[ Ignoring the jostling at his shoulder, Denji heaps the blankets over his head, curling inward as tight as he can, his legs bunny kicking out at Aki. Noticeably targeted for his crotch because even when he isn't looking at him, his aim is impeccable. ]

Go away! Leave me alone! Stupid, dummy, shithead!

[ His heart is as loud as the percussion of pots and pans in his ears. Not even Denji knows why he's reacting so viscerally like this, why the idea manifests in a full-bodied rejection. ]

I'm not… I'm not gonna be an adult. [ It's a truer statement than he realizes in the moment he says it to Aki. Not just a refusal of the responsibilities that come with growing up, but a rare acknowledgement of his own limitations — that the milestone isn't his to have. Some people just don't get things in life, and some people just don't get long lives at all. That was true for both his parents. And every morning when he coughs up blood and buries the dirty tissues deep, deep inside the waste basket, he knows it's true for him, too. ] So I don't gotta do adult things! You can go on your stupid prayer trip, I don't care! So long! Hasta la vista!