Chapter Text
the first words of jesus’ prophecy were, “repent, for the kingdom of god is near.” until that kingdom arrives, those first words will remain the first words. the god who calls you is trustworthy; he is the just god, and with him alone everything is possible.
itadori yuuji was the only child of a devout family, raised with great care. for many years, a deep catholic faith had persisted within the itadori household. the love of god had sunk its hooks into the hearts of the family, and no one could escape that hook. the word of god was sealed within the souls of the family.
since childhood, his mother had warned her son many times not to commit sin. on sundays, the family listened to the priest’s sermons and, though not frequently, would then step behind the curtain to ask forgiveness for the sins they had committed.
we are sinful and weak. this was the first truth yuuji learned about people. we need only worship; we live only for god. we are naked, worthless servants who obey god’s command. before him alone, we are blind, mute, and deaf.
when he had a bad nightmare and waited for his back to be stroked, another meaning would be sought, and he would be warned to speak with the priest. when success was achieved, it was not he who was congratulated; instead, donations were made to the church to give thanks to god. yuuji was responsible only for his mistakes.
when yuuji finally stepped into adulthood, after eighteen years together, it was time to leave their home. they had left behind the crowded state where he was born and raised. in this town they had moved to for his education, there were surprisingly many people his age. until now, he had always tried to keep his distance from people before observing them. they could be faithless, they could be atheists, or worst of all, they could be cursing god. staying away from such people was at the very top of the list of things he was not to forget after his name. for this reason, being able to quickly become friends with others was not something that could happen solely by his own will.
afterwards, he grew close to two people his age—one girl and one boy—who stopped by their home to welcome him, and for once he was invited out to a small rest facility where they gathered. the food at the place was delicious and cheap. the town certainly had its own special recipe among them. the pair mentioned that the place belonged to the family of a friend of theirs named ino. despite being an indoor space, it was clean and smelled like a sea urchin turned into a meze. before taking his first bite, yuuji gave thanks inwardly and prayed for what was placed before him to be increased.
then that boy had entered. a boy with frightening eyes, raven-black hair cut straight, with sharp strands. he was about half a head taller than yuuji and, despite being thin, had a well-built body. he had finely drawn features and eyelashes so long, like the wings of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon to live for a single day. the area beneath his eyes was lined as if he had a hereditary illness. his nose was well-shaped, matching the proportions of his face. his lips, which did not lose their pinkness even when dry, were the only beauty that could add color to the shadow that stepped inside.
yuuji could not lift his lowered head to look at him again, because if he did, he would want to become familiar with his face. if he looked, he would remember that he was sinful and weak, just as the priest had described.
he passed by like the fleeting sorrow brought by a winter breeze, leaving behind the bitter taste of metal that settled on the tongue.
yuuji had made a mistake for which he needed to ask forgiveness. he had asked who that cold-pulsed boy was. his friends introduced him like this: “this is fushiguro megumi. our homo bestie.”