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How do you deal with grief?
Yuuji didn't know the answer to that.
Looking back, he wasn't really given the chance to properly mourn his grandfather. He just arranged the funeral rites in less than a week with the help of some of the nurses in the hospital and his grandfather's doctor, according to his grandfather's wishes. Cremated the remains, and took to heart the old man's last words. Meeting Fushiguro right after his grandfather's passing seemed like fate. So he dove headfirst into the world of sorcery without really even caring about what would happen to him next, thinking that it was a brilliant idea - that by doing so, he'd be saving people and fulfilling his grandfather's last wish. It was admittedly rash, and a very stupid thing to do. But at the same time, becoming a sorcerer distracted him from actually thinking about his grandfather. Distracted him from pausing his life to register the pain of losing the most important person to him at that point. It was easier, to hide his head in the sand, to find other avenues to channel all that negative energy into, to run from one trouble to the next.
And grief, he was discovering, didn't really go away. It can be buried deep inside yourself, like all the other things you lacked the courage to face at the time that you had to, until it rears its ugly head back out the surface to take a bite out of you when you least expect it. Sometimes, it can grow, watered and fed by all the other failures you encountered in life and all the people you lost. Sometimes, it can morph into something else.
As a sorcerer, he didn't really have the luxury to just sit back, unpack everything, and process. Being a sorcerer was just one high speed, high stakes, rollercoaster ride of emotions, one where he was barely strapped on his seat, hoping he wouldn't be thrown out into the tracks. Hoping that the dead bodies along the way wouldn't pile up too much.
It was the first time he had to truly reflect on this as he was left alone back at their headquarters a day after their fight with Sukuna, missing the only person he could think of to ask - the only person who'd be honest, who wouldn't give him empty words and patronize him for the sake of shielding his so-called innocence.
How do you deal with grief?
It did not snow on the twenty fourth of December.
The weather forecasts on TV and online, miraculously still available like they were not in the middle of an apocalypse, said there was a possibility. It was cold when they had all set out to Shinjuku that he had to put on thermal wear underneath his hoodie. Gojo-sensei had worn a scarf earlier in the day.
He expected snow to blanket the streets by the time they were done with Sukuna. Expected pristine, powder white to be soaked in dripping, bloody red. He could picture it in his mind's eye - an ending they all worked so hard for, with nature as witness.
In a twisted way, part of what he was expecting came about. There was a sea of red - but it was all wrong. It wasn't, didn't come from, Sukuna.
And there was no snow.
Still, he kept on pushing onward. He needed to end this. He wanted to end this. And he knew that his seniors somehow had planned around this. He just needed to do his part.
It did not snow on the twenty fourth of December.
Before, and after.
The heavens did not deign Gojo-sensei worthy to be mourned.
They did not mourn with him.
It was easier to let go, with Choso. There was no body left behind, no physical reminder to think of. Only memories, no matter how few, and the blood that ran through his veins, shared with him and the rest of their siblings.
It was easier with Choso, because he knew this was an end his brother would have been happy with - dying to protect Yuuji. They had spent nights arguing about it. Yuuji had wanted Choso to live, but he came to accept that his older brother was prepared to give up his own life for his sake. Yuuji understood that - he felt the same way about Choso, about the rest of his friends. They reached a certain understanding that there was a possibility that one of them will never make it out of that battle alive - and so the other who will be left behind must do his best to live. To move on. Yuuji had days to prepare, to try and cope. And he had Todo, right after, to help put him back together once more.
With Gojo-sensei - he wished he'd known about what was going on in that pretty head of his. He could have prepared his heart a little more if he knew what to expect, so it wouldn't be this broken after the fact. Yuuji had a foreboding sense that his teacher wasn't expecting to live past that fateful day, after their little talk before the face-off with Sukuna. But he was confident that his sensei would win, because he told Yuuji so, on his first official day as a jujutsu sorcerer. He had promised, on the days after. And like a fool, Yuuji believed him. Believed in him.As he washed Gojo-sensei's body gently with Ieiri-san, after Okkotsu-senpai had given it back, he wondered, are you happy where you are now? Are you truly content?
Yuuji felt, somehow, even after spending countless moments in his sensei's company in his house, that there were still a lot of things left unsaid between them. Secrets that were never truly discussed, dissected and aired out in the open. Things that could have been said - things that Yuuji thought now, may have made a difference.
He felt shame as a tear of his fell on his sensei, right on top of his lips. It felt like another desecration, a burden he was passing to someone who was already dead and at peace. Gojo-sensei had suffered enough - treated not as a person but as a weapon until the very end. He didn't need this shit. He didn't need this whole thing with Yuuji's feelings.
Yuuji knew it was wrong, to think of the what-ifs. But he couldn't help it.
Would you have chosen to stay, if I told you I didn't really give a fuck about Jennifer Lawrence?
Would you have chosen to stay, if I told you you mean more to me than just merely my teacher?
Would you have chosen to stay, if you knew that I would be here waiting for you, not to celebrate your victory, but to celebrate you being alive?
Yuuji considered it a small blessing, that they were still able to hold a send off for Gojo-sensei, no matter how rushed and brief. Afterall, there were still a lot of curses and curse users to take care of, empty seats of power in their society's leadership to fill up, loose threads in the games that they had to try and pick up. There was still the possibility of everything they worked hard for (and what Gojo-sensei sacrificed himself for) coming undone because the merger was still possible, with what they had found out about Tengen's fate, and the extent of their involvement with Kenjaku's plans.
The vigil for the body was scheduled for a night, with them taking turns watching. But it was always Yuuji who brought Gojo-sensei water, who moistened his lips with a calligraphy brush.
He and Ieiri-san cleaned the body one last time that same night, and dressed Gojo-sensei in his finest white kimono, in preparation for the nōkan. Although he and Ieiri-san were the ones who were doing bulk of the work of ensuring that Gojo-sensei was properly prepared to enter the world beyond, their friends did take on the other tasks. Gojo-sensei's fare for the crossing was provided by Fushiguro - three old coins of his in a small purse, that he tied neatly on Gojo-sensei's neck as he whispered, "Don't say I still owe you."
Okkotsu-senpai placed the white cloth on Gojo-sensei's forehead, and apologized for the ugly scar he left behind. The other older men then transferred Gojo-sensei to his casket. Kugisaki had put in Gojo-sensei's expensive shirt, the one they had almost ruined with coffee and that their teacher let Kugisaki keep. The other students that were present left their own tokens too.
And then they immediately proceeded with the wake - they were all already wearing black anyway, so why not. Principal Gakuganji read sutras for the deceased. They all burned incense, and afterwards, shared a very late (or a very early, depending on who you ask) meal prepared by Yuuji. He had made sure to make zunda and cream kikufuku for dessert beforehand, as he knew Gojo-sensei would have certainly disapproved of their little gathering if there was no dessert.
They skipped the funeral service, as there were no surviving members of Gojo-sensei's immediate family, and no other Gojo clan members noteworthy enough to invite. Ieiri-san had refused to give a eulogy, Fushiguro too. And Yuuji - well, he didn't think he could do it justice. No amount of words can capture the essence of Gojo-sensei - he was larger than life, in that way.(Truth be told, Yuuji knew exactly what words to describe the man, the person: mentor, friend, beloved.)The cremation happened exactly as scheduled the next morning, with only him and Ieiri-san staying over to pick up what remained of Gojo-sensei. Fushiguro wanted to stay but he was called by the new people in charge for a case, and Kugisaki opted to go with him. Okkotsu-senpai and the other second years were all called to help with cleanup work too.
Yuuji couldn't say he wasn't disappointed with everyone - he was. He was angry too - dangerously so that he knew if he didn't get his temper under control, he would hurt someone. It was the kind of fury that made you not care about anything but being able to just get it out of your system, the kind that pushed you to make everyone else feel it too. It was heavy, suffocating, and he had felt it before, when his grandfather had refused treatment for lung cancer. He became known as the Tiger of West Junior High because of that anger.
He wasn't proud of that period in his life, and it was honestly exhausting, to feel nothing but rage.
So he tried to meditate, in that small waiting room. He tried to put away all that anger and resentment in a metaphorical box, to be unleashed at the right time, at the right curse. It took a bit of effort and more than a few deep breaths on his part, but he calmed down eventually. It also helped, to think of it as inappropriate, to say goodbye to Gojo-sensei in that state of mind.
(Gojo-sensei would probably have encouraged him to get mad, told him it was healthy, and would have stoked the flames. Or maybe he would have been amused, to know that Yuuji was angry on his behalf - and he definitely would have lapped up all that attention and milked it for what it's worth.)
Ieiri-san surely felt his struggle, but she remained silent and impassive as she sat beside him - and for that, Yuuji was thankful. He wasn't ready to talk about, well, about this. The wound was still too fresh.
After several minutes of silence, Ieiri-san moved slightly, shuffling her winter coat out of the way as she tried to get something out of the pocket of her pants. She glanced at Yuuji, wistful smile on her lips.
"I'd give you a cigarette, but I know Satoru would have disapproved. Here, have this instead."
She offered him a chocolate-covered mint candy.
"He hated that flavor - he always grumbled about the inventor of mint chocolate being truly diabolical. I always kept one with me as an inside joke, and to spite him, but he ate them regardless."
Yuuji accepted the bite-sized treat, small fond smile carved on his lips. "I can imagine Gojo-sensei going on a rant about how evil it is, to hide toothpaste inside something so sweet, the same way he complained about minced vegetables in his dumplings. But yeah, he ate them anyway. He just had to whine first..."
"Like a child."
He and Ieiri-san said the last part at the same time, and that had Yuuji chuckling with affection.
"I have so many stories to tell about him. You can always find me in the school's infirmary, if you want to hear some." Ieiri-san offered, after a few more seconds of silence. She looked at Yuuji like she knew exactly what he was going through. Out of all the people left after Shinjuku, she was probably the only one who really did. Maybe this was her own way of coping too - to reminisce about the good times, perhaps even the bad ones.
Yuuji nodded, smile turning into a grin.
"I'd love that."
They waited for three hours in that small room with barely any conversation, and when it was time to sort through the bones and put them in the urn, the quiet engulfed them both. Yuuji didn't mind - he couldn't really think of any words to say that wouldn't feel forced. But even if that was the case, he felt like he had a silent understanding with Ieiri-san - they were both survivors in this battle afterall, the people left behind in the aftermath.
They picked up what remained of Gojo-sensei with their chopsticks, passing each other fragment by fragment, in sync. Yuuji was the one who put everything in the urn - cold marble gray, with flecks of blue. He was careful, movements reverent and drawn out deliberately. It was the last time he would be with his sensei in a way, and he wanted to stretch the moment. Ieiri-san simply followed his rhythym, no questions asked.
When all was done and there was nothing else left but the interment of ashes, Ieiri-san went with him. Yuuji was expecting to be led to the Gojo family burial site, but instead he was ushered by Ieiri-san and a staff to a nondescript grave, bearing only one other gravestone. Yuuji was honestly a little distraught, not yet ready to say gooodbye, that he wasn't able to really pay attention to what was happening. It wasn't until the cemetery staff that helped them bowed and took their leave that Yuuji realized it was over. Gojo-sensei was in the ground, and never coming back. It felt abrupt. It felt final.
To distract himself, he zoned in on the other gravestone.
Geto Suguru, the writing read. There was nothing else, not even an epitaph.
Yuuji didn't know the full story, but he knew that this person was important to Gojo-sensei - and that his body was the last host of that despicable talking brain.
(He will never call that thing his mother.)
He glanced at Ieiri-san, whose smile had turned rather melancholy. When she spoke, there was sadness in her voice, but also a hint of bitterness.
"Inseparable back then, these two. When we were in school, I felt I was the third wheel sometimes, but I put up with that, because I loved them. But I was not meant to become a special grade sorcerer - I couldn't fully understand the weight of their burdens, until they both passed it to me."
Yuuji simply nodded - now was not the time to press for more details, though he empathized with Ieiri-san, in a way. It was hard, to be entrusted with a legacy. He felt exactly that way in a sense, with Gojo-sensei.
It must have been hard as well, to have people surround you and yet still feel so alone - Gojo-sensei must have felt that way, he was just good at hiding it behind a mask. The older man was so blinded by that feeling of isolation, or perhaps didn't truly put much value on himself, that he couldn't see past being the Honored One, couldn't comprehend that people supported him and not what he stood for, that people loved him despite being, well, himself. He still had Ieiri-san, afterall. And Fushiguro, and the other students, and him.He had Yuuji.
"Some men are stupid," Yuuji said instead, thinking that would also be what Kugisaki would say in this situation. He was aware the older man had faults - a lot of them. Who didn't? But at the end of the day, he still loved Gojo-sensei - loved him for simply being him. Yuuji only wished he was able to show that, to say that.
Ieiri-san let out a short amused laugh at his declaration, before patting him on the back.
"I think I get it now, why he likes you so much. You're not afraid to say it as it is."
Gone was Ieiri-san's sad smile - instead, her stoic, uncaring look was back, but this time, Yuuji caught the twinkle of humor in her eyes. It stayed there and softened her features a little bit.
"I've already said my goodbyes, made my peace with this outcome a long time ago. I'll give you two your moment."
And then she walked away, the soft rustling of grass the only sound for a minute before Yuuji was left in utter silence once more. Left with everything he had yet to say to his sensei.
Where to begin, he thought.
Well, how about the truth?
"The truth is, I hate that you had to leave like you did, sensei," he began, voice only a little louder than a whisper.
"I hate that you thought you meant nothing to us, to me. I hate what you allowed to be done to your body."
He kicked at a tiny loose stone, not too hard, but enough to let go of some of his pent-up anger. The gravel underneath his feet remained unmoved. He continued.
"I hate that you never left me a letter - that was such a dick move. Fushiguro and Kugisaki each got one, but I got nothing. I have nothing of yours, nothing to remember you by."He moved closer to the gravestone, squatted right in front of it, however disrespectful it seemed. Gojo Satoru, the inscription read. He traced every character with profound gentleness, almost like caressing a lover.
"I hate that you broke your promise. You were supposed to be my executioner, sensei. I was supposed to die before you. And now you left me here, to carry on. And I, I never got to tell you, I never had the chance,"
He choked on the last part, the most important part.
How do you deal with grief?
For the first time in that hell of a week after, Yuuji let go of his tight control and allowed himself to truly cry.
Yuuji didn't know how long he had stayed in the burial site, how long it took him to say goodbye. He still ached like there was a hole in his chest, and it felt worse than when he had his heart literally ripped out by Sukuna. But Yuuji was relentless - it was just pain, he'll keep on moving on. He'll deal with it, like he always did. Redirect all those negative emotions into something more productive, something Gojo-sensei would be proud of. He didn't know how long he'd feel this way - he still mourned his grandfather, to tell the truth. He still carried the weight of his last words on his back. He still felt a little unmoored without his brother, without Choso.
Maybe grief wasn't supposed to go away - maybe it lingered with you, and you just didn't feel it as much as time goes, because you just get used to it. Maybe it wasn't supposed to go away, so you wouldn't forget what you lost.When he reached the entrance gate of the cemetery, he saw Ieiri-san still waiting for him but now with a cup of what looked like coffee, almost as if she was expecting he would take this much time, and that he would need the moral support.Yuuji put a hand behind his head in an apologetic gesture. "Sorry it took me so long. I guess I just had a lot to say."The older woman just nodded her head at him."I figured as much. I called Ijichi by the way, he'll be here shortly. Sorry I didn't get you anything, I wasn't sure if you're a coffee or hot chocolate type."Yuuji just waved her off. "No worries, Ieiri-san. I prefer chai, actually. Hot choco would be my second choice."They stood in companionable silence, Yuuji not even ashamed of the fact that his eyes were still misty and a little sore. But then, Ieiri-san sighed, before she took something out from one of her winter coat's pockets and gave it to him. Yuuji thought it would be another chocolate mint, but then noticed it was a small, wooden case. He examined it closely - it seemed to be a container of sorts.
Ieiri-san motioned for him to open it, as she sipped her coffee. Yuuji obeyed, curious. What greeted him was a vial nestled between velvety red cushions, with something floating in a clear liquid solution inside - an eyeball.
He didn't have to turn the vial around to know that the iris would be blue. He just knew.He almost dropped it in surprise.The heaviness in his chest was still there, but it was compounded by a fluttering feeling in his stomach. It wasn't disgust. It wasn't dread.It was hope.He asked the only thing he could think of."Why?"Why entrust him this? Why now? Why him?"Satoru told me to save one of his eyes, in case the gamble with Okkotsu didn't work. A backup of a backup plan, so to speak," Ieiri-san started to explain as she put the hand that wasn't holding her coffee in a pocket of her coat."He knew he wouldn't make it out of that fight alive, and he intended to take Sukuna with him. He just wasn't sure if Sukuna would stay dead. You were his last backup plan. He told me to give this to you after his death, if Okkotsu and whatever else we had planned also fail, and that you'll know what to do with it. It was one of the reasons why I was on standby with Ui Ui nearby during that battle, to be ready to retrieve his body a second time."
"But we won, didn't we?" Yuuji muttered, voice low, still unsure about why he was given this. "He told you to save it and give it to me if Okkotsu-senpai failed. Okkotsu-senpai didn't so...there's no need for this now, right?"
As much as Yuuji wanted his Gojo-sensei back, having this felt a little wrong too, somehow. He didn't want to disturb his sensei in the afterlife - he deserved rest. He deserved peace.
(And yet, the fact that he wanted an eye saved just in case meant he was willing to return in some way, shape, or form, right? That he gave this to him meant that he was willing to be consumed by Yuuji, to be reborn inside a vessel.)
Ieiri-san wasn't looking at him when she answered, but her voice was steady, her tone patient.
"He told me to take an eye, regardless of the outcome of that battle with Okkotsu. That if their plan worked, that I should still give it to you as a parting gift, to do so with as you please."
Yuuji let out a deep breath. He was still reeling from the emotional blow of that battle, and now to be offered the possibility of changing one thing, perhaps for the better. It was too much, too soon.
Still, a question remained."Do you really think that he'd want this? That he'd want to be back, with me?"
Ieiri-san took one more sip of her coffee before she looked up at the sky. "All those sorcerers who have given their lives for the cause, they deserve happiness too, you know? But until the very end, Satoru denied himself even that."
She looked at Yuuji then, with so much sorrow in her eyes, in her features. So much understanding. "He loved you like how only a scarred, once-broken man given a second chance would - deeply, in secret, believing he was not worthy of reciprocation. Chose to act on it rather than truly say it, hoped that you'd feel it but at the same time, afraid to expect it back. He tried to keep you at a certain distance, to protect you from him. Maybe to protect himself too, in a way. But most of all, he wanted you to live, even without him."When Yuuji just kept on staring at her, unbelieving, she let out a small laugh. "I know, because he told me. Not in those exact words, but he implied them anyway. He liked to talk my head off at the most inconvenient times, when given the opportunity." She directed her gaze at the wooden case on his hands then, at the vial. There was mirth in her features but it was gone in a flash, replaced with uncharacteristic tenderness."I think he wanted to be with you even after death, but because it wasn't just his choice, he was ready to accept whatever ending he'll get. Ultimately, he wanted you to have the final say."
When she reached out, Yuuji welcomed her touch, and didn't mind it when she squeezed his shoulder in show of support.
"You deserve to be happy too, Yuuji. Whatever you decide, know that I'll be here, in your corner. You're not alone."
He glanced at the older woman, small smile forming on his lips. It was nice, to hear what she thought about all of this.
"Thank you, Ieiri-san."
(That hope in him, it bloomed.)
How do you deal with grief?
Yuuji? Well, Yuuji took his time. He continued his studies, took on missions, went out with Fushiguro and Kugisaki on day trips when time permitted him to. He visited Ieiri-san in the school's infirmary on Saturday afternoons, to share stories over tea. He trained with the second years and Higuruma-san on Tuesdays and Thursdays, respectively. He basically did his duties as a budding sorcerer during the day.
At night, he would return to his dorm room, glancing briefly at the wooden case on his dresser. Sometimes he would offer it various sweets, souvenirs from his trips around Tokyo with Fushiguro or Kugisaki. Sometimes he would talk to it, tell it about his day. Most times, he would just stare at it for long quiet moments, while he contemplated his next steps.
He didn't really know what he wanted to do with it just yet, only that he wanted a little more time to be sure he was not acting rashly, impulsively, because he was still mourning. He wanted to be prepared. He wanted to have no regrets.
And so he waited, and waited, until the grief settled in his heart, in his bones. Until it was like a second skin, like feeling it was as natural as breathing. Until it didn't hurt as much as he remembered it to, as it was coated with nostalgia and other bittersweet memories.
Winter turned into spring, spring turned into summer, summer turned into fall, until finally, it was winter again. It was the eve of Gojo-sensei's thirtieth birthday.
Yuuji considered the wooden box on his dresser for the last time. He opened it carefully, solemnly, like a gift from a long lost secret lover (it was, when you think about it), and took out one of the Six Eyes from the vial.
Yuuji supposed he really wouldn't know if he'll have any regrets, if he won't take the next step. Only time would tell.
And it was inevitable, this meeting, as much as their parting was. He couldn't delay it any longer. And he really didn't want to, anymore.
He swallowed the blue eye whole, closed his own set of eyes, and let the foreign yet familiar cursed energy settle all over him.
There was that shift in his balance he was accustomed to everytime he was pulled into an inner domain - a dissolution of all that was solid that surrounded him, and a sudden feeling of weightlessness. Then he was falling.
And falling.
And falling.
Until he wasn't.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was always summer in his afterlife, when his plane finally landed - the sun shining high up, the weather warm and humid, the sky always a vivid shade of blue. He should be happy - almost everyone he cared for was here, alive, enjoying this endless vacation with him.
He enjoyed the time he had spent here so far, in a way, but there was also something missing.
Satoru felt like there was always something missing within him, his entire life.
A few days ago, while exploring an area of the beach their group haven't been to before, they stumbled upon a cave in a secluded cove. The unfathomable darkness inside had deterred them from entering it further than where the light met the shadows - it was weird, that cave. Here, nothing was left untouched by the light - and yet that place seemed to swallow up the sun's rays, seemed to lead to an abyss of black that shouldn't exist in paradise.
And it called to him, that unknown.
He found himself always looking towards the direction it lay - north. He knew that wasn't a coincidence, remembering Nanami's words to him when they spoke of the possibilities for their final destinations.
He kicked at a wayward fragment of coral that tumbled into shore, brought on by the gentle waves. Riko, Nanami, and the rest of their group were swimming out in the open ocean, a little farther away from where he was standing right now.
Unconsciously, he had walked closer towards that cove. To what he was certain was a way out of here, into another plane perhaps.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Suguru's voice sounded close, to his left. Satoru was startled by his sudden appearance, but he didn't let it show.
To tell the truth, or to not tell the truth?
He can't lie in heaven now, can he? Unless he wanted his entrance card permanently revoked, maybe. Perish the thought!
That idea left a small smile on his lips. Imagine The Honored One, barred from the pearly gates of heaven. But anyway. He was stalling. Suguru noticed perhaps, when he remained quiet more than necessary, so he stated what he knew was the answer to his question anyway.
"You want to go, to that cave. You want to leave, to be born anew."
"Yeah."
The truth tasted bitter on Satoru's tongue. But it was freeing too, in a way.
He tried to be happy here, with Suguru and the others. But still, he was never truly content. He thought he was ready for this, for paradise. Turned out he wasn't. Turned out it was just another version of not-really-living, of purgatory, without someone else. Without the person he was living for, wanted to live for from then on - his second wind. His Yuuji.
And Yuuji was on the other side.
Suguru simply nodded, acceptance in his eyes. Satoru was about to say sorry, for choosing not to stay, but Suguru placed a finger on his lips to keep the words from spilling out.
"Never apologize. I don't want to hear it. Sometimes people just outgrow each other. And it felt like your heart was never truly here anyway."
Then he took something out of the side pocket of his beach shorts - Satoru's sunglasses. He placed them on the bridge of Satoru's nose, made sure they were sitting there just right.
"There, now you're ready. Go on and have fun. Live."
There was finality there, in Suguru's command. But more than anything else, there was also love.
Suguru smiled and raised a hand to wave goodbye.
This time, it was Satoru who walked away. He didn't look back, but he raised his right arm as his last show of acknowledgement.
"I'll see you soon!"
He heard soft, distant laughter amidst the sound of waves crashing into the shore and the seagulls cawing overhead.
"I hope not!"
Satoru swore the way to the cave wasn't this treacherous before - it was an easy swim the day they found it. Today, he was wading through rough waters up to his chest, the powerful waves crashing into him without mercy, pushing him into the jagged rocks spread all over and that jutted out of the shore. All the while, the tide tried to prevent him from coming closer, pulling him with all its might out back into the sea. Somewhere along the way, he lost his sunglasses too - one particularly big and nasty wave submerged him and forced him down under the waters for a second or two, and when he had surfaced, they were gone, taken away by the riptide.
There was no cursed energy in this place, nothing to rely on to get him through this obstacle but his wits and his own strength. So he gritted his teeth and endured, and focused on taking one measured step at a time.
He had been through worse than this - not even heaven itself could prevent him from reaching Yuuji on the other side.
After more than a few bruises and bleeding cuts on his legs and hands from getting pushed into sharp-edged rocks, he reached the mouth of the cave. The shadows seemed to stretch longer than before, but they weren't as menacing as he thought they were. Instead, they felt like they were embracing him, when he started the trek amongst them.
He didn't know how long he walked, in that expanse of black. It felt like weeks, months, an eternity. He couldn't see anything, but he knew he just had to go forward - and so he did. Eventually, the darkness thinned, and he could see tendrils of what looked like moonlight penetrating that deep black. He felt his cursed energy regenerating the further he went into that abyss, and so he started running. He wasn't sure what awaited him once he reached the end of that darkness, but he didn't really give a damn. All that mattered was getting back out there, back to Yuuji.
He knew there was a slim chance that he would make it out alive, when he battled Sukuna. That was why he had left insurance that he trusted Shoko with, to give to Yuuji. It was his Hail Mary, his last ace.
And he knew, in his heart, that Yuuji had taken it - taken him. Otherwise, this darkness would have had no end, wouldn't it? That literal light at the end of the tunnel that he could see, his only way out, wouldn't have appeared if Yuuji had opted not to accept his offering, his vow. When he finally reached that flickering silver light and emerged out of the shadows, he was back to his old self - twenty-nine, at the prime of his life.
He looked up.
Yuuji was falling, down, down, down.
He used Limitless on his next breath and folded the space between them with ease, like always.
And then he caught Yuuji in his arms.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Gotcha.”Yuuji knew that voice – it haunted his nightmares for a while, after Shibuya. It was one he had longed to hear once more, after Shinjuku.With his heart still pounding in his chest, Yuuji finally opened his eyes...and found himself staring into a pair of twinkling blues.“Gojo-sensei,” he gasped in relief, in elation. And then again, “Gojo-sensei!”The older man laughed, and it was the most beautiful thing Yuuji had ever heard. He never wanted to be bereft of that sound.“I'm here, Yuuji,” his sensei replied, wonder clear in his voice. “Wherever here is.”Gojo-sensei tightened his hold on Yuuji as he scanned their surroundings with the Six Eyes, and Yuuji reciprocated by twining his arms across his sensei's neck. They were high up in whatever passed for an atmosphere, here. Above them was what appeared like a moving backdrop of stars in the night sky, with a bright, glowing moon as the centerpiece. But below looked nothing like solid ground – it shimmered silver, like liquid mercury.“I think this is your innate domain,” Yuuji started, but that didn't feel quite right. If it was, wouldn't Gojo-sensei have known?Slowly, his sensei brought them back down, and Yuuji realized belatedly that what looked like mercury was actually placid water, reflecting the moon. Gojo-sensei floated them inches over it, careful not to disturb the surface. The water seemed to stretch on like a lake, and it was surrounded by lush greenery on all sides.It reminded him of that forested area Gojo-sensei once brought him to, where they first encountered the cursed spirits Jogo and Hanami.When they reached solid ground a couple of seconds later, he heard Gojo-sensei's intake of breath. Yuuji couldn't blame him - the garden that met them was quite pretty, with wisteria trees in full bloom leading to what he can only assume was a wing of a traditional estate. Still didn't make sense why there was a courtyard here out of nowhere, but maybe Yuuji should just fully throw logic into the wind, in this place.Gojo-sensei still didn't let him go, and Yuuji didn't mind it all as he burrowed further into the older man's arms, head resting on his shoulder as Infinity shielded them both.It was nice, to once again feel protected, valued.Gojo-sensei walked through the entrance of the estate, fully knowing where to go – straight into the room that would have full view of the wisterias and the lake, opening the shoji with a flick of his finger and his cursed technique. He let Yuuji down gently on the futon in the middle of the room and then sat beside him, still a little in awe.“This is my room, in our family estate,” Gojo-sensei started. “Or what looks like an approximation. My Digimon figure collection is missing, for one thing. And the view isn't this spectacular.”There was humor there, and a hint of sentimentality. Yuuji felt bold enough to offer a suggestion. “Maybe we can visit, if you're up for it?”“As you're my vessel now, technically, you own the place too. So, why not?”That flippant comment carried so much weight that Yuuji had to pause for a minute to gather his thoughts – he didn't want a confrontation, really. Just the truth.“About that – you should have told me.” His tone was not reprimanding, but certainly not open for any arguments too.“And risk Sukuna knowing too, that Shoko and I figured out how to turn myself into a cursed object? Risk you?”Gojo-sensei was looking at him, tone identical to Yuuji's when he answered. The older man had always been honest with Yuuji to a fault regarding most matters, and never treated him like some adult sorcerers did – like he was someone delicate who wasn't yet ready to face the world and it's harsh truths. He had to concede on this one though – his sensei had a point. If Sukuna knew...maybe he would have found a way to trick Yuuji into another Binding Vow, to gain access to the Six Eyes. Maybe he would have skipped fighting the other sorcerers and just went straight for Yuuji.But Yuuji had other questions too – if he won't ask now, then when?(Why didn't you fight back harder against your fate?
Why didn't you tell me your true feelings before you had to go out?
Why didn't you came back then, for me?)“Why did you have to wait until you died?”The one that he wanted an answer to the most was the one that spilled out. And that was really the central question, wasn't it? If Gojo-sensei had wanted to, had provisions to do so set in place, why did he wait to return until almost everything got ruined, until the whole conflict was over? Why not right after getting Dismantled in two? He and the others could have planned around a round two right after his first death without letting Yuuji know. That would have spared Yuuji the trouble, going through all that grief.But that was a dangerous line of thought, he knew, and it would lead to nowhere but pointing the blame at someone else, and loathing – and Yuuji didn't want that. He had an inkling as to why anyway, understood his sensei's reasoning behind it even – more so after what he himself had done and went through in Shibuya. But he also wanted the answer straight out of the mouth of his sensei.The older man considered his question for a heartbeat before he sighed as if defeated – no, as if he had no other choice but to finally be honest. To be honest with Yuuji, and himself.“I was set on dying a long time ago, to tell the truth,” Gojo-sensei began as he leaned back a little on the futon. He looked relaxed, but his expression was anything but. “I wanted to change our society, but I'm just one man – recruiting promising young sorcerers to carry on my will was a start. And I always had this niggling thought that, surely, if I was out of the way, evolution would take over - maybe more special grade sorcerers would develop from the next generations, to fill in the power imbalance.”He looked up at the ceiling instead of at Yuuji.“And I was getting tired of always being the one sorcerer who was expected to do more, because I was blessed with Limitless and the Six Eyes. Because I was the Honored One. I wanted an out, and I got that when you ate that finger – fighting Sukuna seemed like the best way to go. And to die in battle – that suited me, you know? To die doing the one thing I was born for. But well, plans can change.”“It's great, that you're telling me all of this now, sensei, but you still didn't answer my question,” Yuuji mused. He was not trying to be insensitive – in fact, he felt for his sensei. The expectations that were laid upon him just because he was born with the Limitless and Six Eyes were massive, and infuriating. The Gojo clan elders probably treated him like both a messiah and a tool – alienated him while using him as they pleased. And Gojo-sensei probably tolerated it, due to his ego and a sense of duty as The Strongest – and because perhaps, he was still selfless at his core. It made Yuuji want to punch someone on his behalf.“You wound me, Yuuji! Here I am, pouring my heart out, and you want to rush me through all of it without a care!”It was a joke of course – Gojo-sensei's exaggerated pout told him so. But that pout was gone in an instant as he straightened himself into a proper sitting position once more. And then he was back to being uncharacteristically somber.“Ask me what change.”Yuuji humored him. “What changed?”Gojo-sensei focused his gaze on Yuuji. “You.”He reached out towards Yuuji, and Yuuji didn't flinch and instead turned to meet his touch. Gojo-sensei cupped his face with a hand, thumb stroking his cheek softly, intimately. He had Infinity off – Yuuji grabbed his arm and held on to it like a lifeline. He already had an idea where this was going, but still, he wanted to hear all of it anyway.“You changed everything, Yuuji. At first, I just wanted to give you time to enjoy your youth. Somewhere along the way, I fell, hard – can't really tell you when, just that I did. I wanted to protect you, and to have you. But I thought, you deserve someone else better than an old man with a lot of baggage.”He tried to take his hand away, but Yuuji wouldn't let him, and that earned him a tender smile from his sensei.“I made a Binding Vow – a return from death, but only through the Six Eyes. Honestly, I did it that way because I was playing it safe. If all our plans failed, at least I still had a chance to save you and the rest, if you'd let me. And if you did defeat Sukuna like I knew you would, I was hoping that you'd still choose me. If you didn't – at least I didn't have to linger in that world where I was not wanted.”Gojo-sensei expelled a breath like getting all of those words out was a relief. Maybe it was.“Wanna know what I think, sensei?” Yuuji asked as he straightened his posture and then tried to cage his sensei in – tried being the operative word, as he was not really tall nor wide enough to even so much as pose a threat. Still, he did his best to look imposing. He dropped his sensei's hand in favor of tapping a pointer finger at the other man's chest. He expected some resistance, Infinity to reactivate, but was surprised there wasn't any. He cleared his throat to continue.“I think you were too patient with the higher ups. I think you could have been a lot more selfish. And I think that you're being very unfair to yourself.”The last part he tried to emphasize, and he hoped that if his sensei wouldn't be able to get what he meant through his words alone, he would be able to hear it in his tone, or see it in his eyes. Yuuji knew the other man had no trouble reading between the lines – Gojo-sensei was just too stubborn to believe that maybe he wasn't so unlovable after all.Yuuji quietly watched several expressions pass through his sensei's face in the span of a heartbeat – surprise, then relief, then finally affection. And the way Gojo-sensei was smiling at him right now – back to being sly and very much expectant – yeah, he definitely knew the extent of Yuuji's feelings. The bastard was just eagerly waiting for his formal confession, probably.Such a contradiction, this man – outrightly confident in some things, deeply insecure in others. It was sometimes exasperating admittedly, but Yuuji realized long ago that he accepted this man for who he was, flaws and all. So he decided to indulge his sensei – he was foreseeing he would be doing that for the rest of his life anyway, however long his life would be. And it gave him a sense of peace, to finally say the important things they left unsaid before they headed for Shinjuku.“How could I forget you?” Yuuji begun with that, because really, how? It was a tall order, forgetting Gojo Satoru. “You took me in when I had no one else, fought to delay my execution, and tried your best to care for me. You believed in me, and showed me another way to live. You saved me.”He engulfed his sensei in his arms, or tried to anyway, and his gesture was returned a second later. Yuuji's heart was beating madly in his chest, and he felt giddy and intoxicated, like he was going through the highs of a battle. This time though, he won't hold back on saying the most important part.“How could I forget you? How could I forget someone I love?”And that was that. Yuuji didn't even have to hear the words back, because he already knew his feelings were reciprocated anyway – he was just happy to stay in that position forever, basking in the warmth of his sensei's embrace.But he heard a soft sigh, then a short laugh. Yuuji looked up to see his sensei grinning.“I didn't know my Yuuji was this eloquent! How can I even top that?” His sensei pretended to be considering his next words, playfully pausing as if he wasn't even sure of what he was going to say next.Yuuji rolled his eyes fondly. “You could say it back for starters, sen-”“Satoru,” the older man interrupted him, winking. “I think it's about time you call me by my first name, don't you think?”Yuuji just nodded at that, unable to hide his own widening smile. “Well, I'm waiting, Satoru.”This time, it was Satoru who leaned boldly downwards, close enough that Yuuji felt his steady breaths on his forehead, on his nose. He shivered.“I love you, Itadori Yuuji, like the sun loves the moon, setting every night to let it shine. Like the day loves the night, chasing after it time after time. Like the forest loves the rain, drinking it all in and yet never having enough.”Yuuji bit his lip. He liked the intent and the attempt at poetry, but he also got to be honest here. “Ieiri-san's phrasing was so much better. She told me about your feelings already, you know,” he teased.He wanted to snort at the affronted look on his sensei's face, but he suppressed the urge, barely. “You have other chances to make up for it, don't worry. Actually, you have a lot to make up for.”Satoru raised one elegant eyebrow. “I do?”“Yeah,” Yuuji nodded. He tugged at a corner of Satoru's shirt, smile turning mischievous, buoyed and encouraged by the fact that he was equally loved. “You can start with kissing me.”Yuuji got an amused chuckle at that, and a heated gaze. Satoru smirked, moving even closer.“As you wish.”And then his lips were gently brushing Yuuji's. It was Yuuji's first kiss, and so he was more than willing to be led. When Satoru coaxed him to open up, he did, and his sensei deepened the kiss yet remained undemanding and unhurried. Yuuji couldn't really keep track of time, just enjoying the moment, and he didn't even realized he had closed his eyes until he had to open them and surface for air.He was sure his sensei was as deeply affected as he was by that kiss, with the way Satoru was looking down at him with hooded eyes that seemed to glow with both hunger and devotion.And Yuuji – well, Yuuji thought he might have found his piece of paradise right here, no matter if it was in an innate domain. The man he loved with all his might, with all his heart, was here, and that was enough.Yuuji didn't know how long they stayed in that inner mindscape, time lost in their leisurely yet tender exploration of each other.They did realize that the place seemed to be theirs, as it has elements from both their own and shared experiences. Satoru theorized it might be that way due to Yuuji's inherent domain – but to be honest, it really didn't matter to Yuuji whatever logic was behind that place's existence, as long as he can go back anytime.Right then, they were lying down outside on the soft grass in the courtyard, under the wisteria trees, Satoru playing with his hair.“You think it's almost morning, back there?” His sensei asked, knowing Yuuji understood he was asking about the real world. It was always nighttime somehow, in their shared innate domain.“You're the one with the Six Eyes, you tell me," Yuuji responded cheekily, and that earned him a slightly harder tug on the hair from the older man. Well, it was only fair to equally rile up Satoru, Yuuji thought as he laughed. He turned around, propping himself up on his elbows to look down at Satoru. “Why do you ask, sensei?”“I want to see the sun rise,” was Satoru's straightforward answer.Yuuji really couldn't deny him that one request, could he? And he wanted to see that too, honestly – he had been so busy the past year with classes and missions that he actually hadn't taken the time to appreciate such simple pleasures. But a part of him wasn't willing to go yet.Maybe Satoru sensed that hesitation, as he grinned up at Yuuji, humor mixed with assurance evident in his eyes. “Don't worry, I'll be here – you can't get rid of me that easily.”A beat, and then he added for good measure, “And imagine the look of horror on the others when they find out – Maki especially. I'd love to see that.”Yeah, his sensei was a menace – but Yuuji wouldn't have it any other way. It was time to face the music, he supposed. He had a mission lined up too, and that would be the perfect opportunity to see what they can do.Yuuji took a deep breath – the last thing he saw, before closing his eyes and willing himself back into the real world, was one of those bright blue eyes winking back at him.He imagined himself swimming back to reality from the dark depths of unconsciousness, his head breaking out of the water...and then he was back in his small dorm room, lying on the cold floor on his side, neck a little sore.A familiar cursed energy rose from within him, enveloping him protectively, possessively. Yuuji felt the two slits under his eyes opening up once more, and then a voice in the back of his head started to give him praise – and he couldn't be any any happier to hear it again, even if he had heard it earlier anyway, assuring him exactly of this outcome.
Good boy, Yuuji! Now let's get out of here and have some fun!
The initial climb up to the peak of one of the hills outside Jujutsu tech wasn't much of a challenge really – Yuuji wasn't slacking on his cardio so the hike wasn't tiring, and navigation wasn't much of a problem as he had Satoru directing him where to go. It was looking for the perfect viewpoint that was turning out to be tricky, as large, ancient trees were mostly obstructing their view. The sunrise they were chasing was slowly happening over the far east.So he wasn't surprised when Satoru suggested a complete possession, nudging at him from the back of his mind. Yuuji was wary of that, but then again this wasn't Sukuna – this was his sensei. He trusted this man, fully. And so he let Satoru take the driver's seat, so to speak.It was weird – just as weird like the times Sukuna had taken control of him, except that Yuuji never felt like he was chained and caged. With Sukuna, he had to fight back to gain control every time, always fearful that he may be unable to truly get his body back.Here, it felt more like he was in the backseat of a car - he was seeing everything around him, feeling everything, he was just not the one directing his actions, his body. But he knew deep down that he can always take back control of the wheel. He didn't know how Satoru was doing it, but his sensei brushed his mind with touches of reassurance, that Yuuji can possess his body back anytime he wanted to.“You ready?” his sensei asked, but in his voice. The inflections were definitely Satoru's though. Yeah, Yuuji needed to get used to that.Let's do this, he thought back. A heartbeat later, he felt his body somehow manipulating space and gravity - the world shifts, and then he was floating up, and up, and up. Satoru stopped applying Limitless only when he – no, they – were looking straight at the sun hiding behind a sheet of clouds rising up over the horizon, the sky slowly changing from hues of deep purple to radiant orange and gold.The scene was breathtaking. He wouldn't mind staring at that all day. Satoru agreed.But then Yuuji thought of something else - exactly what date it was.Happy birthday, Satoru, he greeted his sensei.Yuuji heard his own boisterous laughter echoing in the sky. “You remembered!”He felt another subtle brush of Satoru's cursed energy, one that was full of adoration this time.“Hands down, Yuuji, this is the best birthday gift I've received, so far.”Yuuji thought the same – for him though, it was the best Christmas gift so far. And he felt, unlike before, that there were infinitely more days for him to look forward to, now that Satoru was back.Yuuji felt like he was actually living, for the first time since Shinjuku.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Eight Months Later
Being the vessel of Gojo Satoru was honestly worse in some ways than being Sukuna's, if Yuuji was being honest.
For one thing, Satoru liked to butt in in his conversations at the most inappropriate times, with the most outrageous quips. If Satoru wasn't terrorizing their colleagues (because of course, he learned how to manifest an extra mouth just a day after their reunion - and he rarely actually stayed quiet), he was trying his damnedest to embarass Yuuji. Megumi and Nobara (yes, they were on first name basis now) were used to their sensei's antics and mostly just tended to ignore Satoru or level him with glares filled with silent disdain, but Maki-senpai - yeah, uh. There was that one time Satoru had Infinity off, because they were just playing cards, but he said something annoying, and well. Yuuji's jaw stung whenever he thought about that - Playful Cloud had hit him under the chin, hard, because Satoru was being his insufferable self and ruining their game, talking nonstop from a mouth on his cheek. At least Okkotsu-senpai seemed to be genuinely happy about Satoru's presence in him, and they were really bonding over having an overbearing curse as a guardian for the last few months.Then there were the meetings with the new higher-ups. Yuuji was forced to sit through hours upon hours of boring sessions with people who honestly belong in an NHK documentary on mummies or in a magazine article about how to not wear suits, yapping about performing his duties, handling this, taking care of that - his only reprieve being Satoru putting him on the backseat for most of these, so at least he was free to doze off anytime he pleased. One time he asked Satoru why they weren't even cleaning house when that seemed like the best and most logical option, and Satoru just told him that sometimes, you just have to wait for things to unfold - you'll never know who was plotting what. He had a feeling his sensei was just taking his time and figuring out whoever else had a connection to Kenjaku - politics was not his forte, so Yuuji was more than happy to let Satoru take the reigns for those council meetings. Satoru always made it up to him anyway, spending twice the amount of time with him in their innate domain after those summons. And at least Kusakabe-san and Principal Gakuganji were involved in the decision making now, and the two men were more reasonable and were almost always on their side. Not having any outstanding execution order hanging over their heads was nice too.("They wouldn't dare," Satoru had told him once, grinning with teeth. "Knowing the calamity I will unleash if they do - and knowing that two of the people who can stop us would rather not.")
Lastly, there was Satoru's perpetual need for sugar, regardless if it wasn't necessary for him to function anymore. Yuuji only really did ate sweets if he had cravings or when he wanted to try the latest trends. With Satoru in him, every meal every day had to have dessert - and it was not just the dental hygiene he was worried about. He was worried about getting a slew of sugar-related lifestyle diseases, to be honest. Good thing he was still covered by national insurance, and that Satoru had very deep pockets they could dip into for emergencies.
(Admittedly, Yuuji actually enjoyed indulging Satoru...just that he never really imagined he would get tired of desserts.)
To be honest though - the last thing is a non-issue. They actually were considering getting Satoru another vessel because Yuuji wanted his sensei to be free to do things on his own, to not be tied to Yuuji's physical body. Plus Yuuji missed the intimacy of having a person physically standing beside you in the real world, and not just in your mental mindscape. Satoru was happy to be just with Yuuji, and was hesitant to part with him as that would mean staying in another shell and be left to linger here alone, if and when Yuuji die. Yuuji thought that was a problem they can tackle another day - he just wanted to take this whole relationship one step at a time.
(The thought of immortality scared him, but he never will be truly alone wouldn't he? He will always have Satoru.)
Yuuji was going to admit that in this case, he used his sensei's love for him to his advantage - he knew Satoru couldn't say no to him, in certain matters at least. It only took him a weekend out of town and a detailed and graphic pros and cons slideshow (thanks to the combined efforts of Nobara and Ieiri-san for that one) to convince his sensei - Yuuji didn't even have to bring out the strawberry shortcake he made in advance as a bribe.
And so that was how they got here, in Ieiri-san's clinic at the school grounds, examining a naked body they had just exorcised. Yuuji was patiently waiting for Satoru's go ahead to proceed with his transfer.
They were cleaning up remnants of The Culling Games along with the other survivors, Yuuji and Satoru mostly taking on exorcising the stronger curses and some of what's left of the more formidable reincarnated sorcerers who refused to join their cause in rebuilding jujutsu society.
This body - male, mid-twenties, with shoulder-length wavy black hair and built like a swimmer - was their third candidate, and honestly, their best option. The first vessel, Yuuji had miscalculated the strength of his Soul Dismantle and well, the body didn't fare well after that. The second vessel Yuuji left to Satoru, which was a mistake - the incarnated sorcerer was reduced to nothing, quite literally. For this third one, Yuuji opted to fight toe to toe with the sorcerer using just his wits and his fists, and then carefully and precisely used his domain at the best possible time for the sure hit Soul Dismantle and to exorcise the soul. There were still damages to the body but nothing Satoru's reverse cursed technique couldn't fix. Then they brought the empty husk of a body back to Ieiri-san for further medical checkup.
They just got the all-clear from her a few minutes ago, and Satoru was just doing a "last minute inspection". Yuuji suspected the man was jealous - he sent that thought to his sensei, and he felt Satoru bristling with denial. A mouth on Yuuji's right cheek opened a second later, and sure enough, Satoru stated his displeasure.
"I'm not jealous! He's not even half as pretty as me!"
Yuuji chuckled at that, and decided to pull at his sensei's metaphorical leg. "He looks like he can be in the cover of a fashion magazine."
Satoru blew a raspberry. "I look like I can be on the cover of a fashion magazine too, even on my worst day!"
"I don't think fashion mags are open to publishing gore." Yuuji teased. He felt a subtle brush of Satoru's cursed energy that was comparable to a gentle shove, and he laughed. "But I agree - you're a lot more beautiful, Satoru."
Yuuji heard Ieiri-san heave out a sigh of disgust in the corner where she was sitting, observing their back and forth. But there was a tiny fond smile at the corner of her lips even as she rolled her eyes. "You two, just get on with it! That body's not going to stay fresh, and I need to have a cigarette!"
Well, no sense putting off the inevitable. Yuuji was sure Satoru would fully take over the body's form anyway, as the host's soul had long been dead.
"Let me know when you're ready."He felt more than heard Satoru's affirmation, and then the slit under his right eye opened, revealing one of the Six Eyes. He flexed his hand that had the cursed gauntlet on - he really didn't need it for the task, but he felt it would be quicker with the claws. He took out that Six Eye, once he felt Satoru successfully concentrating all of his cursed energy - and his soul - in there.It felt like he was losing a part of himself - perhaps he just got used to housing all that power, and Satoru of course. But at the same time, there was that undeniable frisson of anticipation running through his nerves, setting his whole being alight.Carefully, he opened the mouth of the comatosed body lying in front of him in the steel medical table and placed the Six Eye inside, and made sure that the body would swallow it whole. Ieiri-san had stood up as well, attention focused on the body, ready to lend her aid in case anything went haywire.A heartbeat later, and the black strands of hair of the body in front of him gradually started turning white.A desperate yet relieved breath released right after, something that you would expect from a man who almost drowned in the darkest depths of an ocean.Then the eyes finally opened, and they were the vibrant blue of a cloudless sky in summer.Those twinkling, brilliant blues focused on him.Yuuji donned that secret smile that was reserved only for one special person, his heart full.
"Welcome back, Satoru."