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“Megumi come here! If you don’t put on sunscreen you’ll end up with wrinkles!” Tsumiki scolded, holding a small tube of sunscreen.
“What are wrinkles?” Megumi wondered, furrowing his eyebrows.
“They’re permanent creases or folds in the skin caused by the breakdown of structural proteins like collagen and elastin, combined with a loss of natural hydration and facial volume.” Shoko explained.
“This process accelerates when intrinsic aging, repetitive muscle movements, and environmental damage disrupt the skin's matrix, like the sun, thats why you need sunscreen.”
“That’s our doctor! Megumi-chan, wrinkles are little lines that show up on your skin when you grow older!”
“That’s not the point! Megumi, if you don’t put on sunscreen you’ll will end up with sunburns and they hurt and you will die-“
“Let’s not stress Tsumiki, this is a relaxing day to the pool. Let me help with the sunscreen.” Shoko calmly interfered, taking the tube out of the eldest Fushiguro sibling and applying the contents to the youngest’s face.
“So annoying…” Megumi scoffed. Satoru could feel Tsumiki erupting slowly, and therefore grabbed her hand and started yapping away. Always works like a charm.
“C’mon Tsumiki! Let’s swim!”
While Tsumiki slowly took a step inside the water, her body adjusting to the temperature, Satoru dived right in. He couldn’t feel the water after all.
“What is the point of you swimming when you dont allow yourself get wet?” Shoko deadpanned.
“What is the point of you having a medical degree when you smoke ten cigarettes a day?” Satoru replied.
“She cheated her way through med school.” Megumi noted.
“Exactly. Thank you Megumi.” Shoko pated his head while taking another drag of her cigarette.
“You evil creatures, teaming up against me! Tsumiki-chan, back me up!” Satoru whined.
“I still don’t understand how your infinity works. Why can’t I touch you?” Tsumiki asks, staring lovingly, full of worry into Satoru’s eyes, while poking at his invisible barrier.
When Satoru first explained the concept of cursed energy and sorcery to the two kids, they believed him far too soon for comfort. Shoko believed it was due to their childlike mind. Kids believe in the tooth fairy, santa, and mermaids. Why wouldn’t they believe magical creatures?
Plus, Megumi could see them. He just believed he was schizophrenic.
Although he was a bit young to know the meaning of said term, his stupid confused face appearing in Satoru’s mind.
But, while Megumi pretended he didn’t give a flying fuck about Gojo’s technique, Tsumiki was always intrigued by it. Even more than Megumi’s invisible dogs, who the boy made her pet every day.
In reality, what Tsumiki couldn’t understand was Satoru’s barrier. It seemed cruel, unhuman to her.
“Why can’t i touch you Gojo-san?” She pondered just a mere week after their first meeting.
“Please call me Satoru, Tsumiki-chan!” Satoru mindlessly corrected. She will call him by his given name one day!
“Well, you see, sorcerers have techniques they are born with, just like eye colors! Mine has the ability to create this barrier, an infinite space between you and me!”
“Oh. I see.” Tsumiki averted her gaze, moving her food around her plate. She looked sad? Almost guilty?
“I think it’s stupid you need to protect yourself from 6 year olds.” Megumi deadpanned.
“Hey! What? I’m not protecting myself, don’t be silly! I’m the strongest. It’s just how i am! Tsumik-chan, don’t overthink!”
“I think it’s stupid you need that since you’re the strongest.” Megumi commented.
“Nah, he’s bullshitting us all.” Shoko teased, crushing her cigarette in the ash tray.
“Iei- Shoko-san! Mind your language!” Tsumiki glared disapprovingly. God, who was the actual adult here?
“My bad sweetie.” Shoko joined the two extroverts in the water, hopping on a inflatable pool lounger.
Megumi still stood on the first step of the pool stairs, staring into Satoru’s back.
“C’mon Megumi-chan~”
Tsumiki grabbed a pool noodle Satoru bought just for this occasion and hit the back of Megumi’s head.
“It’s not cold!”
“It so is!”
“No it’s not!”
“Yes it is- What is that.”
“A fish!” Tsumiki grinned.
“Fish can’t swim in pool water. Everyone knows that.”
“What? Since when?” Satoru pouted.
“Is that why our class fish died, Gojo?” Shoko shot a death glare at him.
“Of course not.” Satoru waved his hand dismissively. He was so done.
“This is so cool! How can it move on its own?” Tsumiki held the toy dolphin, which in Satoru’s opinion looked more like a whale, but who was he to judge.
“You pull the fish on it’s mouth, which is attached to a string and then it swims!” Satoru explained.
“That’s lame.”
“Shut up Megumi.”