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Being roommates with Suguru is great, Satoru thought to himself as he lounged on the couch, munching on the chips his roommate had bought a few days ago.
Behind him, Suguru, fresh from a shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, sighed disapprovingly. “Do you know just how tiring it is to go grocery shopping only for you to eat everything in a few days?” he asked, arms crossed.
Honestly, Suguru couldn’t fully blame him. Satoru grew up sheltered, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. It was no wonder he didn’t grasp the value of money. Unlike Satoru, Suguru was raised in a normal family in the countryside, where he was relied upon to help around the house.
Satoru stopped eating and put the chip bag on the coffee table. “It’s not like I ate all of it. I left some for you,” he retorted, shaking the half-full bag. Suguru furrowed his eyebrows in frustration as he took the bag from him. “I bought these last night,” he frowned, noticing it was already half empty.
Satoru waved his hand carelessly. “Calm down, we can just get another one later,” he said casually, paying no mind to his roommate as he stood up to wash his hands. Suguru couldn’t believe just how out of touch the older male was.
Suguru sighed as he walked into his room to change into his black sweater and sweatpants. Tying his hair into a bun, he grabbed the keys and was about to leave when he stopped mid-track. Suguru turned to face Satoru, wondering how he would survive on his own without help. Suddenly, as if a light bulb lit up above his head, he had an idea.
“Satoru.”
“Mm, yeah?” Satoru answered lazily.
“Get changed, we’re going grocery shopping,” Suguru said, throwing a bag at him, which Satoru caught swiftly.
--
While walking down the street, Suguru had pretty much tuned out Satoru’s complaints about why he had to tag along. Satoru didn’t see the point since Suguru had always handled the groceries on his own.
“Why should I go? It’s not like you need my help carrying the groceries,” Satoru sulked, his frown clearly visible like a rain cloud over his head. Suguru rolled his eyes at his dramatic best friend.
Suguru sighed and looked at Satoru. “Because what if I’m not here one day? Not everyone is as willing as me to buy groceries for two people all the time,” he explained, crossing his arms and tilting his head. Satoru blinked in response.
“Why wouldn’t you be here anyway?”
“It’s a ‘what if’ scenario, idiot!”
--
At the grocery store, Satoru was less grumpy after Suguru promised they’d get ice cream after shopping. Instead of helping, Satoru wandered around aimlessly, not knowing where anything was. Suguru, busy comparing milk brands for the best price, didn’t notice Satoru standing there, looking lost.
Suguru looked at his grocery list. Getting chips should be easy enough for him, right?
“Satoru, can you get some snacks? They’re a few aisles down,” Suguru said nonchalantly, his focus still on the milk. Determined to prove his roommate wrong, Satoru crossed his arms defensively.
“I know where the snack aisle is,” he grumbled before walking away with the trolley.
--
While picking out chips, Satoru chose what looked good to him, tossing various bags into the trolley without checking flavors or prices. Suguru came to check on him and was shocked to see the trolley was almost full of snacks.
“Shouldn’t 3-4 be enough? Why is the trolley almost full?” he raised an eyebrow in confusion and shock. Seeing one of the shelves almost empty, Suguru asked, “Did you empty out one of the shelves?”
Satoru shrugged. “So? I can always just buy them.”
“It’s not about whether you can buy them or not. Come here,” Suguru gently pushed him aside and scanned the chips Satoru had chosen. He pulled out one bag and examined the flavor. “See this? Can you even handle this? Look at the flavor,” Suguru said, baffled. “Satoru, this is Carolina Pepper flavored. You can’t even handle spicy food!”
Satoru crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “Oh, please, Suguru. A little spice is okay with me. It's merely a chip; it won't kill you.” With a sly smile, he reclaimed the bag from Suguru. "Besides, how bad can it really be?"
"Nuh-uh, no way," Suguru said, snatching the bag back. "You’re not fooling anyone." He put the Carolina Pepper chips back on the shelf, along with the other odd flavors Satoru had picked out.
–
Satoru trailed behind Suguru, sulking slightly as his friend navigated the grocery store with practiced ease. Suguru stopped in front of a shelf of pasta, grabbing a box and scrutinizing it carefully.
“First rule of smart shopping,” Suguru began, turning the box over to show Satoru the expiration date, “always check the expiration dates. See this one?” He pointed to a date printed on the side of the box. “It’s a week away, which means it’s usually cheaper because they want to sell it before it goes bad.”
Satoru squinted at the small text as he leaned in. "So we just purchase items that are going to expire? Why not purchase the new items?”
Suguru shook his head, smiling. “Not exactly. We buy things that are close to expiring if we know we can finish them in time. Like this pasta—it’s good for another week, and we’ll definitely eat it before then. It’s cheaper, so we save money.”
After putting the pasta in the cart, he proceeded to the dairy area and grabbed a carton of milk. He checked the date and nodded, placing it in the cart as well. “Same goes for milk. This one’s good for another five days, which is perfect for us.”
Satoru still looked a bit confused but grabbed a tub of yogurt and checked the date. “Expires in three days. Should we get this?”
Suguru glanced over and smiled. “Three days is fine. We’ll have it for breakfast, so it’ll be gone in no time.”
As they continued through the aisles, Satoru started picking up items and checking dates on his own, feeling more confident with each successful find. Suguru, noticing his progress, patted him on the back. “See? You’re getting the hang of it. Soon you’ll be a pro at this.”
Suguru looked over at Satoru as he carefully checked the expiration date on a carton of milk, and a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t believe that he had actually gotten Gojo Satoru, the guy who usually avoided mundane tasks go grocery shopping.
–
Ever since that day, Suguru and Satoru began making a habit of their little shopping trips together. Each Saturday morning, they’d grab their reusable bags and head downtown to the local grocery store.
One Saturday, as they browsed the fruit section, Suguru picked up a bunch of bananas and checked the ripeness. “These will be good for the next few days,” he said, placing them in the cart. “Remember, it’s all about timing and how quickly we’ll eat things.”
Satoru nodded, selecting a few apples and examining them closely. “Got it. Check for freshness but also make sure we’ll actually eat it before it goes bad.” He grinned, feeling more confident in his choices.
They moved on to the dairy section, where Satoru picked up a carton of eggs. He turned to Suguru, asking, “These are good for a couple of weeks. That should be fine, right?”
Suguru smiled and nodded. “Perfect. You’re getting really good at this.”
Satoru’s grin widened, but inside he knew the truth—he wasn’t really sure about the details of shopping, nor did he fully understand all the nuances Suguru was teaching him.
By the time they reached the checkout line, both of them were in high spirits. Suguru looked at Satoru, a smile tugging at his lips. “I have to say, I never thought I’d see the day when you would be so into grocery shopping.”
Satoru chuckled, handing over a coupon. “Yeah, who knew? I guess sometimes it’s not about what you’re doing but who you’re with.”
Suguru nodded, his eyes reflecting the warmth of their shared experience. “That’s the best part of these trips, after all.”
As they walked home, bags in hand, Satoru glanced over at Suguru and said, “I don’t know what I’d do without you, seriously!”
Suguru looked at him, a playful smile on his face. “Honestly, I’m not sure either. Just last week you were still figuring out how to smart shop.”
–
After their shopping trips, it became a norm Satoru cherished along with his friend—picking out the ripest fruit, debating over the best snacks, sharing jokes while waiting in line; Satoru found a rare sense of peace. Saturday was the day where he can stop fighting and battling curses and think for himself for once not as “the strongest” but as “Satoru”.
Yet, as time passed, the demands of being "the strongest" began to draw Satoru away from this simple routine. Missions became more frequent and more dangerous, he was rarely sent with Suguru as a partner but instead went on more solo missions. The weight of responsibility settled heavily on his shoulders, and his Saturdays became consumed by the burden of his duties.
It’s no wonder Satoru never noticed the shift in Suguru’s heart. It wasn’t that he was ignorant or that he had turned a blind eye to his friend’s growing distance. Far from it; if anything, it was thanks to Suguru he became more observant.
As observant as he was, he couldn’t help but blame himself for Suguru’s betrayal.
Satoru replayed their last conversations, their last moments together, searching for clues that he had missed. He scrutinized every detail of their last grocery trip, trying to find where things had gone wrong. It wasn’t that he had been willfully blind; it was simply that he had been so wrapped up in his own responsibilities that he had overlooked the quiet suffering of his friend.
The morning Yaga told Satoru Suguru had betrayed the school and became a cursed user, Satoru refused to believe him. Wanting to look for answers himself, he searched for him.
Yet, he only went home that evening with more questions in his mind.
“Are you the strongest because you’re Gojo Satoru?” Suguru’s voice echoed in his mind, replaying their confrontation from that afternoon. “Or are you Gojo Satoru because you’re the strongest?” Suguru’s words had hung in the air as he turned away, and Satoru had been paralyzed, his attack faltering.
Why did he freeze? Suguru’s a criminal, he should–
“Kill me if you want. There’s meaning in that too,” Suguru had said in a voice devoid of warmth. Satoru had lowered his hand, overwhelmed by the weight of what had just happened and unable to grasp the true nature of their conflict.
–
It had been some time since Satoru had last gone grocery shopping. The routines of his life had shifted dramatically since Suguru had left. The task of shopping for groceries had fallen to the wayside, and the pantry had been left to gather dust.
One evening, Satoru found himself in the kitchen, looking for a snack. As he rummaged among the shelves, his eyes came upon something very familiar. He picked a bag of chips from the pantry's rear corner, its colorful wrapping standing out against the surrounding, less enticing products.
The bag of chips was the same Carolina Pepper flavor that Suguru had refused to let him buy on their first trip together. Satoru frowned, confused. He remembered how Suguru had pulled it from the cart and said, “Nuh-uh, no way. You’re not getting this one.”
Now, as he stared at the bag, a small note attached to it caught his eye. The handwriting was unmistakable–it was Suguru’s
"Satoru, if you’re reading this, DON’T eat it until I get back. Let’s see who can eat more of it."
Satoru set the note aside and looked at the bag of chips. The Carolina Pepper flavor was still there, daring him to face the heat that Suguru had once mocked him for. The thought of Suguru’s playful grin flashed through his mind, a fleeting memory of their time together.
Satoru leaned against the counter, staring at the bag as if it could provide answers to the questions he had about the past.
“Guess you win this round, Suguru,” he said quietly to the empty kitchen, a sad smile on his lips.
He carefully placed the note back with the chips at the very back of their once shared cabinet knowing this will be the last item from the time they went grocery shopping together.
–
Ten years had gone by since Suguru's departure, and Satoru stood in front of his refrigerator, its emptiness a harsh reminder of how much had changed. With the new semester approaching and first-year students arriving soon, he knew he needed to restock his home with food. The thought of grocery shopping alone felt like a chore, a stark contrast to the once-pleasant routine he shared with Suguru.
With a resigned sigh, he grabbed his keys and reusable bags, heading out to the grocery store. The automatic doors slid open with a familiar whoosh, and the bright lights and aisles filled with food welcomed him in. It had been years since he had done this regularly, and the task felt both nostalgic and painfully foreign.
As Satoru proceeded through the produce department, he picked up a handful of bananas without checking their ripeness. He tossed them into his cart, the action mechanical, devoid of the careful consideration Suguru had always shown. Moving on to the dairy section, he grabbed a carton of milk without a glance at the expiration date, his mind elsewhere.
As Satoru strolled through the grocery store, he found himself lingering in the sweets aisle, pondering what to get for Megumi. He picked up a few chocolate bars and then put them back, indecision gnawing at him. Megumi liked sweets, he thinks. But what he does know is that the black haired male was picky. Satoru wanted to get something special, something that would make the young sorcerer smile.
Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed the other shoppers moving around him. He reached for a bag of gummy bears when a familiar voice spoke up from behind him, startling him.
“There’s a discount aisle at the back,” A voice said, his voice carrying that same familiar tone of both warmth and mischief.
Satoru froze, the bag of gummy bears slipping from his fingers and falling to the floor. He turned slowly, heart pounding, to see Suguru standing there, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. His appearance was almost surreal, as if he had stepped out of a memory.
“Suguru?” Satoru’s voice was barely a whisper, disbelief and shock mingling in his tone. “What are you doing here?”
Suguru chuckled softly, the sound both nostalgic and jarring. “Just passing through,” he said casually, glancing around the store. “I’m actually shopping for my family today. But I couldn’t resist seeing how you’re managing. Thought I’d see if you’ve finally learned how to shop smart.”
Satoru felt a rush of emotions—anger, relief, confusion—all swirling inside him. “What do you care?” he snapped, trying to mask his vulnerability. “You left. You chose your path.”
Suguru’s eyes met Satoru’s, and there was a brief, unreadable flicker in them. “People change, Satoru. Things move on. I’m just here for the groceries. Nothing more.”
Without another word, Suguru turned and walked away, disappearing down the aisle with quick, determined steps. Satoru watched him go, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air.
As Suguru’s figure vanished around the corner, Satoru was left standing there, the emptiness of the grocery store echoing the emptiness he felt inside. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, and looked down at the gummy bears.
He knew he had to finish shopping, but the reminder of what was lost made it hard to focus.
–
The battlefield was silent, the turmoil of the war a distant memory. Debris and fragments of their conflict were scattered about them, demonstrating the fury of the clash. Satoru stood in the ruins, his breath steady but his heart heavy, staring at Suguru, who leaned against the wall, injured but defiant.
Suguru’s clothes were tattered, his body bruised and bloodied. Yet, despite his injuries, there was a resigned calm in his eyes. He looked up at Satoru with a tired smile, a flicker of the old Suguru still shining through.
“You’re late,” Suguru said softly, his voice weak but carrying a hint of the old Suguru. “I didn’t think I’d be meeting my end with you here.”
Satoru stared at him, his expression a mix of resolve and sadness. “Do you have anything to say before it’s over?” he asked, his voice steady but there were some tone of regret and disappointment.
Suguru’s eyes met Satoru’s, a shadow of their past friendship evident in his gaze. “No matter what, I’ll always hate those monkeys,” he said, a bitter edge to his tone.
The words hung in the air, a reminder of the deep-seated anger and resentment that had started this madness; that took his best friend from him and made him drive down this path.
Satoru’s eyes softened as he gazed at Suguru, a quiet sadness flickering in the depths of his usually playful demeanor.
“Suguru,” he murmured, his voice barely more than a breath, as if the mere act of speaking might break the fragile spell of the moment. The name he called out hung in the air.
Suguru weakly looked up and saw Satoru crouching before him.
“...” Satoru’s voice was barely audible, his words so soft that only Suguru—and perhaps the Gods—could decipher their meaning.
Suguru let out a soft, almost nostalgic laugh. “You should at least curse me at the end,” he said, a wry smile touching his lips despite the pain.
–
Satoru sat at his desk, engrossed in the latest reports of cursed activity, when the sound of footsteps announced Megumi’s arrival.
“Gojo-sensei, I’m heading out to get groceries,” Megumi said, trying to sound as formal as possible--he really had no time to deal with his teacher's antics today. “Do you need anything?”
Satoru looked up from his papers, his gaze briefly illuminated by the flickering light. He adopted an exaggeratedly thoughtful expression, leaning back in his chair with a dramatic sigh. “Hmm, let me think… Does this count as an excuse to escape work?”
Megumi raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed at his teacher as he glanced at the cluttered desk and the piles of reports. “It’s not an excuse. I’m actually just getting groceries.”
Satoru’s grin widened as he sprang up from his chair, nearly toppling over the stack of papers in his enthusiasm. “Perfect! I’ll join you then.”
"What?" Megumi furrowed his eyebrows, "no-"
“Yes!” Satoru cheered, his voice echoing slightly in the otherwise quiet office. “I can get out of this dreary office and buy snacks! Plus, I’ll teach you the art of snagging the best deals! You might not know it, but I’m a master of grocery store bargains.”
Megumi sighed, resigned to his fate as he followed Satoru out, the sound of their footsteps mingling with the distant hum of the air conditioner.
It has been ten years and Gojo Satoru finally learned how to smart shop and yet, he is still learning how to live without Suguru.