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

The night was deep, and the cold wind was completely shut out by the tightly sealed glass door.

The apartment was extremely quiet; the only sound was the monotonous, subtle ticking of the clock on the wall.

Kikawa Sumi, wearing only a thin coat, stood alone on the balcony.

His fingertips rested on the cold metal railing, and he lowered his eyes, his mind replaying the scenes from this evening—

The three teenagers sitting on the sofa bore the marks of old wounds and new ones, and when they looked at Gojo Satoru, their expressions were hesitant, even carrying a heavy sense of guilt.

And all this time, there have been those ever-present, lurking gazes.

"Those people who were staring at me like rats before, they were actually after Wu, weren't they?"

Kikawa Sumi silently murmured to herself, her voice gentle yet chilling.

It's obvious.

Deep within his mind, the consciousness that shared the same origin as him let out a very low, cold laugh.

Their objective is clear, Cheng; it seems we've been underestimated.

Sumi Kichikawa did not refute.

He raised his head, and his once gentle and refined black eyes were now devoid of all pretense, calm to the point of being almost cold.

That day, the moment he keenly sensed that he was being watched again on the street, [Floating World Plate] had already silently placed a mental mark on the spy.

The ant hiding in the shadows had no idea that from that moment on, his perception had been completely distorted.

He thought he was still faithfully reporting Kiseki Sumi's "daily life" to the higher-ups, but in reality, he had already become Kiseki Sumi's puppet in his subconscious, perfectly avoiding all the spies who might alert Gojo Satoru, and instead continuously supplying Kiseki Sumi with information.

"I deliberately let him access my background information, but immediately another force intervened and intercepted all the information completely, leaving not a trace." Sumi Kichikawa's fingers unconsciously caressed the cold glass.

"I've been in this world for so long, and I've always been safe and sound. But after I met Satoru, someone started investigating me; and Satoru's attitude during that time was extremely abnormal..."

"Because he's protecting you." The voice sighed softly, tinged with a naive cruelty.

[What intercepts information is enlightenment.]

Sumire Kikkawa's breath hitched involuntarily.

The unyielding ice in his eyes cracked at that moment, revealing a soft, painful ripple that even he himself didn't notice.

But he quickly forced himself to bring his thoughts back.

Gojo Satoru has been so busy lately that even without activating his [Perspective], Kisakawa Sumi can clearly sense the lingering dangerous aura emanating from him, as if he had just emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

What made him even more wary was Hisahito Itadori's earlier arrival.

That day, the pink-haired boy who had transferred schools stepped into his house for the first time. As a result, the [Boundless Realm], which had been dormant, was suddenly automatically triggered and enveloped the entire apartment in an extremely powerful manner.

【Boundless Realm】was the absolute defense he used to shield his aura and prevent himself from being erased by the rules of a high-risk world when he first became a mission taker.

In the past, when Huzhang came, the Avici Realm never reacted.

He was slightly startled at that moment, then calmly observed Yuujin Itadori. The boy was still as cheerful and enthusiastic as before, but every now and then, Sumi Kizawa would feel a sense of unease emanating from him.

[It seems that the child possesses some dangerous and extremely malicious foreign entity.] The voice from the depths of his soul hit the nail on the head.

[It just so happens that things changed at this crucial moment; I don't know if it's a genuine coincidence or if someone was orchestrating it behind the scenes.]

Kikawa Sumi didn't speak, but instead followed the students' unusual behavior and looked back at Gojo Satoru.

Based on the reactions of the children we elicited today, Wu's eyes clearly possess some kind of special ability.

A night breeze swept by, and Kikawa Sumi lowered her head, quietly looking at the back of her right hand.

That place was once bitten by a cursed spirit.

Although no red mark was left because of his special circumstances, he suddenly understood something.

"Satoru's eyes can see things that ordinary people can't." Sumi Kikawa's voice was a little hoarse. "His unusual anxiety that night, his insistence on checking my hands... actually, he saw that bite mark, right?"

That fool.

He had no idea that he was immune to those monsters.

He thought he was marked by a monster, that he was about to die at any moment, which is why he gripped his wrist so tightly and used that seemingly relaxed tone to desperately hide his fear of losing him.

Kikawa Sumi closed her eyes and connected all the clues in her mind.

The blond man, the undisguised disgust that Wuping always showed when he mentioned "higher-ups," the horrific scars on the bodies of those college students...

He always thought that the annoying rotten oranges that Wu mentioned were just some corrupt school leaders, and that Wu's job was just to handle some emergencies within the school.

But what if those "high-level" figures are not school leaders at all, but rather the operators of a vast, ruthless system that wields the power of life and death?

What if those children... weren't ordinary students at all, but child soldiers caught up in that system, struggling on the brink of life and death day after day?

An even more terrifying conclusion, like a sharp blade breaking through the ice in the deep sea, pierced deeply into Sumi Kichikawa's brain.

If even such young children are treated as some kind of expendable commodity or tool...

What about enlightenment as a teacher?

He then recalled what Gojo Satoru had said.

"Those annoying old men always like to boss me around. They want me to do things for them, but they also can't stand me. Now they even want to interfere in my private life."

Those phone calls that often came late at night, those overseas assignments that kept Wu working non-stop and unable to even get a good night's sleep...

Following this line and digging deeper, Sumi Kichikawa felt the anger in her heart gradually spreading.

Someone is trying to use the anchor point that he finally found and cherished in his heart as a useful tool.

They are exploiting his flesh and blood, draining his energy, and may even be putting him at risk of death at any moment.

"Would you like to actively confront the dark side of this world?" the voice asked him seductively, its tone laced with undisguised murderous intent.

Cut off all those outstretched hands.

"Wait a little longer."

Kikawa Sumi opened her eyes, her deep black pupils swirling with a chilling obsession and madness.

"First, figure out Wu's situation. Without disturbing him... clear away any potential threats around him."

They are the same person.

No matter how gentle and restrained they appear in ordinary times, the underlying obsession with protecting their loved ones—the willingness to stop at nothing, even destroy everything—remains completely consistent.

Kikawa Sumi placed the now-cold water glass on the round table, opened the glass door, and walked back into the warm bedroom, carrying a chill with her.

The next day, at the college playground.

The morning mist had not completely dissipated, and the air still carried a slight chill.

Yuujin Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara Kugisaki were idly warming up, waiting for their teacher who always appeared and disappeared unpredictably.

"I wonder if Gojo-sensei will be late again today?" Kugizaki stretched, his joints making a series of crisp cracking sounds.

"It'll probably appear at the last second, in that annoying way." Fushiguro Megumi stretched her ligaments expressionlessly, her tone confident.

As soon as the words were spoken, a dark figure silently hung upside down from the tree above the three of them. Silver-white hair hung in the air, and a handsome face covered by an eye patch stopped abruptly less than ten centimeters away from Itachi. The pale blue eyes curved into a cunning arc under the eye patch.

"—Yo!"

"Waaaaaah!"

Yuujin Itadori was so frightened that he fell to the ground with a thud. Kugizaki's roar and Fushiguro's instinctive spellcasting stance echoed simultaneously across the playground.

"You idiot! Who are you trying to scare to death?!"

Gojo Satoru executed a graceful backflip, landing steadily on the ground with his hands in his pockets and a triumphant smile on his face.

"Oh dear, it seems everyone's a bit too cautious today. Should I give you a slightly more provocative morning greeting?"

As he spoke, he twisted his waist and flexed his wrists, looking incredibly energetic and vibrant, just like the usually lively and annoying Strongest.

The three of them stared at him speechlessly.

"...It's because you're always like this," Kugizaki Nobara said irritably, putting away her hammer.

"That's why we never imagined you could be so busy."

"Huh?" Gojo Satoru tilted his head, seemingly not understanding.

But Itachi and Fukuro both showed expressions of agreement.

After vaguely learning from Sumireki about the hellish workload of Satoru Gojo, and then looking at the man in front of them who seemed to have inexhaustible energy and was always laughing heartily, they felt more of a complex emotion that was hard to describe than helplessness.

How exactly does this person manage to hide all those heavy things beneath that frivolous smile?

"Okay, okay, stop looking at me like that." Gojo Satoru, seemingly oblivious to the students' subtle feelings, clapped his hands.

"Come on, let's start class! Today we'll practice the fine-tuning of our spell power—"

After the brief lesson, the three first-year students began their individual practice sessions.

Gojo Satoru leaned against a tree trunk, his hands behind his head, seemingly leisurely supervising, but his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to last night.

Last night, Sumi Kichikawa stood on the balcony for an unknown amount of time.

Gojo Satoru was not actually asleep.

He had taken a nap during the day, so he wasn't actually that sleepy. He just habitually snuggled in the blankets, closed his eyes, and savored the reassuring tranquility of their shared space, waiting for the other person to return.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard the glass door being pulled open softly, and then he heard that familiar, unhurried footstep.

Kikawa Sumi moved very gently. When he lifted the blanket and lay down, he deliberately slowed down his movements, afraid of disturbing him.

Everything was the same as usual.

Gojo Satoru smiled slightly in the darkness, expertly rolled over, buried his face in Kisakawa Sumi's arms, and pressed his cold hands and feet against them, mumbling indistinctly:

"...Xiao Cheng, it's so cold..."

This is his usual way of acting cute.

Then, he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around his back and pull him closer.

A deep and gentle voice sounded above his head.

"Um, sorry, I stayed on the balcony for too long. Would this feel better?"

This is the moment.

For some reason, Gojo Satoru suddenly felt that something was wrong.

If you really want to say what's wrong, it's actually hard to put into words.

The way Kikawa Sumi hugged him, the rhythm of patting his back to lull him to sleep, and even the angle at which she rested her chin on the top of his head were exactly the same as usual, without a single flaw.

However, Gojo Satoru just felt... awkward.

It was a subtle change in the aura.

Normally, Xiao Cheng's demeanor is gentle and inclusive, like a pool of spring water that can accept all his weariness.

But the person who held him last night, although his movements were extremely gentle, exuded a chilling, deeply suppressed sense of danger.

For some reason, Gojo Satoru suddenly remembered a long time ago, on the kitchen counter, the rare time that Sumi Kikawa lost control.

At that time, Sumi Kichikawa also exhibited this seemingly changed behavior, becoming assertive, dangerous, and brooking no refusal.

What exactly happened?

What was Xiaocheng thinking about on the balcony last night?

Did they discover the filth at the top, or...?

"Teacher Gojo?"

A call tinged with doubt abruptly pulled Gojo Satoru from his deep thoughts.

Gojo Satoru looked up and realized that the physical training had been suspended at some point.

Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara Kugizaki were standing in a circle in front of him.

Yuji Itadori leaned closer, his pure eyes filled with worry: "Teacher, did you not sleep well last night? Are you a little tired now?"

Gojo Satoru was slightly taken aback.

He looked at the three teenagers in front of him, and at the identical concern in their eyes, and suddenly burst out laughing.

He stretched out his long, slender fingers and flicked Huzhang's forehead without any hesitation.

"How is that possible?" Gojo Satoru crossed his arms, chin slightly raised, his tone so light it seemed he could fly.

"Teacher, I slept so soundly last night! I slept right through the morning!"

Yuji Itadori covered his forehead and exchanged a glance with Nobara Kugizaki next to him.

The two of them turned to look at Fushiguro Megumi.

The three people had a remarkably similar expression: they didn't quite believe it.

Because of what had just happened, Gojo Satoru suddenly became lost in his own world. Although the corners of his mouth still had the habitual smile, his aura exuded an indescribable seriousness and heaviness.

In the past, before they knew about Gojo Satoru's ridiculously complicated schedule, they probably wouldn't have thought much of it and would have just assumed that this unscrupulous teacher was daydreaming and playing some kind of prank.

But now, everything is different.

Upon seeing Gojo Satoru's unusual expression, they couldn't help but wonder if he was just putting on a brave face or if he hadn't slept for days and nights.

Seeing the students' "Don't pretend, we understand" expressions, Gojo Satoru found it somewhat amusing, but a certain soft spot in his heart was inevitably touched.

He let out a long sigh of relief, and the smile on his lips became genuine and relaxed.

"Okay, okay, I'm really okay, I wasn't forcing myself." Gojo Satoru spread his hands, dropping a bombshell in an extremely natural, even slightly boastful manner.

"If you don't believe me, you can always ask my boyfriend. He's a very strict doctor; with him around, how could I possibly not sleep well?"

"Boyfriend..."

This word was uttered so casually and confidently by Gojo Satoru on the playground.

Although they had been to that apartment long ago and already knew the relationship between the two people, when Gojo Satoru said the word in such a proud yet dependent tone, an extremely strange sense of reality still welled up in their hearts.

—Ah, these two really are a couple.

Thinking of Dr. Kikawa, who always gently poured tea for them but whose eyes were always fixed on Teacher Gojo, the trio's tense nerves miraculously relaxed.

"Fine, fine, I know you have someone to take care of you now. I really don't want to see you looking so smug." Kugizaki Nobara rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively.

"That's right, teacher, you're going to lose us if you keep doing this!" Although Hisahito Itadori was complaining, the worry on his face had completely disappeared.

After being distracted by the students, Gojo Satoru simply stopped worrying about Sumi Kichikawa's unusual behavior last night.

No matter what, she's still his Xiao Cheng.

He straightened up, waved his hand, and smiled broadly:

"Alright, that's enough chit-chat! To test your understanding of what you just learned, I'll be your opponent now!"

"Huh?! Wait! No way—!"

After a chaotic scene of chickens running wild and cries of pain on the playground, Gojo Satoru left behind the words, "Remember to come to my house for curry this weekend," and then turned around in high spirits, waving and disappearing at the end of the path.

Meanwhile, in a dark and cramped old apartment building in Tokyo, far from the hustle and bustle.

Sumi Kichikawa was wearing a dark coat and a pair of elegant gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose.

He walked expressionlessly through the messy corridor, finally stopping in front of a secluded dwelling. Then, he raised his bony hand and slowly knocked on the closed door.