Entrustment and Winning Over
The sweltering, furnace-like summer has passed, and Tokyo is welcoming the cool autumn.
The spellcasting college, nestled on the mountainside, experiences the changing seasons more directly and clearly. As the first rays of sunlight fall in the morning, dewdrops adorn the branches and grass, and the area behind the school is shrouded in a hazy mist.
Xia Youjie, who was used to jogging in the morning, picked up the towel hanging around his neck and wiped away the sweat. He turned to Tsurumi Kawaru, who was jogging with him, and said, "Let's go back after we finish this lap."
Tsurumi Kawara, his breathing calm, nodded slightly upon hearing this, agreeing to Xia Youjie's suggestion.
After running a lap around the school, the two slowed down and walked back to their dormitory.
As soon as Tsurumi Kawaru returned, he rummaged through his closet for his school uniform to wear that day. He then went into the bathroom to take a shower. He came out with a dry towel on his head, dried his hair until it was half dry, changed into his school uniform, and then hastily dried it with a hairdryer before heading out.
He knocked on Xia Youjie's door, but heard no response. He guessed that Xia Youjie was probably still taking a shower, so he turned around and went to Wutiao Wu's door.
Tsurumi Kawakami took out his phone from his pocket, called Gojo Satoru, and hung up after three rings. Only then did he knock on the door to wake everyone up.
"You're back from your run with Jai?" A moment later, a sound came from inside the door. Gojo Satoru opened the door and turned straight back into the room.
"Hmm, there's a huge fog up on the back mountain." Tsurumi Kawakami nodded and followed him inside.
He went to the window and pulled back the outermost layer of the tightly drawn curtains, leaving a thin veil to block the light. Tsurumi Kawakami then turned around and found a chair to sit down.
Gojo Satoru picked up his clothes to go wash up, then casually pointed to a pile of messy papers on the table: "Ryu, help me tidy up, and take out those mission reports separately."
Tsurumi Kawakami obediently gave an "oh," then spun around in his chair to the table and began to tidy up for him.
The papers on the table were very messy. Some were covered with incomprehensible formulas, and some had diagrams drawn on them. Tsurumi Kawaru only glanced at them a few times before swallowing hard and looking away.
He quickly finished organizing, separating the task report and tidying up the rest as well.
Gojo Satoru came out quickly. He walked a few steps to the bedside table and unplugged his phone, which was still charging: "Let's go, Ryu."
Tsurumi Kawakami nodded, took the stack of mission reports, and walked out of the dormitory with him. Xia Youjie was already waiting in the corridor. Seeing them come out, he waved, and the three of them went downstairs together to go to the cafeteria.
"Where's the glass?" Satoru Gojo suddenly looked up and asked, sitting at the long table in the cafeteria.
Tsurumi paused, then looked up blankly and glanced around. There was no sign of Ieiri Shoko at the cafeteria entrance. Normally, she would have already arrived by this time.
Xia Youjie took out his phone and just opened the chat interface with Jia Rugao Glass, when he saw a message that Glass had sent him around 1 a.m.
He placed his phone in front of the two of them, picked up the barley tea on the table and took a sip: "Shoko said she won't be coming for breakfast today, she wants to catch up on her sleep, and she asked us to ask Ms. Yagami for leave for her."
Tsurumi Ryu saw the chat history on the screen, nodded in sudden realization, and said with a knowing expression: "Shoko must have been very busy lately, with all the injured sorcerers coming to her for treatment."
Now that summer is over, she can probably relax for a while.
Gojo Satoru glanced at Natsumi Yuuki's phone and suddenly complained loudly, "Why does Shoko only talk to Yuuki and not me or Ryuge? When did you become so close to Shoko? I even saw you lighting a cigarette for her last time."
Shoko Ieiri usually smokes, but lately she's been under a lot of stress and has been smoking even more frequently. She even asked Yuichi Natsumi to buy her cigarettes.
When Tsurumi Kawaru first saw Ieiri Shoko smoking, his eyes widened in curiosity about the half-burnt cigarette between her fingers, like a curious dog discovering something new.
He walked over to Shoko, glancing at her hands from time to time. The air in the infirmary was filled with wisps of smoke, a smell that wasn't pleasant, but it stirred up memories deep within Tsurumi Kawaru's mind.
Shoko Ieiri seemed to notice his curious gaze. With dark circles under her eyes, she came to the table, stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, and then asked him what he wanted.
Tsurumi Kawa had forgotten about the matter afterward, but now that Gojo Satoru had brought it up again, he was immediately curious. He looked up at Natsuyu Kiyoshi sitting opposite him, also wanting to know the answer to Gojo Satoru's question.
Xia Youjie, who was being stared at by the two, paused, put down his cup, and after a few seconds of silence, said expressionlessly, "I'm probably the one that Shoko trusts the most. After all, you two idiots are obviously not people you can rely on."
Enraged, Gojo Satoru slammed his hand on the table, making the bowls, chopsticks, and spoons clang: "Haja, are you using the word 'idiot'? You're always involved in causing trouble..."
Tsurumi Nagare, who was often called an idiot, was immune to the word. He just blinked innocently at him and then devoured breakfast that was enough for several people.
To be honest, when Xia Youjie and the others first realized that Tsurumi Kawakami could eat a lot, they were all taken aback. Of course, this did not include Gojo Satoru, who is a sweets lover, since he could finish a whole table of desserts every time he ordered them.
Furthermore, due to the consumption of magical energy, sorcerers seem to have a larger appetite than ordinary people. So after the initial surprise, no one was astonished by Tsurumi Kawakami's large appetite anymore.
After finishing his miso soup, Tsurumi Kawakami wiped his mouth with a tissue and then kindly reminded Gojo Satoru, "Class is about to start."
Gojo Satoru snorted, reluctantly accepting Xia Youjie's explanation and apology. He tossed his phone to him, quickly finished the remaining food on his plate, leaving the miso soup untouched.
They entered the classroom as the school bell rang, and right after they came in, Nocturnal Elephant Zhengdao walked in with his textbooks.
Today was a basic class, teaching Japanese literature. Tsurumi Kawaru pulled out a nearly new textbook from under his desk, opened to the page he was going to study today, and then started daydreaming.
As Yamamoto looked at the empty seat, about to ask a question, he heard Natsumi mention that Shoko had taken leave.
"Ahem, alright, everyone sit down and get ready for class..." He cleared his throat, opened his textbook, and began to lecture.
After finishing the three classes in the morning, the afternoon consisted of practical classes and training. As a non-combatant, Iori Shoko only made a brief appearance before returning to the school clinic.
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Days passed by, and before we knew it, the cool autumn had passed, and frost began to fall. Tsurumi River was welcoming its first winter.
Summer is the peak season for cursed spirits, so there is no summer vacation at the vocational high school. However, winter vacation is different; it includes New Year's Day and Spring Festival break, giving them almost two months of vacation.
With the holidays approaching, Gojo Satoru suggested having sukiyaki in the dorm. He called someone to prepare the ingredients, and they chose Tsurumi Kawakami's dorm as the location. The whole thing started when Tsurumi Kawakami wanted to stay at school during the holidays, and they had argued about what to eat.
Xia Youjie was slightly surprised: "Is Liu going to spend the New Year at school? The cafeteria won't be open after the holiday, right?"
They all knew about Tsurumi Kawakuri's situation and didn't ask him why he didn't go home for the New Year. They were just a little surprised that he was staying at the school, but after thinking about it carefully, they realized that he had nowhere else to go.
Xia Youjie hesitated for a few seconds before speaking hesitantly: "How about we go to my house? My parents are a little worried about me coming to the vocational college. They would be very happy if I brought my classmate back with me."
Gojo Satoru, who was standing to the side with his hands on the tatami mat and his long legs casually placed, looked unhappy when he heard this: "Gon didn't even invite me."
He muttered a dissatisfied grumble and turned his gaze to Tsurumi Kawaru: "You can also come back to the Gojo family with me. Although the old man there is a bit annoying and there are always a lot of things to do during the New Year, it's still better than having to stay alone at school all by yourself."
Tsurumi Kawakami seemed somewhat tempted by their suggestion, his gaze shifting between the two. After a moment's hesitation, his expectant golden eyes turned to Xia Youjie: "Can I come with Jie?"
Upon hearing his words, Gojo Satoru immediately complained loudly, "Haru, you actually chose Jet!"
Xia Youjie deliberately ignored Gojo Satoru's voice beside him and nodded gently to Tsurumi Kawaru: "I'll call home later and tell them about this."
Mitsuru Mikawa and Natsuyuki had already discussed going home for the New Year. However, Gojo Satoru, who was being neglected, persisted in bothering them. While the three were fooling around, there was a knock on the dormitory door, and then Ieiri Shoko pushed the door open and came in.
She didn't come empty-handed; she brought two bottles of sake with her.
"What are you saying? We could hear you talking in the hallway."
When Gojo saw her, his eyes lit up, and he loudly accused Natsumi Yujie of inviting Tsurumi Kawaru home for the New Year but not him.
Shoko Ieiri took her seat with a bottle of sake. After listening to Satoru Gojo's words, she rolled her eyes without any attempt to hide it: "Don't you even listen to what you're saying? Besides, a large family like the Gojo usually celebrates the New Year in a grand way, right?"
Upon hearing this, Tsurumi Kawakami nodded, looked at Gojo Satoru seriously, and said very solemnly, "Satoru, I'm still monitoring you, I can't go home with you."
When the topic of surveillance came up, Gojo Satoru's eyes flashed with impatience towards those old geezers in the directorate. He complained a few times, and then didn't mention the matter of letting Tsurumi Kawaru go home with him for the New Year again.
Instead of mentioning the Lunar New Year, they started talking about the task recently assigned to Tsurumi Ryu by the higher-ups in the management department—to win over the spirit manipulation technique.
"Why are they trying to win over Jie?" Ieiri Shoko asked, somewhat puzzled.
Shoko Ieiri was not very aware of this matter, so when she learned that Tsurumi Ryu was sent by the higher-ups in the management department to monitor Gojo Satoru, and then turned by Gojo Satoru, her expression was quite complicated.
Gojo Satoru didn't need to think too hard to know what those old-timers were thinking, but he didn't care: "They're just keeping an eye on the three big companies and me. The General Manager's Office was originally established based on the three big companies, but some people will always become more greedy after they gain more power."
Gojo Satoru said indifferently, then looked at Natsume Yuuki with a teasing look and said with a smirk, "After all, Yuuki is a Spirit Master with unlimited potential."
Veins bulged on Xia Youjie's forehead from the sarcastic remarks, and he clenched his fist on the table: "Wu, I already said that if you can't speak, you can donate your mouth to someone who is useful."
Tsurumi Kawaru looked down blankly, his hands gripping the lacquer on the table, unable to understand the relationship between the senior management of the General Manager's Office and Gojo Satoru.
He thought for a few seconds, looked up at the grinning Gojo Satoru, and said in a very serious and sincere tone: "Satoru, don't worry, I'm on your side. We're friends, after all."
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Time travel is amazing! It's time to go to second grade! Nanami and Haibara are enrolling, and then there's the Stardust Incident (pay attention!).
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