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Crossing through the protective barrier, Gojo stepped onto the school grounds, his entire being relaxing as another long and tedious mission came to a close. As of late, the number of cursed spirits, especially higher-grade ones, seemed to be growing exponentially. More often than not, Gojo has been called away from his teaching to help keep things under control. He may be the world's strongest sorcerer, but even for Gojo, it was exhausting.
Taking a moment to relax, Gojo stood under one of the torii gates, listening to the leaves rustling in the wind and the symphony of crickets who called the surrounding forest home. The moon shone brightly in the sky, casting shadows across the school grounds. Tugging his blindfold down, Gojo glanced around, using his six eyes to locate his students. He grew more wary the longer he was forced away and made it a habit of checking in first thing upon his return.
Three of his second-year students—Maki, Panda, and Toge—appeared fast asleep in their dorm rooms, their cursed energy relaxed and unmoving. The only one missing was Yuta, who, from what Gojo recalled, was currently away on his own mission. Knowing Yuta, Gojo shouldn't be too worried about the kid, but still, he looked forward to him coming back safe and sound. Turning toward the first-year dorms, Gojo smiled as he caught sight of their cursed energy.
Yuji and Nobara's energy fluctuated, constantly shifting between a state of calm and excitement. Having been around them long enough, Gojo knew that level of excitement didn't come from dreams or nightmares. No, those two were wide awake. Megumi's cursed energy, on the other hand, remained relaxed and unmoving, much like the second-years'. Even so, Gojo couldn't help but notice how the three of them were congregated in what he determined to be Yuji's room.
Taking out his phone, Gojo sighed as he read the time. It was almost one in the morning, and Gojo knew for a fact that they had classes later that day, specifically, morning classes with him. After the mission he just had, Gojo wasn't looking forward to having to babysit three exhausted teenagers. He wasn't looking forward to much of anything at the moment. If he could have things his way, Gojo would spend the entire day in bed catching up on some desperately needed sleep.
Pocketing his phone, Gojo strolled across the school grounds toward the dorms, enjoying the fresh night air a little longer. He wasn't usually one to reprimand his students, not unless the situation was serious. Even then, Gojo tried his best to ensure they understood where he was coming from. They were still kids, after all, regardless of what the higher-ups thought. So long as they were safe and not falling behind on their training, Gojo saw no harm in letting them have some fun. Life was cruel enough as it is; he wasn't about to snuff out what little joy they found.
By the time Gojo found himself standing outside the first-year dorms, his resolve was already crumbling. The thought of just cancelling his morning classes and letting them all get some extra sleep was far too tempting. Principal Yaga would no doubt give him hell if he did, and truth be told, Gojo didn't like the idea of letting his students down. How could he call himself the world's strongest sorcerer if he couldn't even handle a little exhaustion?
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Gojo stepped inside the dorm building, the door closing quietly behind him. Due to the surrounding trees, very little moonlight managed to filter in, leaving the majority of the building cloaked in darkness. Thankful for his six eyes, Gojo easily traversed the dark hallways, as silent as a ghost, until he was standing outside of Yuji's room. Light spilled out from underneath the door, the faint whisper of voices muffled by the wood. Gojo hesitated for only a second before gently rapping his knuckles against the door.
A loud thunk resonated from inside the room, accompanied by some shuffling and more whispering before Yuji softly called out, "Come in, but you gotta be quiet."
Upon opening the door, Gojo was greeted by a loud shriek and something wet tearing right beside his ear. Glancing sideways, he was a little surprised to see a brand new TV mounted on the wall. It was modestly sized and one of the more affordable models, but still, Gojo knew that any brand of TV that wasn't some clunky box cost a decent chunk of change.
"Oh, hey, Gojo-sensei," Yuji greeted him, drawing Gojo's attention.
Yuji beamed up at him from where he sat cross-legged on the floor, clutching a fluffy pillow to his chest. There was a thick blanket laid out beneath him and a bunch of pillows propped up against the side of the bed, which he leaned back against. Nobara sat beside him, a half-empty bowl of popcorn nestled in her lap.
A stack of DVDs sat off to the side, a few cases tossed unceremoniously aside. Going off the titles he could read, Gojo guessed they were all horror movies. The case nearest Yuji was a more recent movie that had been released only a few days ago—Yuji having chatted Gojo's ear off about it a couple of weeks ago—and was undoubtedly responsible for the ungodly squelching taking place a few inches away from Gojo's ear.
"How'd the mission go?" Yuji asked. "Did you kick some cursed spirit's ass?"
"What are you, stupid?" Nobara scoffed. "It's Gojo-sensei you're talking about! Of course he kicked their ass!"
"Okay, okay, you don't have to yell. You're gonna wake Fushiguro."
"Oh, please. If that woman screaming her head off while being sawed in half didn't wake him, then I'm sure as hell not going to!" Nobara tossed a piece of popcorn in her mouth before jerking a thumb over her shoulder. "Not even the dead could wake him up!"
"Yeah, I don't think that's how that saying goes."
"Whatever! You get my point!"
Gojo couldn't help the soft smile that graced his lips as he glanced up at the bed. Nobara was right. Despite her yelling, Megumi was sound asleep, undisturbed by the conversation happening right beside him. He was curled up in the far corner of the bed, some pillows propped between him and the wall he was leaning against. A throw blanket had been carefully draped over him and tucked around his legs. It wouldn't take a genius to guess which of the two teens was responsible.
Megumi looked more his age when sleeping, the stress that came with being a Jujutsu sorcerer melting away into something softer. Gojo hadn't seen him that relaxed for some time, not since what happened to his sister, when Megumi reluctantly accepted his role in the Jujutsu world. Despite Gojo's best efforts, Megumi refused to open up about how he was feeling. Instead, he walked around acting indifferent, refusing to let anyone get too close to him.
When Megumi asked him to save Yuji, Gojo didn't hesitate, a small part of him hoping that maybe having the bubbly, pink-haired teen around would be good for Megumi. In the end, it wasn't just Yuji, but Nobara as well. Despite there having been a few hackles raised that first day, the three of them took to each other surprisingly well. They began hanging out during their free time, Megumi even opening up—albeit a little—to Yuji and Nobara about his sister. Gojo had felt downright giddy the first time Megumi asked to borrow his card to take the three of them out for lunch.
Which, now that he thought about it…Gojo glanced back at the TV. Megumi had asked him to use his card a few days before he'd been due to leave for his latest mission. He refused to elaborate on what for, and Gojo didn't pry. Having come from a life where even the necessities weren't always a guarantee, Megumi rarely asked for anything, so Gojo never refused him when he did.
"Pretty cool, right?" Yuji asked when he noticed Gojo staring. "It was a gift from Fushiguro! Can you believe it?! I don't think I've ever been gifted anything so expensive!"
"And all because you've been moping around more than usual," Nobara muttered as she ate more popcorn, though her tone held far less of a bite than her words. "But hey, as long as I get to reap the benefits of you being sad, I'm all for it!"
"You've been upset?" That was certainly news to Gojo. "Did something happen?"
After what occurred at the Kyoto Sister School Goodwill Event, Gojo thought he'd made it clear to that old man, Gakuganji, that if he ever tried harming one of his students behind his back again, there would be hell to pay. If the higher-ups were pulling another stunt like that—
"No, no, nothing like that, Gojo-sensei!" Yuji laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. His demeanor changed into something more solemn as he continued. "It's just…well, lately I've been thinking about my grandfather and how much I miss the old days, y'know? Before all…this."
That's right, Gojo thought with a pang of guilt, he was never given the chance to properly grieve his grandfather's death.
In a desperate bid to save Megumi, who was Gojo's responsibility, Yuji had eaten Sukuna's finger. He unwillingly became the King of Curses' vessel, mere hours after his grandfather's passing. The kid's entire world was turned inside-out, his future decisively cut short for the sake of the greater good. At least, that's what the higher-ups kept hammering into Gojo's thick skull. Whether they were right didn't change how shitty the entire ordeal was and, judging by the sympathetic expression Nobara wore as she listened to her friend, Gojo wasn't the only one who thought so.
"I take it the two of you used to watch movies together?" Gojo asked, hoping he wasn't misreading the situation.
"Yeah, like, all the time! He'd let me stay up pretty late watching all sorts of movies! That's how I discovered the first Human Earthworm movie!" Yuji exclaimed, his mood brightening with the memories. "Lately, though, I've only been able to watch movies at the theater, and well, that started adding up pretty quickly. I was telling Fushiguro about it the other day and didn't think much of it. We've talked about stuff like this before, y'know?"
"I see." Gojo smiled sadly.
Truth be told, Gojo was ashamed to admit that he hadn't realized just how hard all of this was for Yuji. Sure, he knew the kid was constantly weighed down by the knowledge of his execution looming overhead, but there was very little Gojo could do to lessen that particular burden. However, things like this—surely, Gojo could do something, if only he'd noticed sooner. He needed to do better, for all of their sake.
Nobara huffed out a little laugh. "I still can't believe he went and bought you a whole TV just to cheer you up!"
"I bought him the TV so he'd stop barging into my room uninvited," Megumi grumbled tiredly as he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. Apparently, enough yelling could wake Megumi.
"And yet here you are, hanging out in his room!" Nobara taunted with a smirk. "Admit it, Fushiguro, you did it because you like him!"
Without a word, Megumi grabbed one of the pillows beside him and tossed it at Nobara's head. It smacked her square in the face, causing her to sputter in disbelief as the bowl of popcorn was knocked out of her hands, spilling it all over the floor.
"Why you!!"
Grabbing the pillow, Nobara hurled it back at him, shouting some obscenities when Megumi easily deflected it. Poor Yuji was stuck in the middle, flailing his hands around as he tried to talk Nobara down. Megumi, for his part, just shrugged off Nobara's threats of going up there and giving him a taste of his own medicine, all while clutching another pillow. Gojo watched the chaos unfold from the sidelines, bursting into laughter when Yuji got caught in the crossfire. That caught Megumi's attention, and the two of them locked eyes.
"That reminds me," Megumi mumbled, mostly to himself, before addressing Gojo. "Gojo-sensei?"
"What's up, kiddo?"
"Do you want to go out for breakfast with us tomorrow?"
"I'm pretty sure it's technically today—" Yuji butted in, rubbing the side of his face where he took the hit from Nobara—"but, you should totally come, Gojo-sensei! Fushiguro says he knows an amazing cafe in Shibuya that makes the fluffiest soufflé pancakes! Apparently, he went there a few times as a kid."
"Can you imagine, Fushiguro as a cute little kid!" Nobara grinned at Megumi, who glared back at her. "I bet you were just as grumpy back then, too, weren't you?!"
"I'm not grumpy, you're just annoying."
"Excuse me?! You better take that back!"
Their ensuing argument fell on deaf ears as Gojo stared in disbelief, his breath catching in his throat. Gojo knew exactly which cafe Yuji was talking about. He still vividly remembered the first time he took Megumi there after dragging the boy along to one of his safer missions. Megumi had refused to order anything, claiming that he wasn't that hungry. When Gojo's food came, he made Megumi try a bite of his pancakes. Gojo ended up only eating about one-fourth of his pancakes; the rest had been scarfed down by his not-at-all-hungry kid.
After that, it became a tradition of sorts. Gojo would take Megumi out on missions, attempting to ease him into the sorcerer lifestyle, and afterward, they'd go to the cafe to share a stack of soufflé pancakes. It made some of his boring missions more bearable. Then Megumi got older, joined middle school, and a rift of sorts grew between them. Megumi fought against the idea of becoming a sorcerer and when that happened, the special trips stopped. The cafe became just another treasured memory of the past.
Or so Gojo thought.
"Well—" Yuji interrupted Gojo's train of thought, his eyes practically glowing with glee—"what do you say, Gojo-sensei? You want to come with?"
Megumi looked at him expectantly, the way his eyes softened making it clear he knew what Gojo had been thinking. That Megumi chose that specific cafe was no coincidence—he already knew Gojo's answer.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Gojo blinked back unshed tears as he answered. The smile he got in return made his chest swell.
"Yes!" Yuji cheered. "We get to eat soufflé pancakes for breakfast and hang out with Gojo-sensei! Can today get any better?"
"We could always go shopping after," Nobara suggested.
"That's a great idea!" Yuji said. "I still need to buy a new pair of shoes after that last mission completely wore down the soles. Hey, Fushiguro, you happen to know any good shoe stores in Shibuya that sell them for cheap?"
"Not really."
"If we're going shopping—" Gojo cut in, grinning when Megumi shot him a knowing look—"then we're going shopping! You three go wild, buy whatever you need—or want, I don't care—and leave the bill to me!"
"Are you serious?" Nobara asked, her eyes widening.
Although Megumi was the only one who knew just how deep Gojo's pockets ran, Nobara and Yuji figured out he was rich after a particular incident involving a fairly expensive shirt. Gojo didn't mind, as, surprisingly, neither harassed him for money once they found out. Hell, Yuji planned on buying cheap shoes before thinking of asking Gojo for help. Gojo wouldn't mind if they did ask him for money every once in a while.
"Of course! Buy whatever your little hearts desire!"
Megumi sighed dramatically as he rested his head in his hands. "He just unleashed a monster."
"There's going to be so many bags," Yuji whispered in horror.
"Now this is what I call the best day ever!" Nobara said before leveling Gojo with a look that made it clear she wasn't playing around. "We'll be leaving for the train at seven, so make sure you're on time!"
"Don't you worry, I'll be there!" Gojo waved her off, stifling a yawn as his exhaustion finally caught up with him.
He was about to wish them all goodnight—intent on getting whatever shut eye he could—when he remembered why he was there in the first place. With all the excitement and rush of emotions he hadn't felt in so long, Gojo completely forgot they all had classes tomorrow. He could already hear Yaga's voice scolding him as he made up his mind. So much for being a model teacher. At the very least, Gojo could accomplish one thing he came to do.
"However, there is one little condition," Gojo announced, earning a chorus of inquiry. "You three need to go to bed! Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Ah, come on, Gojo-sensei, we're almost to the end of the movie!" Yuji complained.
Megumi looked unimpressed. "Way to kill the mood."
"Seriously!" Nobara scowled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And here I actually thought you were kinda cool!"
"I'm sorry, who's letting you three miscreants skip school to go on an all-expenses-paid shopping spree?"
The room fell silent as Yuji and Nobara looked at each other, confused, before the metaphorical light bulb went off. Based on their shared looks of horror, Gojo knew without a doubt whose idea it had been to skip class. Glancing at Megumi, Gojo's assumption was confirmed when his kid continued to look unbothered, even as the other two panicked.
"I completely forgot we had classes today!" Yuji exclaimed.
"Like that's a surprise," Nobara scoffed, ignoring the fact that she'd forgotten as well. "But how the hell did Fushiguro forget?! Aren't you supposed to be the goody-two-shoes of the group?!"
Oh, he didn't forget, Gojo thought fondly as another argument ensued between his students.
Nobara wasn't wrong about Megumi having been a pretty grumpy child. From an outsider's perspective, Megumi always seemed unhappy, like the world and those around him meant very little. Such an observation couldn't be further from the truth. Even back then, Megumi held more love in his heart than most people; he just wasn't the best at expressing it. Instead, Megumi showed how much he cared through actions.
Take, for example, all the times Megumi feigned being sick when Gojo returned home from missions that left him completely drained. Gojo himself had thought it was Megumi's way of asking for attention before realizing Megumi was doing it for him. If his kid was sick, that meant Gojo had an excuse to skip classes for a few days and catch up on his sleep. During those days, Megumi would hover, his concern evident in the way he always kept Gojo in his sights.
Although it wasn't the same routine, Megumi was still pulling the same stunt and showing Gojo the same concern for his well-being. To think that his kid was still looking out for him after all these years…Sure, skipping class to take your students shopping wasn't the same as having a sick child under your care, but Gojo was happy to use the excuse all the same.