"Ahhh, I haven't had Kyoto's thinly sliced yokan (sweet bean jelly) lately. I miss it—the kind that's sweet but not too heavy. But it's so far away… I don't want to make the trip. So annoying. If only someone could get it for me."
Gojo Satoru muttered to himself while fiddling with his fingernails, sounding as though he were casually talking to himself.
"I'll buy it for you! I'll get you enough for half a month!"
Tsuchimikado Arima suddenly straightened up, his tone firm and decisive.
"Hmm? Half a month? It seems like someone isn't very sincere."
"...Fine, one month—no, two months' worth!"
"Oh my, Arima-kun, why are you kneeling? Ah, c'mon, we're brothers, no need for such a big display of gratitude."
Gojo immediately switched gears, grinning from ear to ear as he helped his "dear brother" Arima to his feet, pretending to scold him for the overly grand gesture.
The speed of Gojo's mood shift made Arima's face twitch involuntarily.
But he had seen this behavior far too many times to be surprised anymore.
"Alright, Gojo-kun, let's talk business now," Arima said, his tone suddenly serious.
"The last surviving member of the Adashino Family, Adashino Benio—do you know about her?"
"Adashino Benio? Oh, that cute girl who's always shouting about wanting to destroy all the Kegare in the world? Yeah, I know her. What about her?"
Gojo replied nonchalantly, plopping down on the edge of a patch of greenery.
"She wants to leave Kyoto and come to Tokyo soon. So I thought, since you're in Tokyo, you could let her attend your school and, you know, keep an eye on her. Just make sure she's taken care of when she's in Magano."
Arima also sat down, his expression deadly serious.
A heavy silence followed, the tension lingering in the air for almost a full minute.
"Arima, are you treating me like a babysitter or a caretaker now? What is this, a foster care service?"
Gojo's face was calm, devoid of any emotion.
"No, you misunderstand me. All I'm saying is… just don't let her die," Arima replied, pushing up his red-framed glasses, his eyes cold and resolute.
For Arima, ending the millennia-long battle between onmyoji and Kegare was a mission that justified any cost. He was willing to use or sacrifice anyone if it meant achieving that goal.
"For the greater good, I will stop at nothing," he thought silently to himself.
"Give me a reason," Gojo said, breaking the silence.
"About a year ago, before you appeared in the world of onmyoji, I noticed that Adashino Benio seemed to harbor some hidden destiny. But since you arrived, the celestial patterns have become obscured—I can't see anything clearly anymore.
"So, given that Benio is determined to come to Tokyo, I'm asking you to watch over her and make sure she doesn't die. That's all," Arima explained.
Gojo remained silent, glancing sideways at Arima.
He knew very well what "hidden destiny" Arima was referring to—the Twin Star Exorcists' destiny.
The prophecy about ending the existence of Kegare and Magano once and for all.
Arima also remained quiet, waiting for Gojo's response. If Gojo refused, he would have no choice but to send one of the Twelve Guardians to Tokyo instead.
"I want Kyoto's Kikufu mochi as well," Gojo finally said.
"Huh?"
Arima blinked, caught off guard, but quickly composed himself. A wide grin spread across his face.
"I'll get you the best ones, enough for two months!"
"Sighhh…"
Scratching the back of his head, Gojo let out a long sigh.
To be honest, he just wanted to live the peaceful life of a laid-back teacher, but somehow it felt like he was being dragged back into the world of curses and jujutsu again.
"Well, I'll head off now, Gojo-kun. She should arrive in Tokyo in about a week or two. I'll let you know when she's here. Thanks for taking care of this. Bye-bye."
Arima dusted off his pants and pulled out a teleportation talisman as he spoke.
With his final words, a flash of white light enveloped his body, and he vanished.
Ding-dong—
Gojo's phone vibrated. A message popped up containing all of Adashino Benio's information: her family background, birthdate, age, travel history, abilities as an onmyoji, and more.
As he skimmed through the data, Gojo stroked his smooth chin and muttered to himself, "Hmm… I suppose I can train her like I trained little Megumi."
To put it nicely, it was a "free-range training style." To put it bluntly, it was complete neglect.
Stretching lazily, Gojo stood up. It was time to head home.
After all, if he stayed out too late, his "little sister" might start to worry.
Ringtone:"I can't leave you, I can't forget you, without you I'm like a fish… dying of thirst…"
As expected, his phone rang just as he was thinking about it.
Seeing the name "Umaru" on the caller ID, Gojo answered the call.
"Hello, my adorable little sister. What's up?"
"Onii-chan, can you bring back some cola on your way home? We're out of it."
"Wahhh, Umaru-chan, you don't even care about what time your big brother gets home? I'm heartbroken! Wahhh!"
"...Onii-chan, stop being dramatic this late at night."
"Alright, alright, I'll bring it. I'll be home soon."
"Okay, I'll wait for you. Hurry back!"
After hanging up, Gojo glanced up at the bright, full moon in the night sky. With a sigh, he began heading home.
Stopping by the convenience store to buy "happiness in a bottle" (a.k.a. cola), Gojo decided to buy a whole case instead of a few bottles—because knowing his little sister, it wouldn't last more than a couple of days.
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Auhtor's Note: For every 50 stones, I'll give you a extra chapter. Only today tho so hurry up!