I gave the soda I brought from the vending machine to Geto who sat alone on one of the benches in the hallway.
"Are you ok?"
He smiled weakly at me. "Yeah."
I gave a few seconds of silence because it was obvious on his face that he wasn't. "When I first came, when we first met. Did I look ok?"
Geto gave it a thought. "...Not really."
"Really? I thought I did it well. Mom and dad trained me well in that part as well. 'Cause its jujutsu world. Its normal. To slowly lose the people around you. To maybe losing yourself in the process. That's what they told me."
Seconds of heavy silence.
"But I hate that. People shouldn't hide that they were hurting."
=====
When I started working alone, it didn't take long for Gojo to follow as well. Especially after perfecting his cursed technique and reverse cursed technique.
Ieri-san who specializes in reverse cursed techniques has been secluded in the school to learn. As her talent is rare and important.
So Geto-san had no choice but to do missions alone as well.
Since I was so busy with my life, I didn't think the rift between us had already started to grow so far apart.
But even if I wanted to go back right now, I can't. If I did, lives could be at stake. So I did what I could. Finish the work fast and go back to Tokyo.
=====
Only a year passed since the start of my solo missions. I've only come back a few times that I could count with my hands. But I've kept my promise.
Sweets for Satoru and souvenirs for Ieri-san, Geto-san, and Yaga-sensei. And a few for the newcomers.
The days when I would visit them, Satoru would seem brighter than before. Of course, we still try to piss off each other, but other than that, everything seemed fine.
So imagine my shock when Ieri-san called and said, "Geto left Jujutsu High."
'Like retirement? At a young age?' But the Jujutsu world isn't that simple and can be quite unpredictable.
When I came back to Tokyo, what welcomed me was nothing.
Ieri-san stuck herself in the infirmary. Satoru buried himself in trying to get stronger and exorcising curses. Yaga-sensei became the principal.
Ah, my life changed again.
=====
"Gojo-san!" I called out to the man leaving the academy grounds.
Those bandaged eyes 'looked' at me. "Oh~ Aiko-chan. Do you need something?"
"Nothing." As much as it hurts me, I felt jealous at the fact that I could never affect Gojo like this. "I have some sweets."
Like an enthusiastic kid, Satoru looked at the paper bag that I brought with me. "From where?"
"Italy." I gave it to him.
He waved it around like he was bragging it to someone, even though it was just the two of us. "Thanks~ Now I'm sure I'll do my job flawlessly."
'Huh? Satoru's using different pronoun.' Then I remember that time when him and Geto-san would discuss about his way of talking which sounds arrogant. 'I guess that's how much you're affected with Geto-san's defect.'
"Gojo-san." He looked at me. "Be safe." I gave him the most sincere smile I could. Not the widest, not the brightest, but the most sincere I could.
He just stood there, mouth a bit open. "I will." He smiled.
=====
"So other than Geto-san deserting his job, what else did I miss here?" I asked Ieri-san while we sat in the infirmary.
"Haibara died. Just sometime before Geto left."
I scoffed. "You're a bit too blunt sometimes, Ieri-san." But Ieri-san didn't try to continue the conversation. "How's Nanami-kun?"
"Don't know. Last I heard, he's quitting."
Aiko took in the silence that enveloped them both. It wasn't that long since Geto's betrayal and Haibara's death. And Shoko was close to them both compared to her. Not to mention Nanami leaving the line of work.
In Ieri's shoes, it practically feels like being left alone.
When she looked at Shoko, the bags under her eyes were way too obvious. Cigarette buds lingering on the table.
"Ieri-san, how about walking for some fresh air? I'll even treat you for you today." Aiko encouraged.
"Sure. Let's go."
=====
"Hi." I greeted the man coming out of a bakery.
"...Senpai. Hello." Nanami replied half heartedly.
"I just passed by to see if I could meet you. Did I come at a bad time?"
"No. Its my lunch break right now." Nanami showed me the paper bag he got in the bakery. "Did you perhaps need me?"
"Nope. Just checking up on you." I took a paper from my pocket and gave it to him. "It's my number. You can call me in case you need anything. Or if you just need someone to talk to, even if we both know you're not that type."
"...Thank you, senpai."
"No worries. Its my job as your senpai."
=====
Days and months passed by like that.
Aiko trying her best to come home to Tokyo with gifts and things with her to give. Shoko and Gojo bury themselves in work. Yaga-sensei managing the school.
Aiko rarely sees people now.
"Boring."
But it's not like she spent the days just working and trying to cheer people up.
"You know, the term 'are you trying to make a cult or something' was meant as a joke."
Aiko stared down at Geto, hard, as she dropped a person she beat up for trying to stop her.
"And what with the gojogesa? You look ugly."
-----
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