"WHAT???"
The moment Souma and Satoru Gojo stepped back onto the grounds of Jujutsu High, Shoko sent them a photograph.
In the photo, Suguru Geto was holding the hands of two little girls, walking alongside a delicate, pretty girl. They seemed to be in deep conversation, their faces blooming with bright smiles. The entire scene looked like a young couple taking their children out for a stroll: the atmosphere was so thick with domestic bliss that one could almost imagine pink bubbles floating around them.
Shoko Ieiri followed up with a series of messages:
"I ran into them by pure chance on Ginza Street. I wasn't even sure if it was Suguru at first, so I didn't dare say hi! (ノ°o°)ノ"
"By the way, that girl and Suguru actually look like they have 'couple face,' don't you think?
(?˙o˙)?"
Looking at the photo and messages, the expressions on Souma and Satoru's faces twisted into horrific, jealous masks.
"He's in love, isn't he? He definitely is!"
"Curse you, Suguru Geto! You've abandoned our revolutionary brotherhood!"
"A guy like this deserves execution! Execution!!!"
Consumed by jealousy, the two brothers immediately looked up the location Shoko sent and began a frenzy of teleportations.
Ten minutes later.
"Sunshine Cafe?"
The Gojo twins stood before the cafe, staring at the sign in stunned silence.
"A gloomy guy like Suguru... how could he possibly be associated with a word like 'sunshine'?"
They pushed the door open. Manami Suda, now wearing a waitress uniform, stepped forward. "Welcome! Two for a table, please!"
"Thank you..."
Souma and Satoru were about to offer their thanks when they spotted Suguru sitting not far away, chatting with the same girl from the photo. In that instant, the brothers began to crawl toward him with grotesque, twisted movements. Like high-level aberrations, they lunged into Suguru's arms before he could even react, wailing their grievances.
"Suguru, my darling! Have you forgotten that night we spent together?" Satoru cried.
"Get away from him, Satoru, you vixen! My Suguru promised to go practice the violin with me! Let's go, Suguru-chan!" Souma wailed louder.
Suguru's face darkened with embarrassment. "This is humiliating. Can you two stop?"
"Suguru-chan truly doesn't love me anymore!"
"Shut up! His love belongs only to me!"
"Go die, both of you bastards!" Suguru finally snapped.
"Aieee! Suguru-ge, please don't!"
Haruko Shinohara couldn't help but giggle, covering her mouth with her hand. "You two must be Suguru's best friends!"
Suguru wore a look of utter disgust. "Becoming friends with them was the single worst decision of my life."
"How cruel, Suguru-chan! You have a heart of stone!"
"ACT NORMAL, YOU MORONS!!!"
Souma's mouth twisted into a smirk as he pulled out a magenta camera and held it up to Haruko. "Miss, let me tell you a secret. Our Suguru here is actually a total 'femboy' at heart!"
Suguru panicked. "Souma, you bastard! Put that away!"
However, pinned down by the two brothers, he could only watch helplessly as Haruko took the camera and began scrolling through his dark history.
"Oh..." Haruko froze at the first photo. Then, as if discovering a hidden treasure, her eyes lit up and she began scrolling through the pictures with intense focus. "Mr. Suguru in a cat-ear maid outfit... he's so cute!"
"EH???"
...
"So, you plundered the Star Religious Group's funds and bought this cafe?" Souma took a sip of his coffee. "Sunshine Cafe. What a childish name. It doesn't suit your style at all."
Haruko timidly raised her hand. "Actually... I chose the name. I hoped that when customers drink our coffee, they will leave with sunshine in their smiles."
"But then again," Souma added, "while the name is a bit childish, it carries a beautiful wish. The more I hear it, the more fitting it feels."
"..."
Satoru watched Nanako, Mimiko, and Riku Negi helping out around the shop. "All these kids have jujutsu potential. Hey Suguru, isn't this illegal child labor?"
Suguru shrugged. "I don't pay them wages, so it technically isn't employment!"
"Hiss! Why does that logic sound so familiar?"
Beside them, Souma quietly retreated into a corner, trying to lower his presence.
"I'm jealous of you, Suguru," Satoru sighed. "Running a peaceful cafe, having a beautiful girlfriend, hiding away here in luxury."
Haruko's face turned scarlet. "Um... Mr. Suguru and I aren't..."
Suguru also looked awkward. "Haruko is just working here for the summer."
"Tch, yeah right."
...
Evening fell. The cafe closed its doors, and Haruko boarded her bus after waving goodbye to everyone. At the storefront, Satoru was mingling with Nanako, Mimiko, and Riku, acting like a true ringleader of the kids.
Manami Suda sighed. "Mr. Satoru, please don't feed the children so many sweets!"
Souma and Suguru leaned against the wall together. "Your complexion looks much better."
"It is," Suguru smiled faintly, scratching the back of his head. "I suppose it's because... I found my own answer."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"You were right. I shouldn't have shackled myself with the 'protection of the weak.' That wasn't what I truly wanted. Now, I have a family." Suguru looked at Manami and the children with a gentle expression. "Protecting my family: that is what I truly want to do from the bottom of my heart."
Souma chuckled. "It sounds a bit cheesy, but I suppose it isn't bad."
"..." Suguru rolled his eyes. "By the way, these kids all have great techniques. They should eventually enter Jujutsu High. The younger three can stay with me for now while I train them. Manami's technique is similar to Reversed Cursed Technique, so she should learn from Shoko. Could you talk to her for me?"
Souma felt a headache coming on. "Shoko hates trouble, but I'll ask. So you have three disciples now, and Satoru is taking on Toji's son, Megumi. I wonder if I should take on a disciple too?"
As he thought about it, Souma suddenly froze. "Wait! That guy! I almost forgot about him!"