We wake up to my alarm and once again, I shut it off. I groan as I turn over to see that Satoru isn't here beside me. I panic and look around the room for him but don't see him. He must have left, or maybe he's in the other room. I hop out of bed and walk into the living room.
The TV is on and Digimon season one is playing. I look over and see Satoru sucked into the show, but his eyes are still glowing. I sigh with relief.
"What are you doing up? Did you not sleep?" I ask sitting next to him.
He puts an arm around me and pulls me into him.
"Nah, I wasn't too tired after your dream. I've only been in here for about thirty minutes." He tells me.
"Well, we have to get ready soon." I tell him.
"Well, here's the thing." He says slyly, "I figured we could take the day off. Since we only have one first year, and he's out on mission, I figured we could take a day to stay in." He tells me.
I scoff, "and what does principal Yaga think of this?" I ask.
"I talked with him already this morning. Told him we weren't coming in today." He tells me.
I sit up and look at him, "tell me you didn't hang up on him."
He shrugs his shoulders in response, "eh, he'll understand."
I roll my eyes, "Satoru. You're going to get me in trouble." I tell him.
"Hey, party pooper, relax a bit. We haven't had a day off in weeks. He'll understand. Besides, I'm not gonna let him reprimand you. He'd be stupid to try and he knows it." He tells me.
I sigh and shake my head, "well, I'll get breakfast going."
We eat our breakfast and spend the day watching Digimon. I've never actually seen the show before. I just had the one stuffed animal as a kid. We also spend some time doing... Other very adult activities, which was only really twice. After the second time, we fall asleep on the couch together, wrapped up with each other.
Suddenly, there's a knock at my door. We both jump up and look around. I groan when I hear Shoko outside yelling for me to open the door. I throw my clothes back on and I leave Satoru to do the same.
I walk up to the door and open it revealing a worried Shoko.
"Hey, where you been?" She asks worried.
"Just been here. Why what's up?" I ask.
"Well, you haven't answered your phone and Gojo isn't home either. Wanted to make sure everything was okay." She tells me.
It doesn't matter how much Shoko tries to hide or avoid it, but ever since we lost Suguru, she's been different. Very much like me, paranoid she'll lose us too. Honestly, I think she had a crush on Suguru. All the more reason to feel bad for her.
"I'm sorry Shoko. I took the day off and-" I start before Satoru walks up behind me.
"Shoko! It's been a while. What's up?" He asks.
I turn around and see he doesn't have a shirt on and blush hard when I see his muscular chest and abdomen. I turn back around and Shoko's mouth has practically dropped to the floor.
"No way, are you two..." she says pointing at the both of us.
"Together? Yup, sure am!" Satoru answers and puts an arm around my shoulders, "but don't go repeating that around town. Wouldn't want the wrong person to hear the news" he tells her seriously.
Shoko composes herself but is still surprised. He punches me in the arm, "hey man, why weren't you gonna tell me?"
I rub my arm in the place where she hit me and shrug, "I was gonna tell you I promise, it just all happened so fast." I start.
"About damn time. Took you long enough Gojo" she says looking at him accusingly.
He chuckles and rubs the back of his neck.
"And don't think you're off the hook. Get your shit, we're going out and you're telling me everything." She says.
I roll my eyes and smile, "alright, fine."
I turn to Satoru and place a soft kiss on his lips, getting on my tip toes to do it, "see you soon?"
He chuckles, "see you soon. Have fun. I'll keep you updated on Megumi."
"Thank you." I say.
I walk back in my apartment but before Satoru closes the door, I hear Shoko yell at him.
"And you, put a shirt on before I throw up." She tells him.
"Whatever." He says annoyed closing the door.
I go in my room and change into my street clothes. I have a black t-shirt with a black hat that I out my bun through and some black joggers. I put some cobalt blue vans on and brush my teeth and wash my face before grabbing my things and walking into the living room.
Satoru is cleaning up and smiles when he sees me.
"Beautiful as always." He tells me.
"I'm headed out. What will you do today?" I ask him.
"Well, I may go back to my room and clean up a bit." He says thinking for a minute.
I look around at my empty looking apartment and have an idea, "well, what would you say if you bring the rest of your stuff over here? Y'know, since you stay here with me" I say.
"Naomi, are you asking me to move in? A little rushed don't you think?" He asks.
My face goes red and I look away, "well, I was just thinking you could bring the rest since you don't even use the apartment anymore but you don't have to obviously." I say embarrassed
He chuckles, "i'm just joking. I think it's a great idea."
I sigh and lightly try to punch him in the arm, but his infinity stops me.
"Tsk, jerk." I say.
He chuckles, "never said no infinity in the house." He says playfully.
I roll my eyes, "can I kiss you at least?" I ask.
"What's the magic word?" He asks.
"Ugh," I say annoyed, "please?"
"There we go, that's it!" He says as his eyes go dull as he lowers his infinity.
I give him a soft kiss and head out the door.
———
Shoko and I head to the coffee shop not far from Jujutsu High. We both order a coffee and sit down.
"Tell me everything." Shoko says intensely.
I chuckle and look out the window, "he took me out to dinner about a month ago. It was really nice, and I mean like richest place around nice." I tell her.
She scoffs, "well, there's that Gojo fortune. Only the nicest for the prodigal son."
I chuckle, "yeah, he really went all out. Then, afterwards when he took me home, he told me he loved me."
Shoko's face widens with a smile, "that's great Naomi! And I see you two have been living together." She points out.
"Yeah, he's moving his things in as we speak actually." I tell her.
"Well it's about damn time. I'm telling you Suguru and I were betting when this would happen." She says.
I chuckle sadly, "well, who won."
She smiles, "me of course."
I laugh and we both sit in silence for a minute.
"I miss him." Shoko says sadly.
"Yeah. Me too." I tell her.
"He'd be so happy for you two you know." She says.
I scoff, "yeah I know."
"Y'know, maybe in another world, this could have been a double date." She says wishfully.
I grab her hand from across the table and smile weakly, "He loved you. I could tell."
"I know."
———
2006: a month before the Star plasma vessel incident
We all sit watching a movie in the basement. Suguru and Shoko have been spending a lot of time together. I keep hearing Suguru complaining of something minor so Shoko has to come over to heal him. It's been like that for a few months. I told Satoru I suspected they liked each other, and we bet to see who'd make the first move. I said Suguru, and I'm sure out of spite he said Shoko.
They're sitting next to each other, Shoko has gotten her own bean bag chair. There's a bucket of pop corn in between him and her and Satoru and I.
I'm fully invested in the movie as always, when Satoru slaps me gently on the shoulder. I look at him but he tells me silently to be quiet. I do and look around the room for danger, but he stops me. He points to the both of them and they are dangerously close to each other. They look like they're about to kiss and I slap a handful of pop corn in my mouth as I watch.
I knew something was going on.
"Are you two about to kiss?" Satoru asks.
"Gojo, shut up." Geto says and leans into Shoko, placing a gentle kiss on her lip.
"Awe, that's so romantic, makes me want to puke." Satoru says jokingly.
Suguru pulls away from her and chuckles, "at least I had the nerve to kiss the girl I like, unlike you Gojo." He says teasingly.
"What? What are you talking about?" He asks trying to sound confident.
"Oh c'mon Gojo, we all know you like Naomi." Shoko says.
"What? Me? No way, he doesn't like me. We're… We're just friends." I tell them.
"Yeah, exactly." Gojo says.
"Whatever nerds." Shoko says as they continue to kiss each other.
"Gross." I say.
I look to Satoru and smile, "I win."
———
January 2018: Present Day
"And I loved him." Shoko says distantly.
I sigh, unsure of what to say. I wish I could comfort her, but there's nothing I can say to her to take that pain away. I only know this because that pain will never leave me either.
"But hey, this is about you not me. Let's celebrate! C'mon, let's go get dinner." She tells me.
I nod, "alright, sounds good to me."
We go get dinner and we catch up with each other from the past month we haven't seen each other. We pour over the details of work, our personal lives, what we're thinking for the future. We talk about her dating life, and how she's just now getting back to it. She tells me she's tired of loving a monster. I don't blame her though. How can you let go of someone you loved for so long.
I tell her about the dream I had. She seems suspicious. She tells me to come see her tomorrow for a check up. I agree but am confused as to why. She says something about my cursed energy being thrown off and she can sense it. She said it could be the source of my dream and she told me it's an anomaly. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.
By the end of the night, we're both tired and decide to go home. It was nice to see a good friend again though. I make a note to myself to try and hang out with her more. She's been a good friend to me, and I don't want to grow apart from her.