Chapter 10, 9

"Is it tasty?"

Gojo Satoru squatted on the rooftop railing, resting his chin on his hand and looking down as she reluctantly ate the food he had brought.

"It tastes pretty good, doesn't it?"

...

Dancing in a minefield wouldn't be so bad, but holding someone's fuse... is Gojo Satoru's specialty.

She won't get angry at all.

Too much repression can lead to disaster.

【You have to eat all of these, okay?】

Airi Matsuzaka slowly devoured the entire bag of Kikufuku. She hadn't felt this full in a very long time; it felt strange.

That nausea was stuck in my throat, I couldn't get it out.

I feel nauseous.

Airi Matsuzaka pushed away his approaching hand, covered her mouth, and turned her head to the side.

"Don't spit it out, Shun-chan~"

"Wasting food bad? Hmm?"

...Giving sweets to people who love spicy food is a waste of food.

"You'll get used to it after eating it a few more times."

"Right?"

This guy's statement was a complete affirmation, leaving her no room to refuse.

Airi Matsuzaka hadn't encountered such a tricky situation in a long time.

There is no solution.

Regardless of the chosen solution, we must confront these five key principles.

The backlash hasn't subsided yet, so the best course of action for now is to agree to his request and wait patiently for the right opportunity...

Isn't it just that we can't avoid Xijiufu...?

It visibly declined.

The story reached its peak after Gojo Satoru took out another bag of Kikufuku.

No, thinking about it carefully, this shouldn't be for her. Based on the information she gathered in a short period of time, these Xijiufu were prepared for himself.

It's safe for now; the crisis is over.

...Disgusting, I'll go back and throw it up quietly.

?

Airi Matsuzaka paused, then touched the tissue that was handed to her.

……Thanks.

If Gojo Satoru could read minds, then... he would have heard it, right? She did say thank you.

If you didn't hear it, then forget about it.

"Saying thank you would be meaningless if it weren't said."

Airi Matsuzaka carefully wiped the corners of her mouth, folding the tissue and holding it in her hand.

To elevate this to a matter of significance is an exaggeration; didn't you hear it yourself? Isn't it redundant?

Gojo Satoru shook his head dramatically and began to preach about things he himself never did.

"If you want to hear 'thank you,' then the person you're helping must be someone special."

"Whether my actions have actually helped the other person, and if I receive a thank you from them... I would be very happy."

I'll be happy to give you another bag of Xijiufu :D

That makes a lot of sense, but...

This doesn't seem like something he would do.

"Wrong, how would Shun-chan know about something that didn't happen?"

"Everything is unknown."

"A little bit excited?"

...Well, it's not something to look forward to as a prisoner making the strongest sorcerer happy. Who knows what he'll do next.

It's better to do things according to the expected outcome.

There's nothing wrong with following the rules; if you can get the answer simply by following the rules and changes, then such a shortcut is perfect.

"What if I absolutely have to thank Shun-chan?"

"Look, I'm the one who saved you, and I'm the one who provided you with food and lodging. Shouldn't I get a word of thanks from you?"

I didn't want you to save me, nor do I want to take Xijiufu.

Why are you looking at me so intently?

You are simply drawn by the curse, and it is you who have twisted my will.

You probably already guessed my purpose, so what are you pretending for now?

Shouldn't the enemy have been executed on the spot?

If you had killed me sooner, none of this would have happened.

Yes, I've discovered that you're more resistant to the curse of love than others, able to be attracted while remaining clear-headed.

Since you hate it, find it troublesome, and don't want to be manipulated for no reason... just kill me already.

As the strongest in sorcery, isn't this a piece of cake? If you make a move, I'll at least put up a little resistance.

...

This isn't the strongest form of sorcery; it's the most annoying.

Her patience crumbled, and her composure was dissolved by the strange atmosphere, leaving her with an inescapable sense of unease.

"ありがとう～"

"あ——"

"り——"

"が——"

"どう～"

All the people who used to bother Airi Matsuzaka were sent to the Sanzu River by her vote.

Clearly, Gojo Satoru was not someone she could send away.

She wanted to leave, or turn around and try to cover her ears—

This person was whispering in her ear, and very loudly at that.

Airi Matsuzaka had never imagined what kind of dire situation she would be in, or what powerful enemy she would be facing...

It turned out that she was asked to thank Kikufuku, who felt nauseous after eating it.

After many years, Airi Matsuzaka felt a sense of unease for the first time.

It's urgent, and it hurts.

"Is Shun a coward?"

Gojo Satoru attempted to use reverse psychology to achieve his goal.

……yes.

"..."

There was a very brief pause of one second.

Wearing the blindfold was very uncomfortable, so Airi Matsuzaka hooked a corner of the blindfold and tried to take it off to get some fresh air.

They were politely stopped.

"Not yet."

...Ha, you admit it? Defeated by the curse?

"That's really going too far. Teacher, I'm trying my best to be patient."

"But if it's really uncomfortable... Shun, tell me your name, and I'll allow you to take it off."

...Nonsense.

Want to be her teacher? Are you kidding me?

"Yes, because the teacher discovered... Shun still has a lot to learn."

Gojo Satoru jumped down from the railing and approached silently.

"Want to learn from me?"

They were very close.

frivolous.

Airi Matsuzaka turned her back to him and pulled down her blindfold, hanging it around her neck.

"instant."

Gojo Satoru approached her from behind and whispered something in her ear.

Are you provoking me?

Ah, yes.

I'm... provoking you.

"あ..."

Having not spoken for a long time, Airi Matsuzaka thought she had almost forgotten how to control her tongue. But when she actually opened her mouth, she could still make sounds.

It's just too low and muffled, like sandpaper rubbing against a rough surface; it's not pleasant to listen to.

"り...が...とう."

I even mispronounced one sound, and it took several corrections to get it right.

"あ...り...がとう."

"ありがとう."

After saying it a few times, it became more and more fluent, and the awkwardness gradually disappeared.

ありがとう.

If you kill me, I will thank you.

Please come, don't reject your repressed murderous urges; I can clearly feel their presence.

I'm provoking you, Gojo Satoru.

Accept it. There's nothing shameful about being defeated by a curse. You're not the only one who failed.

She was waiting for a bus, waiting for the bus to the Sanzu River to stop in front of her and open the door.

In the end, Airi Matsuzaka received a gentle pat on the head.

Without saying a word, he put the blindfold back on her and carefully brushed away the strands of hair she had stuffed inside.

It was very gentle; it didn't hurt her.

"Now, can you tell me your name?"

With her eyes closed, she saw a beautiful illusion that did not exist in reality.

It's an illusion.

Perhaps it was too beautiful, and she became so captivated by it that she readily revealed her name.

That name that hasn't been called out in so long.

Airi Matsusaka.

Airi.

She turned around in confusion, forgetting that she was still wearing an eye patch and couldn't see.

Is someone calling me?

It sounds like someone is calling me.

A pair of hands removed her blindfold.

She saw the person standing in front of her.

He bent down and bent over.

They were very close.

He's laughing.

He was saying—

Airi.

This person put the blindfold on her, and this person also took it off for her.

The shrieking, howling soul abruptly ceased at this call.