The Strongest | ɢᴏᴊᴏ ꜱᴀᴛᴏʀᴜ

Chapter 36

For the whole day yesterday, Gojo and I have been arguing and bickering in the hallways between classes, at lunch and dinner, and before going to bed. They were only small arguments; small enough that no one would be bothered enough to complain, but big enough that they would notice. Even Shoko noticed and pulled me aside after lunch to ask me what that was about because she'd thought we were "friends" now.

During lunch, Gojo put pepper in my water when I hadn't been looking, so I put his chopsticks in my mouth so he wouldn't want to use them anymore. He stole my fork in return, and I mixed Wasabi into his soup. Eyes watering and coughing, he snapped at me for being a bothersome woman who couldn't be reasoned with. We got so annoying at some point that Nanami worldessly got up and changed tables.

All I told Shoko is that we had given it a try like Yaga wanted us to, but we weren't capable of working wonders either. As I walked away from her to teach my next class, I couldn't help a smile. Of course, Gojo and I weren't really arguing. This is all just a front we're putting up for our coworkers who seem to be so interested in our business that they even had to tell our boss about it.

In reality, we've been getting along quite nicely. Last night, after we had shouted at each other and slammed our doors shut, I received a text from Gojo saying, "You're a fantastic actress," and I texted back, "And I told you that you're a good liar." I fell asleep with a smile on my face, something I never would have thought possible after a day of arguing with Gojo Satoru.

Today is Friday, however, and our students are all out on missions, and we're with them to supervise them, which means we'll be separated all day and neither get the chance to argue nor get along. We also have to make sure no one from this group called "Association J" shows up. We don't actually know what they might look like, but like Yaga and Gakuganji have told us, they present themselves as Jujutsu sorcerers (what the "J" in their name stands for), so they're probably dressed in the same uniforms as us but don't have the button with the crest that's unique to us actual sorcerers.

My second-years have been inside my curtain for hours, but I'm not worried. They're far more advanced and experienced than Gojo's first-years, even though they, too, learn fast. That's what being a Jujutsu sorcerer is all about: learning. We need to learn how to control our cursed energy, how to use it to fight curses, and how to exorcize them. We need to learn teamwork, too, which I used to think was silly in my school days, but now I know that it's anything but. Teamwork saved the lives of three children on Monday, and they're all back in school already. Not using teamwork had nearly cost me my life on Friday. So now I really understand the importance of it.

The sky is already getting darker, and I feel like a waste of space here. I wish I could do something, help somehow, but that would hinder them from learning, so I just... stand. And wait. That's all I've been doing for the past - I check my watch - three hours. A sigh escapes my lips. There's no fake sorcerer here, no cursed spirit, nothing. We're in the middle of nowhere, the curtain protecting me from the back while the vast nothingness allows me perfect vision around me.

Finally, after what feels like forever, the curtain lifts, and my three students stumble into sight. "Oh my God," I gasp and run toward them when I see the only boy in the class carrying both girls, one on his back and one in his arms, both barely conscious.

"They're losing blood," he says to me, panting and breathing heavily.

I take Akari from his back into my own arms and help her into the passenger seat while the other two get in the back. Ignoring all speed limits, I take us back to Jujutsu High. On my way, I call Shoko and ask her to come and meet us outside. Hiro tells me all about what happened, that the curses were nothing special, but the two lost control of their cursed energy and took on more than they could handle.

Only when Shoko starts to treat them do Hiro and I leave their sides. It's nice to see that the students have such a bond that he doesn't even want to leave the medical ward until I order him as his teacher to lie down and get some rest. It's hard to see him walking away with his head hung and sighing all the way until he's out of sight. I know what he feels like. When you're the only one who comes out unharmed, there's a guilt inside of you that can eat you up if you let it. I can't let that happen to him, so I decide to check in on him later.

For now, though, I'm staying by the door behind which Shoko is taking care of my students. They're such bright and cheerful girls, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to them. But something already did, and even though I know they'll be fine after a little rest, I will never be able to undo what happened. I'm not that good of a teacher. All I can do is be there for them and assure them that they did well. Because they did. Hiro told me. They are like me in a way. They didn't want to give in either.

I'm almost falling asleep with my head propped up on my elbows when Shoko slides open the door, making startle up. "They're okay," she says before I can even ask.

"They're okay?"

She can't give me an answer before Rina calls my name. She sounds okay. I jump up and go inside to find them both sitting on the metal table, wrapped up in bandages and plasters and treated with everything Shoko has to offer. They're smiling at me, both of them, and my heart immediately feels lighter. Being a teacher and being responsible for these kids is a hard job, but I wouldn't want to trade it for anything. I'm responsible for the bad things that happen to them, but I'm responsible for their progress, too. I get to see their improvement and have a personal hand in it. I can call them mine, and they can call me theirs, and we'll forever be linked as the person who taught them everything and the people who let themselves be taught by me.

They make it back to their rooms on their own, but I still walk with them until they meet Hiro and the first-years in the hallway and get carried away by catching each other up on their missions. My face breaks into a wide smile, and I leave them to it. I'm still smiling and thinking about how proud I am when I bump into someone.

Gojo grins down at me, and I wonder if he's seen me coming. Why didn't he just step out of the way if he saw I wasn't paying attention to where I was going? I roll my eyes because I'm annoyed with him, but really, I can't help being happy to see him. It's been a tough day, and now he's here, looking at me like that again. He's had that look a few times now since he came back yesterday. As if I personally hung the sun in the sky and painted every single star at night. It makes me feel... 'not as miserable as I thought I would be.'

"Did you just get back?" he asks me after I've gathered myself again and stepped away from him.

I shake my head. "An hour ago, I think. I've been down at Shoko's until just now, though."

"Really?" I can hear the surprise in his voice and imagine him raising his eyebrows behind his white blindfold. "Who?"

So I tell him what happened, and he listens wordlessly. When I'm done, he says, "Shit," and makes me smile. "Shit," I repeat with a nod.

We stand there and look at each other for a few moments. God, I wish he'd kiss me again. I wish I had the courage to do it first. I wonder if he'll ever kiss me again. Does he want to? Do I? I think I do. No, fuck it, I'm done pretending. I know I do. I want to whine and stomp my feet and tell him to kiss me. But I don't because I'm an adult and, unfortunately, I have to behave like one. Besides, we're both teachers standing in the hallway by the students' dorms. If there's any place we should not be kissing, it's here.

"Are you hungry?" Gojo asks after a silence.

I nod. I am. "I need to take a shower first," I say, though.

"Can I come with?"

Honestly, what answer did I expect, if not this one? I roll my eyes. "Yes, oh, please, lovely Gojo, help me scrub my back," I sing sarcastically.

He laughs once, then purses his lips. "Okay, I get it. I'll see you at dinner, then?"

I wink at him as I'm already walking away. "Wear a nice little dress for me, won't you?"