Ataraxia 平静 | Gojo Satoru

-'๑'-𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗-'๑'-

I arrived at the campus one hour later. As expected, Gojo was leaning against the main gate with a content smirk, casually studying his fingernails.

"Of course, you would waste your time for this," I said flatly.

"Wouldn't miss it for a cookie batch," he replied with a smug grin.

Snorting, I shoved past his frame, making my way towards the teacher's block.

"Sensei!"

Both Gojo and I jerked our heads towards the approaching pink-haired boy. He halted in front of me with a worried frown.

"Have you seen Kugisaki? She's been missing since breakfast."

"What do you mean, missing?" I blinked.

Yuji shrugged. "She mumbled something about having to go shopping, and the next hour I went to see her, she was gone."

"She's in the city then," Gojo added casually.

I gave him a disapproving look before shifting my eyes back to the student. "You should get Megumi and make sure she's alright," I said, fishing out my wallet and placing a few notes in his palm. "And get yourselves something to eat."

"Thank you so much, sensei!" Yuji beamed. "Fushiguro is with Geto-senpai, though."

"Huh?" I exchanged a glance with Gojo.

"He's helping him out with something, I don't know, technique-related," Yuji explained, pocketing the money.

"Where are they?" I asked.

"At the gym, last time I checked. I'll go fetch him then."

"Actually, we were heading there right now, so I'll let Megumi know you're waiting for him," I pointed a thumb behind me at Gojo.

Though I didn't doubt Yuji's secrecy and trust, the fewer people suspected something was up, the better. At least for now.

"Oh, alright," he smiled.

Gojo smiled back, ruffling his hair as he walked, and I found myself doing the same. The boy grinned.

We stepped into the heated gym minutes later. I was surprised to see Geto and Megumi actually engaged in hand-to-hand sparring, splashes of grey and black fading on the floor. Shoko was lying on her back on top of a few sprawled mattresses, fidgeting with her phone.

"Yo," Gojo greeted.

"Hey guys," Shoko mumbled, too distracted by the screen to actually look at us.

The next second, Megumi got sent to the ground with a softened thud, clasping Geto's outstretched hand. "Your balance can often be neglected when you focus too much on the summon," he explained. "So always prioritize your defense."

Megumi nodded, wiping the sweat off his face. They both looked quite winded. "What if I can deal a killing blow at that cost?"

Geto looked at him for a moment before bumping his fist against the boy's chest. "When you fight, you fight to win. You can't win if you're dead," he chuckled. "Or at least, it's up to you, the value of your life."

"What's going on here?" I cut in with a curious smile. The two shifted their attention to me, looking as if they just now became aware of my presence.

"Geto-senpai was helping me train my shikigami control," Megumi explained, nodding his head slightly. "I asked him."

My smile grew as I met my friend's shining eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. "That's good."

Geto grinned, flinging a towel over his shoulder as he walked to my side, placing a chaste kiss on my forehead. "He's a talented one."