I wasn't dumb, like I said before.
Maybe I've got a few screws loose in the head, but I definitely was not stupid. I could put two and two together.
Obviously I would notice when my own children were unique.
Mitsuri and I noticed when Ai, our precious firstborn daughter showed signs of being a little more conscious than children her age ought to be.
She always gave us these knowing looks as if she was reading our minds. And well… she really could. That was the first sign honestly. I had never heard of a cursed technique that allowed people to read minds. She liked to read Mitsuri's mind mostly, partially because my brain is constantly being fed information that would normally cripple most people, and that didn't help with my already hyperactive mind.
It must have been like trying to read while ten different speakers were blaring ten different songs at once.
It didn't take long to put the rest together, she would often stare in amazement at certain things while muttering 'Waku waku'.
I hadn't seen it in my past life to its full extent but I was familiar with the anime. A spy and an assassin posing as a couple while the pink haired child the spy had adopted would constantly get into hilarious mishaps.
I never told anyone, it wasn't my secret to share. However, Mitsuri is their mother for a reason. I have a feeling that she figured it out herself too. Not that she'd know that our firstborn daughter was, at one point, a little girl from a very different future.
Akira came next. My boy, my little mini me. He was different too, a little more grounded than Ai. I'd kept my eye on him too, but so far I haven't noticed anything. He was just our lovable little goof. He once jumped off the roof while shouting 'Domain Expansion', he ended up face first in the koi pond… still my boy though.
Then came the twins, I started questioning fate and reality once they had been born. It wasn't every day that you get twins, much less twins with an uncanny resemblance to both Mai and Maki Zenin from Jujutsu Kaisen.
Still, even if they all had past lives, they were my children now. Our children, adorable little kids that Mitsuri and I made. They shared our blood, they were our little gremlins and I wouldn't change it for the world.
Obviously my darling wife felt the same way.
One night after we had tucked the kids into bed I had brought it up. "Hey darling," I began casually, "you ever think that maybe… our kids are a little more than special? Like they're all just a little too mature, it's as if they remember past lives or something."
Mitsuri scooted closer, her hands grabbing mine as we lay face to face. "It wouldn't be too crazy, our lives are anything but normal."
I hummed and pulled her into my arms, "I love them anyways… They're our children first and foremost. It doesn't matter who they were before in any case."
Mitsuri smiled and rested her head on my chest. "I've thought about it before you know…" she admitted with a small giggle, "Ai accidentally called Shinobu-san mama Yor once. And the twins… They're so mature in strange moments. But as you said… I don't mind who they were if they had past lives, they're our little babies now. I love them with all my heart, no matter what lives they had before this one."
My chest warmed at that, she kissed my cheek. "And Satoru… if you told me that you had a past life too, I wouldn't mind either." She added with a soft smile as if she already knew more than she let on.
I chuckled, a little caught off guard. "You'd still love me even if I was a weirdo in my past life?"
She leaned over and kissed me again, on the lips this time. "You're my weirdo now, of course I love you."
'Yeah… I really lucked out.'
[Scene Break]
A few weeks later I had sent Himari to fetch Hikari once Mitsuri had finished cooking dinner. We took turns with dinner. Tonight was Mitsuri's turn. She had insisted on making a small feast to celebrate the first snowfall of the year. Really though, I think she just wanted an excuse to make a lot of warm sweets.
After a few minutes the twins didn't come back so I excused myself to go find them. Mitsuri gave me a small glance as I stepped out of the door. I stuffed my hands into my pockets as I glanced around my snow covered estate. My breath fogged in the cold air, I always liked winter time more than any other season.
I walked slowly, my Limitless keeping me just a few inches above the snowy ground so that I left no footsteps and made no sounds.
I reached the koi pond and spotted the twins sitting side by side. Hikari and Himari were holding hands, talking quietly to each other.
As their father I invited myself to listen in on their conversation.
A smug smile formed on my face as my suspicions were confirmed. They really had been reincarnated, and by some cosmic miracle they had been reborn as sisters once again.
Holding back from reacting to me must have been hell for them. I chuckled silently, wondering how the rest of the characters from the original Jujutsu Kaisen world would react to the fact that both Maki and Mai Zenin were now the biological daughters of Gojo Satoru.
They shared each other's perspectives, then their conversation drifted to whether they should keep it from Mitsuri and I. As they were agreeing to keep it between themselves I made my dramatic entrance.
They looked at me in shock and wariness as I stepped out into the light. I could see Hikari slowly inching in front of Himari as I got closer. It warmed my heart but also stung a little that my daughters would think that I'd hurt them.
"You really think so lowly of me?" I asked with a small frown.
They both froze like two kids getting caught sneaking cookies from the cookie jar.
"I heard everything," I said, crouching down so I was eye level with them. "Past lives, death, all of it… I'm not mad. Why would I be," I ruffled their hair, "you're my daughters, my adorable children, that's all that matters now."
Their eyes widened, Hikari opening hers for the first time revealing eyes that mirrored mind. I smiled softly, "Besides, you're not the only ones with complicated pasts."
They exchanged a look, "…you too?" Hikari asked carefully.
"I knew it! He obviously is! Why do you think our dad looks like Gojo-sensei!" Himari crossed her arms.
I chuckled as they started guessing, throwing random theories out to try and figure out who I had been before. Eventually they gave up and stared at me.
"Otousan… are you going to tell us?" Hikari pouted.
"Yeah! Don't leave us hanging!" Himari added.
I stood up straight, struck a pose, then in a dramatic voice I proclaimed.
"Simple really… through heaven and earth, I alone… am the honoured one."
Hikari rolled her eyes while Himari's jaw fell open in shock. They looked at each other, nodded then let out matching shouts as they jumped on me.
[Scene Break]
Later that night, the twins were the last ones to be tucked into bed. Hikari had insisted on having Mitsuri brush her hair before bed and Himari wouldn't stop trying to find out if I was actually Gojo Satoru.
When all the chaos had settled and both girls were tucked into each of their futons. I knelt between the two of them and tapped them both on the forehead affectionately.
"No sneaking out to plot world domination alright? It's snowing out and I don't want you to catch a cold."
Hikari rolled her eyes, "Please… if anyone is sneaking out it'll be Ai-Neechan and Himari-nee."
Himari sat up and pointed a finger at her sister, "Hah?! You were the one that wanted to kidnap that one vendor who was selling Takoyaki!" She shot back accusingly.
I chuckled, "Enough girls… Your brother and sister are asleep already. If you wake them up I hold no responsibility for the pranks they'll do to get back at you."
Both girls laid back down with twin huffs, Mitsuri watched from the door with a serene smile on her face. Her hands clasped together as she watched me tuck our twin daughters in.
Seeing that the twins had closed their eyes, I got up to leave when Hikari's voice broke the silence.
"Otousan, Okaasan…" she started softly, fiddling with the edge of her blanket, "are you really okay with… you know… us?" She glanced over to Himari who had sat up too.
I tilted my head, "You'll have to be more specific kiddo…"
She took a breath, "With us… having past lives. With us not just being just…" she hesitated, searching for the right word. "…normal."
Himari spoke up too, "Yeah, we're us… you're daughters… but also, we're more… weird, is that weird. Do you think it's weird?"
Mitsuri stepped into the room, kneeling beside me. She pulled both of them into a warm embrace, "Silly girls, whoever you were before, whatever lives you remember, none of that matters to us," she said gently, "because now you're our girls. Part of our wonderful family, and we love you, all of you… with everything we have."
The twins glanced at me, their eyes watering, Hikari whispered. "Even if we're different?"
Mitsuri just smothered them in her hug some more and kissed their foreheads, "Especially because you're different. You're all so special in your own ways. And that's what makes this family so wonderful."
I added with a grin, "Besides, do you know how boring it would be if everyone was normal?" I fake shuddered, "I'd get so bored I'd probably lose my mind."
That finally earned a laugh from both of them, Hikari laid back down in her futon, while Himari flopped into hers while muttering,
"You already are insane Tousan…"
"Yup," I replied cheerfully while tucking her in again, Mitsuri doing the same for Hikari, "and now I have back up."
They giggled softly, the tension fading away slowly. Mitsuri and I stayed a bit longer, just talking to them softly until their eyelids started to droop.
As I stood up, Mitsuri slipped her hand into mine. We shared a quiet smile, the kind that relayed everything without words.
Just before I turned off the light, Himari's sleepy voice mumbled, "Tousan, Kaasan… thank you."
I smirked and whispered back, "Goodnight my little troublemakers."
Mitsuri leaned down one last time, "Sweet dreams, my loves."
————————————————-
Omake: The Field Trip
Sometimes as a dad, you make questionable decisions.
Some fathers take their kids camping.
Others take them to amusement parks.
Not me though… I took mine to a parallel world.
"Field trip time!" I called out while clapping my hands once.
Ai perked up immediately, she ran over to me after stuffing some peanuts into her sleeve. "Papa! We're are we going?"
I grinned, "Parallel universe."
Akira blinked, "Tousan is that even possible?"
"Of course it is! I'm the most amazing father in the world after all."
A few minutes later we were stepping out of a swirling portal and emerged right in front of the Jujutsu High gates. Snow still clinging to our clothes from home.
The first to spot us as we walked in was Yuji, bless the poor boy, he had the reflexes of a startled puppy.
"Satoru-sensei? Eh… who are all these kids? Did you kidnap them…" he frowned.
I clutched my heart in fake hurt, "The audacity! These are my children, can't you tell by how awesome they are?!"
Ai, not one to miss a beat, waved politely. "Hello Sukuna's container!"
Yuji flinched, "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? Satoru-sensei are you giving away secrets?"
Ai responded with her trademarked smug grin, "Heh… intuition."
'Good girl… start him off confused, it'll make it funnier when the chaos hits.'
Nobara arrived next, she was already used to seeing me occasionally pop up. She wasn't ready to face me plus four miniature versions of me though.
She sighed, looking at Ai and Akira, "Cute kids…" then she froze when she saw Himari and Hikari, narrowing her eyes at them she pointed at me, "Why do these two feel familiar?"
Hikari blinked innocently, "Huh? We've never met before though Neechan…"
Himari smirked, "we've got good genetics."
Nobara just palmed her face, "I don't get paid enough for this."
Yuji stared blankly at her, "Wait… you're getting paid?"
Megumi wandered in next, he looked like someone already ruined his day.
Before Megumi could even breathe, Akira had somehow gotten one of the poor guys Divine Dogs and was riding it around like a small horse.
"Oi! Get off! Find your own shikigami!" Megumi barked.
Akira just laughed maniacally, "Haha you can't make me! I'm am the fastest!"
I leaned casually against the gate, sipping some canned coffee I pulled out of my pocket. "I taught him well."
Megumi shot me a pleading glance, he looked like he was one more inconvenience from summoning Mahoraga.
Gojo showed up last, blindfold lifted slightly as he took in the chaos that was unfolding at the school gates.
"Yo," he waved at me, "don't expect you to visit so soon, what's this… a daycare?"
"Nah, just my kids…" I waved back.
He nodded and crouched in front of Ai, "Hey you… you're super cute, what's your name." He smiled.
Ai, looked at him sceptically then she glanced at me, "Papa, this weirdo's Limitless smells funny."
Gojo's smiled fell off his face, "Eh? What?"
My three other kids snickered, with Akira leaning to whisper to the twins. "Heh… Ai-Neechan said his Limitless smelled weird."
The highlight of the trip came when the kids spotted Panda.
"Talking panda!" Akira shouted.
"I AM A PANDA!" Panda boomed.
Himari tugged my sleeve, mischievous smile on her face. "Can I go ride it?"
"No." I said automatically.
Himari pouted, Panda crossed his fuzzy arms. "I'm a panda not a horse, I don't do rides."
"Tousan… please!" She tried again, with Mitsuri's patented puppy dog eyes.
Panda cracked in three seconds flat, "Fine! One lap."
And that's how my daughter ended up riding Panda around like a parade float while Nobara fell to her knees and Yuji tried to stop them so that the kids wouldn't get hurt.
The day only got more chaotic from there.
Akira challenged Toge to a 'silent staring contest' and lost immediately.
Hikari asked Nanami how much he got paid, then told him he was the only sane person there. Nanami agreed.
Ai watched everyone from under a tree, occasionally making remarks like; "that one's brain is too loud." Or "that teacher has commitment issues." She ended up giving several people a mild case of identity crisis.
When the sun started to dip low in the horizon I gathered my chaos squad.
"Alright kids, time to go home, say your goodbyes."
"Bye doggies!"
Bye talking panda!"
"Bye talk man with dumb blindfold." (Gojo's face twitched at Himari for that one.)
"Bye depressed-niichan!" (Megumi sighed loudly.)
As we stepped through the portal Ai tugged on my sleeve again. "Papa…" she whispered, "can we visit again?"
I looked back at the trail of emotions wreckage my kids left behind. The students looked devastated, Nobara lying face down on the ground muttering 'he's multiplying' again and again.
I smirked, "Sure… why not."