The Binding Vow of Lazarus

Chapter 47

The car rumbled down the road, the tension inside thick enough to cut with a knife. Sarah sat in the passenger seat, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her jaw clenched as she stared out the window. Yuki was in the middle seat, her expression a mix of amusement and exasperation as she watched the scene unfold. Satoru, meanwhile, was behind the wheel, his usual carefree mask replaced by a sheepish grin as he tried—and failed—to defend himself.

"I can't believe you just forgot about two kids living alone," Sarah grumbled, her voice sharp with frustration. "What kind of person does that?"

Satoru winced, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "I thought they'd be fine! They'd been taking care of themselves for years before I got there."

Sarah turned to glare at him, her eyes blazing. "Yeah, well, shit has changed from your previous life, obviously. You can't just assume everything's gonna be the same. What if something had happened to them? What if they'd gotten hurt, or worse? What if they starved to death! What if the Zen'in found out Toji was dead and go to snatch them up?!"

Satoru opened his mouth to argue but quickly closed it, realizing there was no winning this one. "Okay, okay, you're right," he admitted, his tone defensive. "But the kids were pretty self-sufficient before. They're tough."

Yuki let out a laugh from the backseat, shaking her head. "Of course you'd think something like that. 'Oh, they're tough, they'll be fine.' Real responsible, Gojo."

Satoru groaned, shooting Yuki a glare. "I remembered them in the end, didn't I? It's not like I left them stranded forever. We're fixing it now. That's what matters."

Sarah rolled her eyes, turning back to the window.

One plane ride, awkward speed packing, and Tsumiki and Megumi stood in the courtyard back at the temple, their bags at their feet as they took in their new surroundings. Tsumiki looked around with wide, curious eyes, while Megumi, already a grumpy little boy from the start, scowled at everything in sight.

His dark eyes landed on Satoru, who was standing in front of them with his goofy grin, his hands tucked into his pockets. Megumi's scowl deepened, and he turned to his sister. "I want to go home," he said flatly.

Satoru chuckled, reaching out to pat Megumi on the head. "Aw, come on, kid. You're gonna love it here. I'm glad to have you back."

Megumi swatted his hand away, his expression sour. "We're not 'back.' We never wanted to be here in the first place."

Satoru ignored his protests, turning to the small group of people gathered nearby. "Everyone, meet Tsumiki and Megumi. They're gonna be staying with us!"

The group greeted the kids with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Boe and Nanami looked clearly displeased, but Haibara, Rin, and Suguru seemed fine with the new additions. Sarah was already setting up a space for the both of them, but she peeked out of the main temple's door to the scene outside.

Tsumiki smiled shyly, wringing her hands in front of her. Megumi, however, crossed his arms and looked away, his scowl firmly in place. "We don't need anything. We just want to go home."

Satoru sighed, ruffling Megumi's hair again despite the boy's protests. "You'll warm up to the place. Trust me. It's way better than being out there on your own."

Megumi glared up at him, his expression a mix of annoyance and defiance. "We were fine on our own."

Yuki, who had been watching the exchange with amusement, stepped forward and crouched down next to Sarah. "Hey, kid," she said, her tone light but firm. "You don't want to be here, fair enough. But sometimes, things don't go the way we want them to. That doesn't mean they can't turn out okay."