Extra 4.16
Gojo Satoru didn't explain much. He just laughed happily, patted Jiang Lai on the shoulder, and skipped the topic.
"Let's go, Xiao Lai. After visiting Osaka, of course you have to bring back some souvenirs. Let's go to the mall in the city center."
"Would you like to bring souvenirs to the students?"
"Of course - no!" Gojo Satoru frowned, swung the eye mask in his hand for a while, put it back on, and said in a light tone, "I'll eat ten servings by myself~~"
"…Are you serious, Gojo-sensei?"
"You guess?"
Facing that smiling face, Jiang Lai twitched his lips, knowing that Gojo Satoru was making fun of him again.
The other person seemed to enjoy teasing me and watching me make all kinds of expressions. I could feel his bad taste much more by experiencing it myself than by reading it in comics.
Jiang Lai withdrew his gaze, and he felt that the low and subtle emotion that had just emerged in Gojo Satoru was swept away - or more precisely, it was suppressed again and hidden in his heart.
Now, the white-haired man has returned to his usual lazy self.
They went to the mall and bought a lot of local specialties. Jiang Lai also picked out a few extra gifts and planned to give them to Yuji Itadori and others as Christmas gifts.
Gojo Satoru had plenty of money, so he waved his hand and told Jiang Lai to buy whatever he wanted, and they could settle the bill together and he would pay for it.
However, Jiang Lai still carefully wrote down the price of each item, preparing to pay back Gojo Satoru after his salary was paid.
Carrying large and small shopping bags, Jiang Lai and Gojo Satoru took a bus from Osaka back to Tokyo.
On the way, Jiang Lai took out his cell phone.
The mobile phone that blocked the attack of the Curse Spirit is still intact and shining like new. The invincible mobile phone is still invincible today. The upgrade on the display is still going on, only the limited-time chat software is lying alone on it.
Jiang Lai's eyes fell on the chat software.
Although Gojo Satoru changed the subject not long ago, Jiang Lai did not forget the previous conversation. His thoughts were shaking in his heart, and questions popped up like bubbles.
Is Geto Summer Oil an enemy or a friend? Who is Gojo Satoru waiting for? What is the special day of December 25th?
It would be faster to think about it alone than to find a partner to explore it together, so after hesitating for a while, Jiang Lai chose to open the chat software.
Ah... Anyway, let's talk to Matsuda for a while. And let him know that I'm safe.
Having made up his mind, Jiang Lai carefully edited the news.
He informed Matsuda Jinpei of what had happened before, but he deliberately downplayed some scenes and briefly mentioned them.
Jiang Lai didn't want to worry his friend, so he simply skipped the most dangerous part and was determined not to let the other party know.
Matsuda Jinpei responded quickly, but his first sentence was: "Did you omit some content in the middle?"
Can you see this? Jiang Lai was startled and shocked.
He was silent for a moment, then added cautiously, pretending to be nonchalant: [No, Matsuda (Sunny Puppy Smiles.jpg)]
[I won't be fooled by emojis, Jiang Lai. I've been a policeman for many years, so I still have some writing skills. I can guess that what you omitted is the most dangerous part.
But... never mind. Since you've messaged me now, it means everything is over.
I'm glad you're okay. Try to be more careful next time. I won't ask any more questions, and you don't have to feel pressured.]
Wow, he is indeed an experienced and mature policeman! Jiang Lai didn't expect that the other party really saw through it. But after reading the other party's last sentence, he felt a little bit of hidden guilt.
Jiang Lai blinked and quickly replied: [Sorry, Matsuda, I didn't tell you for any other reason. I just didn't want to make you worry QAQ.]
The response from the other side was also very calm.
[Yeah, I understand, I didn't think much about it.
In fact, I have experienced everything, so you don't have to worry about whether it will make me worry.
I didn't mean anything else when I said those words, and you don't have to think too much about it. I just don't want to...find out at the end.]
Jiang Lai lowered his head and looked at the last sentence, his expression slightly startled.
Inevitably, he recalled the past events in the world of science. Missing and concealing, reunion and unawareness, sunset and sunrise, those stories were like old movies from a long time ago, playing frame by frame in his mind.
Perhaps, at certain moments, hidden ignorance can also cause some painful unintentional harm.
Jiang Lai pursed his lips, tapped the keyboard of his mobile phone lightly, and replied repeatedly: [OK.]
The other party quickly sent a smiley face emoticon, then withdrew it. After a while, another smiley face emoticon with sunglasses and curly hair simply added was sent.
Jiang Lai's slightly depressed heart recovered again, and he couldn't help but be amused. He sent a message: [Why don't you just post your own selfie, Matsuda? Is there any need to specially photoshop it?]
[Hey, no. I'm eating on the street right now, it's weird to take a selfie in a restaurant. Anyway, as long as the meaning is conveyed -]
Then, Jinpei Matsuda continued to send messages.
[Okay, let's get down to business. What do you want me to help you analyze?]
Jiang Lai also withdrew his attention. He told Matsuda Jinpei the doubts in his heart and described the situation at the scene in more detail.
Jiang Lai believes that clarifying this information will help him further explore his own life experience and memories.
After receiving the message, Matsuda Jinpei did not reply immediately. Jiang Lai did not wait foolishly, because he knew that it took time to digest the information and process the intelligence.
So he put down his phone and rubbed his temples and around his eye sockets.
Even if you are used to looking at your phone in a shaking car, you will still feel a little dizzy.
Maybe it was because there were too many ups and downs of shock and relaxation today? Jiang Lai felt a little sleepy.
There was still a long way to go before reaching Tokyo. Jiang Lai kept his eyes open at first, but then he gradually became sleepy, his eyelashes fluttered, and his eyelids became heavy.
"Hey? Is classmate Xiao Lai going to sleep?" Gojo Satoru, the front passenger, raised his voice.
"Yeah." Jiang Lai nodded and replied, "I'm a little sleepy."
"Okay, then go to sleep. When you fall asleep, I'll draw a little turtle on your face~!"
"Hey, Gojo-sensei...!"
"I'm just kidding." Gojo Satoru handed over a coat from the front row and threw it to Jiang Lai. "Cover yourself up, Xiao Lai. Don't catch a cold. Otherwise, how can I squeeze you into work later?"
"Thank you." Jiang Lai was not angry. He could hear that Gojo Satoru was teasing him again.
He took the coat very directly without any reluctance. After all, people will feel cold instinctively after falling asleep. He just added, "If you didn't say those words later, I would be more moved, Mr. Gojo."
"Oh, I just couldn't help teasing you." Gojo Satoru laughed heartily, his attitude casual and carefree, "I suddenly understand... someone's amusement back then."
Someone? Jiang Lai tilted his head slightly. Gojo Satoru didn't mention anyone by name, but his tone was filled with the same nostalgia as before.
"Okay, go to sleep, classmate Xiao Lai~~" Gojo Satoru waved his hand and stopped talking, indicating that Jiang Lai could go to sleep peacefully.
Jiang Lai didn't ask any more questions, he was indeed sleepy.
I put on my coat, and as the sweat slowly rose, I felt more sleepy.
Jiang Lai did not delay any further, but followed his instinct, covered himself with the coat, and fell into a dream little by little.
No dream along the way.
When he woke up, the vehicle had already arrived at the gate of Tokyo Jujutsu High School. Jiang Lai woke up at the right time.
After returning the warm coat to Gojo Satoru, Jiang Lai wiped his face before getting out of the car. He glanced at the side mirror and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that there was no turtle or anything like that drawn on his face.
Very good, it seems that there was no prank. Jiang Lai was relieved.
This was a worry. Then, he took out his cell phone and checked the messages.
Matsuda Jinpei has already sent a reply, but unlike the long analysis that Jiang Lai had expected, he only sent a few simple sentences.
[I think the person he is waiting for is you.
You must have already felt it subconsciously, so I won't elaborate further here.]
[Go to the appointment, Jiang Lai. Maybe the answer will be on that day.]
[Well, December 25th is your birthday, I still remember it - I wish you a happy birthday in advance.]
At the end, there was a hand-drawn picture, this time it was not an emoji but a photo. It can be seen that the other party was indeed eating at a street restaurant.
Jinpei Matsuda drew a small cake on a page of the notebook he carried with him. It was ugly, but very serious.
Next to them are a cool little man with curly hair and sunglasses, and a smiling little man with black hair and a scarf. They are Q versions of Matsuda and Jiang Lai.
Jiang Lai couldn't help but curl up the corners of his lips, his eyebrows curved, and he felt extremely relaxed and soft in his heart. The winter wind blowing on his body was not so cold.
No matter what the road ahead holds, no matter what kind of world you are in, you are not alone.
If there is a chance, he will go back there after he clears the level of the magic world here - he misses his old friends a little. Jiang Lai's eyes fell into the distance, and his heart softened.
Time flies and a week goes by in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for the Christmas party.
Although it is called a Christmas dinner, it is not actually celebrated on December 25th because Christmas is a holiday.
That day is left for students to do as they please. They can go home to reunite with their parents or go out to play with their friends.
Therefore, the Christmas dinner organized by the school was actually held one night earlier, on Christmas Eve, December 24, and the celebration lasted until midnight to welcome the arrival of Christmas.
The college had already decorated the Christmas scene, with red, green and yellow light bulbs hanging from the treetops. When the wind blew, they swayed in the wind, like little living elves, twinkling in the dark night.
In the banquet hall, there was a tall Christmas tree (of course, it was a fake tree), on which were also hung light bulbs, stars, and foam Santa Claus and elk cards.
In addition, there are some special gift bags and socks that contain cards and candies.
Students from all grades, teachers, and Principal Noctua gathered for a Christmas dinner. They exchanged gifts and sat around laughing. There were also many games after dinner.
Jiang Lai gave out his own gifts. He prepared a lot of them. In addition to the gifts from Yuji Itadori and his friends, there were also some extra small gifts given on the spot. This ensured that the scene was lively and not awkward.
They sat at the student table.
Not far away, Gojo Satoru, Ieiri Shoko, Yaga Masamichi, Nanami Kento, Haibara Yu and others were sitting at the teacher's table.
The panda looked at the scene not far away and said, "It's so rare. This is the first time I see Mr. Gojo at the Christmas dinner. Didn't he not attend in previous years?"
"Salmon." Dog Roll Nodded.
"This year may be a special situation. Or maybe Gojo-sensei has come to terms with it and decided to spend Christmas with us." Zenin Maki said, glancing at Jiang Lai as if unintentionally.
In fact, she noticed him from the very beginning.
Inexplicably, she always sensed a hint of the mysterious masked demon from that year in him.
But Zenin Maki thought it was an illusion. She thought it was impossible because their ages and abilities did not match.
"Didn't Mr. Gojo participate in this before?" Yuji Itadori widened his golden-orange eyes, looking a little surprised, "Could it be that he is on the [Leaders don't participate in parties] faction?" He didn't believe what he said.
"Definitely not." Kugizaki Norose continued, "How could Gojo-sensei be the kind of serious person who doesn't like to have fun? Just look at his daily pranks and you'll know."
Fushiguro Megumi nodded and said, "It's not that he doesn't want to have a party, he just cleared out Christmas and the night before it."
"Uh...but, why?" Yuji Itadori blinked, a little confused.
"Who knows." The panda shrugged and said, "Maybe he's waiting for someone, or maybe he has something else to do. From Christmas Eve the night before to the whole day of Christmas tomorrow, we hardly saw Gojo-sensei himself."
"It was a rare occasion that he came to the Christmas Eve dinner this year," said Maki Zenin. "I don't know why he changed his mind."
Chanin Shinyi, who had been silent just now, suddenly spoke up: "Maybe he didn't change - he got up."
Everyone turned around and watched from afar as Gojo Satoru waved to the people at that table, then walked leisurely and somewhat unsteadily towards the side door.
"Is Mr. Gojo leaving?" Yuji Itadori glanced at his watch subconsciously, "The dinner is only two-thirds done..."
"Probably." Panda nodded. "It looks like he's back in his office or dormitory."
Jiang Lai's eyes fell on that figure. Amid the colorful and beautiful lights, the gorgeous and warm Christmas scenery, and the laughter and playfulness of the crowd, the tall figure who left alone seemed a little lonely.
"..." Jiang Lai hesitated for a moment, then put down the glass in his hand, "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom."
He said goodbye, left his seat, and followed the figure out through the side door.
Contrary to Panda's guess, Gojo Satoru was not walking towards the office or dormitory.
He walked up the stairs steadily, without any ritual, step by step, towards the rooftop.
Gojo Satoru walked fast with his long legs. Jiang Lai chased after him, jogging all the way until he reached the rooftop and stopped.
"What's wrong, Xiao Lai?" Gojo Satoru said in a light tone without turning around.
There are no blind spots in the six-eye vision, so Jiang Lai was not surprised that the other party saw him.
It was a bit strenuous to jog all the way to the rooftop. Jiang Lai tried to calm his breathing, and then replied in a normal voice: "It's a bit stuffy in the room, I came out to get some fresh air - is it the same for Mr. Gojo?"
Gojo Satoru raised the corner of his lips, put one hand on the railing, and said neither yes nor no. He tilted his head slightly, revealing his exquisite and perfect profile: "Come up here dressed like this? Xiao Lai is really not afraid of catching a cold."
Jiang Lai then realized that he had left in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to put on his coat.
But going back to get it now would seem too deliberate, and most importantly, he didn't want to climb up the sixth floor again, so he just said, "It's okay, we have a day off the next day anyway. I'll just catch a cold."
"Haha, that won't work." Gojo Satoru laughed, waved his hand and said, "Come here."
Jiang Lai walked over obediently.
The wind on the rooftop was a bit strong, and the chill of the winter night seeped in through the gaps in his sleeves and collar, but when he walked next to Gojo Satoru, the cold wind disappeared.
Jiang Lai raised his eyes in surprise, and after a moment, he realized that it was Gojo Satoru who used a technique to block the cold wind blowing in the winter night.
"Teacher Gojo is so awesome!" Jiang Lai praised sincerely.
“…” Gojo Satoru just waved his hands and raised his voice slightly, “Yeah, it’s okay. In fact, there are people who are better at dealing with the cold than me—or rather, they are not affected by the four seasons at all.”
That familiar, slightly nostalgic tone resurfaced.
Jiang Lai raised his head slightly and looked at the white-haired man next to him. He said, "Is this the person that Gojo-sensei is waiting for?"
"Yes~" Gojo Satoru did not deny it.
"..." Jiang Lai paused and said, "Does Teacher Gojo wait for him every Christmas Eve to Christmas?"
"Ha, that's right. He left me alone for so long, I have to catch him as soon as possible." Gojo Satoru put one hand on the railing. He was not wearing an eye mask, and his blue eyes blinked slowly. "The strongest time is super precious, every moment is worth a thousand gold."
Jiang Lai looked into the distance. From the rooftop, he could see the blue and green lights flashing on the campus of the technical college. But most places were still dim at night because this was a suburb.
“Why are you so persistent, Gojo-sensei?” he asked. “You don’t seem like the type to dwell on the past.”
"Well, is that so? Perhaps. Of course I know that it is meaningless to be stuck in the past, and I will make a decision when it is time to make a decision." Gojo Satoru lowered his eyes, "But - some things will be hidden, but they will not be forgotten."
Jiang Lai turned his head, his brown eyes clear and pure: "Are you waiting with regret or guilt? Because you missed something, or something else."
"..." Gojo Satoru was slightly startled when he heard this. He tapped the railing with his fingertips and did not answer immediately.
After a long pause, he said, "It's strange, I was probably a little angry at first. Because I always felt that I was deceived, even though it was a white lie."
"Afterwards, regret and guilt? Maybe. I have always thought that if I had calmed down, there might have been a better way, rather than... that ending."
Gojo Satoru grasped the fence with one hand, his finger bones turned slightly white, and his bright blue eyes narrowed slightly.
"——If we can't meet, why do we say "see you tomorrow"?"
The evening breeze started to blow. Tiny crystals began to float in the sky, falling one by one from the night sky, like dots of light from stars - it was snowing.
Jiang Lai looked up at the snowy scene and the night sky. He was quiet for a moment, thought about it, and said, "Perhaps, the original intention was not to leave you with regrets, but a kind of expectation and hope."
"After all, it is because we always have expectations for tomorrow that we can keep moving forward."
His voice was clear and gentle, carrying the aura of a young man. Gojo Satoru stared at him, his expression slightly startled.
Jiang Lai said this, then turned his head, his brows and eyes were relaxed, and he stuck out his tongue and smiled: "I said it according to my own thoughts. I am really sorry if I offended you, Mr. Gojo."
His brown eyes were bright, and he took out a few apple-flavored candies from his pocket: "No matter what, I'll wait with Mr. Gojo. Today is Christmas Eve, let's celebrate together."
Gojo Satoru looked down at the candies. It was obvious that they were not bought at the party, but were picked out by the person in front of him in Osaka.
Because Gojo Satoru once casually said that this brand of candy tasted good and he liked it very much.
Inexplicably, the heaviness that had been lingering in my heart suddenly dissipated a lot at this moment.
Gojo Satoru chuckled, and the questions that had been lingering in his mind now had answers.
He knew - what he was looking forward to seeing again was not a similar face or old memories, but that unique soul. No matter how time and space were reversed, that soul would never change.
He can always see through his own disguise of being indifferent, carefree, or indifferent, but he never ignores those seemingly small and unreasonable emotions.
He comforts me calmly with gentle words and stays by my side silently, just like the spring breeze that moistens everything silently, or the sunshine in the cold winter that warms me silently.
Gojo Satoru reached out and took the candies, saying in a cheerful tone, "Oh, I didn't expect that classmate Xiao Lai still remembered which brand I liked. The teacher is really touched~~ It's decided that there will be no holiday tomorrow. I will take you to practice more! There are still many areas where you can improve the use of cursed tools."
"Hey?! No, Mr. Gojo, I want to take a day off QAQ!! Tomorrow is my birthday--"
"Shouldn't you seize the opportunity? Your birthday present is special training~"
"No way, Mr. Gojo—"
The sound of laughter echoed on the rooftop, and in the distance, the sound of bells ringing in the bell tower could be heard.
12 o'clock midnight on December 24th, which is also midnight on December 25th, has arrived at this moment.
The snowflakes floating in the sky became more and more magnificent, covering an entire holy ocean. The air suddenly became quiet, and a certain peace and tranquility spread along with the reverberating bells.
Jiang Lai and Gojo Satoru stood side by side on the rooftop. He looked at the vast snow scene and heard the heavy sound of twelve full bells.
In a trance-like moment, some memories burst out from the buried ground like a fountain.
As Gojo Satoru said - some things will be hidden but not forgotten.
At the moment when Christmas Eve and Christmas met, at the first second of his birthday, Jiang Lai remembered everything.
The air around him was filled with a special power, and the surging space-time magic power surrounded him.
The immaturity of adolescence gradually fades away, and maturity and stability gradually emerge.
Next to him, Gojo Satoru also sensed this wave of power. His glassy blue eyes widened slightly, and he looked into the gentle brown eyes that had been raised again.
At this moment, nothing needs to be said.
Gojo Satoru opened his thin lips slightly, with so many words he wanted to say.
But in the end, he suddenly smiled, sweeping away all those complicated emotions.
The white-haired man stood up straight, his blue eyes shining brightly, and he said cheerfully, "Happy birthday, Lai."
"——The world and I welcome you."
[285 The person I met again was Laiif in 1.0 state - End]
This chapter is 6000+, making up for yesterday's.
There are two more extra chapters to be released, and this book will be finished~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
