Living with Satoru was as you expected. He was a
little obnoxious and used up all the hot water until you scolded him.
Quickly he learned in fear of making you angry and kicking him out back to his place.
After a few tries of him trying to convince you to move to a different place where he could help you live beyond your needs, you declined.
He eventually learned again. Satoru couldn't convince you to move especially with his money.
If you couldn't afford it on your own, it wouldn't happen. The only thing you were open to is for him to pick up his slack.
Satoru began cleaning up, even cooking, and paying a portion of the rent.
You only allowed him to pay a little less than half, wanting to be fair considering he did buy the groceries for the most part.
There were moments when you even wondered why you gave in to his idea of letting him move in.
He was insistent and sworn it would be easier if he were closer
All of that was a lie. Satoru was just sick of being alone.
While Truthfully your routine didn't exactly make you proud. Having him around guaranteed change, your days wouldn't be repeated anymore.
With that, it didn't mean you had given up self-isolating at times or the occasional cigarette.
In the moments when he was gone for the week on a mission, you hated to admit you missed him just a bit. It felt nice to not always be alone even if your roommate was Satoru.
"I'll be back, dont wait on me for dinner." You were at the door slipping on your shoes.
"Where you headed?" He peaked his out from the kitchen.
You looked up noticing he already had his apron on, the one he bought not too long ago against your better judgment.
"You're still wearing that?" You pointed up at his apron.
Satoru ran his hands across the apron smoothing it out and now you could read it. "Kiss the cook," Was on the center of the apron accompanied by kiss marks all across it.
"I like it." He frowned.
"If it makes you happy." You shrugged, mostly just messing with it because of how serious he took cooking.
When Satoru cooked dinner you knew better than to get in his way. Everything was measured by the gram before he mixed it in. You admired how seriously he took it.
"I got called in, something they want to discuss with me." You answered his question that he had forgotten about.
Satoru looked up from his apron back at you. The frown on his face worsened. It had been a peaceful couple of weeks but he should've known better.
"Stay safe." He watched as you got back up, jacket in one hand and keys in another.
"Will do, see you later." With that, you left the apartment heading back to the very place you had left behind. You knew you were going to be tied to it forever but that didn't make you feel better each time you were forced back.
"I'm sure you are aware of the ongoing issue with Suguru Geto. We hate to ask this of you but we're desperate." A voice explained. You wanted to roll your eyes, but you knew better. They could just lie to your face and get away with it.
You inhaled sharply knowing what they were going to ask of you.
"We need you to execute Suguru Geto." Another one spoke up this time.
Your entire body ran cold instantly. You gulped down the salvia pooling in your mouth as you roughly whipped your sweaty palms against your pants. Inevitably staining the pockets of them but you couldn't bother to care.
Those were the words you expected but were dreading. This was something you couldn't do, you wouldn't be able to try even if you had to.
To kill Suguru Geto meant you'd have to fight against him and use your technique against him. You struggled using it against your enemies in combat, this was Suguru.
Even if you gave it your all, you were sure you'd be no match against him. He was a special grade, you were still a first-grade sorcerer.
"We understand your concern but we believe you have what it takes. As long as you complete your task we'll reevaluate your grade. If you fail to do so, you won't have to worry about ranking higher ever again."
An ultimatum. Stay as a first grade by failing to execute Suguru or do it. In hindsight, the clear answer was executing him. Not only were you getting rid of a man who was aiming for genocide but your pay would rise.
If you became a special grade you could afford more than the apartment you lived in. You could be living comfortably and freely just from a few missions.
As of now, you weren't taking as many as you should because you couldn't mentally handle it. Just enough to get by but as a special grade you could do even less and have enough.
You knew that killing Suguru was the smart choice, a choice anyone would make but you couldn't.
"Am I the only option left for executing Suguru Geto?" You asked weakly.
"I'm afraid so, our original plan was to have Satoru Gojo do it. He's reckless, too careless to prioritize this."
They always masked their fear of him with their hatred. You knew that Satoru could wipe them all out with a flick of his hand.
That was what separated you from him. You didn't have the strength to stand up against them. All you posed was a good asset.
Their clear disdain for Satoru was also based on the idea you still had yet to rekindle with him. They were still under the guise that Satoru and you had met again and this time were coexisting. You weren't going to give that up.
Satoru could bye your safety and security better than you could. It didn't help that you would never help the higher-ups.
"I understand what's being asked of me. I'll try my best to complete the execution of Suguru Geto." You gave in.
"You won't try, you will. Don't disappoint us." This time a different voice spoke. One you hadn't heard before, their sharp tone nearly startled you.
"You're dismissed."
With that, you nearly ran out of the temple leaving behind everything they had talked to you about. You wanted no part with any of it.
Satoru knew from the moment you walked in something must've happened. Your normal gloomy mood allowed you to still interact with him.
Instead, you walked in silently ignoring his presence. Satoru gave you your space, figuring that was the best course of action until he changed his mind. He walked into your room without announcing himself.
You lifted your head from the pillow watching as he walked over. Satoru sat on the edge of the bed careful to not touch you.
It was finally his turn to return everything you had done after Suguru's deflection.
"I'll help you."
You stared at him, unsure of what he was trying to say. Not once had you tried to come up with a solution for this problem because there was none. Not unless they were gone.
As if Satoru could read your mind he blurted out your last thought.
"Let's get rid of them." He sounded so sure of himself that the only reaction you could give him was a bewildered look.
You immediately sat up throwing the covers off of your body.
"Are you messing with me?" You were sure you had heard him wrong. There was no way he would suggest that. Though you knew if anyone could do it, it would be him.
"No," He had grown sick of them too. Never acting on his emotions was something Suguru helped him with, he wished he could've thanked him properly.
The Satoru that was sitting across from you wouldn't have been there in your room had it not been for him.
"You're joking. Don't scare me like that." You huffed as you threw yourself back down pulling the blanket back over your body. Satoru peeled it off of you.
He invaded your space to get a better look at your face. You wouldn't verbally say anything but your face will tell him.
"I'm not joking."
"Think for a moment. They're gone, then what? Who's going to lead Jujustu Society? Not me and no offense, you're not capable either." You were sitting back up again. Satoru backed up giving space.
"We'll figure it out, it's not like they're doing much up there. They just sit on their asses ordering us around." Satoru huffed childishly.
"However I feel now will pass once I get my sleep." You threw yourself back down for the final time.
Satoru didn't respond, he watched as you closed your eyes shutting out your surroundings before getting up and leaving you to sleep.
Not much after that, you drifted asleep quickly as if the entire conversation didn't exist. It didn't seem to weigh on you the way it had with Satoru.
Fully asleep, he felt like you would be fine to get through the night. He got up from the edge of your bed heading back out.
The next day you didn't bring up the topic again. Not even about what was being asked of you.
Satoru didn't dare to push you to speak and you were grateful.
Out on the porch, you pressed the end of the cigarette into the ashtray turning it off. You didn't care to always finish them. The taste was still something you hadn't grown accustomed to.
The door slid open and you already knew who it was. He walked over stood by your side he leaned against the railing.
Even with the wind blowing you smelled of smoke. The smell stuck to your skin and clothes. He hated the smell but over time he had grown used to it.
You were careful to not smoke inside but still, he could always smell it somehow.
He would've teased you for it but he knew now wasn't the time. Satoru had gotten better at that sort of thing and you were impressed.
"They want me to kill Suguru." You finally admitted not daring to look at him. For the last day, it had been weighing down on you.
You had zero intentions of keeping it to yourself. The fear of saying it out loud for the first time was what kept you silent.
Not even Satoru had told you those exact words when he came to you. He couldn't. The only thing that came out of his mouth was a strangled sob as he mumbled Suguru's name accompanied by the higher-ups.
That was all you needed to know.
Satoru took a deep breath sucking all the oxygen into his lungs. You turned your head towards the sound but not daring to look up at his face.
"They don't think you're capable of doing it yourself."
"And they want you to do it?" He scoffed.
Satoru hadn't meant it maliciously nor did he belittle your abilities. Everyone knew you had something more with Suguru than him. He was sure there wasn't even a universe that existed where you could do such a thing.
If Satoru was incapable of killing his best friend, how could you kill the man you were in love with?
"I think it's a test." You were thinking about it. Everything they had asked, you had done.
But now you knew it was the final push.
You would be okay with failing it. The pay increase you'd get from being a special-grade sorcerer wasn't worth it. You were doing fine with what you had, anymore was excessive. The ends were being met with just enough.
"Do they know about us?" He asked carefully.
Having Satoru as someone you could truly call a friend felt strange.
"No, I think that's why they want me close." Push comes to shove you know they would use you against Satoru. A suicide mission that could buy them the time. That's if you hadn't rekindled with Satoru. It didn't help that your protection could be bought by Satoru.
Step out of line once and Satoru would protect you before any of them thought about laying their hands onto you.
"Good, they shouldn't know." He was glad you were still being smart enough when near them. Satoru knew all about their cheap tricks and he was at peace that you knew too.
"I don't think they like you. You're too much of a threat." You snorted.
"They should be scared." Satoru didn't have an ounce of playfulness in his voice and that scared you.
Before you could respond, the sound of the sliding door pulled you back from your thoughts. You watched as Satoru walked back inside leaving you alone.
Instead of going back in you decided to relight the half-burned cigarette you were smoking earlier. It was well deserved.
From everything you didn't know if this was as bad as it would get or if there was worse. You hoped this was rock bottom.
A few days later, there were no more mentions of Suguru or the higher-ups and you were grateful. Satoru vanished, texting you that he was busy dealing with 'things'.
You had no clue what that meant but you told him to stay safe. Not that he had to worry about that sort of thing, but it brought you comfort, and he wouldn't take that away.
There was a knock on your door that snapped you from your thoughts. Reluctantly you got up from your spot in the living room. You had no clue who it could be. Considering no one but Satoru or Yaga knew where you lived. Satoru wouldn't tell anyone and Yaga either unless it was Shoko.
You quickly shook away that idea, she was too busy to pay a visit. That left you with no clue who it could be.
Unless Satoru lost his key, which didn't seem likely.
Your hand hovered over the doorknob. There was no explanation for why you were so nervous. Maybe the fact that it could be a neighbor scared you.
The only interactions you ever had anymore were with Satoru. You had grown accustomed to just him, you knew how to interact with just him and you were fine with that.
Until the idea of having to socialize with someone else settled in.
You opened the door to only see Satoru standing there. Except he wasn't alone, on his left side there were two kids no older than ten standing there. The younger one, a boy was flushed against the girl. She was taller but only reached Satoru's torso.
Satoru waited watching as you stared down at the children with wide eyes. Standing there with a big smile hoping you wouldn't shut the door on the three of them.
He had disappeared early in the morning only to return with two kids that you didn't even know. You had no clue where he found them and even if it was legal, how did he get them so fast?
"I figured barging in with them would've been worse." He scratched at the back of his neck.
You reached out grabbing his shirt, pulling him into the apartment. The kids didn't react, just following behind him inside.
Closing the door behind them you turned back to Satoru.
"Who's kids are these?" You would've yelled had they not been right there. Satoru laughed awkwardly hoping this wouldn't get worse. He betted on you being open to helping him.
"They're not mine if that's what you're thinking," Satoru said nervously as he held up his hands.
Your glare made him immediately drop them back down to his side.
"Tsumiki take your brother to the living room," Satoru instructed her. She nodded her head, taking her brother's hand in hers and guiding him over. Without saying a word he followed her.
Satoru pulled you aside into the kitchen.
"The boy was sold to the Zen'in clan," He blurted out.
You stared blankly at him. That one sentence made your head spin, you were sure you must've heard him wrong. Satoru didn't say anything else, he was waiting for your response.
Which meant only one thing, Satoru wasn't lying. The little boy with a full head of black hair was supposed to be sent off to the Zen'in. You figured the reason they were now in your apartment meant that Satoru stopped it.
"Who sold a child to them?" You asked.
"Their father did." Satoru lost you again.
"Slow down, take it from the top."
Satoru couldn't say his name. Even after killing him, he haunted him. A much smaller and quieter version of him was sitting in your apartment. He couldn't escape in his dreams and he certainly wasn't going to escape him when he was awake now.
"Their father, before he died, he told me about Megumi. He had sold him to the Zen'in clan in exchange for money because of his technique." He explained.
"Is this the same man as—"
"Yeah, it's him." He finished for you not wanting to discuss Toji.
"How long were they alone for?" You peeked your head out of the kitchen to only see them sitting together.
Megumi, the little boy was staring down at his hands that were being held by his sister in an attempt to comfort him.
"I'm not sure but it must've been when he died. I mean I didn't expect to find them alone." Satoru knew their situation was bad, but he didn't expect to find them in an empty apartment.
"Why didn't you do something sooner?" You would've rose your voice but you were too worried about scaring them. They must've already been through enough.
Living on their own at such a young age must've impacted them gravely and the last thing you wanted to do was make the mistake of adding onto that.
"I don't know," Satoru admitted. He had thought long and hard over it.
Nights of sleep lost trying to decide whether he should get involved.
The responsibility of taking on kids wasn't easy, especially one that has the Ten Shadows.
"They're kids, you could've been too late. Gojo, even if you have good intentions so much could've gone wrong while you waited." You couldn't fathom the thought of Satoru showing up too late.
What if they had run out of the money Tsumiki's mother had left? What if Tsumiki never made it back home, Megumi couldn't take care of himself alone.
You knew Tsumiki was too young and attended school of her own to be present to drop off Megumi. There was much room for tragedy to struct that you couldn't imagine how they survived without any adults in their lives.
"I know." His voice was low. You knew he hadn't thought about that until today. All the things that you had already considered were only things he recently started going through.
"I know you do. It's why you're mentioning it now but you have to be more thoughtful about these things. You don't have to make these decisions on your own anymore." You knew Satoru had no ill intentions, he didn't want harm to occur to the kids whether or not he stepped in. But that didn't change anything, a little over a year had passed since he found out.
With a bad habit of shutting you out now, it made sense why he never came to you. After you moved away, even after he became your roommate he never went back to being as emotional around you.
Part of you wondered if it had been because he didn't want to burden you any longer. Or if, as the strongest, he wasn't allowed to express that weakness to anyone.
Regardless, Satoru was your friend now. One that you cared about enough to want to listen to his inner turmoil. You wanted him to know that you could help shoulder the weight with him.
You had no idea how to express that to him. Even after all the progress that had been made, all the making up for the years that were lost there was just a severed connection. Even if you tried your best, you knew you could make up for lost time.
Satoru wanted you to open up, and share your heavy burdens but you couldn't.
You refused to show such a vulnerable side knowing he wouldn't judge. Just as he vowed to himself, after the loss of Suguru. He had made the mistake of letting you witness his breakdown but never again.
"I was going to bring them back to my place but I don't know what to do. I'm barely there, I don't have the things for them." Satoru explained.
"We'll figure it out." You poked your head back out of the kitchen.
This time Tsumiki was whispering to Megumi. You couldn't make out what was being said but with a gentle smile on her lips, you were hopeful she was trying to encourage Megumi to release the tension in his shoulders.
"Is there anything else I should know?" You asked.
"The conditions were that Megumi's to be trained on how to master the Ten Shadow's technique."
You frowned. Satoru knew that you weren't going to be a fan of the ultimatum. Training the boy into becoming a Jujustu Sorcerer, the very thing that was sucking the soul of you wasn't what you wanted to hear.
It's what inevitably made Suguru deflect.
If anything, the only way you wanted them to be brought up was without the idea of that even being an option. The opposite of Satoru, both of your beliefs were extreme just on opposite ends of the spectrum.
"Do the higher ups know about them being in your care?"
"No, we figured it'd just get too messy with them involved." That was good. One less thing to worry about.
You had no clue how the Zenin's behaved, being that you were still stuck in your own bubble. Never moving backwards but never forward. It's what worked best for you. But it also limited you.
There were things that Satoru was going through, things that existed in the world you were sucked into that you had no clue about. From the little bit of clues that Satoru left behind you knew not to trust anyone else.
That meant the Zenin's were included.
"He's not going to be brought up as a Sorcerer." You shook your head. Satoru sighed.
Not wanting to argue over this he was going to be clear about his reasonings. "It's the only way the Zen'in will let me keep him and you know his best bet is not with them."
"Then we can make it work. we'll try for them both." This wasn't a battle you would win so you accepted that. You dropped it immediately taking his word for it.
You knew that whatever you just signed yourself up for was more than you could handle. Taking care of not just one but two kids? You could barely look out for yourself.
It didn't help that you had just turned twenty. What were you supposed to do now?