"THE FRATERNITY GIRL – PART 3."
This story is part of a series. If you'd like to start from the beginning, you can read the previous parts here - 1 - 2 .
The drive to the beach was filled with noise. But it was not the kind of noise that came from traffic, or the radio playing too loudly, or the people around them.
It was a different kind of noise.
The kind that only existed when three people who knew each other far too well were trying to pretend that everything was completely normal, when in reality none of them really knew what to do with everything they were feeling.
It was the noise of Satoru talking faster than usual because he was nervous, filling every empty space with whatever comment came to his mind so they would not stay silent for too long.
It was the noise of Suguru answering him with that dry tone he always used whenever he was uncomfortable or worried, trying to stay calm even though he was just as nervous as him.
And then there was your laughter.
That laugh that appeared every time they started arguing over something ridiculous. Because somehow, even after everything that had happened, even after the fight and the distance from the day before, being the three of you inside that car felt strangely similar to before.
As if, for a moment, they could forget that something had changed.
Satoru insisted on putting music on as soon as they left. Of course, Suguru did not even take thirty seconds to complain.
—Your playlist is terrible.
Satoru looked at him through the rearview mirror as if he had just heard the greatest insult of his life.
—You have no right to judge. You listen to divorced middle-aged man music.
Suguru did not even bother looking at him.
—I prefer that over listening to your songs made for teenagers who think they’re in a movie.
You were sitting in the backseat watching them argue with a smile you could not stop. Because that was one of the things you loved most about them.
That even when everything was wrong, even when they were upset or worried, they always found a way to make you smile.
Eventually, you leaned forward a little between the front seats, resting your arms on the back of the seats while watching them argue. And that was when the words left your mouth without you really thinking about them.
It was a small sentence. Almost a whisper. But it had a much bigger effect than you expected.
The entire car went silent.
Satoru stopped moving his fingers against the steering wheel. That small nervous habit he had been doing since they left disappeared instantly.
Suguru also stopped looking out the window.
Both of them turned their heads slightly toward you.
Because even though they knew you loved them, even though they had always known they held an important place in your life, hearing those words after what happened meant something much more.
You were already looking outside again, your cheek resting against the seat and a small distracted smile on your face while the sunlight entered through the window and traced your profile.
As if you had no idea how much those simple words had affected them.
—We missed you too —Suguru murmured after a few seconds.
Satoru said nothing. Not because he did not want to answer. But because if he opened his mouth at that moment, he would probably end up saying too much. Because the truth was that he had missed you too.
He had missed your messages.
The way you filled every place you entered. And above all, he had missed that feeling that, as long as you were close, everything was okay.
The beach was almost empty when they arrived.
It was one of those beaches far away from the city, hidden between quiet roads, where the sound of the ocean seemed louder because there was nothing around trying to compete with it.
The air smelled like salt.
The wind was cool. And the sand was warm beneath your feet as you stepped out of the car.
The sky was so blue it almost seemed impossible. And the waves slowly crashed against the shore, soft and calm, as if even the ocean was trying to give this moment the peace all three of you needed.
Together, the three of you began carrying everything toward a more secluded area.
Suguru took care of organizing the towels and arranging everything with the patience he always had.
Satoru, as expected, decided he could handle the umbrella. And, as expected, he did it wrong. He stuck it into the sand at an angle.
Suguru stared at it silently for a few seconds.
—What? It’s placed correctly.
Satoru immediately defended himself.
Suguru raised an eyebrow.
—It’s part of the design.
—That design does not exist.
In the end, Suguru had to fix it while Satoru pretended nothing had happened.
You sat on the blanket, hugging your knees while watching them. And for a few seconds, you simply looked at them. Because that was what you had missed the most.
Watching them argue over ridiculous things. Watching Satoru create a disaster and Suguru fix it. Feeling like you were exactly where you belonged. Because that had always been your favorite thing about them.
That even on strange days.
Even when things were bad.
They always found a way to make you feel at home. After that, the three of you walked along the shore. The sun continued slowly moving toward the horizon and the beach started to feel calmer.
There was no longer the same energy as at the beginning, but it was not an uncomfortable silence either.
It was that kind of comfortable quiet that appeared when you were with people you knew too well, when you did not need to fill every second with words because simply being together already meant something.
But, of course, Satoru was the first one to step closer. Because if there was one thing that had never changed about him, it was that ridiculous need to do anything that could get a reaction out of you. It was as if seeing you laugh was some kind of prize he was always chasing.
He stayed in the water for a few seconds, looking at you with that challenging expression you already knew far too well.
That same expression that meant trouble.
—Don’t do it —you said immediately.
Satoru smiled. And that was enough to confirm that he was definitely going to do it.
You narrowed your eyes at him.
But it was already too late. The next second, water splashed toward you. You froze completely. Not because you couldn’t react. But because you were processing the betrayal.
The fact that, after everything that had happened, he still had the confidence to bother you like nothing had happened. And somehow, that was exactly what made you smile the most. Because there he was.
The same Satoru as always.
The one who found any excuse to annoy you.
The one who did ridiculous things just to see you laugh.
Your tone was serious. Too serious. But he was already smiling.
You didn’t need to say anything else.
You simply walked toward him and returned the attack. The water hit his clothes and his expression completely changed. For a second, he looked genuinely surprised.
As if he had forgotten that you knew how to play too.
And that was when you started laughing. A real laugh.
One of those laughs that came out effortlessly. The kind that made everything else disappear.
Satoru tried to defend himself, but obviously he only made the situation worse. And, as expected, Suguru ended up getting involved.
Even though he had tried to stay out of it.
He had stayed a few steps away, watching them with that expression of infinite patience he only had when the two of you started doing something ridiculous.
That was his only warning.
A warning that, obviously, nobody listened to. Because seconds later, Satoru and you splashed him at the exact same time.
Suguru went completely still.
As if he was evaluating every decision that had led him to that exact moment. And then he simply sighed. Because he knew there was no escaping.
But he was smiling. And that said everything. Ten minutes later, the three of you were wet up to your knees. Your clothes were soaked with splashes. Your hair was messy from the wind. Sand stuck to your feet. And you were laughing like there was nothing more important in the world.
As if there wasn’t a conversation waiting.
As if yesterday had never happened. And maybe, for a few minutes, that was exactly what you needed.
Just being the three of you.
Without thinking about what came next.
Without thinking about the things you still had to say. Just remembering why, even after a fight, you always found a way to come back to each other.
The conversation you still needed to have. The reason why Satoru and Suguru had planned all of this. And even though neither of them wanted to ruin that moment, all three of you knew you couldn’t avoid it forever.
When you returned to the blanket, the sun was already a little lower. The golden light fell over you, painting the sand and the ocean with warm tones.
The wind gently moved your hair. And Satoru stayed looking at you for a few seconds longer than he should have. Because you looked happy.
And that was exactly what he wanted. But it was also what scared him the most. Because if he spoke now, he could change everything.
He could break the peace they had just managed to recover. And for the first time in a long time, Satoru Gojo was afraid of losing something.
Suguru was exactly the same. He looked at the ocean, but he wasn’t really seeing it. His thoughts were somewhere else.
Thinking about the words.
How to say something he had kept hidden for far too long. You noticed immediately.
The way both of them were being too quiet.
How Satoru nervously moved his foot through the sand.
How Suguru stared at the horizon without actually seeing it. And then you smiled a little. Because you already knew something was going on.
—Well —you said while sitting more comfortably on the blanket, crossing your legs—. Are you finally going to tell me why you’ve been acting so weird since yesterday?
They both lifted their heads at the same time. And for a second, it felt like the world stopped. Because this was the moment. The moment they had been waiting for. Satoru opened his mouth. Then closed it. Suguru took a deep breath.
—There’s something we want to tell you.
Your heart skipped a little. Because you also had something to tell them. Something important. Something you had been rehearsing in your head for days.
You looked down at your hands for a second. Then lifted your eyes toward them.
It was a small smile, much calmer than the ones he usually showed, because this time he wasn’t trying to make anyone laugh or pretending that everything was under control.
He was nervous. And that was something he almost never allowed other people to see. Because Satoru Gojo could face anything without thinking twice.
He could walk into a fight with a smile.
He could find an answer even in the most difficult moments.
He could make everything seem easier than it really was. But with you, it had always been different. Because it was you.
The person who had been by his side for years.
The person who knew every one of his jokes, every one of his habits, and every one of the ways he hid when something truly mattered to him.
And now he was there, sitting in front of you on the sand, with the sound of the ocean filling the silence, trying to find the right words to say something he had kept inside for far too long.
Something he had wanted to tell you so many times.
Something he had imagined in a thousand different ways.
You looked at him confused, tilting your head slightly.
Your expression changed slightly because you didn’t understand why he was trying to give you the chance to speak when they were clearly the ones who had something unfinished with you.
Satoru opened his mouth. But the real answer didn’t come out. Because he couldn’t tell you that he needed a few more seconds.
That he was still trying to gather the courage.
That even though he had imagined this moment many times, now that he was finally here, every word he had prepared had disappeared. He couldn’t tell you he was scared.
Scared that after saying everything, nothing would ever feel the same again.
—Because... 'cause I said so.
The answer came out much less confident than he wanted.
Suguru glanced at him from the side because he knew him too well and understood exactly what was going through his head. He didn’t say anything, but the small expression on his face made it obvious.
Satoru was completely nervous.
You looked at both of them.
They were both paying way too much attention. Too quiet. Waiting for your words as if they were something incredibly important. And that made you smile a little. Because even though you still didn’t know what they wanted to tell you, you could feel how much this moment meant to them.
You lowered your gaze to your hands and started playing gently with your fingers, trying to find the right way to begin. The ocean breeze moved your hair slightly, and the sound of the waves filled the spaces where none of you spoke.
—It’s a little bit of a delicate topic for me.
Their expressions changed immediately.
Satoru’s small smile disappeared, and his gaze became more serious, while Suguru adjusted himself on the blanket, giving you his full attention. Because they knew that voice.
They knew when you were trying to talk about something that truly mattered to you.
They knew when you were gathering courage.
—And I wanted you two to be the first ones to know.
Satoru’s heart started beating faster. And for a moment, a thought appeared in his mind. An impossible thought. A thought he probably shouldn’t have. But it appeared anyway.
Maybe you were going to say the same thing.
Maybe after all these years of being together, taking care of each other, choosing each other over and over again, you also felt something different.
A ridiculous one. But it was there. Because when you love someone for so long, even the smallest possibility feels like enough to hold onto.
It was a nervous smile, a pretty one, the kind that appeared when you were excited but still embarrassed to say something out loud. And that smile made both of them keep looking at you.
The world stopped. Not dramatically. Not because something bad had happened. But simply because it wasn’t what they expected to hear.
Suguru went completely still. For a few seconds, neither of them knew how to react because their minds had gone in a completely different direction. And you, without realizing the chaos you had just created inside them, continued speaking.
—Well… a few weeks ago. And we’ve been talking since then and…
You laughed softly, a little embarrassed, while lowering your gaze.
—And three days ago she asked me to be her girlfriend.
Satoru felt something inside him sink. It wasn’t something explosive. It wasn’t anger. It was something much quieter. It was that strange feeling of waiting a long time to hear an answer and suddenly discovering that the answer had always been something else. Because he had imagined that moment so many times.
He had imagined your reaction. He had imagined your smile. He had imagined finally being able to tell you everything he felt. But he had never imagined seeing you smile like that while talking about someone else.
Suguru didn’t say anything either.
He just looked at you. Trying to process it. Trying to organize all the emotions appearing at the same time. Because he didn’t want to ruin your happiness.
He never could. And then you looked back at them.
Happy. And that was what hurt them the most. Because they could see it wasn’t fake.
Silence fell between the three of you. The waves were still crashing near the shore. The wind was still moving the umbrella. People were still walking in the distance. But for the two of them, everything seemed frozen.
Then he looked at Suguru.
Suguru looked back at him. And they both had the exact same expression of surprise.
—What? —they said at the same time.
Satoru still looked like he was trying to understand the words.
The question came out as if he had just heard a completely different language.
—Three days?! —Satoru repeated, still shocked.
—What? It’s been three days!
Suguru was still looking at you. Not because he was upset. But because he was trying to understand how something so important had happened without them knowing.
And then you smiled again.
That soft, in-love smile that completely destroyed whatever emotional preparation they had left.
There was a second of silence.
—Yeah. She’s beautiful. She’s part of the fencing team and she’s the captain. You really should meet her, she makes me really happy.
And while you talked about her, they could see it.
The way your voice changed.
The happiness in your eyes.
Satoru kept staring at you like someone had just told him the sky was green.
—Why did you never tell us you liked girls?
You looked at him, confused.
—How were we supposed to know?!
—No! —he immediately answered.
Suguru, still processing everything, nodded.
—But I literally told you once that I would be happy marrying Megan Fox.
—Everyone says that! —Satoru protested.
—I also called Utahime “my love.”
—Because you call everyone “my love”!
You stayed quiet for a few seconds.
Thinking. And then you admitted it.
Suguru covered his face with one hand, trying not to laugh. Satoru looked up at the sky, completely defeated. And you, still not understanding why they were reacting like this, tilted your head slightly.
—Well… so what did you two want to tell me?
And that question brought everything back. Because that was the moment. The moment they had imagined. The moment where they were going to tell you that they loved you. That you weren’t just their best friend. That you were the person they had chosen over and over again.
Satoru opened his mouth. But he stayed silent. Because he was looking at you. Looking at that smile. That happiness. And he understood something.
Even if his chest felt heavy.
In the end, you were still you. And seeing you happy had always been more important than anything he wanted.
He didn’t finish the sentence. Because Suguru spoke first.
—We wanted to invite you on a trip.
Satoru immediately turned his head toward him.
Suguru smiled softly. Although behind that smile were many things he was trying to hide.
Your eyes widened in surprise.
Satoru finally managed to smile a little.
—We know how much you love beaches.
—And we thought we could spend a few days together. Like before.
The expression on your face changed immediately. And that happiness made both of them feel a little relieved.
The kind that reminded them exactly why they loved you so much. Without thinking too much, you stood up and hugged them.
Both of them. At the same time.
Satoru immediately closed his eyes.
Suguru did too. Because even with their hearts slightly broken, they still couldn’t bring themselves to pull away from you.
—Yes, yes, yes —you said between laughs—. I want to go with you guys.
Satoru rested his face against your shoulder for a second. Breathing slowly. Trying not to think too much. Trying to save that moment in his memory. Because you were happy. And that was enough. But then you pulled away slightly.
—No! —Satoru answered immediately.
You stared at him, surprised.
—What this idiot means is that we want to meet her first.
—Yeah. We want to know what the person who makes you happy is like.
You lowered your gaze for a second.
—I was already getting scared.
Satoru tried to smile. And this time he actually could. Because even though something inside him hurt, you were still you.
Your happiness. And if he couldn’t be the reason behind that happiness… Then at least he was going to make sure he never took it away from you.
The sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon while the three of you remained sitting in front of the ocean. It hadn’t happened the way they imagined. It wasn’t the confession they had prepared. It wasn’t the perfect moment. But somehow, they were still there.
Together. Because even when things changed. Even when life gave them something they never expected.
They would still choose you.
The trip to Bali happened two months later.
And, against all odds, nobody died.
Which, considering that Satoru had spent those entire eight weeks acting as if the universe had personally betrayed him, was quite an important achievement. He had dramatized every little thing as if he had been sent into an emotional war with no way back, and Suguru had threatened more than once to cancel the trip every time Satoru mentioned, even accidentally, the existence of your girlfriend.
Sometimes it was just a comment.
Sometimes it was a question.
Sometimes he simply said her name for no reason. And every single time, Suguru ended up looking at him with the exhausted expression of someone who had already accepted that his best friend was impossible.
—What? I’m just saying that it still feels unbelievable.
—Exactly. Two months of suffering.
—You don’t understand my pain.
And even though they both knew Satoru was exaggerating, they also knew there was something real underneath all those jokes. Because yes.
Much more than either of them wanted to admit.
The morning of the flight, they arrived at the airport early.
You appeared wearing an oversized hoodie that practically swallowed you whole, a suitcase that was clearly too small for all the things you had tried to fit inside, and a smile so big that even Suguru had to smile a little when he saw you. Because that was the hardest part.
Seeing you happy. Not because it bothered them. But because it reminded them that, in the end, that was the only thing they had always wanted for you.
Satoru, of course, pretended to be deeply offended. He wore his sunglasses even though they were inside the airport and had his arms crossed like he was starring in the biggest drama of his life.
—I still haven’t gotten over the fact that you have a girlfriend.
You looked at him with a mix of amusement and exhaustion.
—You met her three weeks ago.
Satoru pointed forward as if that proved his entire argument.
—Exactly. And in those three weeks I discovered she’s too nice. That makes it worse.
You couldn’t help but laugh. Because it was true. They had met Maki a week after the beach. And, to Satoru’s complete misfortune, she had been perfect. Not perfect because she tried to impress them.
Actually, at first, it was the opposite.
She challenged him when he said ridiculous things. She answered back with the kind of confidence that left Satoru without arguments. And that, even though he would never admit it out loud, he liked. Because she wasn’t trying to earn his approval. She only cared about you. And that was enough.
Because when they saw her with you, when they saw the way she took care of you, the way she listened to everything you said, and how your expression changed whenever you were by her side, they understood something.
She really made you happy.
So even though at first it hurt.
Even though for a while every time they saw you smiling at your phone, they felt that small pressure in their chest, that feeling of losing something they had never truly had…
In the end, they couldn’t hate her. Because you were happy. And because she was one of the reasons. And to them, that had always been the most important thing.
Bali was even more beautiful than they had imagined.
The hotel was right in front of the ocean, with open balconies where the sound of the waves could be heard throughout the day. From the room, they could watch the sky change colors at sunset, how orange and gold blended together over the water, and how the palm trees moved slowly with the warm breeze.
It was different from everything they knew.
As if the place had given them permission to simply exist without worrying about anything else.
The first night, they barely slept.
They ended up sitting together on the beach, with their bare feet buried in the sand and the sound of the ocean accompanying the conversation.
He jumped from one topic to another. Told unnecessary stories. Made ridiculous comments just to hear you laugh.
Suguru corrected him every now and then. Told him he was exaggerating. That he was probably making up half the things he said. And you simply looked at both of them with a smile, feeling that familiarity that had always been there. And for the first time in a long time, everything felt right again. Not exactly the same. Because it couldn’t be exactly the same anymore.
Now there were things the three of you knew.
There were feelings that had come to light even if they had never been fully spoken. There were small wounds.
Things that still hurt a little when they thought about them too much. But there was also something beautiful. Because even after everything, nobody left. You still sat between them whenever you walked.
Satoru still put an arm around your shoulders without realizing it.
Suguru still moved your hair away from your face when the wind messed it up. And you still looked at them as if they were an important part of your life.
The last night of the trip, you went for a walk along the shore.
The beach was completely empty. The water reflected the moonlight and the night air was warm, calm, almost unreal. You walked a few steps ahead of them, holding your sandals in one hand while letting the foam of the waves touch your feet.
Every now and then, you turned around to tell them something.
Some observation about the stars.
Some ridiculous idea like buying a house by the ocean when you were older and living close to each other. And they always listened. Because that was how it had been from the beginning.
At some point, you ran a little farther ahead, chasing a wave that almost managed to soak you completely. Satoru and Suguru stayed behind.
In silence. And for the first time in a long time, there was no sadness in that silence.
—Are you okay now? —Suguru asked softly.
Satoru took a few seconds to answer.
His eyes were still on you. On the way you laughed a few meters ahead. On the way the moonlight reflected in your hair. Finally, he let out a small laugh.
Suguru smiled slightly. Because he expected that answer.
They stayed quiet for a few more seconds. Because there was no need to say much. They both knew what they had felt. They knew how much they had loved you. How many years they had spent imagining a different possibility. They knew that a part of them would probably always love you that way. But they also knew you.
And they knew you would never want to see them trapped in something that made you happy but hurt them.
So they would learn to love you in another way.
A different way. But just as sincere.
As the people who would always appear when you needed them.
As the people who would continue walking beside you even if the path wasn’t exactly the one they had imagined.
You suddenly turned around when you noticed they had fallen behind.
—What are you doing? Come on!
Satoru looked up. And smiled.
This time without pretending. Without hiding anything.
Suguru smiled too. And the two of them started walking toward you.
Toward where they had always wanted to go. Toward you.
Even if it was different. Even if it wasn’t what they had dreamed of. Even if it wasn’t the story they had imagined for years.
And maybe, in the end… That was enough.
I hope you enjoyed this story <3
