After walking out of the fried rice restaurant, the street lamps on the surrounding roads had already turned on one after another.
The streets were bustling with people.
Some were office workers who had just gotten off work, still wearing their shirts and loosened ties.
Some were couples holding hands, walking slowly.
Some were families going out for dinner, with children running around like little missiles.
The summer evening breeze was warm, carrying a faint smell of food from the nearby shops.
Gojo Satoru walked beside Kitagawa Marin, carrying a few shopping bags with a lazy expression.
Kitagawa Marin, on the other hand, looked energetic and cheerful, as if the udon-fried-rice combination had fully recharged her battery.
"Gojo-sensei…"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Hearing the girl beside him call out, Gojo Satoru turned his head slightly.
Kitagawa Marin looked away, her fingers poking each other.
She hesitated for a few seconds, then said in a small voice, slightly embarrassed.
"Um… outside of school…Can I call you 'Gojo-kun'?"
In Japan, the hierarchy was strict.
Especially between teachers and students.
Most students respected teachers, and many even feared them.
Changing from "Gojo-sensei" to a more intimate way of calling him…
To put it harshly, it could be considered disrespectful.
To put it mildly, it simply meant the relationship between the two parties was very close.
But no matter how you put it—
It was special.
Gojo Satoru didn't seem to care at all.
He didn't even pause.
"It's fine.Outside, I'll let you call me Gojo-kun. And in exchange from now on…I'll call you Marin."
Kitagawa Marin's eyes instantly lit up.
Her heart almost jumped out of her chest.
The whole person became visibly happy, like a cat that had just been given a new toy.
"Yeah! Gojo-kun!"
Her tone was sweet and excited.
She felt like…The relationship between them wasn't limited to teacher and student anymore.
It was something closer.
Something more intimate.
For example…
Boyfriend and girlfriend.
After confirming her feelings earlier, Kitagawa Marin had already made a decision.
She wouldn't just wait.
She wouldn't be one of those shy anime girls who hesitated for fifty episodes, then cried at the end and said "I should've confessed."
In anime, most of those people were— Losers Heroines.
Kitagawa Marin didn't want to leave regrets for her youth.
She didn't want to become a loser.
She wanted to be the final winner.
{Hiratsuka Shizuka: "How dare you—a student—lust after my Hubby!"}
Gojo Satoru, of course, didn't understand the girl's internal mental storm at all.
He only knew one thing.
Kitagawa Marin had a lot of affection for him.
After all, she had already hugged him and crawled into his arms earlier.
Gojo Satoru's attitude toward Kitagawa Marin was more like "appreciation."
He found her cute.
He found her lively.
He didn't dislike her at all.
But if you wanted him to actively pursue someone…Maybe you would never see that happen in your lifetime.
"Do you want to walk around for a bit? Marin."
Gojo Satoru asked casually.
When they went to the fried rice restaurant earlier, he had already messaged the people at home.
Umaru Gojo and Benio Adashino.
He told them to order takeout tonight.
That message made Umaru, who was currently being controlled by her "Bro con mode," was extremely unhappy.
She even sent him a voice message.
"You must be back before one o'clock!"
The tone was fierce.
It sounded like a wife scolding a husband for staying with his Mistress. Gojo Satoru almost laughed when he heard it.
"Yes, we can."
Kitagawa Marin squinted happily when she heard him call her "Marin." Her mood instantly became even better.
"Let's go to the park. There's a park not far ahead. It only takes a few minutes to walk there."
"Sure."
After deciding the destination, the two walked side by side.
The park was not very large.
But it was clean.
And the lights were bright.
Even though it was already night, there were still many children in the park, accompanied by their parents.
Some children were playing in the sandbox, building all kinds of weird castles.
Some were running in circles, screaming like they were being chased by invisible monsters.
{T/N: They were not}
Near the fitness equipment, there were more than a dozen pigeons gathered together, pecking at crumbs left by someone.
Kitagawa Marin's eyes followed those children quietly.
Her expression softened.
Then, she sat down on a bench.
Gojo Satoru sat beside her.
Their shoulders were very close.
So close that if either of them moved slightly, they would touch each other.
"These kids are really lucky…"
Kitagawa Marin propped her chin with both hands. Her eyes looked complicated, and her voice became much softer.
"They can have their parents by their side…And play freely."
Gojo Satoru didn't speak.
He only listened.
Kitagawa Marin smiled faintly, but there was something sad hidden behind it.
"Unfortunately…I didn't really get to play like that."
When she was very young, her mother passed away early.
And her father…He worked hard just to keep the family alive, and also so he could get himself busy as to not remember her mother.....
There was no way for him to accompany her.
The childhood games that many kids played—Kitagawa Marin had never played them.
Even something as simple as playing in a sandbox.
Later, after she entered Sobu High School…Her father was transferred and he went to work in another place.
And up until now…Kitagawa Marin had been living alone.
If she was hungry,she would either buy something from the convenience store, or just eat outside.
Staying holdup in the house all along is suffocating.
Gojo Satoru glanced at her. Then said casually, as if it was no big deal.
"If you want to play, you can still play."
Kitagawa Marin was stunned for a moment.
Then she smiled and shook her head.
"No. Forget it."
She sat up straight again.
Her tone became light.
"It's not necessary anymore."
Because…
Someone is already accompanying me.
She didn't say that sentence out loud.
But she secretly glanced at Gojo Satoru.
He still looked bored in every possible way, like he didn't care about anything in the world.
But to her—That lazy attitude was strangely comforting.
Kitagawa Marin smiled quietly.
Then she cleared her throat.
"Ahem. Let's go, Gojo-kun. I've almost finished digesting."
"So fast?"
Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow.
"It's really fast."
Kitagawa Marin laughed softly.
"Let's go, hehe."
Of course she wouldn't tell him the truth. She just noticed he was bored.
So she wanted to leave.
Gojo Satoru stood up.
"Then we'll also reach my home soon." Kitagawa Marin said as she began walking.
.....
"Oh? This is your home?"
Gojo said, pointing ahead.
In front of them was an ordinary apartment building.
The two stood outside the building, talking.
Kitagawa Marin suddenly smiled mischievously.
Her cheeks were slightly red.
"Why? You want to attack me at night?"
Her tone was playful.
After confirming her feelings, her words and actions had become much bolder.
Gojo Satoru froze for a second.
Then his expression changed.
A surprised look flashed through his eyes.
But in the next moment—
He immediately put on an evil smile.
His tone became gloomy.
"You guessed it…I can't let you go…Jie jie jie…"
Kitagawa Marin didn't even flinch.
Instead, she burst out laughing.
"Jie jie jie? Gojo-kun. How many Soul Society people's do you eat in one meal?"
"…What?"
Gojo Satoru was stunned.
His brain stopped.
Wait. Did I get teleported again? How could someone understand this meme?!
Kitagawa Marin covered her mouth and laughed.
"I'm a web surfer too, okay?"
"Oh…"
Gojo Satoru scratched his white hair awkwardly.
He suddenly didn't know what to say.
This was the first time he had ever been countered by a student using a meme.
"Hey, let's not talk about this."
Kitagawa Marin smiled.
Then she pointed at the apartment building.
"Then I'll go first, Gojo-kun."
For some reason…She especially liked calling him "Gojo-kun."
It felt intimate.
Like she was claiming him.
{T/N: Poor Gojo-kun~~}
Gojo Satoru waved his hand lazily.
"Then… goodbye?"
"Goodbye."
Kitagawa Marin waved her little hand too, then walked toward the entrance.
However—
Before she took more than a few steps…
She suddenly turned around.
Then trotted back.
And without hesitation—
She threw herself straight into Gojo Satoru's arms.
Gojo Satoru was caught off guard.
His arms instinctively wrapped around her.
Kitagawa Marin held him tightly. Then she took a deep breath, before saying softly.
Her voice was muffled against his chest.
"Thank you very much today, Gojo-kun. And thank you for being willing to make a cosplay outfit for me."
Gojo Satoru was slightly stunned.
He didn't know what to say.
But before he could respond—
Kitagawa Marin climbed up slightly along his waist.
Again!
Then her small lips landed on his cheek without hesitation.
"Mua~"
A crisp sound rang out.
Gojo Satoru froze completely.
Kitagawa Marin's face turned red instantly.
She jumped down pressing her lips together.
Then she ran away in one breath, waving her right hand back while running.
"This is a thank-you gift! See you next Monday, Gojo-kun!"
Her figure disappeared into the apartment building.
Only the warm summer wind remained.
Gojo Satoru stood there.
His hand slowly touched his cheek.
The remaining warmth was still there.
He stared at the entrance for a few seconds. Then his expression became strangely complicated.
"…Could it be…that…She likes me?"
But..He didn't do anything.
He didn't even try.
So why did Kitagawa Marin fall for him?
Gojo Satoru didn't understand.
He truly didn't.
But…
As he turned around and walked away slowly, his lips curled slightly.
A faint smile.
The kind of smile that even he didn't notice.
And at the same time—
Far away, somewhere in Tokyo…
A filthy aura quietly rose.
Like something in Magano had opened a crack.
Gojo Satoru's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then he sighed softly.
"Trouble again…"
But before trouble…
He needed to get home.
Because Umaru Gojo's "one o'clock rule"…was more terrifying than any Basara.
....
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Bonus Chapter:-
4 Bonus chapter at 100 powerstone
6 Bonus Chapter at 150 powerstone
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Word Count — 1,715