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To be fair, being a father at 19 wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
Not that Satoru was a father, he considered himself more of a guardian. Perhaps an incredibly close guardian. With some familial attachment to the kid. Nothing more.
Nonetheless, it was work and stress. Even though Megumi was self-sufficient, he was not immune to the woes of a 9-year-old.
Today’s woe was his cursed technique.
“Ugh, I can’t get it to work!” Megumi huffed, irritated. “It’s never going to work!”
“Never going to work? Would you rather be sold off to the Zen’ins? They’ll definitely get it to work.”
“…shut up.”
The two were outside Megumi and Tsumiki’s apartment. Satoru was sitting on a beach chair to the side, sipping on an ice-cold lemonade. The chair was cheap and quite uncomfortable, but Satoru was lounging on it relaxedly. Megumi was sitting on the ground, sweating profusely. Tsumiki was on a field trip, so they had the apartment to themselves for a few days. Satoru thought it was a great time to practice summoning shikigami.
Satoru lowered his glasses, looking at Megumi with all six of his eyes. “Try again.”
“You bastard, you’re not even doing anything to help!”
“Hey! Who taught you that word?”
“You did!”
Megumi kicked a rock, frustrated. Satoru sighed. “Look, getting the hang of your technique is hard on anyone. Every sorcerer struggles with this.”
Megumi peered up at him curiously. “Did you?”
“Nope! I’m the strongest and the best!”
Satoru pointedly didn’t mention how he struggled for weeks with infinity, or how he had multiple breakdowns because of it. He hopes Megumi never meets Suguru because he would call out Satoru’s lies immediately.
Suguru. Satoru’s mood dampened slightly.
“You’re lying,” Megumi accused, deadpan. Satoru leaned forward.
“What makes you say that?”
“Shoko-san said otherwise.”
God damn it! Suguru may not be able to snitch, but Shoko still could.
“Never mind that,” Satoru said quickly. “Try summoning Nue again.”
“You’re kidding me! Not again, you bastard.”
Satoru paused. Megumi looked exhausted. He was sweaty and his eyes looked tired. Maybe he was pushing the kid too far.
At times like this, Satoru wished Suguru was there. Satoru always struggled with normal people’s limits already, and a child was even harder. Suguru would know what to do.
“Look, kid,” Satoru began, voice significantly softer, “let’s take a break, huh? Maybe it would do us both some good.”
Megumi stared at him, like he was expecting a trick. Then, slowly, tiredly, he nodded.
“Ok,” he said, sounding a little relieved.
There was a mall near where Megumi lived. It was small and not too crowded. Satoru didn’t sense any cursed spirits, but he positioned his glasses low on his nose, just in case. This was the most relaxed he’d let himself be, anyway. He was the strongest, that attracted cursed spirits to him.
Satoru handed Megumi his credit card. “Go wild,” he instructed.
Megumi gave him a blank stare. “What’s the limit?”
Satoru blinked. “What limit?”
Megumi rolled his eyes. “I’m looking at Weezer merch.”
“Cheap ass.”
“Maybe you should be a little cheaper.”
“Listen, kid, we’re at a mall! Malls are where you spend money, that’s the point! Buy something expensive! Otherwise…”
Satoru stopped. He’d almost said something stupid again. Otherwise, I’d doubt that you’re my son. Satoru was having weird thoughts like that more often. He had to control himself. Megumi was not his son.
Megumi raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. He walked away, presumably to some music store. For the first time in years, Satoru was completely alone. Even though it was only for an afternoon, Satoru almost didn’t know what do with himself.
He wandered around aimlessly, just looking at shops. He didn’t have anything he necessarily wanted that could be bought with money, so he just got some miscellaneous items. Some cigarettes for Shoko. Some hair products. A lot of sweets. A green bow for Utahime (she hated the color green). A ¥460000 jacket for Tsumiki. Small expenses, really.
When walking past the bookstore, Satoru noticed Megumi was inside, reading a manga. He had a bag with him, and Satoru guessed it was full of Weezer merch.
What a nerd, Satoru thought fondly, until he noticed that Megumi was now engaged in conversation with another dark-haired man. Satoru knew that dark haired man. He knew that man very well.
Satoru marched in the store like a crazy man.
“…a lot of characters are killed in horrible ways in the series. For example, the teacher has such a bad ending, they off-screened him. And don’t get me started on his best friend…” Megumi was saying. Suguru nodded along, clearly engaged, and easily understanding the topic.
“Exactly! His dead body being used as a puppet by an evil brain? Reprehensible,” Suguru added.
Satoru coughed loudly.
Suguru looked up. He smiled happily. “Satoru! Long time no see!”
Megumi looked between the men. “You two know each other?”
“We’ve met,” Satoru said shortly, crossing his arms. Suguru laughed.
“We were friends in school,” he informed Megumi.
Megumi’s eyes widened in realization. “Wait, this is the guy you’re deeply in lo—”
“Hush, Megumi.”
“No wonder I didn’t recognize him, his hair’s tied up in the picture of your lock scree—”
“HUSH MEGUMI.”
Suguru looked at the pair curiously. “Have you adopted a child, Satoru?”
“No, he’s Toji’s kid.”
“Ah. I see.”
“Who—” Megumi began.
“Geto-sama, Geto-sama! Can we get this?” two girls yelled in unison. Satoru recognized them. They’re the girls from the village Suguru massacred. Great, one big family reunion.
“Nanako, Mimiko, you must be willing to share it,” Suguru answered calmly. The girls nodded energetically. Megumi returned to reading.
“What are you doing here, Suguru? Do you have plans to massacre the entire mall?” Satoru asked quietly.
“I have no current intention to kill anyone today. Nanako and Mimiko begged to go shopping,” was Suguru’s quiet reply.
Satoru glared at Suguru. The last time he’d seen him was at KFC. He wasn’t ready to be face-to-face with Suguru again. He looked good. His eyebags were gone and he looked much happier. He grew his hair out and it looked much healthier.
Unfair! While Satoru was struggling without Suguru, Suguru looked just fine without him.
Satoru huffed quietly. He wanted to bring him back to Jujutsu Tech, but he doubted Suguru would come easily and without a fuss. Plus, Satoru didn’t want any casualties or anyone to get hurt.
Especially Megumi.
Said boy was reading his manga with a suspiciously intense concentration. Satoru didn’t doubt for a second that he was listening in to the whole conversation closely.
“How’s Shoko?” Suguru asked, his voice sounding normal and conversational again.
“None of your business.”
“Satoru…”
The two girls returned, the one with darker hair holding a bag with a book in it.
“Let’s go, Geto-sama. I’m bored, and this place is filled with” —she looked disgusted— “monkeys.”
The other girl nodded in assent.
Suguru sighed and got up. “Of course, girls. Well, it was nice seeing you again, Satoru. Until next time.”
Satoru didn’t know what came over him to shout after him, but he really didn’t want Suguru to leave. “Suguru, wait!”
Suguru paused and turned around expectantly. Satoru’s mouth dried up.
He really did look beautiful sometimes.
“I-I thought the teacher got a good ending. He had a good life, and h-he got to see his one and only in heaven,” Satoru stammered, tongue tied. He forgot what he was going to say, so he blurted out the first thing he could think of.
Suguru smiled knowingly. “I think so too. He gets to see his best friend, and he adopts a son in the meantime.” He shot a meaningful glance at Megumi.
Satoru was left staring at him, dumbfounded, as Suguru turned and left gracefully with the girls. He had an inkling of what Suguru was implying.
Megumi looked up from his book.
“That was awkward,” he said matter-of-factly.
Satoru snorted and patted Megumi’s head the condescending way he knew the kid hated. “I know, I know.”
Megumi swatted at Satoru’s hand. Satoru laughed.
He may not have Suguru anymore, but at least he got Megumi and Tsumiki now. It wasn’t the same, but Satoru found that right now, it was enough.
“So…?” Satoru prompted.
“What?”
“Are you going to get that manga?”
“Nah. It’s too sad. Plus, the plot's fucked.”
“Megumi! Who taught you that bad word!?”
“Again, you did.”
Satoru giggled. “Let’s go home and try to summon Nue again.”
Megumi groaned loudly.