The Artist | Satoru Gojo X Reader

Chapter 18: The Truth

Y/n POV
Age 17

When I wake back up it's 11 am. I walk over to Suguru's room and the door is cracked open, I knock on the door before fully opening it. But Suguru is already gone, like usual these days, so I can't tell him what I need to. Now that I want more than anything to confess about the application, I can't.

I get ready and grab my sketchpad heading down to Yaga's studio. I need to finish working on the sculpture of Suguru and I. And this time I'm also going to show Yaga sketches of my mom. I want him to agree to a sculpture of my mom being done in stone, preferably granite or marble.

I get to the studio and Yaga greets me, I have yet to see any sign of Satoru. Maybe Yaga castrated him for getting near me.

"I want to also make a sculpture of my mother, these are some sketches I did" I say handing Yaga my sketchbook. He flips through the studies, he flips through them quickly then does so again. I'm watching him and can't tell what he's thinking, but then he stops and inhales sharply as he raises a hand to his mouth. Are they bad?

"Maria is your mother" He quietly says.

"Yea, Maria Geto" I say. His breathing has gone volcanic. I have no idea what's happening.

"Well" He says but the skin under his left eye won't stop twitching.

"Well?" I ask confused.

He closes the book, "I don't think I can help you after all. I will call Mei Mei back and recommend someone else"

"What?"

In a cold, closed voice I've never heard before he says, "I am sorry. I am too busy. I was wrong, it is too distracting to have someone here so much" He won't even look at me.

"Yaga?"

"No, please go. Now. I have things to do"

I'm too stunned to argue. I take my sketchbook and head for the door, then I hear him say, "Do not come back to my studio"

I turn around but he's facing the other way, looking outside the window. The same window I was looking through when I was spying on him all those days ago. I gasp because looking through that window is Suguru. Yaga turns to look at me, he looks pissed.

I open my mouth to say something, but Satoru has walked through the studio door, his face shining with fear as he senses the tension between Yaga and I.

A moment later, Suguru blasts through the studio like a lit stick of dynamite. Yaga's face is unrecognizable, he's scared. Everyone's scared, I realize. We are four points in a rectangle and three of those points have these wild and panicked eyes. No one's saying a word. It's clear everyone knows something I don't and I'm not sure I want to know what it is.

"What?" I finally ask, "What's going on? Someone tell me. Suguru, is it about mom?"

"He killed her" Suguru's finger is pointed at Yaga. "If it wasn't for him, we'd still have her"

Satoru turns to Suguru, "Killed her? Are you crazy? No man has ever loved a woman more than he loved her"

The room feels like it's swaying and I lean onto the wall for support. Satoru wasn't surprised by the fact that Suguru and I were twins. It was the family photo.

I turn to Suguru, to try and speak but all I can say is, "Suguru?" Is this what he's been keeping from me?

"I'm sorry, Y/n" He says, "She was on her way to ask Dad for a divorce so she could marry..." He turns to Yaga and meets his eyes, "...You"

I look over to Yaga and can tell he is trying to hide the emotions, but it's starting to seep out of him anyways.

Mom was going to marry him.

I need to get out of here, away from them. It's too much, too much. I run out the door.

"Y/n!" I hear Satoru yell, but I don't look back.

I'm staggering down the road, the sun blinding my eyes. Mom was cheating. She's that girl. And not in a good way. I hear quick footsteps gaining on me and I can tell their Suguru's. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" I say pivoting around towards him. Suguru reaches for me but doesn't touch me.

"I don't know, maybe I wanted to protect you and dad. I just didn't want it to be this way" He says, his dark eyes are storming. I hold my breath. Dad doesn't know.

"Dad doesn't even know," I repeat.

"I couldn't tell the truth about anything, It's my fault she's dead" He says, holding his head in his hands.

I take him by the shoulders, "Suguru, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's, it just happened. This terrible thing happened to her, happened to us"

At this moment I feel like we are twins again. I don't want to ruin our connection, but I need to tell him.

"Suguru, I have something to tell you too" He turns around as I start talking, it's the only way, "I have a feeling after I tell you this, you'll never speak to me again, so first I want to say how sorry I am. I should've told you ages ago, but I was too afraid I'd lose you forever if I did" I look down.

"What is it?" he asks.

I take a deep breath and blow out the words from the darkest place in me, "You didn't not get into Jujutsu High. What I mean is you didn't apply....I never mailed in your application"

He blinks, and blinks, and blinks some more. His face his blank and I don't know what's happening inside of him, when all of a sudden he laughs, and looks up at me with a hopeful smile.

"Uhh did you hear me right?" I ask.

"Yes!" he says, now laughing again. "I thought I sucked. I thought it was only mom seeing my art that made it good...and then I realized that it doesn't matter"

"What doesn't" I ask.

"It's like I forgot how nice doing art was before I cared if I was any good or good enough to get into some stupid art school. I mean, seriously like who fucking cares. I'm not mad at you Y/n, and I'm not going to be" He says, the sun's hitting his face and he looks clear, self-possessed, older, and for some reason, I think: We're going to be okay.

Suguru and I are walking home, I feel like a big weight has been taken off my shoulders and I can tell that Suguru feels the same.

That is until we are in the driveway of our house and I see dad's car parked, I freeze. I forgot he was coming back home today.

"Suguru, you have to tell dad. Right away"

"Tell dad what?" And there he is, our father looking down on us, "So what do you need to tell me?"