Ms. Gojo thought she was dating an ordinary person's boyfriend.

After the meal, satisfied sighs echoed throughout the restaurant.

Huzhang stood up and deftly stacked several empty plates together: "I'll wash the dishes!"

Kikawa Sumire was wiping the table with a rag when she heard this. She smiled and stopped him, taking the plate from his hand: "No need, you are guests."

Haddō scratched his head a little sheepishly: "But we ate so much!"

Gojo Satoru was leaning lazily back in his chair, his long legs casually stretched forward.

He rested his chin on one hand, lazily raising the other hand in mid-air: "I ate a lot too."

Wild Rose was wiping her mouth with a tissue when she heard this and gave him a disdainful look: "Then don't just sit there and do nothing."

Seeing Itajō's restless expression, as if he couldn't sit still without doing some chores, Sumire Kikawa said gently, "Then can you help me take the bowl to the sink? I'll do the rest."

Having been assigned a task, Itajō immediately perked up: "No problem!"

Seeing this, Wild Rose originally wanted to stand up and go to the kitchen to help, but just as she was about to move, she saw Kikawa Sumi walk over from the side and hand her a glass of warm water.

"I saw you ate some spicy side dishes earlier. Drinking some warm water will make you feel better."

Wild Rose was taken aback.

She looked at the water glass in front of her, then at Sumire's gentle features. The guardedness and sharpness she had always maintained softened at that moment: "...Thank you."

Only one warm-colored floor lamp was on in the living room, casting a tranquil glow over the sofa area.

Yuji Itadori sat cross-legged by the coffee table, engrossed in studying the exquisitely crafted fruit forks that Sumi Kikawa had brought out; Wild Rose sat on a single sofa, flipping through a home decor magazine; Megumi Fushiguro held a cup of hot tea, quietly gazing at the night view outside the window.

Gojo Satoru had already taken off his sunglasses and casually placed them on the side of the coffee table.

Without the black veil, those pale blue eyes, under the warm light, lost some of their usual sharpness, and when their eyelids were half-closed, they revealed a kind of unguarded languor.

He leaned back on the sofa, fighting with Tiger Knot for the last grape in the fruit bowl.

"Gojo-sensei! I saw it first!" Itajiro protested loudly as he watched the grapes being swept away.

Gojo Satoru tossed a grape into his mouth, chewing it with obvious satisfaction: "Seeing is not the same as owning, Hisahito. That's the rule for adults."

Wild Rose turned a page of the magazine without looking up: "You're so childish."

Gojo Satoru confidently stated, "This is the secret to staying young."

Just then, Sumi Kichikawa came out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of freshly sliced ​​apples.

He didn't say anything, but simply walked to the sofa and put the plate down.

Then, he picked up one of the small white porcelain plates, on which were neatly arranged several apples cut into the shape of rabbits, and gently pushed it in front of Gojo Satoru.

After making that gesture, he withdrew his hand and quietly focused his gaze on Gojo Satoru.

Gojo Satoru looked at the rabbit apple in front of him, and the voice that had been arguing with the students immediately stopped.

He slightly raised his chin, a satisfied smile curving his lips, and picked up the fork with a clear conscience.

Yuuji Itadori, watching from the side, was dumbfounded and exclaimed in shock, "Gojo-sensei actually likes rabbits and apples?!"

Gojo Satoru took a bite of the sweet fruit and put on a serious air: "Hiruhito, your teacher is going to teach you something. This is not a simple rabbit apple; it is the art of plating high-end desserts."

Fushiguro Megumi stared blankly out the window: "Just a rabbit and an apple."

Gojo Satoru said indignantly, "Megumi, you have no childlike heart."

It was getting late, and the three students prepared to say goodbye.

Kikawa Sumi took several exquisite paper bags from the kitchen, which contained the desserts he had prepared in advance.

Wild Rose was flattered and accepted it: "Are you sure you can take it?"

"Of course." Sumire helped her straighten the bag's handle. "Take it back as a midnight snack, but don't eat too much at once at night, it's easy to get indigestion."

Fushiguro Megumi took her share, her fingertips tracing the edge of the paper bag as she pursed her lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sumire looked at the three teenagers and said gently, "If Satoru has extra training sessions that go on late in the future, you can come over for dinner. Just send a message in advance."

Upon hearing this, all three students paused in shock.

Gojo Satoru, who was leaning against the wall in the entryway, was also taken aback when he heard this.

But he quickly laughed again.

He turned his head slightly and looked at Sumire Kichikawa: "Sumire, you'll spoil them if you keep doing this."

Kikawa Sumi lowered her head and carefully retied the slightly loose opening of Itajima's bag without looking up: "It's just an occasional meal."

Yuuji Itadori's eyes lit up instantly, and he seized the opportunity: "Really? Can I order next time? I want hamburger patties!"

Fuhei Hui pressed his head down: "Don't push your luck."

Wild Rose immediately raised her hand and followed suit: "I want to eat high-class sushi."

Fukuguro Megumi pressed her temples, her head aching. "You don't want it either."

Kikawa Sumi stood up, watching them fool around, her eyes full of laughter: "We can discuss it."

Gojo Satoru leaned slightly closer to Sumi Kikawa: "Sumi, you really will be eaten out of house and home by them."

Kikawa Sumi turned her head, her gaze calmly falling on him: "Then Satoru should buy a little less dessert."

Gojo Satoru immediately stood up straight and waved to the three students: "You're welcome to come anytime."

Wild Rose muttered under her breath, "That's so unprincipled."

Gojo Satoru smiled and spread his hands: "Teacher, you're serious~"

Just before leaving, Fushiguro Megumi stood in the entryway and watched as Kisakawa Sumi took a soft cashmere scarf from the coat rack and handed it to Gojo Satoru.

"Take them downstairs and come back; it's windy outside," Sumirei Kawakawa gently reminded them.

Gojo Satoru took the scarf and casually replied, "Okay."

But he held it in his hand without putting it on immediately. He simply lowered his head slightly, quietly watching Susumu Kikawa, and stood still.

Sumi Kichikawa glanced at him.

He didn't say anything, but took a small step forward, reached out and took the scarf from Gojo Satoru's hand, and wrapped it around his neck.

Gojo Satoru lowered his head slightly, obediently cooperating with his movements.

After the door closed, the corridor fell silent instantly.

The night breeze blew in through the ventilation openings in the corridor, carrying a slight chill.

Gojo Satoru put his hands in his coat pockets.

After leaving the house filled with warm light and the aroma of food, his expression was a little less serious than when he was inside. The sense of relaxation had subsided somewhat, but he hadn't become distant.

He looked at the three students in front of him and smiled slightly.

"Thanks for today." His voice sounded somewhat distant in the empty corridor. "I was a little startled to suddenly see my dear students in my own home."

Yuuji Itadori's eyes widened in surprise: "Even Gojo-sensei gets scared?"

Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow confidently: "Of course I will, teachers are human too."

Wild Rose gave him a sharp look and pointed out incisively, "You're not worried about us, are you?"

Gojo Satoru did not deny it.

He raised his hand, his fingertips gently touching the scarf around his neck, finally resting on the knot that Sumi Kichikawa had just tied himself.

"Yes," he said softly, "I'm worried about him."

Fushiguro Megumi looked at him quietly.

Looking at this man, hailed as the "strongest," who now reveals an almost devout tenderness because of an ordinary cashmere scarf.

Fushiguro Megumi has known Gojo Satoru for many years.

In his mind, this man was forever free-spirited and willful, as if nothing could truly hold him back.

He never imagined that Gojo Satoru would have a "lover"—a relationship filled with such bonds—and he never thought that the other person would be of the same sex.

Throughout tonight's meal, Fushiguro Megumi remained quietly observant.

Sumi Kawakawa was an ordinary man.

There are no spells, no visible curses, and the trajectory of life is so simple that it can be seen at a glance.

Aside from his gentle and meticulous nature, which is like a breath of fresh air, he seems to have nothing special about him that makes him stand shoulder to shoulder with the "strongest".

What exactly made Gojo Satoru willingly suppress his sharp edges and even clumsily learn to take care of and indulge such an ordinary person?

Fukuro Megumi lowered her gaze.

In a daze, Tsumiki's face flashed through his mind.

That girl who also couldn't see the cursed spirits, and who always gently embraced everything.

The path of a sorcerer is a bottomless abyss, filled with blood, death, and nauseating curses.

Perhaps that's why we need a clean and warm anchor point to remind ourselves that we are still human beings.

Gojo Satoru found his anchor point and stubbornly protected the other party outside the abyss.

What about yourself?

Fushiguro Megumi slightly curled her fingers in her coat pocket.

He raised his eyelashes again, looked at Gojo Satoru, and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind: "Are you planning to keep this from him forever?"

Gojo Satoru leaned against the slightly cold wall of the corridor and remained silent for a moment.

This time, he didn't use his usual flippant tone to steer the conversation away.

"It's not because I don't trust Xiaocheng," he said, his voice low but unusually clear, "it's because I trust him."

The three of them turned to look at him.

Gojo Satoru lowered his eyes, the dim motion-activated lights in the corridor casting a faint shadow on his high nose.

"If he finds out, he will definitely worry. I believe he won't be afraid of me or distance himself from me, but he will definitely want to understand me, get closer to me, and help me share the burden."

He smiled, a deep longing appearing in his eyes.

"That's just the kind of person he is."

People like Sumire Kawakawa.

Soft, but not fragile.

Gentleness is what makes it more dangerous.

Once he knew how cruel the world Gojo Satoru lived in was, and how much bloodshed and endless curses there were, he could no longer remain uninvolved.

After listening quietly, Fushiguro Megumi said in a low voice, "So you want him to continue living like this, completely unaware of what's going on?"

Wu Tiao nodded.

"At least for now," he said softly, "I want him to continue living this way."

A brief silence fell over the corridor.

Yuji Itadori gripped the paper bag in his hand tightly and said in a low voice, "But, Dr. Kikawa is also protecting the teacher, isn't he?"

Gojo Satoru was slightly taken aback.

Wild Rose crossed her arms and continued the conversation: "Although you can be childish at times, I have to say that next to Dr. Qichuan, you do seem more like a mature adult."

Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow: "Should the teacher be happy with that?"

Fushiguro Megumi said calmly, "She's praising you."

Gojo Satoru smiled.

After a while, he said softly in the cool night breeze, "Yes."

"He has always been protecting me."

Just then, Sumire Kisakawa's voice faintly came from inside the tightly closed security door: "Satoru? Is it cold outside?"

Gojo Satoru immediately turned around, his voice rising from its previous low tone to reply, "I'm not cold—I'll be right back!"

He glanced back at the three students before pressing the doorknob.

There were no further instructions, nor was there any commanding tone.

He simply said very seriously, "Then I'll leave it to you."

Fushiguro Megumi nodded: "Mm."

Wild Rose turned her face away and snorted coldly, "I know. I won't let it slip."

Yuujin Itadori laughed and patted his chest forcefully: "We'll protect Dr. Kikawa together, and we'll protect our teacher's secret too!"

Gojo Satoru looked at them, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.

"How reliable my students are."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and went inside.

Just before the door was about to close, the three people in the corridor clearly heard the conversation coming from inside.

"Why is your scarf crooked again?" It was Sumi Kichikawa's gentle voice.

"Because it's too windy outside." Gojo Satoru's voice sounded perfectly justified. "Sumi, could you tie it for me again?"

"Didn't you just tie it?"

"But I want you to tie it again."

"...Satoru." Sumi Kichikawa's voice was tinged with helplessness, but then came a soft rustling sound of fabric.

"Okay, I'll do it myself."

The door clicked shut.

The corridor fell completely silent.