A Dead Man's Return

IX. Morality

"Uh... sure– ask away."

"Great! So my first question is about your ability to see those weird creatures all around Tokyo. When were you able to start seeing them? Was it before or after the incident?" Yuji asked curiously, the latter turning away and staring out of the window. The apartment was lit by a single lightbulb located in the living room and was generally quiet inside the space, albeit the voices of the two teens.

"I... um. I don't remember. It came out of the blue but I didn't pay too much attention to the day."

Itadori nodded his head cautiously, getting the feeling that Junpei wasn't telling the whole truth, but nonetheless rolled with it. "Alright... next thing I wanted to ask is if you saw someone at the theater– a guy around my height, has super dull blue hair, almost grey, and has stitches all over his body. Whether it was the day of the murders or around that time."

Yoshino visibly tensed up, his mind pondering back to Mahito's warnings. It was sad, because Itadori was a great guy and seemed like he would be a really good friend– but he was Mahito's enemy at the end of the day. Jujutsu Sorcerers in general were Mahito's enemies. The black haired high schooler shook his head with a frigid look in his eye. "No, not that I can remember."

The vessel nodded his head with understanding. It wasn't like he could just dive into Junpei's brain to tell if he was lying or not. Of course, he was taking everything the boy was saying with a grain of salt, but for now he wouldn't pry anymore. "Alrighty then, that's really all I have to ask. Thanks for helping out Junpei."

"No problem." The boy exhaled, his eyes warming up a little as he turned towards Yuji. "Itadori... can I ask you a question?"

"Go for it."

"You're a Jujutsu Sorcerer right? That button on your uniform looked familiar. I double-checked online when you left the first time."

Yuji wasn't sure whether he should just spill the beans or keep quiet. What was the point of hiding it anymore? He had gotten all he needed out of Yoshino, so it wouldn't be a problem... right? "Yeah– or well, I'm attending the school to become one full-time. You've seen it before?"

Junpei shook his head, his black eyes stuck on the two golden buttons with the distinguishable insignia of Jujutsu Tech on it. It wasn't like he knew a whole ton, just word of mouth from Mahito. "Heard stories about it. It must be hard work."

"Harder than anything I've done before. Tiring in all senses." The vessel sighed, running his fingers through his pink hair and shaking it around. "But the people I've befriended have made it all worth it. I wouldn't have met you if I wasn't a Jujutsu Sorcerer, so that's even more reason why it's pretty great. I get to meet all kinds of people from all over the place."

"That sounds cool. Friends are hard to come by." The latter pressed his fingers together, a thought in mind. "You told me that you've seen people die before while you work. But have you ever... killed someone?"

Yuji's eyes shadowed a little, a dark atmosphere suddenly engulfing the dining table. The vessel stayed quiet for a few moments, the clock's mellow ticking on the wall being all that made noise for those few seconds. Itadori raised his head with his eyes casted down. "I've contributed to deaths. Sometimes... you're just left with no choice. I can't say that I've directly murdered a person before, though."

Junpei nodded his head slowly, his mind circling through the last couple months of his life. They had been hell, thanks to those bullies, but now that they were dead, he felt a little better knowing that he could go to school and not have to worry about them. Death seemed to answer the problems that he's had in his own life– and fueled the apathy he already felt towards this world and those who inhabited it. "I've always wondered how it would feel to end someone's life. Especially somebody that you hate."