The Waning (GojoHime) - Part 2

The Strongest Duo, Part VII

In the Year 2005

"I want you to think about your weaknesses and what to do about them. I expect an essay by tomorrow morning."

Gojo threw a furtive glance at Geto and Shoko, meeting his own puzzlement mirrored in the others' eyes. Tomorrow morning...?

"Something unclear?" Yaga's massive body moved in front of Gojo's desk and shot daggers from his eyes down at him.

"Ah," Gojo cleared his throat, making himself as small as possible. "No, Sensei. Crystal clear."

Angering Yaga Sensei was never a wise choice, but today, his demeanor seemed particularly ominous. His disheveled appearance, with askew sunglasses and neglected facial hair, spoke of a man burdened by personal turmoil. Angering him now was probably a death sentence.

Rumors circulated that Yaga Sensei was going through a divorce. A third-year student had reportedly overheard a tense phone call between him and his lawyer the other week. Little was known about Sensei's wife, but the breakup seemed to be of the nasty kind. Whether true or not, it was better to tread lightly around him; also known as the tiptoe treatment.

"Why even get married if you end up hating each other?" Gojo mused aloud later that evening on the bus. They had tickets to Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa at the Roppongi Hills movie theater for the opening night. Pages of the essay written: zero. Minutes thought about weaknesses: also zero. "Divorce just damages the family's reputation and leads to an increase in curses."

"Your views are old-fashioned as fuck!" Geto dismissed Gojo's statement. "If two people want to separate, you better let them! All that family honor bullshit only leads to grievances."

"My parents are divorced," Shoko interjected, noisily shifting a lolly from the left to the right cheek. "My mother cheated on my father with his best friend. He got a divorce quasi the next day."

"See?" Geto pulled a sympathetic face. "That's the right thing to do. Anything else would create even more curses."

Gojo frowned. He hated it when his friends made him look stupid because they had more experience with real world matters and he had lived an awfully sheltered life in a place where divorce wasn't even in the vocabulary.

"My father regrets it," Shoko shrugged. "He's still in love with my mother."

"Harsh," grimacing, Geto stretched his long legs. "My parents can't stand each other but just like Mr. Traditional here, they would never consider getting separated because they fear the social consequences."

"I didn't say people shouldn't get divorced," Gojo boxed Geto's arm. "I said why get married only to get divorced! Better not get married at all is what I'm saying."

"Dummy," Geto boxed back with more force. "How would you know you'll get divorced in the future when you marry someone in the present? Sometimes you're so stupid I have to wonder how you manage to appear capable occasionally."

"You're both idiots," Shoko smiled amiably, "and don't be so loud, people are looking our way."

"Your clan will choose someone for you to pop out heirs anyway," smirking, Geto dropped his voice a mere fraction.

"No they won't," Gojo defended himself. Even though it wasn't beyond his relatives to urge a connection on him or drop hints about eligible matches, they had no coercive power whatsoever. "And you better don't talk like this about my future wife," he added heatedly.

"I thought you didn't want to marry?" Geto was still smirking like a cartoon villain.

"I know who he wants to marry," Shoko grinned. "Only that she'll never have him."