The Waning (GojoHime) - Part 2

A New Beginning (Epilogue)

"The moon will shed light on my pure heart, even to the depth of flooding waters that is not the sea."

Gojo read the line aloud with exaggerated drama, and then promptly made a loud gagging noise, causing several people to turn their heads. "Poetry near a pond," he declared with mock horror, but at least had the sense to lower his voice before continuing, "what an eternal loser."

Utahime had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. The last thing anyone needed was Gojo feeling even slightly encouraged.

The bookstore was beautifully decorated in a traditional Heian-era style. Banners made of fine silk draped gracefully from the ceiling. Softly glowing lanterns cast a warm, ambient light across the space. The soft strains of koto and biwa music played in the background.

The size of the crowd was impressive, people were milling about in eager anticipation, many carrying freshly bought copies of the newly discovered poems attributed to Japan's great hero, Michizane no Sugawara. Hiroshi Kuroda was celebrated for having unearthed these ancient works from the Gojo family library and the media was having a field day interviewing starry-eyed fans and literary professors who had traveled here from far away to offer their expertise.

"You want something to drink?" Gojo asked, his eyes scanning the crowd.

He was fidgety and restless, his energy almost buzzing with the effort of behaving himself. Utahime knew him too well—he was a live wire in settings like these, where patience and decorum were expected. If she didn't find a way to calm him down or get him out before the public reading started, there was no telling what might happen.

"That would be lovely," she replied, offering him a calm smile.

The warm, fuzzy feeling that flooded her when he smiled back made her breathless and light-headed. How young he looked! Almost like he could be barely twenty with his stylish sunglasses, tousled white hair, and the kind of effortlessly cool outfit only the very confident would wear.

"I'll be right back," he promised.

Gojo made his way toward the refreshment table, towering above everyone else in the room. People turned their heads as he passed, eyes filled with awe and curiosity—he was a celebrity after all. Even if none of them knew the real weight he carried, everything about him screamed influence and wealth, from the custom-tailored jacket to his limited-edition sneakers, the kind that most people couldn't even dream of getting their hands on.

Seeing him exposed like this, Utahime's chest tightened with a familiar pain—he had been so close to slipping away forever, and the thought still haunted her. She had grown accustomed to his invincibility, the aura of untouchable strength he radiated, but now, there was a new fragility to it all, a stark reminder that even the strongest could fall.

"Hey, girl!" A familiar, smoky voice greeted Utahime from her elbow, warm and teasing. "You're looking good!"

"Shoko!" Utahime squealed, turning to throw her arms around her best friend. Even though her belly got in the way, she still managed to hug Shoko tightly, conveying all her joy and excitement. "You made it!"

Shoko wore a sleek black cocktail dress and high heels, with a camel-hair coat draped over one arm. She looked like she had just stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine and Utahime wondered who the lucky guy was she was pursuing—if there even was one. She hoped it was someone strong enough to help Shoko heal, to let her move on from the shadow of Geto Suguru.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Shoko replied in her typical dry tone, though her eyes flicked over to Gojo, who was now staring at a plate of donuts with an intensity that didn't bode well. Neither the donuts nor the dignity of this Heian-style event might survive if he got carried away.