Becoming Sukuna

The malicious, tyrannical aura swept through the entire clubroom in an instant. Hikigaya Hachiman froze, his whole body stiff, as if bound by invisible chains. A coldness that pierced his bones shot up his spine to his head, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. Even his breathing came to a halt.

It felt as if a primordial beast had locked onto him. His adrenaline surged, and cold sweat instantly drenched his back.

I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die!

The primal instinct of survival screamed within him like a blaring siren, warning him of imminent death.

The next moment, that overwhelming pressure abruptly vanished. Hikigaya Hachiman instinctively stepped back. Losing his balance, he fell from his chair onto the ground. He sat there helplessly, trembling, his wide eyes filled with fear as he stared at Yukinoshita Yukino, gasping for breath.

Yukinoshita turned her head, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Though the oppressive aura had disappeared, Hikigaya still didn't dare move, as if she were still some unseeable, incomprehensible force.

"See? Told you," Sukuna's voice rang in Yukinoshita's mind.

"What did you do?" Yukinoshita asked inwardly, curiosity tinged in her tone. "Why is he so terrified?"

"I merely released a tiny bit of my aura," Sukuna chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery. "For an ordinary person, not wetting himself is already impressive."

Yukinoshita fell silent for a moment before responding coldly: "Can't you control yourself a little? This level of intimidation wasn't necessary."

"Oh?" Sukuna scoffed. "Intimidation? That's an understatement. A nuclear bomb would be a better analogy. Regular people respond with primal fear, but if this were a sorcerer, they'd be even more terrified."

Yukinoshita pondered for a moment, then decided she'd better restrain herself in the future and avoid unnecessary clashes with Sukuna.

"What now?" she asked.

"No rush," Sukuna snorted. "The teacher outside the door is still eavesdropping."

At that moment, Shizuka Hiratsuka, who had been listening from outside the door, heard the sound of a chair tipping over. She pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing Hikigaya Hachiman sprawled on the floor with a look of abject horror on his face, she asked in confusion, "What's going on in here?"

Hikigaya Hachiman didn't answer, still staring at Yukinoshita Yukino as if she were some kind of predator, his body tense and ready to flee at a moment's notice.

Hiratsuka couldn't help but feel exasperated. This kid seems to have bigger issues than I thought. Sharing a room with Yukinoshita and getting this scared?

Based on what she knew of Yukinoshita, while the girl was undeniably sharp-tongued and strict, she would never resort to anything overtly threatening. And besides, Hiratsuka had been just outside the door, listening in to ensure nothing went awry. She hadn't heard Yukinoshita say anything overly harsh.

So, the problem had to lie with Hikigaya.

Seeing no response from him, Hiratsuka turned her gaze to Yukinoshita.

"I just looked at him," Yukinoshita explained calmly. "I don't know why Hikigaya-kun fell over."

"Just that?" Hiratsuka glanced at the still-frightened Hikigaya Hachiman again, frowning slightly. "If you're really this uncomfortable, we can forget about joining the club."

Yukinoshita didn't reply. Instead, she glanced at Hikigaya, tugged the corners of her lips into what was supposed to be a smile, though it looked strained. But to Hikigaya Hachiman, her eyes conveyed an unmistakable message: If you run, you die.

This is terrifying. Why is the most famous girl in school such a frightening person? No, wait—is the thing sitting in front of me even human? That's up for debate.

Forget leaving the club. If possible, Hikigaya wanted to transfer schools. But both quitting and transferring were out of the question. He was certain that if he dared leave, he'd never see his beloved sister, Komachi, again.

"No, I'm fine. I just tripped, that's all," Hikigaya muttered, forcing himself to stand up. He righted his chair and sat back down, his hands resting neatly on his knees, as obedient as a grade schooler.

"Really? You're not forcing yourself, are you, Hikigaya?" Hiratsuka asked, frowning slightly. She seemed to have linked Hikigaya's behavior to social anxiety or some similar psychological issue.

"Sensei, do I look like someone who forces himself?" Hikigaya forced a bitter smile. "I'm a man who's given up on working and dreams of becoming a househusband. Living an easy life is my ultimate goal."

Though he tried to make a joke, inside, Hikigaya was screaming in despair.

Leave, Hiratsuka-sensei! Leave quickly! If you anger Yukinoshita, she might actually kill you!

After what had just happened, Hikigaya no longer doubted the horrifying monsters he had seen earlier that morning. Instinctively, he began associating Yukinoshita Yukino with those creatures.

"Alright, then. Get along, you two," Hiratsuka said, shrugging. She still felt something was off, but she had other responsibilities to attend to. As both a literature teacher and a student counselor, her workload was heavy, and she couldn't monitor the two of them constantly.

With Hiratsuka gone, the clubroom fell silent once more. Hikigaya Hachiman cautiously stole a glance at Yukinoshita Yukino's expression. He thought he had followed her unspoken command to stay, so she should be satisfied now…right?

Her expression didn't look pleased at all!

Hikigaya Hachiman broke out in cold sweat.

That's not a smile! Not a smile! How is that a smile? It's supposed to be subtly meaningful, not terrifying! No wonder you don't have friends!

The annoying voice of Sukuna echoed in Yukinoshita's mind. "Your so-called 'smile'—if you even call it that—is why you don't have friends."

Smiling and having friends are unrelated, Yukinoshita countered inwardly. And under duress, an unnatural smile is perfectly normal.

Fine. When someone shares happy news with you, just try responding with that ghastly excuse of a smile. See how that goes.

Being forced to smile doesn't mean I can't smile naturally. Mixing logic and nonsense is the tactic of a scoundrel.

Hikigaya's still looking at you.

…

Yukinoshita's expression turned momentarily complex, leaving Hikigaya Hachiman even more terrified. Although he sensed a certain awkwardness in her demeanor, it felt more like witnessing a live-action middle school syndrome than something relatable.

But given Sukuna's earlier display of intimidation, Hikigaya didn't dare entertain any disrespectful thoughts toward the girl. To him, she was likely plotting some unfathomable scheme—perhaps even considering where to bury him.

Yukino begins by realizing how foolish it was to argue with Sukuna or act on his advice. She resolves to stop letting him influence her decisions, especially regarding her current task of mentoring Hikigaya Hachiman to fix his "rotten and chuunibyou personality." Despite Sukuna's taunts and attempts to undermine her reasoning, Yukino firmly decides to ignore him. Sukuna retreats to his domain, observing silently and waiting for his chance to act.

With her resolve solidified, Yukino confronts Hachiman, declaring her intent to correct his twisted personality and make him a useful member of society. Hachiman, visibly intimidated, obediently agrees, though his exaggerated deference further irritates Yukino, making her feel that Sukuna's meddling lingers in the dynamics of their interaction. Yukino concludes that changing Hachiman's overly submissive behavior is her first step in fulfilling the teacher's request.

This scene effectively highlights Yukino's struggle to maintain control against Sukuna's manipulations while navigating the complex relationship with Hachiman. Let me know if you'd like to refine or analyze this further!

"Is this woman really unaware or what?"

I get it. She must be trying to trick me. If I show even the slightest sign of letting my guard down, she'll undoubtedly tear me apart without mercy!

"You're absolutely right."

Not only did my tone not normalize, but it also became even more respectful!

Even without hearing Sukuna's voice, Yukinoshita Yukino could imagine his hateful, mocking face in her mind.

Forget it. It's probably because this parasite-kun scared him so badly that in his eyes, I've already become some sort of evil villain.

Yukinoshita Yukino pinched the bridge of her nose in mild frustration and asked in a rather regretful tone, "Hikigaya-kun, how long has it been since you last talked to a girl?"

As soon as she said this, even Hikigaya Hachiman, who had resolved to play the role of a groveling subordinate licking his superior's shoes to survive, couldn't help but falter for a moment.

His mind blanked out, the hands of time rewound, and his memories jumped back to the past.

I remember... it was June, two years ago...

That summer lacked the cool sweetness of watermelon or the fizzy citrus tang of soda. Instead, it was filled with black marks of embarrassment that made me want to roll on the ground whenever I recalled them, unable to share with anyone.

Sunlight pierced through the tree shade, and the cicadas buzzed briefly before falling silent again. The classroom's old air conditioner hummed, struggling to lower the temperature, but the students inside were still sweating profusely.

"Hey, isn't it too hot today?" said the girl at the neighboring desk as she turned around.

"More like it's stifling!" The dead-eyed boy who was fiddling with his collar froze for a moment before quickly responding.

"Ah… uh-huh..." The girls at the neighboring and rear desks exchanged an awkward glance.

Ahhhhhhh!

Triggered by his protective mechanism, the black history memory automatically cut off. Hikigaya's dead gaze regained a glimmer of light, and as his consciousness returned to the present, cold sweat broke out all over his body.

What a terrifying woman! She managed to shake my spirit with just one sentence!

This is undoubtedly an open scheme! If I hide my embarrassing past, I'll be killed for lying; but if I get angry about revealing it and disrespect her, I'll still be killed!

It wouldn't be surprising if one day, I end up being killed just because I stepped into the Service Club with my left foot first!

In any case, to live as long as possible, I must maintain a respectful attitude to the very end.

Hikigaya Hachiman cautiously glanced at Yukinoshita Yukino with a wary gaze, then pretended to scratch his head nonchalantly, obediently recounting his embarrassing history in full detail.

Seeing his unwaveringly obedient demeanor, the girl sighed helplessly. "There's a long road ahead. Since you've joined the club, the first thing you should understand is the club's mission."

"Yes… Speaking of which, what kind of club is this?" Hikigaya asked curiously. Even though he was a social outcast, he knew that a club needed at least four members to be officially formed and receive a classroom from the student council.

Yet, as far as he could see, this club seemed to have only Yukinoshita Yukino and himself, who had just been forcibly recruited.

"It's the Service Club."

"It's Sukuna's Cursed Technique Class."

Two completely different voices came from the same person.

"Eh?"

Hikigaya Hachiman was dumbfounded, while Yukinoshita Yukino immediately turned bright red, covering her face with her hands.

Did I see that correctly? A... mouth appeared on Yukinoshita's face?

Hikigaya Hachiman, well-read and widely experienced, knew from movies and novels alike that when an insignificant character stumbled upon some secret, their fate was practically sealed.

Witnessing this eerie scene, the boy remained calm. Instead of panic, his face was serene, his lips curled into a faint smile tinged with a hint of solitude. It seemed as if a holy light emanated from behind him.

Dear Komachi, there's no need to make dinner for your brother tonight. Your brother is setting sail for distant shores...

Why did you come out!? Didn't you promise you wouldn't? Liar!

"Well, you're the one who muted me." The mouth reappeared on the back of Yukinoshita Yukino's hand, where her palm was covering her face. Not only that, but the small, scar-like eyes also opened, with crimson pupils staring directly at the dead-eyed boy.

The moment their eyes met, Hikigaya Hachiman understood. The demonic shadow he had seen earlier was this so-called Sukuna.

It wasn't Yukinoshita Yukino, but this entity residing within her, sharing the same body—Sukuna.

Considering Yukinoshita's reluctant behavior earlier, she must be a victim too. Why this happened to her, however, remained a mystery.

In an instant, Hikigaya pieced together the situation and decided to surrender to fate.

This terrifying entity seemed bound by Yukinoshita herself, meaning he likely wasn't in any danger. Conversely, if Sukuna truly wanted to kill him and Yukinoshita couldn't stop it, running would be pointless.

Moreover, Hikigaya couldn't sense any malice from Sukuna. In fact, he keenly realized that what had happened today might be a turning point in his life.

A new world's door appeared before him, slightly ajar, with a dazzling light streaming through, beckoning him to push it open.

Monsters visible only to a select few, the hidden side of the world, the boss-like entity dwelling within the girl… isn't this straight out of a light novel?

The dormant middle-schooler spirit of Hachiman the Great Bodhisattva began to stir faintly once more