The Strongest | ɢᴏᴊᴏ ꜱᴀᴛᴏʀᴜ

Chapter 27

"You need to try this one."

Gojo doesn't even ask and just places a piece of sushi on my plate. I raise an eyebrow but pick up the food and try it. It's actually really good. Everything I've tasted so far was really good, and it almost annoys me that Gojo picked this place. The burgers earlier were great, too, but now, I'll have to admit, I almost wish we'd eaten sushi for lunch and burger for dinner.

I'm not telling him that, though. His ego is way too big as it is. Instead, I simply make a face that shows him I like it and nod once. He grins, probably because he knows exactly what I'm doing and what I'm not telling him. So, then, if he knows it anyway, I don't have to say it out loud.

"What did Shoko want earlier?" Gojo asks and picks up another piece of sushi that's running past us on the conveyor belt.

"She's bored," I tell him, and he laughs.

"I guess she misses you."

I shrug. "I guess so. I miss her, too."

Gojo nods and turns back to his food. I really do miss Shoko. I usually spend most of my time with her when I'm not on missions or and she's not working on anything, or rather on anyone, so to be separated for four days feels weird. Especially since the time I'm separated from her, I spend with Gojo of all people. For him, it must be weird, too, though. He's known Shoko forever, and they've been good friends forever. But he's gone a lot of the time, since he's needed everywhere, so he doesn't see her quite as often as I do.

"I guess it's a privilege for me to have you here, then," he says, making me look up.

A grin spreads across my lips. "It is," I say and raise my posture. "You should be grateful."

He laughs once and puts another piece of sushi on my plate. "Yeah, yeah. Eat and be silent."

So I eat, but I'm not silent. Gojo can tell me many things, but I won't let him tell me what to do. We sit for a few hours and talk and eat and, honestly, just enjoy the rest of the time we have together. I sound dramatic, I know, but for me, this feels like the end of something. Who knows how it will be once we get back to our normal surroundings. Maybe the atmosphere of work was what set our fights off in the first place. Or maybe being with our people again won't help either, because then we're not stuck with only each other. When I'm bored, I don't have to do something with Gojo, because my other friends and colleagues will be there, too. We won't have to hang out.

Or maybe that's exactly what's worrying me. That we don't have to. What if Gojo does his thing all day and goes on missions alone, and I do my thing, and we never even have to talk to each other. But, I guess that didn't work out before, which is why we got into fights at all, so... Maybe there's nothing for me to worry about.

And so what if we fall back into our old patterns or not even that at all? What have I got to lose? Four days of getting along quite well? No, actually, the Friday doesn't count because we barely talked then. And on Saturday, I spent most of my day at the spa, the gym, and in my room. So, the dinner on Saturday, the whole Sunday, and today. That's not even three whole days. There's nothing for me to lose.

Except for the way he laughs when he's not laughing at me, the way he grins when it's not annoying, and the way he talks to me without any trace of resentment. And the things he tells me without me having to ask. The things I can tell him, too, because he seems genuinely interested. The way his sunglasses slip down his nose when he's looking down at me for too long. In fact, the way he's looking down at me without belittling me. The touches we shared just this morning, which I don't want to lose at all, but I will regardless.

While I pack my bag in my hotel room, I sigh. I'm making myself depressed, and it's not a good thing. I should just be glad I got to experience it at all. But I know I can't. It's always been a terrible saying: "Don't be sad that it's over, be happy that it happened." This is bullshit. Knowing how happy I was while it happened makes it even more sad to know that it's over.

I go through my room and bathroom to check that I have everything, count the knives on my person to find one less than I came with, and then head for the hallway with my bag over my shoulder. Gojo isn't waiting for me yet, even though it's five after eight. In the end there, we really had to hurry back to the hotel when we realized that we were behind our schedule. We both realize that we could have just changed the schedule because it's been made by us in the first place, but I insisted that I don't want to show up at Yaga's office after ten. Gojo agreed, grunting, even though he's never seemed to be a fan of punctuality.

Simply because I don't want to wait for him for too long, I knock at his door and tell him to hurry up. He hasn't fallen asleep, has he? No, he hasn't. Gojo pulls the door open and steps freakishly close to me again before I take a step back. He has his own bag in his one hand and the keycard to his room in the other. I still have his spare keycard, and it's in my hand with mine.

"Are you done?" I ask and try my very best to sound annoyed.

Gojo's grin only widens, and I roll my eyes. "I'm done," he says and walks past me to the elevator.

We hand in our keycards, and the lady wishes us a nice evening. I smile back and thank her even though I know the evening will be anything but nice. Gojo and I head outside, and I'm relieved to find that the weather is cooler now. We just stand there like idiots, not knowing what to do or say now.

"You're going to let me walk, aren't you?" I ask him.

Gojo laughs, shrugs, and looks down at me. "Nah, I think I'll take you this time."