Kuroi Misato had only just caught up with Amanai Riko when she began to speak. "Miss, about school—"
"Oh no!"
The moment the word left Kuroi's mouth, Amanai Riko remembered that she was supposed to be in class. Having been unconscious for so long, there was no way she hadn't already missed lessons.
Grabbing her school bag, she immediately bolted toward the middle school division of Renchoku Girls' Junior High, leaving both Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru completely dumbfounded.
Kuroi Misato hesitated and looked several times at the two Tokyo Jujutsu High students. By the time she considered stopping Amanai Riko, however, the opportunity had already passed. Turning back to them, she offered an apologetic smile.
"I received your message. You must be the people responsible for escorting Miss Riko."
Something suddenly clicked in Getou Suguru's mind. Recalling one of Akiya's exam questions, he asked, "Are you from the Kuroi family?"
A trace of gloom crossed Kuroi Misato's face. After smoothing the hem of her maid uniform, she replied politely, "Yes. My name is Kuroi Misato. I've been taking care of Miss Riko ever since she lost her parents as a child."
Gojo Satoru immediately became curious. "You don't have an innate technique, but you do have cursed energy, so that makes you a sorcerer. How much does a nanny job like this pay?"
Getou Suguru felt that question was rather inappropriate. Gojo Satoru truly had no understanding of Japanese social etiquette.
But then again...
What if this became one of Akiya's exam questions later?
To be completely honest, he wanted to know the answer too.
Back when Akiya had told them that there were sorcerers who worked as maids for ordinary people, neither of them had believed him. Now, standing face-to-face with living proof, they had no choice but to.
Faced with the two DKs who had abruptly shifted into a discussion about salaries, Kuroi Misato almost thought they were making fun of her. From the perspective of most sorcerers, being a maid was hardly a respectable profession. There had even been a time when she attended university specifically to escape the obligations imposed upon her by her family.
Later, however, she saw just how pitiful Amanai Riko's circumstances truly were. The girl had lost her parents at a young age and had no one to properly care for her. In the end, Kuroi Misato reluctantly accepted the role of her maid, partly because of the salary being offered.
After all, there was no such thing as kindness without a reason in this world.
That included herself.
At the very beginning, her decision had not been motivated by affection or compassion.
Kuroi Misato fell silent for a moment before stating a salary that would be considered exceptionally generous even among professional nannies.
"My hourly wage is 5,000 yen. Food expenses, transportation costs, phone bills, and clothing expenses are reimbursed separately. Any trips outside require prior approval and documentation, and I receive one free day per week."
Then, as if worried they might misunderstand, she added seriously, "Miss Riko treats me very well. I've never felt humiliated serving her as a maid."
The atmosphere on the opposite side instantly became strange.
The two DKs launched into a discussion on the spot.
"Suguru, why do you look tempted?"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"I clearly saw your eyes light up for a second."
"I just suddenly realized my parents' salaries might be a little low..."
Gojo Satoru stared at him in disbelief. "Didn't you already run away from home? You're still thinking about finding your parents a better job? Why don't you come serve me instead? Put on a maid outfit. I'll pay you an hourly wage too."
"Get lost," Getou Suguru shot back immediately. "You're only a Semi-Special Grade. What makes you think you qualify to act like my lord and master?"
"Hehehe~."
For reasons neither of them could explain, the conversation abruptly veered toward Asou Akiya. Before long, they were seriously discussing which of the three of them would look best in a maid outfit.
On this point, Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru reached unanimous agreement.
Asou Akiya.
Without question.
The corner of Kuroi Misato's mouth twitched.
There it was again.
That inexplicable phenomenon unique to high school boys, where a conversation would somehow spiral into bizarre territory accompanied by mysterious laughter.
"I-I'll go find Miss Riko..."
"We'll come too!"
Only after saying it did Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru belatedly remember that hostile curse users were still lurking outside.
Renchoku Girls' Junior High was a private religious academy in Tokyo, an elite school attended primarily by daughters of wealthy and influential families. Amanai Riko was enrolled in its middle school division. Under normal circumstances, outsiders were strictly prohibited from entering the campus.
Fortunately, neither Gojo Satoru nor Getou Suguru considered walls to be meaningful obstacles.
They simply climbed over them.
The three eventually reunited near the school's swimming pool.
Kuroi Misato sat beneath a sunshade with a troubled expression, her gaze fixed on the water.
Getou Suguru sat down nearby and spoke reassuringly.
"I understand why she wanted to come to school. I don't blame her for it."
Hearing those words, Kuroi Misato could clearly feel the goodwill behind them.
These two really were trying to respect Amanai Riko's wishes.
Just as she was beginning to relax—
"What the hell is this?! You want me to listen to that little brat? Yaga, are you suffering from senility or something?!"
Gojo Satoru's sudden shout shattered the atmosphere and immediately drew everyone's attention.
Kuroi Misato and Getou Suguru both turned toward him at the same time.
"Gojo, keep your voice down," Getou Suguru warned. "We're already trespassing on school grounds."
"Suguru, Yaga's lost his mind!"
Gojo Satoru turned around and immediately began complaining. Thanks to a sorcerer's naturally exceptional physique, the handprint on his face had already disappeared. As far as he was concerned, there was no longer any reason to remain here—they should have been heading back to Tokyo Jujutsu High by now.
The aggrieved and pitiful look he directed at Getou Suguru lasted only a moment before he turned viciously toward his phone. "Put Akiya on the line. I only trust Akiya's judgment."
The middle-aged man's voice from the other end of the call became noticeably helpless. "Gojo, stop causing trouble."
Gojo Satoru let out a disdainful scoff. "Get your facts straight. Who's the one causing trouble here? Is there something wrong with us wanting to return to Tokyo Jujutsu High as soon as possible?"
As he spoke, he viciously kicked the water in the swimming pool with one long leg, sending a spray of water into the air. His tone grew increasingly hostile. "Akiya's at school right now. Put Akiya on the phone and let him talk to me about this. Otherwise, I'm going to assume all of you are bullying me behind his back!"
His voice rose even higher.
"I'm filing a complaint! I'll make sure you never become the next principal!"
On the other end, Yaga Masamichi nearly choked with frustration.
Seriously, who exactly was bullying whom here?
Who in the entire jujutsu world would dare bully the lawless heir of the Six Eyes?
After discovering that all attempts at patient persuasion were completely ineffective, Yaga finally snapped. "Just you wait!"
Back at Tokyo Jujutsu High, Yaga Masamichi strode across the campus with the still-connected phone in hand and quickly found Asou Akiya. The moment Akiya saw him approaching, he seemed to instantly understand the reason. He took three steps backward and crossed his arms in front of his chest, clearly expressing a single message:
Don't come to me.
Yaga Masamichi ignored the silent refusal.
"Gojo's throwing a tantrum. He refuses to go along with that girl's wishes."
Rubbing his aching forehead, he continued, "Master Tengen ordered us to satisfy every request Amanai Riko makes."
Akiya immediately understood why Yaga looked so exhausted.
In the end, he accepted his fate and took the phone.
The moment he raised it to his ear, Gojo Satoru's endless stream of complaints came pouring through the speaker. He complained about Yaga, complained about the mission, complained about Amanai Riko, and complained about practically everything he could think of. The one thing he carefully avoided mentioning was the slap.
Akiya listened quietly until Gojo finally paused to take a breath.
"Gojo," he interrupted calmly, "rest your voice for a while. And stop kicking the water. If your shoes get dirty, you're washing them yourself."
The effect was immediate.
Gojo Satoru, who had been splashing water around while venting his frustrations, suddenly lost all confidence.
His leg froze mid-motion.
The pool water settled.
And the overwhelming momentum behind his complaints vanished on the spot.
"Akiya, what's your opinion?" Gojo Satoru straightened his expression, looking thoroughly pleased with himself now that he had found reinforcements.
"My opinion? I don't have one." Leaning against the wall, Asou Akiya spoke in front of Yaga Masamichi without the slightest hesitation.
"Objectively speaking, Tengen-sama is the client who commissioned this mission. However, she's also the one who suddenly added an unreasonable demand. You and Suguru are the people directly involved, and you're both students of Tokyo Jujutsu High. Unless you want a black mark on your mission records, you'd better take her request seriously."
During the Star Plasma Vessel mission, Tengen was the client, while Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru were the contractors. By default, that put them at a disadvantage.
The most irritating thing about clients was that they loved springing new requirements on people halfway through a job.
Even Asou Akiya wanted to curse.
"What the hell is wrong with her?"
If the mission details had been explained from the beginning, Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru would have seriously considered whether they wanted to accept it at all.
At the very least, this level of compensation was nowhere near enough to justify working themselves to the bone.
Softening his voice, Asou Akiya continued, "I know you're unhappy, but please don't take it out on Yaga-sensei. He's only carrying out orders and doesn't really have a choice. Just think of it this way: perhaps Tengen-sama sympathizes with the fate of the Star Plasma Vessel. She doesn't want to rob a little girl of her future either, so she's trying to give her one final taste of freedom before the end."
As he spoke those insincere words, Asou Akiya once again categorized Tengen as the type of ally who could be cooperated with, but never truly trusted.
In fact, he strongly suspected that Tengen was deliberately cultivating them.
By intentionally extending the mission's duration, creating opportunities for accidents and complications, and giving Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru room to face adversity, she was effectively using the mission as a training exercise.
For now, however, their interests aligned.
Since they were standing on the same side at the moment, he decided not to expose her motives.
Gojo Satoru let out a cold snort. Having failed to hear the support he wanted, he complained, "You fake little tangerine. You're so full of hypocrisy. You've spent all this time saying nice things about Yaga and Tengen-sama, but do you actually feel sorry for her? Not at all, right?"
Changing his posture, he shifted away from the dirty pool water and settled into a more comfortable position.
"So now I'm supposed to sacrifice my time for her?"
Then he resumed firing accusations into the phone.
"Is there even a place for me in your heart anymore?!"
If anyone else had spoken to Asou Akiya like that, he would have been annoyed long ago.
Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—the speaker was Gojo Satoru.
Asou Akiya lowered his voice and patiently humored him.
"There is. There is. Of course there's a place for you. I'm absolutely standing on your side."
Gojo Satoru immediately seized on the answer.
"Then what's your decision?"
His voice sharpened.
"Are you helping me, or are you helping Tengen-sama?"
Asou Akiya: "..."
Yaga Masamichi's expression immediately turned terrifying. Mouthing the words without making a sound, he warned:
"Don't you dare pull anything, you brat."
Suddenly, panic appeared on Asou Akiya's face.
"Gojo, are you still scolding me? Sorry, the signal's terrible on my end. Yaga-sensei, what's wrong with your phone? Hello? Hello? Bzzzt—"
After an impressively committed performance that showed no signs of ending anytime soon, Asou Akiya successfully hung up on Gojo Satoru.
"Hello?"
"Hello??"
The moment Asou Akiya's voice disappeared, Gojo Satoru shot to his feet.
Getou Suguru stared blankly as Gojo paced back and forth in agitation, repeatedly trying to call back, only to fail every single time.
A familiar feeling suddenly washed over him.
[This seems awfully familiar.]
[Isn't this my usual trick?]
[Right... This is exactly the method I learned from Akiya.]
"What the hell is wrong with the school's signal?" Gojo returned to Getou Suguru's side. "Lend me your phone."
Filled with sympathy, Getou Suguru handed it over.
He already knew how this was going to end.
Akiya had chosen neither side.
Instead he had run away.
Just as Getou Suguru expected, no matter how many times Gojo tried, he couldn't reach Asou Akiya. Their class representative had vanished without a trace.
After watching him struggle for a while, Getou Suguru finally offered a reasonable suggestion.
"Gojo, since we can't get in touch with Akiya, let's continue the mission."
Gojo's expression darkened.
"...Looks like that's our only option."
His mood was visibly sour.
"The next time I get the chance, I'm upgrading Tokyo Jujutsu High's signal infrastructure. This garbage signal is pissing me off."
As he continued grumbling under his breath, Getou Suguru found himself unable to reveal the truth. Instead, he turned toward Kuroi Misato with a gentle smile.
"I believe that, thanks to Gojo's unwavering sponsorship, Tokyo Jujutsu High will eventually become the place with the best reception in all of Japan."
Kuroi Misato, who didn't quite understand the joke, asked: "What should we do?"
Seeing that Gojo Satoru had finally stopped making a fuss, Getou Suguru spoke on behalf of both of them.
"Let's allow her to move around freely for now."
If he only had a little time left to live, he would want to spend it at school as well.
Getou Suguru released two cursed spirits to remain by Amanai Riko's side. If anyone approached her, the cursed spirits would immediately attack. And if someone exorcised those cursed spirits, he would sense it and rush over to help.
12:00 PM.
Getou Suguru diligently studied the class schedule and map on his phone.
Kuroi Misato brought lunch for the two of them. Gojo Satoru had no appetite. He lounged lazily in a deck chair, idly playing on his phone.
[Tokyo Jujutsu High Foodie Duo]
[Asou Akiya: It's noon. Are you two hungry? Have you eaten yet?]
[Gojo Satoru: I don't want to talk to you anymore.]
[Asou Akiya: Then should I mute myself for the entire afternoon?]
[Gojo Satoru: ...Are you sure you're punishing yourself and not just ignoring me for another whole afternoon?]
[Asou Akiya: Don't put it so harshly. Suguru is suffering alongside you.]
[Gojo Satoru: He's enjoying it! He's hardworking and thrives on suffering!]
At that moment, Getou Suguru suddenly appeared behind Gojo Satoru and bent down to look at the phone screen.
"Please don't slander me."
"You're peeking at my phone," Gojo Satoru said. "Be careful, or you'll get a stye."
"You have the Six Eyes," Getou Suguru replied. "You'll get one first."
"You first!"
"You first!"
"You first!"
"Fine, then I'll get one first—unless you admit that my eyes are bigger than yours and that you're the one with those tiny eyes that can't see properly."
Getou Suguru: "..."
Kuroi Misato quickly stepped in to smooth things over and said kindly, "You two... eat your lunch."
[Asou Akiya: Don't let yourself go hungry. The sun is strong at noon, so remember to find some shade and rest when you can.]
[Gojo Satoru: Oh.]
[Asou Akiya: I checked the weather for you. They're saying a typhoon may be approaching the coastal regions soon, but don't worry. I got in touch with someone at the meteorological agency, and they said the probability is relatively low. It shouldn't affect the Tokyo area.]
[Gojo Satoru: Do you really need to pay attention to that many details?]
[Asou Akiya: Yes. Also, I'm keeping a close watch on the dark web. If I learn anything, I'll let you know immediately.]
[Gojo Satoru: Aren't you taking a lunch break?]
[Asou Akiya: I'm accompanying you remotely. When you rest, I'll rest too.]
Gojo Satoru immediately felt much better. If there was fortune, they would share it together; if there was hardship, they would face it together. He set his phone down on his lap, picked up his lunchbox, and pushed all the vegetables aside. After staring at the contents for a few moments and confirming there was nothing suspicious about it, he reluctantly took a few bites from the meat cutlet portion.
Getou Suguru glanced at Gojo Satoru before tapping out a message on his phone.
[Tokyo Jujutsu High Diligent Duo]
[Getou Suguru: He's calmed down. He's willing to eat now.]
[Asou Akiya: Suguru, if you want to help Amanai Riko, I have no objections. There's no need to deliberately try to get on my good side.]
Getou Suguru's gaze drifted away for a moment.
[Getou Suguru: Am I that obvious?]
[Asou Akiya: It's extremely obvious. Under normal circumstances, you would have replied with something like, "The Gojo family owes you an hourly wage of at least xxxx."]
[Asou Akiya: Though, to be fair, I have no idea whether members of the Kuroi family even earn a five-digit hourly wage.]
[Getou Suguru: ...You're deliberately trying to scare me again.]
[Asou Akiya: Who told you to be so psychologically unbalanced all the time? You don't pick fights with me any less often than Gojo does.]
[Getou Suguru: I do not. I'm a good person. He's the bad one. Just now, he was complaining that you weren't paying attention to him.]
[Asou Akiya: Since I didn't hear it, I'll just pretend I don't know anything about it~]
[Getou Suguru: Tch.]
1:20 PM.
The fifth race among the six racing boats began.
The outcome of this race would determine the wins and losses of a great many bettors.
Fushiguro Toji found a place to eat lunch while keeping his eyes fixed on the live television broadcast.
He had wagered a considerable amount of money on it.
Meanwhile, Kong Shiu logged onto the curse user forum from inside his car and posted a bounty of twenty-five million yen on Amanai Riko's life. As a result, the thirty-million-yen advance payment that Fushiguro Toji had received from the Time Vessel Association was effectively spent away.
Bounty countdown: 47 hours, 41 minutes.
The moment the news appeared on the dark web—
the assistant supervisors who were collectively discussing the Star Plasma Vessel mission in their group chat exploded into an uproar and hurriedly notified Asou Akiya.
At the same time, Asou Akiya, who was seated in his chair, opened his eyes and saw the information that had appeared on his laptop screen.
Ieiri Shoko handed him a hot towel.
"Put this over your eyes for a while," she said. "They're bloodshot."
"Thank you," Asou Akiya replied.
Without delay, Asou Akiya forwarded the bounty information to Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru.
Because of this, compared to the original timeline where the high-school-age Gojo and Getou discovered the second wave of curse users only moments later, he managed to buy them an additional ten minutes.
The benefit was that Amanai Riko would be safer.
The "drawback" was that Gojo Satoru lost the opportunity to have a female teacher slip him her phone number, because Getou Suguru would be helping keep Gojo Satoru's excessive and uncontrollable charm in check.
Remaining behind at Renchoku Girls' Academy, Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru immediately followed the route map and sprinted toward the location where Amanai Riko was spending her lunch break.
There, they found Amanai Riko chatting and laughing happily with her classmates.
The moment the two of them stepped into the classroom during lunch break, they were met with sparkling-eyed stares and excited cries from every girl in the class.
"So handsome!"
"A white-haired hottie and a cool, aloof hottie!"
"Big brothers from high school, are you here to see Riko?"
Before Gojo Satoru could show off his good looks, Getou Suguru firmly suppressed his peacock-like urge to spread his feathers.
"Gojo, we need to get Riko out of here as quickly as possible," he said. "We can't let ordinary students' lives be put at risk."
Ignoring Amanai Riko's resistance, the two explained the situation to her. In the end, the three of them left the school together.
1:30 PM.
The curse users arrived at Renchoku Girls' Academy only to find themselves chasing empty air.
1:45 PM.
Kuroi Misato, the only one who had ended up separated from the group, was kidnapped.
Getou Suguru openly admitted that it was his mistake.
1:55 PM.
The three of them found themselves in a standoff.
Amanai Riko insisted that Gojo Satoru take her with him to the kidnappers' meeting location.
Gojo Satoru's patience was rapidly approaching its limit.
Getou Suguru promptly pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Moshi moshi, Akiya? We need you to save the situation again."
Asou Akiya: "..."
Asou Akiya: "Suguru, I've already seen the information you forwarded. The kidnappers have designated Okinawa as the exchange location. It's more than a thousand kilometers away from Tokyo, a flight of one to two hours under normal circumstances, and the route is also threatened by the approaching typhoon."
Asou Akiya: "Under normal conditions, all you would need to do is stay at the airport and check every arriving and departing flight for Miss Kuroi. However, the real situation is more complicated. I've discovered that the Time Vessel Association recently purchased a private jet."
Getou Suguru sucked in a sharp breath.
The Time Vessel Association really was rich.
Lowering his head slightly, he said, "Please help us."
Hearing that, Gojo Satoru cut into the conversation.
"If we go directly to the Time Vessel Association, can we find her?"
Asou Akiya replied, "Definitely not. They'll certainly be waiting for you in Okinawa, and they'll do everything they can to stall for time."
Gojo Satoru's brow immediately furrowed in displeasure.
He was no stranger to kidnappings and hostage exchanges. Ever since childhood, the Gojo family had drilled related knowledge into him. For example, if he were ever kidnapped, he must never provoke the kidnappers. If they were willing to negotiate, he should not reject their demands outright.
"Gojo, calm down. The decision is yours to make—" Asou Akiya said, placing the choice in Gojo Satoru's hands.
"Please, I'm begging you, take me with you! I want to see her one last time before the 'assimilation' happens. This is my final wish!"
A pleading female voice suddenly interrupted.
Asou Akiya froze for a moment.
It was the first time he had ever heard Amanai Riko's voice.
Soft and fragile. Helpless. Yet carrying the fierce determination of a Star Plasma Vessel girl desperately asserting her will in the face of approaching death.
Asou Akiya said calmly, "If necessary, my three underclassmen and I can go to Naha Airport to provide support for you."
After saying that, he kept the call connected and listened to the sounds on the other end while booking seven airline tickets on his computer.
[Tokyo Haneda Airport - Naha Airport, Okinawa Prefecture]
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
This was not fate—it was human nature. Asou Akiya believed that Gojo Satoru would make his choice.
...
Facing Amanai Riko, Gojo Satoru spoke words that differed from those in the original story.
"Have you thought it through?"
"Is this really your final wish?"
Again and again, throughout the course of the Star Plasma Vessel mission, Gojo Satoru's tolerance toward Amanai Riko steadily diminished.
"I'm sure!"
Amanai Riko stubbornly stood by her decision, so stubborn that Getou Suguru could only press a hand to his forehead from where he stood beside her.
Getou Suguru believed that Gojo could see it as well. Little Riko was gradually beginning to trust them, and she was slowly opening up her heart. However, that level of trust was still not enough for her to say the words that truly mattered—to declare that she wanted to abandon the Star Plasma Vessel mission.
Helping someone who had fallen to their feet was easy.
Helping someone who had fallen stand upright forever was far more difficult.
"Gojo..."
What choice will you make?
A trace of sadness welled up within Getou Suguru.
"Suguru... what a pain. This is such a gigantic pain in the ass. I'm seriously starting to not want to do this anymore!"
Ask my ass!
Beneath his sunglasses, Gojo Satoru's eyes were icy with indifference as he mercilessly let loose a stream of complaints.
Then—
he reached out, grabbed the little girl's braid, and gave it a tug before finally venting his frustration.
"Fine, let's go! This is the last time I'm helping you!"
"Thank you!"
Amanai Riko immediately broke into a smile through her tears, bowing repeatedly in gratitude. From that moment on, she no longer dared to offend Gojo Satoru again.
Thus, the group boarded a flight bound for Okinawa Prefecture.
After checking every passenger on board, Gojo Satoru discovered that his phone signal had been cut off. He put his phone away and then pulled out a sleep mask that Asou Akiya had stuffed into his pocket before departure.
With Getou Suguru beside him and Asou Akiya already on his way to join them, Gojo Satoru felt completely at ease and promptly fell asleep.
Gojo Satoru: "ZzzZZZ."
Amanai Riko quietly asked the more approachable Getou Suguru, "Isn't he afraid of danger?"
Secretly controlling Rainbow Dragon to protect the aircraft, Getou Suguru replied calmly, without revealing anything unusual, "Because he has us."
Amanai Riko blinked in confusion.
Us?
Me too?
Getou Suguru took the airline ticket from his pocket and glanced at it, a sense of relief washing over him when he confirmed that they had not missed the earliest available flight.
You really had anticipated everything one step ahead of everyone else.
Akiya.
_________
Author's Note:
Quanquan discovered a bug and needs to revise an earlier section.
The reason is that in the manga version, Boat No. 1, "Hatano," takes first place in the race, whereas in the anime version, Boat No. 2, "Yamazaki," takes first place.
Absolutely unbelievable.
P.S. In this fanfic, only Fushiguro Toji's green eyes and Getou Suguru's purple eyes are taken from the manga version.
As for the rest of the settings, they generally follow the anime.
—
"Fulfill every request Amanai Riko makes."
This line comes from Episode 3 of Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen. It was Tengen-sama's order, relayed to Gojo Satoru by Yaga Masamichi.