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Standing in front of Itadori Yuji's door, Geto Suguru watched Hipper's movements with a complex expression. With a flick of her finger, the door lock flicked open silently, her movements flowing like a habitual criminal. So what if she didn't have a key? In front of this person, any lock was useless. If she wanted to enter, she would never give anyone the chance to refuse.
Just like when they first met for dinner—she'd spontaneously decided to go to his room without even thinking to ask for his permission.
"What are you standing there for? Come in." Hipper had already changed her shoes and entered the room, turning back to urge him. "Yuji has already agreed. Hurry up and prepare the ingredients. We can still rest for a while."
She walked straight to the kitchen, her steps so brisk as if she had already known every corner of this unfamiliar room - it was clearly her first visit, but she acted more familiar with it than the owner.
This control, permeating even the smallest details of life, was the most terrifying. Fortunately, these students were incredibly slow-witted. No, they were all completely fooled by Hipper. These idiots didn't realize that their every move was being observed by those seemingly gentle eyes.
“…”
"I'm sorry." Geto Suguru silently apologized in his heart. He knew it was wrong, but he still chose to be an accomplice. This was a little hobby that Hipper couldn't change, so he could only help cover it up.
Following Hipper into the kitchen, I closed the door behind me. I had assumed that boys of this age weren't good at cooking, but once I entered the kitchen, I dispelled that suspicion.
I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as I glanced over the countertop—the spice racks were organized neatly, the appliances were reasonably complete, and every bit showed signs of use. I was a little surprised that someone actually took their kitchen seriously and kept it so clean and tidy.
There was a reason why Hipper chose his room.
He habitually arranged the ingredients in order of cooking and sorted them on the countertop, with root vegetables on the left, leafy vegetables on the right, and meat placed in a defrosting tray to thaw naturally.
The crisp clink of glass bottles echoed beside them. In my peripheral vision, Hipper was shaking each spice bottle to check the remaining amount, her hair brushing against her shoulders. By the time the sound of running water began, the two of them had already completed all the preparatory steps in tacit agreement—the slightly damp chopping board reflected the knives placed side by side.
They often worked together in the kitchen, preparing food, and their division of labor had long been tacitly understood. Without a word, they swapped positions in the blink of an eye. By the time Hipper rolled up his sleeves, he had already counted the saucepans he needed.
Only the crisp sound of running water and the impact of dishes filled the kitchen. After repeated cycles, he found himself looking forward to this moment - when the outside noise faded, leaving only this regular and peaceful rhythm, his tense nerves were able to relax inch by inch.
The occasional chatter mingled with the work at hand, the shared anecdotes like spice, adding a touch of briskness to the tedious process of preparing food. Before I knew it, most of the work on the counter was already done.
With such pleasant cooperation, you won’t even feel the passage of time.
I turned off the faucet and dried my hands, noting that it was still a few hours before nightfall. "It's still early, plenty of time to watch a movie and then get some sleep."
"Jay, pick a movie." He muttered to himself, "Should I prepare some buttered popcorn and Coke..."
Forget about popcorn, I can't eat much of it.
"Coke, I just put it in the refrigerator."
Sci-fi, gunfights, fantasy, romance, comedy... Hmm, what should I watch? My eyes lingered on the animation category for a moment, and the corners of my mouth twitched slightly. Animated movies are still movies, so I'll take a look.
Crayon O, Tom and Jerry, Sailor Moon, SpongeBob SquarePants… "Just pick one, it's just entertainment anyway." He closed his eyes and randomly selected one, but when he opened them, he saw the title of "Detective Conan" prominently displayed. Watching this kind of movie in front of a genius, he hoped Hipper's politeness would overcome his sleepiness.
"Are you a kid?" Hipper asked from behind, questioning Geto's taste in film selection. "Maybe this is boring for elementary school kids, but it's perfect for you?" Her sarcasm was as polished as ever.
"Would you like to have a children's meal prepared for you as well?"
“…”
No thanks! And——
"Just look at this."
She came over with two cans of Coke and sat down next to him. She didn't react to his childish behavior. He just watched it. It was just a cartoon with a 15-year-old. She still had some patience.
After calibrating the projector, the selected film lit up on the white wall. As the movie's opening music played, the two of them unzipped their Cokes in unison, tossing back their heads. As the cool liquid slid down her throat, she felt something was missing—either the tingling carbonation or the atmosphere of the film.
"No, you still need popcorn and Coke to watch a movie." Hipper put down the Coke and put his hand on his shoulder, "Let's go buy some popcorn and potato chips."
Didn't you just want popcorn? Why are you craving potato chips now?
"Get another serving of fries. These are the best in the store."
Who eats French fries while watching a movie?
I could only helplessly press the pause button and accompany her into the bustling streets.
The crowd surged like a tide, and she subconsciously reached out to embrace Hipper, her palm lightly resting on her arm, trying to use her body to separate herself from the crowded crowd. But even so, a strange arm still inadvertently brushed against her sleeve -
Her brows immediately furrowed, the corners of her lips curled downward, and even her steps slowed. The displeasure was almost tangible, floating in the air—static electricity made Hipper's hair flutter and frizz.
I turned my head away, pretending to pay attention to my feet, and tried desperately to suppress the corners of my mouth that were curling up wildly. No, I absolutely couldn't smile now, or all my efforts would be wasted.
It's a joke of a genius. You have to pretend to be calm when you see it, otherwise when you go back you won't be watching a movie but going to the training ground.
After calming down, Geto reached out to smooth down her tangled hair, helping her maintain her elegant and talented image. "Just bear with it," he said gently, soothing her irritation.
"Chips or fries first?"
The genius uttered a short "humph" and frowned. She had suddenly wanted to go out, but now she was showing her undisguised disgust at the crowds. But now that things had come to this—
"Let's buy some popcorn first." His fingertips tapped his arm impatiently, his attitude becoming petulant. "I want it now."
Eat something small to calm down first.
It was rare for a genius to act like a little kid and ask someone to hold his hand and lead the way. It was also rare for him to experience the feeling of a parent taking care of a child - nervous. While waiting for the popcorn to be packed, he would look back from time to time to see if Hipper was staying quietly in the corner.
The only difference between her and the unreasonable kids is that she is quiet and fair and doesn't make things difficult for anyone.
After buying popcorn, go back early to watch the movie. Her stress reaction is too severe.
"Hey, butter popcorn." He stuffed the paper tube into Hipper's arms like coaxing a child, and pushed her shoulders out. "Go back, go back, eat the popcorn while it's hot, okay?"
Hipper: (chewing) Stare—
Her cheeks were stuffed, and the popcorn made a crisp sound between her teeth. Although she still looked reluctant, she didn't struggle anymore and half-heartedly let him hold her shoulders and lead her back.
As soon as she escaped the crowd, her tense nerves visibly relaxed. The exertion of her previous excessive vigilance had left her completely exhausted. As soon as she returned to her room, she slumped onto the sofa, mechanically stuffing popcorn into her mouth, even her fingertips showing fatigue.
Sinking into the soft sofa, the cool cushions resting against her back, she clicked on "Continue Play" between sips of Coke. Suddenly, her knees sank, and the sudden weight on her legs made Geto look down. Hipper had curled up, resting her head on his thighs. Her hair was untidy, and she lay on her side, her gaze fixed on the screen.
The guy who could fight with Gojo Satoru for an hour in the training ground and still be full of energy and challenge the other party, now becomes weak after going out for more than ten minutes... Is it possible that all geniuses in the world will eventually end up being a flash in the pan?
The movie's images streamed quietly through the room. Besides the soundtrack, the only sounds were the soft bubbling of cola and the crunch of popcorn. While the story on the screen continued, his thoughts had already drifted far away.
Until one moment, he suddenly realized that the chewing sound beside his ear had disappeared - looking down, he found that Hipper had fallen asleep without knowing when. Her even breathing had a reassuring rhythm.
In this dim light and shadow, the dialogue of the movie gradually turned into a distant background sound, and his eyelids became heavier and heavier. Finally, the breathing sounds of the two people intertwined and sank into dreams.
*
"OK! Let's go eat."
As classes neared five o'clock, a wave of howling erupted from the students. Those who had endured the entire day, their eyes aglow, gathered on their way back to the dorms, rushing towards Yuji Itadori's room like a pack of hungry wolves.
"I'm so hungry--" Complaints came one after another accompanied by messy footsteps. Yuji Itadori's attention was attracted by the light and shadow on the living room wall. The movie on the projection screen was still playing.
As his gaze moved down the light curtain, he noticed Geto Suguru lying on the sofa. Despite the clamor of these hungry ghosts, he remained completely motionless. A bizarre thought suddenly crossed his mind: Could he... be asleep?
Tiptoeing closer, I saw that both Geto Suguru and Hipper had their eyes closed, their bodies rising and falling gently with their breathing, and they were sleeping very soundly.
"Hmm... a super rare CG." A click sound was heard, and Gojo Satoru captured this scene.
The crisp sound of a shutter click was particularly abrupt in the quiet living room. The man studied his phone screen with satisfaction—the photo of the girl's sleeping face, against the backdrop of the film's light and shadow, looked particularly peaceful. His thumb unconsciously stroked her slightly flushed cheek on the screen, and a sly smile curved the corner of his mouth.
"Get up and cook, cooks!"
A sudden booming voice accompanied by two large hands ruffling their hair without any hesitation. He looked at the two people who had been awakened as if he had succeeded in a prank, and even smugly took pictures of their sleepy expressions.
"If you don't get up now, I'm going to print this photo and hang it on the wall."
Geto Suguru: =. ?
Hipper: +_+**?
Alarm bells rang in Geto's heart, and he quickly stopped Hipper from charging. The tightness in his palm made him groan inwardly. "Don't be impulsive," he said quickly, his voice low and full of helpless persuasion.
"Don't bother with Wu. He wouldn't dare to actually develop the photos."
"Calm down Hipper, he lied to you."
Gojo Satoru: ^o^~☆
"Will it really wash out?"
Don't talk too much!
Hipper's chest heaved violently. He broke free from Geto's restraints and angrily left the living room and went into the kitchen. The action of tying the apron seemed to be strangling someone's neck. "Geto, come and help."
Being able to infuriate Hipper to this degree, Gojo Satoru has truly accomplished something that Satoru couldn't. What is this? Age suppression?
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