about Gojo, Geto, Shoko, loneliness and love
written by my local monkey friend that i got permission to translate! don't take it as actual fact though, this is from our overall perspective from reading the latest chapter.
In Shoko's memory, there's an image of Gojo with the loosed white bandages, who said "I won't let anyone be alone (独り/hitori) anymore" so you can see, the memory is around a year before the main events of jjk (~2017), and the time when vol 0 occured.
Speaking of vol 0, there was a scene at the beginning when Gojo was talking to Yuuta when he received death sentence by the higher ups, he said something similar: "But being alone (一人/hitori) is very lonely?"
They (独り/一人) have they same pronounciation (hitori), but 一人 is to count the number, and 独り is the state of being lonely. For example, you are in a room with 10 people => you're not alone (一人), but you can still feel lonely (独り). Basically, you can be surrounded by many and can still feel lonely. And in chap 220, what Gojo doesn't want his students to go through anymore, is being lonely (独り). on top of that, he used もう誰も (no other (person) anymore) which means Gojo himself had to go through that state, or he witnessed someone else going through it.
What Gojo wanted is "I won't let any other person be lonely anymore", not "I won't let anyone be lonely", meaning he doesn't want the PAST to reoccurred, so it's not him just being kind out of goodwill or anything. The reason for it is to make up for the past he went through.
Back to the subject individual of "being alone" state, Shoko, as one of the 2 people in Gojo's beautiful 3 years of youth, has given the right answer: "Truthfully, being in love (愛/ai) with either of you guys (オマエら/omaera) is something that will never happen even if the world falls down. But I was there (with you) too, what do you mean alone, you idiot. There's this bunch of monsters waiting for you to come back".
Gojo himself never mentions who is the individual behind that "loneliness", himself or someone else, but Shoko can immediately realize what he means. And that is because she links "being alone" with "you guys" (オマエら) (Gojo and Geto), and at the same time thinking about them during school. A Geto Suguru who felt alone with his spiral, with the insane ideals that he thinks no one could understand; and a Gojo who felt alone even though he stood among many peers and comrades because he lost the feeling of standing side by side with someone equal during his "first and last blue spring".
Next, we need to pay attention to the word "love" (愛) that Shoko uses.
Shoko uses 愛 (ai) when talking about her relationship (or lack thereof) between her and her two friends. In most cases, this word means romantic love, and it is heavier than the use of like (好き/suki). She is denying to hell and back that never ever in this life that she has feelings for them ("even if the world falls down"), but she "was there" too. It means she admits that she cannot provide (romantic) love for either of them, but she is still there for them as a friend. So, it would be stupid that you can't escape the feeling of loneliness, cannot escape the past.
The above sentence is suspicious, I must say. If you wanna show that Gojo's not going to be lonely with friends and students by his side, then this whole panel and confession of NOT being in love with either of Gojo or Geto are completely unneccessary if you really think about it. And if you want to show that you understand no one can replace a "bestfriend" for Gojo like Geto, then the word "love" is also not neccessary. Not to mention she uses 愛. Yuta uses that word for Rika in the battle. Yorozu said she will give Sukuna this bc she truly loves him.
So why does Shoko use such a term in the negative tone? Why does she want Gojo to know that friendship can also erase loneliness, not just "love"? Isn't it because in Shoko's eyes, Gojo feels that he has lost his "love"? During that 3 years of youth, Gojo never felt lonely because Geto was by his side. So when Geto left, no other person could help Gojo escape that feeling of loneliness anymore. In other words, there's no reason to bring up the idea of love if it's not to underline that it is what Shoko sees in them. Hence the panel is from her POV: it is only Gojo and Geto in that panel, after all.
Shoko confirmed herself. That even though she was "still there", even though "a bunch of monsters" were there surrounding Gojo, he still can't let go of the past, he still thinks that he's "lonely" all this time. "What do you mean alone, you idiot. I was there too". Yes she was there too. Even though she was there. Gojo cannot escape loneliness because Geto has gone. That is the reason why Geto is, and still is Gojo's "bestfriend, the only one he has".
2. Gojo's current dream/ideal (not letting anyone alone, not letting anyone take away the youth of the young children) is because he wants to make up for the past
3. Shoko knows she can't provide them what they yearn for to truly feel happy when they were together (愛/love), but her and the students can give him care and support and companionship, so he shouldn't said that he's lonely
4. Gojo with Geto by his side is a Gojo who is not lonely
I didn't expect to get more insight into Shoko's POV of the whole ordeal, but I'm glad we did. Shoko's denial of being in love with them isn't just there for no reason. There is no reason for her, of all people, to bring such a topic up under such circumstances: the children are going to fight to the death to save him and others. Shoko is also calling him out for thinking he's been alone, even though her and others are there for him. Which is... very sad to me. Geto is such a huge loss to Gojo, such an irreplacable existence, that when he's gone from this world, he made a huge void, and Gojo keeps gazing into that void, thinking he's lonely. He doesn't want anyone to be lonely like that, when Shoko calls his bullshit out because he has friends!!! He losed his love, and Shoko can't bring his love back, but she and the kids are there to support him in other ways too!!
I'm not saying this perspective is correct and canon, but it just makes so much sense that way for me. Gege has been playing the vague game about Gojo and Geto's relationship since v0, what with the mysterious last words, and now this mysterious love from Shoko's POV. I just love Satosugu and how Gege builds their relationship.
