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“Gojo Satoru’s spouse?!” echoed in the Tomb of the Star.
The sorcerers gathered there had differing degrees of incredulity. Satoru’s students showed hints of disgust.
“Who would want to marry this overgrown child?” Nobara asked.
Panda adds, “Yeah, Satoru’s too high-maintenance.”
Gojo Satoru let out a chuckle at this. “I would think I’d know if I was married, Tengen-sama.” He glanced at Suguru and smirks when the dark-haired man met his eyes. Not yet anyway. He looks back at Tengen-sama. “I have a partner but we’re not married. Why is that necessary anyway?”
Tengen-sama replies, “This cursed weapon you need has been protected by the Gojo clan for centuries. The first Gojo clan head that gained possession of it gifted it to his spouse.”
Zen’in Maki whistles, “Must have been smitten. That’s a valuable gift.”
“As expected of a jujutsu clan head, though,” Yuuta says.
“However,” Tengen-sama continues, “one clan head along the line was betrayed by his own spouse and ended up placing a curse on its container. Only the spouse of a Gojo clan head can open it but there is a test that comes with it.”
“We’re stuck then,” Megumi chimes in.
“Shake,” Inumaki says.
Nanami adjusts his frames. “It seems this is a dead-end.”
“Like it’s been said, Gojo Satoru has no spouse,” Suguru finally decides to add. “I don’t think I count as we are not yet married.”
“Suguru! Does that mean you want to marry me? Should we pick a date? We can do it as soon as possible!” Satoru latches onto Suguru like a koala or the man-child he actually was.
“That’s it then. Too bad, Yuuji,” Nobara calls out to the pink-haired teen.
Megumi looks at the boy. “We’ll just have to figure something else out.” His eyes narrow slightly at Yuuji. Megumi found his expression a bit odd. The other teen’s eyes flick to the white-haired teacher and back to Tengen-sama.
“We’ll do our best to assist you to return to your own universe, Itadori-kun.” Nanami assured Yuuji.
The young man flashes a grin to the man. They didn’t know him long enough to note that it wasn’t as bright as usual. “It’s fine, Nanamin. I appreciate everyone doing their best.” Gosh, it hurt to say that name. His Nanamin was dead – killed by Mahito in Shibuya. He didn’t care that it hurt though. Yuuji thought he would never be able to call out that name again, so just this chance, no matter how short, to see him, see them – he’ll relish it.
The group of three adults, the four second-years, the two first-years, and their guest from an alternate universe begin to make moves to leave.
“Actually,” Tengen-sama says, catching their attention. “There is a Gojo clan head spouse here.”
Satoru was quickly losing patience with this. “What are you on about?”
“Satoru,” Suguru softly reprimands.
“Why not just say who it is?” Maki has no idea why Tengen-sama was prolonging this.
Yuuji tries to appease the others, “Ah maybe we-“
“Itadori Yuuji,” Tengen-sama says.
“Yes?” Yuuji answers, eyes wide. Megumi wasn’t sure but are his eyes pleading? With Tengen-sama? About what? He’s really not sure where this whole thing is going.
“Itadori Yuuji,” Tengen-sama repeats. “You, as a spouse of a Gojo clan head, can open the container and get the cursed object.”
They all look at Yuuji in surprise.
Tengen-sama damningly adds, “You are the spouse of the Gojo Satoru of your world, isn’t that right?”
Yuuji didn’t – wouldn’t look at Satoru. This was not his husband. His Satoru was dead. Cut down in the fight against Sukuna. He is gone and Yuuji still finds it hard to breathe. Still can’t sleep without feeling like someone should be lying down next to him. Still needs that extra teaspoon of sugar in his coffee. Still wears the ring with the bright blue gemstone.
The pink-haired boy breathes out and hardens himself as he says, “I was.”
“Was?”
Yuuta. That was Yuuta, Yuuji realizes. He wouldn’t look at them. He can’t. So he keeps his eyes on Tengen-sama. Feels himself move to the container on the ground next to the being. He was trying so hard not to look at Gojo Satoru. Yuuji was afraid of the disappointment and bewilderment because surely that was what the man was feeling. Geto Suguru was alive in this world, after all. He knew that compared to him, Yuuji was a downgrade.
“Did you know?” Nanami whispers softly to Satoru and Suguru.
“No,” Suguru shakes his head. “He didn’t say anything.” He turns to look at the white-haired man next to me and finds that he’s dropped his blindfold, eyes kept on the pink-haired young man that fell unto their school grounds two days ago.
Yuuji was an enigma to Satoru. He smiled almost all the time and it was obvious that he knew them all well. The teen found his antics endearing. However, Yuuji kept a wall between them. He didn’t speak a lot about himself and he carried himself like…like there was a massive weight on his shoulders. A weight he was adamant to carry on his own. Satoru watched him walk to the box next to Tengen-sama. What was it about him that caught Gojo Satoru’s attention when Satoru could never imagine a life without his Suguru?
The box looked normal but closer, Yuuji can see the cursed energy subtly coming from it. His hands shake as he opens it. Smoke erupts out of the box and Yuuji steps back in alarm. The other sorcerers around the room shift their stance, ready to attack. The smoke solidifies into the shape of a person.
“Who are you?” A male-sounding voice asks.
Yuuji closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, steeling his nerves. There would be no more hiding. He opens his eyes and they glow almost golden in the light. “I am Gojo Yuuji, the spouse of my world’s Gojo Satoru.” The shape laughs and it is cold. Like the chill that comes with morning fog. Yuuji studies the creature or was it a curse? It was hard to tell. That doesn’t matter. He needs to be on guard. He had just bared his insides. Given voice to his heart’s cry the minute he met those blue, blue eyes and was asked who he was.
“Don’t you mean former? As your husband is dead.” The creature’s smile was so sharp Yuuji thought he could cut himself on it. “Well, he was your husband in name only, wasn’t he? He married you to protect you from the higher-ups. Your marriage was born out of pity. Why would the great Gojo Satoru want to marry you anyway?”
Nanami’s face hardens. Was this the test? A verbal evisceration? Is it going to bring out every insecurity Itadori Yuuji has? Nanami has not known him for long but everyone can see that Yuuji doesn’t deserve this.
“And you! Oh Gojo Yuuji! You were a lonely, lonely boy and greedy for affection, for love that you didn’t say no! Surely you knew? Geto Suguru was his one great love. Whatever he held for you was a candle flame compared to the forest fire he felt for his lost love.”
Of course Yuuji knew that. He didn’t know it was Geto Suguru at first but he knew Satoru was in love with someone. It didn’t matter that he only knew who it was after Satoru was sealed in the prison realm.
“The only reason he was caught by surprise in Shibuya was because the enemy wore Geto Suguru’s face. What was it he said? Even his soul knew that it was an imposter. Did he try to know you that well, Yuuji? Do you know him that well?”
Suguru can’t stand this anymore “Tengen-sama, we need –“
“There is nothing we can do,” Tengen replies.
“What? Do nothing? While this thing verbally attacks Yuuji?” Satoru snarls.
“There is nothing we can do,” Tengen repeats.
The smoke is becoming more solid. “Even at the very end, he still chose Geto Suguru.”
Its arms were around Yuuji. When did it do that? “You know. Gojo Satoru could have healed himself with his reversed curse technique. He could have lived and defeated Sukuna. He could have returned to you. But he didn’t. Because even at the end, even when all your lives were at stake, Gojo Satoru still chose Geto Suguru. He decided to die that day because he could finally be reunited with his one. Great. Love.”
The thing gave voice to Yuuji’s thoughts of that day. Maybe Satoru could have healed himself. Maybe he could have lived. Maybe he was finally ready to die. Maybe he loved Geto Suguru so much that he was done living a life without him. Now he finally found an opponent that could kill him and Satoru took that chance.
“He didn’t care about you. All he cared about was himself. He abandoned you.”
“No.” Yuuji can finally feel his body. His fists are clenched tight that they’re bleeding. His neck hurts from how tense he was and he can finally feel the hot tears streaming down his face.
“No?” The shape steps back from Yuuji and tilts his head.
Yuuji turns his head and finally, finally allows himself to look at Gojo Satoru with all the affection he held for his world’s version. “A lot of the things you said were true. Geto Suguru was Satoru-san’s one great love. Compared to him, I’m a downgrade. Satoru-san wasn’t in love with me when he married me. He only did it to protect me. And yes, I did think that…that…” Tears fill up his eyes as he looks at the blue, blue, blue of the love of his life. “Maybe he could have healed himself that day. But Satoru-san has been fighting for others for a long, long time and he could finally be reunited with the man he loved. Who am I to ask him to stay?”
Then Yuuji glanced at all the others there. Looked at the pity and sadness in the others’ eyes. For him. For Yuuji and his tragedy.
“You were wrong though about him not caring about me. He may not have loved me but he cared about me. Because Satoru-san was kind. So kind. He was a kind husband who always made sure to call when he was away on missions. No matter how short. He always appreciated it when I cooked for him. He…” And Yuuji was really crying. The tears he didn’t allow himself to cry being unleashed on these people that he loves but don’t really know him to love him back. “He brought souvenirs and enjoyed getting me gifts even though I told him he didn’t have to. He put this ring on my finger and told me that I was his family and he was mine.”
“So,” Gojo Yuuji turns back to the creature. “he may not have loved me but I loved him. At the end of the day, that’s all that mattered to me.”
The shape disperses. Gone as quickly as it appeared. At the bottom of the box was the cursed item that they needed.