Author's note: I'm alive. I'm sorry it took waaaaayyy too long to update! As an apology (esp. if we're not twt buddies yet), kindly accept the one-shots in AO3 as well as the art I posted on twt.

Okay so, this chapter's theme is the title itself. You'll see. Had a bit of fun with this one and did a number of revisions and cuts (yes, I cut some stuff haha but don't worry I have moved them in other chapters) so it took longer to proof-read. I hope you guys enjoy!

Shout-out to my buddy VampireSiren (who helped me with some scenes and dialogues pivotal to the plot ILY), June_refrain for pushing me to write the birthday special during my writer's block, friends Max, juju, ryla, simpy, mixxie, sexykatsudon, fushi9urou for their unending support. ILY ALL TO BITS! Thanks also to my new readers!


鬼ごっこ

ONI GOKKO

(Hide and Seek)


Summary:

Suguru begins his covert operations but finds himself trapped in the past.

Shouko finds herself stuck in limbo.

Satoru and Sachiko make some very big plans for their future.


Content warnings/guides: Time-skips, implied depression, mentions and implications of intimacy, profanity

I have included the dates as well as the ages in the headers as a guide.


2013 (23 years old) Megumi is 10 Tsumi is 12

Miura Metro Dojo

Tsumiki had tied her brown hair up in a braid similar to her beloved guardian that day. The dress she used to don, the plain bright yellow piece she favored was now replaced by one a little longer in length that paired well with her orange doll-shoes. She placed her head over her hands that rested on the tree's trunk. A few pairs of footsteps crossed behind her, scuffling to find a safe place to hide as she counted.

There was a soft breeze that swept her hair from side to side that allowed for a comfortable and ambient afternoon in the garden. The smell of freshly bloomed flowers made for a refreshing change of scenery from their usual activities inside of the Dojo.

During afternoons, the kids would either be found watching television or would be making time to read some of the books, mostly classics hand-picked by their mother figure and even a few mangas Satoru had selected (and Sachiko pre-approved) for them to read.

This time though, the weather was too inviting to let a day out for fresh air to pass.

Tsumiki had just come from a good cry the night before. Wistfully narrating to her foster parents how she sometimes still feels a little confused and abandoned by the sudden turn of events. She couldn't help but bury herself in her mattress and comforter as she cried, telling them how much she missed her real parents and wanted to see them one last time and ask them why they left her and Megumi behind.

Satoru and Sachiko couldn't do much but allow her to let out of her feelings. For a child, forced to mature at an early age, the two adults were actually quite impressed with the way she handled their situation. What prompted their counseling sessions with a therapist was the many occasions the kids would come to them asking for reprieve. Megumi was mostly quiet at times but when he would review his circumstances, he was often angry.

Sachiko knew from experience how it was important to get them to express their feelings in a safe space where they would truly be heard and given sound advice but outside of the cold, hollow walls of the clinics, the couple always reminded them that their home would be their sanctuary where their thoughts and sentiments would be validated.

It dawned on them that most of what brought back the kids' mood was them just going about very commonplace things. Tsumiki and Megumi found contentment in their guardians just being there with them in the most routine events. All they ever wanted to feel was to truly belong somewhere. Similar to what the two have been searching for years before they found each other.

Ichi.

(One)

Ni.

(Two)

San.

(Three)

Tsumiki began counting, prompting Satoru, Megumi and Sachiko to find hiding places around the garden. Sachiko couldn't hide her giggle as she passed by the little boy hiding behind one of the large bushes of ornamental plants, but it seemed like he had forgotten that he had grown over the years as his cute scruffy dark hair was peeking out in between the flowers.

She ran towards the fountain but was swept away by a force that hooked around her waist, swirling her to face Satoru who gentle covered her mouth as he grinned, "Shh…she'll find us Chi…" he whispered, playfully hugging her in place as they wait for Tsumiki to finish counting down.

Shi.

(Four)

Go.

(Five)

Roku.

(Six)

Shichi.

(Seven)

Behind the solitary pilar in the garden where a large statue of a fox was erected, the couple kept very quiet by sharing a short moment of intimacy by muffling their voices with a soft kiss. Satoru's hand was supporting her back as she tiptoed to reach his lips and follow his fluid movements but hers kept firmly planted on his chest as she giggled and broke for air, "Okay, that's enough, they'll see," she shyly commented, covering half of her face as she peered behind her to check for intrusions.

Satoru cackled and pinched her cheek before crawling down to move to another hiding spot, taking another brief moment to wink at his girl before scurrying away.

Tsumiki was nearing the end of her countdown, when Megumi's divine dogs went to sit in front of where the two adults were hiding making them etch a nervous grin as they gave away their positions.

Hide and seek became a favorite past time of the kids, mainly because the whole Dojo (and by extension, the Taisha) provided very good spots to explore, sometimes resulting in a whole day of digging through the nooks of the shops, having to utilize the available Inaris to locate the children after Sachiko had worried too much that they got lost only to be surprised that they had fallen asleep somewhere safe.

There was a sort of thrill that Tsumiki personally felt whenever they played. The concept of having someone purposefully look for you like a prized possession was exciting. She really loved the feeling of being found and treasured and being passed on something to carry like a responsibility but most of all, it was the fact there were people who would miss her if she ever went away.

To her, that was enough.

Hachi.

(Eight)

Kyuu.

(Night)

Juu!

(Ten)

"Mou ii kai (Are you ready)?"Her voice had a musical tone in it. The melody of how she hummed happily was already imprinted in her little family's minds, the sound of it, never failed to make them smile. She continued to sing even as she rubbed her eyes to clear, body twisting side to side, gaze searching for any trace of her companions, the pitter patter of her feet against the cold, grassy floor making the ones hiding shift in position.

Sachiko yelled out, "Mou ii yo! (We're ready!),"

Megumi ducked further under the bushes but was surprised at the insanely bright blue eyes staring back at him making him snarl grotesquely at his awkward hunchbacked position.

Kuro, the black dog shikigami, was barking in front of Satoru, giving a signal to Tsumiki of their hiding places. Megumi's mouth quirked downwards, green eyes shooting his guardian a grim stare as he stealthily tip-toed to a nearby bush and gave his shikigami a single glance that instructed him to guard the six-foot adult.

Kuro continued to bark at Satoru making him swipe his eyes left and right to spot any other area he could consider but because of the incessant barking of the divine dog, Tsumiki was already vastly making a turn towards his direction. Her mustard-colored jumper found itself peeking at his periphery, her shadow, framed over his half, shading him from the glare of the morning sun.

Satoru lifted his head and was greeted by the smiling face of the brunette little girl, peering over him, eyes lit with victorious fire similar to the ones that her foster mother would display whenever she was ecstatic about such things. Satoru's eyes wrinkled on the sides as he gave out a shaky laugh as Tsumiki patted his head.

"Satodaddy! You're turn to be the oni!" Satoru quickly went to his feet and grabbed Tsumiki into a tickle making her squeal out in soft giggling. Sachiko couldn't help but reveal her spot after falling out of curiosity from their cute moment but was ushered by shiro. The white dog shikigami bit the edge of her dress, making her stay in position and kneel to pet him. The furry little guy simply wanted a bit of attention from the Miura heir. She always drew in animals wherever she went but these shikigamis, more so.

Megumi dusted his hands and knees before approaching Satoru and Tsumiki, he seemed a little perturbed by the turn of events but was a little relieved that he didn't lose. He looked over his shoulder to find Sachiko cradling Shiro in her arms, Kuro trailed behind her shortly, jumping up and down to make her pick him up as well but it was Tsumiki, struggling to break free from Satoru's grasp who went to play with the little one.

Satoru and Sachiko exchanged knowing glances before peering over to Megumi who stood still in between them and without saying another word, Satoru hoisted the moody little ten-year-old mid-air and grinned, "You're it, Megumi-chan!"


In all Sachiko fashion, not a day went by with them (mostly) unplanned. As part of her pledge as a Taira and Kitsune, she opted to take advantage of the afternoon alone with Megumi to practice some of his summoning techniques. For his age, he was quite a quick study. It was easy to assess that he had raw talent and for shikigami summoners, it was important for them to establish early rapport with their steeds.

Sachiko grew up with summoners, herself, often tasked with assisting with training even if her technique was more complimentary to them than instrumental.

The Ten Shadows technique used shadows as an intermediary to summon a collect number of special shikigamis that the Zenin line were bestowed upon and what better way to enhance Megumi's access to them than to provide him with a bottomless pit harnessed by powerful cursed energy?

As an elemental, Sachiko had the ability to manipulate light and darkness from natural sources practically making the Sun and Moon as her personal spotlights. Sachiko decided to sport her training robes, the Taira butterfly embroidered in gold over the black and white miko top and loose hakata bottoms that etched a fox tail by the sides. Megumi wore the same Taira robes, half expecting that sparring with her would've taken longer than the session they were about to start. Satoru's sparring sessions with him would be 90% teasing and 10% training but his taunts always fired him to land him a few hits on his guardian, so that was a bonus. Still, a calm training session was welcome changed.

She closed the main door to the training hall and began lifting the blinds all over the dojo. Megumi was already seated at the center, legs crossed but body half twisted to observe his guardian who opened the largest window located in the middle, straight across the closed doors. Sachiko placed both hands atop her waist and smiled as she settled beside the little boy. Megumi noticed how illuminated the whole area was by natural light that spread in different corners of the room but with one fluid motion of her finger and a slight shine to her crimson eyes that turned crescentic upon release of her cursed energy, all of the light gathered from behind them and projected towards the door.

Immediately, the shadow of the woman and the little kid decorated the walls and Megumi's leafy green eyes widened at the sudden surge that came from his own fingertips. His divine dogs apparated beside them, tails wagging prior to settling silently in all fours as they awaited their master's instructions.

Sachiko gave him a small smile and lifted her index finger, "Megumi-kun, I'd like to ask you to summon your divine dogs after I dismiss them, okay?"

Megumi's face slightly contorted at his guardian's instruction, making him dart his eyes from one dog to the other. He didn't know she was capable of instructing them herself, but he had no reason to disobey. With one flick of her wrist, she had absorbed the shadows that created the divine dogs and dismissed them. Her crimson eyes turned to the little boy now. She watched as he folded his fingers into his palms and closed his eyes as he summoned his own pulse of energy to bring back his shikigamis.

"Hm," Sachiko began, observing the shikigamis before her, "I'd like for you to try something. Let's play a little game,"

"A game?"

She nodded, "Shadow puppets, I'll go first," Sachiko positioned her hands in front Megumi, arms stretched out enough to cast shadows over the closed doors. With some modifications in the way she held up her fingers, she had made a silhouette of what seemed like a hound.

"What is it?" Megumi asked, making her laugh at his question.

"It's a fox, well, sort of," she playfully dragged her hand towards Megumi's shadow and pretended to nibble on it before taking his own tiny hands into her own, "Your turn,"

"I don't know how," he said, "Can you show me Sachimama?" whenever he had used that nickname on her, she always felt a little powerless at the sound of his request. He had admitted that he couldn't say it out loud when others were around, but with her it felt natural that he called her with such endearment. He trusted her, cared about her and wanted to protect her so any sort of request, he would heed.

"Alright," she began positioning his hands into a wolf-like shape, small and ring fingers paired together like his middle and index fingers. She pressed his palms together in that position and extended his thumbs, "You see, my theory is, the shadows around you are like your mediums for painting. Each crevice would be your canvass. Shadow realms are like the mirrors of our world. Whatever you project in the light, has a corresponding equivalent in the shadows. What we can do is find a way to mesh both worlds to properly harness your technique. Now, take a look at the image you have formed with your hands,"

"It's, a dog?" he blinked a few times as he shifted from his hands to the projected image.

Sachiko held his hand in place and continued, "Yes, see? With a little imagination, you might just be able to unlock more of the shikigamis you inherited. Now, try summoning them back by forming their shadow,"

With one clap in the same hand position, his shikigamis quickly surfaced to his sides. Immediately he realized how he spent less energy by utilizing the little trick making him breathe easily as he gazed towards his mentor.

"Good job!" she remarked, "I've read some texts describing which shikigamis you can summon and have listed them here," she handed him a small notebook filled with her notes as well as a short list of all the animal shikigamis he could summon.

"Sachimama," he flipped through the filled pages and softened his look, "You read a lot for me?"

Sachiko ran her hands over his scalp, "Of course I did! I have to do my part to help you right? I'm just glad it worked! Now, which spirit would you like to try and summon?"

Megumi opened to the page she had bookmarked then landed his eyes on her once more, "Sachimama, do you like…rabbits?" he asked shyly.

A soft sound was heard from her singular clap that made Megumi jerk towards her direction.

"I love bunnies!"

Megumi gave her a singular nod and tried to copy the drawn hand position in the notebook. It took him a little while to get the shadow to reflect into the animal he desired. The six-tailed Kitsune tucked her legs behind her and kept on encouraging him as he tried. Megumi remained silent as he stirred and tried different approaches to it and his guardian could only marvel at how adorable he looked with his furrowed brows and pouty expression but one determined minute later, Megumi's cursed energy surged at a level beyond his age that perfectly highlighted the shadow of the small creature.

Something small and white suddenly climbed up on Megumi's lap, sniffing and pattering around with its beady red eyes staring straight at Sachiko. Megumi held it up in offering towards her, "For Sachimama," he said, a small hint of pink pressed on his cheeks as Sachiko carefully took the rabbit in her arms.

The little creature quickly cuddled close towards the Six-tailed Kitsune. She balanced it in one arm and ruffled the little boy's unruly black hair with the other, "Nicely done 'Gumi,"

Megumi scratched the back of his nape and proceeded to practice the shadow-puppet once more. To Sachiko's surprise, another rabbit appeared beside her and seemed to only grow in number with every flick of Megumi's wrist. Her arms became too crowded to carry the rabbits that were appearing from thin air but with her laughter and enjoyment only growing with their number, the little boy didn't seem to find any reason to stop summoning them.

Sachiko gently released them in the garden before going back to check on Megumi who was busy practicing inside, "'Gumi-kun, I think that's enough for now," she said, timidly.


"Yay! Thank you for bringing me for ice-cream Satorudaddy!" Tsumiki exclaimed, swinging the hand that held unto his guardian as they skipped back home from the supermarket and the cantina. The best way to buy time for Sachiko to train Megumi would be to spend some with his little girl. Tsumiki had to be gently guided into their world and having her worry about her little brother's training wouldn't help.

Seeing Tsumiki all smiles always helped lift his mood. Sachiko's demeanor really rubbed off on her well that sometimes he would forget that she was just their foster child. It was funny since most of the people who met them always talked about how Megumi could pass Sachiko's actual child and that made it all more real to him.

Their usual stroll to the Miura Dojo was pretty much uneventful, save for the occasional foxes and Inaris suddenly making an appearance around them, it all seemed very routine.

These past few days however, Satoru couldn't lower his defenses even when he was within the Taisha. His Infinity bubble was greatly extended especially around the youngsters. He knew they were being watched because the remnants did not lie about who was lurking behind their shadows.

For whatever purpose he had for stalking him and the his little family, he couldn't take chances. He had asked Sachiko the same thing, but she would always just note that a number of minor curses would sometimes follow her randomly but never attempt to attack or disturb her. She had vocalized his thought about those being the handiwork of their estranged friend. In whichever reasoning, it seemed that the activity was increasing as the days passed by.

He looked over his shoulder at the sudden pulse of energy that emanated in one corner and readied to summon a sizeable amount of his cursed energy in cased it attacked. Satoru drew Tsumiki closer to him, making her wonder why he suddenly turned serious but as soon as the entity felt his taunt, it left.

Tsumiki tugged on his hand and asked if something was wrong. He was quick to dispel his apprehension and etched a calmer expression with his toothy grin,

"Don't worry Tsumi-chan, it's nothing, just, had to check something, anyway, let's go inside,"


"Ta-da-i-ma!" Tsumiki sung as she and Satoru had set down the groceries and began unwrapping the foil that kept their food warm.

"Chi-chan, Megumi-chan, time to eat!" Satoru called.

The two traded looks as they were awarded by non-responses. Satoru motioned for her to continue prepping as he decided to check on them at the training dojo. One step outside of the garden and he could already hear laughter spreading from the other side.

"Gumi! I think we have enough, mommy loves the bunnies, but I guess we can bring the others back home for now," she laughed unsteadily.

"Bunnies? Mommy?" Satoru mouthed under his breath, rushing to where the commotion was coming from. At first glance, he already took note that their training kimonos were dirtied from too much running around and immediately the culprit of their look of disarray came from unsuspecting white little creatures that grazed in their garden, "HHHHEEEEEEEHHH?" his voice rose in surprise making Sachiko jump from his sudden entrance.

He looked at Sachiko with widened eyes that the blue of it seemed almost white as she only retorted with an awkward smile under her sweaty brow.

"L-look 'Toru, Megumi summoned a new shikigami…" her voice trailed off as another rabbit bit on her hakata and dragged her away one step at a time.

Satoru pulled on his hair and yelled, "There's too many of them!" his nose itched at first inhale of their animal dander and the urge to sneeze cane so fast that he found himself sneezing uncontrollably.

Then he sneezed some more, making Megumi robotically turn to his guardian and narrow his eyes at him, "They come as a group, Gojo-san" he grouched.

Satoru covered his mouth and made some distance between them making the little boy wince at his weird flailing and comments that sounded so constricted as he pinched his nose. This prompted Megumi to position his hand summon another of his shikigamis. Of course, by some luck, the largest of the rabbits landed straight in his face, almost knocking him off balance at its weight. Satoru picked up the creature by its neck who was busy attempting to dig its sharp teeth on his cheek. His face, already blotching up with allergic erythema was pierced with rage that Sachiko couldn't help but giggle at him.

Satoru hastily lowered the bunny on the ground and went behind his girl to whisper something.

Megumi stood now with one brow lifted towards the older male, "You hate rabbits Gojo-san?" he spoke with steel, making Satoru's lip twitch upwards.

Sachiko raised her palms to dispel the tension and spoke, "It's not that he hates them 'Gumi, it's just that he's allergic to them,"

Megumi blinked but didn't lift his glare away from Satoru, "But mom-Sachiko-san likes bunnies,"

Satoru gritted his teeth, "One or two is fine and you've already proven you can summon them so-"

"BUNNIES!" Tsumiki came running towards them, so bright eyed and blushing in happiness at the sight of the numerous cute animals hopping about their garden that Megumi was once again given another reason to keep the shikigamis present.

Satoru heaved once more, "Ts-tsumiki, do you like bunnies too?"

Tsumiki held one up in her tiny hands and looked at him very big, sparkly brown eyes that looked at him with pure delight, "They're so cute! Can we keep them?"

Satoru sighed and took the kerchief that Sachiko handed him, afterwards ruffling his hair and opted to answer in his stead, "We can play with them a little longer but we have to return them soon. As you can see, your da-" the almost mention of his unofficial title made Satoru's already watery eyes widen but Sachiko was quick to edit her statement, "Satoru is allergic to bunnies,"

Tsumiki hugged the bunny close to her chest, "Heeeeh? Then, we can't play with them anymore?" she said, struggling to keep her smile.

Satoru took a deep breath and smiled crookedly, "No, just-okay," he removed the pinch on his nose and dug out his phone from his pocket and motioned for them to gather to fit the screen, "Quick! Before my eyes shut, let's take a photo!"

And on the third count, Megumi had summoned another batch of the rabbits which all conveniently landed on his guardian's face.

"MEGUMI-CHAN!" Satoru yelled through the flash, immortalizing the funny moment with one click.


Sachiko's eyes settled on the two young ones before her, running around with one small animal in hand, going to and from the small grazing area that Sachiko had prepared for them to gather the shikigamis. It was hard to make Megumi withdraw them for the day, so she had somehow convinced her beau to allow them some more time.

Sachiko had urged him to sit on the swings a few feet away from them to allow him some fresh air. Despite feeling a little drowsy from his antihistamine, he still managed to stay alert in case the shadows were still lurking around them.

Sachiko leaned on his arm as they watched the two from afar, a melancholic expression suddenly etched in her face making him curious about what was on her mind, "What's the matter? Or are you also thinking how to get of those rabbits?" he covered his nose to brace for another sneeze that never came.

Sachiko shook her head and sighed, "I'm just-I just noticed how big they've gotten since you," she paused to giggle, "Surprised me with children one day,"

Satoru shrugged. Wait 'til you surprise me with ours someday. He thought, hiding his dopey grin with his hand.

She continued, "Pretty soon, they're gonna have to move back to their house. I'm gonna miss having them around, that's all,"

Satoru squeezed her shoulder and drew her close, "Well, we're all settling at our own places anyway but that doesn't mean we can't visit them. We're still their guardians," he laughed, "And we still got a few more years with them here,"

Sachiko turned to him now and got a desolate look, "I'm a little concerned still. Tsumiki can see Megumi's shikigamis and likely, she'll be able to see curses soon too. I think," she bit her lip in frustration, "I think it's because she was with me when I was dying and that opened her spiritual-"

He saw the remorse that glinted in her eyes. She feared that the nightmare of ugly creatures would plague Tsumiki soon and it would be all her fault. Satoru dabbed the back of his hand on her cheek to dispel some of her concern, "It's better this way so that she can be made aware of the dangers and that perhaps she could also train to at least be a window," he mused baking the side of her mouth twitch upwards.

Sachiko consigned, "Maybe you're right,"

"I'm always right," he said confidently. He smoothened the back of her hair, "Chi? Since we graduated, you've visited me at my own place, but you've only recently moved out of the dojo," her heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly what he was going to ask but that didn't stop him from asking. He looked away momentarily and slid his hand behind his nape, "Can I go see your place too?"

"Hm,"

"Hm?" he tilted his head sidewards as he laughed shakily.

"Of course, you can!" she said making him widen his smile but before he could thank her Sachiko raised one finger at him and smirked, "If you can find it," she teased.


Two days after their visit to the dojo, Satoru was tasked with quite a mission from his own girlfriend. Sachiko told him that he would know where she lived if he learned how to properly manipulate the cursed energy ties to each other as familiars. She told him that her new residence was obviously still in Tokyo and was accessible via train but other than that, he had to eliminate all the wards one by one, and he didn't have the patience to do so in one day.

He asked around from all of their common friends but even Shouko had no idea where she lived nor would Yahiko care to admit that he hadn't the slightest clue to confirm her whereabouts and honestly, it was worth him yelling at Satoru for quote and unquote, "Escalating your fucking invasion of privacy!" as he almost bit him in his Inari form as a warning.

Come of think of it, Satoru had never stayed the night for too long alone with Sachiko. Even at the dojo, Satoru would only hold her for a while before he retreated to his own room. If they would go on with their romantic exchanges, there would still be an awkward, no cautious air between them.

It's not that Satoru was unfamiliar with how one would go about being as lovers-but the extent of which he hadn't fully explored with her. He didn't lack in the consent department but sometimes it was just too hard to ask for very specific things still, he was lucky that even his most subtle of puns and even mannerisms, Sachiko understood immediately what he meant.

So, the idea of actually, finally, going to her own place, heavily warded, location kept secret even from her own family and if he would be successful in his search, would only be known by her and him-that kind of privacy was enough motivation for him to pursue the quest immediately.

Satoru had read in the sutra he was given that the marking on their body was a literal tie to his soul to hers one further strengthened with the red string that he kept intact in his right arm.

He carefully thought the night before how his tie could offset a new kind of beginning for the both of them so, using his Six-Eyes, he decided to activate those markings to actually get a feel about what Sachiko meant by looking for her through their threads of fate.

It was a different kind of pulsation, almost like feeling your blood boil as you are submerged in icy water the first few seconds, then after, you will feel a calm close to breathing fresh air then jumps into a high that could only be described as one leap away from adrenaline. There would always be a pull towards something, a hard one that is close to being a human magnet that only clicked to halt when his other half would be present.

He had hoped that an actual red string the extended from his chest towards Sachiko's location would appear. Kind of like the way it magically appeared to bring them to Shouko when she activated her own strings. He wanted to test that theory, but Sachiko had already told him that it wouldn't work so all he had to do was concentrate on their shared cursed energy and use it as an invisible compass to locate her in one the most populous cities in all of Japan.

He had been lurking at the train station for hours. His hair had become so unkept at his pulling and scratching, pacing around the booths, trying to decide which route to take. His glasses had fogged up from his huffing and sighing he had been doing in between his sugary binges.

Around him, he could still feel lurking eyes, mostly from minor curses. He didn't really pay them much mind since they seemed to just be scavenging or playing around. His infinity and familiar connection had been activated anyway, so he'd always be prepared for an attack. Setting up a curtain though, in his distracted state, he hoped he wouldn't need to.

Something about sharing cursed energy with another person suddenly popped inside of his mind. Sachiko had been keeping the cursed-half of herself dormant and in her control because his own was fighting the consumption for her and because she was lending a large amount of hers to him, he was practically enhancing his reversal techniques. Cursed techniques and energies were bound, and if the Six-tailed Kitsune was the only person who knew her way home then perhaps it was time to borrow her eyes.

He smirked now at the idea of suddenly shifting into the kind of sight he was unfamiliar with, but it was an exciting venture and one he needed to know worked right away.

He took a deep breath as he stood in the middle of the busy station and removed his hands from his pockets and placed both into a benediction enveloped in his own cursed energy and closed his eyes. He felt the burn of the lotus flower marking in his chest but didn't wince. He no longer felt pain whenever he did so but the wave that washed through his eyes upon lifting his lids to welcome his newfound sight made him tumble backwards.

His six-eyes saw differently. It focused on waveforms, thermal energy and cursed energy registry that looked somewhat like smoke and clouds encased in a body or object. Though his sixth sense was unbelievably sharp, the detail that was captured through the Kitsune's eyes was somewhat overpowering. There were some things that only they could see, and he now understood why they were partnered up at one point to open Tengen's library.

Her eyes did not miss a single detail. From the way the hair on one's skin would raise, to the drop of sweat that slowly sliced down on one's brow, everything could be deciphered per centimeter at will. What was more pronounced was the way Kitsunes would use eyes and shadows to determine their level of threat. One look from someone and he knew right away how to distinguish between a sorcerer and a window. There were what he could describe as halos around one's eyes and visible outline to one's shadows that Kitsunes used to calculate if one would need better attention than others.

He wondered what Sachiko saw whenever she looked into his eyes.

She once told him, she always saw the sky in his eyes. But the sky would sometimes drift from blue to black. The heavens would sometimes turn gray and cloudy and would oftentimes shield the sun and yet she said she loved the way he looked because it reminded her of tranquil days.

The sky connects everyone and always leads me back home.

She told him. The thought never failing to make him hopeful and wanted and seen-

-that having to switch places, he somehow understood how she could ever be sure about what she saw and felt.

Clarity. That's all she saw.

He took a deep breath and continued his tread on the station.

There were different sigils around him. The vast amount of aura and spiritual signatures became evident as he commenced. Soon, he found that his other senses were being heightened. From a mile away, he could hear distinct sounds, even the aroma of freshly baked goods became too apparent that he could distinguish the cinnamon from the hazelnut cream being used. He massaged his temple and gulped as he adjusted to the new type of sensory overload he was experiencing.

No wonder Chi's eyes were always wandering. This is quite a hassle. Maybe she should get some shades or earphones as well. He took another deep breath and began moving his eyes around and with a flicker of red light that he caught in his periphery, his focus turned to one pipeline.

People were beginning to eye him stretching his arms forward as he reached for the invisible sigils that radiated more light than others and soon as his fingers poked into the glowing thread, a pulse went through him like he had just had air snatched from his lungs.

Singing? I can hear singing. And, he wound his arms around himself and blinked, it feels warm and I smell, strawberries? Where are these sensations coming from?

A singular beat in his heart forced him to take a step forward. He felt like someone had gripped on it and actually pulled it towards a specific direction. There were residuals that scattered on a specific path and the sight of the twinkling field of white made him cackle.

It's hers. I can see it, because I am one with her.

"Gotcha," he said, eyeing the spot on the railway line that housed his beloved Kitsune.


Satoru found himself strolling around the cold afternoon in Kichijoji. From one food strip to another, he was met with various traces of Sachiko's cursed energy that could easily be missed had it not been for his Kitsune sight. In hindsight, she may have allowed some of her traces to remain visible so he could find her. It was an adorable thought and the excitement of the search only made him miss her more.

In a way his fieldtrip turned to be an unexpected recluse of a day off. For one, the city hosted a very famous park, the Inokashira where the cherry blossom display was made famous around spring as visitors and locals alike love to ride boats and enjoy the display that reflected in the pond.

It was the perfect mix of nature and city life, kind of like how the two were as individuals.

Her pull was getting stronger the more he delved into the less populous parts of the city but what he didn't expect was that he would be forced to enter an abandoned building. If you were looking through mundane eyes, the scenery was nothing to behold except one step inside the building and Satoru knew the veil was too thick to be easily dispelled by outsiders. Still, the wedge of the outline in his chest allowed him entrance and soon, his vision cleared from the illusion before him.

He was inside a rather spacious apartment entrance and lucky for him, there was only one doorbell to ring. He smirked as he drew near the very neat and modern looking apartment. He paused to dust off his clothes, a sharp button-down shirt in the shade of light blue paired with his slacks (and oblong shades custom made for him as a gift by his lady) and hand comb his hair before knocking or pushing the doorbell.

His heart was beating faster each moment he let pass. Their connection as familiars grew stronger as his excitement rose and with one quick push and the musical tone alerting the owner of apartment of his arrival, he confidently spoke, "I'm home, Chi,"

Sachiko had spent the day before Satoru's visit intentionally leaving more clues than she had intended over Kichijoji. It wasn't a surprise that he'd utilize their shared techniques at once, but she didn't want to wait for long. He was very clever, and nothing could ever throw off Gojo Satoru once he set his mind into doing something and she counted on it. When Satoru activated her sight in the train station, she almost lost her balance at the sudden pull but that alone urged her to hasten her chores. It's not like she had much to do. She was a very tidy person but for some reason, she couldn't just keep still and laze around as she waited for him to arrive.

It would be the first time that they would truly be alone and secluded from their community. Finally, the privacy that they wanted could be given to them even if it meant just a night of them resting and having dinner as usual. Of course, at the back of her mind, she was also getting a hint that Satoru may have something more in mind for them should the day go smoothly.

She had changed her outfit three times and redid her hair almost every hour since she woke up. It was a little unusual for her since she'd always lay out her things the night before and had a clear idea of how she would present herself even on their dates. However, it was the first time that she would host their get together and it made her quite nervous.

It was different in the dojo. Their apartments were basically their havens as a couple, and she had no idea what he would be expecting of her own home.

It was a little around past noon when she heard a knock that was shortly followed by the ringing of her doorbell. This made her jump where she stood in the kitchen, busy preparing her lunch. She quickly rinsed her hands and pat dried them before standing in the mirror near her dresser. She fixed the hem of her beige fly-skirt she paired with a light blue babydoll cut top and pulled on her half-braided hair to one side, exposing her left clavicle and evening out the bare part of the upper part of her chest. She had pondered on getting a cover up but before she could go back to her dresser, Satoru had pushed the doorbell three times to alert her of his presence. This made her giggle and skip through her living room to open the door.

"I'm home Chi," he repeated on the other side of the door.

Sachiko wiped the sweat off her palm and slowly opened the door and with one look at each other, they burst out laughing.

She whacked the side of his arm, "What's so funny?"

Satoru had his hands behind his nape as he took a good look of the girl in front of him. As usual, she looked very pretty and the sight of her in casual clothing was always exciting for him. It was nice to see her dress comfortably especially since she was in her own home, but he couldn't discount how she still wanted to look her best despite him being a guest that she was extremely close to.

"Nothing," he pursed under his breath, "So," he began, "Can I come in?"

Sachiko folded her lips and took Satoru's outstretched hand and before he knew it, they were already closing the door and entering the realm of their privacy. With the click, he felt his cursed energy deactivate and Sachiko's equally glowing eyes had turned into their normal form, his borrowed crescents followed after. For a moment, his eyes fluttered towards the imprint in her chest that he couldn't help but brush his free hand over the side that branded him before turning away with flushed cheeks.

Sachiko gently pulled him forward and momentarily broke his hold to remove his shoes. She watched as his eyes already began to wander around which egged her to take a few steps forward just to preempt if she missed tidying something up.

Before she could go any further, she found her right hand twined in his and him settling beside her as they walked towards the living room.

Satoru noted how there were still vacant spaces around her place that would fit some furniture which probably meant that besides practical appliances, there were still some he could contribute. He felt a little anxious and embarrassed that he arrived empty handed. He was too excited to meet her that he forgot to prepare a housewarming gift and already his mind was drifting to list down things he'd get for her.

Her place was very bright. All the walls had been painted white, with most of the outlines and items were different types of wooden pieces. It was simple and elegant, and the decors were mostly of photographs she had framed (mostly of her friends, family and of course of each other) and all around her freshly potted flowers she probably grew on her own. Classic, minimalist, like her.

"I-I'm still fixing some stuff up, but, I dunno," she looked towards him now, breaking his discovering glance to fixate on her scarlet eyes, "What do you think?"

Satoru smiled, "It's very you, clean, bright and classy,"

She giggled, "Yeah? It's not too plain?"

"Naaah," He removed his hold on her hand and looped his arm around her shoulder instead, "We have time to decorate, besides, I came empty handed, I have to make it up to you," he kissed her cheek now which earned him a small smile.

"No expensive ones please! Unless they're a great investment,"

"I can't promise that Chi,"

"Anyway," she removed the loop on her shoulder and urged him to sit in the sofa that was directly perched in front of the television, "I'm almost done preparing lunch so, you go ahead and make yourself comfortable, okay?"

Satoru caught her wrist, "You don't need help?"

She shook her head and ruffled his hair before she made her way to the kitchen a few feet away from where he stood, "I'm good, thank you Toru," she turned to him once more and looked at him very happily with flushed cheeks, "I'm glad you found me,"

It was one of the most enjoyable lunches they had. Sachiko had prepared her watermelon salad, complete with seared salmon cuts and of course a side of Satoru's favorite lean meat (she had learned to live with the smell of it and was able to prepare small portions just for him).

It meant a lot of to him that she expected him to arrive soon and went out of her way to make such preparations. It was very reassuring, talking about their daily lives and concerns without inhibitions and casually keeping their eyes and ears out for any threats. Time seemed to drift very slowly in their own little bubble that before they knew it, it was already 5 PM and they had only started cleaning out their dishes.

Satoru liked the ambience of her apartment. For one, every layer of air smelled like her, like freshly picked lilies sprinkled with sweet fruit and because she was a thermal regulator herself, every nook was made cozy. It was very entertaining to watch her in her own element. She was always a good host and this time; they could just concentrate on each other and be themselves.

Satoru placed the last plate down to dry and dried of his hands quickly and positioned himself behind her. His height allowed him to observe her whole form as she finished tidying their dinnerware and he loved that not once did the smile leave her face. His arms quickly wrapped around her waist. His hug slightly lifted her off the ground making her drop the sponge in hand. She tilted her head sidewards to catch a glimpse of his face but before she could fully turn, Satoru buried his face on the back of her hair and took in her scent as he let out a slight hum. His mouth was still resting on her hair when he commented, "You look so adorable and so happy at home,"

She giggled as her right hand reached to caress his face as he set her down, "Well, I can relax here better knowing that it's warded and you're here, so-"

He hugged tighter, "I am,"

She finally willed herself to turn so that her back was resting on the counter as he hovered over her. His large hands were resting on her sides as he waited for her to continue to speak. She tiptoed to rake back some his hair and went on to lift the glasses away from his nose, "No need for these, hm?"

He merely laughed.

Sachiko gave him another thoughtful look before lifting herself to sit on the counter, but Satoru was quick to assist her to make their stare leveled. As soon as she was able to reach him, she could help but massage the sides of his cheeks and then the back of his ears which never failed to calm him down. His face began to pink up that he couldn't help but chuckle. Sachiko retreated her hands towards her lap and continued to peer up at him, "You know, you're the only person who knows where I live,"

He cocked a brow, "Really?"

She tucked her arms on top of the other and looked upwards, "Well, if anything happens to me, the whole warding will be void," she shrugged as she brought back her attention towards him, "-but that's not gonna happen ever because I have you,"

"That's true, then maybe," He leaned further on until he was comfortable enough to hug her and rest his temple on hers. He bit his lip before speaking and lowered his tone enough so he could whisper comfortably in her ear, "I should stay here with you? Indefinitely?"

His question went beyond the confines of the day and even though Sachiko knew what he was asking, she wasn't sure if the flutter she felt in her chest was of elation or trepidation.

She hid the flush on her cheeks and buried her face in his chest, "Of course you can, it's late anyway,"

Satoru laughed at her evasive tone. He was teasing but at least, her answer was a start, "Thanks,"

She steadied herself on his shoulders as she got off the counter, "Let me just tidy up for a bit, okay?"

After hours of hanging out, snuggling on the couch that played whatever movie in the background, the couple had decided to just stay in and make sandwiches for dinner, still too stuffed from their rather heavy lunch.

The quiet space was something they had always longed for and the promise that none of them would be taking calls only made their time more meaningful. It was funny, in all those years being together, they couldn't really recall a time where they had truly been alone and thought of themselves as a priority but after their day together, they knew they had to make more effort to keep the kind of solace they had now.

It was around 8 in the evening when their phones lit with messages that were lining up for their attention. As the two sole active special grades of both institutes, their reality of being married to their profession wasn't something they were fond of. Sachiko sighed in sync with Satoru's groan as they set their phones on the table.

"I guess we should rest up for tomorrow," she said, lifting her legs off his lap to stand. Satoru couldn't help but reach out to her still, the force of his hold, forcing her to sit on his lap as he hugged her from behind. His eyes were closed as he nuzzled in to the side of her neck instantly making her heart skip so fast that the blood pooled on her chest and face the more he held on.

"Yeah, just, a few more minutes," he begged as he gave her chaste kiss on her cheek as he transferred her to his side. Sachiko struggled to look back at him, so Satoru took it as a cue for him to gentle cup her chin to get her attention. He gave her a reassuring smile, "I'll stay on the couch but let's hang out for a bit before we turn in,"

He knew exactly what she was worried about. Crossing the bridge to further intimacy had made its presence known the moment he stepped inside her apartment and yet, he knew that she wouldn't want their first sleep over to be one where they would do something out of whim.

Sachiko placed her right hand on his chest and looked at him worriedly, "You're okay with that?"

"Uh, yeah?" he tilted his head sidewards and smoothened the back of her hair before he pinched her cheek, "Of course I would,"

She lifted her chin to look directly in his cerulean eyes making his pupils dilate at the way she looked so serene and inviting as she spoke. He swore that for a flicker of a moment, her scarlet eyes darted his lips before her dark lashes fluttered upwards and with a bit of coyness set aside, she spoke,

"Y-you can stay with me in the bedroom you know but-"

He gently bumped his head on hers as he tried his best to contain his happiness. She was trying to be brave about the situation and he needed that because the restraint inside of him struggled to break lose. Unlike the pulsations he felt from the marking before, the kind of heat to pooled inside of his body was purely a physiological response to her entire being which was further validated by the way he felt extremely captivated by her.

But, her bravery was a sign that she still wanted to keep their boundaries in their bedroom, at least for that night. He wanted to feel a little disappointed, but it dawned on him how unprepared he was himself for something that could change the way they saw each other from happening. He grinned at her now and pinched her nose to lift some of the tension between them, "I know, don't worry, I'll even put a pillow in between us if you want," he willingly offered.

This made Sachiko laugh a little loudly that she couldn't help but give him a snarky expression,

"We've slept together a number of times now," a blush went to her cheeks at the words she just released. While she meant it in a literal sense, lying next to each other, holding each other until they fell into slumber gave it a different meaning as soon as she caught Satoru's blue eyes dilate at her sudden inference.

There was a short yet very evident silence that stood between them that they had to break away from each other's eyes. The concern from both parties that they needed to address the topic soon resurfaced and already Sachiko felt like she was about to burst into flames.

It wasn't that they lacked flair in the romance department, they have been progressing but not to the extent that others would have deemed to be at the level they were in now. They were consenting adults who have practically lived as a family for years.

It was complicated. With Sachiko's history, Satoru knew he had to be cautious and be very delicate about it. The desire was there, mutual and sometimes even tangible. There was nothing else that could explain the heavy pause in between their affectionate changes that left them questioning for what is next.

Perhaps, the thought of cohabitation was stirring something intricate inside of Satoru's mind and that moment he wished he would see through her thoughts and borrow some of her courage and make it his.

Patience. He said to himself. It will be worth it.

Sachiko bashfully continued, "I-I just meant, no need for the pillow, I trust you 'Toru,"

Satoru smiled at her, a slight flutter in his chest bloomed at her invitation to share her privacy and it was quick to calm the nerves that were fighting to go into utter chaos if the pressure remained unlifted for longer.

To prepare for their sleep, Satoru offered that after they had changed, to stay in their living room longer. They had decided to watch a movie, one of those vintage ones that Sachiko always loved. She commented a lot on the dialogue and how it was rare to find eloquence in the way people spoke detail and he got what she meant, as someone forced to live in silence for a long time, having to read and hear words that spoke with the soul was very endearing to her.

It was one of the reasons why he became so interested in poetry himself. He was a good reader, he loved books of different genres (not just the illustrated ones) but he couldn't really formulate anything remotely close to what he read. This made him laugh. He was the descendant of one of the most prolific poets in the Heian Era. Being articulate and romantic should've been in his blood. But it seems like his ancestor didn't like him too much and wouldn't even bother to possess him to impress his girl.

Not long after, they had decided to retreat to the bedroom. They lay close to each other and as promised, no pillow was necessary to keep Sachiko's chastity intact. They continued to speak as they held each other. Sachiko couldn't help but sink deeper into his touch as his towering body was able to shield her from the cold night breeze. She kept her head leveled on his shoulder, her hair would sometimes tickle his neck making him jerk sideways and tuck the strands away so both of them could stay in place. Her eyes locked on his as he continued to speak but like any other time, she didn't feel lulled by his words, in fact it was always the opposite. It gave her so much energy and upliftment that she didn't dare close her eyes.

She had always told him that his voice was extremely special to her. It had the kind of power to literally rise her from deep sleep like an auditory beacon. He recalled how much she would tell him how she loved how honest and sweet he was when he spoke to her and even though he did recall (and could not for the life of him explain how he was able to formulate those words) saying very lovely words for her but only because he was being extremely candid. If that was his gift, then he would have to thank the gods that he only had very good thoughts about her.

His fingers began outlining the side of her face, every inch he passed seemed to blanch her skin that equated to an almost electric feeling he would do the same with his blue eyes. He nuzzled his nose on the side of her face, just at the crook of her neck which made her cheeks puff in pink, more so when he brushed his lips on them.

Sachiko lifted her head upwards and gave him a soft peck on the lips which he returned with a smile that formed as he molded his lips unto hers. For a few moments, their lips stayed in place until she pulled away and leveled her head close to hear his fast-beating heart.

Sachiko reached behind him to draw him close as she closed her eyes to turn for the night, "Goodnight, my tall pillow," she joked.

Satoru kissed her crown as he settled beside her, "Goodnight my tiny fox,"


The following day, they woke up to a rather long email from their former principal in Tokyo. They had received the same message and attachment that certified them as graduates of a collegiate degree from the Institute. It was a little unexpected since their attendance was very irregular and most of the time, they were out on missions but as the honorary degree had stated in the diploma, their years of service and garnered experience equated to the reward.

"Huh, and I thought Ieiri would be first to graduate, I mean, she skipped steps,"

Sachiko shrugged, "Well, questionable steps but-her skills prove otherwise," she laughed nervously.

Satoru dropped his phone on the nightstand and continued to snuggle close to Sachiko as he rested his head on her lap, "Honestly, they just gave us those diplomas so they can send save their assess more," he hissed, "That means more time away from each other," he groaned.

She ruffled his hair and set her own device down to pay attention to him, "Well, it's not that it's unexpected though right? But," she exhaled deeply, "I'm not too keen on what's next,"

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Yaga told me that once I graduate, the higher-ups will petition for me to become an international envoy-"

He shifted his position to look directly at her with a grimace, "That's just their lame excuse to get rid of you while taking advantage of your status, to hell with that," he was utterly pissed. His clan had supported the decision of the higher-ups.

Sachiko slumped back and brought him along with her new angle and sighed, "Yeah, but not like we can do much about it. Still, I don't see how different it is than what we're doing now. What do you think?"

"Actually, there is something I wanna talk to you about," he straightened himself slowly and rested his elbows on his shins with both hands clasped together above his mouth, "Since they're giving us big responsibilities, I really want to do something about the system,"

Sachiko lifted her trunk to face him properly, "The system?"

He nodded, "I want to create the kind of community where young sorcerers are treated properly. The school should function as a proper guide for every individual not just a factory for soldiers. We've been robbed of our youth, but the future generation shouldn't be. I can't accept a society where the higherups keep on jacking up our future because of their selfish whims. You see," he turned to her now and reached out for her hand, "When I was at Dazaifu, I realized something that my ancestor was trying to tell me or at least hint at me for so long. He was tenjin, the deity of scholars and I though, heh, education. That's a brilliant way to kick off my plan to rearrange how the rules of jujutsu are dictated. I want to guide those who will take our places into proper sorcerers,"

"That sounds like a wonderful plan, Satoru-sensei," her smile grew as she vocalized her understanding from his sentiments. A teacher, of course, that would suit him. He had been mentoring those kids all along and well, he even became hers at one point. He'll need some time to adjust his attitude into a more respectable adult but other than that, who else would be more suitable in leading the future of jujutsu than the world's strongest sorcerer?

"Yeah?" he laughed, "Well, gotta get a teaching license first,"

Sachiko placed one hand on his cheek, "I'll help you, don't worry,"

"Join me?"

She nodded, "I will. Once things are sorted out in the envoy front, I'd love to join you in fulfilling your mission," she giggled, "A very selfless one, might I add?"

His mouth twitched at her teasing but soon let the assumption go, "Yeah, I'll need you with me to make it come true. Besides-" his arm roped around her waist until he was able to maneuver her to a hug, "I want to build a world for our future too…a world suitable for the both of us and-"

She placed one finger on top of his lips and through moistened eyes she nodded, "And-?" she mused making Satoru's blue eyes glint in delight and excitement at the sight of her flushed cheeks.

"And, for the future of our family…someday,"

Sachiko perched upwards to give him a breathy kiss before she retreated to his side, "Someday…on better and safer days,"

Satoru gave her a wink as he went in for another hug, "Better days we will build together,"


Unknown location, Suguru's hideout

"Hurry up Getou-san!"

Suguru was being ushered towards the open space of their hideout. It looked like it used to be a library which the twins he had rescued turned into their play area as soon as they moved in. He had been chasing after them for a few minutes now but in the middle of their fun, he suddenly felt a little lightheaded that he stumbled backwards.

The little girl with light-yellow hair quickly approached her guardian with her older sister, equally worried, trailed from behind, "Master Getou! What's wrong?"

He pinched his forehead and gave them a crooked smile as he fought his nausea. Earlier on, he had consumed a few high-grade curses and didn't have the appetite to consume anything else after.

"Mimi-chan! Go get master Getou something to drink!" she called out to her dark-haired twin sister who hurriedly went out to retrieve a glass of water.

Nanako had helped Suguru take a seat on one of the vacant chairs in the room. There was concern in her brown eyes as she noticed how her guardian looked pale and uncomfortably hunched slightly forward but Suguru didn't feel like he needed to worry the children with the side effects of his technique so he allowed his smile to plaster on his face.

Mimiko rushed inside and took one of Suguru's large, calloused hands to hold the cup in place, "Thank you Mimiko-chan," he lifted the cup towards his lips and took a swig. The taste of the warm water was tinged in lemon and honey that he couldn't help snicker, "Lemon water?"

Mimiko proudly nodded, "Yeah! I remember Master Getou said when we were sick, someone taught you how to make a yummy drink that could make you feel better!"

"Did I?" his voice sounded a little discomfited that the twins couldn't help but exchange glances.

"Does it not taste good?" Mimiko approached, brows weaved together but before he could worry them more, Suguru had consumed the rest of its contents before setting it down. He gave each of the twins a pat in the head and reassured, "I'm feeling better already,"

He allowed the twins to continue playing as he watched from the side. In his hectic schedule, he found comfort in seeing the two of them come a long way since he first rescued them. They were symbols of what he had chosen to fight for and to see them looking so happy and healthy made his transition into his new life a little easier.

Suguru's eyes went to the purple tie that looped around his wrist. His fingers trailed over the tie that overlapped with his red strings. As the years went by, it had become a little thinned out and overstretched from using it too much, but he couldn't bear to replace it.

He took a deep breath and frowned and noticed that the taste of the lemon and honey lingered on that it activated a memory he had kept locked within himself.

He suddenly found his lilac eyes fixated on the cup, the rest of his surroundings including the laughter of the children had been blocked out by the memory he watched playout.

"Suguru?" Sachiko's voice was incredibly clear that the thought of it was enough to make him stand. He saw her in her uniform blazer. The buttons of the jujutsu realm shone brightly against the dark purple and white of her clothes. His chin lifted to catch her bright face, the scars that hung above her cheeks were fading and he found that her hair that flowed of pitch black and silver complimented her complexion so well. She handed him a jug which he quickly took with a puzzled expression,

"Hm?" he questioned urning him another smile as she pointed to the bottle.

"It's lemon water with honey. I know you're not sick but," she shrugged, "Might help?"

It was right after he got back from his mission and the Institute had ordered him to consume the curse they had detained. He didn't care to even touch his food during lunch and that bothered the Six-tailed Kitsune until they had gone to train that same afternoon.

Suguru resigned to opening the bottle as she continued to look at him with such expecting eyes, "Thank you Sachi," he paused to edit, "May I drink from this?"

She nodded, "Yes, sure, I already wiped the spittle, don't worry." She turned to acknowledge Shouko who was waving from a few feet away and grinned at him, "You can return that bottle to me next time, okay?"

The memory fleeted with the brush of her fingertips that left the arm that she held momentarily but the touch felt so real and so present that he felt a little emotional at his recollection. He gave out an airy chuckle as he recalled how he never got the chance to return the bottle to her and it probably still rested in his dormitory somewhere.

And it would seem, the days to come would continue curse him with more dreams and memories of the life he left behind.


A few days after, Suguru had settled in his study to go over some of the paperwork filed for him to check since he started a new organization. He never thought he'd be forced to go over a multitude of things when he first gathered his allies. But there he was going through files like a local businessman in Tokyo.

He had been sitting at his desk for hours now and even though he preferred the strategic planning part of his day (rather than gobble up another plateful of curses), he still felt exhausted.

The twins had taken it in their hands to make sure that he'd take breaks and get something to eat but come dinner time, he didn't suppose that they'd be crowding him in his area.

Nanako had gotten a stool to stand upon as she reached out to unravel Suguru's long, dark hair, while her sister had laid out the comb and brush set he had gotten them as well as a bunch of dark colored ribbons and hairties that they thought would suit him.

Suguru didn't really mind them playing with his hair. It was a funny inside joke for the three of them. When they were smaller and had shorter hair, Suguru would always be careful in handling them and would only allow certain people to help them prepare and dress (those were left to the women he had hired or befriended to help care for them). However, he did take precedence on making sure that they were always looking their best and the fact that the twins enjoyed picking fun at how his hair was more beautiful than any other person they'd met, they always egged on him to brush their hair.

They found it comforting that someone was willing to do something mundane yet very thoughtful and he would even say the vaguest yet sweetest stories about a girl whose hair he claimed looked like the night sky, where galaxies filled with specs of stars danced in the sea of pitch darkness. He told them about how he'd sometimes be tempted to tug on the end of her braid just so she would pay him attention, but it was always someone else playing tricks on her and he, well, he would just marvel from a short distance.

The twins had taken to each side behind his back and gathered strands to create thin braids on some ends. He laughed at their determination to do the process right. He had taught them when they were children how to do so properly and yet, at the age of ten, they still had some work to do.

"Here, let me tie your hair for a change," he once again heard her voice echo in his thoughts. It was probably around the start of their junior year, before summer, when Suguru had arrived late that day, he didn't even have time to properly strap on his uniform coat before entering the room. Around their breaktime, he realized that Ieiri and Satoru were nowhere to be found but at least, his seatmate kept him company.

He dug through his pockets and groaned at the realization that he had no extra ties with him so for the first half of the day he had to sit through the flapping of his long locks against the wind that curtailed in his direction so when she offered to tie his hair for him, a bit of nostalgia came from the day they spent at the farm. It was the first time he had offered to do something for him in his attempt to comfort her and seeing how disheveled he looked from his mission, he was grateful that she remembered,

"Hope you're fine with an actual ribbon," she joked. She took the seat behind him and began gathering his hair. The slight contact from her fingers brushing on his nape and behind his hair made his heart race and it became difficult to sit still, at least, he had it in himself to give an equally stark reply,

"It's fine, just no bows please," he said in between chuckling.

She laughed as well, "Of course dummy," the way her fingers raked through his scalp and locks made him relax and sink back at his chair and for a moment, he couldn't help but wish that she'd never stop, "Wow," she said, "Your hair is a lot longer than mine and it's softer too!"

Suguru looked over his shoulder and smiled, "Softer than yours? Impossible,"

Months passed and Suguru continued to find himself wandering back to the days he left behind and he wished, sincerely, he could forget all of those and press forward because he didn't want to have a reason to return.

No loose ends.


2014 (24 years old)

February

Getou Suguru had been making rounds around Toshima-Ku, Tokyo since 8 AM in the morning. Initially he had forgotten why there were red decors in majority of the establishments, and it only dawned on him that the reason why women were lining up in stores was because it was close to the designated day of hearts.

He found the event quite laughable now even if during his time at the University, he had been a popular recipient of the holiday's tokens.

There was a surge of curses in the area and seeing as how his group had been gaining attention with some locals, he thought it best to survey it himself to stream which of the monkeys he'd easily draw in as victims.

It was easy for him to maneuver around in the shadows. Even with a half-hearted aide, the young sorcerer who specialized in glamours, his handiwork was never compromised.

The young man, the artist whom he rescued in Ginza used to be a student at Tokyo Institute but due to Suguru's prodding, he had no choice but to lay low and aide his questionable cause. He stood in the sidelines as the cursed spirit manipulator walked the streets but soon asked to be dismissed to do some personal errands. He didn't mind. Suguru knew he wouldn't betray him, and he was too amused by the callous display that was found all around him.

He found himself across the street where Junkudo, one of the largest bookstores in all of Tokyo stood. It was a place he had always wanted to visit but never found time to. The idea that it housed nine floors and even in-house cafes made him consider it as a place he would've wanted to take the woman who still held his heart. He imagined that upon the doors sliding to open, he would've found himself watching her pace happily and move from bookshelf to bookshelf and even grab his hand to race up the stairs. They had a lot in common, so he was sure she would've had a great time with him as a companion.

Without thinking, he entered the building and took the elevator to the floor which he considered a less crowded area, the section that contained dark comedies, popular cultural influences and even your run of the mill thrillers and mangas.

The elevator opened into the section, and he couldn't help but snort at how right he was to find the place very quiet.

He stretched his hands and began scanning titles and nothing in particular captured his attention except, a few feet away, he heard a serene giggle that heightened his senses.

It was surreal.

Again, he was caught in a vision of hers. She wore a taupe long coat over a faded salmon dress that had a sweetheart neckline (as Shouko had often pointed out would show-off her clavicles and bust or whatever), the dress that hugged her figure very well that made it seem like she was a ballerina off-show. Her hair was dark and rich, the fading gray seen on the ends made it look like a milky wave of frost and it was refreshing to see it tied differently. Her updo made it easy for him now to envision what she would look like with short hair. And her face, the doe eyes that sparked with the cherry-red eyes that penetrated through his soul lit up brightly against her fair skin. And there it was the slightly rouged up portion of her cheeks that extended as she picked up a book, the latest edition of Tomie from Mr. Ito himself.

His hand gripped the edge of the shelf tightly now and his lilac eyes felt like turning into a close as he refused to blink due to the fear of losing the phantom before him. Even from a distance, her presence still took his breath away. He hadn't seen her in so long and the way she looked so healthy…and happy, gave him a bittersweet realization that he owed that glow, to someone else.

Sachiko had tucked the book in between her arms and made for the stairs, slowly, Suguru had followed her direction just so he could catch glimpses of her before she left, but on the third step, her fingers wound on the railing with a bit of pressure and as expected, she looked up.

Her wondering eyes of scarlet, thought that she caught a sight of a familiar figure. The force that the presence brought was strong enough to make her turn and for a moment, she thought that it felt familiar and yet, there was no one there.

Suguru gritted his teeth as he hid behind the shelves. His palm wiped through his whole face in frustration even as a sweat escaped his brow. He couldn't afford to be seen because one look, and he knew, he couldn't let her go.

He decided to leave then and took the stairs that was on the other end, carefully evading her path only to be halted by a swift figure that ran past him. It was a tall man who were a light blue cotton button down and darkly tinted shades that floated against his very pale hair. When he turned to apologize to Suguru, he merely nodded but kept his glamoured face hidden and continued to walk away. Suguru's fingers curled into a ball to brace himself should his Six-Eyes see through him. Satoru took a few seconds to stand beside him before lifting his attention and directed himself towards Sachiko.

He let out a sigh of relief, but the tension was still there.

He needed to leave but he couldn't without taking one last look at her.

It seemed like time slowed down for the three of them, like a scene captured through words in a novel. As if by cue, his purple eyes directed towards her saintly form beside the books and not long after, Satoru had surprised her by lacing his arm on her waist from behind and softly giving her a chaste kiss on the lips and this--this gesture, made her so radiant.

Made her so incredibly beautiful and gleeful that it hurt to see and realize that it wasn't him who made that vision possible.

His lids turned heavy and no matter how many times he tried to clear his eyes, reality would not shift into his dreamlike state.

Sachiko's hand, held unto Satoru's tightly as she pulled on him towards the café and this was Suguru's cue to look away. The way he saw Satoru grin and blush at her reciprocation stirred jealousy that was palpable enough to sense it grow. The kind of confidence and satisfaction that he made look lightyears away and very much different from the boy he knew when they were best friends. Those very focuses cerulean eyes that centered only on her. It was a look he recognized, because it was the same way he would gaze at her.

And with the next breath, he was gone.


Satoru didn't want to activate his technique but something about the way he got chills on the floor above them earlier woke up his instincts to do so. She knew he did, and it didn't seem like she had any qualms about it, if anything, she consented to it and probably sensed something amiss as well. Still, the both of them didn't bother to discuss it further and instead proceeded to focus on their date.

The café inside the library looked very quaint and bright. The interiors were made for a place where people could relax and enjoy reading as they had some snacks and lucky for him, real, delicious food was also available in their menu.

As Satoru set down the tray, he remembered how one of their first dates as a couple were also at a café but the one in Ginza didn't compare to how homey this new place felt.

Sachiko thanked him for her iced Spanish latte he set down beside her. He went to get his own whipped cream topped chocolate drink and laid out the large slice of strawberry cake they would share then after.

As he sat down, he couldn't help but just take a moment to observe her. He had already complimented her on the way she looked, teasing her at how she looked so girly and princessy against her poofy sleeved outfit that earned him a cute glare as she let out her tongue. He rested his chin on his palm and relaxed back on his seat as she opened her book to read the first few pages.

Her pink lips were slightly parted as she mouthed some of the words in the next, the near-silent whisps from enunciating tickled his hearing that he couldn't help but smirk. The long-coated lashes made shadows under her eyes and her cheeks pinked up as she found a particular paragraph interesting. The way her emotions would reflect on her face amused him and he couldn't quite figure it out but something about her looked extra enthralling the more he watched.

She was always so immersed in books. Stories for her became an amnesty. I'm not quite sure if it's because she thought her conclusion would come prematurely or if she wanted more details to fill her own narrative in a life she used to accept as short lived. But now that we could write our own together, I want to make sure that she will have the ending she deserves.

Satoru reached over to brush some strands away from her face allowing him some attention directed at each other, "Enjoying your book Chi?" he smiled.

Sachiko covered her mouth as she giggled and set the book down. Mimicking his gesture, she leaned closer to him and ruffled his hair, "So far, but, I'd rather look at you handsome,"

Gojo framed his chin with his thumb and index future and gave her a wink, "Thank you beautiful, now, what shall we talk about before I bring you to our vacation cabin?"

Another change in scenery. It seemed like Valentine's Day was going smoothly for once. Despite her insistence, Satoru didn't want her to give him anything that year and instead just asked her to come with him on a trip.


It was nice little cabin near the beach and because it was off season, they practically had the whole place themselves.

Sachiko was already prancing towards the veranda. Her hands were outstretched as she took in the fresh air. A few days ago, she was sent pictures of their quarters, their balcony and even the picnic area and she was so excited to come that she asked someone else to cover for her other missions.

"This place is so amazing! No wonder Tsumi-chan and Megumi-kun had such a good time!" she exclaimed.

Satoru leaned on the deck beside her and gave rather smug expression, "Of course, only the best for us!" he placed his thumb up but gulped at the realization that she might ask about expenses but one snide look from her and he knew she just decided to let it go.

She turned towards the night sky, "You know, those two sent me photos of the stars and finally took interest in that book you got them,"

He cackled, "Well, I hate to put things to waste! Besides the topic of space is kinda like a representation of you and me. Elements plus astrology and a tiny bit of astrophysics which I will inject in the future, it's best to start our kids young don't you think?"

Unlike before the mention of him referring to the kids as their own would make her jump but as time went by, she welcomed that idea more and more that it came naturally. Satoru promised to always give them many experiences in life they could turn into memories so when the opportunity presented itself for them have some time alone as a couple, he took it. Besides, Lady Kodansha loved children and she was all for granting them a night for themselves.

"I'm glad we found time to stay together," she said, as they went inside to keep warm in their room.

Satoru looked at her pensively, "Me too,"

Without another word, Satoru placed both hands on her face and dipped his head to angle for a kiss. Sachiko smiled into the first one making him laugh as she tiptoed to rest her hands behind his nape. He molded his mouth around hers slowly, each one, tracing over the curve of her lips that still hinted of mint and icing. His hands found the small of her back and slowly lifted her off the ground as they continued. Their eyes opened simultaneously, half-lidded with the light reflected full desire to further their ministrations.

Soon, Satoru found himself yearning for more that he had to find a more comfortable space for their exchanges. He settled to perch her on the marble table to level their faces. Sachiko's hands released from his nape and dug through his hair, pushing him further to close their distance. This made Satoru crave for more of her and seeing as how the occasion called for a bit of his boldness, he placed his thumb under her lower lip and pressed on it to create a gap that will allow him deeper entry with his oral treatments.

As soon as his tongue had grazed inside to touch her own and he began exploring her palate, her breath hitched at the sensation and redness and warmth flowed through her whole form. Satoru felt equally feverish the more she allowed him to kiss her deeply.

Sachiko found herself tilting towards him the more that he sucked and pulled on her tongue with his teeth but despite those new sensations, his hands continued to cradle her carefully, one soothing her back as if to say that everything was alright, and she was in good hands. She knew that but despite sharing that moment with him, he felt her heart was nearing to burst that she had to break free from him for a few seconds to catch her breath. Her head rested just above his chest that synced with the way she panted but before she could say anything else, Satoru looped his arms around her and caressed her face, the feel of warmth that came from the scorching touch against hers made her quiver but, he remained calm despite the high and his look was so sincere, and it drew her in and made the next few minutes extremely wonderful.

He hovered over as they returned to their kiss, one hand was craned in her neck, the other slowly maneuvering her upwards as he quickly transferred them to lie down on the couch.

The way his shadow covered her entirety almost instantly as he loomed over her made her heart quicken still, she welcomed him again into her hold. He was breathing harshly now into the kiss, almost sounding hungry and pausing only when he heard her moan from the sudden sliding of his hands on her thighs and then her fingers digging unto her waist. Sachiko had unknowingly hooked one leg behind him making him swallow his groan as the distance between them decreased as they continued. When his right hand ghosted over her left breast, Satoru first softened his molding before asking with his eyes if he could touch her more intimately. It surprised him that she took his hand and placed in over her heart, and he felt his core begin to fire up as he felt her soft beating against her clothes as he gently felt her up. Her leg grazed up in between his legs and she realized that he was tenting up and beginning to shy away after he had bucked down in response to the sudden contact.

But, with teary eyes and unsure glances, they broke their kiss and smiled at each other instead.

Satoru gave her one last kiss before he lifted himself off her and removed his hold. Slowly, he had helped Sachiko up. She was covering half of her blushed-out face and rested her head against arm. Satoru still couldn't look directly at her and opted to remain still as he calmed his nerves down. When she felt her grasp unto him, he finally tilted his head down to welcome her sweet smile looking up at him.

"Sorry, I got a little carried away…" he laughed shakily, "Must be the moonlight,"

Sachiko stood on her knees and allowed her body to crash unto him into a tight hug. She brushed his hair away from his face and pressed her lips on his cheek and reassured, "No, it's just us…only us, I promise, we will…" her voice wavered a little since she last spoke.

He dipped his head sidewards to meet her skin, "I know, beautiful, I'll make sure it will be spectacular," he grinned.

She moved her shoulders upwards and hugged him tighter, "I don't need it to be spectacular, I just need you, okay?"

"Okay," he hummed, "Well then, shall we go and sleep?"

She shook her head and got off the couch, and dragged, "Let's stay up for a little while, I want to watch the stars with you some more,"

Satoru was about to stand when suddenly Sachiko's hand went to each side his face and slowly lowered it so she could gaze upon the galaxy inside of his eyes.

"Chi?" he asked, one brow lifted in surprise.

Sachiko traced over the outline of his worried brows and whispered, "How beautiful they are, the sparkling light in your eyes,"

He drifted into her hold, overlapping his hand in hers, "And how wonderful it is to be powered by the constellation before me," he said.


Weeks later

"Why does this place look so familiar?"

She couldn't avert her attention to the soft shores of the beach. The sun was beginning to descend and hide behind the sea, the water reflected in a golden glow, but the sky remained an odd spectrum of light red and purple, the scenery all too familiar to her but she was absolutely sure that it was the first time she visited the area.

It was an incongruous sight to what lay on the huts that situated in front of the breathtaking view. Behind her were remains of its caretakers and even civilians covered in white cloth. Scattered all over like sand were residuals of what seemed like minor curses that caused the attack.

Her boots dug into the damp sand as she neared the shore. She wanted to dampen the ruckus behind her. They had called upon for back-up too late and it didn't bode with her that some of the sorcerers had decided to retreat early and leave her team to clean up after them.

Her priority went into sending people to look for the relatives of the victims and had reassured that she'd investigate the matter personally once she had identified who the perpetuator was.

There were various streams of cursed energy around their area, but one stood out to her. She crouched down and picked up something that reflected in the light. She dusted off the sand from the small circular object which she thought was a shell, but it wasn't, it was a golden button.

I've been here before? And this, this feels like, it belongs to-

"Miura-san! We're almost done, shall we go?" one of the aids called out to her. She responded by telling them she'd follow but something about the small object kept her from walking away from the shore.

A flash of images went through her head making her step back and hold her temple as a migraine was becoming apparent. The visions were blurry, she saw herself standing on the same beach, but she wasn't alone. Someone was there, holding her as she cried, and she remembered all too clearly that she felt extremely angered and frustrated at the person before her but none of it made sense.

There were tears in her eyes, but the sadness didn't match her longing for the person she saw, and she couldn't piece together why, even if it felt like déjà vu, what happened didn't seem real. But then, she heard his voice,

"This isn't truly goodbye, my beloved Sachi,"

Her lids stretched widely at the recollection and something, from a distance beckoned her to turn. With moistened eyes she scanned her surroundings and allowed her enhanced vision to assess each person present, including their shadows. The red strings that would around her arms tightened and she knew, he was there.

Suguru Getou stood behind the curtain he had created on the eastern shore. He could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't dare turn. One look and it would be a repetition of what happened in the bookstore. Still, he stayed, and waited for her to leave. Settling on the premise that once again, they at least stood on the same ground.


It was Satoru's first time to visit the Toshihisa farm. It was practically a wasteland since the cursed seed was reimplanted. The non-sorcerers were wiped out completely but before Satoru could intervene, even that artifact couldn't be found.

Like Sachiko, he recognized the imprints of cursed energy, how little it may have been, on the soil and as he treated towards the orchard, he was left to face a minor curse with the same registry sprinkled on it.

He smirked now as he settled to gather a small fragment of his energy in his index finger and threw it towards the tree-looking curse, "Not even a hello huh, old buddy?"

Suguru had used the commotion in the farm to deviate the sorcerers to look elsewhere for him because he wanted to pay respects to the remains of his old friends, Amanai and Kuroi. The two women whom he failed when he was a boy and the very measure of the possibility of success when it came to fulfilling his mission for Sachiko.

They were the grim reminder of what he had become and yet none of his decisions were ever anything else other than his own.

Every time he'd visit, their crypts would always be clean and fresh vined flowers would always be in their blooming state. It was obvious that Sachiko had been visiting them often and he knew, it was partly because of the guilt she had been carrying around as they served as her replacements for Tengen's vessel, still, it wasn't any of her fault. If anything, he was guiltier.

It would be the last time he would visit their resting place. Again, he was tasked to say goodbye to them and the last time he would apologize for not doing and being enough.

He tilted his head upwards and took a deep breath. It had only been five minutes since he arrived and yet he could already feel a strong presence approach from a few miles away. He laughed now. Any minute, his own registry would be discovered, and it wasn't a place for them to have a confrontation.

When he made for the stairs, for a moment, the lilac in his eyes made itself visible to the clear blue ones that looked back at him and it was strange and a little painful that even as they could hardly see each other's whole form, the color in their eyes could not escape each other's stare.

It only took a second for Satoru to adjust his spectacles and head upwards to where Suguru was but as if they had some sort of understanding, Satoru had taken a different route, a longer one. One that could buy time for his friend to escape.

Even if he didn't want to.


Downtown Tokyo

Her heels clicked against the uneven pavement of her favorite district where dozens of izakaya stalls lined up and people would go hopping to have a taste of some signature drinks and food that each had to offer.

The reverse-jujutsu prodigy was lazily strolling through each establishment to choose where she'd settle in for a night cap. She adjusted her turtleneck and tucked her hands inside her coat, shifting her attention from one crowded stall to another until she opted to visit one of the more exclusive districts to avoid the crowd.

Her fingers were already twiddling with two sticks of cigarette inside her coat pocket, and she had gnashed her teeth in an attempt to keep her cravings at bay until she found a smoking area.

Her brown eyes caught something in her periphery, a tall shadow of a man who had been following her since she left the school. She was growing impatient as he continued to stalk her but was more pressed on drowning her feelings with a beer rather than be bothered with confronting whoever was behind her.

She had an idea, but she couldn't believe that he'd have time to see her after all those years in hiding. Besides, if it really were him, what was stopping him from calling out to her? Were they not as close as she expected them to be?

When she was only a few blocks away from the pub and had no other people lurking behind her, she finally looked over her shoulder and spoke, "What do you want?" she took out one of the cigs in her pocket and propped it in her mouth as she waited for a reply. Her hands were shaking a little that it became a little challenging to light herself up.

The tall man with the half-tied hair grabbed the lighter from her hands and lit it up with one toggle. Shouko's brown eyes narrowed at him for a while as he angled the lighter at the end of her stick. She didn't know if she felt fear or apprehension or even relief when she saw her friend's face.

He didn't look too different from the last time they spoke. He had more muscle in him, even in his jaw. He still towered over but nothing else changed. His hair was the same ridiculous length and as he turned to his side, Shouko couldn't help but scoff at the purple tie he had donned.

She flipped her long, brown hair backwards and crossed her hands after taking a long hit, "What do you want?" she asked once more.

Suguru shrugged, "Drinks on me, if you want," he said making her cock a brow.

It was a tricky offer. She had a lot she wanted to say to him, in fact, she wanted to hit his stupid face twice over for what he had done but she just didn't have the energy to do so after her 72-hour shift.

She took another hit and took a step sidewards to reflect.

All sorcerers were given a kill order if they spotted him or any of his lackeys but what could a reverser like her do anyway?

The fact that he was able to trail her that close meant that surveillance from the pillars weren't as good as she had hoped otherwise, how could he have snuck in to meet up with her?

Either that or, he's gotten rid of my bodyguards.

Suguru moved his eyes from left to right slowly and took a step forward as if he was doubly making sure that no one significant was around, "Well?" he whispered, "For old time's sake?"

Shouko's brows shot upwards at the sound of his pleading that she couldn't help but actually feel bad about abandoning him right then and there.

She snickered. Abandon. Like what he did to us.

The cruel irony was, despite how cold she seemed towards everyone (including, at times, her best friend), she remained as one of the most understanding and patient people left in the whole institute.

For a moment, she thought about what he would do to her after they had spoken.

If she declined, there was a chance that he'd kill her but if she did go with him, he had no reason not to as well. This was the same person who served as one of her closest friends in their schooling years, yet, he is also the same person who killed his parents not long after.

Despite her apprehensions, she decided to give him a chance, betting on him and their years spent together as close friends and partners only a few years back. If the old Suguru was there inside of him somewhere, then perhaps, there might be some hope left for him. Or he'd at least have some decency to spare her should it come to a heavy confrontation.

She contemplated on sending an SOS to her two special grade friends but one wrong move and she'd lose the one in front of her forever.

She took a deep breath.

Shouko Ieiri tilted her head sideways and ushered him to follow earning her a small smile she did not reciprocate. Her sunken eyes could see that the light that shone that made his color light purple before was no longer there, indicating that the amount of gentleness his look once had naturally, lessened as the years had gone by. But, she badly needed a drink and a companion.

What's the worst that could happen?

They had chosen one of the old establishments that only allowed a few customers at a time. They settled for the most secluded booth. Shouko had ordered beer on the tap for herself and her companion. She took a huge gulp of the bubbling amber liquid and Suguru merely watched as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve before letting out a burp.

Shouko cocked a brow at him and snarled, "You said it's on you, so I'm not gonna skimp,"

He let out an airy chuckle, something he hadn't done in quite a while that even his old friend found it a little unusual that he would react so casually and comfortably despite what had happened.

"Of course, help yourself," his left hand gripped the handle of the drink but merely repositioned it in front of him before turning to her, "Thanks for accepting my invitation. Didn't think you'd ever answer-"

Shouko set her heavy mug down, there was only a quarter of the golden liquid left inside the glass and she had motioned for the waiter for a refill before responding, "Answer what? Those lame cryptic messages sent by those ugly creatures? Thanks, by the way for those presents or whatever," she lifted her arm to rest on the table and hunched forward, "And before you ask, no, I didn't think about telling those two idiots about it,"

"I see," his eyes flocked down on his drink, his reflection becoming more apparent the longer he stared but no matter how many times he looked, he couldn't recognize the person in that image. He felt so detached yet also convinced that he that was where he belonged-estranged.

"Well, can you blame me?" she quipped, "For the first few years, I fucking hated your guts and I still do but my two other drinking buddies are too busy cleaning up your fucking mess, so you'll do,"

He felt himself tense less at her remark. He expected a harsher lashing from her but her option to remain casual was more suited than to spend hours on bickering about his wrong-doings. The chastisement was expected but the way she did it with snide jokes was actually quite comforting. He didn't deserve that kindness but he was grateful for it.

A part of him dissociated with who he truly was in those few minutes they spent drinking together, heck, Shouko even offered him a smoke which he politely refused.

They didn't really talk much about what they planned in the future. Shouko knew better than to probe on something he'd never speak about. Still, she couldn't find it in herself to fully let her guard down.

Her hazel eyes went to the furthest corner of the pub and then back at him. She stifled a grin and set up for another pint before nudging his shoulder to point in the direction of the stranger who was eyeing her maliciously, "By the way who's that blonde who keeps on following you? Another one of your minions? Or have you gotten yourself a sleeping buddy?"

He frowned at her statement. After he had said goodbye to Sachiko on the beach, he didn't find any excitement in the thought of finding himself in another relationship ever again. He already had the twins to care for, his companions and his mission to focus on and unlike the rumors of his best friend, it wasn't his style to sleep around.

Suguru set his mug down noisily and gritted his teeth at Shouko making her recoil and create space in between them, and for a moment, the fear that she had shoved behind her since they entered the pub resurfaced and that look, made Suguru turn his eyes away from her in shame.

He massaged his temple and gave out a heavy breath as he apologized, "Forgive me, just, don't talk about vile things, she's just my secretary, that's all,"

I'd have to remind them to not pester me in my private matters.

Shouko felt a little irritated that he could ever give her a threatening look. Despite their previous heated exchanges, Suguru never gave her a grim or maddened stare. Because she felt a little disrespected, she couldn't help but snap back at him, "Well, can you fucking blame me for making assumptions? Ha! I wouldn't have been surprised if you moved on from her," she slammed the table and slumped back on her chair making his secretary stand from the other side of the room, "Just saying, what's stopping you?" she said sarcastically.

He side-eyed his secretary making her draw back from any retaliation she had planned.

Suguru blinked at her with lifeless eyes and downturned his lips, "You've all moved on, haven't you? From me, I mean,"

Shouko kicked him in the shin which made him jut his jaw forward. It was a crazy thing for him to say. How could he assume that his friends, his beloved comrades had gone on to forget about it, about him, after everything they've been through? It was unacceptable.

"We've never moved on from you, you idiot," her voice began to crack as she looked away forcing herself to bite her lip to stop from crying, "We've only done what we had to do…"

"Which is?"

"Push forward, what else were we supposed to do? Wait?" she spat.

Suguru shook his head now, "No, that wouldn't be fair,"

Shouko lit another cigar and stood up. She peered at him for a good few minutes making Suguru stand beside her but she held up her hand at him and urged him to stay where he was, "What's not fair-" she snorted, moving away from the booth, "-is that you left us and kept us hoping, so, one last chance, are you coming with me? Or are you staying here?" she edged on steel now. The cold front from her demeanor struck his friend so hard that he felt like he was physically being pushed away.

But, it wasn't Shouko who was responsible for that feeling, it was himself and his new found mission.

Suguru couldn't find any words that would keep him at a stalemate and so, he pinned his feet where he stood and opted for silence.

Shouko took another hit and let out a cloud of smoke, "Fine," she retorted, "Thanks for the drink," she began to stomp away from him when there was a sudden screech that came from where they both sat that even without looking back, she knew that he was standing. Shouko balanced the cig in between her fingers and waited for him to speak.

Suguru gripped the table to contain his emotions and asked, "Are they happy?" he had betrayed himself with thinking that he could go on not wondering about the state of his other two friends. He was glad that Shouko was alright and was acting civil towards him (in the best manner that she could) but from where he stood, he saw how her fingers were still trembling from when he had snapped at her and this made him so despondent to inquire. Still, the curiosity would kill him, so he just went with it.

"Are you?" there was a bit of hostility in her voice now and that was his cue to stop pressing because he knew the answer to his question was a confident yes but to hers, it was a hard, no.


Months later

The special grade cursed spirit manipulator stood in front of his dresser mirror, carefully twining his long, raven hair into a half-ponytail, guiding his fingers to be delicate with the purple ribbon he used to overlap his tie. Afterwards, he discarded his black robe and revealed his very sculpted, bulked up and scarred body and went on to put on his momohiki, the long white trousers he would use to pair with upper undergarments called the hada-juban. He had already been wearing his tabi or socks earlier, so he proceeded with adding the folded towel in his waist area which served as his foundation garment.

His dark indigo colored nagagi or kimono foundation was next, he slipped his arm inside the oversized sleeves and overlapped the left from the right before locking his hakama and haori for his third layer in a secure tie.

He paused to look at himself in the mirror and smirked. Suguru was finally beginning to look like the part he was going to play, a symbol of an enlightened being, a monk, who would soon create a movement that could change the world of jujutsu forever.

It was part of his transformation, a spiritual renewal that urged him to leave behind everything that made him just a man and would soon evolve him into something close to a god.

Like my dear old friend.

He grabbed the vest-like garment that had a green and gold pattern on it and fastened it across his left shoulder, then, down to his chest then the thicker part was placed in front of his torso that completed his look.

The last bit of his new garb had a bit of dark humor over it. It was called the gojogesa, the five layered strip of clothing that completed his attire. It was funny since his former partner bore the same name and who knew that he'd still stand as part of his armor?

There was a knock on the door that instantly broke his melancholy, "Go ahead and enter," he said and in came an older man in a suit with a bunch of papers in one hand, a phone in the other. Shiu Kong, the Korean sorcerer who used to be an associate of the Miura's had just informed him that the recluse he was about to enter would serve as a good base for them.

In his investigations, he found some of the star religious group's members continued with their activities underground and seeing as they already had a large following, it proved to be a good place to start his reign as the antithesis of the being his clothes represented.

"I thought the group disbanded,"

"There are other groups with similar ideals. We took care of a few when I was with Miura Sachiko in Seoul," Shiu Kong quipped, the mention of her name made his boss quirk a brow.

Suguru lifted his chin and frowned, "I thought I had asked that her name not be brought up in this,"

He cleared his throat, "Oh yes, I apologize. Anyway, it still looks like a religious group to the public. Are you okay with that?"

He returned his view towards the mirror and began to straighten his clothes, "As long as I can collect curses and money, that's all right," his eyes paused momentarily on the red string markings that clasped his right arm. It was only visible to him, but he tugged on his baggy sleeves to make sure wouldn't get too distracted by the last bit of hold she had on him. There were days when he'd find himself contemplating on pulling the strings just so she'd come and see him but if that ever happened, all that he left for would be for nothing.

His companion gave him a one over and lifted his brows, "Are you really going out there looking like that?"

"Why not? Bluffing and looking the part is important," he gave him a half smile and laughed but before he could extend his jest, the twin girls he had rescued from the village came barging in.

"Master Getou?" one of the girls with lighter hair said. He walked towards the children and gave each of them thoughtful pats on the head before following his associate.

"Be sure to watch carefully," he told them.

As soon as he closed the door, Suguru changed his expression into a fiercer one, "Have they gathered?"

Siu Kong nodded, "Directors, representatives, the chairman. And a lot more money waiting,"

"Good," he grinned.

He remembered briefly how he looked in the mirror earlier on. The way his eyes still widened in gleeful wonder and how his face remained youthful and disenchanting that it seemed like he was a kid wearing a costume. In a way, he saw the image of his past stare back at him like he was looking like a stranger. It was a moving picture that mimicked his movements and carried his expression and yet he bore a face that he could not recognize.

And he was sure, the moment he entered the stage all visions of his past would only remain as so. The person who stood before them was the embodiment of change, the harbinger of destruction and reconstruction. The face of the new era of sorcerers.

He grabbed the mic in the middle, its feedback forcing the audience to silence and stare at the tall figure in the monk's clothing.

"Can everyone hear me?" he spoke rather enthusiastically but it didn't do much to invite the same response from the others, "Thank you for waiting, I'll keep this short," he opened his eyes now and stood erect as he stopped in the middle of the stage and lifted his index finger to emphasize his words, "As of this moment," he began, "This group is mine. We'll have a new name as well!" he took a step forward and grimaced, "You will all obey me!"

The weight of his words did not match his tone and the uproar that followed made Siu Kong and his associates fidgety but one glare from their master and they stood down and understood that he had everything under control.

Suguru sighed into the microphone and placed one hand behind his back, "Well isn't that a shame?" his dark purple eyes targeted a middle-aged man in a grey suit which he pointed to and had his men usher up the stage. He was the loudest among the complainants and easily caught Suguru's eye and his face, was one he could not forget. He was one of the people who targeted Amanai before, "I got it Mr. Sunoda, could you please come up the stage?" Sunoda was confused about why he was being singled out but that did nothing to appease the man on stage, "That's right you,"

Sunoda was pushed at one corner of the stage and Suguru's glare was enough to make him stumble back and cower in fear but before he could plead for his life, Suguru snapped his finger and a large Daruma-looking curse fell from above and crushed him, splattering blood all over the stage.

The shrieks stretched even from outside of the auditorium from the gory display and with everyone now slowly turning silent as Getou's expression turned grim, he decided to give them one last warning.

His mouth creased sidewards but his eyes remained terrifying and daunting that everyone who caught even just a glimpse of it found themselves without any energy to speak or stand.

"Now then," he said calmly as he wiped the blood off his face, "Obey me, monkeys,"

I don't like monkeys.

That's the truth I chose.

Siu Kong joined him on stage to whisper something urgent to his liege, "Sir, what do we do with the Kitsune's aunt now? She seems to be making quite a fit and is disturbing the twins as we speak, should we place her in the den again?"

Suguru clicked his tongue and used his thumb to remove the blood stain on his cheek before answering, "I still have use for that pathetic woman, give her the same dose as last time and throw her in the den for now,"

A growl followed behind him as Suguru's nogitsune made its presence known at the mention of Sachiko's aunt. The cursed spirit manipulator ran his hands over the large beasts' fur and pet his head before ushering it to stay beside Siu Kong, "Take my little friend with you, I'm sure he missed her company," he smirked.


2015 (25 years old)

The twelve-year old twins had entered their foster father's study to deliver his snack at around two in the afternoon. It was rather early as he would usually join them in the kitchen or garden at around four.

Instead of his usual paperwork or business meetings, they found him delved deep into his sketching that he didn't even notice them come in. His elbows and hands were dirtied from the ink and his usual tidy desk was filled with numerous half-done pieces of artwork, some were of places most were of people and a number of them were ones they've seen before.

The darker haired one of the twins began picking up the scattered drawings on the floor and one by one, she pieced together how they all seemed to be connected. She didn't know who they were but one of the women he had drawn had a picture that was tucked safe in his room.

Nanako set down the tray beside Suguru and fixed her blonde hair before tapping his shoulder. A little startled at the realization that he was no longer alone, the adult in the room almost dropped his pencil as the girls went to each of his sides. He gathered the sketches into one pile and closed his notebook before turning towards them and smiled, "Forgive me, I didn't notice you two enter,"

Himiko handed the drawings she picked up from the floor but opted to keep one behind her. Her sister was quick to notice that she had one sheet resting on her palm and asked, "What's that behind you Nana-chan?"

Her eyes widened at her sister's observation making Suguru cock a brow at her but more of as a measure of inquiry rather than intimidation.

Nanako took a deep breath and held out the drawing of a smiling, black haired lady with peculiar markings and crescentic pupils. The backdrop of her drawing was the setting sun and one look at the drawing was enough to soften Suguru's expression.

He held out his hand and silently asked for the young girl to hand him the drawing. She reluctantly did as he instructed but remained in her position. Suguru couldn't help but allow a glint of sadness to sprinkle in his eyes as he traced his own drawing but before anymore of his sentiments could let loose in his face, he set the drawing down and turned to his girls, "So, what snacks did you bring to me today?"

Himiko couldn't help but ogle at the drawing in front of Suguru. It was the same woman he had been sketching for years but not once did Suguru admit that it was the same person he talked so fondly about in the stories he narrated to them.

Himiko exchanged curious glances with Nanako, but it was the latter who drew near him and tugged on his sleeve, "Won't you tell us about her?" she asked, making him fold his lips.

Nanako rushed to approach her guardian and pointed towards the drawing once more, "At least, tell us her name?"

"I'm sorry," he took a deep breath and scratched the side of his face, "Some other time, I will, I promise,"

The twins frowned at his answer, but they weren't really surprised by it but Himiko being the more curious one clapped her hands together and gave him half a bow, "Getou-san! Please tell us at least, is the lady in the drawing the same person you-"

Suguru stood now. His sudden shift in placement towards the window made the twins worry that they had angered him. Something about the way he peered outside made him calmer than a few minutes before. It was a memory that was triggered inside of him, one he wished he could see like those other times he reminisced but all he could do is recall their exchange.

He remembered that time where she asked to see the sketch, he made of them at the beach. She asked for it numerous times, but Suguru had insisted on keeping it for his own. One time, she took it upon herself to take a photo of the drawing since she explicitly declared that it was her favorite one. Had he known that he'd be leaving them, he would have conceded to her when he had the chance.

The twins waited until their master was able to go into a better mood before they took to his side.

For years, they had been badgering the clan members for information regarding his past especially for any hints about the woman in his paintings but none of them dared to speak about such matters but that afternoon, he felt a little generous about sharing some of his secrets, especially to the two whom he treated as his own daughters.

He sighed, "To answer your question, yes, she is the same person I talked to you about. Her identity however, I must keep from you for your safety,"

"Why? Is she a bad person?" Nanako said in panic.

Himiko shook her head vigorously, "Impossible! Why would Getou-san make us feel like she's our mom if-"

"Your mom?" he said, startled and a little confused at their conclusion. The word almost escaped him.

In his years rearing for the twins, he had embodied what he felt would make for a good parent or guardian at least for the kids who had a terrible childhood, similar to what the girl he loved had. With every step he took, he thought about what she would do and used that as a compass for his actions. Unknowingly, his harmless stories created a narrative that imprinted in the twins' minds.

He spoke of her like she was his muse, his beloved, his lover. For a time, they thought that the reason they separated was because she had reached an untimely demise but the more days he spent creating images of her with his words and his drawings, the more they believed that she was truly alive.

Nanako nodded profusely, "When you were taking care of us, you always said the things you knew about caring for others was taught by her and she-"

"She saved us! You said, the person whom you wished would stay by your side was the same person who removed the poisons in our body!"

Suguru's brows weaved together, and he let out a shaky laugh, "Well yes but, to call her your mother-" he would be lying if he said that he never envisioned her as his wife and possible mother of his future children. When he was younger, he had a dream that one day, they would be bound for life, living inside one house, preferably by the sea, making a life for themselves as spouses. It was silly dream, one he wanted so badly but knew right away he would never have.

In the eyes of his adopted children, he saw the same kind of hope he once held unto and it was excruciatingly difficult to have them cling unto that type of faith that their dream would come true.

He found his mouth watering at the bitterness of his feelings, like he had just freshly devoured a large curse that for a moment he felt like retching out the contents of his stomach.

Still, the little girls pressed on, "You're like our father and we never had real parents. If someone, anyone, would risk their lives for us then they're our family!"

Himiko and Nanako laced their arms around their foster father, midway through their tears and it hurt Suguru a little that he made them too attached to his own fantasies about the woman he loved. It was thoughtful of them to cherish her as much as he did even if they only knew the version of her that he created inside of his head. Still, there was no possibility to have them meet in light of their circumstances.

"Sachiko," he finally said as he knelt down to their level to wipe away their tears, "Her name is Sachiko. The one who taught me how to love, is Sachi,"


1 month later

"Hurry up Mimi! He might've sent someone to check on us!"

Their guardian went away and brought alongside him majority of the high-ranking members of their group. They had been waiting for an opportunity to snoop inside his quarters and steal his old flip phone.

Nanako had been sitting in watch beside the door in case the blonde secretary would go and fetch them and bought time for her sister to look through his contacts.

There weren't a lot on the list. Most of the names had been changed into pseudonyms except for three, one of which was her name.

"Found it!" Himiko exclaimed making Nanako shush her before she made any more noise. Mimiko winced at the number of unsent messages drafted in his phone, all directed to her number that her sadness was enough to call her twin to her side.

"Look," her voice trailed away as she showed Himiko the messages, "We have to meet her Mimi!"

The words repeated over and over again,

I'm sorry.

I miss you.

I'm sorry.

But none of them were sent.

Himiko was already typing away at his phone to send the message when her sister snatched it away before she could press send, "No! If we use his phone, then they'll know where we are and it could get Getou-san in trouble!"

"Then what do we do?"

Nanako brought out her own phone and copied her number, "We'll contact her, but we have to pretend we don't know who Getou-san is!"

"Won't she remember who we are?"

Nanako's frown deepened, "She won't-but, we have to make her remember when the time comes,"

The sound of Manami's heels drew near, making the twins scatter in hiding while shoving Suguru's phone back inside his safe.

They covered their mouths to muffle their breathing and it took a good fifteen minutes for the blonde to leave.

Nanako had already composed the message and quickly sent it to Sachiko as they left hurriedly and headed to Tokyo.

Despite the nervousness that made their heart lunge out of their chest, they managed to escape the guards and eventually get a train to their destination.

Half-way through, Nanako's phone finally lit up with a message,

"I'm on my way," she replied making the twins' eyes widen with glee and moisten from a bit of disbelief.

They looked outside the train window and smiled, "Stay safe girls," Sachiko said.


The message made Sachiko doubt its authenticity even with the voices of two girls seemingly running away from something, she couldn't help but get curious about it. It was strange, not many outside of her friends and close connections knew her direct line and having two young siblings reach out to her for help, she couldn't just leave them without investigating.

Sachiko had rescued the twins in time before the swarm of paper lantern ghosts called the Chōchin-obake had followed them all the way from Yamagata to Tokyo.

They told Sachiko that they had to move from one place to another to escape it's haunting but heard about how the yokai was deathly afraid of Kitsunes.

In reality, the twins purposely disturbed the curses and lured them to Tokyo just so Sachiko would believe their ruse.

When she arrived, some of the lesser curses were already eliminated making her consider that the girls were attune to their techniques. The call for help became a little more suspicious but as soon as the yokai had surfaced in its full form, she knew they were of no match.

Her entrance was unprecedented. In came a pale five foot five lady with braided charcoal hair and peculiar skin markings jumping to cover them with her flames. Despite her serious expression, every detail of her was depicted exactly in their master's paintings. The twins were left in disbelief with the display they witnessed.

The kind-faced lady looked extremely fierce as she fought the curses that there was a distortion in the way they viewed her from where they stood but that only made her more appealing to them.

Of course their master had fallen for someone strong.

Who else would dare drink their poison to make them live?

Sachiko dusted her hands and finally turned to face the 13 year old twins, "Are you both alright?"

They both gasped at the sight of the fearsome beauty that looked at them with worry and slowly took her hands as she helped them to stand.

It took them a few minutes to get back to their senses before replying to her question but they were even more stunned when Miura Sachiko finally showed them her ever famous smile. The same one that their foster father had mastered to sketch.

That's her, that's his Sachi.


Back in Tokyo, Crepe Shop

The twins did not expect her to bring them near the Tokyo Institute on the same afternoon. They had just met each other but the sight of them shaken up by the curses and her sudden appearance pushed her to think of a way to effectively calm.

For whatever reason, she had chosen a district a short walk away from the school, at a small dessert shop that was popular among middle schoolers.

The girls wore very peculiar robes and had donned matching purple ribbons in their hair, but their registry was quite normal. From what Sachiko observed, they didn't seem to be from the city as they claimed. The look of wonder never left their eyes and yet she couldn't quite figure out how they got her contact information.

None of their circumstances made sense except that they really did need help, so she decided to probe further.

She ushered them forward towards the counter and quirked her pink lips upwards into a grin.

The twins looked at the assortment of toppings on display and looked back at the woman who saved them.

Nanako twiddled her fingers together and whispered to Sachiko, "What are these Miura-san?"

Himiko pointed towards the pictures and looked at the pastry chef who was preparing the shells, "Thin pancakes?"

She giggled, "Oh, these are crepes. See those assortment of sweets? You can choose what you want to place inside too, and you can eat it like ice cream," the twins exchanged looks, "You've never had some before?"

They both shook their head.

Hm, maybe they're from a religious group if they're this detached to the community.

Sachiko gave them thoughtful pats on their heads and smiled, "Well then, choose as much as you want dears,"

Her kindness was exactly how they imagined it would be that treating them to a simple dessert almost brought the twins in tears. They were ecstatic to spend some time with her and they couldn't help but ogle at how lovely she was despite donning what was clearly battle gear.

They noticed how the markings on her face and her hands were less than what Suguru had drawn and the ashiness of her hair was concentrated on the tips unlike the streaks that were painted in her image but her eyes, the color of scarlet roses remained the same.

Sachiko tilted her head to the side to break their stare, "How do you like them?"

Nanako wiped her mouth and smiled at her, "Yummy! I wanna try more next time!"

Her twin took a bite from her own snack then peered towards Sachiko's half-eaten cone, "It's delicious! I was wondering Miura-san, can I taste yours?"

"Oh," she offered her food towards them, "Sure, why not?"

Nanako carefully set down her crepe and took Sachiko's in her hands and giggled, "Oh, strawberries and your favorite matcha and adzuki!" she pointed out, making both Sachiko and Himiko widen their eyes at surprise with her inference.

Himiko nudged her shoulder, but Sachiko still asked, "My favorite?"

They both fell silent and a little concerned that their cover would be blown but seeing how tense they were at their unusual remark that she decided to shrug it off, "Oh well, yes, these are my favorites indeed,"

She pondered for a while if she had said anything that could have resulted to that, but they had only known each other for a little over two hours. Something about the twins felt familiar like it was clawing behind her mind but no matter how many times she reached out, she couldn't piece them together effectively.

"You know, I never asked what your last names are, but I do like Himiko and Nanako," she quipped.

Himiko whispered to her sister, "We can't say Getou, so let's just use our old names,"

Sachiko's lips twitched at a name she didn't sure she heard correctly but before she could make out anything of it, Himiko adjusted forward and spoke, "Hasaba, our last name is Hasaba,"

"We were named to honor our mom's name," Nanako added apprehensively, eyes flocked towards her shoes, "They sound alike,"

Himiko nudged her again.

Sachiko lifted her brows, "Oh really, what's her name? It sounds like Himiko and Nanako?"

Himiko's hold on her food loosened, "Our father," her tone dropped, "He won't tell us, but he told us, it was a lovely name," she bit her lip as she gave out her lie but one mistake and their hours with her could end in an instant.

Sachiko knew immediately that they were keeping more from her. The teenagers were about the same age as her Megumi and knowing that they could have been kept unwillingly and were probable runaways, she devised a plan to get to know them better and retain contact.

"I see," she moved her chair closer to them now and crossed her legs, "Well, if you girls would like, maybe you could enroll in our school. We have crepes there too," she said enthusiastically, "All kids who are special like you, have a place where you can learn more about what you can do. So, I was wondering if-"

The twins gave her an expectant look. This was their chance to set-up a second meeting with her but what they didn't know was how their guardian would take it, still they couldn't decline,

"Yes!" They said in unison making the special grade Kitsune's smile widen and clasp her hands together at their response. Besides her task of investigating them further, she felt like in the short time they spent together, they had established a bit of a bond and if they were orphans or in need of a safe place, she had to make sure they had them.

"But," Sachi crossed her arms and leaned forward as she raised her index finger, winking at them and whispered, "I'll need to talk to your father first,"

She sensed that the twins were too taken aback by her statement like she had struck a nerve that dare not to be touched and yet she knew the desire was there for them, "What's wrong?"

They looked at each other with sad eyes and dropped their shoulders in defeat, "We'll try but, we can't promise that," Nanako began.

Himiko's lips trembled, and she looked away from the Tokyo teacher, concern still left in the way she spoke, "He's…very strict,"

A little bit of fear rose from their direction, but Sachiko didn't intend to give up on them that easily. She dug into her pocket and took out a card from her wallet and quickly scribbled down her personal number alongside the Institute's. Even if they had already contacted her, giving them an object with her own trace will enable her to keep tabs on them in some way.

"I see, if that's the case, if you ever change your mind," she handed them her card, "Have your father give me a call. Just tell him you got a scholarship and I'll handle the rest," she reassured.

The look of hope finally surfaced in their midst, the yearning for more time with their muse so palpable that it physically hurt them to bid her goodbye.

Sachiko had walked them to the train station and waited until they were nothing but a spectrum of lights. From where they waved their hands, it looked like they were children bidding their mother goodbye as they entered their school but the truth was far from it.

They were just one step clear of strangers but despite the intensity of their longing, they needed to return home.


They had arrived at their hideout a little past seven in the evening and even as they snuck in, their tall, long haired guardian was already cross-armed and frowning as he welcomed them back in their quarters.

"Where have you been?" he sounded more worried than mad at them as he gently pulled on them by the arm. His his lilac eyes scrunched up as he checked on them from tip to toe but before he could scold them anymore, Nanako had removed herself from his hold and raised her voice,

"We met her!"

He flinched at her words, confusion wiping the worry off his face that his mouth remained agape. He wasn't dense. By the evidence they left of their tinkering on his phone, he knew exactly what they were talking about.

"We saw her!" Himiko clung unto his arm tightly and closed her eyes, "Mom…"

Suguru felt like the earth was on the verge of being swallowed up by a black hole. He had shoved all of his feelings for her aside only to have them yank it back at up when he was just about to initiate his grand plan.

No, not now…

The twins took one hand each in theirs and looked at him fervently, "Your Sachi,"


It took a lot of convincing and even longer time of him contemplating about what he would do with the twins' suggestion. He brought the card everywhere and looked at it nightly like he was reading from it like a novena prayer.

Her name as well as her affiliations were listed on the card and the number she wrote, was the same one he had memorized long before they parted. It was quite bizarre. Her residuals covered the small piece of hard paper and even though it was dangerous for him to hold unto it and risk his location, he didn't have the heart to discard it either.

He had agreed to contact her one last time not just because of the prodding of his twins but because, he wanted one last moment of weakness to keep him satiated for the dark days ahead. It was a dangerous operation to meet with one of the Institutes most powerful sorcerers alone and with her eyes, it would be difficult to convince her that his glamour was the real him.

The meeting place was a very crowded park in Kyoto. It was by her own choice to set-up up a meet in public just to make sure that the twins and her would remain safe. She knew next to nothing about their father but something about the way he responded on the phone gave her an unsettling feeling.

He sounded calm and yet anxious himself and yet it seemed like he was very familiar with her despite having no contact before. The exchange was rather friendly and even after narration of the events, he didn't seem perturbed that his daughters got into trouble, so it made her even more curious about who was housing the young girls.

In order not to seem very intimidating, she opted not to wear her usual garb when she went on missions and settled for a plain light-colored blouse and that matched her blazer and long skirt all of which covered her skin markings. She hadn't told Satoru the full details of her undercover mission only that she met two young girls and had set-up a meeting with their guardian. She left out the familiar residuals she saw on the beach and in the twins' clothing as well. It wasn't worth distressing him if she wasn't sure about it.

She sent him her location just in case, not that their familiar bonds were not enough, it was more to keep his mind at ease.

She was sitting on one of the benches with her arms hugged around her bodice to protect from the midmorning draft. It was relatively sunny, but the air was cool enough to have to opt for a warm drink. Around her were very few bystanders but still, a few minutes had passed since the twins had texted her that they were around the area and she still didn't catch any glimpses of them.

She kicked her boots off the ground and went on a stroll. Besides the pretty orange and red autumn leaves providing a picturesque backdrop, there wasn't much to see.

Her phone buzzed again making her dig through her pocket to check the message hoping that it was Mr. Hasaba or any of the twins. It wasn't, but the sender's name was enough to make her smile and reply immediately.

Worry wart. She snorted internally as she tucked her phone back in her pocket.

A rather strong breeze welcomed her next step that she had to tuck her hair behind her ears and paused to keep her balance. At the next opening of her scarlet eyes, she was met by a rather endearing gaze from a tall man in a beige coat. His dark hair was cut midway, through his cheeks and partly swayed with the wind, covering his chiseled jaw and sharp tinted eyes. He took a step forward and pushed his hair back, diffidently removing his stare that made her blush before giving her another welcoming smile.

Even with his glamour, the feeling that he was a longtime friend remained that Sachiko's heart raced as the stranger approached her. Something about the way he looked at her felt like he was lifting pages from her soul, like he knew every bit of her story that she didn't find the energy to move. She was being read word per word, paragraph by paragraph and they haven't even spoken to each other yet but, there he was, standing before her, twins peering over his shoulder and reaching out to shake her hand.

"Hello," he started, "You must be Ms. Miura," his voice was deep, but almost lyrical with the way he spoke but there was a bit of restraint in it still, that for a moment she saw a slight tremor in his fingers before she clasped it.

Her touch was almost electric and was enough to send him into a dreamlike state. The sweetness and warmth of it made his blood pulse through his chest that he had to make a conscious effort to not squeeze her hand too tightly.

Sachiko had to clear her vision a few times before she could properly respond. Her lips trembled at the sight of him since he looked even more surreal upclose. He was extremely handsome and quite mysterious and the edginess with the way he dressed and stood made her a little nervous.

She managed a small smile, "Are you Mr. Hasaba?"

Suguru bit the inside of his cheek as he nodded, "I am Hasaba Shinobu, Himiko and Nanako's father,"

"Nice to meet you Hasaba-san," she tilted her head sideways and tapped her lips with her finger as she squinted her eyes, "Shinobu,"

The twins couldn't help but flinch at the way she eyed their guardian. If she recognized his registry through his glamour, their whole plan for him to spend the day with her would end up in flames.

She took a step forward and eyed him more intently making a sweat drop below his chin. He had utilized enough of Jan's glamour and asked him to make a very thick coat that could mask his cursed energy but with her Kitsune vision, it would be easy to strip him off layer by layer if she wanted to.

He looked away to evade the piercing of her scarlet eyes, but she continued to close the distance between them. She lifted her heels off the floor and tucked her hands behind her back as he observed him closer. He was preparing to turn and run but before he could, a rather cheerful expression spread in her bright face as she stepped back,

"Your name, it suits you," she snickered, "It reminded me a little of a character from an anime I watched with my friends before, you also," she paused to look at him before drifting her eyes away from him out of coyness, "Kind of look like him, a little,"

Yuyu Hakusho, Suguru thought, making him scoff at the memory of them spending afternoons in their dormitories watching the show. They often teased him how, with his dark hair and bangs, he could pass of as one of the villains. Ironically, it was for the same reason that he chose the alias.

Himiko and Nanako let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, sorry," she took a step back and waved her hands, "Never mind, I'm just blurting out random thoughts,"

Her laughter made him widen his smile. It was extremely reassuring that she was acting like the way they would before when they were still friends. But he knew that the more she believed his ruse, the sooner he had to end their meet.

"Shall we go somewhere to talk?" Suguru in Hasaba's glamour asked, "I know a café just a short walk away from here owned by windows,"

Her brows shot upwards.

"I assume, you wish to speak about my girls' abilities and such so, that would seem like a safe place for us to discuss such matters,"

"Very well, please lead the way Hasaba-san,"

He smiled, "Please, call me Su-Shinobu," he turned to the twins and jerked his head sidewards, "Say your goodbye to Ms. Miura for now girls, I'll meet you both at the crepe shop later,"

The girls gave him excited looks as they waved but didn't leave until they finished giving Sachiko a quick hug before telling their adoptive father goodbye.

"Take care!" Sachiko bid them and from the twins' distance, it looked like, for the first time in forever, their hope of having a complete family would be fulfilled soon.


Suguru and Sachiko had been chatting for almost an hour now, starting with some casual inquiries about their lives. She had introduced herself as a new teacher for the Tokyo faction but told him she was still in the middle of getting her degree.

It was funny. He always joked around by telling her she'd make a great kindergarten teacher with her motherly skills and knack for tutoring and what a hilarious turn of events when she actually confirmed his prediction.

They sat across from each other. Suguru kept himself busy and fixated on his cup of coffee as Sachiko went on to describe how the schooling system would go about. He told her that he didn't know much about the system since he didn't go to the Institute.

He proclaimed himself as a window and during his work, he got encountered the girls and offered to care for them since he was an orphan himself (that particular lie didn't bode him well). This seemed to appeal to her all the more and created a rather friendly environment as they spoke.

He played his character very well, spellbound by the beauty in front him, captivated by the way her scarlet eyes was filled with joy as she sipped behind her cup and even made the subtlest of touches and gestures when he said something humorous. He never thought he'd have that chance to spend a calm afternoon with her and for a moment he considered living in Shinobu's shadow just so he could stay beside her.

He observed the way the sides of her eyes would crease when she would jeer and how the curve of her lips still remained highlighted despite the drink washing away some of the color, she painted on them. From the shading of her hair, to the way her body had curved and tone and how her cheeks were no longer too hollow or her skin were too pale to be considered healthy, he thought about the new modifications, or rather, updates he would make the next time he drew her.

His silent adoration was disturbed by her inquiry,

"So, what do you think of my proposal?" she finally asked as she set her cup down.

He crossed his arms and contemplated on what words would best serve as an answer. He couldn't give her false hope, but he was tempted to create another scenario where they would meet again. But it was too risky for his group and it could end up endangering the girls, "It's an interesting set-up and one I may have benefited from too, I admit, but, would it be alright if I asked for a bit of time to think?"

Sachiko shrugged, "Of course, when you do decide, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I assure you, I'll do everything I can to personally help your girls with their transition,"

"That's very kind of you…"

She shook her head and scooted forward, "Please, it's really nothing, I'm just happy to help,"

"Thank you, for helping my girls," his voice trailed off.

There was a short pause in between them as he took another sip but what Sachiko asked next almost made him drop his cup on the table.

She folded her lips and laced her fingers together and asked, "Their mother,"

He clenched his teeth. The spur of anxiety gripping him by the throat that his heart almost lunged out of his chest.

"They mentioned her but briefly, but I can't help and be curious about her a little. They seemed really fond of her, missing her almost each time they spoke about her, so I was wondering…"

Suguru uncrossed his legs and dropped his arms on the table. He gave Sachiko a composed look before flocking his eyes away from her direct gaze.

How could he even begin to describe the woman he loves when the very being was sitting right next to him?

Which detail could he twist or omit to make it seem like he was describing someone else?

Who else could he define in such detail?

No one else, but her.

"It's alright," he began, "I'll tell you," he cleared his throat, "Their mother, she was, a very lovely lady,"

Her hurt sunk a little, was. The shine in his eyes left him almost instantly as he continued to speak that she felt a little guilty to have pressed him into answering.

"But," he sighed, "She and I had a very big disagreement and we went our separate ways," he noticed her bite her lip and sink backwards, "It was entirely my fault," he gestured towards his chest.

I didn't lie about that part. It's really my fault.

She felt a little embarrassed by watching a very poised, well mannered and eloquent man lament about his ex-lover all for the sake of her curiosity, but it was clear, even with his admittance of fault, his feelings for her remained the same.

"I-I see,"

Suguru leaned forward to catch her avoidant eye, their awkward smiles somewhat lifting some of the tension from their serious topic.

It was hard to explain further about his circumstances without him having to sound so delusional about his claims.

First, he and Sachi were never lovers.

They were merely good friends but that did not hinder his one-sided affections.

In the deepest corners of his heart and mind, he could never forget her, nor could he stand not wondering about her well-being. Despite his intentions causing them to drift apart further, he held unto her to keep some part of his morality intact even if he would soon throw all of it away for his selfish intents.

At least there, that afternoon, inside the café, he could pretend to be the man fit enough to stay by her side. The version of himself, not resembling any piece of who he was nor is. The apparition he wished would replace his shadow just so, he could see that smile, up close again.

"You don't have to share anymore Shinobu-san, forgive me for prying,"

"I don't mind really,"

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you did a pretty good job of raising the girls," she reached out to squeeze his hand, the contact once again making him quiver inwardly that if she held on any longer, he knew, he would have broken down.

"Well, I do try, but thank you," he looked into her eyes directly now making her flustered at how he was sincerely grateful for her compliment.

They each took their cups and had a sip of their coffee before settling back comfortably on their seats. Suguru noticed how she had checked on her phone and watch twice over and that signaled that their short encounter was closing its end and because he felt so powerless next to her and a little part of him wanted to keep her from leaving, opted to start another conversation, "May I ask you something?"

"Of course, it's only fair after all,"

"Well," he set his cup down and scratched his chin, "Do you, have a family Ms. Miura?"

"Hm?"

He laughed shakily, "Forgive me but, you seem to emit this motherly attachment to my twins, so I was wondering, if you had a family of your own. You sound like someone who would make a good mother,"

He had the same conversation with her before, the starkness in her eyes that would turn a little bit of his words in sarcasm as his teasing would go on. It was one he had with her when they were younger. But the quirk of her lips only made it even more bittersweet now.

She laughed, that little voice of her tingling his ears like he had just heard the fine tuning of a guitar. It was extremely soothing and familiar and even as she sat next to him, he felt like he missed her even more.

Sachiko rubbed her shoulder and softened her expression, "I do technically have adoptive kids, but none of my own,"

Of course. They're still guardians, Suguru thought making him a little sentimental at the reminder that they shared parentship since they were eighteen, the type of connection he once hoped for him and his twins.

He gritted his teeth,

"That's nice. They must be good kids too,"

She smiled as she lifted her shoulders.

"I hope you also don't mind that I took notice of your hands,"

"My hands?" she lifted her palms and slowly extended her fingers to examine them. Besides the clear vine-like markings that were peeking at her wrist (markings which indicated poison consumption) and some scars she got from training, she didn't see anything peculiar about it.

He chuckled, "I noticed, you have no ring?" his voice lagged off a little making her cheeks paint of pink before she set her hands down on her lap.

"Oh, yes, no ring but-" she covered her mouth before lifting her eyes away from him as she thought about her white-haired weirdo probably making his way in his area as they spoke.

Satoru hadn't exactly given her any jewelry to declare the gravity of their bond, he did however give something more precious-his life, his vow and they both bore literal marks of their commitment and for her, that was enough,

"I do have someone," she grinned at him shyly then tried to cover her flushed face with her mug, making him snicker at her reserve.

"That's such a shame," he wasn't sure if it was Shinobu or Suguru who was quick to comment. The vehement feeling was slowly crawling up his spine. She was slowly building a happy life around him and it hurt that he couldn't be a part of it. Even in this illusion he created.

Without having anything lose, he decided to extend his jest, "I would have wanted to invite your kids to meet mine and perhaps we could make an afternoon of it," he joked making her smirk at him.

Suguru leaned on one arm and rested his chin on the back of his hand and smiled with his teeth, "Perhaps, I could call you some time as well? We can discuss other matters too,"

Sachiko cocked her dark brows at him and snarled, "Shinobu-san, you just learned that I am spoken for,"

"No ring yet though," he challenged, "Forgive me, I am just a little too captivated by you. It makes me wonder if you rescuing my twins were the work of fate,"

He scoffed at himself. It wasn't fate. It was an intricate plan devised by him and his daughters, one he was glad he obliged to.

Sachiko couldn't really decipher if the man she met earlier was the same one who was hitting on her now. It wasn't that he was being prude, it was more of a bit of teasing than anything, still she didn't doubt that he was a decent guy, so she just laughed it off.

"Anyway, I still hope that the next call I get from you would be your consent to send the girls to the Institute,"

He sighed, "Very persistent aren't you Miura-san?"

Her pink lips quirked upward, "I can be very convincing, I'm sure I'm half-way there," her grin began to mirror her significant other that it was a little unnerving how their traits had now rubbed off on each other. This made the envy he was building up made him a little uneasy.

She stood now as she caught sight in her periphery, the teenage girls waving from the outside. They were a little impatient with his request to rendezvous with him later on and that made the Kitsune take it as her cue to end their discussion,

"Looks like they miss their dad,"

And their mom.

Suguru ran his fingers in his glamoured short hair and sighed, "I guess they did," he held out his hand to shake hers one last time. His palms were sweating, and fingers were trembling knowing that after that day he'd never see her again.

The way she used both hands to clasp on his hands and slowly soothe it made him completely lose his guard. Once the crimson of her eyes met his, she saw the flicker of that familiar lilac and with one blink, she saw through his glamour.

Her heart pounded heavily against her chest. Everything about what had happened in the past few days now began to make sense. She didn't see her dear friend in the next blink, but she felt him standing in front of her. His presence strong enough to make her knees weak and her mind blank that she was close to fainting.

The beach…it's so similar to what I felt at the beach…

Suguru's eyes lost their light when he next spoke that she couldn't think of anything audible to return, "It was very nice to meet you Ms. Miura,"

Without thinking, Sachiko's mouth created a straight line and within the next minute, she had gone in to hug Shinobu Hasaba but only for a few seconds before stepping back.

The twins witnessed her gesture that stunned the man she once called her friend. They had contemplated on barging in and begging her to stay but they knew better than to ruin the rare moment he had with her alone.

Suguru felt like he was carrying a huge boulder, one that forced him to stand where he stood and keep his arms locked on his sides, too scared to let go of the invisible stone that would crush him if he so much moved an inch. He swallowed whatever words he previously wanted to say but before he had any opportunity to, Sachiko was already making her way to leave.

She stopped midway so that they were perfectly aligned and close enough to hear each other's words when they whispered. Sachiko grabbed unto his sleeve once more but urged him not to look back to avoid alerting the girls. Her fingers were covered with her cursed energy but from where she positioned herself, the girls couldn't see it.

Suguru frowned. What he feared the most in those numerous nightmares he had for the past few years was now becoming a reality.

"Are you every coming back…Suguru?"

He jerked forward at her remark.

Every syllable of his name awakened him into a jolt that the panic he felt was admixed with the desire to admit what he had done.

The fact that she knew all along who he was but went on with his ruse was part of the mercy she laid out for him.

Perhaps, it wasn't 'til late that she realized who he was because of his slip but regardless of what tipped her off, Suguru didn't even bother to escape without taking one last good look at her before he left.

Sachiko was nearing her tears and she could not bring herself to look him in the eye since her own was too moistened to make out his face.

Her hold on his sleeve didn't cause him any physical pain but it felt like she was clawing through his chest that it became a little difficult to breathe.

She loosened her hold on him now and dropped her head to her chest, "No answer?" she whispered, despondent, "Well then, at least be man enough to face me,"

Suguru bit on his lip and balled his hands into fist but no words poured out of his mouth.

Sachiko breathed deeply and tugged on him once more, "Face me, with the real you," her head whipped to the side quickly, the anger on it met with the sadness in his that even as they both had tears threatening to trail down their cheeks, the moment they saw each other through the glamour, they both felt devastated and utterly lost.

And that was when she summoned her curtain and it closed so fast that the twins could no longer enter to intervene in their confrontation.

Sachiko took a step back as Suguru finally removed his glamour. Both of them hid their smiles now and through her clenched teeth, she waited for Suguru to give her a proper response, what she got was less than satisfactory.

"You know very well I can never go back,"

Sachiko shook her head and held out her tears she finally heard his voice, his real voice reach out to her, "Your first words after all these years…those are what you choose to be your first words?"

Suguru took a step forward and pleaded through his increased tone. His brows were scrunched together, and his mouth dropped so much that his face made Sachiko even more apprehensive, "Do you want me to apologize?" he yelled at her making her widen her eyes at him but didn't halt his strong feelings from pouring out, "To tell you I regret it? To tell you I'll come back? Because, I don't. And I won't,"

Sachiko rushed towards him and with one swift motion, she readied her right hand to slap him across his face. He braced himself for impact, knowing well he deserved that from her but the impact never came and she dropped her arms to her side and took a step back,

"I see…and here I thought there was some hope left for you," she turned her back on him now and felt his fingers slightly dig through her shoulders in attempt to make him face her once more, but she wouldn't budge.

It pained him so much that she wouldn't even bare to look at him and inside the veil, there was no one else to speak to but her. He loosened his hold and lowered his head, "Are you mad?"

Sachiko wiped her tears away as she shook her head, "Suguru," her voice was cracking, "I am furious…"

He rushed in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders and ducked his head to catch her wet eyes. But, she was left mute and unmoving and would not do as he pleased. He took her right hand and used it to hit himself in the face making her wince,

"Then curse me! Hit me! While I am here, you may do whatever you wish. I owe you this much!"

He repeatedly tried to initiate her punches or slaps, but her hands felt so weightless that they continued to droop as he held her.

Sachiko sniffled, "What for?" she said lowly. She removed her arms from his hold slowly and turned to the side, "I said I'm furious but that doesn't mean that I hate you. What I hate is—what you did. Why you left us all behind,"

He fell to his knees now, bawling and screaming as he pulled on his hair in shame, "…what do you want me to say?"

Sachiko fell to his side and placed both hands on each side of his face. His chin lifted slowly as he met her crystalline stare. It was like he was watching the fire in her eyes slowly watered down until all that was left was smoke for him to inhale and force himself to hold his breath.

"You've said all there is to say," she told him, slowly lifting him off the ground to straighten.

"What am I to you Sachi?" he asked.

"I don't know who you are to me anymore. But, know this, the Suguru I know," she reached out to lower his head so that her temple rested on hers and spoke through her tears, "You have his face, you have his form but," her hands lowered towards his chest and she whimpered before continuing, "His heart, his core, the person I loved, is no longer here…" she took a step back,

"Unless, you prove me wrong," her right hand rested on his cheek and slowly wiped away his tears but his hold on top her hand felt so heavy that even before he responded, she knew his answer and that-that took her hope away and began to slowly awaken the sorcerer self she set aside just to give him a chance.

"…I can't go back. Everything I've done has meaning. And in the end, it might even benefit—you,"

Sachiko removed her hand from his cheek, "Don't use me for your own selfish and cruel philosophy. I know the truth!" she hissed.

He no longer had any energy left but he still had to ask, "What truth is that?"

Sachiko's face was coated in a new stream of tears that it felt like he had sucked out the life in her soul as she released words that would haunt him for the rest of his days,

"Betrayal can only come from those whom you trust,"

Suguru wanted to reach out to her, but he knew distance was exactly what they needed now, "I can never get used to see you crying,"

She raised her hands now and covered them with her fox fire. Her eyes removed the sadness it bore for him and instead replaced it with a fearsome expression, one that was ready to fulfill her duty as an esteemed member of their society, tasked to eliminate those who have chosen the side of the curses, "I'll give you the next minute to leave before I turn into one of the people who are against you. If you don't leave by then—"

Suguru wrapped his hands around Sachiko even as a part of his arm got scalded by the flames he chose not to evade. It felt like he was holding unto her like she was his own personal pillow, the comfort he couldn't set aside to keep him calm, and it almost felt a little suffocating as he held on tight but he couldn't bear to let go,

"I'm sorry," he repeated those two words over and over again like it was a three-page litany he needed to say to get through to her.

Sachiko's flames extinguished on its own and she stood still in her position as she hugged him. Only her tears remained as a constant reminder that she was awake as he held her in her arms but nothing else followed.

Suguru smoothened the back of her head and whispered through his tears, "I'm sorry, I have to put you through this…I'm sorry, my love. But this, this is goodbye,"

Suguru had shattered the already faltering veil and quickly escaped with her twins through his cloud curse and left no traces of their cursed energy as they exited.

Sachiko was able to muffle out her crying as she covered herself in flames but none of it attempted to reach him or the twins. She chose defeat to escape the task she could have easily dealt with but how could she?

Despite everything he had done, despite his rejection she couldn't leave out her personal feelings for her dear friend.

The twins could not decipher what exactly was it that had brought their foster father to tears but as soon as they were lifted off the ground, he never looked back.

His tears had dried almost instantly, and he spoke nothing until they arrived home and retreated to his quarters.

It was only until he removed his clothing and headed for the shower that his screaming awakened the whole base and every individual knew better than to cross their master.

And that day, was the last time Suguru Getou showed the face of his past to someone ever again. Under the pouring of the heavy water, he had decided that along with his tears, he would drain his attachment to the past so he could move forward with a bigger mission at hand.

He washed away everything…including the last bit of true happiness he held on so dear in his years in hiding and replaced it with a new form of freedom, a lonelier one.

One, that was deemed necessary for their cause.


Months Later

Activity of Suguru's group seemed to gain attention among the Jujutsu community a few months after Sachiko and Suguru last met. They were very careful with their exploits; it was very rare to find residuals of anyone remotely connected to Suguru and most were pinned on lesser groups.

So, when a tall man with thick oval shades in a purple jujutsu tech uniform came strolling one night at a red-light district in downtown Tokyo, he didn't expect that the first person he'd spot at the entrance as a long-haired monk with sharp, dark-purple eyes, smoking.

Satoru initially didn't pay him any mind and instead went on to enter the area and exterminate the first-grade curse that was causing the ruckus inside. It only took him a few minutes to clear the area, but his focus was elsewhere. Suguru knew he kept tabs on him the moment they met eyes at the entrance, so he didn't bother to avoid him any longer and instead invited him inside one of the private rooms for a drink.

Satoru lazily sat across him from the go table where Suguru had already made three moves before he urged his former ally to do the same. He ignored the invitation and instead lifted on leg to cross and allowed his spectacles to drop to the tip of his nose to reveal his cerulean eyes.

But because Suguru refused to further their discussion if he didn't play, he decided to humor him.

They could have easily played cards or even just sat around to drink or eat but no, Suguru insisted that they play a round of Go.

The table was already set-up, white and black pebbles ready to be placed strategically on whichever corner the players preferred.

It was a tactical game to play not just because the game was centered on strategy, but Satoru resigned to his odd choice only to prove a point even if it would take at least 150 moves to progress the game.

The very objective of the game was to create a territory big enough to occupy majority of the space in contest to your opponent.

At lot of possibilities can occur in the game. Its complexities quite similar to the principles of jujutsu—one could expand one's domain, one could conquer them and even destroy a formation or take it as a whole if the player is skillful enough. Despite its structure, the actual liberties, or one opened border created by stones was required to remain in play.

If one has more than one liberty surrounding a group of stones, also known, quite ironically as the eye, then that territory cannot be touched even if they are surrounded. How amusing was it that Gojo had six to spare.

After the first few minutes or so had passed, none of them had actually taken note of the points. None of them spoke, the only sound that occupied the room was the soft ticking of the pebbles against the wooden board.

The power struggle between the two parties was evident. Satoru was defending the realm against curses and curse users while Suguru was trying to make the whole realm into a purist society that fit his ideals, the complete opposite of the balance the pillars had embodied.

Suguru moved his black pebble into one corner and that move was enough to make Satoru scoff and have his hands over his pieces before moving. They had come to a point where both parties must capture each other else both end up dying in the game—-semeai.

Now, they would have to count which of them had more liberties than the other and that would define who would win the conquering game.

Satoru gave out a loud cackle at the fast realization that even in the board, his victory was assured but despite his sardonic reaction, Suguru, remained calm.

Suguru took another hit before reaching for the sake bottle to pour him a drink. Satoru covered his cup which made the man in monk's clothing sneer as he proceeded to his own cup.

He pushed the plate of sweets in front of Satoru instead but unlike old times, his friend would have already shoved the whole plate in his mouth but the way he looked was way different from the way they treated each other when they were younger.

In front of him wasn't Satoru, it was Gojo, the world's strongest sorcerer, armor and sword of the pillars, the executioner supreme. He couldn't find the Cheshire grin he always donned but he did feel his Six-eyes on him. There was a bit of relief from the fact that his Infinity remained dormant. That trust for him was remotely there but the cautiousness was apparent, and he couldn't blame him.

Suguru dipped his cigarette on the tray and turned his attention towards his friend who was already shaking his leg in impatience.

He propped his arm on the go table and asked callously, "How is she?"

The mention of her made Satoru's blood boil. He found out about their encounter immediately and he'd never forget how broken she was when she finally remembered everything about what happened in the past and how, despite her pleas, he chose to hurt her so much that she couldn't stop crying the whole night.

In frustration, Gojo scoffed at him as he kicked the table and disarranged the placements of the black and white stones but as if that wasn't enough, he brushed through the table with his hands and leaned forward with a snide grin, "Hello to you too," he said sarcastically, continuing to observe him as he lit another stick. He drew back and crossed his arms, "I thought monks didn't smoke,"

Suguru shrugged, "I thought you'd prefer If we skip the formalities and just get to the more important questions,"

Gojo clicked his tongue as he raised his chin to assert authority, "She's well," he pointed towards him,"No need to stick your nose into matters that shouldn't be part of your business anymore,"

Satoru gave him a stiff warning, but it did little to unnerve his former friend turned most wanted man in the jujutsu society.

Suguru blew out some smoke and responded calmly, "I see. That's good to hear then,"

"You can stop sending those minor curses to stalk her. I am capable of protecting her on my own," his eyes almost looked like frosted glass as he gave out his counsel and this made Suguru's mouth twitch in surprise.

"I know,"

Gojo groaned as he dug through his hair and made a loud clapping sound as he banged his hands on the table, further pooling stones on floor, "So, are you going to surrender or not?" he said impatiently, "By now, you know I am even more able to kill you with one hit,"

Suguru jut his jaw forward in taunt, "Why don't you? With your combined powers, I guess, it would make for a clean kill huh?"

He scoffed once more, "I'm not a monster. She taught me to be a bit more lenient especially to old friends, so I'm giving you a chance,"

Suguru let out a hoarse laugh, "Like the ten other chances you gave me?"

Gojo wiped his face with his palm in utter discontent, "You're testing my patience pal,"

"It's funny…" he interjected, "After all these years. I've managed to get in touch with you and Ieiri and sometimes I feel like nothing much has changed. I guess I should be grateful that my friendship with you both amounted to something called mercy,"

Gojo cackled, "Mercy is a stretch. Pity is closer,"

"Pity? Huh. Interesting.,"

It was hard to read Suguru's thoughts. Sachiko told him that she still saw the Suguru they knew in his semblance if they looked closely but even with his enhanced sight, all traces of their old friend seemed to be hidden so deep that no part of the man before him seemed familiar. Not wanting to prolong their encounter any longer, Satoru sighed and began his interrogation, "Did you kill anyone tonight?"

Suguru shook his head then after took a large gulp of his wine, "Well, while the curse user did act under the name of my group, I had nothing to do with it. I came here to clean up his mess, if need be, but you took care of that on your own,"

Gojo's mouth tensed as he straightened. He could almost taste the blood from where he bit his cheeks that his instinct immediately went to pop a piece of candy in his mouth before he made his way to slide the door open, "Well then, my business here is done,"

Suguru didn't stand to follow-suit, "Just like that?"

Gojo buried his hands inside his jacket and raised one hand but didn't look over his shoulder, "Just like that,"

One step outside of the door and he found himself halted by Suguru's next set of words.

"You know, out of you three, Sachi,"

The mention of her name made Gojo jerk backwards and look at him through his periphery disdainfully.

Suguru continued, "She was the only who actually cast a veil and readied herself to attack me…"

His old friend's shoulder began to shake rapidly, and the booming of his laughter made the cursed spirit manipulator drop his smokes on the tray and fold his arms forward. Satoru's old smile finally surfaced. That tooth-showing grin that never failed to exhibit his confidence in the most flambouyant way, "That's my girl, I guess. She was always bolder and more right in the head…but, if you ever force her to do something she doesn't want to do," his eyes squinted at him as he raised his voice, "I'll take care of you myself, once and for all,"

Suguru sighed, "Sometimes, I wish she did end it-me on the beach. That would've been a good end.

Gojo quickly turned to face him now.

"But since she couldn't it must've been a sign that it wasn't my time yet and now here we are,"

Gojo pushed the table away and grabbed at his collar, the blue of his eyes glowed like the eclipsed moon. Kindess and sympathy found no traces in them as he looked at the purple one's before him, "I won't let you bloody her hands,"

Suguru laughed and playfully raised his hands in surrender as Satoru shoved him back down, "I believe you. You have her hands laced safely in yours-forever. I hope it stays that way,"

"Can't you just do the right thing? For her? If not for yourself?"

Suguru stood now to level with his old friend and grimaced, "What is right for you is different for me now. But, it seems, no matter what I do, you three will always have a hold on me, so, I hope that's enough recompense,"

He raised his hand gathered curse energy alerting Gojo to activate his infinity before he sent the pulse towards him but one minute after, he heard a slow squeal from the creature that was readying to attack from behind but with one movement, Getou managed to silence the beast forever.

The Six Eyes user was a little bit surprised about what he had done but as he turned to grap at his shoulder, his besf friend was nowhere to be found. He left one message before he disappeared, he said, "We will meet again, old friend. Goodbye,"


December 1st 2016 (25 years old)

Winter has come again which meant they were nearing another year's end and an addition to their imprint of years on earth. The Kichijoji outskirts were very welcoming to him especially on snowy days. The rain of clouded ice would merely pass by him and the gust wouldn't blow away his scarf. It was one of the benefits of his Infinity, choosing what can and cannot breach his space and enabling him a faster travel to their private residence.

He rarely deactivated his techniques nowadays. The hours that passed seemed to gather more troubling news than he wanted and since underground groups of curse users were becoming more apparent, the demand for him, his girlfriend and his physician best friend were increasing by the second.

He was exhausted but more so irritated at how things turned out. Despite the numerous attempts to get things to calm down, everything seemed to have escalated for the worst.

The children had gone off to spend the Holidays at the Taisha as planned and their visit, scheduled just before the New Year's had put them into a bit of slump but missions meant that they were inviting danger wherever they went but at least, as a recompense as special grades, they could spend some time together as a couple in between.

Satoru had immediately turned off his infinity as soon as he stepped inside their apartment. He dusted off the fragments of snow that his shoes caught and included his worries as he closed the door.

"Chi-chan! Tadaima!" He called out happily and not long after, Sachiko came to greet him with a warm hug before she proceeded to tiptoe to reach for his shades.

He leveled himself towards her so she could unweave the grey scarf for him, those simple gestures, never failing to give him flutters in his stomach each time he arrived home.

The fireplace was lit and as expected, she had already begun hanging some decorations including the glittering fairy lights he loved to take photos under. The tree was half clothed in an assortment of ornaments and beside it was trimmings she had laid out for him to place, including the star, the ridiculously large and expensive one he bought he designated himself to place atop of the tree.

He was ushered in immediately after she took his coat, a cup of cocoa waiting for him at the countertop remained warm even after he had finished freshening up. She came to join him after she had tidied up the rest of the decorations, the second cup of warm chocolate balanced in her hands.

He reached out for her to come closer and pulled her to sit on his lap and settled into her warmth as they shared a short kiss. Sachiko ruffled his pale hair and smiled making him squish his cheek against hers as he asked for one more brush of their lips that ended up into a tender one that allowed him to taste the sweetness that came from their drink.

She lightly tugged on the back of his hair to pull back, laughing all the while to keep him from too much excitement and settled on the chair next to him.

Satoru pinched her cheek immediately allowing the rouge to surface across her face as she shied away. She let out her tongue before settling for another sip of her drink and moved her head sideways to assess her handwork, "What do you think so far?"

He rested his chin on his palm as he ogled at her with his devilish grin, "Beautiful,"

She looked at him at her periphery and was rewarded with a wink and one hand wound around her shoulder.

"I was talking about the decorations," she booped his nose, "But okay, I'll take it,"

He laughed as he held unto his tummy, "I know Chi, but yeah, I like it so far. Leave the rest to me,"

She rolled her eyes at him, "Try convincing me again in a few minutes. I don't want to have random placements under my-"

"Our," he interjected.

"Yes, our tree," she cocked a brow, "But if you insist, make sure it's up to my standards, okay?"

He placed one hand over his chest and bowed, "Yes my lady,"

Sachiko looped her fingers into one of his stray strands and swooned, the subtle noise made his brow twitch upwards as he leaned in to close some distance in between them,

"Speaking of celebrations, we're turning year older again in a few days…" his tone was low and little huffy that his breath made her skin tingle forcing her to move her head sideways.

"Yeah, can you believe it?" she extended her smile, "We've been celebrating together for almost 10 years now,"

Satoru caressed the side of her cheek, "I'm grateful, every year has been incredibly wonderful with you…" he paused to close his eyes and at their distance she could see the red shine in his equally pale skin. There was a slight hum when he breathed in and cradled her close to parade kisses on her forehead and her cheek, his lids only half-opened to allow the bright sky in his eyes to peek towards her, making her heart swell each time they'd make contact with the fire in hers.

She rested her hands behind his nape and whispered, "Are you getting soft on me now, Gojo Satoru?"

He laughed, "I'll be whatever you need Chi,"

A smile quickly etched on her face as he continued to give her an endearing look, "So, on the 7th, is there something in particular you want to do? I'll make sure to clear our schedules," she rubbed at his nape and looked at him expectantly.

"Chi-chan, I just want to be with you that day," he quipped as he rested his head on her shoulder and took in her scent, the sweetness of it made him dig his fingers a little deeper into her skin making her sigh in surprise.

"Me too…"

Satoru lifted his head off her shoulders and cupped her chin, "Let's stay in…here, just the two of us…I'll take care of everything and-"

He looked almost like he was about to break. Something about the way he spoke and looked at her like she was made of glass made her nervous. There was something big going inside of his thoughts but no matter how much she searched, she couldn't figure out what was bothering hin-only because it nothing was.

He was feeling the exact opposite.

Inside of him burned with the kind of desire that was set ablaze as he felt it grow from a candlelit burn into a sea of fire that was ready to combust if he didn't take courage to let his feelings out then.

Satoru was quiet, contemplative and a little unsure of how to ask. He was prepared to accept whatever answer she would give him, but he had forgotten to actually formulate the words he needed to get his message through.

Sachiko blinked and ran her fingers across his worried brows to help ease him into speaking, "Toru?" she spoke inquisitively.

Satoru took her right hand and perched it in front of his mouth, slowly kissing each digit before making it rest against his warm cheek. His free hand worked towards craning her neck comfortably as he brought their half-opened mouths close enough that they could share breaths. His eyes glistened with yearning, the blue of it looked like the raging ocean that was close to crashing on the shore at the corner of his eyes. Sachiko felt so magnetized by his stare that all she could hear was her strong heart, beat faster and faster the longer he looked at her lovingly.

He took a deep breath and with enough courage, he finally asked, "Spend the night with me?"

Her gasp as very audible and yet expected as she froze in his hold, but she didn't run away.

And that was enough reassurance that his courage was not fornaught.

Satoru tilted her head upwards with his index finger so that they were eye to eye. He gave her one soft kiss and proceeded to rest his head on her temple before speaking. Suddenly, he felt clarity loom over his entirety the more he was made aware of how close they were. The trembling of his hands, the shakiness in his voice quickly disappeared along with his self-doubt.

The love he had for her was something he fought so hard to keep.

Times were becoming more and more uncertain and yet, they had conquered life and death before.

He wouldn't allow anything else to come in between them ever again.

It was time,

We started living.

"Let's make it count Sachiko," he tilted his mouth at angle that would allow him to mold his lips unto hers more smoothly and reverently but before he did so, he gave her one more question to answer, "I want to show you, how much I love you, if you allow me to, so, Sachiko, will you let me?"


END OF CHAPTER


NEXT: A first in the loop of the Infinite


Author's note: BUT WHERE IS THE ART? Guys, my dear friend is having her exams right now but she promised to give it to me soon, wish her luck!

But spoiler? It's a SachiGuru scene from this chapter hahaaha. I'll post it here and on twitter.

Another long one cause OMG, a lot has happened in the past few weeks with work and with the holidays coming up I was just all over the place.

YES, I AM GUILTY FOR JOINING GOJOWEEK AND SASHISU WEEKS so that contributed to some delay but you can check them out in case hehe.

I will probably post a number of chapters, one-shots and even arts in the next few weeks, including a New year themed one. (I hope I can)

If you wanna see more art inspired by the story you can check my twt MiuraChronicler. Let's be friends there too!

Thank you so much for dropping by!

I feel like I can finish the next chapter in a matter of days, who knows?

AND VOLUME 0 movie is coming out soon! OMFG let's go!

In case you didn't catch it, the last part? Yeah, Gojo is asking her to finally be intimate in the ADULT WAY. So, yup, that's the next chapter. Also, yes it is implied here that they are living together and have not done the 'deed,' yet. Remember, Sachiko has her trauma and well, they're very very busy. Next chapter? We'll see.

Thanks again!


References:

Oni Gokko (Hide & Seek)

Oni Gokko is a Japanese version of a tag game with just one person being "it".

The person is called 'oni' or demon in the Japanese tradition.

The Oni (鬼) is a mythical figure with a human body and horns that appears in many Japanese children's stories.

Did you know that Gege's inspiration for Suguru Getou was Shinobu Sensui from YYH? Now you do.