82

If life is a series of constantly alternating green, yellow and red lights, then her life was a smooth green light all the way - except for death.

There was no cure—her very existence was an accident, destined for death from the moment she was born. Even struggling was futile. It wasn't that there was no escape route, but she preferred the brief few decades of human existence to becoming a digital ghost.

Knowing what he would die from, he could only stand by and watch like everyone else.

It's easy to feel unbalanced—I've tried my best to live, but now I have to face death? Why does it have to be me?

"call--"

Just a joke, death is probably the only way a mortal can defeat a genius. She lost so completely.

Who can blame God for being jealous of talented people, and why is she the top one?

"Sure enough, cigarettes are the best when you're alone." No extra glances, no annoying dissuasions, only the smoke rings that quietly dissipated in the moonlight.

If only it didn’t rain, wouldn’t it make her look so miserable?

The rain came at an inopportune time, just like the red light in her life.

Snap, snap—

The sound of footsteps splashing in the water came from far away, with a unique, lazy rhythm.

This stride, this brisk pace...

She knew who it was without even looking up.

"Hey, why is there a stray cat here?" A man's cheerful voice came from above her head. Shiny leather shoes came into view. He leaned forward slightly. "It's so late, why are you still wandering outside?" His fingertips tapped her knees twice. "Do you want to go home with the teacher?"

She glanced down at his hand and carelessly shook off the cigarette ash, letting the snow-white ash fall onto the back of his hand. It seemed intentional, yet also accidental.

"How come I didn't know that the teacher also has a cat?" The girl spoke softly, with a slightly rising tone at the end, and a hint of laziness in her voice.

He didn't get angry, but just smiled, brushed off the ashes on the back of his hand, and then pressed down slightly on the top of her hair. His palm was warm, and the force was not strong, as if he was kneading a disobedient cat.

Hipper tapped his cuffs with her fingertips. "People who keep cats always get cat hair on their black clothes." She looked up at him, her lips curled up slightly. "Teacher, your clothes are so clean. Do you have the patience to remove the hair before going out?"

That's pretty cute.

The hand tapped her head gently, and he laughed cheerfully: "Cat hair?" He suddenly squatted down, ran his fingers through her white hair, slowly gathered a lock, and twisted it around his fingers twice: "Isn't this it?"

Hipper:?

It's very rude of you to do this.

"...My hair won't fall out, teacher." Hipper tilted his head, letting the strand of hair he was twisting slip from between his fingers. When he raised his eyes, his eyes were clear, "So-"

The ending tone was drawn out, "Where are you taking me?"

Where to go? To his house.

"Teacher, there's a huge cat bed at home." He leaned closer, curling a strand of her white hair with his fingertips. "Would you like to visit?"

It's a lie - there's not even a cat hair on this guy's clothes, so how could there be a cat bed?

"If you dare to lie to me, you'll have to watch me eat all the dessert tomorrow."

Oh, that's a terrible threat. He can't live without sugar.

"Aren't you afraid of getting fat?" Knowing that this question would not get a good response, I still said it deliberately.

"...Teacher, you'll be disliked if you talk like that."

Of course he knew, he did it on purpose.

"Hey, hey~ If you don't go home soon, you'll become a wet stray cat." He clapped his hands, holding them out in front of her with his palms facing upwards, raindrops still hanging on his fingertips, "Do you want the teacher to carry you home?" The words ended with his usual frivolous smile, just like countless half-serious jokes before.

He just said it casually, as always, taking one more step to test her, and he didn't expect her to let down her guard and agree immediately.

"Then I'll trouble you, teacher."

Hipper didn't refuse as usual. Instead, she squatted there, cigarette butt in her mouth, arms open to Gojo Satoru, like a stray cat waiting to be picked up. Raindrops streaked across her eyelashes, and she squinted her eyes. Her voice was thick with the smell of tobacco: "If you don't come over—" The spark from her cigarette was snuffed out by raindrops. "If it rains hard, I'll leave on my own."

The first successful success actually left him stunned. Someone who was always rejected suddenly succeeded, and it was a little strange to be used to it. This sudden luck was even more disturbing than the rejection itself.

I carefully observed the other person's expression, trying to find some clues. However, what caught my eye was unexpected seriousness. This unfamiliar development...

Wait...with her intelligence, she's not planning anything bad, is she?

Unconsciously curling his white hair with his fingers, he stared at the rare docile "white cat" in front of him, a trace of doubt flashed through his mind. But he quickly put it behind his mind -

Why think so much? This is a super rare species. If you miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to bring it home next time.

The rain grew heavier, drizzling softly. Fine threads of rain covered the surroundings like a veil. Gojo Satoru looked down at his clothes, which were gradually being soaked by the rain. The cold rain slid down the ends of his hair, leaving winding water marks on his cheeks.

I have to take it home before the rain stops, no matter if she is planning something or not... let's take it home first.

He easily passed his arms across the girl's waist and knees, instantly forming a standard princess hug. However, she groaned and raised one leg, pressing her knee against his chest with neither too much nor too little force.

"Oh?" The man smiled and leaned forward, his warm breath brushing against the girl's hair. "Are you going to show your claws to me?"

He could easily have subdued that tiny bit of resistance, but he deliberately relaxed his grip, letting the girl's knees rub against her chest. Her angry expression was a hundred times more vivid than usual, making him want to stop and watch for a while.

"Well, it doesn't matter if I tickle you~"

"Who has a cat without a few scratches?"

With a bit of evil amusement, he tightened his arms and pressed the restless girl into his arms again.

The warmth from his arm made him curl up the corners of his mouth. This kind of good thing that fell from the sky was worth it even if he had to pay a price later.

The man's fingers gently patted her back, as if he were soothing a cat. The warmth from his fingertips made her shoulders relax slightly, but then tensed up again.

"You're feeling particularly irritable today," he asked in a low, slow voice, "Isn't smoking enough?" His knuckles slid slowly along the curve of the spine and pressed lightly on the waist.

"Tell me, what are you planning to do this time?" His tone was clearly inquiring, but it carried a knowing smile.

The girl lowered her brows, looked unfriendly, and pressed her fingertips heavily on the back of his hand - clearly a warning, but she didn't actually push it away.

"Huh? Why?" Instead of retreating, he moved even closer, his breath almost brushing against her ear, a wicked smile curling up at the corner of his lips, "Why don't you continue to refuse?"

The warmth of the girl's fingertips pierced through her skin, like a silent indulgence. This caused the man to laugh. He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his fingertips and whispered in her ear, "Or... you don't actually hate me?"

The fingertips pressing on the back of his hand suddenly trembled, and he keenly captured the slight fluctuation.

Are you hesitating? Or...?

Her thoughts were fruitless. The girl pressed her knees hard against his chest, pushing him away slightly harder—but the next second, her legs were wrapped around his waist, her arms hooked around his neck, and she hung on him. Her warm breath fell on his neck, and her hair brushed against his skin, causing a slight tingle.

The man's palms held her body firmly, his knuckles digging slightly into her soft skin. This position was really a bit bad - his right hand was tightly wrapped around her hips, and his left hand was stuck on her slender waist, the burning temperature coming through the thin fabric.

"You pushed me away and then hugged me again, did you do it on purpose?" The muscles in his arms were tense from exerting force, the girl's breath was so close to him, her hair brushed against the side of his neck, bringing a slight itch.

It was clearly a normal protective action, but at this moment it seemed particularly ambiguous because of the close distance.

The girl buried her face deep in the crook of his neck, her warm breath brushing against his skin. Her voice, muffled by the fabric of her clothes, was unclear: "Teacher, you can push me away, too."

She spoke slowly, looking up at him, and the distance between them was instantly so close that their breaths blended.

"Hmm—the teacher's eyes are speaking volumes."

But he was wearing an eye patch, how could he see it?

Hipper's fingertips deftly hooked around the black eye mask and gently pulled it.

"The teacher is saying—"

"Can I hold you?"

"Can……"

Before she could finish her words, the man sealed her lips with a kiss, cutting off her unfinished words. Gojo Satoru knew what she was going to say next - Can I kiss you?

How could she be the first to say such words?

"Ha... well... you can push me away, Satoru~"

Between their intertwined lips and teeth, the girl still did not forget to tease him with whispers. Gojo Satoru remained silent, simply opening his azure eyes and staring at her silently, kissing her in response.

Push away? Now?

How is it possible? Even if Hipper stabbed a knife into his chest right now, this kiss would not stop.

"Not calling you teacher anymore?"

When their lips parted, Gojo Satoru deliberately rubbed the corners of her moist lips with his fingertips, raising his eyebrows with a hint of teasing. The girl's red eyes and disordered breathing from the kiss pleased him, and he couldn't help but rub her cheek against hers.

"Or is it... because it's after school hours?"

"So you can do whatever you want?

His deliberately slowed breath brushed against her burning earlobe, and the last few words were almost uttered with a smile. His fingers slid under the hem of her uniform and pressed lightly at the waist—rather than asking, this was clearly a demonstration of violation.

"Woo…A-choo!"

Hipper shuddered and sneezed, glaring at him resentfully, looking no different from a cat given her soaked appearance.

"Teacher, are you trying to make me get a fever from getting wet in the rain?"

The teacher was called again.

“Tsk.”

This blockhead.

He patted her lower back with his palm, neither too light nor too heavy, and his usually frivolous voice was now steady and oppressive.

"Don't call me teacher casually."

"Don't call names casually either."

Hmm? What's that called?

The person in his arms, eyes curved, listened to his lecture nonchalantly, her fingertips poking his Adam's apple and even scratching it maliciously. Gojo Satoru's lowered gaze carried a warning, and she immediately raised her hands in surrender, blinking and feigning innocence: "Yeah, my hands moved on their own."

The rising ending tone is like a cat's tail. It's obviously cheating, but it doesn't make people angry.

"Oh, what do you call me? Gojo? Six Eyes? That's too unfamiliar, isn't it?"

The girl coquettishly pressed her cheek against his neck, her soft lips brushing against the corner of his lips. She raised her wet eyes, her pupils gleaming in the light.

"Hey~ Tell me—"

The ending tone lingered like melted honey. It was obviously the simplest request, but coupled with such a foul expression and action, it made it impossible for people to say no.

Haha, liar.

He lowered his eyes to look at the restless person in his arms, his fingertips gently stroking her chin. If it were the younger me from years ago, I'm sure she would have been completely confused by my teasing, right?

But now I won’t be so easily fooled.

Several encounters had taught him a lesson: the more indulgent he was, the more this genius would push his limits. So even though the turbulent heat within him threatened to burn through his rationality, he still managed to maintain a composed expression.

"no."

These three casual words made Hipper's eyes widen instantly.

"Let's stop playing around here for today."

His voice was a little hoarse, proving that he was not completely indifferent—it was just that compared to a momentary impulse, Gojo Satoru enjoyed the pleasure of slowly tightening the control in this game more.

Taking in Hipper's astonished expression, Gojo Satoru slowly grinned - it was a smile with a predatory aura, with sharp canine teeth faintly visible.

Uh, there seems to be something wrong with the teacher...

She tensed up reflexively. This smile was too familiar to her. Every time he showed this expression, it meant...

She's going to be in trouble.

"What are you afraid of?"

His tone was full of teasing, and his fingers were already clasping her waist, giving her no room to refuse.

"Weren't you very arrogant just now?"

"If you have a fever, isn't there a big cat bed left for you?"

^_^

"...Haha, teacher, how can a person sleep in a cat's bed?" He clasped his hands together across his chest, fingertips touching each other. He even lowered his head slightly, his eyelashes fluttering, and put on a harmless look.

"Why not?"

Perhaps it was out of consideration, or perhaps it was some unspeakable thought - in any case, the next second the two of them were standing in front of Gojo Satoru's door.

"That cat bed—"

The man patted her back with a smile and said, "Even I can fit it easily."

"The key is in your left pocket. Okay, open the door~"

“…”

Does this door have to be opened today?