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“You’re not getting a swimsuit?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Suguru, we’re going to a beach. How could you go to a beach and not wear a swimsuit?”
“Well, I’m not planning on swimming.”
“What? You afraid of water or something?”
“Keep talking like that and I’ll get in just to drown you, Satoru.”
“Okay, but you’ll need a swimsuit for that though.”
Riko stares at a rack of disorganized bikini tops under the harsh fluorescent lighting of a random Okinawa department store, listening to the loud bickering between Geto and Gojo. Kuroi is nearby too, carefully browsing the racks in search of her own swimsuit for their impromptu trip to the beach.
Just yesterday, Riko was still acting like a typical teenager, attending school and goofing off with her classmates. But since then, an unknown figure placed a thirty million yen bounty on her head, curse users attempted to murder her for said prize money, and a member of the Time Vessel Association kidnapped Kuroi for ransom. And yet, here she is headed to the beach like an ordinary tourist and not like she spent the entirety of her morning watching two boys wipe out an entire fleet of enemies without breaking a sweat.
Riko sneaks a glance at them out of the corner of her eye. It appears Geto has finally given into Gojo’s demands that he get a swimsuit. The white-haired boy prowls through the aisles, occasionally plucking a suit off the rack to examine it up close before returning it with an unimpressed shake of his head.
Geto stands there with his arms crossed against his chest, clearly unwilling to assist in the search for his own swimsuit. At first glance, one might assume the boy is unamused, perhaps even bothered by the situation, but Riko can see something different.
There’s a fond look in Geto’s eyes as he watches Gojo prance around the racks. A small smile graces his face even when the boy grabs the ugliest swimsuits with the strangest designs and holds them up against Geto’s body like he’s seriously contemplating whether or not they would suit him.
These two boys had only barged into her life roughly 36 hours ago, but Riko feels like she’s known them for much longer. Maybe it’s because they’ve survived multiple life-and-death situations together. Or maybe it’s because they simply mesh well together, destined to get along with one another from the start.
Riko wonders if she’ll remember them after the merger.
“Oh! This is perfect!”
Gojo’s sudden exclamation pulls Riko out of her thoughts. She hears the obvious excitement in his voice and cranes her neck to take a curious peek at the chosen swimsuit.
Oh no.
A tiny, bright blue speedo is proudly presented in Gojo’s hands.
Riko’s gaze shifts to Geto. His face mirrors her own horrified expression.
“You know what? I’m going to look in a different section, alone,” Geto says flatly, already turning around to leave.
“Wait. Suguru?” Gojo extends a hand in Geto’s direction. “Are you mad?” The dark-haired boy keeps walking. “Wait, Suguru. No, don’t leave!” Gojo shoves the swimsuit back on the rack. “I was just joking! It’s not like you wouldn't look good in it!”
Geto ignores him. Instead, his eyes settle on Riko which causes her to quickly avert her own gaze. She starts to rifle through the hangers on the clothing rack in front of her in a frantic attempt to make it seem like she hadn’t just been spying on him.
Geto approaches her, leaving behind a sulking Gojo who is noticeably silent for once. “Did you pick out something yet?”
“Yup!” Riko holds up a two-piece swimsuit she had already tried on. “What about you?” she asks innocently.
Geto shoves his hands in the pockets of his pants. “I already picked out something for myself earlier. Kuroi is holding onto it for me.” He jerks his head in the direction of Gojo. “I just wanted to annoy him.”
Riko’s cheeks warm at the realization that Geto knew she was listening in on their conversation, but she can’t suppress the giggles that spill out of her mouth. The boy echoes her laughter with his own quiet chuckle.
“Hey! You two!”
Geto instantly rolls his eyes at the sound of Gojo’s voice approaching them, but Riko sees how the corners of his lips still lift in amusement.
“Are you guys making fun of me?”
“Yes, we are,” Geto responds casually, examining his nails and refusing to look up, even when Gojo stands right next to him. “Not our fault you’re such an easy target.” Riko fails to suppress another round of giggles.
Gojo huffs. “Yeah, yeah. I figured.” He then turns his attention to Riko, beckoning her over with a finger. “Yo, brat. Follow me. I found something you might like.”
She scowls in response.
Riko doesn’t like being called a brat, especially by Gojo, but he still uses the nickname for her despite her numerous complaints about it. This means she is left with no other choice but to stoop to his level.
Two can play at this game.
“I doubt you have good taste, Grandpa.”
Geto presses a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle the sound of his snickering. Gojo visibly tenses before he points a stern finger at her. “I told you before, my hair color is natural!”
Riko snorts, crossing her arms over her chest with a smug look on her face. “There’s nothing natural about a teenage boy with white hair.”
Geto bowls over, clutching his stomach as he bursts into laughter, no longer able to suppress it. Riko tilts her chin up, basking in the sound of Geto’s amusement and feeling victorious.
“Suguru, how could you laugh at that?” Gojo whines, clutching his chest as a look of betrayal crosses his face.
Geto wipes a tear from his eye as he tries to catch his breath. “Satoru, you have to admit it. She got you good.”
The boy almost looks offended that his friend didn’t immediately jump to his defense, but then he lets out a good-natured laugh while rubbing the back of his head. “I guess you’re right. But I was being serious about finding something for Amanai.” He nods at her. “Follow me.”
While Gojo walks off, Riko looks to Geto, wondering what to do. He shrugs at her. “Might as well entertain him.”
They follow him into the accessories section of the department store. As soon as Riko rounds the corner, she feels a slight pressure on her head. Her hands reach up to touch the rim of the hat Gojo had chosen for her.
Riko curiously looks at her reflection in the closest mirror. It’s a floppy, straw-colored hat that is actually quite perfect for the beach. Surprisingly, she doesn’t hate it. Maybe she was wrong about Gojo’s fashion taste.
“Not bad,” Riko comments, admiring the look of the hat from different angles. “I think I’ll get it!”
“See? I do have good taste!” Gojo lightly elbows Geto in his side, trying to grab his attention. “Now can you trust me to pick you a nice swimsuit, Suguru?”
Riko turns around just in time to see that fond look in Geto’s eyes once again. But by the time she blinks, it’s gone, replaced by a mischievous glint.
“Absolutely not.”
Gojo deflates with a pout. “Aww, you’re no fun.”
Riko can only laugh.
“Suguru, how about we leave tomorrow morning instead?”
Riko instantly brightens at Gojo’s words, no longer sulking at the thought of leaving Okinawa right away. She turns towards the boy with a wide grin on her face, wondering if he had somehow read her thoughts.
Riko can’t recall the last time she’s been able to goof around like this, running around like a kid and laughing until she’s hunched over, barely able to breathe. She tries not to think about how this is the last time she’ll be able to do such a thing. After all, the merger is scheduled to take place tomorrow—less than 24 hours away.
She doesn’t want this day to end so soon.
Gojo steps out of the ocean towards Geto, rambling off different reasons as to why it would be better to stay in Okinawa rather than Tokyo. At some point, Riko can no longer hear the snippets of their conversation. Instead, she can only observe how Gojo leans in towards Geto, whispering something in his ear before affectionately bumping a fist against his shoulder.
What did he say?
She’s left terribly curious, especially when an odd look flashes across Geto’s face. It’s a mixture of concern, relief, and something else that Riko has trouble identifying.
She wonders what it could be.
To Riko’s delight, it seems that Geto has given into Gojo’s wishes once again. Instead of calling her out of the ocean to leave, he starts to head back to the towel he was sitting on earlier. But before Geto can return to his spot on the beach, Gojo snatches his wrist and forces him to stop in his tracks. In one quick movement, he grabs onto Geto’s bright Hawaiian shirt and drags him towards the ocean.
The wind blows in just the right direction, carrying their bickering voices over toward Riko.
“You bought a swimsuit, so might as well use it, Suguru.”
“If you don’t let go of me right now, I’ll summon a curse on you.”
Gojo huffs but releases Geto. “I could handle any sort of curse you threw at me.”
Riko is elated to see both of the boys joining her in the water. She splashes towards them, eager to thank them for extending the trip when an unexpected blast of salty water hits her face, causing her to sputter violently. She hears their bright laughter as she wipes her face, pushing her damp bangs out of her eyes before glaring at them.
Fortunately, she’s not alone in being a victim of Gojo’s antics. In the blink of an eye, he scoops up water in one hand and perfectly aims it at Geto’s face. This time around, it is the sound of her and Gojo’s laughter that fills the air as Geto spits out water and adjusts his own bangs, which are splayed across his forehead in a funny fashion.
Gojo backs up slowly, heading deeper into the ocean when Geto approaches him with a menacing aura. Riko gives them a wide berth, not wanting to get caught up in whatever mess they’re going to make, but she still follows them further into the water as to not miss the action.
“I told you I would drown you,” Geto warns. With a lunge, he grips Gojo’s shoulders and shoves him beneath the waves, but the boy reemerges looking completely dry and extremely amused. The scowl on Geto’s face deepens as Riko continues to observe from a close yet safe distance. “Turn off your Infinity so I can drown you, Satoru.”
“Nope!” Gojo replies, sticking his tongue out in a childish manner. He suddenly points at something over Geto’s shoulder. “Wait. What’s that?”
Riko follows his finger but sees nothing. Unfortunately, Geto also falls for Gojo’s trick, looking over his shoulder just to be dunked underwater. He resurfaces immediately and lunges at Gojo, but none of his attacks work, all stopped by some sort of invisible force that prevents him from landing a single touch.
Riko giggles as the boys continue to grapple with one another in the waist-deep water. She’s so focused on their antics that she fails to notice the incoming wave that’s just a bit taller and stronger than the previous ones.
It completely knocks her off her feet.
Riko manages to pull herself up, drenched head-to-toe and covered in sand. She places a hand on her head and sighs in relief. Somehow, her hat hadn’t been swept away by the waves.
She flushes in embarrassment when she looks up to find both boys bent over and laughing at her misfortune. “Thanks for the help,” Riko grumbles, squeezing the water out of her zip-up hoodie.
“We’re here to protect you from cursed spirits and curse users,” Gojo points out with a smirk. “Not a tiny wave.”
“Hey!” She curls her hands into fists. “It wasn’t tiny!”
Riko has been keeping a curious eye on Geto for the rest of the afternoon.
While they canoe.
While they eat dinner.
While they explore the aquarium together.
Every time she manages to sneak a subtle glance at the dark-haired boy, his gaze is always focused on Gojo. There’s a depth of emotion that swirls behind his eyes that is sometimes so intense, Riko feels the need to look away. Like she’s not meant to witness it. A look reserved only for Gojo.
Even now, Riko knows she should be admiring how the whale sharks and the manta rays glide through the water, but instead she’s focused on Geto. He is the only other person in the room who is also ignoring the wondrous sights of the aquarium. Like her, his eyes are fixed on someone else.
Gojo stands a bit further away from the group, staring at the main tank with his hands in his pockets. The shimmer of the water reflects in his sunglasses, giving them a soft blue glow.
“My lady, what are you looking at?”
Riko rips her gaze away from Geto, giving Kuroi a small smile. “Nothing.” She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “I was just zoning out for a second.”
The woman tilts her head slightly, lips pressed together in concern as her eyes scan Riko’s face. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”
Riko nods with a hum, trying to appear like her usual lively self. “Yup! I’m fine!” She points at the tank, letting out a soft gasp as another whale shark swims by. “Wow! Look at that one!”
When Kuroi turns her attention back towards the main attraction, Riko lets her hand fall to her side. She barely hears the flurry of shutter sounds or notices the flashes of cameras as the shark drifts closer to the excited crowd.
Her eyes slip back to Geto once again. He’s still watching Gojo who still faces the tank, seemingly unaware of the other boy’s gaze on him.
If only he looked back, Riko thinks.
She wonders if Gojo has ever seen the way Geto looks at him.
“I got the marshmallows and graham crackers!” Riko announces as she runs up to Geto in the candy aisle of a small grocery store, items safely tucked in her arms.
Gojo had rented a beach house to spend the night in Okinawa after they decided to prolong their stay until the morning. It’s a gorgeous place with giant floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing them to enjoy the scenic views of the ocean. There’s even an outdoor seating area in the back, complete with an ornate fire pit Gojo had insisted they use to roast marshmallows and make American-style s’mores. For this reason, Riko and Geto are buying the necessary ingredients at a local mart while Kuroi and Gojo rest on a bench outside.
Geto looks up as she approaches. “Alright. The last thing we need to find are roasting sticks for the marshmallows.”
Riko is in the midst of tossing the graham crackers and marshmallows into the basket Geto holds when she notices the excessive number of chocolate bars it contains. She furrows her eyebrows. “Isn’t that too much chocolate?”
Geto glances down at the basket. “Oh. Not really. If anything, it might not be enough.”
Riko blinks. “Huh?”
How many s’mores does he think we can eat in just one night?
“For Satoru,” Geto clarifies. “He’ll steal a bunch of chocolate bars for himself when we aren’t looking. He has a terrible sweet tooth.” The boy continues to admonish his friend for having the taste buds of an unruly child, but Riko can hear the affection in his voice and see the fond twinkle in his eyes yet again.
A warm feeling grows in her chest.
Riko quickly grabs two more chocolate bars from the shelf and tosses them into the basket. Geto raises his eyebrows in question.
“Two more wouldn’t hurt, just in case,” she explains. “Can’t run out of chocolate before we start the fire for the s’mores.”
Geto gives her a soft smile. “Ah, good thinking.”
Riko beams at his praise.
“Satoru, your marshmallow is burning.”
Gojo quickly pulls the roasting stick out of the roaring fire, only to find his marshmallow charred to a crisp. He clicks his tongue in disappointment, causing Riko to giggle.
Geto shakes his head with a sigh. “Here, you can have mine.” Riko watches as he passes Gojo a perfectly golden marshmallow he had roasted himself.
The boy instantly lights up, spreading the marshmallow on a piece of graham cracker before topping it with a triple layer of chocolate and another graham cracker square. He presses the s’more together and takes a giant bite, humming in delight.
“Thanks, Suguru,” he mumbles with a full mouth.
At this point, Riko has lost count of how many s’mores Gojo has consumed. Earlier, she noticed that several chocolate bars had mysteriously vanished from the grocery bags. Geto clearly hadn’t been kidding when he said Gojo had a terrible sweet tooth. She’s glad to have snuck in those last two chocolate bars before leaving the store.
Geto rests a cheek in his hand, looking up at Gojo who continues to munch happily on his treat. The flicker of the flames gives them a warm, orange glow that contrasts against the cold darkness of the night behind them. There’s a serene look on Geto’s face as he watches Gojo demolish the rest of the s’more, licking the leftover marshmallow and chocolate off his hand. The white-haired boy doesn’t seem to notice Geto’s soft gaze as he reaches for another piece of chocolate, but Riko does.
She wonders if someone will ever look at her the same way Geto looks at Gojo.
“My lady, your marshmallow is burning too.”
“Ah!” The marshmallow is still ablaze when Riko pulls it out of the fire. She quickly blows out the small flame, only to be greeted by a burnt mess. The rest of the group snickers at the dismayed look on her face, but it isn’t long before she’s joining them in their laughter.
“Here.” Kuroi sticks a new marshmallow on the end of her stick and passes it to Riko. “Try again.”
“Thanks,” she says with a sheepish smile.
As she starts to roast the new marshmallow, Riko is once again reminded of her place in this universe.
She will never experience what it’s like to feel the gaze of someone who looks at her in the same way Geto looks at Gojo, but that’s okay.
She feels the warmth of the fire, the warmth of Kuroi next to her, and the warmth of the boys’ laughter in the salty air.
It’s enough for her.
It should be enough.
She can’t ask for more.
She couldn’t ask for more.
Right?
Riko wakes up.
Kuroi is fast asleep next to her, curled up in the mountain of blankets and pillows that is spread across the floor of the large living room. Earlier in the night, Riko had proposed having a sleepover together instead of each of them using one of the many bedrooms scattered throughout the beach house. Everyone had agreed with no questions asked.
Riko slightly sits up to check the spot on the floor the boys had claimed for themselves, but it’s empty. She scans the room until she sees a dark silhouette in front of the large windows that face toward the ocean. The moon is bright and full in the cloudless sky, casting light onto the figure’s white hair, causing it to glow in the darkness.
While Riko rubs her eyes with a quiet yawn, another silhouette joins Gojo.
“Here, have this,” says a quiet voice. Riko can make out the shape of a mug in Geto’s hands.
Gojo turns towards him. The moonlight shines at just the right angle, allowing Riko to see the expression on his face, nose wrinkled in disgust.
“Don’t give me that look, Satoru. I put in five cubes of sugar for you.”
“Oh.” Gojo pauses. “Thanks.” He accepts the mug of what Riko assumes to be extremely sweet coffee before taking a long sip.
“Maybe you should get some sleep tonight. You’ve been up for too long.” Geto gestures to their surroundings. “I have curses guarding the premises. They’ll alert me if anyone shows up.”
Gojo shakes his head. “Nah, I’ll be fine.” He gives Geto a small smile, but even Riko can tell it’s forced. “Only one more night. I can last until the bounty ends, no problem.”
Geto’s eyebrows are drawn together in a clear look of concern. It causes a wave of guilt to crash over Riko, leaving a tight feeling in her chest.
It’s because of me, she thinks. Gojo is suffering because of me.
Riko wonders what Geto must think of her. Does he blame her? Is he mad at her for being the source of Gojo’s pain? Does he wish the merger could happen sooner, so he’s freed of this troublesome escort mission?
“You didn’t have to do all this, you know. We could have gone back to Tokyo after rescuing Kuroi and remained safe within the barrier. Tengen didn’t order us to stay in Okinawa.”
“Screw that old fart,” Gojo retorts immediately. Riko’s eyes open wide in shock. “I didn’t do this for Tengen, I did it for me. I was the one who wanted to stay in Okinawa for Amanai’s sake. I wanted her to have fun.” He lets out a shaky breath. “And it was worth it.”
Riko swallows the lump in her throat. The tightness in her chest is now gone, replaced by a warm rush of gratitude. She watches as Geto leans in closer to Gojo, a small smile on his lips.
“You’re actually not a terrible person after all, Satoru.”
Gojo lightly snorts. “Didn’t realize you had such little faith in me, Suguru.”
Geto pulls away with a hum. His eyes scan Gojo’s face like he’s searching for something. “Do you want me to stay up with you tonight? You know I will.”
“Nah.” Gojo stretches his arms before resting them behind his head. “At least one of us should be well-rested for tomorrow. You should go to sleep.”
But Geto doesn’t leave. The two boys stand together shoulder-to-shoulder in silence, both gazing out the windows. Only the sounds of the crashing waves can faintly be heard in the background.
“I also wanted to stay longer in Okinawa for you too, Suguru.” Riko’s breath catches in her throat as Gojo’s quiet confession hangs in the air.
“For me?”
“Yeah. I got to spend some quality time with you, almost like we were on a vacation together.” He bumps shoulders with Geto. “When else would we have gotten the chance to do something like this?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Geto hums. “I had fun.”
Riko leans back into her makeshift bed and closes her eyes, willing herself to fall back asleep. She’s been listening in on their conversation for too long now, intruding on a quiet moment that was meant only for the two boys, not her.
Riko does feel bad about eavesdropping, but she couldn’t help herself.
There’s something about them, she thinks.
Riko snuggles just a bit closer to Kuroi.
It’s a shame she’ll never get the chance to figure out what it is.
“Alright, my job is done,” Gojo groans, sprawled out on the ground, chest heaving from exertion.
Riko nervously shifts back and forth on her feet in front of the line of torii gates that leads to her final destination. “You’re not coming with us?”
“Nope. Like I said, my job here is done.”
Riko would be lying if she said Gojo’s refusal to accompany her all the way to Tengen didn’t hurt. She’s barely known the boy for three days, but the thought of saying goodbye to him here absolutely crushes her.
Does he not feel the same way?
Ignoring the sting of tears in the corners of her eyes, Riko turns away from Gojo with her fists clenched against her sides. If he won’t say goodbye, then neither will she. She nods at Kuroi and Geto, trying to maintain a brave look on her face. “Let’s go.”
Riko advances with loud, confident steps. The other two follow behind in tense silence. But as they head further inside, Riko’s pace begins to falter. The confidence that once compelled her to move forward is now crumbling, giving way to a swirling mess of doubts and fears that threatens to swallow her whole. But Riko grits her teeth and pushes through it. She knows there is no other option but to proceed.
Kuroi says goodbye after they exit the elevator, not far from Tengen’s residence. It’s a tearful, heart-wrenching farewell that leaves Riko numb, but she still forces herself to continue forward, walking down the long corridor while sniffling and wiping at her eyes. Geto is silent beside her.
When they enter the main hall of the Tomb of the Star, Riko knows she should be impressed by what she sees. An enormous tree trunk rises from the center of the room, wrapped in what looks to be giant rope. Riko knows she should admire her world for the last time in her own body, one that is inhabited only by her, but she’s barely aware of her own surroundings.
She can tell Geto is instructing her about something. His mouth is moving and his finger is pointing in a direction. But she can’t hear a single thing, not until he utters a sentence that completely changes the trajectory of her life.
“Or you can turn back and return home with Kuroi.”
Riko is frozen to the ground, eyes wide open in disbelief. “What?”
Geto explains how he and Gojo reached an agreement before they met Riko. If the Star Plasma Vessel should choose to refuse the merger, they would simply drop the escort mission.
“We’re the strongest. No matter what you choose, we promise to protect your future.”
Riko is left breathless. The memories of the past few days flood her mind. They remind her of what she truly desires, what she truly feels. She wants to try new things, meet new people, and explore new places. She wants to continue making memories with Kuroi, Geto, Gojo, and everyone else in her life. She wants to experience more of this world. And maybe one day, she’ll learn to understand the emotions in Geto’s eyes when he looks at Gojo.
The tears stream down Riko’s face as she finally confesses her true feelings. “I want to be with everyone.”
Geto smiles and extends a hand towards her. “Riko, let’s go home.”
“Yeah.” She accepts his hand. His grip is firm yet warm, tethering her back to the world where she exists solely as herself, solely as Amanai Riko.
Gojo is still spread out on the ground when the three of them return to the entrance. Riko bounds up to the boy, eager to share the news, but she stops short when she hears the sound of his deep breathing. He is fast asleep, sunglasses off and safely tucked in his hands.
Geto appears beside her with that familiar, fond look in his eyes as he takes in the appearance of the sleeping boy. He crouches down, gently shaking Gojo. “Satoru. Satoru.”
Gojo wakes up slowly. A confused, hazy look clouds his eyes at first, but it immediately clears when he meets Geto’s gaze.
Riko realizes this is the first time she’s seen Gojo’s eyes uncovered. They’re bright and blue with a brilliant swirl of emotions in them, similar to what she normally sees in Geto’s eyes. She smiles to herself, comforted by the fact that Gojo has been looking at Geto in the same way the entire time, just unbeknownst to her.
Gojo raises his eyebrows. “Mission failed?”
Geto nods. “Mission failed.”
Slipping his sunglasses back on, Gojo chuckles softly and sits up to look at Riko. “I knew I didn’t need to say goodbye to you.” He affectionately punches her shoulder. “Because I knew we would see each other again real soon.”
A fresh wave of tears spills from Riko’s eyes. With a sob, she pulls both boys into a tight hug, pressing her face into their shoulders.
She can feel the warmth of their presence and the warmth of their promise to her.
The promise to protect her future.
She can’t ask for more.
“Thank you.”