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"What do you want, Gojo?"
"Ouch, Utahime! I cannot get a proper hello now?" The man from the other line let out a hiss of pain as he feigned offense. "What have I ever done to you?"
The dark-haired girl let out a long sigh before trapping her phone between her shoulder and right ear as she busied herself in placing her essentials inside her black purse. "You cannot honestly blame me if every time you call, you just annoy me."
"Alright, fair enough." He let out a low chuckle. "But I expected more from you. After all, you always gave a great emphasis on respect and manners."
"Okay then." She clicked her tongue. There was no denying that he got her there when he used her values against her. "Hello, Gojo. What do I owe the pleasure of your call?"
"Nah, I prefer it when you're all riled up and being mean to me."
His statement earned a mix of confusion and disgust from Utahime. "Can we please cut to the chase? I am quite busy today."
"Oh, yeah. You're going to Shoko's birthday party too, right?"
"Obviously," A tiny frown appeared between her brows as she placed the strap of her bag on her shoulder. Of course, she would go; it was her best friend's birthday, after all.
"Want to go there together again?" His voice sounded excited—as if he was a dog going out for a walk.
"Uh... you may have forgotten that I am currently in Kyoto now." It was true. She had recently moved to Kyoto this year when she accepted the job to be a teacher at Kyoto Metropolitan Curse Technical College. Satoru could not have forgotten about it when he was the one who insisted on driving her to her new apartment and helping her move her things.
"Nope!" He pronounced the p sound with a loud annoying pop.
"What, you want me to pick you up somewhere in Tokyo?" She tried to guess while walking down the hallway of her apartment. "I am going out now since I still have some errands to do, so I am not yet sure what time I would arrive in the city."
"No, I meant let's go together as in the whole trip. Just like what we always do."
"As I have said, Gojo, I am coming from Kyoto now, not Tokyo." She felt like she was conversing with a five-year-old which was usually the case when dealing with that giant manchild.
"I also said, I already know you're in Kyoto." He let out a burst of amused laughter as if she was the one not understanding the situation.
"If that's the case, then why—" Utahime's words were cut-off by the loud ringing sound of her doorbell. No way. She stared wide-eyed at her wooden front door. "Please, tell me your stupid ass did just not..."
"Open the door, Utahime!" There was no doubt that she could hear Satoru's voice both from her phone's earpiece and from behind her closed door.
After a few quickened strides, Utahime has reached for the doorknob and swung the door open. There, stood in his six-foot-three glory, was Gojo Satoru with a huge toothy grin plastered across his face. A pair of tinted rectangular glasses were now covering his eyes instead of the usual white bandage. He discarded his uniform and replaced it with a white button-down shirt and black slacks. It made her look down on her clothes briefly and noted how similar her oversized white button-down shirt and high-waisted black jeans combo to his. It was a bit frustrating that they both have the same taste in fashion sometimes.
"What are you doing here in Kyoto?" A mission, maybe?
"So we could go to Shoko's party together!"
"Correct me if I am wrong, but you traveled all the way here from Tokyo when the said party is already in Tokyo?"
"Um... teleported, to be more precise."
"Oh, right." It would still take her some time to get used to his newly discovered skill. "Still doesn't change the fact that this is idiotic and completely inefficient."
"Don't care since I can spend more time with my favorite senpai! Besides, we always have this routine of going to events together. We don't want to break such precious tradition just because you moved to a different city, right?" He exclaimed with a cheesy smile.
"Whatever." She let out a long resigned sigh before pushing the tall man away so she could step out of her humble apartment. She could feel Satoru's stare as she locked her door, and just the mere presence of him was sucking out her energy. She can see it already, the exhausting journey she would be enduring today. Nevertheless, she would be lying if she said she didn't miss this.
--
"Utahime, you buy clothes on the teen's section? I mean, I know you have tiny boobs, but I didn't know they were that small." Satoru inquired as he not-so-subtly gave her chest a side look.
"Ha? Don't be stupid, Gojo!" Utahime instinctively threw him a death glare before making her way down toward the boy's section. "I'm buying some clothes for Megumi and Tsumiki."
"Ahh, but for what? I already buy them clothes regularly."
She let out a sigh. "Do you even ask them what type of clothes they want?" She cannot count the pictures she saw of a frowning Megumi while wearing the clothes that the giant idiot bought.
"Nope!" He made a loud popping sound, and his tone lacked any hints of remorse. "I just buy them what I believe looks good."
"I think we both know your style can be um... questionable at times." She cannot help but cringe at the thought of the kids' misery.
"It does not! My fashion taste is very trendy, thank you very much."
"I bet Megumi would beg to differ." A soft, teasing smile appeared on her face as she grabbed a few garments from the display. "He prefers plain shirts with neutral colors and not your eye-catching questionable layered outfits. As for Tsumiki, have you ever heard of something being "too-girly"? You can buy all the pink clothes you want but ditch the lace and frills."
"Wow, you really do know our kids, huh?" He was honestly not surprised, especially when he knew that Utahime was the one who spent the most time with them during their childhood. Also, despite being quite offended, he took note of the brats' preferred choice of clothing.
" Our kids?" She can't help but scoff before placing more garments inside her shopping basket.
"Well, duh, we're practically their adoptive parents!"
"How unfortunate of them to have you as their dad. They must have angered the gods from their past lives."
"You didn't deny it though," He grinned widely as he playfully and annoyingly nudged her side.
Utahime could only roll her eyes because they were some family of some sort. When the siblings were young, she would always drop by their apartment after finishing her work or mission. She would make sure if they still have enough food and buy groceries using the allowance Satoru wired to the kids' newly opened bank accounts. He was barely there since he was often away for an overseas mission. Honestly, Utahime felt like she had a husband working out of the country. A visible shiver ran down her spine the first time the idea popped out of her mind. Who would be in their right mind to want that white-haired menace to be their life partner?
She stopped reminiscing when Satoru spoke again. "For someone who's in Kyoto for almost a year, you sure know their sizes." He was casually digging through the basket.
"Well... I do visit them twice a month, so..."
"What?" He stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the shock. "Without me knowing?"
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew she would get caught anytime soon and that it would be a tad bit troublesome to handle. "I visit the kids, not you."
"So we're like a divorced couple now who only shares custody of the children?"
"Gojo, we're not even dating in the first place."
"And whose fault is that?" He stuck his tongue out at her "But that's not the point, Utahime!"
"Then, what's the point? You're barely there, anyway." She immediately shut her mouth when she felt the underlying sting of her words.
Satoru stared at her surprised face for a second before giving her a soft, sincere smile. "I'm trying to change that. I also might start working as a teacher at Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical School. So I would be in Tokyo more often. Such a shame that you're the one not always at home now."
She could only do nothing but nod at his revelation before silently walking toward the counter. Home. What a strange concept for the two of them to think about.
--
As soon as they opened the door of Shoko's apartment, the duo separated ways and joined their circle of friends. Satoru skipped happily towards the boys in the room. He threw himself at the oblivious Nanami and wrapped his arm around his kouhai's shoulder, which immediately tensed up at his presence. Utahime went straight to Shoko and greeted her a happy birthday with a warm hug. She also didn't forget to throw shade at Satoru, who didn't greet her friend first. The celebrant merely brushed it off with a chuckle as the two of them joined Mei Mei on the couch.
It didn't take long when the drinks started flowing from one another's glasses. Mei Mei holding an expensive glass of red wine, Shoko with whiskey on the rocks, and Utahime chugging down an ice-cold beer. Ah, it was the ideal day-off until the star of the party started throwing questions at Utahime's direction.
"So, Uta," She started as she slid closer to the dark-haired lady. "You and Gojo still went here together?"
"Uh... yeah. What about it?" She wiped away the foam on the top of her lips with the back of her hand.
"Oh, nothing. It's just that you're now in Kyoto, and he's still here in Tokyo, so how did that work? You picked him up along the way?"
"Actually..." Hesitation was evident in her voice, but she decided to share the story anyway since something good might come out of it. Besides, why does she need to hide it? What was she guilty or conscious about? "He showed up at my apartment earlier."
"Now, I'm invested." Mei let out a whistle and leaned over as she got more engrossed with the topic. "He came from Tokyo and went to Kyoto to go to a party which is also in Tokyo? That's a big effort for someone like Gojo."
Utahime cannot help but internally winced after hearing the exact argument she said. "More like teleported, so not really an effort if you asked me."
"Hmm... doesn't change the fact that he did something inconvenient just to spend time with you." Her light-haired colleague shrugged with a smirk before taking another sip from her glass.
"You don't have to put it that way. He just wanted to irritate me as usual."
"You can fool yourself all you like, Utahime, but all we see is a badly smitten manchild."
"Smitten? Yeah, right." She snorted, finding how silly the idea was.
"Sweetie, I think you're the only one who is not aware of him having a huge crush on you. The man is down bad."
"Alright, let's say he has a crush on me," She let out an amused laugh and formed air quotes. "then why is he acting like a little piece of shit every chance he gets. That's not really the way to get a woman's affection."
"Please, Uta, he's literally doing the ponytail-pulling thing to you for more than a decade already." Shoko sighed when her best friend gave her a confused look. "You know, the thing young boys do. They annoy and tease the girls they like to get their attention. Sounds familiar, right?"
"B-but he's a grown man already, so that does not justify his actions."
"How about this for an explanation: he's emotionally constipated. That's the only method he knows that would effectively direct all your attention toward him. He teases you, and all that would come out of your mouth after is 'Gojo this, Gojo that'. It's very effective if you ask me."
Utahime stared blankly at her friends as the new information started to slowly sink in her alcohol-induced brain. She cleared her throat as she composed herself before gulping down the beer remnants in her can.
"Everything's clear now, huh?"
No, it doesn't. Not one bit.
Her honey brown eyes affixed on the unopened beer can trapped between her pale hands as she can hear Shoko and Mei Mei placing bets on the background. Her mind was slowly overheating as she finally entertained the possibility that Gojo Satoru, special grade, head of the Gojo clan, holder of the six eyes, the honored one, the strongest sorcerer, might have feelings for her. She immediately fought the urge to let out a burst of hysterical laughter. She felt terribly delusional because who was she anyway? A scarred sorcerer who never got promoted into at least grade one. Why would someone like Satoru like an average woman like her?
As if the heavens were playing a prank on her, the loud boisterous guffaw of a certain someone distracted her from her thoughts. Her head snapped up from her drink, and her eyes immediately locked with the blue-eyed man across the room. Satoru's lips immediately pulled up into a smirk before giving her an overdramatic wink. She can't even find the will to respond with her usual eye roll. Instead, she completely ignored him and opened her beer with a satisfying fizz. She threw her head back as she guzzled down the contents of her can. Suddenly, the beer tasted a shit ton better.
--
Satoru was not at all surprised when Shoko led him to her bedroom late that night. He knew this routine so well like the back of his hand. Shoko would throw at him any object she could reach that moment, and tonight it was a balled-up wrapper of a potato chip. Their eyes would meet, and she would nod her head in the general direction of her room before she stood up and left the guests in the living room. He would follow shortly after and meet her in the empty hallway where they were currently walking.
"Just like the last time?" He inquired with a small chuckle.
"Um... this is a bit different."
"Good different or bad different?"
"I'll let you be the judge of that."
They both stopped in front of her bedroom, and Shoko turned the knob before slowly swinging the door open to show a passed-out Utahime in the middle of her friend's bed. That was new he had to admit. During their previous drinking parties, the locked door would usually reveal a crying Utahime or even a fuming one. There were times when she was busy dancing on top of the bed or was singing way off-key on top of her lungs. Knocked out Utahime was usually easier to take home, but it also meant something big was bothering her.
Without saying a word, Satoru got in and carefully hoisted his senpai over his broad shoulder.
"Seriously? I almost thought you would carry her bridal style and not like a sack of rice." Shoko joked as she reached over to get Utahime's black purse.
"And risk her dangling head to hit against doorframes or stair railings?" He tightened his hold around her waist as he walked in the direction of the door.
"You speak as if it is from experience."
"You don't want to know." A decade of taking her home was a long time for him to gain tons of experience.
His friend replied with a hum as she helped him hang the purse's strap on his other shoulder. "You got it from here?"
"Just like always." He grinned widely with his eyes closed and a thumbs up.
"You know, Gojo," The brown-haired girl leaned against the doorframe. "You could start treating Utahime better. Maybe less teasing and more respecting."
"So she would end up treating me just like the others? No thanks! I would rather be given special treatment."
"That surprisingly makes sense. But have you ever considered, I don't know, telling her what you feel or something?" She crossed her arms and shrugged.
Satoru's eyes softened before turning around and giving the celebrant a nonchalant wave. "Happy Birthday, Shoko!"
--
"And a big cone of the matcha flavored one."
They were both on the gelato shop in Asakusa. It was the same shop they always went to after drinking. Satoru was in his fourth year of high school when he first brought a drunk Utahime here to cheer her up. She was crying at that time since she was not able to secure a recommendation for promotion, and the fact that she was the only grade two on her batch was not helpful at all. It was actually a risky move since Utahime was vocal on her hate for sweets whenever she saw Satoru munching on his candy bars, but he could not think of anywhere else. This was his happy place, after all. Also, it was perfect since it was open until late at night, and the area was not along the highway, just a perfect distance away from the busy street to have a cozy feel. He felt relieved and excited when she saw her brown eyes brighten up and a smile slowly appearing across her reddened face. Surprisingly, drunk Utahime has a sweet tooth.
"No crying tonight?" The middle-aged owner of the shop asked as she handed the huge cones at Satoru.
"Luckily, yes."
"That's lovely." She gently smile as she moved her gaze toward the lady lazing around on the red couch of the shop. "It makes me so happy how the two of you are still together after all these years."
"Yeah, I am happy too." He turned around and observed the oblivious woman as well.
"No plans of getting married yet?"
"None yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I have plans. I might hide the ring in your gelato one day." He smiled boyishly and winked before biding his goodbye so he could go back to their table.
Satoru slid on the chair across Utahime and handed her one of the cones. "Here you go, princess."
She frowned at the nickname before taking the gelato from his hands. It was quite evident how much taller were the scoops of his chocolate gelato compared to hers. "The lady still thought I am your girlfriend?"
"Yep! She always gives me extra scoops since I am a sweet and kind boyfriend who always takes care of you when you're drunk."
She gave her an eye roll and kicked his shin under the table but only to be stopped by his frustrating technique.
"You mad, Hime? Want to make it real?" He leaned across the table, stopping his face a few inches away from her.
"D-don't be stupid, Gojo!" She can feel the heat rise to her cheeks. Also, she freaking stuttered. Cursed Shoko and Mei for getting into her head.
"But you're blushing, U-ta-hi-me." He moved impossibly closer as he whispered every single syllable of her name.
"Shut up! It's the alcohol, idiot." Her hands instinctively pushed him off before she got up and rushed out of the shop. She cannot afford to be seen becoming a darker shade of red. She can almost feel the heat radiating from her face.
Satoru was quick to follow her out while happily licking away the gelato he was holding. "Suddenly in a mood for a walk?" His voice laced with teasing.
"Yeah, it helps me have a clearer head, makes me sober faster." She lamely explained before she started to eat her matcha gelato. The two of them began to walk along the pavement in silence for a few minutes until they had reached where they had parked the car.
"Oh, could you just give the things I bought for Megumi and Tsumiki?" Utahime asked when her eyes landed on the paper bag in the backseat.
"Why don't you give it to them personally?" Satoru suggested as he leaned against the car door. "It's still your day off tomorrow, right? Stay here in Tokyo for another day."
She considered for a moment. "I guess I could go to their apartment and spend the night there."
"And disturb the kid's sleep? Come on, Hime. You might disrupt their growth!"
"Since when were you concerned about that?"
"You wound me, Utahime. You're making it sound as if I am a bad father." His hand clenched on top of his chest.
"Well, it wasn't me who woke them up in the middle of the night so that you could play the new board game you just bought."
"That was the old Satoru! I'm better now. I am more sensitive."
"I doubt it."
"Okay, let me prove it to you." He cleared his throat and straightened up his stance. "I know something's bothering you."
"Huh? What makes you say that?" Utahime sat on the hood of her car.
"We all know that a passed-out Utahime equates to you overthinking something until you got knocked out unconscious."
"You guys have some sort of cheatsheet now to interpret my drunk self?"
"No, this is just me showing that I am now capable of sensing slight changes of someone's feelings." He claimed proudly.
"Wow, but you cannot seem to sense how close I am to choking you death whenever you open your mouth and annoy me."
"You're changing the topic here, Utahime!"
"It's nothing. I just had a ridiculous conversation with Shoko and Mei." She waved her hand in front of her to show that it was not big of a deal, even though it kind of was.
"What was it about? Maybe I could help!"
She looked at him for a while, weighing the implications if she told him about it. "I said it's nothing." She repeated.
"You do know that I won't shut up until you tell me, right?"
"Unfortunately, I do..." She sighed knowing how annoyingly persistent Satoru could be.
"So you're gonna tell me?"
Another sigh. "I don't really have that much of a choice here, do I?"
"Well, you do actually, but you have to endure my endless poking until you got back to Kyoto. Starting now." He walked closer and started to prod her arm with his long index finger repeatedly.
"Cut it off, Gojo!" She slapped his finger away with her free hand. "So much for being the sensitive Gojo Satoru."
"You'll share it with me now?"
"Fine!" She groaned loudly and scooted away as she felt herself blushing again against her will. "The girls were suggesting that maybe you have some sort of crush on me, which is completely stupid, I know."
"Why do you think it was stupid?" He asked right away, without skipping a beat.
"Because..." She trailed off as she struggled to give an answer that would not expose her hidden insecurities. "The way you treat me shows otherwise."
"Would you rather be treated like this?" He closed in the distance between them by standing in between her legs. Without any warning, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.
The kiss was over as quickly as it happened. Utahime's hand slowly touched her lower lip as she tried to process what just happened. His lips felt soft and not intrusive. It was as if he wasn't sure if he was allowed to do it. If she wasn't so stunned, she would laugh at the irony of how opposite was his kiss to his personality. Also, she didn't know if it was the mixture of the chocolate and matcha flavors, but it tasted sweet. Did it feel sweet as well?
"I like you, Utahime." He confessed candidly. "For more than a decade now."
"Gojo... I—" She was fumbling with her words. Suddenly she cannot construct any coherent sentence.
"You don't have to give me an answer." The delicate tone of his voice was new to her ears.
Before he could move back and walk away, her hands grabbed his collar and pulled him down a bit roughly to her level. Her lips crashed against his, and she kissed him too sloppily for her liking. She can blame the alcohol for it later. She was not concerned about her kissing skills right now since all she wanted was to express how she felt. It took Satoru a few seconds to return the kiss and wrap his arms around her tiny waist.
It was crazy when she thought about it, but she liked him too for many years now. She recently discovered and confirmed her feelings for him when she moved to Kyoto. It was when she walked past by different pastry shops and thought how much Satoru would enjoy those treats; when she started to buy things that have the exact color of his eyes because she subconsciously associated them with him; when she always expected to see his name flashing on her phone's screen when it rang; when most of the stories she shared involved him; and when his absence made her miss him more every day. This was one of the reasons why she decided not to tell him about her visits to Tokyo. She didn't know how to face him properly, not when she started to see him in a different light—not when she wanted him more than just a colleague or even more than just a friend.
"How's that for an answer?" She breathlessly asked after pulling away to catch some air.
His blue eyes were hazy as he gazed at her flushed state. "I think I need more clarification." He pulled her back to let their lips meet once more, causing Utahime to wrap her legs around him.
"For the record, this means you like me too, right?" He paused abruptly and rested his forehead on hers.
"Of course, idiot." She playfully hit the back of his head.
"Just wanted to make sure. Now, where were we?"
They could both get used to this newly added routine.