Perhaps because he rarely expended personal favors, he never casually treated people he was not familiar with to a meal.
In his previous life, the dining table had been a battlefield of social obligations and calculated exchanges.
Asou Akiya was unwilling to let worldly pragmatism shape him into someone reeking of vulgarity.
"Do you believe me, senpai? The only reason I invited you to dinner is because you deserve to be asked out at least once." After reading through the French menu, Asou Akiya placed his order and handed it to the waiter, then spoke his honest thoughts with a gentle smile. "Since I already owe you a favor, I took the opportunity to extend this invitation. I hope it doesn't make you feel that I am a frivolous person."
"Three favors," Mei Mei corrected calmly. She would not stand on ceremony—business was business, and personal matters were counted separately.
"Yes, three. I won't forget." Asou Akiya straightened his back, his shoulders squared. The black suit he wore did not look like a child dressing in oversized adult clothing; instead, it highlighted a trace of masculine maturity and a hint of distinctive rebellion.
[Tokyo Jujutsu High Whispering Duo]
[Getou Suguru: Satoru, when did Akiya end up owing senpai three favors?]
[Gojo Satoru: I've never heard him mention it.]
[Getou Suguru: The love letter incident counts as one favor, but there are two others we don't know about. That's a little alarming.]
[Gojo Satoru: We could just spend some money and ask Mei Mei about it.]
[Getou Suguru: You think Akiya didn't sign a confidentiality agreement with her?]
[Gojo Satoru: ...]
[Gojo Satoru: Who is he guarding against every single day?!]
Hiding in a corner of the restaurant, Getou Suguru firmly restrained Gojo Satoru, who was trying to rush over and sabotage the "date."
[Getou Suguru: Calm down! The conversation hasn't reached the crucial part yet!]
[Gojo Satoru: From the moment we entered the restaurant, Mei Mei noticed us with her technique.]
[Getou Suguru: Then pay her to ignore us!]
Getou Suguru made a hand gesture toward the birds controlled by the "Black Bird Manipulation" technique: [10,000 yen. Please ignore us.]
A crow perched outside the French restaurant window visibly revealed a look of disdain.
Growing impatient, Gojo Satoru raised both hands and gestured emphatically: [1,000,000 yen!]
The crow nodded and flew away.
Getou Suguru froze on the spot.
Snapping back to his senses, he hooked his arm around Gojo Satoru's neck and rapidly sent another message.
[Getou Suguru: Satoru, I don't want to comment on your sense of money, but if you do this, you'll only drive up Mei Mei's asking price. The next time we need her help, the ones who'll suffer losses will be me and Akiya.]
[Gojo Satoru: Really? Is that a lot? I think she's pretty cheap.]
[Gojo Satoru: You two should just work harder and earn more money. This is so annoying. I just want to spend the money and make her leave.]
Asou Akiya asked with concern, "Senpai, are your eyes feeling uncomfortable?"
Without betraying a trace of it, Mei Mei withdrew the vision she had been sharing with the crow and smiled beautifully—a smile reserved exclusively for her benefactors. "I suddenly realized that Asou-kun is indeed a very interesting person."
Asou Akiya replied gently, "I think senpai has a wonderful sense of humor as well."
The frequency of Mei Mei's blinking shifted subtly; the number of blinks in her left eye differed from her right, and the focal distance of her pupils no longer aligned.
Had she activated her technique?
No—simply activating her technique would not produce this kind of effect. Such irregularities only appeared when she was closely monitoring a specific direction.
Had Gojo Satoru arrived? Was he alone? Or were there two of them?
Asou Akiya abandoned part of what he had originally intended to say and smoothly changed the subject, beginning instead to introduce the intricacies of French cuisine. He spoke with a uniquely perceptive understanding of culinary arts, and Mei Mei listened attentively, giving no indication whatsoever that she was merely humoring him. Anyone who saw the two of them together would have praised them as a perfectly matched pair in both talent and appearance.
When the waiter brought the appetizers, Asou Akiya casually asked, "Senpai, are you busy during the spring season?"
Mei Mei responded, "In past years, spring has not been particularly busy for a Grade 1 sorcerer. Is there something you wish to ask for my assistance with?"
Asou Akiya inwardly applauded Mei Mei's sharpness—she was truly a qualified professional on the receiving end of a commission.
After that, he continued chatting with her in a relaxed manner, drifting from topic to topic, eventually discussing the Japanese notion of the beginning of spring versus the actual arrival of warm weather.
Asou Akiya said, "Although the lunar calendar marks February 4th as the Beginning of Spring, it is still far too cold and does not feel like spring at all. I believe true spring should be counted from March 3rd instead. That day is also Hinamatsuri, the Peach Blossom Festival. Every year, when the peach blossoms are in full bloom, no matter how you look at it, there is a distinct atmosphere of all things reviving, as if spring has truly arrived."
Mei Mei replied, "As for February, I spend most of it outdoors. When I am training my body, I do not feel the cold."
Asou Akiya said, "How diligent. Senpai, are you an only child?"
Mei Mei answered, "For now, you could say that I am. My parents will soon be welcoming a younger brother for me."
Asou Akiya asked, "Senpai is so outstanding—does a jujutsu family absolutely require a boy to inherit the household?"
Mei Mei said, "Of course not. In most jujutsu families, strength is what commands respect. It is only the Three Great Clans that place emphasis on both innate techniques and male heirs. The existence of a man who marries into the family is precisely to assist female sorcerers."
Asou Akiya said, "I have a feeling that senpai does not intend to inherit the family business, which is why you are working so diligently to earn money."
Mei Mei replied, "Half and half. I am still planning my own future."
Asou Akiya said, "I am the same. The pressure of the future is considerable, but one can only proceed step by step."
[Gojo Satoru: They've reached that topic!]
[Getou Suguru: It sounds pretty normal to me… hmm… although we can't rule out the possibility that Akiya is probing into her family background.]
[Gojo Satoru: Suguru, what are you still waiting for? Are you waiting for them to arrange a formal marriage meeting?]
[Getou Suguru: Have you ever even attended one? Do you know the steps involved? Isn't this just perfectly ordinary small talk?]
Asou Akiya and Mei Mei continued eating and drinking as they chatted, eventually drifting to the topic of where would be suitable for surfing this year.
When it came to travel and cuisine, Mei Mei was not particularly knowledgeable; however, when it came to making and spending money, she was extremely adept. "There isn't anywhere suitable in February, but March is almost here. The earliest beach in Japan to open for swimming each year is in Okinawa."
Asou Akiya smiled faintly, as if intentionally yet without making it obvious. "Can you really go surfing in Okinawa in March?"
Mei Mei replied, "Sorcerers have strong constitutions and are not afraid of catching colds. It is precisely in the off-season, when there are fewer people, that places like that are most suitable to visit."
She did not conceal her shrewdness in the slightest. "Because it's cost-effective."
Asou Akiya said, "That makes perfect sense."
While obtaining information for himself, he also indirectly shared it with the two high school boys hiding nearby.
[Gojo Satoru: Suguru, did you hear that? I'm going to Okinawa to have some fun.]
[Getou Suguru: It opens as early as March? Let me check on my phone… Alright. We're going.]
Mei Mei began to extract information in return. "Have you looked into this year's incoming students?"
Asou Akiya nodded.
Mei Mei wore an expression that said she had not misjudged him—truly worthy of someone who had taken over logistical affairs. "Are there any impressive or wealthy juniors among them?"
Asou Akiya replied, "There are. This year there will be three junior students enrolling, and the third one will give senpai a pleasant surprise."
Mei Mei joked, "Does he have substantial savings?"
Asou Akiya pondered for a moment. "He may not necessarily have a large amount of savings, but it is certain that he is quite capable and very willing to spend money."
On April 1st of this year, the new term would begin, and they would welcome three new juniors: Haibara Yuu, Nanami Kento, and Zen'in Naoya.
Zen'in Naoya would absolutely fit the profile of a potential client in Mei Mei's eyes.
Mei Mei made full use of Asou Akiya's mind. "Utahime Iori wants to be promoted to Grade 1 sorcerer. She has asked me to serve as her examiner. What do you think?"
Asou Akiya said, "Iori-senpai does not have much savings. Mei Mei-senpai might have to work a little harder."
—It might not go very well.
Mei Mei sighed in mild distress. "So you are not optimistic about her either."
Asou Akiya let out a quiet sigh. "It is not that I am pessimistic about Iori-senpai. I am only a Semi-Grade 2 sorcerer myself. The total volume of my cursed energy limits my future. My goal of becoming a Grade 1 sorcerer remains far out of reach."
Mei Mei said, "Keep working hard. I have high expectations for you. With your abilities, earning more than a Grade 1 sorcerer's income will not be a problem."
Asou Akiya chuckled softly and shifted the subject. "In the traditional Japanese lunar calendar, March is called Yayoi, April is Uzuki, and May is Satsuki. Why is it that both March and April have days associated with the full moon, yet May does not?"
Mei Mei was somewhat more familiar with the traditional calendar, which followed a lunisolar system.
"Perhaps it is because May coincides with Golden Week. That month already has too many holidays, so there is no need to celebrate an additional full moon day."
"As a sorcerer from a family lineage, senpai, are you familiar with Master Tengen?"
"When I was young, I heard my parents mention some things about him. Why does Asou-kun suddenly bring up Master Tengen…?"
"In which month does that major event take place?"
"..." Mei Mei was momentarily stunned. She searched through distant memories, only barely grasping the significance of his question.
She felt more and more that this junior, Asou-kun, was someone who refused to suffer a loss—trading information for information, and asking about an ancient matter passed down orally among the older generation.
"This meal is turning out to be a loss for me," Mei Mei said with a smile. "I'll have to charge extra."
"Then pretend I never asked." Asou Akiya stopped precisely at that point and ended the topic, causing Mei Mei's smile to falter.
Unwilling to give up, Mei Mei pressed on. "I can offer a discount."
She absolutely could not miss an opportunity to make money!
Asou Akiya said innocently, "I truly don't have any money. I could only afford to treat you to this meal."
"One million yen!" Mei Mei declared.
Asou Akiya gracefully wiped the corner of his mouth. "I don't have it. Please, senpai, spare me."
"Then one hundred thousand."
"I am not particularly interested in this matter. You could sell the information to someone else—for example, to Suguru, who is so fond of history."
"..."
Her heart ached at the missed opportunity.
[Getou Suguru: Do I look like a fool with more money than sense?]
[Getou Suguru: Satoru, you're also from a sorcerer family. Is there anything happening this year related to Master Tengen?]
[Gojo Satoru: Huh? Huh??]
[Getou Suguru: Think! Quickly!]
[Gojo Satoru: Stop rushing me! Fine, I remember now. This year is one of the Star Plasma Vessel assimilation years!]
[Getou Suguru: That was one of the exam questions we did, right? Which month does it happen?]
[Gojo Satoru: No idea.]
[Getou Suguru: Don't make me look down on you. Are you really less informed than Mei Mei?]
[Gojo Satoru: The ancient texts don't record it that precisely! They only state that it takes place on the night of a full moon, after dusk!]
[Getou Suguru: Isn't that actually quite easy to deduce?]
[Gojo Satoru: ??]
[Getou Suguru: January has already passed, February is almost over, and May does not have a full moon day.]
[Getou Suguru: That leaves March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December as possibilities.]
[Getou Suguru: The last time the Star Plasma Vessel assimilation occurred, was it in the first half of the year or the second half?]
[Gojo Satoru: I think it was in the first half. The ancient texts mentioned cherry blossoms in full bloom, Tengen extending an invitation, and the head of the clan at the time going out reluctantly.]
[Getou Suguru: The first half of the year narrows it down to March, April, or June. In Japan, the early cherry blossoms bloom in March, and the late cherry blossoms bloom in May. No one deliberately goes out to view cherry blossoms in June.]
[Getou Suguru: It has to be either March or April!]
[Gojo Satoru: Oh.]
[Getou Suguru: Satoru, why do you seem completely unconcerned? This is a major event in the jujutsu world.]
[Gojo Satoru: I'm thinking about… when exactly Akiya realized we were here.]
[Getou Suguru: !!]
They were hiding behind a statue, and in front of them, a black-haired young man who had just finished his meal turned around with a smile and waved at them.
"Gojo, Getou, are you two hugging each other because you're on a date?"
The two of them sprang apart as if struck by electricity.
That remark was viciously sharp. Getou Suguru immediately forgot his guilty conscience and declared righteously, "We were just afraid of disturbing you and senpai."
Mei Mei walked toward the exit and said lightly, "Oh ho ho, my apologies, but Asou-kun's savings do not meet my standards for dating."
Her minimum requirement for a boyfriend was a billionaire.
Absolutely not someone like Asou Akiya, who effectively owed her two hundred million yen—a negative billionaire!
The moment Gojo Satoru heard Mei Mei's reply, the sour look on his face vanished. He dashed over to Asou Akiya, carefree and grinning.
"Akiya, shall we go to Okinawa this weekend?"
"Sure."
Asou Akiya did not take issue with their tailing him. He called the two of them back to their seats. "Don't go hungry. I'll treat you both to dinner."
During the evening meal, Gojo Satoru chattered endlessly about surfing, while Getou Suguru, on the contrary, was far more concerned about Master Tengen.
"Is Master Tengen's assimilation period approaching?"
"Mm…"
"Satoru told me that the assimilation might take place in the first half of the year, during cherry blossom season."
"Perhaps."
Asou Akiya could not provide an exact answer.
Because in the original work, the precise date was never specified.
The Star Plasma Vessel incident occurred in the spring, when Yaga Masamichi was on the verge of succeeding to the position of principal.
Between March and April, Asou Akiya believed it was April. Only after the school term began in April, when the juniors officially made their appearance, would they show up in the Hidden Inventory arc.
In the original story, Amanai Riko wore a light summer dress and sandals as she went to the beaches of Okinawa with the two DKs, spending the most carefree day of her life. April aligned more closely than March with the warm climate depicted in the "Hidden Inventory" arc.
By early May in Japan, summer begins; it is no longer spring.
Aside from May, every month in the lunar calendar has a fifteenth day—the day of the full moon.
Spring, the day of the full moon, after dusk—this implied that the Star Plasma Vessel assimilation would take place on the afternoon… or rather the evening, of April 12.
Such an arrangement of time, people, and location was the most logical—and the most chilling. Asou Akiya thought to himself:
Two freshmen who had just enrolled were dragged into this major jujutsu world incident by two unreliable seniors.
Fortunately, although the ominous star of death flickered over Haibara Yuu and Nanami Kento, in reality they had not yet crossed paths with Fushiguro Toji.
Otherwise, there would have been no need to wait for the Land Deity mission a year later. Without "Cursed Spirit Manipulation" as a life-preserving trump card, if the two of them had encountered Fushiguro Toji while supporting the Star Plasma Vessel mission, the outcome would have been death. Fushiguro Toji would not show mercy to students of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
This time, Asou Akiya found himself standing firmly on Ieiri Shoko's side.
Shoko's complaints were absolutely justified.
Gojo. Getou.
The title of "scum" that people pinned on you two is not exaggerated in the slightest.