ALIVE | GOJOU SATORU

chapter twenty-one

Adjusting your robe, you step out onto the balcony and take a deep breath, the cool air hitting your skin, sending shivers down your spine. The full moon is shining brightly down on you as you look up at it sitting there peacefully.

In the distance, you can see a storm moving in.

Hearing the door open, you turn slightly, your eyes landing on Toji. He looks tired. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

He shakes his head and comes up from behind, wrapping his arms around you.

Life is so different here. Nothing is the same as it was back home. And here you are in another country, working with a family that you despised years ago. Well, It's not that you no longer despise them, you've just had to adapt to your new lifestyle.

Toji's head rests on your shoulder and your head leans against it gently. "When does Naoya get back?"

"Not sure. I think he will come back sometime within the next couple of weeks." You let out a sigh as you answer. "Why? You want to stay with me longer?" A smile appears on your face and your hand reaches up to touch his neck.

He hides his face in the crook of your neck. "We have some stuff we have to get done today."

You push away from him and let out a sigh. "Not the words I wanted to hear."

The man is chuckling in response.

You don't have a choice but to do whatever they want you to. They need you to do their dirty work because as Naoya once said 'Nobody will suspect a woman.' which didn't surprise you — that misogynistic bastard.

And considering you've lost everything, you don't seem to care anymore.

When you were forced to live in this new country, Naoya and you got married. And shortly after, you had started sleeping with Toji. But you're just using him. Naoya just can't get the job done.

And you've learned a bit from being around Toji. He does indeed hate the Zenin's and is planning something, but he won't necessarily tell you what he's doing. He says he has his own job to finish.

You're surprised he trusts you enough to share that information with you, but he knows you don't like them either.

Looking down, you mess around with the ring on your finger. What a life.

—

Satoru walks into the school, shaking his head. He's constantly getting calls saying that Megumi is misbehaving, starting fights often.

At times it doesn't bother him, but he's trying to get things done and doesn't have the time to deal with something like that. Megumi is failing half of his classes, and Satoru tries to help with that. But the things he learned in school never seemed so difficult compared to how things are.

Tsumiki is a good kid. She has perfect grades and never causes any trouble. Most of the time, she keeps to herself unless it involves her brother.

Stepping into the office, his eyes land on Megumi sitting there with a calm look on his face. He sighs and walks over to him. "Come on, let's go."

The principal steps out and clears his throat. "Something needs to be done, Gojou. Or we're going to have to expel him. You're lucky we haven't already."

He nods. "I'm sorry."

Satoru pulls on Megumi as they step out of the office and immediately stops in front of him. "Why exactly do you do this? I mean it's always something...at least once a week. I'm starting to lose count."

The 14-year-old boy looks away. He would rather not have this conversation here, or at all for that matter. But Satoru is determined to get an answer out of him. "Don't do that to me, Megumi. Talk to me."

"You barely pay attention to anything anymore. All you do is try looking for mom. It's been 7 years. Don't you think it's time to focus on something else?" Megumi's dark blue eyes meet Satoru's light blue ones, watching as they widen at his words. "She's never coming back."

The last part makes Satoru's blood boil, and he has to step away. The silence is loud before Megumi huffs, walking past Satoru, and bumping him on the way out of the school.

He has spent so much time looking for you. Paying people left and right for any information they may have about you or the Zenin family. Anything. Perhaps it has driven him a bit insane, but he knows you're out there somewhere. And he refuses to give up on bringing you back home.

They head home for the day after waiting for Tsumiki, and Satoru immediately goes to his room, locks the door, and takes a seat in his chair.

His face falls in his hands and he takes a deep breath.

Tsumiki is watching Megumi grab a drink from the kitchen. "He seems more upset today than usual. Did you say something?"

Megumi looks at his sister and says nothing before disappearing.

He walks down the hall, stopping in front of the door, leaning in carefully to hear the quiet sobs coming from Satoru. His eyes squeeze shut and he immediately feels guilty for saying something like that to Satoru. At the time he wasn't really thinking about how the words would affect him.

Trying to push those thoughts away, Megumi heads to his bedroom and hops on his PC, waiting for his two best friends to get online and play a game with him. 

—

I didn't want part 2 to be published immediately after.

prepare yourselves for the angst