It was Gojo Satoru’s birthday, but this year, there was no teasing, no laughter, no playful banter—only silence.

You sat in his apartment, surrounded by the remnants of the celebrations you used to have. The decorations were still up, his favorite cake sitting untouched on the counter. The candles had long been blown out, but the emptiness of the day weighed heavily on you.

You had planned to surprise him, to give him a small, personal gift. But now, it was just you and the memories.

A buzz from your phone pulled you from your thoughts. A message from Shoko: “I’m thinking of you today. I know it’s hard.”

You wiped your eyes, hand trembling as you set the phone down. You missed him so much—his strength, his grin, the way he made everything feel okay, even in the darkest times.

The door creaked, and for a brief moment, you thought he might walk in. But it was just the wind. He wasn’t coming back.

You tried to stay strong, but today, the pain was unbearable. The first birthday without him.

You walked to the balcony, where you had spent so many evenings together, and set the gift on the railing. “Happy Birthday, Satoru,” you whispered, your voice breaking. “I miss you.”

As the sun set, painting the sky with warm colors, you felt the weight of your grief—but also the love he had left behind. You knew he would want you to keep going, even if every day without him felt like an eternity.

You stayed there a while, letting the quiet fill the space where his laughter once was. In your heart, he was still with you, and that was enough to keep his memory alive.