Out of concern for his students staying at Kyoto School, Yaga Masamichi conducted a midnight dormitory check.
The heartwarming scene of the students camping together left this veteran teacher — who had led many groups over the years — momentarily lost in thought. He nearly forgot the brutal reality of the jujutsu world, overwhelmed by the simple wonder of how these young boys and girls could be so beautiful and pure — pure enough to cleanse the deep-seated negative emotions that sorcerers accumulated over long years.
"Their bond is truly strong."
Yaga Masamichi slipped away quietly.
The four individuals sleeping on the tatami in the same room opened their eyes all at once — rising like corpses from the grave.
"Shall we keep playing?" Asou Akiya asked the group.
Thanks to Gojo Satoru's advance warning, they had managed to evade Yaga Masamichi's inspection — successfully pretending to be obedient students for once.
Pillow fights, the Yamanote Line game, poker, idiom chains — they had exhausted every game they could think of. The novelty came quickly and faded just as fast, truly testing the entertainment ingenuity of Tokyo Jujutsu High students. Asou Akiya performed poorly at the Yamanote Line game, but when it came to idiom chains, he dominated completely — outpacing even Gojo Satoru, who hailed from a feudal clan.
Japan did indeed have its own idioms, such as "ichi-go ichi-e*" or "shinra bansho.*"
*{Note: Ichi-go ichi-e (Japanese: 一期一会, lit. "one time, one meeting") is a Japanese four-character idiom (yojijukugo) that describes a cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. The term has been roughly translated as "for this time only", and "once in a lifetime".
Shinra Banshō (Japanese: 神羅万象, lit. "Everything Covered by God"), is a Japanese four-character idiom and homophone variant of Shinra Banshō (森羅万象, lit. "All-Covering Forests and Ten Thousand Things"), a Buddhist idiom which has come to mean "All Nature" or "All Creation".}
Asou Akiya adapted well — having recently delved into much of Japan's classical literature, he had picked up these small nuggets of knowledge.
The air conditioning's cooling effect was mediocre at best, yet Kyoto School's abundant greenery kept the overall temperature in the dormitory tolerable. The four futons were laid out side by side; mindful of their female classmate, the boys refrained from kicking off their blankets and exposing their feet.
This applied especially to Gojo Satoru — who, surprisingly, kept his hands and feet tucked neatly inside his bedding, revealing only half his face.
Ieiri Shoko let out a small yawn. "I'm sleepy."
At the word from their female classmate, the energetic boys brought the games to an end — bidding one another a soft "good night."
In the vision of the Six Eyes, the presence of three distinct cursed energies stood out with exceptional clarity.
Gojo Satoru lingered without closing his eyes, causing the azure radiance to bloom in the pitch darkness.
Clearly, Gojo Satoru was once again riding a mental high — unable to sleep, he was using the Six Eyes to gather intelligence on Kyoto School: distinguishing remnants of cursed energy, pinpointing the locations of sorcerers on campus, and indirectly ensuring safety throughout their stay.
Ieiri Shoko, witnessing this sight for the first time, felt a chill crawl across her scalp. "...Akiya, over there — it's glowing."
Asou Akiya removed his own sleep mask.
After a moment's thought, Asou Akiya handed the sleep mask to his female classmate who needed it. "Shoko, put this on and you won't see anything."
Ieiri Shoko paused. "..."
Ieiri Shoko asked, "Aren't you giving it to Gojo?"
Asou Akiya responded earnestly, "He has his own, but he doesn't want to use it right now."
It was common knowledge that Gojo Satoru's sleep was light and his vigilance razor-sharp — he rarely allowed himself to drift off in the presence of others.
Ieiri Shoko accepted without further protest, fumbling in the dark to slip on the soft silk sleep mask.
The world fell into peaceful silence.
No — though insects chirped outside the dormitory, the sound was not disturbing.
In the morning, Gojo Satoru — who had barely slept all night — received a complimentary treatment from Ieiri Shoko. Afterward, he grew restless, buzzing around everyone like an insistent fly, disrupting the progress of breakfast preparation and room tidying.
"Akiya, let me take you to scare the Kyoto School students!" Gojo Satoru declared from atop the futons, his posture boldly masculine.
"No — today we're going shopping." This came from Asou Akiya, who was neatly folding everyone's futons as he offered his suggestion. "Gojo, you're sitting on the blanket. If you want to play, go find Suguru instead."
"Sugu — let's give Kyoto School a good show of strength!" Gojo Satoru popped his head out from behind Getou Suguru, shifting restlessly left and right.
"No — I promised Shoko I'd accompany her to buy clothes and handbags." This was Getou Suguru, focused on preparing breakfast and showing no intention of deviating from the plan. "Gojo, we can't bully the weak. Teacher Yaga told us to behave ourselves."
"Shoko! Let's go crush them — you can heal anyone who needs it!" Gojo Satoru turned his attention to their healer classmate.
"No — go by yourself." This came from Ieiri Shoko, who was applying makeup in front of the mirror and ignoring him completely.
With that said, Ieiri Shoko's hand trembled while drawing her eyebrow — smudging the line — all because Gojo Satoru was shaking her shoulders. "Come on, come on~, kind-hearted Shoko — I'll cover all your shopping expenses in Kyoto~."
Ieiri Shoko turned her back to Gojo Satoru — a glint of murderous intent reflecting off the small mirror in her hand.
"Gojo, acting like this will ensure you never get a girlfriend."
"Impossible!"
Gojo Satoru's mind registered Ieiri Shoko's kindness — convinced she was simply too embarrassed to accept his offer.
How could anyone in the world possibly dislike Gojo Satoru? Such a person did not exist.
Even the rotten old tangerines wouldn't dare!
The four of them sat down to enjoy breakfast — pausing the squabbles for a moment as even Gojo Satoru fell silent. Yet the peace did not last long; Gojo Satoru finished his meal first and immediately unleashed a nonstop barrage of chatter toward his three classmates.
Getou Suguru set down his chopsticks with a helpless sigh. "Akiya, how about I go with Shoko instead?"
Gojo Satoru or Getou Suguru.
One of the two had to accompany Ieiri Shoko — otherwise, she would not be able to take even half a step beyond the grounds of Kyoto School.
Getou Suguru's implication was clear. He wanted Asou Akiya to go off and play with Gojo Satoru while he himself escorted Ieiri Shoko out shopping. Asou Akiya glanced at Ieiri Shoko's impassive expression and immediately understood that she had no desire to go out with Getou Suguru.
For one thing, a lone boy and girl together would feel far too intimate; for another, Ieiri Shoko and Getou Suguru simply lacked common ground for conversation.
What on earth could they talk about?
They could hardly stroll the streets while gossiping about how clingy Gojo Satoru had become lately or whether Asou Akiya was being carried along by Gojo Satoru's impressive feats.
Asou Akiya pulled out his trump card. "Gojo — ladies first. Do you want to end up like the next Zenin Naoya?"
Gojo Satoru was struck speechless.
Using that little rotten tangerine as ammunition is brutal!
Unable to out-argue Asou Akiya, Gojo Satoru fumed in defeat and flipped a middle finger at him.
"Picking up all the wrong habits and feeling proud of it?" Asou Akiya swatted the rude hand away, instantly turning the blame toward the gloating Getou Suguru. "Suguru — is this gesture something you taught him?"
Getou Suguru, who had been happily spectating, froze in shock as the melon fell on his own head.
No — it absolutely was not! This was something Gojo had picked up on his own! How could the blame land on him?
The true connoisseur of drama, Ieiri Shoko, rested her chin in both hands and watched the entire process of Asou Akiya handling Gojo Satoru with evident fascination — poor Getou Suguru never realizing he had been turned into a mere fire extinguisher.
In any case, the troublemaker was subdued.
On the morning of September 12th, the four from Tokyo Jujutsu High settled on a group outing to explore the city.
Before leaving Kyoto School, Asou Akiya reported their plans to Teacher Yaga and then pulled Gojo Satoru aside for a private conversation, slipping a note into his hand. "Memorize this quickly."
Gojo Satoru stared blankly. "?"
He grumbled in reluctance. "I'm from Kyoto — what good is some online tourist guide to me?"
Asou Akiya would sooner trust a ghost than believe he was a local expert. "Do you know where to buy women's clothing?"
Gojo Satoru answered without hesitation. "The mall."
Asou Akiya pressed further. "Do you know which stores high school girls love most? Which ones are the most popular?"
Gojo Satoru looked utterly baffled. "I don't know — and I don't want to know."
Asou Akiya explained patiently. "Shoko has helped us so many times. She lives alone, rarely gets chances to go out, and whether her parents are even around is questionable. We can't let her youth be filled with regrets."
Asou Akiya smiled warmly at Gojo Satoru. "Her youth is part of all four of our youths, after all."
The word "youth" struck a deep chord within Gojo Satoru — making it nearly impossible for him to refuse.
"...Fine. I'll read it."
"Good."
Asou Akiya promptly destroyed the note, preventing any chance of Gojo Satoru accidentally giving himself away and missing the opportunity to make it up to Shoko. Sometimes, money alone could not settle matters of human connection. If one added just a touch of genuine thoughtfulness to the spending, the result would far exceed simple addition — a lesson he would have to teach gradually to Gojo Satoru, who remained a complete blank slate in such things.
He recalled how, in the original story, high-schooler Gojo spent a full billion yen to buy Megumi Fushiguro's freedom from the Zenin clan — granting the boy a life of his own choosing. Yet in Megumi's own words, Gojo's significance amounted to merely — "a benefactor, I suppose. Barely."
Asou Akiya's mouth twitched.
A Billion Yen!
Even in yen, that converted to nearly fifty million RMB!
If anyone had ever spent that much money on him selflessly, Asou Akiya figured he would repay the favor tenfold or a hundredfold. Megumi Fushiguro's inherently kind nature explained his response — treating Gojo Satoru with such reserve stemmed largely from Gojo's own flippant and superficial attitude!
Kyoto — also known as Kyoto Prefecture — stood as one of Japan's most ancient cities.
The heart of the Japanese jujutsu world lay right here in Kyoto, where barriers radiated outward from the imperial residence in all directions. For a thousand years, the Three Great Families had made their home in this place, driving the city's safety to extraordinary heights. No curse user dared cause trouble at will. Whenever a cursed spirit of first-grade or higher appeared, it fell by default to sorcerers from the Three Great Families to exorcise it — easing the burden on the broader jujutsu community.
The high school boys and girl from Tokyo Jujutsu High strolled the streets and encountered many foreign tourists dressed in kimono.
"I want to buy a kimono made right here in Kyoto." Ieiri Shoko paused frequently along the way, her gaze lingering on girls her own age as she rattled off her shopping wishes like items on a menu — asking their local "Gojo" guide to lead the way. "And shoes, accessories, handbags, cosmetics… I also need to pick up a butterfly hair ornament for Utahime…"
Ieiri Shoko's savings were considerable — rarely spent in ordinary life, making her something of a little heiress in truth.
"No problem at all." Gojo Satoru led with unwavering confidence, fulfilling every request from his female classmate as though he knew Kyoto's every street and alley by heart — each shop etched perfectly into his memory.
Beneath his carefree exterior, Gojo Satoru clung firmly to the contents of that note. His mind raced ceaselessly, using the Six Eyes to pinpoint exact store locations before sequencing them according to foot traffic — optimizing Ieiri Shoko's shopping experience to perfection.
Getou Suguru clicked his tongue in amazement. "It's rare to see Gojo this dependable."
Asou Akiya lied through his teeth with eyes wide open. "This is his hometown — if he isn't familiar with it, who would be?"
The morning passed in a flash. Ieiri Shoko's shopping urges found full release — she purchased a heap of items, some potentially useful and others perhaps not. She had assumed she alone was enjoying herself and felt a twinge of guilt for it.
Inside a store overflowing with pink, girlish vibes and stocked with high school uniforms, she turned to glance at her three male classmates.
"If any of you feel uncomfortable, you can wait outside…" She did not finish the sentence.
Ieiri Shoko's eyes went flat as a dead fish.
She had vastly underestimated just how broad the interests of high school boys could be.
Asou Akiya selected skirts for Shoko, pinching the fabric to test it — rejecting anything of poor quality or prone to splitting seams and never recommending such pieces to Ieiri Shoko.
Gojo Satoru tugged at a pleated skirt with a price tag that spoke of considerable expense, curiosity lacing his voice. "This waist size is huge — looks like even I could fit into it."
Getou Suguru turned at the words. "Really? Let me see."
Gojo Satoru promptly draped the pleated skirt around Getou Suguru's waist, holding it up for comparison. "Nope — won't work. Your waist has gotten too thick."
Getou Suguru protested indignantly. "That's because my abdominal muscles are well-developed from training."
For a fleeting second, Asou Akiya envisioned a version of Getou Suguru possessed by Kenjaku — clad in a white nurse's uniform — and had to admit that if Getou Suguru grew out his hair and slipped into women's clothing, the dissonance would not hit quite as hard as it would for Gojo Satoru. He remarked, "Sugu's build would suit a dress better, though."
Gojo Satoru immediately fetched a plus-size dress, insisting all the while that he would buy one for Getou Suguru to take home.
Getou Suguru showed no embarrassment, treating it as a jest. "Akiya, don't you think your figure would suit it even more than mine?"
Asou Akiya declined with a shy flush. "But I'm still growing — I don't have any chest to fill it out."
Getou Suguru fell silent. "..."
Asou Akiya delivered the finishing blow. "Not like you — you've got the spice."
Getou Suguru surrendered utterly — unwilling to provoke Asou Akiya further — and hastily redirected his fire toward Gojo Satoru. "Gojo sure has a thing for JK uniforms, doesn't he? He knows all these shops perfect for Shoko."
Gojo Satoru's skin was of Schrödinger's thickness — innocent one moment, impenetrable the next — as he gazed at Getou Suguru with wide-eyed feigned purity.
"I look good in anything — that's why."
Off to the side.
Ieiri Shoko found the words to pay for her purchases stuck in her throat — utterly thunderstruck by the conversation among her male classmates.
The sales assistant, long accustomed to such sights, watched the high school boys with a beaming smile — her eyes gleaming with a predatory green light. For boys and women's clothing, there was only the difference between once and countless times; the image of these beautiful young men holding up skirts had already etched itself deeply into the sales assistant's mind.
Ieiri Shoko interrupted her reverie by placing the basket of clothes on the counter.
"Checkout."
Have some decency, you bunch of highschool DKs.