Chapter Text
In 2079, A hospital in Yokohama had admitted a patient who was bound to give what she thought was a set of twins. The ultrasound taken months prior had shown proof of this, as two fetuses were growing. It was noted that one was noticably bigger than the other, and the woman, being worried, had asked her doctor if maybe one of the fetuses was undeveloped. The doctor had responded that sometimes, a set of twins would differ in size and stressed it was completely normal. Now, being on the bed of she would give birth to two beautiful babies, the woman dreamed of the future where she got to take care of her sweet babies, and her husband stayed by her side right up to when her water broke, and doctors rushed in to immediately assist in helping with the contractions. Minutes went by, then nearly two hours as the midwife and doctors stayed present to guide the woman, and eventually the head of the first twin popped out.
What was supposed to be a heartfelt moment, though, soon turned into concern. The baby had some sort of bone-like deformity on the right side of its face, and when it didn't make a noise after its head poked out, hysteria broke out from the woman as doctors attempted to see what was the matter. It was only with a sputter and a small groan when the baby wailed out loud, and relief flooded the emergency room. The mother resumed pushing until, finally, the first twin had emerged from the womb and was laid on another table. Another problem was present, however, as the baby had another full functioning set of arms protruding right under the first. Not only that, but there wasn't another child in her womb.
"WHA!? That's impossible! The ultrasound said I had twins!"
"Ma'am, we've checked over and over. We can't find another child."
An hour later, after a back-and-forth argument between the woman and the doctors, the baby is scheduled for emergency surgery to remove its extra limbs and bone deformity. The woman, who was resting and silently sobbing to herself on her hospital bed, was asked if she consented to the removal of the limbs and bone deformity of her newborn son, but in shock, the mother declined.
"No...do not hurt my baby...I couldn't care less if he was born with his heart inverted; as long as he's in no danger, I want him just as he is."
The doctors tried to sway her opinion, explaining the drawbacks of such a unique genetic malfunction as her baby has. They also even threw in that they discovered the twin was also holding an entire other set of eyes just below the natural ones, but the mother stayed steadfast and wouldn't let up. In defeat, the doctors bring in the deformed child via a bed that was able to be wheeled in. The father, still unsure, asked one more time.
"Honey, are you certain about this? Think about his future."
"...I've made up my mind already. Nothing will change it."
And it had been made that the boy, named Yui, had his presence known to the world, and thus a cursed life began.
Throughout the next couple of weeks, many events regarding the unusual child and his unique appearance had caught the attention of news outlets and various scientists curious about the anatomy of the child. Amidst this chaotic media attention, a doctor who had helped give birth to the odd child paid a visit to the practitioner who performed the ultrasound.
"I heard the whole ordeal of that woman's child. I'm quite surprised by how it all occurred."
"'Tis a mystery. Our medical staff have been just as curious as to why this was even a possibility. You performed the ultrasound, no?"
"Precisely, yes. You're here to ask me if there were twins."
"...I take that as you are not asking."
"I am indeed not. The ultrasound made no mistake when I evaluated that young woman. There were, in fact, a set of twins. However, one had been noticably smaller than the other, and that woman feared there was something wrong. I reassured her that it was natural for twins to be indifferent, as twins not being identical to one another was common. I never accounted for the fact that one would disappear over time, but there is one possibility that explains this unusual phenomenon."
"And that is?"
"...there have been some cases where a twin can absorb the other one in the womb, and a singular birth can occur when expecting twins. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it usually has very minor birth defects, such as an extra, premature limb. Never has there ever been a case as baffling as this one, where the child has a whole other extra set of functioning limbs and eyes as well as the bone deformity."
"...so if what you're saying is true, then it was truly nature that took role in the birth of this child."
"Exactly."
Soon after the doctor had this impromptu meeting, word was given to the parents, and their reaction was... sickly understandable yet delusional.
"You're telling me that his brother died because he absorbed him!?"
"Unfortunately, ma'am. It was unavoidable, and nothing could have been done.
"...that damned brat...he killed his own brother so he could live."
"Ma'am, that's not at-"
"Don't you lecture me about it! I thought maybe it was a misjudgement and the limbs made it seem that he had a twin, but now you're telling me that his brother was absorbed!? That is something I cannot forgive."
"But, miss, you cannot blame the child. He is not at fault."
But no matter how many times the doctor tried to persuade the distraught mother, she refused to listen. Moments later, she slammed the door on the doctor and, defeated, he left. Meanwhile, Yui, who was staring up at his mobile that hung above his crib in the room down the hall, was peacefully babbling to himself when he blinked and suddenly became conscious in that very moment, despite only being a month old and already more than a year ahead in mental development.
...m...mama...where mama?
Turning his small and irregular head, Yui looked to see an empty crib that sat next to his, the small mattress within neatly made and decorated for a child that would never begin its existence and come home to see it. Yui didn't know this, as his brain had yet to grasp the concept of death or how he absorbed his brother, but the baby felt a tingle go through him, seeing the crib, and he wiggled his little arms and legs in excitement.
...baba? Baba!
Just then, the baby had an idea. With a small struggle, Yui tried over and over to roll onto his stomach as small and quiet whimpers came from his delicate throat, but after twisting and squirming, Yui had accomplished his first task as he let a tiny, delightful laugh as he faced down on the mattress. Man, was that fun! He wanted to do that again, but a subtle reminder of 'baba' returned his attention to his end goal, which came with the next task. With a slow and strained movement, Yui struggles to get his two upper arms to push him up on the crib as his lower arms stay slack, not aware of the mobility he held, and after two minutes of struggling, Yui let out a muffled cry.
...stuck...mama! help!
So Yui cried out loud into the mattress, deeply upset with the fact that he couldn't pick himself up to see the crib in all of its glory. He cried and cried until he heard two muffled voices come near.
"Let me handle him, my love. Just take a seat and calm down, please."
"He's my child too, Sakonji. As his mother, I want to see the greedy piece of shit I produced."
"You don't mean such things."
"You are not one to tell me how I feel about my child."
"...just take a seat and take some deep breaths. I'll go see what the matter is with Yui."
A silent moment passed before a muffled 'hmph!' was heard, and only one pair of footsteps approached the door as Yui's father, Sakonji, opened the door and immediately glided to the crib that held Yui, using a soft voice to console Yui as he reached in and picked him up. Yui, surprised at the sudden change and his father's hands picking him up, flailed around in confusion as he rose higher and higher.
D-down! put down!
But Yui's internal wishes were left unheard, and suddenly he was turned around to meet the face of his father, who had a cheery face on for his newborn.
"Hey there. It's okay. Dada's here for you."
...da...dada? Dada!
Yui's cries ceased quickly and were replaced by a few giggles and incoherent babbles in an attempt to say 'dada', but more came out like this:
"Ba! ba!"
"Yeah, I'm your dada! Everything is okay, Yu-Yu. Are you hungry? Do you want to see Mama?"
Yui blinked once before raising a tiny hand and pointing at the empty crib next to his, babbling a bit quieter now but still eager to know where the other friend was.
"Baba?"
Sakonji paused as his gaze landed on the empty crib, not realizing they had forgotten to pack it and put it back in its box. From how decorated it was, one could mistake that another baby was in the residence. A beautiful blue mobile hung from above as multiple plushes and stuffed animals cuddled up cutely, awaiting for a child that would never be. With a heavy heart, Sakonji did the best he could to explain to his child.
"...baba is in a better place now...whenever you look up into the sky, he'll be watching you, alright?"
Yui's precious smile slowly fell from his face as he stared at his father in confusion, not meaning what he really meant.
Baba...in sky...huh?
Yui tilted his head, still failing to understand what his father meant. Sakonji, however, breathed in a sigh of defeat. He couldn't explain to his baby what the concept of death was yet. It was too soon to find out, but something in the back of his mind nagged at him to explain that there was no other baby that would live with Yui. He would have to stall for now.
"...how about this? Do you wanna play airplane?"
"Hanako, I want a divorce."
"You what?"
"You heard me. I want a divorce. When I married you, I knew you as someone that I loved and cared for with all my heart. I knew you as someone resilient and cared for someone even if they were struggling themself, but now...I don't even know you, Hanako. You've changed when Yui was born, and you never bothered to take care of him or even acknowledge him. What happened to your unconditional love? Yui went years thinking both his parents loved him and had a brother who lived far away. Do you know how painful that is to tell your kid a lie about his brother AND mother? About how I can't be man enough to tell him his brother died when he absorbed him in the womb-"
"Huh?"
Both parents froze, turning to see a five-year-old Yui stumble out of his room in a groggy tiredness, which had now turned into confusion. His lower right arm held a teddy bear that imitated the child's appearance, and his lower left hung slack as his top left rubbed two of his eyes to get the tears he gained from yawning out of his vision. His top right hand rubbed the back of his neck as well, and all four of Yui's eyes stared at his father. An oversized shirt hung from Yui's shoulders to fit his four protruding arms, as his unnaturally pink hair was a little messy from waking up after nap time.
"...You didn't mean that, right dad? You guys are just having a bad day, that's all...right?"
Sakonji stood petrified, not believing that he just spilled everything out right in front of his kid, as Hanako only looked at Yui in disgust. Yui winced slightly at the horrible look on his mother's face, but his innocent eyes gleamed up at Sakonji, hoping his father would say it was all a joke. But when his father sighed, and a tear broke his eyelids, Yui felt his chest flutter in a way he never desired to feel, ever.
"...I'm so sorry, Yui...I wanted to wait to tell you, but-"
Hanako, her irritation growing, interrupted and, finally, spewed her hatred at the child she had given birth to a little over five years ago, and Sakonji watched in horror as the face of his child dropped along with his teddy bear as Hanako went off.
"You killed your brother, you pest! He died because you wanted to live so damned badly, and thankfully, you came out looking like the monster you are. That way, EVERYONE knows you're worth trash and deserve the worst for what you've done. Consider yourself lucky your father cares so much for you, because if he weren't here, then I would've avenged your twin brother and made you suffer!"
"Hanako, are you out of your mind!? He's five years old, damn it!"
"So what!? He knows what he did! He doesn't deserve ANYTHING...And in fact, I'm going to do what I should've long ago."
Hanako, with a newfound aura that put fear into both Yui and Sakonji, made a beeline for the kitchen, and with a sickening realization, Sakonji turned to Yui and started for him.
"Yui, go to my room. Now. You're in grave danger."
Yui, snapping out of his trance, took a few steps back before turning and running for the bedroom his parents shared, leaving his father behind to whatever horror that would await. Slamming the door, Yui ran towards the closet and swung it open. He could feel his heart pounding through his chest as he desperately looked for a confined space to hide the irregular body of Yui. As his eyes desperately searched, he internally realized he had forgotten his teddy bear out in the hallway, and for a moment, he considered running back out to grab it.
...No. I can't. Mom's on a rampage, and Dad told me to hide. He'll protect me.
Then, he spotted it. The perfect corner. In a rush, Yui scrambled into the closet and shut the door, darkness enveloping him as Yui felt his blood rush like never before and his stomach doing flips. Never would he think that he would wake from a nap to the possibility of his mom threatening his life. It was scary, and he was scared and alone in the moment. All he wanted was his damned teddy bear to comfort him and nothing else.
"Hanako, drop that knife this instant!"
His dad was shouting. It was muffled, but Yui could hear it clearly enough and now sat with the confirmation of his mother attempting to kill him. He felt his eyes get blurry, and the tears started to drip down his face. With two of his four hands, he covered his face and balled up his legs with his other arms, silently begging for it to be over and for his mom to realize her doing.
"I said drop it, Hanako! Don't do what you'll regret!"
"Get the hell out of my way!"
"I refuse. I will not let you-"
Shuk!
"AUGH!
That was his father screaming. Screaming in pain as the unmistakable sound of flesh being stabbed into echoed in Yui's ears. His hands dropped down to his mouth as he resisted the urge to start bawling and reveal his location, but he questioned if it mattered as he heard the god-awful footsteps of his mother approaching the bedroom door.
Please please please please please please please please please please...
Creak...
Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump.
"Where are you, pest? Come get what you deserve for a long time...or are you going to continue playing this little pointless game of hide-and-seek? No answer? Fine. Ready or not, brat, here I come."
Ba-bump ba-bump ba-bump ba-bump ba-bump ba-bump ba-bump ba-bump ba-bump!
Please go away...please don't find me.
Yui barely suppressed a whimper as his mother's shadow crossed over the small ray of light that entered through underneath the door, and his chest tightened to the point where it felt like his heart was going to overdo itself any second. A long, excruciating moment went by before the door swung wide open and the knife-bearing Hanako towered over Yui as his eyes widened in fear and severe vulnerability. His eyes managed to catch the glint of the blood-stained knife as Hanako stared at the child with absolute hatred.
"Found you."
Hanako raised the knife above her head as Yui's arms shot out, palms open as if that would stop the onslaught that was about to happen. In a shrill cry, Yui screamed with tears falling down his face like a waterfall.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
To no avail, Hanako just cracked a grin as the knife came plunging. Yui scrunched his eyes closed and awaited the worst.
Slice!
...
...huh?
Yui cracked an eye open, confused why everything had gone still and quiet. Hanako, her free hand clutching her throat, dropped the knife inches from Yui and stumbled back. Her eyes, which had been hatred-filled, had gone to terror and shock as Yui suddenly saw her head slide from her neck and her entire body collapse like a rag doll. Blood spilled from the point of decapitation, and Yui watched in disgust as his mother's head rolled and stopped at an angle that had her empty eyes staring into his soul. Yui almost threw up at the sight, gagging from the awful smell of warm iron as it seeped into the floor. With a slow and shaky push, Yui picked himself up with his second pair of arms as he tip-toed around the body and the blood that was pooling fast and into the hallway. Quietly shutting the door and taking a second to look at the clean floor, he finally barfed.
"Blegh!"
Now, a puddle of puke sat messily on the floor as Yui continued to gag. He couldn't get the sight of his dead mother out of his head, and the smell of iron still lingered as he turned to look down the hallway, only to see his father clutching his side and panting heavily as tears beaded in his eyes. Yui stopped gagging and felt relief rush to him.
...Dad's still alive!"
"Dad!"
In shock, Sakonji turned his head to see his four-armed son run at him and fall into a crouch next to him. At first, he was worried Hanako had done something to Yui or was playing a trick, but then, he saw the pool of blood creep from the room and spread into the hallway, which meant Hanako had died. Taking another look at Yui, who was staring at him worriedly as the red spot on his shirt spread slowly, made a silent prayer of thanks. Yui, now scared at his dad beginning to pale, stuttered over his words.
"D-dad, you're hurt. You're bleeding. Y-you need help!"
Yui was about to stand up and run to the bathroom. He knew there was gauze in there when he fell and scraped his knee once while parkouring around the park when he was four, which also happened to be the day when he caused an entire playground to be evacuated because everyone was scared of him. As Yui was getting up, however, Sakonji put a hand on his shoulder.
"Yui...sit with me for a moment. Please..."
"But dad-"
"Please, Yui...there's something I should be truthful with you before I leave."
"...don't say that. You can be saved, Dad! I know you can!"
"...No, there isn't...your mom stabbed me pretty good...I'm a goner."
Yui felt his chest tighten again, this time in disbelief and fear for his father. More tears began to spill from his eyes as he put one of his hands on his father's shoulder.
"You can't die yet...please...I don't want you to go."
Sakonji could only look in sadness at his child. He felt himself getting weaker as the moments went by, and he lay his head against the wall before using the hand that was putting pressure on his wound to caress the face of Yui, wiping the tears that fell despite the small trace of blood that was on his fingertips.
"Yui...it's alright...everything will be alright...look...when you were born, you were supposed to have a twin brother, but you had absorbed him while in the womb...that's why your mom was so malevolent towards you. She believed you killed him and hated that. I had to take care of you with my own hands ever since I picked you up in your crib for the first time...all the motherly activities I had to bear for you because I loved you. She always stayed out of sight because she couldn't even bother looking at you...and I lied to keep you safe...Can you forgive me for lying?"
Yui could only seem to cry more as he looked at his dying father, a small sad smile etched into his face as he, of all people, was comforting Yui. he could barely get his words out as his throat trembled.
"...y-yeah...yeah, of course I can...just please...stay with me...don't leave me."
"...I can't do that, Yui...promise me one more thing."
"...w-what? what is it?"
"...after you call the police, run as far away as possible...the system is harsh, and it'll treat you like a monster...it doesn't matter wherever you end up...all I ask is that you remember...I love...you..."
Yui fell frozen as his father's hand slipped from his face and slacked against the floor, leaving a small, bloody trail on Yui's face. Yui continued to look at his father's face, which now had lost the life he once knew it had.
...maybe he's just playing around...that this is a joke, right? This is just a joke...
However, when Yui shook his father's shoulder and he didn't wake up, he felt a sob rip at his throat as he tried again.
"C'mon, wake up...wake up, please!"
After countless tries, however, Yui eventually gave up and slowly pushed himself up. Sobs continue to rip at his throat as he navigates to his room, going inside to see the singular twin-sized bed that was his.
...and there was supposed to be another one?
He couldn't think about that now, however. He went to his own closet, still completely wrecked inside from everything that just happened in the span of a few minutes. Grabbing some clothes and his favorite oversized hoodie, he packed them in a bag his father had given him as a gift for when he was allowed to start going to school. Now, it was a travel bag, never meant to be used as it was now. He grabbed a few mementos he made with Sakonji and stuffed them in his bag as well before putting it on and emerging back into the hallway. The last thing he needed to grab was his teddy bear, which had been kicked into the living room from what he saw when kneeling to his dad's aid, but getting it meant passing the dead body of him, and he couldn't bear seeing the blank face of his father. Walking down the hallway slowly with the backpack on his shoulders, he tried to avoid eye contact with the body, but he caught a glimpse of the smile that would never leave his father's face, and Yui choked back more tears as he finally passed him. Heading into the living room, which was mostly untouched for the most part, Yui picked up his teddy bear and enveloped it in a hug.
"Sorry, Mr. Bear...I didn't wanna leave you when I was scared...hopefully, you can..."
He trailed off. He couldn't finish his sentence.
With the bear now in hand, Yui stumbled over to the landline and dialed the emergency number he learned in the books his dad gave him. The line rang for a moment before a woman, who seemed young and kinder than Yui's mother, picked up the phone.
"Hello, this is 119. How may I be of service?"
"...I need help, miss...my parents are hurt."
"...oh...Of course, sweetie. What happened to your parents?"
"...They got cut up really bad...and they have really big boo-boos."
"...how bad, sweetie? Can you describe it?"
"...there's really big puddles of red on the ground."
For a moment, the line was silent, and for a second, Yui thought the woman had hung up, but he could hear background chatter as he waited for the woman to respond.
"...you okay, Mai? What's going on?"
"I have a kid on the line...I think he just witnessed his parents get murdered."
"...Holy shit...try to get an address or some clue as to where the residence is...what the hell..."
"Of course....I'm sorry, sweetie. I was talking to a friend who works with me. We're going to get your parents' help, alright?"
"...Okay...hurry, please...both of them are not breathing."
"Don't worry, we'll get help there as soon as possible. Do you know where you live by chance, sweetie?"
Yui told them the street he lives on, trying to sell how he was distraught and innocently confused. He truly was, but something in the far reaches of his mind somehow eased the distraught, as he felt like this was not new for him to see.
"Alright. I'm going to need you to stay put where you are, but out of where you can see your parents, alright? Two policemen will come and make sure there aren't any threats before they start helping your mom and dad. Are you in any danger now?"
"No...there's no bad guys..."
"Good. As long as you're safe, then that's great. Are you able to step away from veiw while on call, or is the phone connected to a wire but can't be moved out of the way? Also, are you in view of your parents?"
Taking a glance, Yui saw the body of his father still slack against the wall. With a tremble in his voice, Yui carried on.
"Y-yeah...I see dad while I'm on the phone...and I can't move the phone."
"...alright. One more thing I'll ask you to do before I let you go to stay out of view is to distract yourself anyway possible. Can you do that for me?"
"...yeah, I think I can."
"Good, good. You may let me go if you are safe, okay. Police will be there very soon."
"Alright...thank you, miss."
"No problem, sweetie..."
Soon, the line went dead, and Yui put the phone back. Now, he had to run. If the police came and saw what he was, then it would end just as badly. Heading for the front door, Yui took one more look at father and raised a hand to wave.
"...Goodbye, dad...I love you..."
With that, Yui opened the door and walked outside, embracing the world ahead of him while he grieved in silence.
Two years had gone by since his parents died.
Yui had changed a little bit as well. Growing a little more than he expected, Yui was just 5'2" now, way taller than the average seven-year-old should be. He was also way more hardened, being that he had to live in the streets now since no one would take in a boy with four arms and eyes and a bone deformation. Not only that, but Yui had discovered one way or another that he was a little more special than originally thought. One day, when cornered by a thug in an alleyway, Yui had stuck his hand out again to try to stop the thug from nearly shooting him, and the gun split in half down the barrel and kept going, severing the entire arm off of the man who attempted the mugging and had him screaming in pain, running for his life as Yui stood confused.
"Y-you monster! Fucking lunatic child!"
Yui shrugged off the comment and the pool of blood caused by the severing of the arm, though. He's heard it enough times and seen many putrid displays to barely care anymore, and besides, that instillment of fear had driven any daring criminals away from the area he made his home, which was a rotted-out dumpster he turned into a comfy loft by scavenging for soft materials and objects like pillows, blankets, and hell, even old mattresses. Yui had also set up the few mementos he took and found a way to stick them to the wall of the dumpster, which was using chewing gum he occasionally bought, or stole from if it was a desperate night, from a convenience store not too far from where he resided. Because of that instillation of fear, though, Yui was able to loot around in peace and find what was necessary. He did notice, however, that he was quite skinny because of the lack of nutrients the child had when going for food. All he really ate were tossed-out leftovers from garbage disposals, expired food, or junk from the same convenience store. It was an unfortunate predicament, but just as everything else, he could really care less. The world hated him anyway, so why should he bother helping it?
One day, however, would be the change that Yui didn't know he needed.
Just like any other day, Yui woke up to see the cover of the dumpster and pushed it open to start. Letting the sunlight in, Yui would change into the cleanest clothes that were available, and if there weren't any, he would travel to the old laundromat and do his laundry there while getting curious stares by others, which he flipped off because one, rude, and two, they had no business with him and could go die if anything. Afterward, he'll eat whatever he scavenged for breakfast and go the rest of the day looking for things he needs. Amidst this routine, it also included the usual backtrack, where some mugger or delinquent dared to either try to rob him or someone else, which started with a warning and mostly ended with something being cut off. If there was someone who was getting mugged, the person would only look at their savior in wonder before either giving him money or food (which was what he accepted, nothing else). Once he got home, he either bathed himself by walking to a nearby wash house or went to the convenience store to buy or steal something he needed that could not be acquired through regular means of scavenging.
This day turned out to be a little bit different, though. As Yui was walking through the alleyways that made up the area, or turf as he referred to, he saw a hooded man taking a stroll, smoking a cigarette as his hands were shoved into the pockets of his windbreaker. Assuming the man was up to no good, he trailed them before they stopped and turned at Yui.
"You gonna keep following me, or do you have something better to do?"
Yui, caught off guard that the man knew, raised his arms in defense as he prepared to slice this guy up with his invisible slashes.
"Get lost, dude! This is my turf! Fear me!"
The man, being rather confused as to why a child was telling him to get lost, angled his head at Yui.
"What are you gonna do if I don't?"
"This!"
With the flick of his upper right wrist, one unavoidable slash went flying at the man, and from how the air felt in distortion, it was a bullseye right for the neck. He was dead before-
"Ha! Nice cleave you threw there. You got some serious aim."
He felt a hand light grasp his left shoulder as he turned to see the hooded man squatting down right next to him. Yui was at a loss for words as the slash, or cleave as the man called it, hit an old AC unit, and a huge clatter was heard next as it came crashing down. But even with the loud noise, Yui was not fazed as he stared in disbelief.
How did he dodge that? Did he teleport or something?
The man, using his free hand to take the cigarette out of his mouth and tap the ashes off at the end, still had a shit-eating grin as his hooded face turned towards Yui.
"You wanna know something cool? I can do that too, just ten times better."
And now he's mocking me. What's next? Can this man fire a ball of purple-
"Cleave."
With a simple twitch of a finger, a dumpster that was pushed up against the wall fell to peices and a loud metal racket echoed throughout the alley. Yui blinked once, now even more surprised that the man was actually not mocking him and was telling the truth. The man turned to him again, his grin intensifying as a chuckle came from him.
"Ha ha! The look on your face is priceless, dude. Trust me, there is a lot more where that came from."
Yui, who had been surprised a moment go, was now irritated again as he pointed two fingers at the man's face and tried to shoot another 'cleave' at him, but before he could get it off, the man grabbed his wrist.
"Wow. Rude of you, don't you think? You didn't even bother to ask who I was."
"...W-why does it even matter? I couldn't care less who you are. Now let go of me!"
"...Alright, fine."
The man finally let his grip slack, and Yui pushed off, getting a tiny bit of distance from this odd man. Speaking of, the man stood up and reached into his pocket, and pulled a pack of cigarettes. Apparently, the man sacrificed the one he had earlier to show Yui what he could do, and as he pulled one fresh out of the pack, Yui huffed and relaxed. This man was no threat. Even if Yui wasn't exactly fond of him, the man had no ill motive.
"...alright...so who even are you to start?"
"There we go. You're learning."
The man squatted down a little again as Yui gave him an annoyed glare. The man reached for the hem of his hood, pulling it off casually, as the grin was still on his face. As it came down, Yui paused where he stood.
...Huh...have I met you before?
The man, his face now fully revealed, had given Yui a beat. The first thing that caught the boy's attention was the hair. It was exactly the same hue and style as Yui's, even sporting the pushed-back style Yui had preferred over the last year and a half. The next was the scars that decorated his face. One was patched upon the left side of the man's lip, like a sharp knife had stabbed him in the mouth. The other was a diagonal slash that ran from the lower part of his forehead to the side of his right eye. Battle scars, no doubt. As for the rest of the man's face, it looked awfully young, at least in his early twenties. His dark brown eyes sparkled with something close to a newfound interest, and that damned smirk was still upon his face. The man pointed a thumb at his face as he introduced himself.
"My name is Yuuji. Itadori Yuuji. Now it's your turn."
...Yuuji...it sounds so familiar, yet I can't place it...
"...my name is Yui...just Yui."
Yuuji chuckled unexpectedly, earning him an eyebrow raise from Yui.
"Hey, that sounds close to mine. Yui and Yuuji. We're already inseparable."
"Come again?"
"Nothing, Yu-Yu. I'm just playing around, that's all."
"Don't call me that."
"Whaa!? Why not? I like that nickname."
"You barely even know me. It's only Yui until we're on more personal terms."
Yuuji gave a faux frown as he gave a theatrical sigh.
"...fine, Yui it is."
"Good. Keep it that way."
Yuuji stared at Yui a bit longer before shaking his head, the cigarette still in the grasp of his lips bouncing along.
"Anything else you wanna ask me before we get to the good part?"
"...actually, yeah...why are you so familiar to me?"
That made Yuuji pause, and his eyes widened in surprise, but not before the grin that slipped earlier came back full force
"...It seems you got the memo early. I like it."
Raising a hand to rub the back of his head, Yui watches as Yuuji scratches for a moment before he speaks again.
"Where should I start...let's see...does the two words 'Binding Vow' come to mind?"
...as much as it shouldn't, it does...
"...what are you getting on about that?"
"I'll take that as a yes. What can you remember about it?"
Yui took a moment to think, trying to put the puzzle together where he had heard such a reference. Faint memories buzzed and danced in his mind as he continued to stare at Yuuji, trying to figure out where he had seen such a person long ago.
"...Please...don't become another me. I can't bear someone stealing my title as the ████████."
A tingle went down Yui's spine. As he stood there, memories started to trickle in, then break through the spiritual dam and overwhelm his mind. Memories of battles, conversations, and a past Yui never lived made his eyes go wide. As he stood there frozen, a name echoed in his mind over and over.
Sukuna...
Sukuna...
Sukuna!
Then, the echo ceased, and Yui felt...different. Every memory that crossed Yui's path had now been inherited into his flesh and bones. Looking back at Yuuji, he remembered everything.
...that's right...I made a vow with the brat.
"Hey, Yui. You okay?"
Yuuji half expected Yui to shrug it off and give him the finger (as he seemed like one who would do so), but when a smile crept up on Yui's face, and he looked back at Yuuji, there was the obvious indication that something had flipped in the boy, and Yuuji couldn't help but scuff.
"...Too soon, Sukuna?"
"...screw you, brat. My mind is still fuzzy from all those memories that jogged through my brain...and I'm still Yui...Sukuna is a thing of the past. This is my redemption, after all."
"...You're right...it's good to have you back."
"...same here, brat...same here.."