Chapter 16
65.
The blackout curtains of the hot spring hotel were drawn tightly, with only a few rays of evening light leaking in through the gaps, casting spots of light on the tatami.
Shiori Tadano opened her eyes from a light sleep, her consciousness still hazy. She stared blankly at the ceiling for a few seconds before slowly sitting up.
"This isn't my clothes." She lowered her head and tugged at her bathrobe, muttering to herself, her tone full of confusion.
She was clearly lying on the sofa at home doing her homework. She was halfway through the math problem when she became too sleepy to open her eyes. Why was there the smell of a wooden house all around her when she woke up?
When Gojo Satoru pushed the door open and entered, he paused slightly at the sight of the girl sitting on the tatami. The girl before him had shed the childish air of a five-year-old. Her figure had grown taller, her hair drooping to her shoulders, and her eyes, hazy from waking up, were now misty.
"Wake up." Gojo Satoru shook the bag in his hand, "Are you hungry? I bought some sakura cakes—"
Before he could finish his words, Shiori had already clenched her fists, baring her teeth at him like a furry little lion. "Who are you?" Her voice was sharp and bright, with a husky rasp from sleep, but it was full of power. "Where is this? Are you a bad guy?!"
Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow: "Shiori doesn't recognize me?"
"I don't know you," she said, shrinking into a corner, her eyes wide open, staring at Gojo Satoru, as if he would pounce on her at any second. "I remember I was doing my homework and fell asleep while writing. Are you a kidnapper?"
At this moment, the sliding door was pushed open again, and Megumi Fushiguro and Panda poked their heads in.
"Teacher Gojo, is Senior Shiori awake? We--" Megumi Fushiguro's words were stuck in her throat. She was stunned looking at the angry little girl in the corner.
"Wow! Shiori has grown up!" Panda's voice was loud and clear.
Shiori's gaze shifted to the doorway, first glancing at Fushiguro Megumi, then suddenly fixed on Panda, her eyes widening. That's a panda! It's chubby and it's walking upright!
She gasped, turned her head sharply to look at Gojo Satoru, and said in shock, "Who are you? Where is this? How can a panda talk?!"
Gojo Satoru painstakingly explained the entire story to her, but Shiori's brows remained furrowed, a look of "You're kidding me!" It wasn't until he pulled out videos and photos of her as she grew older that the girl's fingers loosened their grip on the hem of her yukata, her guard finally softening a bit.
"So you're all sorcerers?" She looked up, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "Like in the comics, people who use special abilities?"
"Almost." Gojo Satoru leaned closer, his sunglasses sliding down his nose a little, revealing his clear blue eyes like the sky. His tone was filled with a hint of sly regret, "What a pity! I can't hear little Shiori call me brother anymore."
Shiori didn't respond. What was going on with this person? Was he really her future teacher? It didn't seem plausible at all.
66.
After changing into the new yukata sent by the hotel, Shiori held half a sakuramochi in her hand, nibbling on it while following Gojo Satoru closely. She looked up and around every two steps, her eyes full of curiosity and vigilance.
Passing through the paper door of the corridor, the courtyard scene suddenly unfolded before my eyes. The charcoal fire in the central barbecue grill was burning brightly, sizzling the skewers of meat on the grill. The sound of dripping fat mixed with the aroma of food filled the cool air.
Zenin Maki was flipping the skewers skillfully, her hair swaying slightly from the heat. Gojumaki Saki squatted beside her, concentrating on sprinkling seasoning on the chicken wings.
Yuta Otsutsukota was setting out disposable plates and drinks. Seeing them approach, he immediately smiled and waved, "Gojo-sensei, Shiori-senpai."
Shiori shrank behind Gojo Satoru, revealing only half of her face, and watched them secretly.
Inujuan Ji picked up a bunch of freshly grilled chicken wings and handed them to Shiori. The skin of the chicken wings was roasted to a crisp, with an attractive caramel color, and the aroma penetrated her nose.
Shiori hesitated, looked at the chicken wings, then at Inumaki, and cautiously reached out to take it: "Thank you."
Inujuan Ji shook his head slightly: "Kombu."
Shiori blinked, looking at the chicken wings in her hand in confusion, then looked up at Inumaki's face. What did this mean? Did it mean that there was kelp in the chicken wings?
"He said you're welcome." Panda explained, "Ji is a curse-caster, so he can't speak casually. He can only express his meaning with the fillings of the rice balls."
Shiori suddenly realized it wasn't a strange spell. She glanced at Inumaki, who was looking back at her with a friendly smile in his eyes. She curled her lips and took a bite of the chicken wing. The skin was crispy, the meat inside was tender and juicy, and the seasoning was just right, making her chew faster.
Fushiguro Megumi introduced them: "That's Zenin Maki, Otsutsuki Yuta, and Inumaki Satoru. We are all students of Gojo-sensei."
Shiori nodded and stuffed chicken wings into her mouth.
They didn't look like bad guys, but everything here was still too weird. Shiori was chewing on a chicken wing when she suddenly remembered the question she had just asked. She looked up at Gojo Satoru and asked, "Will I become a sorcerer in the future?"
Gojo Satoru was reaching for the squid when he heard this, but turned his head. His azure eyes were particularly bright under the light. "Of course, Shiori is very talented."
Shiori didn't say anything else, but just lowered her head and ate the chicken wings in her hand seriously.
The warmth of the charcoal fire warmed my cheeks, the aroma of food lingered at my nose, and the people around me were talking and laughing. Occasionally, I could hear Panda's small cry of surprise from being burned by the charcoal fire, and Zenin Maki's helpless complaints.
All of this seemed unbelievably real, but the touch of the sofa at home and the sound of her mother cutting fruit kept flashing through her mind... Those familiar scenes overlapped with the courtyard, barbecue grill, and strangers in front of her, making her feel dazed and unable to tell which was the real world.
"I..." Shiori bit a chicken wing, her voice lowered, with a barely perceptible sob, "I want to go home."
Everyone paused and looked at her.
Shiori's eyes were a little red, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall. She just repeated in a low voice: "Dad, Mom, and sister, they will worry about me. I just took a nap..."
Gojo Satoru subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to ruffle her hair like he usually did, but his movement stopped in mid-air.
He looked at Shizhi's red eyes, slowly withdrew his hand, squatted down to look at her at eye level: "I will take you back, definitely."
67.
Shiori Tadano walked slowly in an unfamiliar hot spring hotel.
She still remembers the disorientation she felt upon waking. The large room was completely empty, devoid of any human presence. She lay alone on the tatami mat, covered in pristine white bedding. It was so quiet she could hear the rise and fall of her own breathing, and even the air was filled with the unfamiliar scent of grass and trees, unlike any place she remembered.
The fear she'd felt the moment the cursed spirit suddenly appeared in the cinema yesterday hadn't yet dissipated, but it was that tall, white-haired man who descended like a divine weapon, shattering the chill that enveloped her heart. Later, back at her Tokyo hotel, exhausted, she fell asleep, forgetting even to turn off the bedside lamp.
But this is clearly not a hotel in Tokyo. The mountain with familiar outlines outside the window is Mount Fuji!
Her yukata was too short, the cuffs barely covering her wrists, and her skirt was revealing her calves. Worse still, her cell phone was missing.
She walked to the door of the hotel and was stunned again when her eyes fell on the row of cherry trees. It was clearly not the season for the cherry blossoms to be in full bloom, but the pink and white flowers on the branches were blooming wantonly, and the petals were falling in the breeze like an untimely snow.
Is it a dream?
She stood under the eaves, looking up at the falling cherry blossoms, not even noticing that her fingertips were getting cold from the wind.
"Isn't your yukata too short? You'll catch a cold standing here."
The voice behind her suddenly sounded familiar. Shiori turned abruptly, her breath catching as she saw who it was. It was the white-haired man who had saved them at the cinema yesterday. His eyes, wrapped in white bandages, were especially striking. Even a fleeting glimpse of him was enough for her to recognize him instantly.
It was just a dream, she thought to herself, her tense nerves inexplicably relaxing.
Curiosity grows quietly like a vine. What kind of eyes are hidden under the bandage?
It's her dream anyway, so it doesn't matter if she takes a look at it, right?
As soon as this thought came to her mind, her hand stretched out uncontrollably. The other person simply stood there quietly, allowing her fingertips to touch the bandage without stopping. See, it really was a dream. In real life, no one would tolerate the offense of a stranger like this.
Circle after circle, the bandage gradually loosened in her hand and slipped away silently.
Finally, those eyes were revealed to her without reservation. Like a clear sky washed by rain, pure without a trace of impurities, they were staring at her without blinking.
Shiori's fingertips gently brushed his eyelashes, which felt incredibly soft. "So eyelashes are white too," she murmured, unconsciously moving closer, her tone full of sincere admiration, "So beautiful."
"I know I have beautiful eyes," the white-haired man said, his eyes curled up. "But Shiori, why don't you change your clothes first? Your hands are cold."
Shiori was stunned: "How do you know my name?" Then she tilted her head and said, "Oh, this is my dream. It's normal for you to know it."
"It's not a dream," the white-haired man said, gently bumping his forehead against hers. "Does it hurt?"
"Hmm!" Shiori suddenly retracted her hand, covered her forehead and took a half step back.
It hurts!
Not a dream?!
Not only did she touch his eyelashes, she also stared into his eyes and said he was beautiful.
Shiori's face suddenly turned red, and she wished she could dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it.
Time machine! Find the time machine!
Hurry up! Something will appear and save her like yesterday!
——【Invisible Spray】Anywhere you spray it will become invisible.
There is always a way out!
Shiori grabbed the spray and sprayed herself from head to toe several times, then closed her eyes tightly and pretended that she had turned into air.
"Pfft." A light laugh came from above her head, and then a warm hand rubbed her hair, "I can see it."
Eh?
How could this happen!
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