Remember? [Satoru Gojo x Reader]

chapter 40

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September 2004

"I'm glad the weather is finally cooling down," you sighed, relaxing backwards onto your beach towel. Satoru sits down next to you in the sand.

"Yeah," he agreed. Then, after a moment, "Cool like me."

You smiled. "You wish! The summer was hot because of me, actually, so sorry about that!"

"No wonder it's getting cooler."

"Satoru!" You swung at his shoulder, and he smiled at you playfully, dodging the hit.

Six months have done well to mature your feelings towards Satoru. You had denied it at first, but there was no denying it now. You liked him.

I like him, you thought, watching his silvery hair flow in the slight autumn breeze. The salty air of the ocean caused his hair to curl at the ends, giving his hair a tousled look. And although his looks alone would've been enough to charm you, it was much more than that.

It was the way he silently cared for you when he held your bags or opened doors for you, the way he allowed his sense of humor to shine through when he was with you, the way he encouraged you in training and kept you motivated.

Selfishly, you were glad no one else had approached him in the past year. You were going to be the one to be there for him through thick and thin. And you were going to be the one to make him smile.

"Falling in love?" Satoru turned to catch your eye. You looked away laughing.

"As if, Satoru. You wish I did."

"Well, with the look you're giving me, I don't think I need to wish."

You shook your head, pulse jumping. He had become a lot more cheeky in the past months. But you liked it. It was like his inner self was finally being revealed. It wasn't enough, though. It wasn't enough just for you to be there for him. You wanted to know, to understand and appreciate everything about him.

And while you had never dared to bring up Satoru's past, curiosity had been eating away at you, urging you to find out more. Should I ask him about his past?

You looked out towards the beach waves, enjoying the warmth of the sun on your skin. Was it even a good idea to ask? He had been so guarded about his past life that you still barely knew anything about him, even though he had been slowly letting his guard down. It was a question constantly on your mind. I think I'll ask...

"Can you tell me more about your past?" You muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Your question was met with silence. One second, two seconds... Did you upset him? In the past year with him Satoru had never been upset at you. The thought of upsetting him made your heart race, and you took in a breath.

"I- You don't have to answ-"

"I wanted to run away." His sudden answer cut you off. You had not expected him to answer at all, much less start explaining.

From what? You wanted to ask. But you kept your mouth closed in case it would discourage him from continuing his story.

"I hated my life, (Y/N)."

What could be so bad about living in the city?

"I hated it all. Being the chosen one, I hated the way everyone treated me, how every one of my moves was watched, how I always had to keep a low profile. I was never free. I'm still not. I'm sure they're watching me now, somehow."

What the- The chosen one? Was he living some kind of gang life?

"And I was expected to act like an adult. I couldn't enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood, like everyone here does. Everyone here is so far away from the real world. You're lucky to be away, (Y/N)."

Hearing this, you were only left with more confusion. When Satoru didn't continue telling his story, you prompted him with a question. "What's... the chosen one?"

He let out a contemptuous laugh. "The chosen one? I'm 'the first person in four-hundred years to inherit both the Limitless and Six Eyes jujutsu techniques, the pride of the Gojo family' as they say. They treat me as if I were some kind of tool, like they could use me for their personal gain. Every one of my moves had to be watched to make sure that I was never kidnapped or murdered. It's suffocating."

Gojo. Was that his last name? Gojo Satoru?

"So my family put me here. An island far away from the mainland, away from all the bullshit. I'm glad I could run away for a while like this."

Puzzle pieces began to click in your mind. His explanation had only confirmed your belief. He obviously didn't have a childhood growing up, or even anyone on his side.

"You didn't have any frien-"

"I wasn't allowed to," He cut off your question before you could finish, as if he couldn't bear to hear the word. Frustration and loneliness emanated off him in waves. "Anyone could've been a threat to me."

You reached out and took his hand, intertwining your fingers and squeezing. "I'll always be here. I'll never understand the pain you had to go through but I'll always be here to listen, okay?"

"I can't stay here forever, (Y/N)." Satoru said, softly.

Your heart dropped. Of course not, what were you expecting? But regardless, you had found yourself hoping that you could build a life with him here, even if it meant staying away from the city.

"Hey," You called out. "Look at me."

Satoru tore his gaze from the ocean, meeting your eyes. His icy blue eyes had never been more clear, more vulnerable.

"Thank you for sharing. I know it was hard for you. But look forward from now on, okay? Put everyone behind you. From now on, I want you to focus on yourself. Because that's what matters the most. Do it to spite them, to show that you can thrive. Do it for yourself. Do it for me. I, above anyone else, want to see you thrive. Got it? You mean a lot to me. I'm glad you came here."

Hearing your words, a soft smile danced on his lips. His eyes softened at your gaze. The smile that always melted your heart, that you rarely got to see.

"And keep smiling. I love your smile, and keep making those stupid jokes of yours. It makes me happy." You could feel your cheeks warming up, and your heart jump, but you felt that in this moment, it was something he needed to hear. To know that someone cares about him for more than just his power.

"If or when you leave in the future, think of me when you're upset or sad, okay? I'll be thinking of you too. And promise me you'll stay safe and that we'll stay in touch somehow." You didn't want to think of the possibility of him leaving. In fact, it had never hit you till now. One day, you would lose him.

Satoru shook his head. "There's no 'if'. I have to leave some day. But I promise. You have to stay safe too, okay?"

You laughed, ignoring the first half of his remark. "There's nothing to hurt me on this tiny island here. I'm safe as can be."

His eyes reflected the ocean, and you knew that behind those eyes, there was a tide of emotions as deep as the ocean. This boy in front of you was not your typical fourteen year old boy. He had been forced to grow up and to live a life without freedom.

Despite that, you were consoled knowing that he was safe here, for now. 

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(｡o_o｡)""

sincerely apologize

Word count: 1300 words

Published December 21, 2023

I do not own any of the characters from Jujutsu Kaisen.