Jinx (Sukuna Ryomen x Reader)

003. Medusa's Snake

Night was slowly falling over Tokyo. The small, cozy ramen bar stood out with its warm lights and glowing signs, The air was filled with the captivating fragrance of bone broth bubbling in the pots. The dim lighting enhanced the skill of the chef, whose expert hands moved gracefully as he masterfully prepared the noodles at the counter. The murmur of diners, mixed with the sound of steam and noodles cooking, created a gastronomic symphony.

In the middle of the stage, Yuuji, Megumi and I were there to relax after another day of hard training. The delicious broth and the comfort of carbs soothed the stress we had accumulated over the past few days. Sukuna and I have been training restlessly for the past month for the fight that was coming up in a few days. Toji Fushiguro is a superb Muay Thai fighter, a real threat to a boxer like Sukuna. We had to be prepared.

"My brother didn't let you rest?" Yuuji asked me when he saw me stretching my neck with some help from my hands.

"Yes, he told me not to even dare to think about resting because he would kick me out of the gym," I replied. The stress in my neck came back from just thinking about his tantrums.

I understood that he was nervous about the fight. He had an important title to defend, and every fighter in his weight class and in back-to-back weight classes wanted it. Sukuna is just a king protecting his crown, but this was already too much. All his tension was slowly creeping up on my back. I had to admit that his dedication is admirable. While we were eating a delicious bowl of ramen without worrying about ruining our diets, Sukuna was still training in the empty gym.

"Sukuna always acts like this. It only gets worse with every fight," Megumi explained without looking away from his bowl.

"Doesn't he have a hobby or something like that? If he keeps tensing his muscles like that, it could be bad in the long run." I knew from experience.

"He does, but we can't help him with that." Yuuji shook his head.

"What? Why not?" I asked. I was his trainer, I should know.

Yuuji looked for a second at Megumi as if he was hesitating whether to tell me or not. It was little moments like these that made me understand why they were friends despite having two completely different personalities. They could communicate with just their looks and a few gestures. I wish I had a connection like that with someone. Yuuji let out a sigh and went back to eating, completely evading the question.

"Why don't you want to tell me?" I asked him directly.

"It's just... It's not like he gets relaxed by it. It's more like a good luck ritual," he explained reluctantly.

Good luck rituals are common in any sport. There are soccer players who sing an anthem before taking the field, baseball players who wear a special pair of socks, and fighters who tattoo talismans on their backs. I was used to that kind of thing, and I'm sure Yuuji was too.

"There's nothing wrong with that," I said.

"It is because Sukuna doesn't know how to hold back," Yuuji replied.

I could sense that he wanted to avoid the topic. I didn't know exactly why, but he must have had a good reason to do so, so I decided not to insist and continue eating, but we were no longer talking. It wasn't an awkward silence, we were just tired of the subject and needed to relax.

"Yuuji, she's his coach, maybe you should tell her," Megumi commented after finishing his bowl...

"It's unnecessary," his friend answered.

"Gojo knows about it, I think she should also know in case Sukuna tries something, don't you think?" With that comment, I knew that this was no ordinary ritual.