New Home (2/2)

The pickup truck came to a gentle stop in front of a tall building, its mirrored glass façade reflecting the Tokyo sky. The entrance was flanked by neatly kept potted plants, and a doorman in a spotless uniform opened the glass door with a polite nod. Megumi and Tsumiki stepped out of the vehicle, eyes wide as they took in the gleaming lobby ahead.

"This is it?" Tsumiki asked in a low voice, admiring the place.

"This is it!" Satoru exclaimed, jumping out from the driver's seat. He tossed the keys to the doorman, who caught them mid-air, then walked to the back of the truck to grab the luggage.

Megumi frowned, still standing on the sidewalk.'He's richer than I thought...'

Satoru turned around, all four suitcases in hand. "Come on, don't just stand there like statues!"

Tsumiki gave Megumi a small nudge on the shoulder, encouraging him to move. "Let's go, he's waiting." Despite her light tone, her eyes were still scanning the surroundings.

The elevator was just as shiny as the lobby, with mirrored walls and a digital panel that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Satoru pressed the button for the top floor, and the elevator rose with a soft hum.

When the doors opened, they were met with a short hallway, ending in a single set of dark wooden double doors. Satoru pushed them open with dramatic flair, revealing an apartment that looked bigger than the entire building Megumi and Tsumiki used to live in. The floor was polished wood, and floor-to-ceiling windows let in streams of sunlight. Below, the city stretched out like a sea of concrete and glass.

The living room had an enormous gray couch, a TV that looked like a movie screen, and a Play 2 surrounded by scattered game cases. The frosted glass coffee table was chaotically covered in magazines, colorful candy wrappers, and a forgotten mug.

"Ta-dah!" Satoru spun on his heels, arms wide open. "Welcome to Gojo Palace! Balcony with a pool to the left, kitchen to the right, and down that hallway—" he pointed toward a corridor lined with doors, "the bedrooms, a bathroom with a massive tub, and my office where I keep... nothing, actually."

Tsumiki blinked, mouth slightly open. "Gojo-san… this is huge! How do you keep it clean?"

"I pay someone, obviously," he replied with a grin, walking through the apartment with the suitcases. "Let's get you two set up. Tsumiki, yours is this way!"

He marched down the hallway, with Tsumiki and Megumi following behind. Satoru opened the first door on the right, revealing a bedroom with a large bed covered in a pale blue quilt, flanked by light wood nightstands.

A built-in wardrobe stretched across one wall, with mirrored sliding doors, and a sleek TV was mounted on the opposite wall. A polished wooden desk with a cushioned chair stood beside an empty bookshelf. A wide, slightly open window bathed the room in light, with sheer curtains dancing in the breeze.

Satoru placed Tsumiki's two suitcases on the floor. "Your castle, Miss Fushiguro!" he declared, giving an exaggerated bow. "Decorate however you want, paint the walls, hang up posters, anything!"

Tsumiki laughed softly, stepping into the room with hesitant steps. "It's… it's beautiful, Gojo-san. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, you're welcome!" Satoru said, already turning back toward the hallway. "Now, Megumi, your turn!"

He opened the door on the opposite side of the corridor, revealing a room identical to Tsumiki's. "You can decorate it however you like," Satoru said, placing Megumi's bags on the floor.

The boy stood at the doorway, eyes scanning the space. "Okay..."

"Alright, I'll leave you to unpack. I'll be in the living room if you need anything," Satoru said before stepping out.

***

[An hour and a half later]

On the couch, Satoru was sprawled out, one leg thrown over the backrest and the other tucked under his body as he held the Play 2 controller in his hands. On the huge TV screen, an Agumon was battling a Greymon in a pixelated fight from Digimon World.

"Come on, Agumon, don't let me down now!" Satoru muttered, leaning forward.

At that moment, the sound of light footsteps made him glance over his shoulder. Megumi and Tsumiki had appeared in the hallway.

"Oh, look who finally crawled out of their caves! The Fushiguros!" Satoru exclaimed, pausing the game. "Got yourselves settled in?"

Tsumiki smiled, stopping beside him. "Not entirely, Gojo-san. There are still a few things missing."

"Oh, good effort." Satoru turned his gaze to Megumi, who was staring at the paused screen. "And you, Megumi? Have you already turned your room into a gothic sanctuary?"

"...what's gothic?" Megumi asked, confused.

Before Satoru could answer, Tsumiki cleared her throat, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Hm, Gojo-san… I'm really hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

"Hungry?... right... there should be something in the kitchen," Satoru murmured, placing the controller on the couch. "Follow me!" He stood up and headed toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was as spotless as the rest of the apartment: gleaming white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a central island with cushioned stools. Satoru opened the fridge.

"Let's see what today's menu looks like…" He leaned into the fridge, the cold light illuminating his face. "Okay, so… we've got sweets. Lots of sweets. And soda. Like, a ton of soda."

Tsumiki and Megumi stepped closer, peeking around Satoru. The fridge really was a sugar-filled paradise: chocolate bars, packs of candy, tubs of ice cream, cans of cola, guaraná, and even something that looked like an imported soda with a label in German. But nothing that even remotely resembled real food.

Tsumiki blinked, puzzled. "Gojo-san… don't you have, like… rice? Pasta? Anything normal?"

Satoru closed the fridge door slowly, turning around with a guilty smile. "I… might've forgotten to go grocery shopping."

***

[At the same time, on the other side of Tokyo]

'What am I doing here?'

"Pl...ease... help me"

A woman, her face marked by terror, struggled against a bloated cursed spirit that gripped her neck with deformed fingers, lifting her off the ground.

'Am I really changing anything?' Suguru Geto asked himself, raising his hand. 'Where am I trying to go with all this?'

"HEHEHE!" the spirit cackled, seemingly delighted by the woman's suffering.

'I don't know… I don't know what's right or wrong anymore.' Suguru hesitated, his fingers trembling slightly. '...I'm lost.'

Protecting the weak, consuming curses—that's what defined him as a sorcerer. But since that mission, everything had felt so… pointless. Every curse destroyed was just a drop in an ocean of suffering. And humans… were they even worth it?

The woman let out a hoarse scream, her tear-filled eyes locking with Suguru's. For a moment, he saw Riko in that gaze—the same silent plea.

Something inside him snapped.

"Enough." From his palm, a serpent emerged, its black, sinuous form slicing through the air. The cursed spirit didn't have time to react before the serpent pierced through its head, tearing the flesh like paper.

The spirit vanished instantly, and the woman collapsed to the ground, coughing and clutching her neck, her body trembling as she tried to breathe.

'Used too much force.' Suguru stood still, watching the serpent fade. He then looked at the woman, now curled up against the wall.

"You… you saved me…" she whispered, her voice shaky. "Thank you… thank you…"

Suguru turned his face away, dark hair falling over his eyes. "Get up and leave, before another one of those things shows up."

The woman, still trembling, nodded and dragged herself away, casting nervous glances over her shoulder. Within moments, she disappeared around the corner of the alley, leaving Suguru alone in the silence.

***

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.