Chapter Text
The next morning at work, Sanemi was called in to a meeting with the director of psychiatric care. His plan to get the director to trust him with high-profile patients had been working– and a little too well. He was being given new, significant patients every week.
“I assume you’ve grown accustomed to treating VIP patients, is that correct?” the director asked.
“Of course,” Sanemi replied, plastering a fake smile on his face. “And it is always my goal to give them the same treatment I’d give a normal civilian.”
“I’m glad to hear it, because today we have a drop-in. I’m wondering if you’re up for it? Everyone else is… wary of this patient.”
“Truly? They must be quite the powerful figure.”
“Yes, well… the patient is the former first lady. We assume she’s suffering from intense persecution complex. Considering who she is, you’ll need to be showing extreme care and discretion.”
“I… see.”
“What do you think? Can I count on you? You won’t end up being watched by the current administration simply for treating the wife of the National Unity Party chairman!”
“Nakime Kibutsuji,” Sanemi thought. “Muzan’s wife…”
“Understood, sir,” Sanemi said. “You can count on me.”
…
“Good day to you, Mrs. Kibutsuji,” Sanemi greeted her, his smile practiced. “My name is Dr. Shinazugawa, and I’ll be taking care of you.” His tone was calculated to sound friendly, but not too eager. “Please, take a seat.”
“Y– yes…” Nakime sat in the chair across from Sanemi. “You’re… Giyu’s husband. Correct?”
Sanemi nodded. “Yes, that’s correct.”
“It appears Giyu has been gradually deepening his relationship with Nakime, enough that he’s provided a huge assist to my mission without knowing…” Sanemi thought, eyes narrowing. “I must make the most of this opportunity. One this big may never arise again.”
“Now, you listed headaches, insomnia, diminished appetite… when did these symptoms begin?” Sanemi asked. “What do you think could’ve triggered them?”
Nakime hesitated, eyes darting around the room as if to search for any signs of danger.
“Please, feel free to speak openly with me,” Sanemi urged. “As a doctor, I’m bound by an oath of confidentiality, so I won’t divulge our discussions or the fact that you’re being treated here to anyone. Which includes my husband, Giyu, of course. And in the extremely unlikely event that our sessions were to cause any harm to you, I would expect and encourage you to report me to the authorities.”
“Come on,” Sanemi thought. “Open up. Tell me about your life. Your family. Your husband…”
“While you may be the wife of a party chairman, you too are a human being,” Sanemi continued. “And so… even if it’s only little by little… I hope you’ll share whatever might be troubling you so that I can help you find a solution.”
“Nakime Kibutsuji… whatever tiny little crumbs of intel you know that might be of use to operation strix… won’t you please disclose them to me?”
“I’m here… as a mother,” Nakime said. “And… as a wife.”
“I take it you’re experiencing some sort of distress involving your family, then?”
Nakime nodded and took a deep breath. “Doctor, tell me… do you believe in demons?”
Sanemi blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, you mean… as in… magical creatures?”
Nakime nodded, expression serious.
“What do I do? What’s the correct answer?” Sanemi thought. “No, as a psychiatrist, my job is to hear her out without negating her or shutting her down.”
“Well, that’s a tough question…” Sanemi trailed off. “I’ve never seen one myself… but it’s intriguing to consider the possibilities. I’ve personally looked over the reports of paranormal activity and strange creatures from Nortican researchers about the possibility of telepathy, teleportation, telekinesis, immortality, and other supernatural occurrences. It’s quite interesting. Is there… a connection between demons and your family, Mrs. Kibutsuji?”
“Is Rui interested in the topic?” Sanemi thought to himself. “Or could it be that Muzan is in some way connected to it?”
Nakime clenched her fists. “It’s about… my husband.”
“It IS Muzan!” Sanemi thought.
“In truth, my husband… is a demon.”
Silence stretched between them. For the first time since the beginning of the session, Sanemi couldn’t find what to say next.
“C– come again?” Sanemi croaked.
“I said… my husband is a demon,” Nakime repeated, confident in her statement.
“I– hmm… I understand,” Sanemi said, lying through his teeth. He did not understand in the slightest. “What aspects of your husband’s behaviour has led you to that conclusion?”
“Maybe it’s just a metaphor for a person she finds strange and impossible to comprehend,” Sanemi thought.
“W– well…”
But before Nakime could continue, a violent shudder shook her body to the core.
“N– no, I really can’t do this… if he were to find out about…”
“Please, Mrs. Kibutsuji, relax,” Sanemi said, trying to calm her down. “There’s no one here who can cause you any harm.”
“That’s NOT true!” Nakime shouted, standing to her feet. “YOU HAVE NO IDEA!”
“Why is she so distressed about this?” Sanemi thought. “I have to get to the bottom of this.”
“I promise you, as a doctor, I will always be an ally to my patients, no matter their circumstances,” Sanemi explained carefully. “If, hypothetically, you are being harmed by your husband, we can find a suitable place for you, where you and your son will be safe.”
“And perhaps this could lead to criminal charges being filed against him…?” Sanemi thought. “If we could use those to remove him from power, it could spell an end to all his warmongering ambitions. Of course, it’s never as simple as just that. There are still plenty of National Unity Party members within the SSS and the justice department. Still, if we can plant a single seed of scandal, it may one day bloom into a powerful weapon against him.”
“So once more, I–”
“He hasn’t done a thing to me,” Nakime said, sitting back down, perfectly still. “That man hasn’t done anything to me.”
“Could he be controlling her in such a way as to make her say that, or even make her believe it?” Sanemi thought.
“Even if he hasn’t outright done something to abuse you, people can still be hurt by the words or demeanors of others. Now, I myself do not know whether he’s harmed you. That said… what is clear to me is that you are presently enduring a great deal of suffering. And it’s your effort to fight off that suffering that has brought you to the hospital today.”
Nakime closed her eyes, and then opened them again, looking as weary as ever. “I suppose you’re correct… but it’s too late.”
“It’s never too late to–”
“No. There’s no point in fixing a facade. I can’t even remember when all of this began. Was it shortly after my son was born? I can’t quite recall, but it was some time ago. Around then, he became a different person. He began pushing everyone around him away, and he barely spoke to anyone at all. One day I realized… he hadn’t simply changed… but a demon had assumed his identity.” Nakime laughed to herself, though there wasn’t a hint of joy in the sound. “You probably think I just said something completely ridiculous. Of course you do.”
“Could this be delusional misidentification syndrome?” Sanemi thought. “But I haven’t seen any of the brain pathology associated with the condition. Even the basic cognitive test she took earlier showed no signs of impaired mental functioning.”
“The real him is gone,” Nakime said. “Forever. Earlier, you asked me what my basis was for reaching that conclusion.”
“Yes…” Sanemi trailed off, still stunned. “What is it?”
“We rarely converse, but something becomes more clear every time we interact, and… it terrifies me,” Nakime said, another shudder going through her. “That my husband– no, that demon– HE CAN READ PEOPLE’S MINDS.”
Sanemi blinked. “W… what?”
“He’s telepathic,” Nakime said. “And that’s why… all your promises of confidentiality don’t matter. Sooner or later, he’ll know that I’ve come here.”
“The belief that one’s mind is being read is a common delusion,” Sanemi thought. “As is feeling that one is in an impossible situation from which they’re powerless to remove themselves. And yet…”
“I’m scared,” Nakime said, voice shaking. “I don’t know what he is. I know I have to protect my son, but… I’m too afraid of him. It takes everything that I have to protect myself. Whether that man decides to engage with Rui or ignore him completely… I have to go along with it.”
“That must be hard for you,” Sanemi sighed. “If I may ask, though, has your husband ordered you to? Does he tell you to do as he says?”
Nakime shook her head furiously.
“Mrs. Kibutsuji, even small cognitive biases can lead to a communication breakdown between two people,” Sanemi explained. “Don’t you think that it’s possible if you and your husband were to discuss these concerns, it might alleviate your fears? Now, it might be easier to do so with the help of a neutral third party. In which case… suggesting that your husband also see a psychiatrist may be one way to do that. Although I can’t say I have experience working with telepathic demons… you could even invite him with you to one of our sessions, if you’d feel comfortable.”
“You– you think that I…?”
“Only if you’re comfortable with it, of course. The health and well-being of you and your son is our top priority. I simply ask you to consider that an honest dialogue with him may reveal he’s been a friendly demon all along.”
“A… friendly demon?”
“It’s a possibility to consider. We’ll pursue exploring his nature with great care. Another idea we should be open to is that he’s not a demon at all. I’ll research the various possibilities before our next session.”
“Next… session?”
“Yes, well… a problem of this nature takes time to resolve. And if you don’t mind, I would like you to write in this notebook whatever you can remember about the times you’ve thought he was reading your mind, and how that made you feel.”
“A– alright…”
“For now, we’ll get you a thorough medical examination, and prescribe a few light medications for your physical symptoms.”
“So… you think… that I’m sick.”
“As I said before, I think you’re suffering, and I want to support your recovery with all that I’m capable of. For your own sake, and your family’s. I hope to see you back for another session next week. In the meantime, if the medications don’t agree with you, or anything else troubles you, feel free to contact us.”
“I hope I’m not pushing too hard,” Sanemi thought. “As for her condition… I’ll wait to see her examination results before I dig too deeply.”
…
Muichiro was sitting on the couch folding origami paper kites when the door opened and shut with a click. Sanemi had returned.
“Welcome home, Sanemi,” Giyu said. “I hope you had a good day at work.”
Sanemi nodded. “Thank you, Giyu.”
“Because of you, I’m now in direct contact with Nakime.”
“Dad was furthering the mission…” Muichiro realized, listening to Sanemi’s thoughts carefully.
“But this idea of reading other people’s minds…” Sanemi thought. “No way could anyone actually do that.”
“I can…” Muichiro jolted listening closely. “WAIT…”
“If an ability such as that existed, it would bring down every intelligence agency in the world,” Sanemi thought, sighing. “Muzan Kibutsuji. The more I learn about him, the less I understand.”
“FOR REAL!?” Muichiro screamed internally. “THE EVIL BOSS HAS THE SAME POWER I DO!?”