FLASHBACK – Satoru Gojo Jujitsu High - Y2

"So what do you think about the new 1st years?" Gojo asked casually. He, Geto, and Shoko, were sitting on the bleachers watching the new students training below. Shoko took a puff of her cigarette and eyed Gojo carefully, saying nothing.

"Well…." Geto put a finger to his chin as he continued to assess the sorcerers below them. "They definitely have a lot of potential…"

Shoko leaned forward. "That Haibara one sure seems to adore you though, huh? I've never seen it before, he follows you around like a lost puppy!" She laughed lightly as Geto scratched his head and looked slightly embarrassed. "Ahhh, yeah he kind of does. But he seems to be a good guy. I don't really mind it."

Shoko nudged Geto lightly with her elbow. "I think the real question is what do you guys think about that new girl? The Senju girl with that touch thingy?" She leaned forward, twisting so that she could look into Geto's face as he answered.

Geto turned away from her, but Shoko could still see the red creeping up his neck. She laughed heartily and leaned back, taking another puff of her cigarette and looking up towards the sky, while crossing her legs.

"Rinami?" Gojo piped in. "Man, I actually think she-"

"She's pretty amazing" Geto said quietly.

Both Gojo and Shoko sat up straight and turned to stare at their friend. It was unlike Geto to levy praise so easily and so soon, and something in his voice hit a chord with them.

Gojo choked back the remainder of his sentence. Could be the one. 'I think she could be the one' was what he was going to say, but even he didn't know why those words would have come out of his mouth. Geto and Shoko would have just laughed anyways. They didn't take most of anything he said about women very seriously. Couldn't say he blamed them. But Rinami… Gojo could see why Geto said what he said, but it was the first time he'd ever heard Geto use that tone regarding a woman and he definitely didn't want to interfere with that.

"And why are you calling her by her first name already Satoru?" Geto turned to look sternly at him. "You act too loosely. You don't know her well enough for that." Exasperated, Geto blew his hair up with a deep breath and returned to looking down at the field. "You should show more respect. Especially to her."

Shoko turned to look at Gojo, certain that they would both share the same expression and thoughts at Geto's obvious interest in the girl. But as she turned to him, she noticed an expression that she wasn't quite expecting on Gojo's face. He too was peering down at Rinami, but with his sunglasses on, Shoko couldn't quite gauge the thoughts behind his eyes. She watched as Gojo turned silently from the sparring field, to look at Geto, and then with a huge sigh, leaned back into the bleachers, staring up into the sky.

"Yeah, of course. You're absolutely right Suguru."

Stunned and worried, Shoko began puffing steadily. She didn't like this, it didn't look good. Geto still hadn't torn his eyes from the sorcerers below and while the two of them might not have been able to feel it, Shoko could definitely tell that the atmosphere in this area had shifted and taken on a depth that made her incredibly uncomfortable.

Shoko stared down at the girl with the dark reddish hair below them. Though it was still early in the school year, she had interacted with her a few times, and Shoko liked her well enough, but outside of the girl's strange aversion to being touched, she still seemed rather ordinary to her. Not at all worth what apparently seemed to be happening up here in the bleachers. Finally, Shoko felt Gojo's eyes on her. She looked over at him and though she still couldn't see his eyes, his mouth was set in a straight and determined line. He nodded towards Geto and then towards the field below.

Shoko lowered her brows at him, and then deliberately looking towards the field and back to Gojo, she gave her head a firm, hard shake, and then looked to Geto. She slid closer to him and threw an arm around his shoulders, breaking him from whatever trance he was in.

"Hey! No point in sitting up here and doing nothing while they have all the fun. Want to go down there and get some training in too?" She smiled broadly at him and without waiting for an answer she stubbed out her cigarette and grabbed one of his hands in both of hers. Hauling him up she half dragged him towards the stairs leading to the field. She threw a hand up to wave back to Gojo. "You don't need the extra training, right? Have fun without us!"

Gojo watched as the two of them joined the others on the field. He understood what Shoko was doing and in reality he was kind of grateful for it. Geto was his best friend but he'd never seen him so much as show any kind of serious interest in anyone before. Something about Rinami Senju had immediately drawn Gojo in. He almost wanted to be a slightly better version of himself when she was around. Almost. But if that girl was the first to catch Suguru's eye, then who was he to step in the way of it? He'd had others before and surely there would be others after. But this might just be it for his friend. Whatever Gojo had been thinking about her before, he would have to throw out of his mind. This one just obviously wasn't meant to be. With a sigh, he threw his hands in his pockets and turning his back on the group behind him, headed back inside the school.