𝖊thereal , almost ghostly . . .

( gojo @ geto )

Satoru had just come back from learning Suguru was the one who denied the request that Satoru initially suggested to the assistant manager. "So you've finally figured it out," he responds to the name, "Took you long enough." unashamed and unapologetic in his decision. As of late, they'd gotten used to this with each other, and he's just as much used to the finger pointing that's directed right at him. Needless to say, they were openly disagreeing with each other... sometimes, to a fault.

Truth be told, this mission had gone on longer than they anticipated for it to. They’re on a hard deadline and time was running out, so naturally, tensions are running high. Conceptually, and intellectually, yes, Suguru understands the point Satoru’s making, but the fact of the matter is, there are other aspects of the equation he's failed to include here. “Oh yeah, great plan, Satoru,” he starts, dry sarcasm in his tone, seemingly unfazed by the attitude, a hint of snark even, “Let’s just blow up the mountain, maybe take out a few hundred casualties while we’re at it, for good measure–” a loose shrug before his arms cross against his chest, “Who cares if the locals lose the land they depend on when half their infrastructure's reduced to ash, right?”

The local villagers had whispered about their lives revolving around the mountain. sacred grounds, bridges to get into the nearby town, water sources, farmland. “You know.." he begins with his trademark, pointed softness, “for someone who prides himself on being ‘the strongest’, you're awfully quick to jump to the laziest solutions.” 

❝ blah , blah , blah . you're so dramatic when you try to be the voice of reason , huh ? it's just a little collateral damage . ❞ satoru says like he hasn't been listening to every word suguru said . between the two of them , suguru has always been the morally conscious one .

he taps his temple , mischief glinting in his eyes as he leans back casually . ❝ is it really lazy if it's efficient ? sometimes you gotta be smart instead of trying to come up with a non-existent ' perfect plan ' . i mean . . . you're whining when you can do something before lunch . ❞

he moves his hands in front of himself , mimicking the motion of an explosion , accompanying it with a soft poof ! sound . always the one to push at geto's buttons .

❝ i didn't go wrong . it's your curse's fault . ❞ again . stubborn . he knows he did . knows he didn't assess the situation properly . too focused on winning that survival was blurring and drifting to the far back of his mind .

he also decides he's starting to dislike geto for not letting him continue . he almost had it !

Of course he picks up on the less than desirable response, noting the scowl on Megumi's face. But it's more than frustration, he senses the disappointment in himself, the pride, a bruise ego that's rendered defensive. A fine line between that and utter shame. Suguru says nothing at first, just letting Megumi proceed to blame his curse for his own errors. Frankly, Suguru's features are unchanging, just staring back at him, slightly unimpressed. But, he doesn't correct him, nor does he challenge him. Suguru knows that they both know that isn't it.

Instead, he lifts a brow after Megumi reluctantly agrees to start over. Frankly, Geto isn't surprised there's no actual depth to the response. It's not because Megumi was willing to restart, but a matter of why. Not because he's ready, but merely because the boy doesn't want to walk away. Thinks it's just a matter of resilience, and not in the way that matters. There was no aspect of any reflection to it; nothing but sheer, just stubborn refusal. Which, had little value in terms of the bigger picture. "It's not a matter of whether or not you mind." he starts to approach him slowly, maintaining composure and calmness in his tone.

"I understand you're frustrated, that's fine –" he begins, genuine rather than patronizing, "That's even expected." withdrawing his curses, dismissing them from the simulated battlefield. "But if it's all just ego and victories, or, avoiding the shame of losing to something this trivial, you're not going to learn anything." says it plainly, despite sounding like a scold, but more for the sake of offering clarity. Another measure to disarm the kid ... he takes a step aside, reaching for Megumi's half filled cup of water from earlier, "Here," held out, and insisting, but a mere symbol of a peace offer of sorts. A beat passes between them, and he eyes him, seemingly not bringing out his curses despite the kid's request, "Have you had any experience at this off-campus yet?"

of course he says that . and of course he's right .

megumi's gaze remain low , the taste of frustration sharp and bitter on his tongue . he averts his focus to the tabi the elder dons , just to escape the weight of his failure . and for a moment , megumi wonders if geto's shoes are actually comfortable . it doesn't look very stylish either , and megumi knows better than to judge someone based off their shoes . . . but those are . . . something .

he wants to say that he isn't doing this for ego , and that he knows he messed up . but those sound like excuses , and excuses never once sat right in his mouth . so naturally , megumi chooses to stay quiet and let every word geto says burn through him . geto's calmness irritates megumi more than anger ever could because geto isn't mocking him . not even pushing hard ! megumi wants to gnaw his frustration out on a metal pole .

he takes the cup when it's offered , not looking up . he gives the liquid a light swirl before taking a sip . he hates that it's warm and tastes like nothing . biting a curse would have at least tasted like something . probably . megumi hates seeing himself through someone else's eyes , knowing that he's not as in control as he wants to believe .

Although he no longer had direct ties to Jujutsu High in any official, day to day capacity, he occasionally returned to campus for 2-3 week segments hosting intensive training workshops. Generally, there's an open session for first years to get exposure to low-grade curses within a controlled environment. meaning, real battle experience in a low stakes setting. In addition to that, a selection of student(s) are further assigned to train one on one with him. Which, is how he's ended up with this assigned student that's just taken a blow to his upper arm... He had witnessed it in slow motion, observing that one shift of posture that rendered him vulnerable to the strike. The kid bounced right back, adamant to 'try again'.

Suguru takes notice of the visible cuts and injuries, simply letting him attempt to protest for another go. He motions closer, calm and reserved in his demeanor. "so ... where did you go wrong?" he answers with a mere prompt. Because that's exactly the point – prompting reflection, and the thought process involved. It's about understanding the cause and effect. Many younger sorcerers made the mistake in linking brute effort and damage to success, and triumph. But, the reality of the matter is, raw strength alone isn't enough. "if you don't know why it happened, you're bound to repeat it."

❝ i didn't go wrong . it's your curse's fault . ❞ again . stubborn . he knows he did . knows he didn't assess the situation properly . too focused on winning that survival was blurring and drifting to the far back of his mind .

he also decides he's starting to dislike geto for not letting him continue . he almost had it !

❝ wow , thank you for your concern . ❞ he rolls his eyes , syllables thick with sarcasm . ❝ what are you going to do , hold my hand so i don’t get lost ? ❞

he hopes not all of hida is changed , hopes at least a few places to remain the way sukuna remembers them to be , but it’s highly unlikely after centuries . megumi would suggest a hike , but it’s not even the last thing megumi would want to do willingly . he’s a city kid . spoiled rotten by cars and public transportation .

❝ we leave at noon this friday . ❞ megumi says , watching his phone as he lets it fall on the bed , and his toes slither under his blanket for additional warmth . ever the one to try to plan his travels in a way it’d give him time to rest immediately upon reaching the destination .

concern flashes through his eyes at the vagueness of sukuna's words , but megumi doesn't really mind it . all he could hope is that he doesn't have to wake up at the brink of dawn for a hike .

❝ please don't set anything on fire , ❞ he heaves a sigh . ❝ i'm not cold . ❞

at the silence , megumi looks up , quick to catch on to why he's on the receiving end of the look . ❝ i meant back then . when you were . . . younger ? ❞

he's just curious . . . ! there's not a lot of places he has been to , and those he has been to were the most affluent parts . the kind of places megumi and tsumiki felt they didn't belong in yet let gojo take them to whenever he was free . it was rare , but those were the days megumi now wishes to relive . things seemed normal then , whatever normal meant .

❝ wow , thank you for your concern . ❞ he rolls his eyes , syllables thick with sarcasm . ❝ what are you going to do , hold my hand so i don’t get lost ? ❞

he hopes not all of hida is changed , hopes at least a few places to remain the way sukuna remembers them to be , but it’s highly unlikely after centuries . megumi would suggest a hike , but it’s not even the last thing megumi would want to do willingly . he’s a city kid . spoiled rotten by cars and public transportation .

❝ we leave at noon this friday . ❞ megumi says , watching his phone as he lets it fall on the bed , and his toes slither under his blanket for additional warmth . ever the one to try to plan his travels in a way it’d give him time to rest immediately upon reaching the destination .