The following weeks were busy. Suguru recovered quickly luckily. But I wish I could say the same for his mind. It seemed very... clouded since he got back. He was not like himself at all.

We kept getting assigned solo missions. I was lucky enough to take down a first grade curse and was promoted to special grade sorcerer. I would have celebrated with everyone, but with us taking on more jobs, we just didn't have the time. We all started growing apart more and more. I missed the days before, where we were just kids. Now, we had to grow up way too fast.

Satoru and I remained close. We hung out regularly when we could, but he wasn't the same. He never let his emotions get to him anymore. He was very flippant and uniterested in anything really. Didn't stop him from joking around and eventually, he was the same old arrogant happy go lucky Gojo. Most times, it was fine. But I almost missed the sincere part of him. The part that could get real with me. But that part was a distraction to him. He couldn't let it show.

I understood. It has never hurt my feelings. I wish we could be more, but that will never happen. No matter what I feel for him, I cannot fall in love with him.

He still listens to me of course. Any problems or feelings I had. We still talked like we always did. He'd ask me if something was bothering me and try to be encouraging when he had to be, in his own Satoru way. He'd even egg me on when I got mad, but that was always useful. Once I was pissed, I could practice my cursed techniques and refine them. I got pretty good at brain dead and even my reverse curse technique, control.

Not long after the Star plasma vessel incident, we took in Megami Fushiguro. He was the son of the man who fought Satoru and Suguru that day. He's a good kid, very smart but kind of indifferent. But I can tell he cares.

Megami was good for Satoru. We decided to keep him in regular school until he was old enough to attend Jujutsu High, but we just checked in on him and his sister a few times a week. Megami really brought a different kind of compassion out of Satoru, and a lot more patience too. Satoru loved teaching, and it fit him well.

Not long after, Satoru and I were offered teaching positions. We took them and worked with each other to train the next generation. I'd say we make a great team.

But all this came crashing down when principal Yaga came and found us both and sat us down in a private room one day. That cursed day when Satoru and I heard who Suguru became. He was a true monster, not the Suguru we once loved. But I try not to think of that anymore. I lose myself to panic every time. It takes Satoru a while to get me to calm down. Everything after we learned this sent me spiraling.

It's partly why I don't get sent out on assignments anymore. They say I'm not medically cleared. Say I'm still to traumatized from the whole thing. Maybe I am, but I can still handle myself in a fight. I know I can. But each time I try to ask to go out on mission, I get turned down. And the man with the biggest pull with the higher ups makes that decision every time, Satoru. But this was years ago, it's not worth thinking about and getting all worked up.

———

Satoru and Suguru sit in the movie room with me. We were supposed to be watching a movie, but there's nothing but static on the screen. We all are sitting still, not moving at all. There's a weird misty look to the room and I'm not sure why. I look over to Satoru to say something, but he has blood all over him and a knife in his throat. His eyes go from blue to white and I scream in horror.

I look behind him to the hand wielding the knife, and it Suguru. I try to stand, I try to get up and fight back. Use paralyze or brain dead. I try to kill the monster that replaced my brother, but nothing happens. All I do is scream and cuss at him. I tell him I wish he was dead. I tell him i'll kill him for what he's done. I scream for Satoru to wake up. I tell him I love him and not to leave me. But it doesn't work. He's lifeless, stolen from me. The only man i'll ever love.

Suguru moves from the back of the couch over to in front of me and kneels down. I can't stop screaming in sorrow and rage. He smiles evilly and places the knife to my neck.

"You've always been nothing, monster." He says.

I wake up sweating and breathing heavily. My mouth and throat are both dry. I must have been screaming in my sleep. The confusion and fuzziness fades and I notice the light is on and there are strong hands on my shoulders. I look to who they belong to, and of course it's Satoru. He must have teleported in here. He probably could have heard me through the walls.

My eyes instantly fill with tears and I start crying uncontrollably. He pulls me close to him and hugs me tight, burying my head in his chest. He shushes me softly and soothingly rubs my arm back and forth.

"It's okay, it was just a dream. I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you." He says.

I grab onto his shirt, still consumed with the dream a bit, "please don't leave Satoru. Please don't leave me." I say over and over.

"Never." He answers.

Finally, after a while he calms me down. I catch my breath and stop my crying.

"I'm sorry." I tell him sitting up and looking away.

"Don't be." He tells me, "you should try to lay back down. Want me to stay here?" He asks.

I nod my head yes and he nods his.

"I'll be in this chair over here if you need me. I won't let anything happen, I promise." He tells me.

I lay back down and he puts the blanket over me. He pulls the chair beside my bed and rubs my back until I fall asleep again.

———

The next morning, I wake up to my alarm and see that Satoru is standing at the window looking outside. I wipe my eyes and yawn. I remember what happened last night and my face flushes with heat in embarrassment.

"Good morning." He says looking at me, glowing. He has infinity up.

"Satoru, have you slept?" I ask him.

He answers me with silence. I'll take that as a yes.

"You can't lose sleep over me." I tell him annoyed as I get up.

"I'm fine. Really." He says.

I just look at him and he walks to the door, "i'll go make us coffee and breakfast." He says with a warm smile.

"You don't have to." I tell him.

"Well, I'm starved anyways, so I guess you can have some too." He says teasingly.

I try to throw a pillow at him, but it smacks the door as he closes it.

I roll my eyes and get dressed in my uniform. It's similar to Gojo's but with baggier pants. I put my hair up and wash my face. I brush my teeth and put perfume on before walking into the kitchen. It smells amazing. I walk in there and he's flipping pancakes on the stove. He looks so handsome.

I shake my head ridding myself of those thoughts. I can't break my promise. I will not distract him from his. I will not cause him to fail again.

He looks over to me and smiles, "hungry?" He asks.

"Yeah, it smells amazing." I tell him.

"That's because I made it." He says arrogantly.

"Whatever dork." I tell him.

I get the plates and silverware out and make our places at the table. He brings a heaping stack of pancakes out and places the steaming pile in the middle of the small table beside the kitchen. I grab the syrup and butter and we dig in.

It doesn't take long for us to eat them all. We have to kind of hurry anyways since we have to teach classes soon, but it's nice to eat before they start for a change. Most of the time I don't eat, or if I do, it's while Satoru is sparring with Megumi.

I lean back in my chair satisfied, "thank you. That was great." I tell him.

"That's because i'm great." He says.

I roll my eyes, "shut up."

We laugh and sit in silence for a moment, "hey, Satoru?" I say after a minute.

"Yeah?" He says looking to me with his arms crossed in front of him.

"Thank you, for being there for me last night. It means a lot to me." I tell him.

He smiles, "I'll never leave my number one girl hanging. Remember what I told you all those years ago? I have your back. And I always will." He says.

I smile and look to my hands in my lap. I am so grateful for him.

"We should get going. Megumi will whine if we're late." He says.

I chuckle, "yeah, we should."

We get up and put all the dishes in the sink before leaving my room and locking the door. As we walk together, I think about last night. He could have left me alone. He didn't have to stay with me. But he did, and he made breakfast, and he said I was his number one girl. Maybe, just maybe, there's something more there.

But that's just a dream that will never leave my head. Satoru would never love me. I'm his best friend, and that's all I'll ever be to him. That's all I need to be. Satoru Gojo has no weaknesses.