Chapter 92
"I see."
After helping to take the packaged desserts, Kazuma Hatori's eyes lit up with realization, "Then I'll have some too..."
Just then, the game interface, which had been dormant for a long time, suddenly popped up, displaying a floating window with the word "Request" scrolling across Kazuma Hatake's eyes.
[Currently triggered delegate:]
Gojo Satoru's Quest: Please help Gojo Satoru find a Mont Blanc dessert that will satisfy him.
Current highest satisfaction rate: 46%/100%
Reward: Unlocks the marriage module.
[Please note: Marriage with the target person requires the [Proposal] skill.]
Please note: A certain level of affection, local marriage age regulations, and other conditions required by the target must be met before a marriage proposal can be initiated.
Please note: Even if the conditions for initiating a marriage proposal are met, the proposal may not be successful.
Current marriage proposal target: None
【Required conditions: None】
"...Help me look for it."
After uttering the second half of his sentence, Kazuma Hatori stared at the glaringly obvious marriage function and the subsequent series of proposal guidelines, falling into a long silence.
For a moment, his thoughts were frozen into a long string of gibberish, and he didn't even immediately complain about what the game was doing.
During his first playthrough, he proposed to Satoru on the spot, which only unlocked the affection module.
Even though Wu's feelings for him kept increasing, and their relationship even tacitly turned into dating, the game seemed to be dead, showing absolutely no reaction.
He was so confused that he thought the game didn't have any marriage-related features at all.
Now, in his second playthrough, he was mentally prepared to only play the game and not date. But the game suddenly became very popular. He had only completed a few commissions when he was suddenly rewarded with a marriage bonus.
Even Kazuma Hato, whose emotions are usually very stable, was almost driven crazy by this game.
If you're so capable, try unlocking it for him in your first playthrough!
Moreover, this reward actually appeared in the request to find the beautiful little Wu's favorite Mont Blanc!
For the first time, Kazuma Hatori silently fumed at those few lines of text.
He was given the least needed reward for the commission he wanted to do, but he was given the most needed reward for the commission he didn't want to do.
Why don't we switch them out?!
I'm so angry, but I still have to do the request—or rather, even without this request, Kazuma Hatori would still want to fulfill the wish of the beautiful Satoru.
But this reward... never mind, let's just pretend it didn't exist.
As Kazuma Hatori walked down the street, he exuded a low, melancholic aura, which made Satoru Gojo glance at him several times with a mixture of curiosity and worry.
What's going on all of a sudden?
Because of the completely opaque sunglasses and because he was distracted, Kazuma Hatori didn't notice.
He was still trying to figure out what kind of Mont Blanc would meet the requirements of the beautiful little Wu.
The perfect Mont Blanc in one's mind... I'm sure everyone has different tastes.
However, when it comes to Mont Blanc, Kazuma Hatori reflexively recalls the time when Satoru had to go on a business trip to Yamagata Prefecture during the New Year holiday, so he simply participated in the stamp collecting activity in the local shopping street and finally obtained the [mystery dessert].
Mont Blanc with spicy curry flavor.
No, that couldn't possibly be the Mont Blanc that Gojo Satoru wanted to eat, it's been criticized for being too bizarre.
As for the Mont Blanc that Satoru liked the most in the first playthrough, Kazuma Hatori guessed that it was the [God's Dessert] that Satoru later asked him to queue up to buy.
Aside from its high price, it's not only limited in time and quantity, but also depends on whether Master Kawamura is in the mood to make Mont Blanc on that day.
To obtain this dessert, Kazuma Hatori went so far as to smash down Master Kawamura's house with a single punch, kill the cursed spirit attacking him, and finally hold a pistol to his forehead while supervising the completion of the dessert.
Although he thought the finished product was still a bit too sweet, Wu was very happy to eat the dessert he received.
They even increased his favorability rating by 30 points in one go!
Hmm... Speaking of that Kawamura master, was he making desserts ten years ago?
If it weren't for this, Pretty Little Wu wouldn't be able to eat this [God's Dessert], which explains why she's been searching for it.
Kazuma Hatori still remembered the address of that pastry shop and decided to look for it when he returned to Tokyo after summer vacation.
If they're selling that [God's Dessert] right now, it would be a perfect surprise for pretty Xiaowu.
Even if he didn't sell it, he would still remember the address of Master Kawamura's apartment.
Come to think of it, Mont Blanc seems to be the only dessert he can make, not counting system assistance...
Just as Kazuma Hatori remembered that he had once made Mont Blanc for Satoru, an arm suddenly reached out and hooked around his neck, interrupting his wandering thoughts.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing that the black Shiba Inu had been in a low mood for most of the journey and was ignoring him, Gojo decided to use physical gestures to get its attention back.
"What are you thinking about? I called you twice and you didn't respond. You were so lost in thought you almost bumped into a lamppost."
—Hatori Kazuma paused for a moment, not yet figuring out how to explain, when he looked at Gojo Satoru's face as he leaned closer, his voice becoming mysterious and carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of gravitas.
"Did you also notice that shop assistant from earlier...?"
Kazuma Hatake didn't pay any attention to the shop assistant's reaction, and didn't even remember her face.
At that moment, he suddenly heard Gojo Satoru ask this question, and subconsciously uttered "Huh?" His reaction was even more bewildered than when he had been lost in thought earlier.
What did she just do?
Gojo Satoru carefully examined Hato Kazuma's expression, and only after confirming that he really had no idea that the shop assistant knew them and had clearly shown a rather positive... or rather, enthusiastic reaction to their conversation did he feel a little relieved.
It seems this black Shiba Inu is still incredibly clueless, unaware that he's not the only one in the world who knows he likes him.
"It's nothing, I just thought she seemed to recognize us."
Gojo Satoru casually let go of the hand and took some of the weight back from the hand that was carrying both the plastic red bucket and the fishing rod.
"I suddenly realized that there's no point in just hiding my hair, your appearance is also quite eye-catching."
He chatted casually with Kazuma Hatake, trying to cover up the slight hint of shipping he had inadvertently revealed earlier.
"Huh, it's me."
Kazuma Hato really didn't expect to be recognized.
After all, in some action games, players are always like invisible people, only needing to watch the NPCs talk to themselves to advance the plot, and then just go on a killing spree.
Even when there are options, most of the time it's just a choice between [...] and periods.
Is there a difference? No.
That's why he gradually became a "skip" person.
“But if we both wear hats and sunglasses,” Kazuma Hatake thought for a moment, “wouldn’t we become even more conspicuous?”
I feel it would backfire.
Moreover, it's summer vacation now, so Kazuma Hatori is wearing the clothes that Satoru Gojo bought for him while shopping. They were all chosen according to Satoru Gojo's aesthetic taste, so it's easy to match them with his everyday clothes.
On the contrary, it will subconsciously attract the attention of passersby, who will want to see what these two teenagers are doing, sneaking around with their heads covered.
Gojo Satoru: "...What you said makes some sense."
If I had to say something, he wouldn't mind being recognized—in the world of sorcery, his name is already known to everyone.
Especially those lowly curse masters, they would treat him like a ghost.
But if Kazuma Hatori gets bothered by being recognized all the time, he wouldn't mind being even more discreet.
“I feel fine,” Kazuma Hatake said. “We were only on one show and gave one interview. We weren’t recognized as often as real celebrities.”
The incident of being surrounded at the bookstore was an accident, since they happened to be there during their peak popularity time and had deliberately gone to the location where the most active fans gathered.
When I went out to do missions later, even if I was recognized by fans again, I only needed to greet them and then get an autograph or take a photo. They no longer surrounded me so much that I couldn't move.
However, the forum where he and Yizhen ship as a couple sometimes uploads some candid "leaked" photos—usually taken from a distance, and only showing their backs or sides, which they cannot see.
Then he analyzed the evidence of their love in detail, which Gojo Satoru found very interesting.
One of the photos was one that even Gojo Satoru never expected to be taken without his knowledge.
It was a rainy day that easily breeds cursed spirits, and the spring rain was always drizzling, leaving the sky perpetually shrouded in a listless gloom.
Even though it was only past noon, the light had already dimmed, and the ground was covered with countless small puddles that made a splashing sound when stepped on.
Gojo Satoru thought that since they weren't going to downtown Tokyo this time, and they were traveling in a car driven by the assistant supervisor, he didn't wear a hat.
As a result, after the assistant supervisor delivered them to their destination, he received an emergency call. Gojo Satoru simply told him to leave first, since he was capable enough not to need the assistant supervisor's help to call the high school for help. He could leave after finishing his duties.
It hadn't rained when they went out to do their mission in the morning, but after wandering around this remote, abandoned house—which was often visited by nearby students as a haunted house—and thoroughly exorcising the cursed spirits, it started raining as soon as they came out.
The two stood at the doorway, staring at the rain that kept falling from the eaves in a continuous line, and after confirming that the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon.
"Hmph," Gojo Satoru said, raising two fingers together, his tone revealing a hint of smugness as he addressed Hatori Kazuma.
"I can use the [No Limits] technique to block raindrops," he winked at Kazuma Hagoromo, "How about it, are you envious?"
"It's really very useful."
Kazuma Hatake recalled how, during his first time exploring the sewers, he was able to use [No Limits] to block the dripping sewage and sticky, unidentified substance from the pipe walls above, and nodded in agreement.
"Call me 'Senior Wu' and let me hear it—and then, your Senior Wu will go and buy you an umbrella, okay?"
With a wicked grin, Gojo Satoru shook his finger and immediately took advantage of the situation like a cat that had caught a mouse by the tail, completely ignoring the fact that he was a year younger than Hagoromo Kazuma.
As for the situation that "it is actually quite energy-consuming for him to maintain the [no limit] technique for a long time now," Gojo Satoru would not mention it at all.
Kazuma Hatake looked at the smug and proud Satoru: "…………"
Although he wanted to say that it wouldn't matter at all to get soaked on the way back, the other person was so eager for him to call him "senpai" (senior)...
“Satoru-senpai,” Kazuma Hato even clasped his hands together to show his sincerity, and said to Satoru Gojo, “I’m counting on you.”
Gojo Satoru's eyes narrowed to almost nothing, and he vigorously rubbed Hato Kazuma's head with his palms, clearly being completely coaxed.
"Haha, oh dear, no problem at all—"
So he kept his word, activated the [No Limits] spell, went to the nearest store, bought an umbrella, opened it, rested the handle on his shoulder, and leisurely swaggered back.
On his way back to the "haunted house," Gojo Satoru saw from afar that Hato Kazuma was already squatting in a corner of the courtyard, getting soaked in the rain.
He even took off his coat, which was spread out between his forearms, as if to cover something.
Gojo Satoru raised the umbrella in his hand above Hato Kazuma's head, leaned over his shoulder and looked down.
"What are you doing?"
Kazuma Hatori turned his body to the side, revealing a sliver of his vision that was previously obscured by his coat.
It turned out to be a little kitten, its pure white fur soaked by the rain, meowing helplessly as if trying to call for its mother.
"I heard a sound suddenly just now and found it when I came looking for it."
Kazuma Hatori said to Satoru Gojo, "I heard that you shouldn't touch kittens with your hands, otherwise their mothers will abandon them."
That's why he squatted here to shield the kitten from the rain, instead of taking it under the eaves to avoid the rain.
Although Kazuma Hatake wasn't sure if the news he'd seen was true or false, it was always better to be cautious.
"Oh, I see... Hmm, it looks like it was just born recently."
It was the first time Gojo Satoru had ever heard of this, so he didn't reach out to touch it. Instead, he raised his sunglasses slightly, seemingly observing the kitten with his "six eyes."
"Can we find the mother cat?"
Kazuma Hatake looked up and asked expectantly.
His black hair was now soaked by the rain, curling slightly and sticking to his face. At first glance, he looked just as pitiful as the little kitten.
I find it strangely cute...
"My [six eyes] are for judging spell power, not bloodline."
Gojo Satoru chuckled and pushed his sunglasses back, pretending that he hadn't imagined a black Shiba Inu sitting in a cardboard box, its fur completely soaked, staring at him expectantly in the rainy night, waiting to be picked up.
"However, since it's meowing here, it means the mother cat must be nearby... Ah, here she comes."
Kazuma Hatake and Satoru Gojo stepped back a few paces, watching as the wary mother cat slowly approached from afar. She then sniffed her kitten, snatched it in her mouth, and ran away without looking back.
"Have you considered taking the cat home and raising it yourself if the mother cat doesn't come?"
Gojo Satoru stroked his chin and suddenly asked, pointing in the direction the pure white kitten had been carried away.
"Um."
Kazuma Hatori hung the already wet jacket on his arm and nodded honestly.
Gojo Satoru may not have noticed, but the little kitten opened its eyes briefly while meowing; they were a beautiful azure blue.
Although it's a little embarrassing to say this... he really did have this idea because the kitten looked a lot like the pretty little Wu.
"—Just as I expected, you always guessed what I was thinking."
Gojo Satoru was speechless for a moment, then nudged the black mulberry beside him with his elbow.
They were standing in the courtyard, which had no roof over their heads, with the umbrella that Gojo Satoru had bought held over their heads.
But Kazuma Hatori had been in the rain for a while, and he was completely soaked.
Water droplets kept dripping from the ends of her hair, and her originally loose, thin shirt clung tightly to her skin; it would be soaked with just a slight wringing.
Aside from his still calm and collected cool face, he looked quite disheveled no matter how you looked at it.
"Now look what happened! Not only did you not get to raise that beloved kitten, you also got soaked to the bone. It doesn't matter whether you use an umbrella or not."
After scrutinizing Kazuma Hatake, Satoru Gojo curled his lips into a smile, his pleasant expression revealing an obvious hint of mockery—he remained completely dry, not even his trouser legs were wet.
"really."
Kazuma Hatake nodded, about to suggest that Gojo Satoru hold the umbrella over himself, so that he wouldn't have to keep it open all the time, which would be too exhausting.
—But before he could finish the sentence, Kazuma Hatake saw the long-handled umbrella being put away and placed on the ground by Satoru Gojo, like a cane.
When he looked at Gojo Satoru in surprise, he found that he had not activated the [No Limit] technique either. Fine rain kept hitting his shoulders - even the tips of his pure white hair that stick up were not spared. After the rain soaked through his hair, it rolled down happily, and soon spread large patches of dark marks on his clothes.
"you……"
Kazuma Hatori blinked his black eyes, momentarily confused as to what Satoru Gojo was doing.
"It's summer now,"
Gojo Satoru spoke with a smile. The boy's voice was light and cheerful, like a piano melody flowing from his fingertips.
He put one hand on Kazuma Hatori's shoulder and walked alongside him toward the station.
The long-handled umbrella was hooked on the fingertips of the other hand, swinging leisurely and freely in circles, completely failing to fulfill its intended purpose.
"In the summer, it's okay to get caught in the rain, right?"
He said this to Kazuma Hagoromo with a smile, not caring at all that the rain, which originally wouldn't have wet him, had now soaked them both. The water droplets that fell on the two of them didn't feel cold.
Even when stepping into puddles, the sound is just like the deep drumbeats in this lighthearted melody.
"is that so?"
Kazuma Hatori turned to look at Satoru Gojo, a pleasant glint appearing deep in his dark eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Having an umbrella but not using it, getting soaked and looking like this, passersby must find them very strange.
But what does it matter?
Gojo Satoru thought with a smile, even the pounding of his heart felt incredibly light.
He's just doing what he wants to do.
—And their backs as they walked through puddles, arm in arm, getting soaked in the rain, were photographed by some fan they met on the street and posted on a forum.
Just looking at this photo brings back vivid and clear memories of his emotions at the time.
The post was filled with screams and various speculations about why they were getting wet in the rain, such as their umbrellas breaking, making a bet, or competing.
The speculation that one person was crying while another was comforting them is even more bizarre.
But no matter how you guess, the final conclusion will always come down to one sentence.
He loves him so much—"he" can refer to either of the two of them.
After reading the long post, Gojo Satoru saved the photo and set it as his phone wallpaper.
His original phone wallpaper was a random photo of a female celebrity, but now he changed it to this photo of her back, which was a choice he made on his own initiative.
Anyway, the photos turned out really well, and the composition was beautiful. The two people were positioned right in the center of the frame. The overall tone was a bit cool due to the weather, and the rain slightly blurred the lens, but it was still in focus.
He held the long-handled umbrella with its transparent canopy in his hand and swung it around; a few raindrops fell into the air, playful and cheerful, just like his mood at the time.
There aren't that many inexplicable reasons.
Pulled back to reality from that memory, Gojo Satoru thought of his phone, which was securely tucked into his pocket, and a smile quietly crept onto his lips.
—Just because of a pure white kitten with blue eyes.
"Wait, what if I catch a fish?"
Recalling that delicious late-night snack, he licked his lips and spoke to Kazuma Hatake, as if a great general had a row of flags stuck on his back.
"I still want to eat that fish soup rice you made last time!"
Although it was quite fun to take Ichijin along to scare those old men, he didn't want to always eat only a tiny bowl of rice, which was neither tasty nor filling.
Since Kazuma Hatori, who can cook, is right there, the clever Satoru naturally has to order the food in advance!
Kazuma Hatori readily agreed.
"Leave it to me."
In the first playthrough, it took Wu many days and a lot of effort to catch ten fish in the river; but in the second playthrough, Wu seemed to be exceptionally good at fishing, so naturally, he could make any dish he wanted without any problem.
As the sun moved from east to west, the two sat by the Kamo River, resting their chins on their hands and watching the fish swim bladders on the water rise and fall slightly with the surface of the river.
All the desserts and candies were gone, and the chocolate Mont Blanc cake roll only received a passing grade of 60 out of 100.
The chestnut cream cake even received a higher rating; Kazuma Hatori only ate two bites, and the rest went to Satoru Gojo.
This further solidified his resolve to seek out Master Kawamura to create the "God's Dessert" once he returned to Tokyo.
But what's troubling Gojo Satoru right now isn't the "perfect Mont Blanc," but the empty little red plastic bucket.
In that half-bucket of water, only a tiny fish, about the length of a middle finger, was blowing bubbles.
It was caught by Kazuma Hatori.
Gojo Satoru: "...I don't believe it."
Kazuma Hatori coughed lightly: "That's normal. Look at the uncle sitting next to us, he only caught three fish after fishing all afternoon..."
Gojo Satoru turned his gaze away slowly: "Don't you think there's something wrong with the bait we used?"
How could it be his problem if he can't catch any fish? There must be another reason!
Kazuma Hatori couldn't help but cough again to suppress his laughter.
“A fish, um... can also be used to make fish soup with rice.”
Completely uncomforted, Gojo Satoru: "..."
That youthful, spirited competitiveness immediately rose up in a place it shouldn't have risen.
"I'm not going back until I catch a fish!"
…………
The Five Houses.
The guard, who was dozing off while waiting for his shift to change, was startled when he suddenly noticed a car parked in front of the mansion.
So late at night, who would be visiting?
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the first person to get out of the car was a black-haired boy carrying two fishing rods—he remembered him as the mysterious figure who had recently been brought over by Master Wu and who could frighten the elders into avoiding him.
The white-haired boy who came down next was even more obvious; it was Master Wu.
He was carrying a particularly plain red plastic bucket, and just one glance at it made you feel like Lord Tatsuo would scold him for "disrespecting the Gojo family."
"Lord Wu, welcome back."
The guards, who were bowing according to protocol, were particularly puzzled, wondering why Lord Wu was returning so late.
Going on a mission... there's no need to come back with a red bucket and a fishing rod, it's obvious you went fishing.
He remembered that the two of them had left home at noon.
...Can you fish this late?
Just as this thought crossed the guard's mind, he saw Master Wu, who was carrying a red bucket and about to pass by him and walk inside, suddenly stop.
Then, she even turned around to face him, speaking in a smug tone.
How did you know I caught a fish today?
Guard: "...Huh?"
Following behind, Kazuma Hatori silently lowered his head and raised his hand to cover the corners of his mouth that he couldn't suppress his smile.
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