Chapter Text
Graduating meant harder missions, that was a given, but this was beyond the definition of hard.
Satoru’s mouth stayed agape as she listened to what Yaga was saying.
“What even is the point of this?”
“Gojo, take this seriously.” His eyebrow twitched in barely concealed exasperation. It seemed that some people never grew out of their annoying teenager phase.
“I am! But why would I need to,” She paused to wave her hands around, ‘Do all that? I’m sure we could investigate the town in another way. Any other way, did Suguru agree to this? Cause I’m sure she would never in a million years-”
“She did, and you two are the strongest and the only pair convincing enough to play the part.”
The cramped space of Yaga’s office seemed to fill out with silence.
“She agreed to go undercover as a newlywed couple to get info on this cult of curse users?” Satoru crossed her arms, cocking her head to the side in confusion, enough that the ends of hair grazed her shoulder.
“I don’t know why this should be an issue.”
I’ll tell you why Yaga. It’s because it’s hard enough to pretend that you don’t have feelings for your best friend, and haven’t had said feelings for the past 5 years, so how am I gonna keep up the act if we have to pretend to be all lovely dovey?! If I have to kiss suguru, my heart might finally give out!
“There isn’t one. Suguru agreed? I’ll do it.” She shrugged carefreely, fooling no one, but Yaga sighed and let her off.
Satoru huffed out of a room and muttered under her breath along the empty hallways of jujutsu high. The windows let in the warm light of the early autumn afternoon, the leaves casting shades of yellow and orange across the beige walls. It was the same as it was when she was 15. The never ending tirade of missions over the summer had left everyone weary. Autumn was meant to provide some relief, but it was clear that wouldn’t happen this year.
It was easy for Suguru to agree to it because she saw them as nothing more than friends. Sure, pretending to be married might be awkward for her, but for Satoru, it was going to be torment. She could only pretend for so long.
“Satoru?”
She nearly bumped into the person of question in her rumination.
“Hey!” Her voice was a lot more shaky than she would’ve preferred, already setting a furrow between Suguru’s brows. She was cute like that.
“You heard the good news I’m guessing?”
“Yeah, just got back from Yaga’s office, how was that mission yesterday, with the rich couple?” She fell into step with Suguru, walking to the cafeteria like they usually do if they’re both free in the afternoon.
“Grade 2, not too bad, but the husband was insufferable, I kept thinking about how much you’d talk back and annoy him if you were there. You really have a talent for pissing people off, Satoru.”
Satoru was barely looking at where she was going, focused on every word that came out of a pair of smooth reddish lips, and the lock of jet black hair that occasionally brushed at the corner. She only managed to tune back in at the last part.
“Hey! That’s not true!” She said indignantly, holding open the cafeteria door for Suguru,
“Hm, how else would you be able to explain how red old man Gakuganji gets anytime you’re in a meeting?”
“Dunno, old fucker’s probably got a ticky heart from years of riling himself up over nothing.”
Suguru laughed at that, her near-black irises disappearing for a moment in her mirth, and the low bustle of the cafeteria slinking away to make way for the addictive sound.
“If the ‘nothing’ is you talking about how wrinkly he is, then I don’t blame him.” Her foot bumped against Satoru’s from under the opposite side of the table, smiling enough for her dimple to show.
Satoru’s heart stuttered in her throat. A special grade hasn’t been enough to kill her but spending the next few weeks with just Suguru in an isolated village, pretending to be married, just might be her end.
“He shouldn’t dish it out if he can’t take it.” She smirked back, moving to get up. Thankfully her escape wouldn’t be strange if she had an excuse. “I’ll go get us something.”
There were only 8 or so small tables in the room, spaced out evenly on a floor that was probably white at some point but had turned grey in the years of students and staff the school had seen. The cook was probably still the same one that had worked there since its opening.
When Satoru walked back with two sets of food to find Haibara and Nanami chatting excitedly with Suguru. At least Haibara was excited.
“Oh hey, Satoru! I heard you guys are going undercover!” He talked animatedly with wide eyes, his brown fringe almost covering his eyebrows.
“Sure are, think you guys can survive on your own for the next month?” She set down their plates, pointedly looking at Nanami with a smirk as she asked, earning a kick in the shin from Suguru and a dramatic eye roll from the emo kid.
“I think she meant to say, hope you guys can get some rest now after the summer stretch.”
“Yeah, right. See you, Getou.” Nanami huffed before walking away, talking Haibara with him, who waved unsurely before following beside him.
“Aw c’mon, Nanami! It was a joke!” Satoru called out while they were still within earshot. The only sign that he’d heard was the middle finger he raised briefly before it was shoved down hastily by Haibara.
Suguru’s polite smile changed to that secret smirk when they left.
“You really can’t help yourself.”
“What’d I do?” Satoru asked innocently, picking up a pair of chopsticks and dumping all her veggies onto Suguru’s plate.
After so many years she had gotten tired of trying to encourage her to eat at least a bit healthy, compromising to only remind her once a week to have some fruit or something that wasn’t pure sugar. The fact her reversed curse technique was getting stronger would make all her efforts redundant soon.
The silence that emerged as they ate created space for all those thoughts to wash over Satoru again. Why would they send the two strongest just for a stakeout “mission” in some crappy village? A crappy village with crappy WiFi most likely. Where were they going to stay? Hopefully not a run down shack with no PlayStation.
She looked up at Suguru in the midst of her ruminatings. Her bangs were tucked neatly behind her ear but a couple strands always managed to fall out, Satoru didn’t even think about it, watching as her own hand moved to push those silky strands out of the way.
Suguru stilled and caught her eyes, giving a quick smile as thanks that made Satoru’s heart beat a bit weirdly before she had the sense to remove her hand. It was fine, it was just what friends did for each other. Totally normal chill girl things. She cleared her throat as if to push her heart back down to her chest,
“Has Shoko left yet?” Satoru spoke up, punching a fist in the air internally that her voice didn’t even waver.
“Yeah she left with Utahime this morning, really sweet seeing them off but it’s gonna be boring not watching Utahime try not to blow up every time you walk into the room.”
“I don’t even have to say anything anymore- hey and you always tell me off!”
“Well obviously.” Suguru said plainly, swirling around the rice in her bowl, “That doesn’t mean I can’t find it entertaining too.” She smiled again at her with squinted eyes, like it was their little secret. Satoru looked back down at her empty plate to prevent the palpitations starting again.
“It’s impressive how quickly they got their shit together. At least we don’t have to suffer from their PDA when they’re on their honeymoon.”
“I thought it was kinda sweet,”
“The PDA?” Satoru grimaced in confusion.
“No,” Suguru stated with disgust, rolling her eyes. She was sane enough to not enjoy that at least. The amount of times they’d walked in on them had to be some kind of world record. “The fact they got married right after graduation.” Her voice trailed off at the end and she focused more on shifting around a bean sprout on her plate.
“Really?” Satoru knew Suguru was a bit of a romantic.
When they were still first years, she’d caught Suguru reading a corny romance novel hidden behind her textbook in class. Of course she snitched at the time, taking joy in how red she went. Even years later whenever they went into town, Satoru noticed how her eyes lingered on happy couples. And then of course she had that boyfriend-
“When are we meant to leave anyways?”
“Yaga didn’t mention? This evening apparently, have you packed?”
.
Satoru paced her room frantically, throwing anything and everything into the open suitcase on her bed in between taking laps around the small space. The old wooden floor creaked with each step. She thought she could at least have the night to get a plan together but it’s like the universe wanted her to die.
Bringing up Shoko’s actual honeymoon when she and Suguru had to go on a fake one, what the hell was she even thinking? She wasn’t! That was the problem.
“Satoru! Hurry up!”
There wasn’t much to pack anyways since they’d only moved back in to help with the summer missions, so she closed the suitcase and flung open the door.
“Chill out, I’ve been waiting for you.” Satoru replied coolly, running a hand through her hair. Completely unbeknownst to how flushed she’d gotten.
“Yeah okay.” Suguru said with narrowed eyes, flicking her long ponytail over her shoulder as she hauled her bag down the hall, Satoru followed behind.
“I heard you pacing, are you okay?” She said quietly as they gave their luggage to Ijichi, who was confused at Satoru’s lack of bullying.
“I wasn’t pacing.” Satoru lied.
“You’re a terrible liar, also it’s really loud, and I know you.” She tilted her head up a bit to look her in the eyes, barely leaving any space in between them as she did so.
It was terrible because Suguru did know her. She knew her more than she knew herself. She was also stupid smart and stupid nice, and overall a great friend, so it made Satoru feel extremely shitty to pretend nothing was wrong. It also made her feel like a hypocrite when their positions were flipped a few years ago, a time neither of them like thinking about, let alone discussing. But it had changed their dynamics for the better, made them more open. For Satoru to now turn her back on that when she’d been the one to beg Suguru to “just tell her what’s wrong”-
“Just a bit stressed I guess and maybe a bit annoyed, like why can’t we just go in there and exorcise whatever’s making those villagers go crazy?” Satoru sighed. It wasn’t a complete lie but she still kept her head down.
“It’s annoying that it cuts into our break but it’ll be fine.” Suguru offered a soft smile, “Like you always say, we’re the strongest, aren’t we?”
“Yeah.” Satoru smiled back at her own words being used after being scolded about her arrogance when she’d first called them that.
The car took them to a station not too far from the village where they would take a small train that comes twice a day and takes over an hour to get there. They’d opened a sturdy envelope that had more information about the village, the identities they had to assume for the next month and a small velvet ring box with two simple bands in it.
They both stared at the open box in Suguru’s carefully manicured hands. Satoru tried her best to act indifferent towards them.
“I thought they’d be cuter.” Suguru said a bit disappointedly, slipping one of the rings on her finger before passing the box to Satoru.
They were sat close enough that she could smell the sweet woody scents of whatever perfume she was wearing. The small seats also meant that Satoru’s long legs had to jut out a bit, grazing Suguru’s bare knees every once in a while. It was hot enough that they were both wearing shorts.
“Yeah I guess we’re cosplaying as peasants.”
“Satoru!” She nudged her shoulder, the simple touch spreading a gentle warmth throughout her body. The train was also old enough that the only air conditioner was a few half open windows, making the August heat a bit more pronounced. That was definitely why her face was turning pink and why what she said next could only be explained by a lack of blood flow to her brain.
“What? It’s true! Besides, I would get you a way nicer ring.”
Fuck.
Fuck! Why the fuck did she just say that? It was silent now, the last of their laughter had died off. It’s fine. Friends say that all the time, don’t they? Girls always say they’ll marry each other if they don’t find someone before they’re 40.
It’s not weird.
“The train will shortly be arriving-” The garbled voice of the conductor had never sounded so sweet.
“Ready to be peasants?” Suguru smiled at her, unaffected by the previous statement.
“I was born ready.” Satoru grinned determinedly before standing up to get their luggage from the rack further down.
In the windows, the white-tipped mountains that surrounded the village came into view. The setting sun turned the skies pink and the clouds purple and washed the whole carriage in a dreamy orange hue. Suguru was ruminating over the mission files, trying to memorise the details with a deep furrow in her brow and her thumb between her teeth. Her bangs were tucked semi-securely behind her ear, while the remaining loose strands moved with each soft breeze that wafted into the train.
The orange light illuminated her skin and turned her dark eyes golden amber. Satoru looked away. There were only a handful of other passengers, but none of them got off at the stop with them.
Once they stepped out of the train and onto the platform, the cursed energy nearly sent them reeling. The wooden sign for the small village was half-rotted and the tiles of the platform were nearly crumbling away. All the warm lights and colours that seemed to fill the sky just a moment ago had transformed into dark shades of grey and blue.
There was something seriously wrong here.