*time skip hehe*

"What's a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?"

I smirked as I looked at the girl taking a seat at the bar stool in front of me.

"Well, well. Look who it is," I laughed a little bit.

Aiko smiled at me as she leaned against the bar, resting her head in her hands, "I can't believe how long it's been."

"3 years?"

She nodded, "Almost four."

Hearing that out loud made it difficult to breathe. The days sometimes crawled by, but the years were gone before I could blink.

I settled in a small town off the coast Argentina after leaving Flores, and no one has really bothered me since.

I helped as the village's doctor on occasion, but mostly, I just worked in this small bar and cafe near the edge of the sea.

It was a quiet life. Quaint. I knew the people here, and I absolutely loved every moment of being alive. I couldn't lie that it got lonely on occasion, but that didn't mean I wasn't happy.

Seeing Aiko though, it was a little overwhelming. It filled me with memories I desperately wanted to forget but my heart refused to let go.

"So what can I get you?" I asked, trying once again to avoid thinking about anything that reminded me of my old life.

"Just the usual."

I felt her eyes watching me carefully as I filled the glass with vodka and tonic, Aiko's drink for as long as I've known her.

"Your ring is beautiful," I smiled at her as I passed over the glass.

She lit up as she looked down at her hand, "He definitely did a great job picking it out."

"He knows you well," I loved seeing her so happy. "I hope I get to meet him someday."

"Well, funny you should say that," she peered back up at me.

I tilted my head, "Is he here?"

"No, but maybe you'll be back home sooner than you think," she smiled.

I quickly turned away to start putting bottles away and cleaning up, "I am home."

"Y/n," she called my name, but I really wasn't feeling up to talking about my return to Japan. I had forced myself to accept the fact I'll probably never be back.

"Why'd you come Aiko?" I asked her, still not giving her my full attention.

She was one of the very few people who knew where I was. Mya knew, and I think the leaders of the Protectors. But that was it.

"It's time," she handed me a folded up paper.

I shot her a questioning glare, snatching the paper from her. I quickly began to read it over.

It was an official letter from the sorcery higher ups. It happened a lot sooner than I thought it would, but it happened.

Sorcerers had new leadership. Those cute little students graduated and the worst of the people in charge were either killed, replaced, or retired.

And they wanted to meet with the protectors to start a new allyship. The amount of curses in Japan was increasing, and they wanted to work together to solve the problem.

I handed back over the letter, a soft smile on my face, "That's such great news. You'd all be able to come out of hiding."

I was the only one that left Japan, but most from
the organization had to lay low ever since the confrontation with sorcerers. And I'm sure they were eager to get things back to how they were, or at least somewhat normal.

"You too," she smiled back at me. "And we want you to come."

I shook my head, my heart ready to pound right out of my chest, "No, I'm fine with where I am. You don't need me there."

She sighed, "You know we do. And your presence has been specifically requested."

She pulled out another folded paper, smaller than the first, and handed that one over too.

My eyes widened as I read it over. I really was asked for, by the sorcerers. But why would they want me there?

"What the hell is this?" I asked as I looked up her.

She smirked, "Well, it seems Jujutsu High has a new principal."

•••••

**Geto POV**

Satoru came bursting through my office doors, immediately taking a seat in the arm chair on the other side of my desk.

No one told me being principal would require so much paperwork. I was drowning in it, and Satoru's daily distractions definitely didn't help.

He sat there, sighing loudly, waiting for me to engage with him, but I really didn't plan on it. He could talk or leave, it didn't matter to me either way.

After a few moments, he finally took the hint, "So, you wanna tell me what you're up to?"

"The same thing I'm always up to," I mumbled back, trying to remain focused on the reports in front of me.

"Eh? No, not with your shitty job. I'm talking about with the little gathering you're trying to host."

I let out a loud sigh, "What gathering?"

"I heard you're trying to meet with the protectors. One in particular," I could hear the smugness in his voice so I quickly looked up, catching him already smirking at me.

"We have new leadership. I'm only trying to restore some of the burnt bridges."

He let out one of his signature, obnoxious laughs, "You don't have to lie to me Suguru! I know you better than any one."

"You should also know, better than anyone, how overworked everyone is right now. We'd be less overwhelmed if we could work with them rather than against them."

"True," he grinned as he sat back in the chair and crossed his legs. "But that still doesn't explain why she needs to be here. I heard she even got a special invitation."

"If the protectors feel the need to find her and bring her here, then that's their decision."

"She's not their leader, hell I don't even think she's involved anymore. So why was her presence requested, huh? Seems awfully strange," he teased.

I didn't think anyone would think twice about it, nor did I think that anyone would find out. But I was obviously an idiot to think he wouldn't go digging around the moment he heard anything.

"What do you want Satoru?" I asked in a defeated tone, already putting down my pen and closing my laptop to give him my full attention.

He smirked, really playing up the theatrics, "Hmm, well, first, I want to know what your dear Jun thinks about all this?"

I shook my head, "That's over now."

I've been trying to move on for these last years. Really fucking trying. I had even started dating someone, like actually dating her. Jun.

She was kind and caring, fun to be around. She was eager for a serious commitment, a family. We wanted all the same things. She's someone I could probably start a life with and be just fine doing so.

But she wasn't Y/n.

"Mm, so then you heard she's accepted the invitation?" he raised a brow at me.

I let out a soft sigh as I looked away, pushing my hands back through my hair. Talking about this out loud with made me realize how fucking insane it is.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" I huffed out, suddenly feeling so overwhelmed.

He laughed as he stood up, "If you think she accepted for any other reason than to see you again, then you're still as dumb as ever."

I let him leave without saying anything else. There's lots of other reasons she could've agreed to come, but I wanted to believe Satoru was right. That she needed to see me as much as I needed to see her.

I fucked up so much with her, and I never even really apologized. I was so immature, so lost and confused. So afraid.

And I know it hasn't been that long necessarily, but I'm not that same kid anymore. I know I could make her happy.

To be able to be the one who makes her smile, and wakes her up in the morning, hold her at night. Keep her safe, love her unconditionally. That's all I wanted then and that's all I want now.

The difference being, I'm actually ready for it this time. And I knew I'd never be able to move on unless I tried one more time.  

I opened up my desk drawer, bringing out the small black bracelet I kept with me everywhere I went.  Just the thought of seeing her soon was enough to make my heart race.

Once she cut me off for good, I went straight to work. I worked so fucking hard to get in new leadership and a new council.

I never really wanted to be on the council, let alone the principal of Jujutsu High, but I knew it'd be the only way I'd ever see her again.

When we first found out she left, I remember Kai and Aiko saying that maybe she'd come back when the next generation took over.

Because, maybe then, the people in charge would be kind enough to where we could find some common ground and harmony between sorcerers and protector.

So that's what I spent all my time focusing on, and we finally got here. Since I had been actively working on it, it happened a lot sooner than I think anyone was ready for.

But I wasn't prepared to wait 10 more years for everyone to die off and slowly get replaced. I needed to see her as soon as possible, before she forgot about me completely.

3 years, almost 4 now I guess, was still a long ass time. But maybe, hopefully, I wouldn't be too late this time.