The morning light woke her up suddenly, Aiko slowly opened her eyes.
Next to her was Yuji, in profile. His messy pink hair fell across his forehead while he was breathing softly, his mouth slightly open. Each breath made his sweatshirt rise and fall gently, like a calm sea.
His arm was wrapped around her, his hand resting on her waist: a light touch, yet one that seemed to say "I won't let you go," even in his sleep. On the nightstand, there was only an empty cup and Aiko's phone, switched off. Small things, yet they made that morning feel strange and special, as if nothing else outside the dormitory existed.
"Good morning, shy one," Aiko whispered, coming closer.
She kissed him on the forehead, then on his eyelids, then the tip of his nose. Yuji grimaced sleepily, slowly stretched and blushed before he even opened his eyes.
"Hmm... hello," he whispered, his voice thick with sleep. "Are you real?"
"Enough to steal your sweatshirt." She lifted the hem to reach inside. "Five minutes of cuddling, then I'll get up."
"Ten?" he tried, already smiling. He ran a hand through her hair, careful. "If you stay here next to me... I'm not going anywhere."
"And who's moving you?" She gave him a small kiss on the mouth. "But school's calling."
Yuji sighed, his nose in her hair. "You smell so good. It's like... forbidden." Then he realized what he'd said and covered his eyes with his forearm. "Sorry, I just let that sentence slip."
Aiko laughed. "I told you before: keep them, I like it when they run away like that."
They stayed in each other's arms for a little longer, until the alarm clock rang and pulled them back into the world. Aiko got up, her bare feet on the cold floor and quickly gathered her hair into a high ponytail. She slipped on his red sweatshirt without asking: it reached down to mid-thigh, it smelled of laundry soap and of Yuji.
"That... is mine," he said, sitting on the bed, his hair even more disheveled.
"In temporary custody." She glanced at him. "You'll get it back tonight. Only if you come get me."
"I'll come. Even if it rains. Especially if it rains."
They had a quick breakfast: two cans of hot tea from the vending machine and a couple of onigiri. They sat on the edge of the bed, shoulder to shoulder, sharing their food as always, laughing heartily.
"I'm stopping by the restaurant today before class," Yuji said. "Do you want me to bring something?"
"Bring yourself. And the long kiss we promised yesterday behind the fridge."
Yuji instantly turned red. "Y-yes. That... yes."
Aiko slipped on her white sneakers, checked her backpack to make sure everything was there and gave the crooked plant on his desk a final tidying up ("it brought good luck," Nobara had said). He helped her when finally he zipped up her sweatshirt with an awkward, tender gesture.
"Shall I walk you to the bus stop?"
"You always walk with me." She intertwined her fingers with his. "Let's go."
Outside, the dormitory hallway was completely empty; the only sounds were the hum of the vending machine and their hurried footsteps. In the end, they chose the stairs instead of the elevator—two floors during which Yuji still found the time to kiss her temple and fix her ponytail once, for no reason at all.
At the bus stop, the air was humid and the sky was gray, as usual during that rainy season. Aiko stood in front of him, her hands in his. "Text me when you get to the Institute."
"Text me when you get to class. And... if you need me, I'll pick you up after class. Even in the middle of class."
"Don't get me kicked out, please." She ran her thumb across his cheek. "See you later."
The bus stopped. Aiko stood on tiptoe and planted a huge kiss on his cheek, the kind that stays with him for hours. "This is for the walk. See you later."
Yuji remained for a second with his eyes closed, barely smiling. "I only need one and I'll last until the evening," he said.
Aiko got in. From the window, she gestured to him with two fingers near her temple, then pointed to his sweatshirt on her. Not even five minutes passed before...
The phone vibrated.
Yuji — 8:11: You're gorgeous.
Aiko — 8:12: Bring a long kiss behind the fridge later.
Yuji — 8:13: All right. I promise.
Aiko — 8:13: Go, or you'll be late.
Yuji — 8:14: I'm going. I love you.
Aiko — 8:14: Me too, shy one.
The bus departed. Yuji stood for a few seconds watching it disappear, his hands still warm inside the hoodie's big pocket. Then he put on his headphones, headed toward the Institute and thought that some mornings already begin with victory in hand.
Aiko, meanwhile, on the seat by the window, pulled up the zipper of the sweatshirt and smiled to herself: it smelled of him and she asked for nothing more.
***
The atmosphere in the Institute of Occult Arts was strange that morning. In the gym, Gojo clapped his hands just once: the echo bounced off the beams and was so loud it woke everyone up.
"Teams!!" he hummed, a pen in his fingers. "Today, pairs practice. Simple rules: no destructive techniques on the structures—Nobara, can you hear me?—and whoever returns without a partner pays for everyone's ice cream."
A murmur of amusement rose, others laughed, then immediately turned serious. Yuji tried to fix his hair with his hands, his heart excited and in pre-race mode as always. I'll go see Aiko later, he told himself and his heartbeat returned to normal.
Gojo leafed through a notebook, looking like a fake stern professor. "First team: Megumi with Panda. Nobara with Maki. And finally..." a smirk behind his eyepatch, "Yuji with Hana."
From the other side of the gym, Hana raised her hand as if she were the class leader and smiled:
"Here!"
Yuji gave a polite half-smile, taking two steps forward. "Hi."
"Hi there," she replied, already too close. "So... happy to be on my team again?" She brushed her fingers along his forearm. He looked at her with a twist of his head, in "Are you starting to be a pain already?" mode.
She continued stroking his arm. Yuji took a half-step back and glared at her. "Um... let's work hard and finish quickly, okay?"
Gojo twirled his pen. "So, warm up for five minutes. Then briefing in pairs on the east perimeter. Oh! And... no holes in your uniform, please."
The groups broke up, each having to reach their own station. Hana remained close to Yuji as the twists began. "You're taller than I remembered," she said, laughing. "And you look great in that sweatshirt. Is it... new?"
Yuji felt a hollow in his stomach, a slight discomfort closing in his throat. "It's... old, actually." He looked to the opposite corner of the gym, then back at her. "Hana, can we... concentrate?"
"I'm completely focused... on you," she said, and she adjusted his hood without asking, face to face. Her fingers lingered a second too long. He yanked her hands away.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"Your hood was out of place..."
Yuji inhaled. He thought of Aiko. Yuji, breathe. Then, with firm kindness: "Please, don't touch me. I'm engaged and you're bothering me, honestly."
A moment of silence. Hana shrugged, a crooked smile. "How touchy of you," she chirped, but stepped back a foot. "Okay, no touching."
Yuji stepped back. "Should we go to the briefing?" he repeated, pointing to the door leading to the east corridor.
After the meeting with Gojo, the training began. For a good hour they ran, marked seals on the pillars and checked the lower perimeter. Whenever Hana got too close, Yuji shifted his body naturally—a sidestep, leaving the space clear. When a minor curse appeared in a blind spot, he neutralized it with two precise strikes. Everything correct, everything very cold.
At the end of the lap, Gojo appeared behind them, clapping his hands for attention. "How's it going, pros?"
"Clear perimeter," Yuji said, tying his shoelaces.
"Pretty clean," Hana added, her eyes on Yuji and a smile all her own. "My partner is really strong."
Gojo raised a thumb, but behind the blindfold, his gaze was sharp for a second. "Good job. Five-minute break, drink water, then start again, okay?"
When the training ended, Yuji sat down on the step near the emergency exit. Hands on his phone. Tell her now, he thought. Guilt pricked at his stomach even though he hadn't done anything. That was exactly it: he hadn't done anything, and yet he wanted Aiko to know.
He opened the chat.
Yuji — 12:07: Love, I'm at the Institute. Gojo split us into teams and… I got paired with Hana again.
Yuji — 12:08: She hit on me as always ( with words, a few… touches on my forearm). I told her right away not to touch me. I was cold about it. I'm telling you because I don't want to keep anything from you.
The reply came almost immediately.
Aiko — 12:09: Thank you for telling me. You did great. Stay calm: I know who you are.
Yuji — 12:09: I'm sorry if it bothers you. I don't want…
Aiko — 12:10: She bothers me, not you. You're my shy one who blushes and sets boundaries well. If she insists, you tell me. And if needed, I'll come and glare at her myself 😉
Yuji — 12:11: Promise. Tonight I'll come pick you up and claim the long kiss behind the fridge.
Aiko — 12:11: You've already earned it. Now go be good. I love you.
Yuji — 12:12: Me too. So much.
He put his phone away; his ears were still warm, but his head finally felt light. He stood up to get back on track. Hana walked past him with her usual smirk.
"Ready for round two, partner?"
Yuji nodded, polite and distant. "Let's get to work."
And he went. With the same calm he used when moving half a slice of chashu into Aiko's bowl, the same kind of choice: simple, repeated, but above all—his.
***
That evening, the restaurant smelled of pizza dough and fish stew—both foods Aiko loved. She lifted the chairs, wiped down the tables, did a quick check at the register… the usual daily routine, really.
The little bell gave a clear cling when she opened the street door to let some air in. In the kitchen, her father was tasting the sauce on a bruschetta while her mother was counting the evening's place settings in a notebook with worn corners.
"Twenty booked until nine," Aiko said, tapping the sheet of paper on the clipboard. "Then Yuji and the others will come by. Anyway, I'll let you know."
The first customer hadn't even touched the door handle when suddenly the light flickered. Once. Twice. Then suddenly everything went out at once: neon, sign, the low music from the back. The hum of the refrigerators stopped and everyone, as best they could, looked at each other.
"Blackout?" asked her mother, already reaching for the meter.
"Stop," Aiko said instinctively. "Let's wait a moment. Don't let anyone touch anything."
In the dark, once her eyes adjusted, she saw something that didn't belong to the room: a patch darker than the darkness itself, high on the wall next to the fuse box. It swayed faintly, stretching and shrinking like chewing gum. Every time someone murmured "what bad luck," the edge of that stain swelled by a few centimeters.
Aiko felt the spot between her shoulder blades tighten. "Dad, don't try to turn on the light. Gas down for safety. Mom, open the door and keep anyone out. We'll offer iced tea on the street. I'll check the electrical panel."
The phone vibrated. Yuji...
Yuji was putting the water bottle back in his backpack when, under his sweatshirt, the skin on his sternum tightened. A black line emerged and opened into a mouth.
"Hey, brat... if you do not want to lose that specimen of a woman, pick up the phone," Sukuna hissed. "Dial the waitress. Now."
Yuji jumped, his ears already red. "A-Aiko? Did something happen?"
"Hahaha, it is about to happen," Sukuna growled. "Call her."
The phone vibrated in his hand. Yuji didn't hesitate to read the message:
Aiko — 7:21 PM: "Steam."
Yuji didn't hesitate: he called her. He held the phone to his ear as he ran toward the exit. She answered quickly.
"Love? We're out of power—"
The line crackled. When the voice came, it wasn't his.
"Do not touch the electrical panel, woman."
The name stuck with her like a cold drop. She immediately knew who was speaking and didn't raise her voice.
"What is it?"
"A small but clever thing," Sukuna hissed. "It feeds on heat and murmurs. It likes the kitchen, it fattens up the living room. If you open the electrical panel, it will bite your hand and you will be stuck there."
Aiko looked at the stain. Beneath it, a black wire trailed like a tongue toward the refrigerator outlet.
"Solution?"
"Do you want me to tell you how to do it too? You will have to figure it out yourself."
"Come on... please!" Aiko exclaimed, clenching her fists.
A short pause. Then Sukuna sighed.
"What a fucking brat. I am just telling you to get everyone out."
"Already done." She turned toward the dining room. "Mom, hand out the water in front of the place. No loud comments. It's just a glitch, okay?"
Her mother understood immediately. "It's just a glitch," she repeated toward the door, lightening her tone as she knew how to do with customers.
On the other end of the line, a half-sound that wasn't laughter. "You are a quick learner."
"I'm not talking to you, please," Aiko said calmly. "Just because you're useful to me now..."
"Hah… insolent little brat! And a bitch, too!" Sukuna's grin widened. "Let us make a deal, then. I help you with this… and next time you spread your legs for that brat, you will let me take his place. Do we have an agreement?"
"Not even dead," she replied coldly. "I'd rather die here, now."
Sukuna burst out laughing. A wicked laugh, truly wicked, the kind that made your skin crawl.
"Sooner or later, it will happen anyway…Ahahaha!"
Yuji spoke above him, shouting that he was "coming soon." Then Sukuna's voice trailed off, making way for Yuji:
"Aiko, get the table salt. Run a line between the electrical panel and the living room. That way you'll keep the curse from eating until I get there. And don't let your dad put his hands in there."
Aiko opened the spice drawer and poured the coarse salt into her hand. "Dad, keep the kitchen doors open, no gas until I say so."
"Understood," he said dryly.
She knelt down and drew a thin line of salt from the edge of the electrical panel to the bamboo screen, a diagonal as clean as a knife cut. The stain approached, touched the salt, and squeaked—an insect-like sound—then recoiled, offended.
"It works!" Aiko exclaimed into the phone.
"It works as long as there's no one inside," Yuji retorted. "If anyone starts complaining again, it'll get worse. And don't try to make it go away on your own, love: it'll burn your hands. Wait for me."
"I'm waiting." She straightened, took the phone's flashlight and checked the tables. "Ten minutes, and I'll seat you if the power comes back on. If not, we'll move the reservations. Next time, I'll offer dessert, okay?" Her voice was solid and firm, without cracks.
On the receiver, a breath halfway between annoyance and interest. "Good. See you in a moment."
"Okay." said Aiko, and ended the call with a measured gesture.