Linger, The Cranberries
The bus arrives promptly at 6:00 am. Leaving at 6:15. The students are boarded and ready to leave, exhausted from such an early morning. It’s Geto’s favorite morning so he is in charge of everything, becoming a micro manager of any and everything assuring an absolutely perfect bus ride.
6 hours and 43 minutes. That’s the total length of time. He usually reads a book or naps on the bus so he is not too bored but Utahime had another plan, striking up an unusual conversation:
“Do you ever regret moving so far away from them?” she didn’t make eye contact, opting to gawk out the window, making him question whether her interrogation was even directed towards him. He knew what she was referring to. The other sorcerers. It was really just the two of them in Kyoto. It was almost as if they lived in isolation of the rest of such an outlying group.
“I try not to, I love the kids. Sometimes I miss them so much I can hardly bear it.” not them. Him. Suguru loves Shoko and all of his friends living in Tokyo, but none as much as him. It’s an unnatural, almost dirty feeling. He understands this. There is, however, a disconnect in his emotions and his logic. These feelings aren’t typical for a man to have for another but it’s not like he wants to feel like this. He’s done everything in his power to not feel that way. Obviously Suguru isn’t going to unload all of that onto Utahime like this so he says his piece and bites his tongue.
“Me too.” a meek, barely audible squeak coming from his coworker. He wouldn’t have heard it if he wasn’t trying to.
Geto slept for the next two hours, such a short conversation had exhausted him so much he couldn’t bear the thought of staying awake and entertaining any thoughts for longer than they had to. He couldn’t really make out his dream, it was cluttered with random people. But one man found his way into the narrative like he did everytime. His words were smooth as honey pouring out of his mouth when he spoke. In his hazy state he deluded in the temptress, falling into a sea of safety.
“Suguru” His words had this calming effect as if his sleep became more sound when he spoke.
“Wake up Suguru,” the man's tone became harsher, almost threatening. He would’ve stayed there forever, no matter how harsh the tone had become. He would’ve stayed asleep forever if it weren’t for someone violently shaking him awake.
“Geto wake up!” Utahime shouted in his ear.
“Is everything alright?” in a panicked sweat the teacher straightened up his back looking around for a potentially dangerous environment to find… nothing?
“Yeah everything’s fine I just want to stop but somebody-” she looks over to their boss “-claims that you have to approve a break.” her eyes roll so hard he fears them falling straight into her rosy skirt.
“That should be fine, how much longer until we are in Tokyo?” he asks to the two adults, assuming it had only been an hour-ish nap.
“We are ten minutes away from Jujutsu Tech” Miwa says, irate with the whining teacher.
Panic waved through Geto’s veins, attempting to keep a tranquil demeanor. He replies to the request with a simple “No. Maybe ask me again in ten minutes.” snickers rose from a few of the second years but he didn’t mean the statement as a way to make fun of her, just contain his alarm.
The steps of the highschool are so very extraneous. The students and advisors walk up the steps to the front of the school, greeted with Tokyo’s second years and first years- What? Why are the first years standing in replacement of the school's third years. There is an absence of a second year?- stood behind Yaga with both Satoru and Shoko standing at either side of him. Trying to suppress any old emotion brought up from the glances Gojo kept stealing over his glasses, Yaga and Gakuganji had a pissing contest explaining the event and bragging about their faculty, intricacies of their students and potential. Suguru tried to maintain a calm, steady mein in front of his students and staff, but an old burning desire was creeping up his body making him want to turn and run away or towards Satoru, he hadn’t made up his mind yet.
As the two principals' conversations nullified, Suguru guided his students to the dorms they would be housed in for the next week. The good part: each student and staff member was housed in separate rooms. The not so good part: The staff were also housed on campus. Arriving in his own dorm room he attempted to unpack in solitaire when a soothsayer began to speak in his doorway.
——
Utahime hates this Sister- School Event. It was the stupidest, most immature event in the history of the planet. Ignoring these hyperbolic claims, she’s the first seated on the bus, assuring her students were relaxed. Utahime doesn't like watching the students fight. She doesn’t like entertaining Gojo’s arguments over everything, done just to annoy her. And she really doesn’t like leaving her at the end of the week.
Back in high school Shoko and her used to be best friends doing almost everything together. Like everything. Then she ran away. She doesn't know why. Maybe it was easier than confronting actual feelings? But what was the point? This charade had resurfaced her feelings every year over and over and over again. Just the moment Utahime had thought she was over it, she’d be on this bus again. Waiting to see Shoko, giddy, thinking maybe things will be different this time. They never were. Not from lack of trying on Shoko’s part, but for lack of acceptance on Utahimes behalf.
“Do you ever regret moving away from them?” her mouth moved quicker than her brain. She was usually good with locking away these emotions, never daring to utter a word of longing to anyone besides Shoko; even then it was always heavily filtered. Seeing Geto’s enthusiasm for this event made her feel some confidence in asking him the question. Just not enough security to ask it while making eye contact or even looking in his direction.
“I try not to,” his tone was so soothing it made her want to curl in all and never get up, rotting away on the bus.With nearly 6 hours left- that could be arranged “I love the kids. Sometimes I miss them so much I can hardly bear it.”
Utahime had always suspected her and Geto had similar reasons for moving to Kyoto, she remembers Shoko, her tired eyes, uncaring attitude, and her smile. Oh how could God bless a woman with such beauty onto this earth? It felt like torment. She tries to suppress sobs by just the thought of her, responding with a barely audible “Me too.”
The trip makes her stir crazy. She repeals any previous comments made about shriveling up into a ball and staying there. It’s been nearly 7 hours of doing just that; Utahime was about to explode. After some argument about stopping for a break which had ultimately been declined, they arrived.
Oh my. She knew she would be seeing Shoko, but so suddenly? Shoko never went for introductions, yet here she stood. Averting her gaze and Utahime may have been hallucinating from being on the bus for a decade, but she swore she saw a slight blush residing over her face. The two principles were blabbering on but Utahime couldn’t hear what they were saying. She could only see Shoko. She only wanted to see Shoko.
The students started clearing off to their rooms. Thankfully Geto was left in charge of that, Utahime could feel her legs going wobbly at the very sight of her past love affair. She did see Gojo go off to the side, in the opposite direction of the group. Odd but she didn’t have the energy to question it.
“Wanna go to my lab?” she spoke, oh my god she spoke “I got a couple of new-”
“Yes.” Utahime really couldn’t think. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. This level of awestruck had never been the case the past five years she had worked as faculty for the event but this year was really different.
——
“You come right in and don’t give me a hello? Wow you know how to make a guy feel special.” Before Suguru had even turned around he knew it was Gojo. Not only from his voice, but with the fact the man could barely stop himself from laughing at his own, dumb, joke.
“Well, unlike some…” he stated, stopping the emptying of his bag and turning to face his friend “I attend to my responsibilities rather than lounging around”
“Yeah okay. I’m pretty confident your students could’ve found their rooms without you holding their hand.” He begins for his own entertainment, continuing a sardonic and jokingly bitter tone. “Or not! Suguru, you should go check on them. If they can’t find their rooms alone how will they ever unpack? What if they go to get something to eat and they don’t have you to cut up their food for them? Go quick! I think I hear someone choking!” he giggles out the final exclamation, nearly barreling over at- and this cannot be stressed enough- his own joke.
“Stop being a smart ass, what do you want?” Geto couldn’t help but smile. Something about his old friend felt so comfortable, looking at Gojo allowed him to momentarily forget the peculiarity of the warming feeling.
“Wow, you come into my turf and don’t even entertain conversation? Jumping straight into my motives?” Gojo knows he’s being an ass now, Geto knows he knows because he’s wearing a shit eating grin, prolonging the reveal of motives.
“Are you a fifties gangster?” pushing aside his pride, Suguru plays into Satoru’s ego “please, I will kiss the ground you walk on, how i’ve missed you dearly. Thank you for gracing me with your presents. Please enlighten me, my liege, what do you require from me.” Suguru maintains a semi-monotone through his whole condensed monologue, watching as Satoru’s face beams, quelling a laugh.
“Meh, I was thinking we could go for drinks, maybe catch up a little?” for a man who wears a blind fold he sure makes it deliberate when he is making eye contact. This is not one of those times, he looks like a shy school girl, it makes Suguru’s lips pull up at the corners.
So that’s what they do, under the condition Geto is allowed to empty his bags which Gojo insists on staying to watch him do, laying on the bed. Just watching. In all honesty if he had attempted to help, Geto would’ve shut him down quicker than he could get the sentence out. There was no time to be anxious about his outfit or how he looked because the second the last socks were taken out of his suitcase, Gojo was dragging him to the bar by his wrist.
“Are we going to meet Utahime and Shoko there?” Suguru held his breath as he asked the question
“No? Why were they in the room when I asked you, or while you were unpacking? If so, I need to get my eyes checked.” another corny joke and they haven’t even reached the bar. “Ha! I'm so funny, how do you deal with being away from me for 51 weeks out of the year?” Satoru whipped his head to look at Suguru’s face “C’mon, can’t you laugh at one of my jokes? It’s funny! Get it, I have six eyes so I would be able to know if the girls were in the room with us.”Geto tried his best to resist a chuckle, the only thing that felt better than laughing at one of his friends' jokes was watching him struggle to explain said joke to get Geto to laugh.
When the two arrived at the bar it was nearly void. There were two friend groups of no more than five people, two bartenders, and them. They took a seat at the far end of the counter ordering a bottle and two shot glasses to share it. Suguru couldn’t help but tell Satoru about every detail of his life- which mainly revolved around his students- and in return he’d respond with similar stories concerning his first year students or making a quip about how mundane Suguru’s life must be without his “guiding light"- Satoru’s words.
A laugh trailed out of Suguru’s mouth after Gojo made another remark about his depressing life in the absence of his friend. “It’s quite admirable that you think like that, I love how dedicated you are to my saddened life without you.” Satoru slumped, laying his head to his head on the bar.
“Wait,” in a pathetic tone he protested “Suguru, that's not funny. You missed me right?” shifting his body closer to Geto, he was practically laying on him now “Because I miss you, a lot.”
Oh, he’s drunk. For Satoru being the strongest, he could not handle his alcohol. So Geto told him that out right, a simple “You’re drunk Satoru, stop saying this nonsense-” before his statement was complete, Satoru caught Geto’s arm as he reached to take another shot.
“Why do you think like that? Can’t I just tell you I missed you? I did and I’m still having a hard time understanding why I have to. Why you had to move so far away as if you were running from something, something you never wanted to tell me. I’m not drunk. I’m tired of living in your game that you play. You make me worry that something is wrong and you’re not telling me what, worry that maybe the next time we talk will be the last time." He knows exactly what that is in reference too and it makes him swallow down a gag. Satoru still worries about the episodes from the latter end of high school. Satoru tried talking again but Suguru cut him off.
“I know I’m sorry. I’ll call more often. Let's get back now, it’s late and we have to be up early tomorrow.” They really didn’t, Suguru just didn’t want to stay in such a vulnerable conversation for much longer and feared what more alcohol would do to Satoru, or to him.
“Can you stay at my place? Please. I don’t want to be alone tonight, I can’t” the last bit came out stressed and tired. Against his better judgment, Suguru agreed with a small yet sure nod.