Chapter Text
Gojo is writing his name on the board as he says, “Let’s start with a Q&A. I’m sure you all already know, but for the few who might not, I’m Gojo Satoru.”
Gojo is writing some of his credentials, which Megumi recognizes and recites before they even make it onto the whiteboard. Tsumiki nudges him and whispers, “Hurry!”
“Hold on,” he grumbles. His face is heating up and the students next to Tsumiki look at them curiously.
“And finally, yes, I am happily married.” He draws what’s supposed to be his hand with a ring on his finger. As he’s doodling a few sparkles Megumi calls out, his voice breaking slightly from embarrassment, which only makes his embarrassment climb.
“...Dad…”
The one word causes Gojo to malfunction and his hand slips across the board, drawing a thick black line right across the (crudely) drawn hand he’d just done. He turns mechanically and everyone is looking at Megumi.
Tsumiki is very not subtly taking a picture of this Gojo who wears an expression neither of them have seen before. His expression is shocked and maybe a little teary eyed and hopeful and Megumi knows he’s about to call out his name and that’s not part of the plan, so he quickly clears his throat and says, “I asked, are you a dad?”
The question seems to shatter Gojo a little and he makes a confused “Eh” sound.
Tsumiki joins in, “Yeah! Do you and your partner have kids?”
The class starts to talk and then someone says, “My sister said you did! Is it true they’re students here?”
But it’s not just their classroom that’s making a lot of noise. There seems to be some commotion happening outside, or across the room, Megumi thinks. The sound seems to reboot Gojo and his voice immediately quiets the class. He’s smiling again, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Megumi’s face is also closer to his natural pale skin tone
“Tell me your names.” All three of them do and he nods, “To answer your question Megumi, yes, I am a dad. In fact, that’s what most of my children call me. All but one stubborn boy. Tsumiki,” he responds in English, “thank you for using English when asking your question. I see great things in your future.”
Tsumiki beams, nodding her head. Gojo turns to the third student, a Minori-something, “Your sister is right. I do have university aged students. In fact, all four started this year.”
Many students gasp, others shout I told you so! While a few others whisper: I wonder who they are - Do you think they’re as handsome as Gojo-sensei? - One of them is a boy! He’s gotta look like an idol or something! - They all started this year? Are they quadruplets?! Sick!
They try to ask Gojo more about his family, but after finding he’s tight lipped about the matter, the questions become tamer. By the time class ends, Megumi thinks everyone has forgotten about his question opener.
Until someone nearly whispers into his ear, “Wait, is he really your dad?”
He nearly jumps out of his skin when he finds the pink-haired boy next to him. He remembers his name was Itadori Yuuji. Megumi chokes out, “What? No.”
Someone snorts from behind him and he turns to see the brown-haired girl that was sitting next to Itadori. Nobara Kugisaki. “You called the man ‘dad’ and he has a ‘stubborn son’? Smells like a liar.”
Tsumiki smiles, “Kugisaki! I’m Megumi’s sister. Are you Itadori’s girlfriend? Not asking for myself, but it’d be good to know.” She makes an exaggerated wink that threatens to give Megumi a migraine.
Kugisaki looks Tsumiki over and then grins, “Not even if he were the last man alive.”
Itadori just laughs, “We’re just friends.” He winks back at Tsumiki.
But they’re not the only class to get out. More students fill the hallway and then Mimiko and Nanako appear, inserting themselves into their little group.
“Mission accomplished!” Nanako cheers. Mimiko gives them a peace sign and Megumi can see the way Kugisaki adds more evidence to her argument. She doesn’t hesitate to announce her revelation.
She’s smirking when she says, “ Four kids and a ‘stubborn lying son’.”
Mimiko raises a brow as if to ask what happened and Megumi just shakes his head and mouths don’t ask. But Nanako doesn’t get the message and she asks, “Wait, who called who a liar, and I thought we agreed that we would reveal and you two would deflect!”
Tsumiki laughs, “We did!” She points at Kugisaki, “But she’s sharp. She figured it out. And Itadori, too.”
“What are you two still doing here? Don’t you have another class soon?” Getou asks, putting his hand on Nanako’s head. Nanako and Mimiko both say, “Papa!”
Kugisaki’s face scrunches up and it looks identical to the one that Gojo has when he walks out of the classroom.
Getou’s grin is wicked as he says, “I told you I’d be winning this one.”
Megumi can see exactly when Kugisaki gets it, and turns to him, “HIM?!”
He nods because there’s clearly no point in trying to lie to her. She’s not actually asking for confirmation. She’s just exclaiming her findings.
“Reveal and deflect,” he hears her mutter at the same time Gojo says, “Where did I go wrong? I was so sure I’d be the winner!”
It’s eerie, Megumi decides, to see Kugisaki’s face, which he’s only known in various states of disgruntled and mocking, morph into sweetness. She moves toward where Gojo and Getou have moved to talk and pitches her voice higher, “Papa! How did you beat Dad? What did you beat him at?”
Her voice is loud and it makes more than a few people pause to stare.
It causes Gojo and Getou to blink at her in confusion and she takes her acting a step further and grabs them both by the sleeve of their clothes. Nanako and Mimiko are quick to react. They follow Kugisaki. Nanako pouts, “Yeah, were you betting on something?”
Mimiko curiously asks, “What was the competition?”
Tsumiki tries to hold in her laughter and ends up snorting. Itadori is confused and says, “Nobara, what -”
She sends him a look and says, “Come on Yuuji, my dear brother. Don’t you also want to know what they were scheming?”
When he still acts confused, Megumi mutters, “How did you get into this university…”
Itadori chuckles, “Sports scholarship.”
Tsumiki grins, “Just go over there and pretend you’re their son. But don’t call them Dad or Papa. Megumi is still in denial.”
Megumi blushes, “I’m not.”
Itadori shrugs, but obeys. Megumi watches Kugisaki and Itadori’s very dramatic acting, and he tells Tsumiki, “That’s not how I act.”
Tsumiki laughs, “No. But you should take some pointers.”
Meanwhile, Gojo and Getou are still confused, wondering why two kids they’ve only just met are demanding they go to Disneyland now that they’re in Tokyo, Disneyland’s not in Tokyo! It’s in Chiba! Chinatown’s in Tokyo!
Megumi sighs, “I don’t know anyone here.”
(In time, six became eight.)