Ataraxia 平静 | Gojo Satoru

-'๑'-𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟐-'๑'-

As we strolled back to the beach, the sight that greeted us was pure magic. A crowd of more than a dozen folks had gathered around the roaring bonfire, its flames licking the dark sky with an almost hypnotic glow. Among them, a lively group of six stood out, their laughter echoing as they toasted marshmallows and belted out tunes with infectious enthusiasm, their claps slightly offbeat.

The air buzzed with the melodies of music and lively chatter, wrapping around me like a warm blanket. Geto and I stumbled through the sand, cackling like two drunk seagulls as we collapsed onto the weathered logs encircling the fire. Soon, the others joined us, Megumi visibly exasperated as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Please, try to avoid diving headfirst into the fire," he muttered, causing us to wheeze harder.

"Attempting to reason with these two when they're wasted is a lost cause, Megumi," Gojo interjected with a wide grin, giving him a playful tap on the shoulder.

"Hey!" I protested, jabbing a finger in his direction. "We're not that far gone!"

Geto yanked at the back of my shirt a tad too forcefully, leaning in to whisper—or rather, attempt to whisper—in my ear, his voice booming as if amplified. "Dude, my eyes are lagging."

I winced as another wave of laughter swept over us, even drawing chuckles from a couple of bystanders in the background who appeared to be around our age.

"Alright, maybe I am not that far gone," I conceded, stretching my legs towards the warmth of the crackling fire.

Gojo settled beside me on a nearby tree stump, casually draping his elbow atop my head. I shot him a glare, to which he responded with a playful wink.

"Here, finish this," Shoko offered me her drink, skillfully dodging Geto's attempts to snatch it with a click of her tongue. "Not you, goofball, you'll be out cold."

Geto let out a disappointed groan before flopping back onto the sand.

I blew Shoko a grateful kiss, and she chuckled before returning to sit across from us with the three students. Yuji yawned softly, nestling between the two wolves.

"Hey, did you guys notice that strange poster at the souvenir shop earlier? Something about. . . pirates?" Yuji drawled, prompting us to furrow our brows in curiosity.

Shoko and I exchanged puzzled glances.

"I don't know what they were thinking, to be honest," Megumi said, shaking his head lightly. "The key chains we're cool, though."

"What poster?" I inclined my head.

"I must be a pirate, the way I treasure her chest," Gojo quipped with a wide grin beside me, causing all of us to blink in surprise before erupting into laughter.

"What the hell. . ."  Nobara shook her head, taking a sip from her cup.

Gojo then snatched the drink from my hand, downing it in one swift gulp before casually tossing the paper cup into the flames. I swallowed down my protest, and instead lifted a brow at him.

"I thought you didn't drink?"

"I don't," he replied simply, flashing me a grin. "Just wanted a taste."

"You drank the whole thing," I deadpanned. "Aren't you a lightweight?"

His grin widened into a mischievous smirk. "I could definitely out-drink you."

"You're delusional," I scoffed, attempting to shrug off his arm.

"Right now, you're the one stumbling over your words," he teased sweetly.