A/N at the end of the chapter


CHAPTER 22

{POV: Satoru Gojo}

"The great Satoru Gojo, the strongest sorcerer of the modern age, defeated by... by what exactly? Oh, right! By an angry woman." He felt ridiculous. He, the man who faced curses with the same ease others brush their teeth, was now stuck on something far more complicated: feelings.

But Suzue wasn't just an angry woman. She was so much more. She was the person who had, without even trying, shaken the very foundations of his world. And perhaps, without him planning or wanting it, she had become essential in ways he couldn't quite define.

It wasn't just her beauty—though he'd be a liar if he said that wasn't part of it. It wasn't just her strength—qualities she obviously possessed. It was how she made him feel... human, in a way that both terrified and thrilled him.

He let himself fall heavily onto the chair, throwing his head back and staring at the ceiling with an expression that hovered between frustration and resignation. The wooden beams above him offered no answers, but he kept staring at them as if they might reveal some secret. Anything to distract him from the fact that she had, without a doubt, gotten under his skin.

Two days. Two days of avoiding Suzue like the plague, postponing any possible confrontation with the same nonchalance he usually ignored Principal Yaga's requests.

"It's not running away," he told himself, "it's a strategic pause. Yeah, strategic." But he knew it was a lie. Every second that passed, that "pause" became an unbearable weight because now without her around, everything else seemed... a bit less bright, a bit less important.

"Sure, when she's angry, she's terrifying..." He thought with a grimace. And he had seen plenty of terrifying things. There was nothing more frightening than an angry woman, especially when that woman was Suzue Kujou and the object of her wrath was him.

He could still see it, that moment when she had faced him, her eyes blazing with intensity, her voice sharp and unyielding. And damn, if that didn't stir something deep within him. Why did she have to look so good while she was making his life complicated? Even when she was furious, even when she was pushing him away with those cutting words, all he could think about was how close she was standing, how easy it would be to close the distance, to pull her and shut her up.

Yet he behaved and didn't, and she had thrown those words at him, those truths that seemed so obvious, as if it were natural for her to make them clear. As if it were that simple.

"I don't want to live under a dome made of your-."

Why, damn it, did she have to say it like that? Why did she have to get so close to saying the one thing he'd been trying so hard to avoid? Couldn't she just leave him his space of denial?

"It's not like saying it out loud will change anything, Satoru." he imagined her arguing back, her voice calm but firm.

Up until that point, he had convinced himself there was no need to spell anything out, that it was enough to live day by day, maintaining that fragile but functional balance. He'd crafted his life around the idea that as long as things remained unsaid, they could stay simple. Manageable.

But no, Suzue had to be honest, and with her disarming straightforwardness, she had almost said that word, forcing him to do something he had always tried to avoid: reflect. And, of course, she would do it with that same calm, unflinching gaze that always made him feel like she could see right through him. If there was one thing he hated, it was being forced to reflect on himself.

"I'm such an idiot." he concluded with a resigned sigh, raising his eyes to the sky again, to the ceiling. "I didn't even fully realized it until she threw it in my face." The thought made him laugh.

Admitting it would mean accepting that she was a weakness, a vulnerable point he couldn't afford. Not in this world, not with the responsibilities he had, and not when he had spent the last few years building something so great and fragile for a greater good, for the good of future generations.

And if things really went wrong? If Sukuna decided to... No, he didn't even want to think about it. But he had to. Because if there was even the slightest chance that Suzue could become a threat, obviously, he would have to be the one to make the decision. Just like with Suguru.

He narrowed his eyes, still fixed on the ceiling.

He had sworn to himself that he would never let something like that happen again. But now he was facing a situation that could potentially end in the same tragic way, and he had gotten himself into it up to his neck. And he didn't know—no, he didn't believe—that he would be able to do it again.

"You scare me."

Yes, scared—He had admitted it, almost without realizing it. How pathetic was that? It was the most brutal truth he had ever spoken. Suzue scared him, but not in the way normal people are scared. He wasn't afraid of her per se, but of what she represented.

A threat to his independence. And maybe that was the problem: he had always thought he could face the world alone, that no one could ever truly understand what it meant to be him. And yet, there she was, Suzue Kujou, who, with her silent presence and that slight smile, had quietly managed to weave herself into every corner of his life until she became something he could no longer do without.

She hadn't done it with force or insistence, but rather with a kind of effortless grace that he hadn't seen coming. Like the way she would tilt her head just so when she was deep in thought, or the way her lips would part slightly when she was about to speak, as if she were choosing her words with care. And god, the way she looked at him sometimes, like he was the only thing in the world that mattered, like she could see right through him and still somehow wanted him anyway... It was enough to make him lose his mind.

And that scared him. Because what did that say about him? What did it say about the strongest sorcerer in the world, that he was becoming possessive over a woman who had slipped into his life so quietly, so naturally, that he hadn't even noticed until it was too late?

And now, heaven help anyone who tried to touch her.

He allowed himself another long sigh, the intensity of his gaze on the ceiling could have almost bored a hole through it by now.

The ceiling... the ceiling. "Oops." He realized how long he had been staring at it. He had promised her he wouldn't look at the ceiling to respect her privacy, as if being born with the Six Eyes was his fault and made him some kind of maniac constantly teetering between arrogance and intrusiveness. He had been awake since dawn, as usual, not that he had slept much in the past two days, but he hadn't "seen" any movement upstairs in Suzue's room, probably because she had left early as part of her routine.

"Ah, Suzue Suzue, diligently following her training plan." He thought with a mix of admiration and resignation, running a hand through his hair and messing it up even more.

"So, what are we going to do, Satoru Gojo? You're the strongest sorcerer in the world, and you're acting like a coward. Bravo." He told himself, almost as a punishment. But the truth was that he didn't have an answer.

He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to solve this situation without risking making more damage than he had already caused. But one thing was certain: he couldn't keep avoiding her forever. And, he admitted to himself, he didn't even want to.

He looked at the clock: noon. Too early to despair, too late to keep wallowing in self-pity. "Okay! She insisted I buy her that damn phone," he muttered to himself. "Might as well try calling her." With a slight smirk, he pulled out his own phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found her name.

The phone rang a few times, and Satoru waited, almost expecting to hear Suzue's voice on the other end. But instead, after a few more rings, he heard something else entirely—a ringtone blaring from above his head.

He paused, narrowing his eyes in confusion. The ringing continued, and Satoru realized with growing annoyance that it was coming from Suzue's room, just above him. His shoulders slumped in exasperation as the realization hit him.

"Of course, she didn't bring it with her." he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So why did I bother getting her a phone in the first place?"

With a heavy sigh, Satoru ended the call and pocketed his phone. "Alright then." he said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Looks like I'm back to good old-fashioned hide and seek!"

He stood up from the chair with a theatrical sigh, as if he were about to face an epic challenge, when in reality, he knew full well that he just needed to go find Suzue somewhere around the school.

"Alright, Satoru, stop being a coward and go look for her. It can't be that hard, right?" he told himself as he stretched, trying to convince himself that this was just another one of his carefree days, one of those where the world seemed to flow at his feet without anything disturbing his lightness. He slid his sunglasses onto his nose with his usual confident gesture and left his room with the nonchalance of someone simply going for a walk. Suzue was good at hiding and going unnoticed, but with him? With him, it didn't work; he always found her. The school was his territory, and she had no escape.


His long search began at the training field.

He expected to find her there, where the students were, but when he reached the clearing, he immediately noticed something strange. The first and second-year students were chatting and relaxing, probably on a break between training sessions. But something was wrong. They were alone. No trace of Suzue.

"Alone?" Satoru scanned the area, searching for a signal, a faint trace of her cursed energy, something to confirm her presence. But nothing. Suzue wasn't there. Which was worrying. Terribly worrying. Suzue wasn't one to leave the students unattended, especially not during training.

He approached, lightly descending the stairs that led to the training field until he was standing behind Megumi, who seemed focused on something... or maybe just intent on avoiding eye contact with his mentor. "Ah, my boy. Perhaps the only person who would take my side in this whole mess!" Satoru thought with a hint of satisfaction, though he knew it was an illusion. Megumi had his own mind, and he wasn't one to take sides out of loyalty, and he was probably already siding with Suzue.

Megumi noticed his presence and barely turned his head to look at him out of the corner of his eye. To an untrained eye, he might have seemed annoyed, but Satoru knew him well enough to understand that it was just his face, inherited from his fantastic biological father. Or maybe he really was annoyed—it was hard to tell.

Even Nobara, sitting a few steps below, turned to look at him, her expression curious and attentive, while the second-year students continued to chat animatedly in the middle of the field, ignoring his presence, not too far from the burned patch of earth Suzue had kindly provided.

«Where's Mom?» Satoru asked, trying to keep his tone casual as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

Megumi frowned and furrowed his brow, continuing to stare at him as if he had just said the most absurd thing in the world. «...What?» he replied, his tone oscillating between puzzled and annoyed.

«Well, let's just say that in a moment of madness, I practically promised Suzue five kids, so... congratulations, you have a mom now.» Satoru declared, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. To him, it probably was.

Megumi and Nobara stared at him for a long moment, as if seriously considering how harshly they could judge their teacher. In the end, it was Megumi who responded, with the tone of someone who had lost patience with a completely absurd question. «We haven't seen Kujou-san since yesterday.» He simply commented with resignation, adding another layer of complexity to the situation that seemed to be slipping out of Satoru's control.

Satoru tilted his head, even more confused. This didn't make sense. «And who's watching you today?» he asked, trying to stay calm, but feeling a subtle irritation building up inside him.

«You're the teacher, you tell us.» Nobara replied with a sharp tone, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips.

Struck and sunk, Satoru thought, but he didn't show it. He just smiled with his usual nothing bothers me attitude and shrugged.

«Alright... cheeky students. Thanks for your usual cooperation with your fantastic teacher!»

"Ungrateful kids." he thought sarcastically, but with a smile on his lips. Despite everything, he adored those brats; they were part of the new generation he was trying to protect and train.

And somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear Suzue softly reminding him, "Satoru, they look up to you more than you think. Don't be too hard on them."

Just as he was about to leave, Maki, who had been pretending to be disinterested until then, intervened with a casual tone, as if she were commenting on the weather. «I lent her a Naginata yesterday, one from my arsenal.»

Satoru stared at her for a second with a questioning expression. «What does she need it for?» he asked, hoping for a clearer clue.

Maki furrowed her brow, as if already tired of answering what, to her, was an obvious question. «And how should I know?»

Satoru sighed internally. Another dead end. This group of unruly teenagers wasn't exactly the best resource for getting precise information. But then, whose fault was it if not his for raising them this way? He couldn't complain too much.

With a wave of his hand, he bid farewell to the group, leaving behind those looks of confusion and curiosity. "The treasure hunt continues!" he thought with a mix of frustration and determination as he headed toward the next stop on his search.


The next mission was clear: find Ijichi. If there was anyone who always knew where all the sorcerers at the school were, whether he liked it or not, it was him. And his office, well hidden in the school's basement, was the perfect place to find out what Satoru wanted to know.

He entered Ijichi's office without even knocking, as usual. The door opened with a sharp bang, and the poor assistant, already perpetually anxious, jumped in his seat as if he had been hit by an electric shock. He was busy filling out some paperwork, surrounded by stacks of files and documents piled chaotically, which seemed to perfectly represent his mental state.

Suzue's voice in his head, scolded him gently, "Do you always have to terrify the poor guy? You know, not everyone handles your presence so well, Satoru."

Satoru approached with his usual lazy air, but there was a subtle note of threat in his voice that didn't escape Ijichi. «Ijichi,» he began with that light, almost friendly tone. «Have you seen Suzue?» The mocking smile that accompanied the question only heightened the tension in the air. Satoru enjoyed noticing how the man was already sweating from stress, as if aware that his answer could trigger an unpleasant reaction.

«I-I handed her a mission envelope yesterday morning, but—» Ijichi stammered, cutting himself off as if teetering on the edge of a cliff, trying to find the safest way to land.

Satoru raised an eyebrow, pressing with a tone that left no room for uncertainty. «What mission?» he asked, not caring in the slightest about the state of anxiety he was throwing the assistant into.

«I-I don't know the details; I wasn't assigned as her assistant...» Ijichi replied, desperately trying to maintain a shred of composure. «I just saw her again yesterday afternoon to deliver the customized uniform she had ordered—»

Satoru sighed loud, impatiently, abruptly cutting off the assistant, who immediately fell silent, clearly intimidated. "Another dead end," he thought as he scratched his head and left the office without another word.

As he walked down the corridors with a determined stride, his mind worked frantically, piecing together the puzzle. "A cursed weapon borrowed from Maki, the sorcerer's uniform, a mission from the higher-ups..." everything was beginning to take on an unsettling shape in his head. No wonder he hadn't seen any movement in Suzue's room all day.

"Like hell she's diligently following the training plan." he thought, with a combination of irritation and admiration. "She's gone!"

He clicked his tongue, cursing himself for not paying attention for two days. This went beyond all the personal issues that remained unresolved between them, and it only confirmed what he had told her in the car while they were arguing. Suzue was a walking generator of trouble, and the worst part was that, in her infinite grace and naivety, she didn't even realize it.

And now she was wandering around the world carefree and unaware of the sentence hanging over her head. Sure, it was unlikely that Sukuna could activate the binding vow remotely and without a direct connection, but knowing that guy? Not impossible.

"This is exactly what I meant when I said she has a distorted view of what's dangerous and what's not." he muttered to himself, feeling a growing frustration mixed with concern. "This, for example, is dangerous!"

There was one last person at the school who might, just might, have information about this mission Suzue had embarked on, though the idea didn't appeal to him much because he knew it would inevitably lead to an absolutely sensible but unsolicited lecture.

He found himself in front of Shoko's office and mentally prepared for the agony that would ensue.

He entered without knocking, as usual. Shoko was by the window, her back turned to the door, a cigarette between her fingers, and an air of someone who knew the world expected her to behave more responsibly. Smoking in the infirmary... as if it were the most natural and obvious thing in the world.

Satoru stopped on the threshold of the infirmary, hands in his pockets and a cocky smile on his face, almost as if trying to mask the slight anxiety that was beginning to creep in.

«Satoru.» she said without even turning around, the cigarette smoke forming a light cloud around her. «You know, there's a sign outside that says 'Knock before entering.' Not that I expected you to respect it.»

Suzue's voice played again in his mind, softly reminding him. "Satoru, you know you should knock. It's common courtesy, even for someone like you."

Satoru shrugged and approached, hands in his pockets, trying to appear relaxed. «Shoko, you're always so welcoming.» he said, adopting his usual light, almost playful tone as he prepared to ask what was really bothering him. «Look, I'm in a hurry, and I know you know, so without beating around the bush—»

Shoko raised a hand, cutting him off. «First, answer a question of mine, Satoru: how did you manage to piss off Suzue so badly? Because I see only two possibilities: either you did something incredibly stupid and don't want to admit it, or you've really decided that ruining your love life is a priority.» Shoko sighed, putting out the cigarette in the ashtray and finally turning toward him before continuing. Her tone oozed a weariness that only someone who knew Satoru Gojo well could understand. «Let me guess: you had one of your brilliant moments, the kind that come out when you feel particularly inspired to be a jerk, where you say things that are terribly wise and deep, like... 'I protect you because I'm the strongest, blah blah blah, and you're a poor, fragile, and innocent creature.' And now you want to know where she went to try to fix the mess you made?»

Satoru raised an eyebrow, surprised by Shoko's precision. «It didn't go exactly like that—» he tried to argue, but she cut him off again, this time with a tired smile.

«Of course, it's never 'exactly like that' with you, Satoru. It's always complicated, always a matter of 'strategies.'» Shoko said, with a half-smile that promised nothing good. «You tried to ignore it, thinking it would resolve itself, and now you've realized she left on a mission. So here you are, worried, asking for information about Suzue. What irony. I wonder why.»

Satoru grimaced and opened his mouth to retort, but then closed it, realizing there wasn't much to say. Shoko was right on all counts. «Okay, maybe you're right. Maybe I... underestimated the situation, but now I'm in a hurry—»

«Satoru, you're a genius when it comes to curses and Jujutsu, but when it comes to human relationships, you're a walking disaster. I'm surprised Suzue hasn't already dumped you,» Shoko replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

This time, Satoru remained silent longer, letting Shoko's words sink in. She had hit the nail on the head, as always. Suzue was one of those people who always seemed to walk a fine line, and he couldn't help but worry. Finally, he sighed. «Well, she does have a knack for getting into trouble, or maybe you forgot the last time at the prison? So, if you don't mind, about this mission...»

Shoko stared at him for a moment, as if deciding whether to continue teasing him or to actually give him the information he was looking for. In the end, she chose the latter. «An official mission, with a nice load of personal involvement and a clear punitive message. The Kujou clan village! Apparently, the fog that surrounds that place is full of cursed energy, and oh, and the few who were sent there never returned. She mentioned wanting to take a detour, but I wasn't listening anymore, honestly.»

Satoru scowled and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to maintain his composure. Naturally, it wasn't just a simple mission. It was one of those situations that screamed "trouble" from every angle, and of course, it seemed like a punishment for that well-placed punch he had given Naoya. A punishment that, as always, had fallen on her. Because why punish Satoru Gojo directly? No, too difficult to target him directly. Punish Suzue? Definitely easier.

«Perfect. Exactly what I wanted to hear!» he muttered, massaging a temple as if the gesture could dispel the headache he already felt growing. «Shoko, this mission is too personal. You know how dangerous personal missions can be. They shouldn't have even assigned it to her!»

Shoko blew a puff of smoke without turning around. «Maybe if you hadn't pissed her off so much by ignoring her for two days, I might have managed to change her mind because believe me, I tried. But hey, you had your 'strategic pauses,' right?» The tone was sharp, but there was a hint of disappointment, as if she wanted to make him understand that it wasn't exactly a brilliant move.

Satoru stared at her in disbelief. It was clear that in this situation between him and Suzue, Shoko had already taken a side, and it clearly wasn't his. «Thanks, as always, Shoko. You're a model of care and empathy,» he replied with sarcasm, but without anger.

Shoko turned to him with an enigmatic smile, the kind of smile that makes you feel like an idiot without even having to say a word. «Always a pleasure, Satoru. Good luck. You'll need it.»

With one last look full of exasperation, Satoru left the infirmary. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but at least now he knew where Suzue was headed. He closed the infirmary door behind him, slamming it deliberately, as if the gesture could vent at least part of the frustration he felt building.

He closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, and once again, Suzue's voice slipped into his mind, "Satoru—"

"Can you not?" He huffed, shaking his head as if to dispel the imaginary voice. "Great, now I'm hearing her voice even when she's not around. I'm officially losing it!" he muttered to himself, a mix of frustration and irony lacing his tone.

And the worst part? He couldn't even be mad about it.

He let himself slump against the corridor wall, crossing his arms and staring at a point in the void with a gaze that, if not for his exasperated expression, could have seemed like that of someone completely serene.

What he had just learned made him even more aware of how foolish he had been to avoid Suzue. He had made the worst possible choice, and now he was paying the consequences.

«Why the hell did she even accept a mission like this?» Satoru muttered to himself, his voice tinged with irritation and a hint of worry. It didn't make sense to him. Suzue was strong, sure, but this wasn't just any mission. This was personal, dangerously so, and she had to know that.

Suzue's voice echoed softly in the back of his mind, almost as if she were standing right beside him. He could imagine her calm demeanor, her quiet resolve as she'd answer him in that infuriatingly logical way of hers. "Satoru, Isn't this exactly what a special grade sorcerer should do?" she'd say, tilting her head slightly, as if genuinely questioning why he was so surprised.

Satoru cursed silently, his frustration mounting. "Of course she'd think that way. She had always been too damn responsible, too focused on doing what she believed was right." And why not? He'd been the one who'd pushed for her promotion to special grade, the one who'd convinced the higher-ups that she was more than capable.

"Great job, Satoru." He berated himself mentally. "You've done it again—dug your own grave."

This wasn't about putting her under a glass dome this time; it wasn't being overly protective-though that instinct was screaming at him louder than ever. It was about stopping her from walking into a nightmare that he had unwittingly helped create. This time, she needed to be saved from herself, from her stubbornness and the desire to prove something, something that probably no one but her would question.

"Missions with personal involvement... a classic way to get killed!" he laughed bitterly, pushing off the wall and quickening his pace as the phone in his pocket rang, and for a moment, he seriously considered ignoring it. It wasn't exactly the time to add more problems to the already long list of disasters he was trying to solve. But when he saw the name on the screen, the sarcasm returned to keep him company.

"And now what?" The problems that day seemed to multiply as if the universe itself was playing to see how much it could push him to the limit. He was trying to track down Suzue, his number one problem, when suddenly, the keeper of his number two problem, Yuji Itadori, or rather Sukuna, seemed to have something to tell him.

With a smooth motion, he answered the phone, bringing it to his ear, trying to maintain a tone that betrayed as little as possible of his growing irritation.

«Nanamin! My beacon of rationality in the sea of crap that is my life right now!» Satoru began in an exaggeratedly cheerful tone, as if he were in the mood for a light chat and not on the verge of a crisis.

There was a long silence on the other end of the line, almost as if Nanami were seriously considering hanging up before the conversation could take off. Finally, with his usual dry tone and not a shred of patience, he replied. «Gojo. Listen—»

«Nanamin, I'm having days where I wonder if the universe has somehow abandoned me! But let's go in order, I know you care. So, imagine: me, Suzue, and a diplomatic meeting with the Zenin clan! What could go wrong? Well... everything.» Satoru began to vomit words and information into the phone, while his feet quickly sought the exit of the school building.

«Frankly, I don't care. What you need to know—» Nanami tried to say, trying to maintain control of the conversation, but Satoru didn't give him space.

He continued undeterred as he walked briskly. «No no, I won't drag it out! So, yeah, you know the Zenin, those guys who seem to have stepped out of a manual on how to be horrible people? Everything was going smoothly, with looks and fake smiles that promised to slit your throat, but then no, that son of a dog Naoya Zenin had to open his mouth and say things that just thinking them is a crime, let alone saying them... so basically, he begged to be put in his place! And I? I did exactly that!»

«...Did you kill him?» Nanami asked, with not a shred of concern in his voice. Just pure, simple curiosity.

Satoru chuckled, snapping his fingers as if to emphasize his point as he headed down the stairs to the basement. «Oh no no, I wouldn't go that far, although... No, just a punch, and what a punch! You know, a few meters of flight, some broken columns, blood from the nose... I think I broke it, along with something else. You would have been proud of me! But it didn't end there because apparently Suzue, who watched the whole thing composed and graceful as a rock, isn't happy when I decide to punch the first idiot who passes by, so? We argued during the return trip!»

Nanami sighed, finally finding an opportunity to insert a sentence. «Touching. Now, if I could tell you—»

But Satoru, now on a roll with his monologue, continued unabated, completely ignoring his interlocutor's growing irritation. «You see, Suzue has a way of addressing topics that is very... direct in her own way. You should have seen her, she was furious, hell in comparison seems like a cozy place! She tore me to pieces with just her words, imagine her looking at me with those red eyes as if I were her only certainty in this world, and you know I can't resist when she looks at me like that, but then BAM one stab to the heart after another! So, I did what I do best to survive! I made some good humor and avoided her for two days.»

Nanami remained silent for a long moment, letting Satoru stew in his own frustration. «Understandable. But you know, speaking of her—»

«But look, it doesn't end here!» Satoru continued, now fully in his stride. «I just found out that while I was busy being a coward, the higher-ups decided to punish someone for that harmless punch! And who do they punish, the great and magnificent Satoru Gojo? No, because I'm fucking untouchable, metaphorically and literally! Of course, they punish her with a personal mission in the ruins of her clan's village, accompanied by the ghosts of her massacred family! A mission that screams death from every direction!» Satoru blurted out, feeling the frustration growing inside him.

«Terrible. You see, though, she—» Nanami replied without a shred of empathy, but once again, Satoru didn't let him finish the sentence.

Satoru's monologue resumed abruptly as he stood now in front of Ijichi's office door, ready to force him to play chauffeur. «So no, Nanamin, I'm sorry, but I don't have time to listen to your problems because now I have to go stop her from getting herself killed by her stubbornness in trying to prove a point to me, that she's right and can do everything on her own! I'm hanging up now—»

Finally, Nanami managed to get a word in, with a sharp and resolute tone. «Gojo. She's here. Having lunch with Itadori.»

Satoru, his eyes still fixed on Ijichi's office door, froze, as if that revelation had swept away all the lightness of the moment like a cold shower. «...Of course, she's there.» he muttered, his voice betraying a growing unease.

He couldn't believe it, or maybe he just didn't want to.

"Where else would she be?" he thought bitterly, his mind spiraling into a whirlpool of what-ifs.

He brought a hand to his forehead, massaging his temples as he tried to process the idea that Suzue was actually having lunch with Yuji... or rather, with Sukuna's vessel. The thought of Suzue, always so composed and serene, sitting down to lunch with what was potentially the most dangerous threat to ever walk this earth, felt like the universe playing a sick joke on him. The last person who should be left alone with her in the same room, and she was having lunch with him? Maybe it was a joke. It had to be a joke, and not a very good one at that. But the reality was sinking in, and it wasn't funny at all.

«Are you joking?» he asked incredulously, his voice trembling as he desperately tried to detect traces of irony that he knew weren't there. «Because let me tell you, you're not very good at it.»

Nanami didn't change his tone one bit, his patience clearly worn thin. «I've been trying to tell you from the beginning. Honestly... enough. It's the second problem you've dumped on me in a week.»

Satoru threw his free hand up in the air in a gesture of exasperation. "Right. Blame me for this, too, why don't you? As if I wanted this!" he thought, his frustration now bordering on outright anger. His mind, in a panic, quickly ran through a series of scenarios, each worse than the last. Suzue, with her usual stubbornness, didn't seem to realize how wrong that little lunch was. The audacity of it, the sheer recklessness.

He tried to pull himself together, to see the glass half full, gripping the phone a little tighter. "Sukuna wouldn't gain anything by cashing in such a valuable favor in such a casual way." he told himself, hoping to quell the gnawing anxiety. But logic felt flimsy against the tidal wave of worry crashing through him. Improbable, yes—but impossible? Not a chance. He was already envisioning a dozen ways this could go horribly wrong, none of them ending well. The one happy ending he could imagine involved him swooping in at the last second to avert disaster.

The sound of Nanami's resigned sigh on the other end of the line only fueled Satoru's irritation. "Of course. Let's all just be calm about this, shall we?" he thought sarcastically, his temper flaring as he imagined Nanami's stoic face. "Just let her have lunch with the King of Curses, no big deal, right?"

«...And you let her?» he asked, his voice tinged with anxiety. «She's having lunch alone with you-know-who... Sukuna's vessel? The same guy who beat her to a pulp and can cash in a terrible favor from her at any moment, the King of Curses, the infamous—»

«Look, she's very convincing when she sets her mind on something, and dying in a fire is not among my priorities.» Nanami's response was as cold and detached as ever, a clear indication that the matter was closed as far as he was concerned.

Satoru paused, the image of Suzue staring down Nanami until she got her way flickering through his mind. He could almost see it—the quiet determination in her eyes, the way she would stand her ground until Nanami finally relented. A small, begrudging smile tugged at his lips, though it was laced with frustration. Of course she had managed to bend Nanami to her will. «...Told ya she's stubborn, huh? My good girl!» he commented, trying to hide his anxiety with a bit of self-irony, but his tone betrayed a certain concern. «Where are you? Send me the location.»

«Kawasaki.» Nanami replied flatly, his lack of enthusiasm almost palpable.

Even though Nanami wasn't exactly known for his empathy, Satoru was more than sure that he was carefully monitoring the situation. And that, as meager a comfort as it was, gave him at least some peace of mind and, most importantly, time to act.

This was no longer about just showing up to save the day. This was about preventing something that could very well be the last mistake Suzue ever made.

He immediately dismissed the idea of having Ijichi drive him; there was no time for that. His mind was already calculating the fastest route to Kawasaki, considering every possible shortcut, every potential warp in space that could get him there in the blink of an eye. He'd have to thread the needle, avoiding destruction along the way, but he was more than capable of that. Kawasaki: it would certainly be a winding route, but it shouldn't take too long.

«Don't leave her alone with Yuji. I'll be there to pick up my problem right away.» He turned, leaving Ijichi's office behind, his feet once again moving quickly toward the building's exit.

At that moment, he realized how much he must have seemed like a madman, running back and forth through the school, muttering into the phone. This was what she had reduced him to, albeit unintentionally. Running through the halls like a teenager late for class, all because she had made the monumentally stupid decision to have lunch with a monster.

"Sorry, Suzue." he thought, his expression darkening as he started moving again, his pace quickening with each step. "But when I get there, you're going to wish you hadn't been so damn stubborn."

But then, the silence from the other end of the line brought him to a sudden stop. A knot of unease tightened in his chest. «Nanamin?»

Silence.

Nothing but a resigned sigh met his ears—a sound that sent chills down his spine. Satoru knew that sigh too well. It was Nanami's way of saying, "Things have just gone to hell, and there's no going back now." It was a prelude to disaster, one he had heard many times before things went catastrophically wrong.

«...Nanamin?» Satoru pressed again. The silence that followed was deafening, each second dragging out like an eternity. What was happening on the other side? Which of his worst fears had just been realized?

Then came Nanami's final, curt response, a single word spoken with an air of finality that made Satoru's blood run cold followed by the abrupt click of the call ending.

«Shit.»


{POV: Suzue Kujou}

Suzue couldn't help but smile as she looked at the gigantic ice cream sundae in front of her, topped with whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and crumbled cookies. It was a little pleasure she could finally indulge in after wanting it for so long.

She still vividly remembered the time when Satoru had taken them for a walk through the streets of Harajuku, on her first day at Tokyo Jujutsu High. The colorful pastry shop windows, with their delicious treats on display, had fascinated her. But of course, Satoru had turned what could have been a simple day of fun into an exorcism test for the first years, leaving Suzue with the unsatisfied craving for those sweets.

Until now, at least.

Even though this ice cream shop couldn't compare to the wonders of Harajuku, it was more than enough for Suzue. She decided to drown all her worries in that ice cream, convincing herself that the sense of loss and loneliness weighing on her chest would disappear, at least for a little while. But she knew it wouldn't be that simple.

She sighed, trying to suppress the anxiety that was beginning to creep in.

She had left early that morning, before dawn. She took a taxi and then a train, avoiding bothering Ijichi with the excuse of wanting to travel discreetly. But the truth was, she was trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the village where she grew up. A place she once called home, now reduced to a pile of rubble, a silent witness to memories she preferred not to awaken. She glanced at the duffel bag with her belongings and the carefully wrapped Naginata behind her, making sure not to arouse suspicion.

A mission so personal… the idea of facing it alone didn't sit well with her. She had considered looking for Satoru before leaving, but uncertainty had taken over.

Two days. Two days of silence were enough to make her feel completely disoriented, as if she had lost a fundamental part of herself. Suzue realized that her words had probably hit Satoru much harder than she had imagined. Every hour that passed without confronting him seemed to push them further apart, and now the thought of facing him… terrified her. So, she chose the easier path, the one she was best at: taking advantage of the mission she had been assigned, she silently slipped away and disappeared.

But the truth was, she missed Satoru. She missed him terribly.

Satoru Gojo was her safe place, the one she probably needed the most right now.

He had a gift for making everything more vivid, more intense. His absence, on the other hand, left a void that was hard to ignore. His presence, the way he teased her and made her smile, had become a constant in her days. Even his arrogant jokes—she missed those terribly now. And she, who had always found comfort in peace and silence, now found herself longing for that lively chaos Satoru brought with him, that irreverent and noisy presence that had become the center of her days.

She bit her lip, torn between those thoughts and the awareness that what they were about to do would make him furious. Satoru would never approve of this idea; she was sure of it. She was doing exactly what he seemed to fear the most: exposing herself to enormous risk, alone and without his support. And Suzue knew this. She knew how absurd and reckless her idea might seem, but she felt she couldn't return to that village without first getting some answers. Answers that, apparently, only Sukuna could give her.

But how could she explain to him that, due to some sort of instinct or sixth sense, or maybe because of a strange ancestral connection with Kaede, she was absolutely certain that Sukuna would simply go along with it? Suzue knew it was risky, that it was a gamble, but she was convinced that, at least this time, Sukuna would… cooperate. Why? Because she would ask him to. There was a strange certainty guiding her, a feeling she couldn't shake off, pushing her to move forward despite everything.

And then… deep down, a part of her couldn't help but think that, with his infallible radar for trouble, Satoru would show up at any moment, ready to scold her in the way only he could.

«Ah! Kujou-san, you're doing it again.» The boy's cheerful voice tried to dissipate the tension that inevitably showed in Suzue's every move. It wasn't a reprimand, but a gentle, almost concerned observation.

Suzue paused for a moment, realizing that she had that expression again: that sulky face that couldn't hide her worries. She tried to push aside the thoughts that tormented her, forcing a calm smile. «Sorry, really. It's just that I've had some… complicated days,» she admitted, rubbing her tired eyes as if to erase any sign of distress.

She didn't want her mood to affect Yuji, especially now that they were about to do something so delicate. Yuji's focus would be crucial in the next few minutes, and the last thing Suzue wanted was to burden him with her anxieties.

She lightly gestured towards Yuji with a finger. «Put your hood up.» One can never be too careful, and he was still technically and officially dead.

«Oops!» Yuji responded with a playful grin, pulling the red hood over his head, covering himself from any prying eyes.

Suzue leaned on both elbows on the pastry shop's table, leaning forward. «So? Are you eating enough? Is that guy giving you a hard time?» she asked with a nearly maternal tone, her genuine concern evident in her words.

Yuji scratched his head a bit embarrassed, almost as if he didn't want to worry her further. «You really don't have to worry! He's a decent guy, actually, I think you two could get along if only…» He trailed off, casting a furtive glance outside the pastry shop's window, as if seeking confirmation of something or someone.

Suzue followed his gaze.

"Yeah. If only he wasn't obviously pissed at me."

Suzue followed his gaze and saw Nanami across the street, sitting on a bench with a visibly irritated expression. He was talking on the phone, but it was clear he was watching their every move. Suzue could clearly feel Nanami's disapproval; Satoru had probably informed him of the conditions that existed between her and Sukuna, the binding vow, and this only fueled his irritation.

When Suzue had shown up there, Nanami had immediately raised objections, trying to dissuade her, but Suzue had gently insisted on having some time alone with Yuji. Okay, maybe she had to be a bit more forceful than expected, and maybe a bit of fire had slipped out when he seemed unwilling to back down, but… did he really need to glare at her like that now? It seemed like he despised her. And if he only knew what they had in mind, he would undoubtedly storm into the pastry shop, and this time, Suzue wouldn't have a way to convince him to leave them alone.

She felt a slight warmth rise to her cheeks. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, being despised by someone, especially when she knew she was asking for a lot, perhaps too much.

«I'm sorry, Yuji, I know I'm asking a lot…» she admitted, her voice barely audible and filled with guilt. Yuji was an exceptional vessel, and if placed in the right conditions, he could control the exchange with Sukuna. He had already proven it, he said, and Suzue trusted him if he felt capable of doing it. Still, she couldn't help but worry about his safety.

«Honestly, I'm more worried about Gojo-sensei's reaction if he finds out.» Yuji's bright smile returned, but Suzue could see it was a nervous smile.

«Sato-… Gojo-sensei, he'll understand. At least, I think so,» Suzue replied, but her voice was hesitant, as if she were trying to convince herself more than Yuji. The moment was approaching, and the anxiety was inevitably rising. «So… are you sure? About the ice cream, I mean.» she asked, lowering her gaze to the ice cream bowl in front of Yuji. Mint chocolate chip ice cream, with chocolate shavings on top.

«Absolutely! Listen, that guy lives in my body rent-free, I know him better than anyone else. He'll love it!» Yuji seemed confident in his decision, and that gave Suzue a bit of reassurance.

If what they were doing was an extremely risky gamble, they could at least hope that, at the very least… the ice cream would be to the King of Curses' liking. It was an absurd, maybe even ridiculous thought, but at that moment, every detail seemed crucial.

Yuji firmly planted the spoon in the bowl, perfectly vertical, as if it were an offering to the dead. «So… ten minutes? I don't know, that seems like a lot. Why not just two?» A note of insecurity started to creep into his voice, a understandable hesitation.

Suzue swallowed hard, the thought that she would likely be face-to-face with Sukuna soon made her shiver despite everything. «...How about we settle for five minutes?» she asked with an uncertain voice. «Then you take back control immediately. Make sure to be extremely clear about those conditions,» her tone grew serious, and she found herself unintentionally furrowing her brows.

Yuji nodded slowly and took a deep breath, closing his eyes to concentrate. When he reopened them, there was a new resolve in his gaze. He looked at Suzue with determination. «Alright, Kujou-san… I'll see you in five minutes.»

The words hung in the air as Yuji continued to stare into Suzue's eyes without moving an inch. The world around them seemed to hold its breath, the quiet hum of conversation from the other customers fading into a distant murmur. The soft lighting of the pastry shop, warm and inviting moments ago, now cast elongated shadows that crept across the polished wooden floors, making the cozy space feel suddenly foreboding.

Suzue didn't break eye contact for a second, while all her senses went on high alert; the ambient noise receded, leaving only the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in her ears. She saw it clearly, the moment when the light in Yuji's eyes dimmed, replaced by a chilling coldness she had witnessed before. It was a subtle shift, but unmistakable—the warmth of Yuji's presence was snuffed out, replaced by the suffocating darkness of Sukuna.

She felt a cold shiver run down her spine as the black, sinuous markings of the King of Curses appeared on Yuji's face, curling like tendrils around his eyes and cheeks. The transformation was instantaneous, as was the shift in his demeanor; the boy's radiant smile twisted into a calculating, cold, and ruthless expression.

Yuji—now Sukuna—observed Suzue with a nearly bored expression, his crimson eyes half-lidded as he slightly tilted his head, as if playing with an insect before crushing it. The subtle tilt of his lips hinted at a cruel amusement, a predator toying with his prey.

«You know, Kaede,» he began in that venomous tone that seemed to scrape away every bit of confidence Suzue had left, «I could do a lot in five minutes. I could obliterate the entire city, reduce these miserable humans to ashes, or I could… focus on you. Who knows, it might even be more fun this time.»

His presence seemed to expand, filling the small pastry shop with an oppressive aura that made the room feel suddenly smaller, the walls closing in as if drawn by some malevolent force. Yet he didn't move from his seat, his posture deceptively relaxed, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as if contemplating how best to amuse himself.

Now, Suzue was staring into two red eyes reflecting her own, frozen in place, the subtle tremor running through her hands. Sukuna's presence was suffocating, as if he had compressed the very air around them, making the room feel even smaller. Suzue was paralyzed in her chair, feeling the trembling in her hands as she desperately tried to maintain eye contact with him. She knew her fear was evident, but she couldn't afford to give in. "He can't kill me, he can't kill me." she repeated to herself like a mantra in her mind, trying to remember that even Sukuna knew his threats weren't truly actionable.

«But you won't, right…» Suzue managed to reply, her voice trembling like the delicate chime of a bell, but with a subtle provocation trying to mask her fear. Her words hung in the heavy air like a challenge, daring him to act on his threats. «...brother?»


A/N

Hey readers, how are you? I'm back at the office after maternity leave, and I miss spending all day with my baby terribly. I hope I get used to it soon!

Guys, the jokes about Nanami and the fire are in poor taste—don't follow my example, be better!

Did I just write a long introspective passage just to highlight that Satoru Gojo is FRUSTRATED? Yes, I did, because HE IS. ~( ٢ )~

But let's get back to the plot because this fic is already long enough without me wasting too much time ridiculing this poor man by beating him from every possible angle (I swear I'll give him some happiness eventually. Maybe.)

This was originally supposed to be a chapter entirely focused on him, but I couldn't resist bringing Suzue in, even if only in a little final snippet. And Suzue, oh Suzue, what terrible ideas you come up with!

Facts:

At this point, Yuji still has Sukuna's four fingers, so just like in the early chapters of the manga, I think he can manage a controlled switch with Sukuna? From what they imply, Yuji has to be very clear about the conditions of this "switch," so it might work in this case? Anyway, this is their plan; we'll see later if it actually plays out that way.

I'm not sure if anyone bothers reading these somewhat pointless and self-pitying notes, BUT I mentioned a few chapters ago that the Kujou clan's village is located in the countryside at the foot of Mount Hakone, and the city where Yuji and Nanami are, Kawasaki, is halfway between Tokyo and Mount Hakone! So Suzue seizes the opportunity to visit her godson during the trip.

Once again with the theories about Satoru's teleportation, which isn't really teleportation but more like a spatial distortion—or at least I think so? It's not explained in full detail in the manga, but it should work more or less by distorting space to eliminate the distance between him and the destination point. Basically a wormhole. Everything in the trajectory is presumably destroyed, crushed in the distortion, I imagine. So yes, it's fast but not instantaneous if he doesn't want to destroy half the city. I'm not sure if I explained that well, and I'm not even sure if anyone reads these notes, but oh well!

And with these little bits of information, I'll leave you all! (ノヮ)ノ:・゚