Chapter 86

...I still can't sleep.

Gojo Satoru lay on the table, his head buried in his crossed forearms, his mind a little dazed.

His memory is excellent. The new terms he learned last night are like seagulls circling freely at the dock, impossible to forget, and extremely difficult to ignore.

And those analyses...

Do they really like each other, or is it... that kind of super special liking?

Gojo Satoru subconsciously felt that those analysis results were unreliable—he was a completely good friend to Kazuma!

But as for Yi Zhen... well... that's hard to say.

After all, the analysis in those posts was really quite reasonable. For example, the way Yizhen looked at him, some small actions, and the micro-expressions he unconsciously revealed... all of them were analyzed very reasonably!

Moreover, he even knows some details that the analysis masters in the post don't know!

For example—why did Ichijin only bring him gifts and not others?

For example, why does Yizhen only accompany him to play games, go fishing, and go shopping, and even give him sunglasses, but not do these things with other people?

For example, why does Yizhen only have secrets with him and not with other people?

There are so many details to count, so many that even Gojo Satoru secretly gasped and repeated the famous line from the post—

He loves me so much!

...But wouldn't that make him seem incredibly unaware, treating Yi Zhen like just an ordinary good friend?

But the other party never told him any of this... As for his feelings, if we're talking about true friendship, that's how he really treats his good buddies, and he's the only good buddy of his.

But the post also says that these are just young couples getting along and can get married directly... By the way, what does "do" mean? Isn't that an auxiliary verb in English?

No, no, this logic is a bit messy. Let him sort it out again...

Gojo Satoru lay there lost in thought, wide awake, when he heard Jie still asking Kazuma what was wrong with him.

“…”

Gojo Satoru's ears perked up secretly, eager to hear how Hatori Kazuma would answer.

"I studied all night. It's true that the techniques I've mastered are very effective, but if I want to use them freely and develop more applications, I must first master the relevant mathematical and scientific knowledge."

Then he heard Kazuma Hatake reply to Natsuyuki in a very serious tone, his voice low, as if he was worried about waking him up.

"It's not enough to just have a pair of [six eyes] and awaken the [no limits] technique. The real key is enlightenment and perseverance."

Hatake Kazumi said these things on purpose.

He still remembered Xia Youjie telling him that "Wu should do this task," as if Wu's strength was something he had acquired for free.

Satoru himself couldn't tell others these things, because they would think that Gojo Satoru was being hypocritical after getting a good deal, and they simply couldn't and didn't want to understand him.

Now that Kazuma Hagoromo has this opportunity, he should try his best to explain things clearly.

Kazuma Hatake still remembers Satoru from the first timeline. Because he learned the Reversal Technique, which can heal damage caused by continuous brain activity, and coupled with his ability to indiscriminately kill cursed spirits, he took on a terrifyingly difficult mission. He worked non-stop, sleeping only three hours a day, and was so exhausted that he could only doze off in his car sometimes. Even then, the old NPCs would tell him that it was his duty and that no one else could do it.

In fact, Wu still receives a monthly salary, and no extra pay is given regardless of how many tasks he completes.

Even so, Wu never minded.

Because these are all things he wants to do and is able to do.

He neither regarded these tasks as responsibilities nor obligations.

Therefore, he never boasts about these achievements, nor does he take pride in them, ask for thanks or rewards, or use them as leverage to gain something.

He would never feel annoyed by the burdens weighing on him, and Kazuma Hatori never even heard him complain.

All of this was simply because he was able to do it, and he persisted in doing so for decades.

—But Yuichi Makoto minded.

Even if Satoru never intended to be a hero, Kazuma Hato would never allow those people to call him a monster.

"I see,"

Upon hearing Kazuma Hato, Natsuyuki lowered his voice, seemingly worried about waking Gojo Satoru.

"Then I need to work harder. I can't let my classmates fall too far behind."

When Gojo heard Natsumi Yuuki chuckle, it sounded like he was making a lighthearted joke, but you could also tell that there was a serious element to it, along with a competitive spirit that he wasn't willing to admit defeat.

This sounds like just an ordinary conversation, explaining why Gojo Satoru stayed up all night.

But when he heard Kazuma Hato speak up for him so frankly and without any pretense, Satoru Gojo, who was directly involved, felt his ears burning.

While he was being educated at the Gojo family's home, he certainly did have experiences of studying all night long.

Those teachers had no experience teaching the [Six Eyes] + [No Limits] technique. Even if other members of the family had awakened the [No Limits] technique, it was extremely difficult to use it efficiently without the [Six Eyes] technique.

The techniques that Gojo Satoru now knows, [Continuous Inhibition - No Limit] and [Enhanced Attraction - Azure], are both techniques he mastered through hard work, based on records of techniques left by his predecessors and with a touch of inspiration from modern mathematical knowledge.

Moreover, they have to constantly endure the overwhelming amount of magical energy information that [Six Eyes] brings at all times, with no option to actively turn it off.

Only now, with the addition of sunglasses that block my view, has my condition improved considerably.

Of course, Gojo's thoughts were not meant to be a complaint.

He suddenly realized... that there really are people who understand him, who will stand by him, and who will speak up for him.

His heart suddenly started racing, and his fingertips felt hot, making Gojo Satoru's head spin a little. But a smile was quietly creeping onto his lips as he desperately wanted to say something to Hagoromo Kazuma—even though he hadn't actually thought of what he was going to say.

But none of that mattered, because he was genuinely happy.

Gojo thought of the porcelain cats on the windowsill.

I thought of that cat with its four paws bent and crouching on the ground, yet it could suddenly leap high into the air, its tail tip standing straight up.

Is he feeling the same way as that jumping porcelain cat right now?

Gojo Satoru suddenly relaxed completely, allowing himself to catch up on a good night's sleep during this short yet long period of time, next to Hato Kazuma.

Today is also a beautiful day.

The course proceeded as scheduled, but due to the approaching summer, the curse was also becoming more frequent, and there was a severe shortage of [window] and assistant supervisors.

As a result, the afternoon's sparring session between Kazuma Hatake and his team was canceled and replaced with patrolling and exorcising cursed spirits.

Under Gojo's bright and sparkling gaze, Mr. Yagami arranged for him to partner with Kazuma Hatori to patrol the Ota Ward, Setagaya Ward, Meguro Ward, and Shinagawa Ward in southern Tokyo.

“There’s one more thing,” said Masamichi Nobi.

"Summer vacation starts in a month. Remember to manage your time well, but don't forget to stay in touch so we can take on more tasks."

""good--""

After briefly arranging today's patrol and the exorcism of nearby cursed spirits, Kazuma Hatori and Satoru Gojo took a car to Ota Ward and began patrolling along their predetermined route.

Of course, the so-called "patrol" does not mean that they actually have to walk every street in these districts, but rather that they take a car to several fixed locations where talismans are placed to check the condition of the talismans and whether the surrounding area has attracted cursed spirits.

In addition, there are some level two and three exorcism missions, which Gojo Satoru can basically eliminate as a matter of course.

As for level four cursed spirits that resemble fly heads, they can cause very little physical damage and form a large number of them. Usually, there is no need to specifically arrange for them to take action; they can be easily captured simply by assisting in monitoring.

However, even level two or three [Curse Power Crystals] are valuable upgrade materials for Kazuma Hatake.

Therefore, he had previously mentioned to Gojo Satoru whether he could finish off the enemy so that he could obtain [Curse Power Crystal] to increase his curse power.

Gojo Satoru wasn't too surprised—after all, Xia Youjie could eat cursed spirit balls, so it didn't seem so strange to think that another one could eat cursed power crystals.

Moreover, according to [Six Eyes]'s judgment, the cursed power flowing in Kazuma Hatori's body is indeed gradually increasing, which is quite a rare thing!

"Taking you to exorcise cursed spirits always gives me the illusion that I'm grinding monsters and feeding Pokémon to level up, which is quite satisfying."

Gojo Satoru also expressed his eagerness with the same line as the first timeline Satoru.

In response, Kazuma Hatake silently replied with a string of ellipses.

But no matter what, he was finally able to level up. Even though he couldn't use spells yet, he wouldn't be unable to use [Black Flash] more than a few times.

Today's objectives, besides completing the assigned patrols and missions, also include buying fashion magazines.

After spending the entire afternoon patrolling and consuming several [Curse Power Crystals], Kazuma Hatori and Satoru Gojo finally had some private time.

Are you still planning to stay in the dormitory during the summer vacation?

Watching the car carrying the assistant supervisor drive away, Gojo Satoru casually asked Hatake Kazuma.

“I’m not sure.” Kazuma Hatori thought for a moment, “but I probably don’t have anywhere else to go.”

The apartment I stayed in before enrolling in school was just a short-term rental, and I've already moved out.

Should he return to the Star Child's House branch of the Panxing Cult? With a mission at hand, he wasn't sure if he could go back, given his current undercover work.

Thinking about it this way, I guess I'll just have to keep living in the college dormitory. It shouldn't be a big deal, right?

Kazuma Hatori doesn't care where he lives—after all, in other games, players are a species that can sleep peacefully under bridges, in the wild, or in dungeons, with extremely strong adaptability.

But when Gojo Satoru heard this, he hesitated for a moment, thinking that he had touched a sore spot for the other person, and then showed a slightly apologetic expression.

"Um," he began, "why don't you come live with me at the Gojo family's house for the summer?"

Kazuma Hatori thought about it and agreed.

"good."

His current status is different, making it quite difficult for him to contact the higher-ups in the world of sorcery. He might as well take this opportunity to find out what the higher-ups were like ten years ago.

Hearing that Kazuma Hato had agreed, Satoru Gojo became happy again.

Otherwise, it would be too boring for him and Yizhen to be separated for more than a month.

Afterwards, Kazuma Hato expressed his desire to buy a copy of the magazine containing their interview as a souvenir, and Satoru Gojo naturally accompanied him throughout.

He decided to put aside the words in the post for the time being and wait for Kazuma Hatake to express his feelings before he could smugly show off—"Heh heh, didn't expect that, did you? He actually knew all along!"

Anyway, according to the analysis in the post, if Kazuma Hatake really likes him "that way", he wouldn't be able to keep it to himself for long before confessing to him, right?

Gojo Satoru secretly applauded his own brilliant idea, while outwardly remaining by Hagoromo Kazuma's side with his hands in his pockets.

While the other party was asking the shop assistant questions, I relaxed and looked around at the shops along the street, treating it as if I had come here to enjoy the scenery.

As for whether or not to agree to it when the time comes—this decision never even crossed Gojo Satoru's mind.

But after visiting several bookstores, asking from the outskirts of the city all the way to the bustling city center, they were all told that the books were sold out.

Moreover, what they are facing now is not just the small matter of [the magazine being sold out].

No one recognized them when they went out shopping last time, so when Gojo Satoru went out this time, he didn't even think about wearing a hat to hide his hair.

As a result, when this striking white hair appeared in the downtown bookstore, which had a large number of customers, the fans who had also come to inquire about the magazine's sales immediately went wild!

"It's Gojo Satoru and Hagoromo Kazuma!!"

Upon suddenly hearing this unusually excited call of name, both of them jumped in surprise.

"Ahhh, Satoru-chan and Shin-chan!!"

Gojo Satoru choked up. They were actually calling them "chan"...

"Honey! My husbands have appeared!!"

How many husbands do you have? You're so fickle!

"Shingo, Shingo, ahhh, matching outfits again!"

Everyone's saying they're not matching outfits but college uniforms...! But I can't say that out loud, otherwise the fact that it's a magic college will be exposed.

"Give us a kiss, give us a kiss now, okay?"

Gojo Satoru finally couldn't hold back and retorted: "How can you just kiss someone like that!"

"Okay, okay," the fans readily agreed, "Go back and kiss!"

"...We won't even kiss when we get back!!"