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Ever since Satoru Gojo had defeated Sukuna in Shinjuku, things had been changing in the sorcery world. They managed to stop the Culling Game with (relatively) minimal casualties, they replaced the corrupt council with one that cared for the people, and they even managed to expand the schools. All that happened in just a little under a year (and with a lot of good luck.)
However, the one thing Choso had never truly expected was how he was accepted. He was now able to work (albeit temporarily) at Jujutsu High School, watching over his precious little brother and his classmates and even going on missions with them.
After one such mission, Choso walked alongside his brother and talked to him about how the mission had gone.
As they turned a corner, Choso gave Yuji a firm pat on the back and a warm smile.
He said, “You were amazing on that mission. And your blood manipulation’s really improved.”
“Thanks, bro. And you were really good out there too. I probably would have messed up if you didn’t notice that one curse’s weakness.”
“No need to be modest,” Choso said while shaking his head, “I wonder if you’ll soon become better at blood manipulation than me.”
Yuji shrugged. Sure, he was better at the basics than he was even a few months ago. However, Choso’s skills were so well-honed that they were practically instincts to him. If it was possible, Yuji knew it would probably take him a long time.
“Maybe.”
The two of them chatted with each other a little while longer, but they quickly reached the entrance to the campus. Choso could faintly see what looked like Gojo in the distance, but he wasn't sure.
He asked himself, “Is that him?”
Then, he shook his head.
“No, I’m probably imagining things,” Choso muttered to himself, “He’s not supposed to be back for another week.”
Yuji peeked his head back up out of curiosity, but he didn’t see anything at all. So instead, he decided to pull out his phone.
“Dang! It’s almost 1 o’clock!”
“You better get some rest, then. You still have school tomorrow.”
Yuji sighed.
“Okay… But don’t forget to sleep too, Choso. I’ve seen you wandering out really late.”
“I will.”
Then, Choso handed Yuji a piece of candy.
He whispered softly, “I love you, little brother. Goodnight.”
“You too, bro.”
Choso smiled like an angel and waved goodbye as he closed the door. He knew Yuji was completely right about his lack of sleep, but he still didn’t feel the slightest bit tired.
So instead, Choso wandered around the campus, watching the trees rustle in the wind. He could see a few animals trying to settle in for the night, even though it was already late.
Perhaps they’re like me, he thought.
All of a sudden, Choso froze up mid-walk. He found himself thinking about that moment where he thought he saw Gojo. The cursed energy he sensed definitely felt just like his, powerful yet beautiful even from far away. Heck, Choso knew he saw that distinct white hair too.
I think I did see him earlier. Why didn't I say anything?
“I should have said hello,” he muttered to himself.
Choso continued his walk, but he felt like he kept seeing Gojo reflected in the water or up in the stars. A part of him wanted to turn back and look for him,but then he also remembered what Yuji had told him not that long ago.
Choso whispered, “Where’d he go anyway?”
Even after knowing the guy (and being on his side) for months (and interacting with him plenty of times,) Choso still felt strange somehow whenever he thought too hard about him. It was like once he started thinking about Gojo, he couldn’t stop thinking about him sometimes. And that night was no exception.
Choso wondered if it was just because of his power, but that seemed way too simple. Choso had met plenty of powerful figures before, but none of them quite made him feel the way Gojo did. Well, except for Yuki, but Choso didn’t want to think about how she died in front of him. He could only hope that wouldn’t happen to Gojo.
Maybe it was his confidence, Choso guessed, or perhaps his energy. Or perhaps it was his piercing blue eyes, the kind that could mesmerize anyone, the kind that showed his brilliant and terrifying power. Nobody could ever forget eyes like those.
And deep down, he wondered what Gojo truly thought about him. After all, Choso knew damn well that Gojo could have easily killed him for what he did in Shibuya. However, Gojo chose to spare him. He even let Choso join the school staff and fight alongside his brother, even if Choso wasn’t sure if he deserved it.
Does he forgive me?
Choso shook his head.
“Don’t worry about it,” he whispered.
Eventually, he stumbled across an old training facility on one end of the campus. It was dusty and some of the boards were coming loose, but it was at least far enough away that Choso figured nobody would watch him. He got ready to sit down and meditate, but he found it hard to fully clear his mind.
He faintly heard a rustle in the grass, but it would be easy enough to rest. Well, except for the fact that he could sense Gojo’s cursed energy somewhere nearby. Instead, he turned around to
All of a sudden, Choso heard Gojo ask, “Can’t sleep, huh?”
He jumped up in shock.
“I didn’t see you there,” Choso exclaimed.
Gojo crossed his arms and asked in a mock-offended tone, “Now, is that how you say hi?”
Choso shook his head.
“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
“I mean, I saw you turn around earlier, so I’m pretty sure you noticed me.”
He scratched the back of his head.
“I thought you were supposed to be on a mission, and-”
Gojo chuckled to himself.
“Oh, that one stray cursed spirit in Sendai? Do you really think that would have been a challenge for me?”
Choso shook his head. Knowing Gojo, that fight would probably have been hard for anyone else (except maybe one of the other special grades.) And yet he probably didn’t break a sweat.
Gojo teasingly ruffled Choso’s hair before leaning against the wall.
“Anyway, I heard that you and Yuji went on a mission too. How’d it go?”
Choso leaned back against the wall and tried to make eye contact. Or rather, the closest thing he could, since Gojo was still wearing his blindfold.
Then, he smiled widely and answered, “It was great!”
“I bet it was if I’ve got you grinning like that,” Gojo teased.
The two of them talked for a while about how Choso’s mission had gone. He beamed while he talked about how well he and his brother managed to face a whole horde of cursed spirits. Yuji even managed to rescue some survivors and escorted them to safety.
Of course, one final cursed spirit ambushed them, but even then, they managed to turn things around.
“...And then Yuji aimed right in between the cursed spirit’s eyes,” Choso said.
He clapped his arms as if he were doing a Piercing Blood attack.
“And it went down in one shot!”
“He’s become so much better at blood manipulation these days,” he said proudly.
Gojo gave Choso a pat on the back. He couldn’t help but blush slightly at the warmth of his hands.
“I’m glad Yuji’s got you on his side.”
“Of course. What kind of brother would I be if I left him behind?”
Gojo ruffled Choso’s hair again before changing topics. They talked all about what they had been up to when they weren’t on missions.
Chos tried to not stare at Gojo, but he couldn’t help but sneak a few peeks at his eye mask as if it were going to fall off.
Gojo teased, “What? What’s got you looking at me like that?”
Choso stared at the floor and fidgeted with his sleeves.
“I, um…”
What should I say?
He froze up for a moment.
Choso bowed his head.
“Thank you for everything. Thank you for helping me find a home, giving me a job…”
Choso took a deep breath.
“And thank you for letting me fight alongside Yuji and treating me like a human, even after what I had done to both of you. I don’t know how I’ll repay you.”
Gojo nudged Choso.
“Oh, come on. You don’t need to keep apologizing for that, dude. You already told me all the details the first time. ”
“Then, uh-”
Gojo interrupted, “And something tells me that’s not the only reason you’re looking at me like that.”
“Hm?”
Gojo pulled out a small box from his pocket. Choso couldn’t quite tell what it was, but he saw him open it. A pair of candies slipped out of the box, which Gojo happily popped into his mouth.
Gojo held out the box and asked, “I got these on the way back. Want one?”
Choso shrugged as he opened it. The candies were small, and they were flecked with something colorful. Choso put one of them in his mouth and sucked on it. It tasted lemony at first, but he soon noticed fizzy strawberry bits inside the candy.
He exclaimed, “Oh! That’s interesting.”
He went back for another, just to enjoy the fizz.
“You like those, huh? They’ve got popping candy inside,” Gojo said.
As he sucked on the candies, Choso thought about how much Yuji would probably like them. And then that thought immediately led to another important question.
Choso asked, “Why not say hi to your old students? Yuji might still be awake.”
“I mean, I probably will,” Gojo said, “But I wanted to show you a little something. Just the two of us.”
Gojo held out his hand.
“You ever wondered what it would be like to fly?”
He closed his hand and opened it back up, just to invite Choso to hold it. He slowly reached out and touched it. Gojo’s skin felt incredibly smooth, as if he had just visited a spa. His grip was nice and firm too.
Gojo asked, “Are you ready?”
Choso nodded.
“Close your eyes.”
Choso did exactly what he said to do, resisting the temptation to peep for a second. And with that, Gojo floated up in the air. Choso felt as light as a feather as he clung onto Gojo. The two of them hovered past the many buildings on the campus, traveling quickly yet smoothly. Choso wondered to himself where exactly Gojo was taking him, but he knew that it would be a nice surprise.
Eventually, they reached a hill on the far end of the campus. However, the two of them did not land.
“Here we are! Open your eyes.”
Choso’s eyes fluttered open as he slowly tilted his head down. He could see the entire Jujutsu High campus from up there, as well as a good bit of the neighborhood. The closest thing Choso could compare it to were those times he and Yuji looked down from a tall building, but it felt quite different.
Even though he wasn’t touching the ground, he didn’t feel helpless. He didn’t even need to be afraid of falling, since Infinity would keep him up.
The night sky surrounded them from above too. Choso could almost swear that he could see more stars up in the sky than he usually could, and the moon’s light felt brighter. He found himself staring at it in wonder and tracing constellations with his finger.
Gojo nudged Choso and asked, “So, what do you think? Pretty awesome, huh?”
“Magical…”
He was too awestruck to say much more. Instead, he let himself take it all in silence. It almost felt too beautiful to be real, and yet Gojo’s touch kept him grounded.
Choso asked, “Is this how it feels whenever you float?”
“Well, I’m used to it now,” Gojo said with a shrug of his shoulder, “But it’s always fun to show folks this stuff.”
He chuckled to himself while Choso stared at him in confusion.
“Ah man, now you’ve got me thinking of the first time I brought my classmates up here,” Gojo sighed nostalgically, “Geto liked the view, but Shoko freaked the heck out. Turns out, she’s scared of heights. Crazy, huh?”
Choso rubbed his chin in thought as he tried to imagine a young Shoko squirming around. She never really struck him as the type to become frightened easily, but he could understand it. Choso knew that if he were to dare let go, he’d probably get some nasty injuries.
Thank goodness Gojo can keep an eye on things, he thought to himself.
Then, Gojo whispered, “Oh, and don’t ask Shoko about that. She’d get pissed!”
The two of them spent a little more time watching the people down below. Choso started rubbing Gojo’s fingers with his thumb as he hummed to himself. As if in response, Gojo started humming back as his expression shifted to a more thoughtful one.
Gojo said, “You know, I’ve always been busy, you know, being a big shot. And I do mean always, even when I was little. Dealing with the clan, studying in school, fighting cursed spirits, even dealing with weird kooks who’d pick fights with me.”
Choso stared at him in shock.
“People tried to kill you?”
“Yep. Not that they stood a chance, of course,” he sighed, “I could barely even be a kid.”
Choso felt an old sadness creep back in his chest as he looked back at Gojo. He remembered those many long years he and his brothers spent trapped in those jars, completely helpless.
At first, some people attempted to destroy him and his brothers, hoping to destroy the curse . Then, when that wound up being pointless, they were just shoved into that cold, dark warehouse like a set of tools.
Like Gojo, Choso never had the chance to be a normal child. Like Gojo, Choso knew how painful that was.
Gojo then said, “But you know what? I could always find a bit of peace and quiet up here in the sky. It was pretty, quiet, and nobody was going to bother me.”
Choso rubbed his hand with his thumb, and he could feel his eyes get misty with tears.
He said solemnly, “I’m sorry you went through all of that.”
“Nah, it is what it is,” Gojo replied with a dismissive hand wave.
Choso nodded, but he had a feeling that moments like the one they were having meant far more to Gojo than he was willing to admit. All he could think of doing was to squeeze Gojo’s hand a little more tightly. He figured that perhaps that would give him the slightest bit of comfort, just a little something to let him know that he wasn’t alone.
The two of them lingered on the hill for a while longer and took in the sights for a long while, standing in silence. The cool breeze ruffled Choso’s pigtails and made him shiver. And yet, the warmth in his chest grew stronger as his pain melted away. Choso would never be alone, not as long as he was with Gojo (and Yuji, of course.)
All of a sudden, Gojo moved around until he had Choso wrapped up in a hug. Choso’s cheeks turned a bright pink as he shyly gave him a pat on the back. A droplet of blood leaked from his marking, but he was too surprised to even notice it.
Gojo played with a loose lock of Choso’s hair.
“You know, I like you a lot.”
“As a friend?”
He snorted to himself.
“What does that mean,” Choso asked in a baffled tone, “I’m being serious.”
He ruffled his pigtails and said, “It means you’re too cute for your own good.”
That sounds just like something Yuki would say, Choso thought to himself.
All of a sudden, Gojo felt a buzz coming from his pocket. He checked his phone quickly before stuffing it back in the pocket.
“I guess we better head back down. We’ve been up for a long while.”
The two of them flew back down the hill, but this time, Gojo decided to carry Choso in his arms. Choso stared down at the ground, watching everything in his field of view getting closer and closer. He could see the animals in the trees staring up at the two of them, and maybe even a couple people too.
Then, they landed right where they had taken off earlier. Choso remembered the promise he made to Yuji, but he somehow felt even less tired than he did earlier that night. In the back of his mind, he wondered if Gojo would want to walk back with him. Maybe, Choso figured, they could hold hands if he was really lucky. So, he cleared his throat and hoped for the best.
“So, um… You want to-”
Gojo didn’t even bother to answer him. Instead, he decided to give him a kiss on the lips and another hug. Choso just let Gojo lead the way, as he wasn’t even used to those feelings. He had no idea that this is what he wanted, but he loved every second of it.
All of a sudden, Yuji ran out on the field.
He waved, “Hi, Gojo-sensei!”
Then, he immediately noticed Choso hugging his old sensei as if they were a young couple.
Yuji asked, “Wait, are you two-”
Choso’s cheeks turned bright pink as stared back at his little brother. He froze up, hoping that Yuji wouldn’t find any of this weird or bad. Fortunately, he didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered by the whole thing. If anything, the look in Yuji’s eyes was mostly just surprised and curious.
“Well, only if Choso wants to be,” Gojo answered.
He squeezed his hand, “I think so, yes.”
All of a sudden, Yuji ruffled Choso’s hair.
“Cool, but don’t forget what you promised earlier.”
“Oh, right. Sorry,” Choso apologized, “I better head to bed.”
“And I’ll go with you. After all, it’s been a while since I got to see my old students,” Gojo said while leading the way.
The three of them happily walked back to the dorms together, talking about their missions and Choso’s first time in the sky. As the night winded down, Choso felt incredibly lucky. After all, not many could say that they had a night like the one he just had.