i wish for happiness and peace for them Gojo Satoru x Asano Kura x Geto Suguru + Ieiri Shoko
—This is the fourth time Kura has experienced this exact Tanabata, but she still writes down her wishes again, hoping one day they'll come true.
***
This is the fourth time Kura has experienced this exact Tanabata.
She and her three friends are standing in the school hallway near a bamboo tree, erected by the headmaster to celebrate the Tanabata today. The tree is already halfway filled with wishes, from people she remembers from their deaths.
Suguru and Satoru write their side by side while also pointing and laughing at different tankazu hanging on the bamboo, while Kura decides to just write hers right now and get this uncannily happy scene over with.
Kura grabs a white tankazu from the table near the bamboo and starts writing her wish, but before she can even finish halfway, Shoko walks towards Kura after trying and failing to discipline the two boys bickering.
“What did you write?” Shoko tries to take a peek at Kura's paper, but the girl quickly stops writing and covers the words.
“Is it not bad manners to see what someone else writes before they can finish, Shoko?” Kura shakes her head and fakes disappointment. “Maybe you should let me take a look at yours too.”
Shoko boos, but still lifts her papers for her to see—she already knows what is written down:
'Good year'
Kura nods. As always. It's a good wish and one she knows wouldn't come true due to… everything that will happen.
Wanting to give the girl the end of her bargain, Kura finishes the last stroke before showing it to Shoko.
'I wish for happiness and peace for them.'
“Aww, that's cute, Kura~” Shoko nudges her and chuckles. “But are you sure you don't wanna wish for him to be your boyfriend?”
Her face reddens at the suggestion. “No—!”
Suddenly, Satoru, who hears the commotion, pipes up and runs toward them.
“What is it? What is it?” He stops beside Kura and puts his hand on her shoulder. “What are you wishing for, Kura-chaan~?”
“Shut up!” Kura flicks his hand away and covers her tankazu. “You don't get to see it!”
“But I already did~” Satoru winks and clears his throat. “'I wish for happiness and peace for them',” he says, trying to mimic Kura's voice.
“Oh, come on!” Kura lightly punches his arms in retaliation. “You're annoying!”
Satoru brushes off Kura's punch and glances at Suguru. “Hey, Suguru, what do you think about her wish?”
Suguru who has finished hanging his and Satoru's wishes join the circle and smiles, something that Kura always treasures whenever she's thrown back to their high school times. His smile. His personality. He who she wants to protect.
“I don't need peace when you are here, Kura.”
“Same.” Shoko chuckles.
“You two are sappy, but I,” Satoru looks away, trying to hide his embarrassment, “well, I have to agree.”
No matter how much she knows what'll happen next, nothing can ever prepare her for how affectionate they are towards her. So she covers her face and sighs. She hopes days like this can continue forever… but it's just wishful thinking.
“Thank you, you three,” she mumbles.
It always pains her to say that, knowing what the future holds. But her friends who don't know about that just laugh.
Satoru then messes up Kura's hair and laughs. “That's not enough thanks!”
“Yes, yes.” Suguru nods, a twinkle of mischievousness in his eyes. “Maybe you can say something more personal? Like 'I love—'”
Before he can finish, Shoko waves her hand at them, pulling Kura away.
“Shoo, you two, no teasing Kura!”
“But it's fun~” Satoru pouts before glancing at Suguru. “Right, Suguru?”
The boy chuckles. “I don't know what you're talking about, Satoru.”
Shoko clicks her tongue. “You garbage.” She turns to Kura. “Don't mind them, okay?”
Kura laughs and shakes her head. “It's okay. I know how garbage they are.”
“Now that's my best friend,” says Shoko. She lets go of Kura and holds out her empty hand. “Give me yours then, let me hang it.”
A bit hesitant, Kura gives Shoko her tankazu, and the girl approaches the bamboo tree, tying hers and Kura's near Satoru's and Suguru's. After finishing, she nods at her work before facing her classmates and friends.
“C'mon now, let's just go back to class before Yaga-sensei comes back~”
Shoko leads the way, as Satoru and Suguru answer yes in unison, walking behind her. Kura also starts to follow them, but after a few steps, she stops as she feels a bit melancholic.
She turns to face the bamboo again, especially her tankazu, gazing at a smaller writing that her friends miss. The smile on her face wavers, and she clenches her fist as the mark left of her many deaths itches.
How many of them should she face from now on? How many times does she need to die? How many years does she need to repeat?
She takes a step away and a deep breath. No, she can't give up. She couldn't. For their sake—for his sake.
Kura starts to walk away, catching up with Suguru calling for her, Shoko shaking her head at her sentimentalism, and Satoru uncharacteristically staying quiet, a thousand emotions running behind his sunglasses.
The girl brings her polite smile back up again as she walks, not wanting to worry them.
On the corner of the lone white tankazu left on the tree, the almost intelligible writing is swayed by the wind, blowing the wishes of the girl who writes it to the wind, to heaven.
'I want to break this Mobius loop and live peacefully with them. Forever.'