Chapter Text
In a dim lit room with curtains surrounding it and only the light of candle illuminating it, Gojo Satoru stands in the centre. His cocky and confident grin in display as he stands there with his hands in his pockets.
“Gojo Satoru. Your behaviour for the past years have been forgiven because you promised that the end result will beneficial to everyone” A rough and scratchy voice echoes from beyond a curtain.
“But we are yet to see any progress. And the group of useless people you are focusing on is not proving anything else too. Especially, the vessel of Ryoumen Sukuna. He is nothing but a ticking bomb.” Another voice chimes in. Their voice laced with annoyance and frustration.
Gojo just grins and shakes his head.
“You old people should just retire and let the youth handle everything now. Because your old and weak body can’t tell or comprehend what is happening around. Just sit back like you always do and soon your weak eyes might see the change.”
Another voice speaks up with their hands slammed on a wooden surface. “Your behaviour is insolent! You might be the strongest but do not forget that we are the elders. You need us! Without our help or support you are nothing, Gojo!”
Gojo turns to the direction of the voice with a grin. “Hoo? Sounds like someone is forgetting that *You* people are nothing without me too. Are you?”
The room is filled with murmurs and whispers. Until another voice speaks up with a calm and authoritative tone. “Your behaviour has been forgiven many times because of your importance Gojo. We have never forgotten your importance. Yet, this can’t go anymore. You can’t protect everyone around you, so it’s better you stop gathering bunch of useless children and waste any more time playing teacher.”
Gojo's eyes narrow at the comment but he brings back his casual and carefree demeanour back.
“Okay~. Fine. I will spend more time in exorcism from now on. But you guys better behave like good old people and not touch my students while I am gone. Am I clear?~”
He speaks in a teasing tone but they know that he is serious about his words.
“Worry not Gojo. Nothing will happen to your dear students. But don’t blame us if they get caught in accidents during curse exorcism…” The voice stops for a second then adds. “Or lose their life like that kid.”
Gojo’s curse energy gets heavy. The curtains and candles flicker from the waves of his curse energy. His carefree look is gone and a serious look replaces it. “Don’t speak about him or I will snap all your heads right up here”
Before anyone else could retort back Gojo is back to his happy self and laughs. “Just kidding~” Saying that he walks out of the room. Leaving the room in a heavy silence he closed the door and took a deep breath. He pulls out a small ball of glass, a small dried and wilted flowers in the centre.
With a weak smile he softly murmurs, “Don’t mind them, they are just a bunch of morons Megumi”
“Megumi!! Dad!!Byee!! Take care! I will be back soon!”
Megumi, who is now 14, turns around to see Tsumiki waving back at him from the bus . She is 15 and leaving for a different town to continue her high school studies. Megumi gives a small smile and waves back at her. Soon her bus is out of the vision, then he turns to his side. Toji is standing next to him with a bored expression, yawning sleepily. Megumi feels a vein pop in his head.
“You could have said something to her you know. She was hoping for it” He grits out with an annoyed tone.
Toji blinks his eyes and looks at him with a confused look, which only irks Megumi more. He smacks the back of his head. “You stupid man! Your daughter just left for her studies in other town. A few pats or words would have encouraged her.”
Toji remains unfazed from his smacking and looks around without saying anything. Megumi feels his blood pressure rising. All these years have passed yet Toji is still so indifferent and constipated in showing his affection to them, only showing them with his actions. Megumi didn’t mind his behavior but Tsumiki is not like him. She seeks comfort and words of affirmation to know that her father cares about her. Which makes Megumi real frustrated at him.
“What am I even saying? You are still emotionally constipated.” He huffs and starts walking to the market direction. “I am going to the market for buying ingredients for dinner. You better go do your work” Saying that walks to the opposite direction of home.
In all these past years Toji has been a lot more less clingy and pestering. Though the fear is still inside him, whenever Megumi is late or goes somewhere without informing him. Toji becomes a madman, he would run and look around each nook and corner of the town to look for Megumi. He won’t stop until Megumi contacts him or he finds Megumi.
For Megumi it was very good development. Because he can just tell Toji he was going out for walk or learn something new about his 10 shadow technique, and Toji being his lazy self would just wave and tell him to come before sunset. The father son duo had become a lot closer in terms of opening up to each other, except some few remaining secrets that neither of them were comfortable to discuss about. The fear of destroying what they have is a common fear in both of them yet they will never admit that to each other.
Both of them would sometimes train together, with Toji teaching Megumi about curse weapon. Megumi was still not used to seeing the worm looking curse wrapped around his father when they train, but he just ignores it. If Gojo was a monster in training then Toji was a demon. Megumi would remain in his bed for a whole two to three days after their sparring session. Toji would begrudgingly apologize or listen to Tsumiki's lecture, even though she doesn’t know why Megumi was in the battered state.
As for work, Toji would do some odd jobs like carrying heavy stuffs or helping some residents in their farms. But the main source of their income came from exorcising curses. The town is relatively smaller in comparison to big cities like Tokyo. But the people were very hearty in giving money after Toji would get rid of the curse. Even Megumi would sometimes accompany him. Some would even come from other nearby towns and request for them.
Megumi was walking back from the market when he senses a very familiar energy in the park he was passing by. He halts on his step and looks around to see if he was just imagining it or not. Then he sees him, Okkotsu Yuta. He was sitting under a tree with his clothes dirty and some tears on his clothes. Megumi feels conflicted on what he should do. He knows that he should probably not do anything because soon or eventually he will be taken to Jujutsu Tech by Gojo and he would get better. But he can’t just stand and watch his kind senpai in such a terrible state. He looked so broken with empty eyes and misery all over his face.
With a sigh Megumi makes his decision and pulls out the ring Bo gave him. He hasn’t used it since last time because he doesn't exactly know how this ring works. Now that he think about its been a long time since he had any contact from Bo or Ki. He just hopes the two are alright.
Okay, now he is getting distracted. Shaking his head and taking a deep breath Megumi wears the ring, not knowing what kind of monstrous dress he will be wearing this time. He closed his eyes and then opened it after a few seconds. He looks down and sees that he is wearing a plain white, one stick summer dress, his hair is also longer too.
“Well its better than the last one” He mumbles and cringes at the memory of the clothe he wore that one time he used this ring. Taking a deep breath he walks over to Yuta's direction.
After getting close to Yuta, he taps at his shoulder. To which Yuta flinched in a startled manner then looked up. Megumi gives a small friendly smile and extends a handkerchief at Yuta. Pointing a finger to the dirt on his face.
With a shocked expression Yuta looks at Megumi then at the handkerchief. With a small blush Yuta takes the handkerchief and thanks him. Megumi nods in response. He waits for Yuta to wipe the dirt off.
Then he sense Gojo's energy in the vicinity. ‘What is sensei doing here?!’ he wondered and panicked internally. In a hurry he picks up his grocery bags and leaves. Yuta tries to return the handkerchief but he is left speechless and stunned as he sees the stranger run away. Then he feels his consciousness suddenly slipping away.
Gojo was on his way to another mission in his car with ijichi when he sense a strong curse energy from an direction. He orders Ijichi to head to the direction. The poor man couldn’t say no because Gojo quickly shut down his mouth by threatening him.
When he sees a boy with a heavy and dangerous aura standing under a park tree with his back facing him, Gojo grins at his discovery. He teleports behind Yuta and makes him unconscious by tapping on a certain point of his neck. Ijichi shrieks, from inside the car, at the sight of Gojo just randomly making another teenager unconscious.
When Yuta falls unconscious Gojo carries him over his shoulder like a potato sack. A handkerchief falls when he does that. Gojo eyes the handkerchief with a slight change in his expression but he picks it up and walks toward the car. Ijichi immediately gets out of the driver seat and opens the door, even though he wants to stop Gojo. But he knows better than to stop or say anything when Gojo has already taken the first step.
Placing Yuta in the back seat Gojo grins at ijichi.
“You will make a thorough background check on this boy and inform the old geezers that there is a new student for the school.”
Extra
Gojo: Yahoo! Look what i brought back?!
Shoko & Geto (in a deadpan voice) :Another child abduction?
Gojo : offended gasp.
Shoko & Geto: (- _ -)