Gojo Satoru and Nino Nakano appeared to be heading in the direction of her home.
To avoid arousing suspicion, Ichika and the other Nakano sisters quickly hailed a taxi and hurried back to their apartment.
8:11 PM
Gojo and Nino arrived outside her apartment complex.
"Well then, I'll head upstairs now, Gojo-kun," Nino said as she pulled out her phone to call Ichika and let her know she was almost home.
A few seconds passed, but there was no response from Gojo.
Confused, Nino looked up at him.
Gojo was standing still, turned slightly to the side, his eyes fixed intently on something ahead, as if he were staring at someone.
"Go—"
"Jojo!!!"
Suddenly, Gojo let out a loud yell, his expression transforming into a comically exaggerated "invincible face".
"Huh?"
Nino froze, completely baffled.
What's going on? Why does this feel… off?
"Dio!!!"
A matching shout echoed from the distance.
In the darkness, a figure wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt strode toward them.
He, too, had the same "invincible face", and the red frames of his glasses glinted ominously as his eyes burned with "fury."
"Wha—what's happening?!"
Nino glanced nervously between Gojo and the approaching figure.
Was this going to turn into a fight?
The two men stood face to face, their intense invincible faces practically colliding, creating an oppressive tension in the air.
For five seconds, they stared each other down. Then—
"Hahahaha!"
"Hahahaha!"
The oppressive mood broke as both men burst out laughing, the bizarre atmosphere dissolving instantly.
Nino, who had been bracing herself for a brawl, was utterly dumbfounded.
Wait… so they're NOT fighting? What just happened?!
"Hey, Arima, what are you doing in Tokyo?" Gojo asked, crossing his arms with an irritated expression.
The man in question was none other than Tsuchimikado Arima, the leader of the Twelve Guardians.
Arima adjusted his glasses and put on a sorrowful face, tears welling up dramatically as he wailed in an exaggerated tone, "Gojo-kun, how can you treat me like this?! I came all the way from Kyoto to see you! Aren't you happy to see me?"
"Not happy. Go back to Kyoto already." (Cold Gojo face.jpg)
"Wha—? How could you say that?!" Arima shouted, leaping theatrically in frustration.
"What do you mean, 'how could I say that'? You definitely came to Tokyo to dump some troublesome issue on me. Let me tell you now, Arima—I'm here to relax and live my chill, carefree life. Don't you dare drag me into some mess. If you do…"
Gojo's expression darkened as he raised a clenched fist.
"...Don't blame me for using force."
Seeing the clear warning, Arima chuckled awkwardly and took a step back, sweat dripping down his face.
"Ah, no, no! It's not like that! It's not anything troublesome," he said, quickly correcting his tone.
Straightening up, he added, "Have you heard of the Adashino Family?"
Adashino Family? Adashino Benio?
Gojo's eyes narrowed slightly, but he maintained a puzzled expression.
"Huh? Kamisato family? Is there such a family?."
"I said the Adashino Family! ADASHINO!"
Arima scratched his head in frustration.
If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't beat this white-haired monster… Wait, I've got white hair too! Ahem. If it weren't for the fact that he didn't want to eat dirt again, he would've shown Gojo a thing or two!
"Fine, fine, I get it. The Adashino Family—Kyoto's prestigious onmyoji clan. What about them?" Gojo finally dropped the act, his expression returning to normal.
"Well, it's…"
Arima hesitated, glancing toward Nino, who was still standing nearby.
Nino seemed to catch the meaning behind his look and quickly called out, "Gojo-kun, I'll head up now."
With that, she gave a small wave and jogged into her apartment complex.
Gojo didn't stop her, simply replying with a casual, "Take it slow."
Truthfully, he didn't want Nino or any of the other girls getting tangled up in the hidden world of the supernatural.
"Heh, Gojo-kun, it hasn't even been a month since you came to Tokyo, and you've already hooked up with such a gorgeous girl, huh?"
Arima smirked as he slung an arm over Gojo's shoulder, his tone lecherous.
"How about introducing me to someone, too?"
"Huh? Oh, I've got just the thing for you—I still have Mana's number saved," Gojo said, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his contacts as though he were seriously about to call.
"Gojo-kun!"
Arima's expression twisted, and with a panicked yell, he slid backward into a perfect dogeza (prostration).
"Please spare me!"
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Author's note: Mana is still alive in this fic (for anime viewers, she's his wife from the manga).
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