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Wednesday November 30th 2012, 11:30am
Gumi! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Said Tsumiki with a huge smile on her lips. The little girl, as sunny as ever, joined Megumi in the hallway of their elementary school.
By now they were grown up and attending fourth and fifth grade; they were both the best in their class so much so that they had hung Tsumiki's picture on one of the hallway walls with a silver plaque engraved underneath that said "best student."
The boys' was blank, in fact Megumi had flatly refused to have a picture hung on the wall.
"What's going on Tsumiki?" he asked pretending to be annoyed-he didn't like being seen with his half-sister around the school, the boys around them were too stupid and always thought he was dating Tsumiki!
His step-sister!
How annoying, Megumi thought as she looked at the girl in front of her.
"I'm sorry, but Shoko-san told me it will be Gojo-san's birthday in a few weeks!" she began, clapping her hands happily. "So I was thinking--how about preparing a surprise for him?" Her tone became more and more excited the further she went with her idea.
At the sight of her excitement, Megumi knew he could never say no to the girl. "When is his birthday?" she asked huffing.
"Wednesday, December 7! in exactly one week!" she smiled. "that's fine-it can be done I guess," he said, "we should invite Shoko and Nanami, maybe Miss Mei Mei and Utahime too." muttered the child, making a mental list of possible guests for the surprise party. "Gojo has only four friends-Nanami, Shoko, Mei Mei, and Utahime-although the last two I don't know how much I would count them as his friends-that leaves us with you, me, Nanami, and Shoko," he took a piece of paper and wrote the names on the latter.
"Really? yet he's a very open person!" said the girl "yeah but he's never around if you noticed, he's always on a mission" he sighed.
"You're right, well even if there are only a few of us the important thing is that he has fun! we need to set a table full of sweets! A cake and decorations! we have to get help! later I will go to Nanami, I'm sure she will help us!" she smiles. "okay, I'll go with you," he said simply.
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Thursday December 1st 2012, 14:54pm
The apartment was empty, the children were at school, and Gojo was grateful. The last few missions had been exhausting. he had slept no more than two hours in five days. His infinite minimum technique had been active since the previous Monday.
He was exhausted; he couldn't take it anymore. We were no longer talking about small curses of the first level. but whole groups of curses even of the special level.
Beating them had become difficult even for him. Why were they so powerful? or why did he feel so weak? the question haunted him, and to be on the safer side he had not slept, leaving the technique active.
Sighing he sat painfully on his own bed, or at least Toji Zenin's bed, to try to get to sleep.
He could not, the thought of becoming weak terrified him. How could he save Tsumiki and Megumi if he could not even destroy simple first-level curses?
"Fuck, that hurt," he touched his sore shoulder. He picked up his cell phone calling Shoko "hello?" the woman's voice answered after a few rings. "Shoko-do you have anything for pain? for shoulder and headache." The woman was silent for a few moments and sighed shortly after "didn't the missions go well?" "nah, as usual, there are just more groups of special level curses. Nothing I can't easily beat! Only in killing one I dislocated my shoulder," he strained a laugh as best he could. "All right, give me ten minutes and I'll be with you. Go lie down and don't try to get up!" Shoko closed the call, leaving the man to do only what he was ordered.
Shoko did not lie and in just 10 minutes she was already in Gojo's room making him take a pill for the tremendous headache and helping him adjust his shoulder.
"Perfect, you're as good as new...more or less-now rest" seeing the man open his mouth as if to speak she put her hand in front of his mouth "I'll take care of the children. you need to rest. nothing will happen to them. I promise you" she said hastily.
"Good night Satoru" whispered the woman.
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"there you two are! where were you? don't you usually go out at 3:30 p.m.?" asked Shoko as she approached the children. "Sorry Shoko-san, we just dropped by Mr. Nanami's." began the little girl then approaching her "we'd like to throw a party for Gojo-san's birthday!" whispered Tsumiki excitedly.
"that's very sweet! but how do you plan to keep him here? he is always full of mission," "we thought about it and came up with a plan, we just have to wait for him to come back from this mission," began the child seriously. "I really think you won't have to wait, he's back now he's in his room resting-or at least pretending to rest," chuckled Shoko.
The children looked at each other, the brown one found the green one, and without needing to say anything aloud, they started running toward their guardian's room.
"Gojo-san!" said the child happily, opening the door to the room. "oh?- Miki-chan!" he sat down making room for the two children on the double bed with burgundy sheets. "Gojo-san! we missed you!" said Tsumiki hugging the older boy.
Despite the pain in his shoulder he took Tsumiki in his arms holding her close. "Oh, you don't know how much I missed you two! Have you been nice while I was gone?" giggled Gojo, mussing Megumi's hair. "We are responsible unlike you," replied the child, sullenly.
"always so mean ‘Gumi-chan!." the older boy replied with a smile. "You know, Gojo-san, at school they asked us to do an assignment ! on the 7th we have to watch a movie with our parents! And I was thinking that you could watch the movie with us, what do you think?” Tsumiki asked politely.
"I would love to, Miki. Although, what a strange assignment" Gojo looked at her "I know, I don't know why she gave us this stupid assignment," Megumi said with annoyance in his little voice.
"Come on, wouldn't you like to spend a night with me, Megumi-chan?" Gojo said jokingly, and the boy merely shot him a look.
"Well, I'll bring all the snacks and drinks, how about that?" the two just nodded and,of course, only Tsumiki smiled.
Gojo looked at them with a huge smile on his face and hugged Tsumiki closer to him. "We're going to have so much fun!"
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Tuesday December 6th 2012, 12:23pm
It had been six days since that conversation, just a few hours before the stroke of midnight and thus Gojo's birthday. Tsumiki was over the moon, so excited about the party they had prepared together with Shoko and Nanami.
It wasn't that elaborate, it was going to be a simple dinner made only of Gojo's favorite foods (so mainly sweets) and to finish it off, a chocolate cake with a beautiful blue inscription that said "Happy Birthday Gojo!"
Although he didn't want to show it, megumi was also particularly excited about the party; he had been locking himself in his room for days working on the gift from him and Tsumiki.
He was so focused, it was very cute according to Shoko but she knew she couldn't say it out loud.
She thought Gojo had been as much of a blessing to those two children as they were to Satoru, especially after Geto left. Shoko was well aware that he was hurting, oh how hurt he was. In spite of everything she could see how much Gojo Satoru's eyes had dulled until Megumi and Tsumiki arrived.
That evening she was preparing the streamers she and the children had decorated when a sudden call took her out of her thoughts. She sighed as she answered "Shoko, I need to talk to you," Satoru's voice said hastily "Satoru tell me everything, is something wrong?" he asked her in a tone of concern.
"I've been assigned a new mission, I'm supposed to leave tonight and I don't know when I'll be able to come back...and I promised Tsumiki that I would’ve watch a movie with them tomorrow- I tried to refuse but they said besides me no one can do this mission- I- I don't know what to do!"
"Satoru, be calm, take a deep breath. I think-" she was at a loss, on one hand there were two children who wanted to make their benefactor happy and she knew very well that if Gojo was missed only Tsumiki would be able to forgive him. On the other hand, however, there was a group of curses that needed to be exorcised.
He didn't know what to say. he had to think about the good of his best friend or the good of humans.
"Gojo, I think you don't have to go. you are exhausted physically and mentally. I think an evening with your children can only do you good. They say no one can do the mission, but in my opinion that's not the case," the woman said gently.
"You think so? and what should I do sorry?" asked the man "just don't go, stay with Megumi and Tsumiki. nothing will happen to you and even if it did, you are the strongest no?" she said sincerely.
After a few moments of silence Gojo spoke "okay, I'll think about it" it almost sounded like a robotic response. put as a pre-recorded sentence in Satoru's head.
Shoko could do nothing but sigh while attacking the call. She knew Gojo well and knew that he would never choose something that would put humanity at risk. He would most likely choose the mission even if it meant being hated by Megumi and Tsumiki.
Because it doesn't matter if he has children at home. He is the strongest, and his job is to protect non-sorcerer from curses.
That was what made Satoru Gojo, Satoru Gojo. His strength, his ability to protect everyone but himself.
Shoko knew this all too well. And she wanted him to be well, to be safe, to be loved, to be happy.
But, as Gojo always said, "you can only save those who are willing to accept your help," and Gojo was certainly not one of them.
She could see how his eyes cried out for help, but there was nothing she could do, not from the moment he thought that asking for help was tantamount to being weak.
Shoko finished the decoration hoping that Gojo would show up at the party.
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Wednesday December 7th 2012, 17:47
The hour for which Gojo had said to go home had now passed by more than forty minutes. Of course Gojo was always late but never this late.
Shoko had not explained to the children about the mission. she could not bear their disappointed looks. She had hoped that Gojo would choose them and not the mission as she had thought at first, but apparently she was right. he would never do that, he would never leave the non-sorcerer aside.
The house had been all decked out for the occasion, and Nanami had finally prepared the cake. Colorful yellow red and blue lights had been attached to the furniture, there were small bright blue streamers on the ceiling, and at the end a banner had been hung from a wall to another with some scotch with a handwritten dedication written by Shoko, under Megumi's strict supervision, which read "Happy birthday Gojo, we love you."
"He's not going to show up, is he?" asked Megumi as he looked at the two, he was trying to hide his sadness. Megumi was sad.
Nanami lowered herself to the child's height by hugging him and gently stroking his back. "He promised. It's not fair." he said through clenched teeth. It was obvious that the little one was hurt; they had arranged everything for that day and Gojo had forfeited.
"I'm sure there is a more than plausible reason Meg-" began Shoko being brutally stopped by the child "no! Tsumiki put a lot of effort into giving him this damn party and he doesn't show up!" "I'm sorry, kids," Nanami said, gently massaging Megumi and Tsumiki’s back.
After a few minutes, the door opened.
Gojo Satoru was in the house. Gojo was home! He held in his hand a bag full of sweet snacks, and Shoko thanked every goddess. The two children ran to him looking at him. "Sorry! I had trouble finding my favorite snack, so I searched all the supermarkets in the area. But I almost ended up on the other side of Tokyo!" He said before looking around himself, discovering the decorations.
"What’s going on here?" asked Satoru confusedly "Happy birthday!" shouted Tsumiki and Shoko in unison. Gojo found himself grinning like an idiot, thank goodness that just before boarding the car to leave he had reconsidered!
He ducked down, holding the two children in a hug. He held them close as if at any moment they might vanish into thin air, as if they too might leave him like Suguru.
"Gojo-san, you squeeze us" Megumi said after a few minutes "oh sorry you're right" the man pulled away looking then at Nanami and Shoko "is that why you told me not to go?" the woman simply shrugged her shoulders without answering him.
"Do you want to open the presents, Satoru?" asked nanami taking two packages plus a paper covered by the presents. "There are presents too?!" Gojo took Shoko’s package, unwrapping it.
A new pair of sunglasses had been arranged between sheets of tissue paper. they were simple glasses with a small, round lens just as Gojo loved them.
In the second package was a creamy white linen shirt. He guessed it was from Nanami, the choice of fabric was perfect and so was the color. yes it must be from Nanami! he thought with a smile.
Then came the gift for Megumi and Tsumiki. The boy timidly held a paper in his hand, which he slowly handed to Gojo.
Three figures were depicted on it. to the center of the picture there was a tall man with big blue eyes and white hair, a uniform of a blue far too light to be of jujutsu tech and with two figures beside him. Obviously gojo was the one in the center. To his right the figure of a child with green eyes and spiky black hair was distinct because of his pout. he was very similar to Megumi so he assumed it was him. To the left of the drawn Gojo was the figure of a small girl with a pink dress and her hair tied in a ponytail.
At the top right of the paper was a large black inscription "Happy B-Day Gojo!" The handwriting was Tsumiki's so he speculated that Megumi did the drawing instead, especially after seeing the child's shyness.
"oh little ones, this is beautiful," he brought the two children closer again, giving them both a kiss on the forehead. "I love you both very much."
It was the first time Gojo had said that out loud, and it certainly made that much more real. He was not embarrassed to have said it; on the contrary, he wanted the children to understand how important they were to him. "Satoru, there's also cake if you want," said Nanami as he looked at the birthday boy. "Really?! well I hope you made it sweet enough!" said Gojo as he stood up. "let the party begin!" he said laughing.
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Wednesday December 7 2012, 11:48 pm
This is the best birthday I've ever had. found himself thinking Gojo as he stroked the hair of the children now asleep on him. Halfway through the evening they had moved to the couch to watch some movies, the two children were so tired that even halfway through the first movie they’ve fallen asleep. Nanami and Shoko had left, and he was left alone with two snoring children.
"thank you very much," he whispered as he looked at the peaceful faces of Megumi and Tsumiki. he carried the two to his own bed before putting on his pajamas and lying down next to them.
He closed his eyes thinking back on the day but especially on the small paper hanging on the refrigerator with a magnet.
Happy birthday, Gojo.
here's Megumi's drawing!!
made by (Me)gumi!