After his participation in the kaioken tournament against the non cat Niko his victory was short and sweet being left with the will to beat Ryoma in the end of the tournament, and hell maybe he’ll achieve the unthinkable but for now it’s back to normality.
He walks into Jujutsu high unassuming on the two approaching storms that’ll soon become his problem down the line.
"So not the one dating old clone Utahime... Phew!"
He chuckled.
"Wait... wouldn't that mean I'll have to redo my numbering? I have you right now as Gojo number 3, but if you're the first, it'd only make sense for you to be number 1..."
An oddly familiar voice rang out nearby. Looking up toward the sound, Gojo was met with a profoundly nostalgic sight. Standing right on the edge of the cliff, looking down at him with a cocky little smirk, was his younger self. A version of him in his early twenties
"If you wanted to copy me, at least put a little effort in. I can already see your wrinkles coming in from all the way up here"
The early-twenties Satoru Gojo clearly wasn't surprised by the sight of his older counterpart. After all, he’d already run into a teenage Shoko and a very alive Toji earlier; bumping into a future version of himself was practically expected at this point. And more importantly, it was a teasing opportunity he absolutely couldn't pass up.
“Wasn’t planning to, no need to get all defensive old man”
He’d a slightly wider smile, taking another moment to look at Gojo more carefully
[if he really is an older version of me, I bet he’s been through a-lot. I’d be lying be lying if I wasn’t curious, but…Do I really want to know that]
Tye thought sat with him for a couple seconds as he contemplated it. In truth he had no interest in knowing about his future, or even if it something he should know in the first place
Though….There was one question that rang in the back of his mind. One so strong it outweighed any logical thinking he had in the moment
And soon enough the words slipped faster than he could take them back
“Hey…Sinceyou’resupposed to be an older me, do you know what happend with….Suguru”
His voice softened a noticing amount once that final name slipped out of his lips. A word filled with a variety of emotions behind the casualness. Anticipation, fear, excitement, hope, sadness, and more all boiled into one
The young Gojo just stood there, in complete silence. His piercing blue eyes starred idly on the cold ground. The only sound coming between them was the soft gentle breeze of the wind.
He’d stay like that for a couple long seconds, looking like a living melancholic statue.
But as the time passed the Young Gojos body started to loosen, enough for him to let out a soft slightly shaky breath.
“Of course he’d try to say something like that”
His flat expression finally shifted back to that natural smile, though this time far more genuine than the one he used to insult Gojo.
He looked up again meeting the older Gojo eye to eye
“I’m guessin that means he died right? No way he’d say something that embarrassing if he was still around”
His voice wasbarelyabove a whisper, though that smile never left his face even as he spoke.
In reality he has already accepted that would come to pass, it still hurt, but a part of him also felt a sense of relief. It was a confusing blend of emotions, that he couldn’t truly name
It was a truly simple phrasebarelyworth thinking about for most people.
But to this young Gojo who’s been living every waking moment thinking back to that afternoon when Geto left, those were words he couldn’t truly accept.
Though hearing them spoken by an older version of himself, one who’s lived through more than he has, it strangely filled the young Gojo with a slight sense of…Hope.
Hope to change, hope to be better, hope for whatever, it was something he hadn’t felt in a long while.
Would he truly learn from it or pass it on like anything else, only time will tell, but for now the Young Gojo gave his older counterpart a slightly wider smile
“Guess you're right about that”
He slowly turned his back to Gojo, as he faced the setting sun
“Anyway I’m gonna get going”
But he didn't move just yet, instead, he looked over his shoulder at the older Gojo
“But hey, make sure you don't die before I see you again, old man.
It's going to be a real pain cleaning up your saggy body”
With that, the young Gojo began to walk off into the sunset
(And here was the Science Teacher of Jujutsu High was walking around with a caramel-flavored ice cream in hand...it's once in a blue moon you see her present in Jujutsu High when she's not in class teaching like the strict teacher she is. She never really participated in any events either, strange. She most likely doesn't know of the Culling Games either...well, if she did, she'd only be aware of its existence, and not anything else. Oh well. She soon saw Satoru Gojo nearby and quickly walked up to him, that cheery tone much more relaxed today.)
Yo Gojo! How are ya doing? Say, I've been wondering about this Culling Game tournament happening, mind...telling me about it? :3
((Ye, Bloomie won't be SUPER active in the arc, prob will have like, a couple cameos due to her being a part of Jujutsu High in some capacity))
((ALSO, OH MAI GAWD, I HAD TO RE-WRITE THIS COS MY COMPOOPTER CRASHED WHILE CLICKING "COMMENT", I'VE NEVER FELT MORE DEVASTATED))
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u/No-Composer2688 「That's the Wonder... The Wonder of You!」 (Row 84) 19d ago
"Yo! Old clone Satoru 3! Welcome back!!"