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When he first laid eyes on the child, Suguru felt nothing but pure, unbridled hatred. His very being recoiled at the sight of him, the resemblance undeniable and leading Suguru to a horrifying conclusion. Toji Fushiguro, the man responsible for Riko Amanai's murder, had a child—a son no more than nine or ten years old. Toji was dead—killed by Satoru's own hands—yet like some cruel, twisted joke, his blood continued to pump through the heart of a child.
Suguru's conscience screamed, urging him to do what he knew was right—to do what was right for Riko's memory. It would have been so easy. Without his father to protect him and the pathetic level of cursed energy the child currently possessed, Suguru could have walked up and killed him without breaking a sweat. Only something kept him from approaching the boy, a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that spread deep into his heart and lungs.
It wasn't sympathy or a change of conscience that made him hesitate. Suguru wasn't above taking lives—even that of a child—for the sake of his goal and to protect those he loved. He was more certain of it than he'd ever been. Just knowing the boy existed in this world made his blood boil, the unfairness of it all quite sickening. What right did Toji have to go and make new life while so callously taking the lives of others?
The boy's name, which Suguru had the displeasure of learning from one of the boy's monkey friends, left a rancid taste in his mouth: Megumi, a blessing.
There was nothing blessed about him. Conceived by a monster who knew nothing of what a blessing truly was. Riko was a blessing to this world before a single bullet so cruelly blew away her life. That single shot had shattered the rose-colored glasses Suguru once wore, revealing to him the truth behind all the lies he'd been fed regarding his role as a jujutsu sorcerer. Why should they protect the weak—those monkeys—when all they have to offer this world is selfishness and cruelty?
All Suguru saw when he looked at that boy was the beginning of another monster. When that boy looked at the world around him, his gaze was cold, calculating, and distrustful. It was nothing like the monkeys that ran around without a care in the world, so disgustingly cheerful despite the suffering their existence brings. That boy possessed the same cold indifference as the monster that raised him. There was no doubt in Suguru's mind; it was only a matter of time.
Suguru made a grievous mistake the day he chose to spare the lives of those Star Religious Group members, back when he still believed in the good of humanity. Back when he was still a fool, following the delusions of those who thought themselves to be above him. Suguru was no longer that fool, and this time, he wouldn't make the same mistake.
As the ringing of a bell signaled the end of the school day, Suguru stepped forward out of the shadows, his eyes trained on the school yard across the street. Little monkeys came rushing from the building, Suguru's eyes scanning their faces in search of the boy. He'd barely made it to the curb when he froze, pressure on his right shoulder keeping him in place as fingers dug into his robes.
"Long time no see, Suguru."
Forcing a smile, Suguru glanced over his shoulder, his darkened purple eyes meeting the hardened gaze of Satoru Gojo. The piercing blue stare, which may have sent fear shooting down the spines of ordinary monkeys, had no effect on Suguru.
"Satoru, what a pleasant surprise. I wouldn't have expected to run into you at a place like this."
"Funny, I guess that makes two of us."
Satoru returned the smile, his eyes searching Suguru's, as though they would spill all the answers he was seeking. Maybe there was a time when they would, but those days were long since gone. The hand gripping his shoulder let go, Satoru shoving his hands in his pockets as he took on a more laid-back demeanor. He watched, silently, as more little monkeys filed out, running into the arms of their waiting parents.
"If someone asked me seven years ago whether I believed you were capable of cold-blooded murder, I'd have kindly told them to fuck off. That's not the kind of person Suguru was; he didn't kill without a good reason." When Satoru looked back at Suguru, his expression shifted into something akin to remorse. "Now…now I don't think I want to know what you're capable of."
"And whose right is it to decide what constitutes a good reason?" Suguru asked, his eyes leaving Satoru briefly to scan over the crowd, a frown tugging at his lips when he still couldn't spot the boy. Did he sneak by while I was distracted?
"If we're lucky, you're gonna be stuck here a while. He's almost always the last one to leave," Satoru said before letting out a breathy chuckle. "I'm telling you, he does it specifically to fuck with me, all because I was late that one time. I want to be mad at him, but he's just too damn cute, like a little sea urchin, y'know?"
No matter how hard he tried, Suguru couldn't form any words, his ears ringing from Satoru's words. There was no doubt that he was talking about that boy, Megumi, but why…why did it sound like Satoru was familiar with him? To fuck with him…because he was late…late to what? And why did he sound so fond of the boy?
"You are here for Megumi—" Satoru looked him right in the eyes, his expression calm despite what he was accusing Suguru of—"aren't you?"
Suguru felt his eye twitch as he dropped the fake smiles and pleasantries. "How long have you known?"
"That you're after Megumi or that Toji had a son?" Satoru asked despite having no intention of waiting for an answer. "This is the first time I've sensed your cursed energy around here, and seeing how you're creeping around Megumi's school, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together.
"As for the latter…he told me the day I killed him that he had a son, Megumi, who was gonna be sold to the Zenin clan—that I could do what I wanted with that information. I suppose it was his piss-poor attempt at doing something good before he died, not that I care either way. A man like that didn't deserve redemption."
The day you killed him, Suguru thought bitterly, clenching his hands as he turned to face his old friend. Satoru's brows raised in question. He had known of the boy's existence for years and kept it a secret, even when they were still attending school and hanging out together. Every day, Satoru would greet Suguru with a smile and his stupid jokes, all while hiding the ugly truth from him.
"And you took that as an incentive to, what, look after the boy?"
Satoru shrugged nonchalantly, "His mother died shortly after he was born, and with his father gone, he had no one. What else was I supposed to do?"
Suguru fought the urge to strangle Satoru, knowing it'd be pointless thanks to his limitless. Before everything went wrong—before Riko's death—Satoru had proclaimed that he was done babysitting. Yet, there he was admitting that he'd taken on the role of protecting and looking after the boy of the very man who so coldly took her life. What else was he supposed to do? What a ridiculous question.
"You could have told me!" Suguru growled, his grip on his emotions slipping. "All this time, you knew that monster had a son, and didn't think to—"
"You plan on killing him." Satoru cut him off, the words slicing through the air like a dagger, knocking the air out of Suguru's lungs. His eyes widened as Satoru scoffed. "Don't look so shocked. What's the point of sugar coating it if we both know the truth? You can't see past the resemblance to his father, so you want him dead, as if that'll make all the painful memories go away."
"And if I should attempt to take the boy's life," Suguru asked, "what would you do about it?"
"Whatever I have to."
As he spoke those words, Satoru's eyes were trained on the school yard, his tone lacking any emotion. Given the amount of casualties it would cause—the amount of children that would likely be caught in the crossfire—Satoru would not attack Suguru unprovoked, of that he was certain. Should Suguru make the first move, however, Satoru would not hesitate to protect the boy, even at the cost of other lives.
"Could you really sacrifice so many young lives for the sake of one so insignificant?"
"You don't know Megumi like I do," Satoru explained. "He's got so much untapped potential, it's actually quite startling at times. It may not look like it, but he's got the biggest heart and is always ready to fight tooth and nail for what he believes in. If given the proper guidance, he could become a great sorcerer."
"That boy doesn't deserve to be a sorcerer," Suguru spat in disgust, bright eyes full of wonder and a cheerful smile flashing before his eyes. "His father's actions forever stained the jujutsu world. That you've taken an interest in him is already insulting enough. To allow him to set foot on the very grounds where Riko spent her final moments would be a betrayal of her memory."
"Riko, Amanai," Satoru spoke her name as though it were something foreign to his tongue, but his unfocused gaze told a different story. "You know what I think…I think she would have loved Megumi. He's as outspoken and feisty as she was, maybe more so. No doubt that kid would have given her a run for her money."
"That's enough, Satoru." Suguru snapped. "You're a fool if you think you can change my mind by—"
"I don't give a shit what you think—" Satoru cut him off, his tone sharp and dripping with venom—"but don't give me that holier-than-thou bullshit while talking about murdering an innocent child.
"You want to accuse me of betraying Riko's memory? You've become so jaded you've forgotten why we wanted to save her in the first place. Riko didn't ask to be the Star Plasma Vessel any more than Megumi asked to be born to some psychotic monster. Megumi, a blessing," Satoru scoffed. "To Toji, Megumi was no blessing. He was just some kid he couldn't give a rat's ass about until his final moments."
"Is that supposed to make me sympathetic?"
"It's supposed to make you understand that his father held no influence on who he is. The man was never a part of his life," Satoru explained, his expression turning soft as Megumi finally emerged from the front entrance. "Who Megumi will grow up to be has nothing to do with his father…"
Staring at the boy as he slowly descended the school's front steps, Suguru felt his resolve slowly crumble. To say that Satoru changed his mind would be a laughable offense. Suguru still believed that killing the boy before he could pose a threat was the right course of action, but a part of him understood where Satoru was coming from.
Nanako and Mimiko came to the forefront of his mind, two innocent children who'd been let down by this world—by the very society that expected Suguru to protect those who caused his girls such suffering. In Satoru's eyes, the boy was no different—another abandoned soul in need of guidance and protection. Whether the two of them could ever see eye to eye on that was unlikely, but…not impossible. Even so, if it came down to it, Suguru could and would kill the boy should he stray down that same path his father once took.
"For his sake, I hope you're right," Suguru relented, turning to take his leave as the boy spotted the two of them, those hauntingly familiar green eyes narrowed in distrust—distrust which Suguru returned.
"Hey, Suguru?"
Suguru stopped, his back to Satoru as he spoke. "Yes?"
"It was nice talking to you."
The sincerity of his words was impossible to misinterpret. Despite everything that was said, Satoru could still find joy in conversing with an old friend. Some things never did change. Without a word, Suguru disappeared into the surging crowd, never looking back even as he felt those piercing blue eyes trailing his every movement. He would continue down the path he created, while Satoru remained steadfast on the one built through years of unnecessary deaths and heartache. Only time would tell who was right in the end.