FLASHBACK: Rinami Senju- Jujutsu High School Year 2
Rinami heard the news that Geto was wanted by the Jujutsu council from a wandering 1st year. She would have taken it as some morbid joke if it wasn't for the sick look on the kid's face as he said it. Immediately Rinami had sought out Yaga Sensei. He wasn't in his office and she ran from room to room looking for him or Gojo. Preferring to run into Yaga or maybe even Nanami before Gojo.
Finally, panting and out of breath, she turned the corner and saw Yaga down the halllway. Sprinting over to him, she knew before she even reached him that the rumor was true. She didn't ask, she didn't even say anything. She just read his expression and began to cry. She paused barely long enough to squeak "I need the details", to which Yaga simply handed her the paperwork with the council's order. Rinami scanned through the documents, reading the crimes, the charges, and the order, and then fell to all fours, her tears pooling on the floor below her. No way. It couldn't be possible, it couldn't be true. Yet… Suguru. The last time she saw him was on the stands that day. He had looked so troubled…. Rinami sobbed. What kind of shit friend was she? He needed her, he needed someone. She saw it. She knew it, but she had been so pre-occupied with her own needs that she left and then forgot about him. She dropped her head to the cold floor and covered it with her hands, sobbing in abandon. This was awful, this was worse than awful. There would be no coming back from this. As she closed her eyes all she could see was Geto's warm smile and the gentle way he always spoke to her. How could that man have done something like this?
"Rina" Yaga spoke quietly
"Please sensei, just let me be. I want to be left alone" Rinami sobbed. "I just need some time." She heard it as Yaga quietly walked away. He must be dealing with a lot too. She thought to herself. Suguru and Satoru were his two prized pupils… Satoru… Satoru… Rinami suddenly sat up and leaned against the hallway wall, head throbbing and eyes swollen and puffy. Her heart ached so much, but how about Gojo? If she felt like this she could only imagine what he must be going through.
She worried. So powerful – what would happen if the emotions of someone like Satoru Gojo went wild and were unleashed on the world? How much pain must he be in right now? While she wanted to curl into a ball on the floor and continue to cry and wallow in her own pain, her thoughts returned to Geto and her guilt for abandoning him when he obviously needed her. Gojo wasn't here with her now, but Rinami knew that wherever he was, he needed someone. His best friend in the entire world had just done…this. She wouldn't abandon another person. She wouldn't leave Gojo to grieve alone. No way could she do that. She absolutely refused to be so selfish again.
Rinami found Gojo sitting alone on the stairs outside of the school, his head hung low between his legs. Once she saw him, fear immediately kicked in. He wasn't going to want to talk. He wouldn't want company. How could she help him? She found herself again frustrated by her helplessness. No matter. She wasn't going to let her fear keep her from reaching out to him.
Quietly, Rinami walked over. She sat next to Gojo, but didn't say a word. She knew that he knew it was her. He didn't look up, he didn't speak. Rinami swallowed. In truth she didn't know what he needed, but maybe just being here would be good. Without thinking she reached out a hand and clasped his. No words- just sat and held his hand. There was comfort in it for her as well. The physical touch was comforting and the peace of sitting with Gojo and knowing that she wasn't the only one feeling this pain, helped her to feel less alone. Feelings of comfort radiated throughout her as she sat with him.
She heard Gojo sigh and finally he looked up, staring out into the distance. "I just don't understand it Rin. How I didn't know that he was going through something. That I could have actually been so self-absorbed that I didn't even realize it, and now it's too late". He paused and Rinami could hear a slight quiver in his voice when he spoke again "He's my best friend, my only real friend. It's kind of sad, but without him there is no one in this world who would see any good in me. I count on him for that."
Rinami looked out into the distance as well. She waited to see if Gojo had more to say. When he didn't speak, she gave his hand a squeeze. "That's not true you know. Don't forget about Ieri. And… It may be thanks to Suguru, but I've also seen the good in you Satoru. You hide it well, but under it all there really is a man worth knowing." Rinami paused "You've actually helped me a lot when you didn't even have to, and I consider you a friend."
Gojo stilled and Rei could feel it as his face turned towards her, his eyes obscured behind his glasses. A light blush stained her cheeks.
"Besides," she continued, "If Suguru thought so much of you, that in itself still means something"
Gojo let out a loud sigh and leaned back on the stairs his face to the sky. "Yeah, that means something…"
After Rinami left, Gojo stayed behind, and as he thought about Geto he found that his mind kept drifting back to Rin as well. Having her here had definitely made him feel better. When she held his hand he had almost immediately been overcome by a sense of comfort. He thought about their time spent training. Her golden eyes, hair glistening, the feel of her skin, and the smile on her face as he touched it. Unfortunately, he found that having those thoughts of Rin quickly brought him spiraling back to his thoughts of Geto. If only….