Birdsong startled Yuji awake. He sat up groggily on the wide bed and glanced to his side, no sign of Gojo. Probably in the kitchen, Yuji thought.
Stretching with a long yawn, he shuffled toward the nearby bathroom. His stomach still ached faintly, but nothing compared to the agony of last night.
The first thing he did was check his face in the mirror. Dark circles hung heavy under his eyes, a reminder of how rough the night had been.
"Did I eat something weird…?" he mumbled while splashing water on his face. Afterward, he crouched over the squat toilet. But something about the feeling was…off. Not the usual sensation at all.
Slowly, Yuji lowered his gaze, dread prickling up his spine.
"…Huh?" His eyes went wide. He jerked his head back up as if looking away would erase what he saw. "No… no way. That's just–an illusion. Has to be."
Swallowing hard, Yuji forced himself to look again.
This time, he screamed.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!"
What should have been his was gone, replaced by something undeniably feminine.
"T-this isn't mine! Hic—!" Yuji's voice cracked, panic surging. His eyes blurred with tears as he cried out, hands trembling. The sound of his distress echoed out of the bathroom.
Gojo, who had been rinsing bowls in the kitchen and humming proudly over the breakfast he'd made, froze mid-step. His head snapped toward the bedroom.
"…Yuji?" His voice sharpened, concern overtaking the usual playfulness. Without another thought, he hurried down the hall, assuming Yuji's stomach pain had returned.
Gojo pushed the door open. "Yuji! What's—"
Before he could finish, Yuji's broken sobs reached him. Gojo's breath caught, his usual smirk vanishing. He stepped closer to the bathroom door, his hand hovering uncertainly over the frame.
"…What happened to you?" Gojo knocked gently on the bathroom door.
"Yuji?"
No answer, only muffled crying.
Finally, Yuji's trembling voice broke through. "S-Senpai… my ding-ding's gone!" he wailed.
Gojo froze. "…Your what?"
"My man pride—my ding-ding! It's gone! Hwaaaaa!" Yuji's sobs grew louder, echoing pitifully.
Gojo tilted his head, shades slipping slightly down his nose. "Wait, wait—lost? You mean… like… vanished? How is that even possible?"
Yuji slammed his palm against the bathroom wall, his tears unstoppable. "I looked twice! Twice! And it's not there! It turned into—into—" His voice cracked. "I-I'm a girl now, senpai!"
Gojo blinked, completely dumbfounded. A beat of silence passed before he covered his mouth, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of Yuji's phrasing. "Yuji… are you seriously telling me your little bro respawned into the wrong DLC?"
"Senpai, this isn't funny!" Yuji yelled through his tears.
Gojo sighed, rubbing his temple, but his expression softened. "Okay, okay. Breathe. Don't panic alone in there. Open the door, let me see—"
"SEE?!" Yuji shrieked. "No way, you perv!"
Gojo raised his hands defensively, even though Yuji couldn't see. "Not like that! I mean—so I can make sure you're not hallucinating, or cursed, or… whatever this place is doing to us."
Silence fell again except for Yuji's sniffles. Finally, Yuji croaked out, "I don't… I don't wanna be stuck like this, Senpai…my ding ding hic"
Gojo leaned his forehead against the door, his voice unusually soft. "Yuji, open the door, yeah? Let senpai take a look. I mean—your whole self, okay?'"
The door creaked open just a little, Yuji's swollen, tear-streaked face peeking through. His nose was red, his eyes puffy, and his lip trembled.
"Come here, Yuji." Gojo's tone was soothing, coaxing.
He gently pulled Yuji out and guided him toward the bed. Yuji sat stiffly, still sobbing. Gojo crouched in front of him, taking his hands while brushing a calming circle on Yuji's back.
Gojo activated his Six Eyes, gaze sharpening as he scanned Yuji's body. His brows furrowed. "Weird. There's nothing wrong with your body… at least, not in the cursed energy sense."
Yuji hiccuped through tears. "Ahhh… I'm gonna die. I can't live like this…"
"Shh, shh. Don't say that." Gojo clicked his tongue and tugged Yuji into his lap, cradling him like a sulky kid. "Honestly. You panic more over your missing manhood than you did about Sukuna."
"Th-this is worse!" Yuji wailed, face buried in Gojo's chest.
Gojo's expression softened despite himself. His Six Eyes confirmed it, Yuji's had shifted. It wasn't an illusion. Still, Gojo stroked his hair and murmured, "Alright, alright. Senpai will figure out a way to change it back. Shh, you're okay."
"No way it'll change back…" Yuji mumbled miserably, fists clutching Gojo's robe.
Gojo lowered his chin onto the top of Yuji's head, his voice softer than before. "Maybe it will change back. Just… hope, Yujikun."
That only made Yuji's sobs break louder, his shoulders shaking.
"Shhh, hey, hey." Gojo patted his back gently, sighing with a crooked smile. "Never thought you'd be the type who cries this much. You're supposed to be the strong one, remember?"
Yuji sniffled hard, pressing his face deeper into Gojo's chest. "O-of course I cry! My man pride is gone!" His voice cracked, almost dramatic.
Gojo chuckled under his breath, hugging him tighter. "Man pride, huh? You're still Yuji to me. Ding-ding or no ding-ding."
Yuji pulled back just enough to glare at him through watery eyes. "That's not funny, Senpai!"
Gojo raised both hands in mock defense, his grin widening. "Alright, alright. No more jokes–for now."