The gym was quiet again. No games. No practices. Just the lingering scent of sweat and the soft creak of the hardwood floor as Gojo sat near the baseline, his legs stretched out in front of him. Kuroko was beside him, silently bouncing a ball. It had become a routine of sorts—the moments after practice when everything faded away, leaving only the quiet understanding between the two of them.
Gojo glanced over at Kuroko. The boy's face was as unreadable as ever, but there was something different about him now. He wasn't the shadow he once was. Not anymore.
"Do you ever wonder if we're doing the right thing?" Gojo asked, breaking the silence. His voice was softer than usual, a rarity for the confident sorcerer.
Kuroko paused his dribbling. "Doing the right thing? You mean with the team?"
Gojo nodded. "Yeah. It feels... different now. It's not like it was before, when it was all just about winning. We've changed, haven't we?"
Kuroko looked down at the ball, his fingers brushing against the smooth surface. "We have. You've changed too."
Gojo smiled, though it wasn't the usual teasing smile. "I guess I have. I used to think everything was about power. About being untouchable. But now, I see it's about something else. Something I never really understood before."
Kuroko tilted his head, eyes meeting Gojo's. "And what's that?"
Gojo's smile softened. "It's about the people you fight for. The people you trust. I spent so much time alone—on top of the world—but I didn't know what it was like to be part of something, to care about more than just winning."
Kuroko stayed quiet for a long moment, then passed the ball to Gojo.
"You care about the team now," Kuroko said simply.
Gojo caught the ball, holding it loosely in his hands. "Yeah, I do. And I think… I think they care about me, too. About all of us. It's not just about the game anymore."
The silence settled between them again, but this time, it felt peaceful. Kuroko wasn't just the shadow anymore. He was the connection, the bridge between all of them. Gojo realized that Kuroko had been the one to lead them here, in his quiet way, without ever needing to take center stage.
"Do you ever regret your decision?" Kuroko asked, his voice low.
Gojo blinked. "Regret?"
"Coming here. Leaving everything behind."
Gojo thought about it. The world he had left. The battles, the loss, the people he couldn't save. The curses, the enemies, the power that had consumed him. The weight of being alone.
"No," he said finally. "I don't regret it. I was a fool to think I could do it alone. Maybe this world is quieter. But there's something... something real about it. Something I didn't know I was missing."
Kuroko looked at him for a long time, as if weighing his words.
"I think you've always been looking for a place to belong," Kuroko said quietly. "And now you've found it."
Gojo chuckled softly, looking out toward the empty court. "I'm not sure if I ever really belonged anywhere. But... maybe I'm starting to get it. Starting to understand what it means to belong to something bigger than just yourself."
Kuroko gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "You belong with us."
For a moment, there was no need for anything else. No flashy words, no grand gestures. Just the understanding between them.
Gojo leaned back, resting his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling, feeling something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Peace.
"We've got a lot of work ahead of us," Gojo said, breaking the silence again. "But I think we're ready for it."
Kuroko's quiet voice answered. "I think we are too."
They sat together in the darkened gym, two souls who had once walked alone, now sharing the weight of the world together. The path ahead was uncertain. The challenges, many. But one thing was clear.
They weren't alone anymore.