could sputter any of his disbelief, Sukuna continued. ‘Now then, where is that festival located?’
“The Kumano Fireworks Festival…” Considering that this festival’s graphic was filling up the majority of his screen, Sukuna couldn’t have asked about any other. “It’s in Kumano City, Mie Prefecture. It’s actually on Japan’s longest sand and gravel beach!”
‘Interesting.’ The curse mused. ‘It must be a coincidence, surely.’
Yuji tilted his head in the hopes that Sukuna would elaborate, as he was unsure what his husband meant by that.
‘I sense one of my fingers in that direction. When comparing the strength of its pull to the distance we’d have to travel, I’d wager they overlap quite nicely. If we leave tomorrow—’
“—We’d arrive just in time for the festival!” Yuji threw his hands up into the air, inadvertently throwing his phone who-knows-where. Oops. The recovery of his husband’s fingers was more important than some silly festival games or the delicious fried food served beside them. The sooner they made Sukuna whole, the sooner Yuji could be within his arms again. “I mean, we’d arrive early enough to grab your finger and maybe we could, I don’t know, take in some sights while we’re there… Please?”
‘I’ll consider it.’
Uraume bid Yuji and Sukuna farewell in Nagoya. As far as Yuji was concerned, the reason they had traveled to the city was to take a train south to Kumano. They would arrive before sundown with ample time to peruse the festival grounds in the search of food, entertainment… and his husband's mummified severed finger. There was no way he was going to forget about that. Nope. But the events that followed made it pretty damn hard to commit to that.
Starting in Nagoya, just before heading out, Uraume had ushered Yuji into an unsuspecting tailor shop. A handful of minutes later, he was walking out in a brand new Yukata already fit to his size. The primary color was indigo, hosting an uneven splatter of miniature cherry blossoms from one side to the next. Simple yet, elegant butterflies in a berry hue interspersed themselves among the emptier sections of the garment, all held together by the red obi tied around Yuji’s waist.
Sukuna approved of this change immensely. And why wouldn’t he? The curse had schemed behind his back to have it made. The sorcerers were familiar with Yuji’s old one, forcing a change to keep him somewhat harder to find despite the obviously identifiable pink hair atop Yuji’s head. Said hair was not to be trifled with now that it was finally growing out at a steady rate. Sukuna enjoyed threading his fingers through it a bit too much.
“You look wonderful, Mononoke.” Uraume adjusted the bow on the back of Yuji’s obi until they were satisfied. “It would be a shame if it were to get ruined if you were to get pulled in a fight.”
“Don’t engage with any sorcerers. I understand—”
“Do you doubt my ability to perform with limitations? Do you really think I can’t do away with them without ruining my wife’s attire?” Sukuna’s mouth manifested on Yuji’s cheek, just underneath the glaring eye aimed directly toward his most loyal.
“Not at all. I was simply remarking on the possibility. Now,” Uraume bowed their head, presenting Yuji with a small red pouch. “The tickets for your trip to Kumano should be in your kinchaku. Travel safely.”
“We will, Uraume-san.” Yuji lowered his head in response, hushing Sukuna’s grumbling with the light press of his palm. Hopefully, no one passing by noticed his husband’s outburst as well. “I’ll call you when our mission is complete!”
The ensuing train ride to Kumano had Yuji buzzing with excitement.
Arriving at Kumano had him jumping for joy, practically skipping out the door the moment the doors rolled out of Yuji’s way. Much of the crowd he had been boxed within on the journey there had traveled for the same reason, just eager— maybe not so outwardly —to enter the festival grounds and see what the city had to offer.
Anyone who has ever stepped through the threshold of a festival’s entrance and down the main receiving path of all their curious guests understood just how easy it was to become enamored. Vibrant colors were not only present on the signage posted in every direction, but the clothes visitors wore and the prizes given out at the game booths. Music came and went, rising and falling in volume with each step taken, naturally directing those interested to their stages while others already began shuffling toward the next interactive event listed on their complimentary pamphlet.
A pamphlet Yuji had accepted out of habit, his nose diving right in as he fought with himself to remain focused on their reason for being here.
“Focus! We have to look for your finger. Would it be sealed in a local shrine? Or on display at some stall for antique goods of questionable origin…?”
Ah, but the food in the next stall smelled so good! His nose twitched in joy, catching the delicious scent of fried seafood and the salty-sweet sauce being poured over it. Takoyaki… Yuji hadn’t eaten since boarding the train. That was almost four hours ago!
Maybe if he turned around and plugged his nose, the pain of hunger wouldn’t follow him.
‘You’re drooling.’
Yuji snapped out of his thoughts, moving quickly to wipe his face clean of any dribble to which there was none.
“No, I wasn’t.” He’d gotten embarrassed for nothing!
‘You were about to. Go ahead and order enough food to share if that is what will satisfy you.’
“Are you sure?”
‘It is a poor husband who allows his wife to go hungry.’ Sukuna insisted with his proverbs, practically shoving Yuji toward the stall. ‘They won’t be as good as yours, but they’ll suffice.’
“Trust me, nothing beats festival food when eaten at a festival. It’s a fact of life.”
Yuji jumped in line after that, keeping his remaining conversation with Sukuna under his breath should anyone grow suspicious of a lone boy talking only to himself. While he was desperate to eat his food once purchased, he also made a quick stop to purchase a uchiwa fan before finding a place to sit and eat. Another red accessory. He placed it over his face, covering both his mouth and his right cheek so that Sukuna could manifest his mouth without potential spectators gawking their way.
The sensation of his body shaping around his husband’s intrusions was never something Yuji would get used to. That did not mean he’d give up a moment like this due to mild discomfort, as these were the few times that Yuji didn’t feel so alone despite housing another soul against his own. Their current state was paradoxical to his mind. So long as Sukuna wasn’t physically by his side, it was hard for the anxiety of loneliness to fade unless his husband reminded him of his presence.
“Good, right?” With his mouth full, Yuji looked for confirmation while feeding Sukuna the last of their Yakitori. The curse happily accepted it, showing no signs of disgust.
‘As I said, serviceable.’
“Just admit you were wrong.” Yuji could feel Sukuna rolling his eye before disappearing. Ignoring the curse’s refusal was easy when Yuji’s focus first led him to shake his clothes free of bonito flakes as he stood. Then it came time to toss the now-empty paper tray into the nearest waste bin, only for his attention to so naturally wander yet again to the game taking place on the other side of the current of people blocking his path.
The crouched children paired with the clear visuals of bright orange fish swimming about on the signs were an obvious giveaway, sparking a comment from Yuji before he could even register his feet scooting over to the stall in question.
Goldfish Scooping!
“I haven’t done this since I was a kid! Man, I was awful at it too. I received pity goldfish from a kind stranger not once, but twice. Two years in a row. Talk about a blow to my pride.” As a result of reliving the tragic memory, Yuji slumped over to sigh.
‘Are you much better now?’
“I’d like to think so.” He muttered, once again keeping his face covered as they conversed. “I’m definitely more coordinated than when I was seven.”
‘Prove it, or else I’ll have to bestow upon you another pitiful goldfish to carry around.’
One simple comment was all it took. Now Yuji was all fired up, brimming with newfound energy. He couldn’t say no to a challenge like that!
“You’re on!”
He may have shouted that last bit quite louder than the rest, but no one turned their head long enough to care. After paying the fee to play, Yuji stood over the glass pool, poi in hand and bowl in the other, to calculate his plan of attack. The fish were moving erratically from all the people sticking their hands in. As much as he wanted to jump in and grab as many as he could, even catching just one was enough to be an accomplishment and win the bet. But which one should he aim for?
‘Go for the largest one, it’ll have more meat on it.’
“Why would the amount of meat matter?” Yuji grumbled, both confused and annoyed considering the largest fish would certainly weigh enough to break his poi. “These aren’t for eating.”
‘You capture fish for what then? The sport? People clearly keep them afterward.’ Sukuna sounded as though he were accusing Yuji of lying. Of lying!
“People are keeping them as pets, you never-ending stomach.”
‘Pets?’ Sukuna scoffed. ‘Well, you can’t keep one of these fish as a pet, we have no place for one.’
“Aw, what? Not fair.” Demotivated, Yuji knocked his head back up and let out a silent wail. Those watching would assume he was just overwhelmed by the task at hand, but no, it was his husband ruining half the fun the game offered.
‘Quit whining. We have that cursed spirit and its domain.’ Dagon wasn’t the same as a fish… ‘When we have a proper residence again, I vow that it will have a large koi pond for you to fill as you please.’
“Yeah, ok.” Yuji accepted the curse’s offer with an exaggerated sniffle. That was a compromise Yuji could live with. “I’d like that.”
While unable to keep his prize, Yuji continued playing the game to fulfill the requirements of their little wager. Sukuna did not remain silent in critiquing his technique, as if the curse had any prior experience, but that did not distract him from catching a perfectly average fish whom he silently bestowed the name Ponyo. Since he could not keep it, he waited until the inevitable tears of a frustrated child rang out, providing the perfect opportunity to give his aquatic friend a proper home.
With food acquired, consumed, and now a game under his belt, one wouldn’t be faulted for assuming that Yuji and Sukuna were done messing around for the time being. But the problem with playing games at a festival was that one could not simply play a single game.
Ring Toss, Underwater Coin Dropping, Fishing Yoy o—Unable to help himself when he overheard the location of the Shooting booth, Yuji decides to maneuver their search into that direction. The booth was deeper into the festival grounds, meaning that they were covering more area in their search just by walking in its direction! Though, if Yuji were being honest, most thoughts of the search had been unceremoniously pushed into the back of his mind. He was all too focused on what fun there was to be had to notice his objection slipping from his fingers.
Never once was he directed back on course.
More crowded than the Goldfish Scooping game, Yuji had to squeeze his way through a fair amount of bystanders in order to reach the booth proper. The sounds of light pops from the wooden rifles filled the air, one after another as people took turns in the hopes of claiming their prize.
‘That isn’t archery.’
“Nope. It’s a shooting game with guns. You get the prize if you manage to shoot it down.” Yuji waved over to one of the men running the booth, exchanging yen for ammo to make his shot.
‘They all look easy enough to aim for. Why are so many still up? Incompetence?’
“I mean… Lack of skill can definitely come into play. But some prizes are just harder to knock down than others. You need more force than the ammo we’re given. If I were younger, I’d go for the giant tiger plush over there, but since I know it won’t budge, I’m better off—” Yuji lifted his rifle into the air, taking his continued lessons regarding the steadiness of his hands and patience while aiming to align the tip of his weapon with the tiger plush keychain at eye level. “—going for this instead!”
One shot was all it took for the little guy to fall, beckoning the same man from before to reach behind the stand and retrieve the wounded tiger. Luckily, such a shot would not prove fatal. While not the most pleasing thing to look at considering the state of its stitching and lop-sided placement of its eyes, Yuji had won it fair and square, thus it would hang proudly from his bag for the rest of the night.
Just as he was about to turn around, content with his prize, Sukuna stopped him.
‘I want a turn.’
“You?” Surprised by the curse’s sudden interest, Yuji still handed control off without an argument. “Alright.”
Even Sukuna wants to have fun once in a while.
The process of switching was a smooth one. The best way he could describe it was to have someone come up from behind and take over the controller in one’s hands. Still present and watching the screen, yet unable to do anything about what was happening on it.
Yuji felt himself fade from the edges of his body, overtaken by his husband’s presence with Sukuna’s iconic tattoos seeping into his skin as a consequence. No one appeared to notice the change, leading Yuji to reinforce his suspicion that common people could not see them.
“I’ll be taking another shot.” Sukune declared, placing down the same amount of yen that Yuji had before.
Once set up and ready to shoot, Sukuna mirrored Yuji’s initial stance to get a feel for how one was supposed to hold the weapon. He then relaxed a bit into his own stance, one more cocky with the smirk to boot. The curse aimed for the large tiger plush Yuji had mentioned as his example of what NOT to aim for with all the confidence in the world.
‘Didn’t you hear what I said?’
The only answer Yuji received was the sudden spark of cursed energy growing ever more violent in his hands. Sukuna’s intention behind them became clear the moment the curse fired, releasing an empowered shot toward the plush, just strong enough to knock it off its stand. The excitement of the crowd and the shock of the stall runner had settled the noise around the booth down for the single second preceding the applause that followed.
“My prize?”
“Uh, yeah. One second.” The man rushed over to grab the large plush, wide-eyed at the dot of ash from where the round Sukuna fired collided with the plush. The fabric was slightly fried, but did not make Yuji upset in the slightest. “H-Here you go.”
Without so much as a ‘Thank you,’ Sukuna took his prize and walked away, switching with Yuji only when there was enough space for his wife and wife-size push to breathe in peace. Unable to help himself, Yuji buried his face into the gigantic fuzzy creature, smiling at how round and dopey it looked. His hands could only meet on the other side of its waist if he squeezed. Perfect cuddling material.
Still, he had to call Sukuna out on what he’d done.
“Cheater.”
‘There was no rule against it, thus I did no such thing.’ Sukuna was still smirking, Yuji could hear it. ‘A thank you would be appreciated.’
“Thank you, Kuna.”
The rest of the evening went on in the same fashion.
A few more games here. Some food there. Yuji felt inclined to buy a small tiger mask which he wore on the side of his face. Another item to add to his growing collection of memories. It was after he’d decided to indulge in one final snack— a chocolate-covered banana —that Yuji once again found himself sitting on a bench.
This time, he’d found a path with a much lighter crowd. A quieter one as well. Accompanying him was his large tiger plush, acting as the best pillow to keep his exhausted head up straight while he finished his treat. The approaching night was looking to be a soft and gentle one. Perhaps the fireworks would certainly liven things up, but Yuji was more than content to sit and relax until the time came.
However, such contentment would not last when one little fact reared its ugly head.
“Shit!” Yuji shot up in his seat, back snapping into place while one hand smacked the side of his face. Anxiety flooded his body in droves, causing his legs to shake in the wake of just how angry Sukuna must be with him. The curse had been quiet, yet there was no telling how long he must have been seething underneath Yuji’s skin. “Your finger!”
‘Knotweed.’
“We were supposed to be looking for it this entire time!”
‘Calm yourself—’
“—A-And I’ve been doing nothing but distracting us from our mission! Sukuna, I am so sorry—”
‘—Yuji!’ Sukuna’s voice boomed between his ears, forcing Yuji to listen whether he wished to or not. ‘There is nothing for you to apologize for.’
“W-What about your finger?”
‘There was never any finger to be found here. I… lied to you, because I wanted to spend time with you and you clearly wanted this, but you would not ask for it.’
Sukuna lied? Given their history, Yuji would be mad, but this lie had been for his benefit. Sukuna had done all this for him.
“I didn’t want to waste your time…”
‘You are not a waste of my time! If only I could grab you now, I’d give you a good shake before pulling you close and making my affections even clearer if words aren’t enough.’ A short pause followed before Sukuna thought to continue. ‘If given the option, I would not change anything about how today unfolded. I can put up with these foolish activities when I’m with you.’
Yuji’s immediate response was to fall back onto this large plush and hide his blushing face behind his fan. A sigh of relief would come after once he kicked away his feelings, leaving nothing more than a grateful mess sprawling across the entirety of the bench.
“I love you.” Yuji breathed, initially unable to elaborate much more until the same desire that had been present ever since their reunion bubbled forth. “I wish you could attend this festival in person. I want to hold your hand and tell everyone how amazing you are to me without coming across like a weirdo.”
‘I doubt the latter is possible.’ The playful jab resulted in another tongue being stuck out toward no particular target. ‘However, the former… Close your eyes.’
Curious, Yuji did what he was told, immediately caught by the familiar descent into the innate domain he and Sukuna shared. When he opened his eyes again, the surrounding scene had not changed. At least, that was what Yuji had initially thought. The colors and smells were no different, but the people were not as distinct as they were before. The sound was dampened and the overall atmosphere felt… incomplete?
That word would only persist until Yuji turned his head. He then came face to face with his husband, wearing a black yukata of his own with red accents to match the one currently draped over Yuji’s body. The curse looked quite pleased with himself as he waited for Yuji’s initial shock to fade. Breaking free of it allowed Yuji to rush toward him, practically barreling into Sukuna’s arms as an invitation to be picked up at the curse’s leisure.
“I apologize that this place is not nearly as detailed as it is outside, but it should suffice for a few minutes together.”
“You? Admitting to being nothing short of perfection?” Yuji laughed.
“I cannot help myself when I’m distracted by you.” Left with nothing to retort with, Sukuna took the opportunity granted by Yuji’s frozen face to bestow a kiss on his forehead. A precursor of more to come.
After all, the night was still young, and they had yet to witness the promised fireworks this festival was known for.