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

On the playground of Tokyo Jujutsu High School, the autumn morning sunlight filters through the tree canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The first-grade students stood in the middle of the playground, looking at each other in bewilderment.

On the steps not far away, their most powerful teacher, who was always full of energy and loved to toss students around like sandbags in practical classes, was sitting to the side like a retired old man, which was unprecedented for him.

Today, Gojo Satoru wasn't wearing his signature high school uniform. Instead, he was wearing a soft, light gray casual turtleneck sweater with a loose, dark trench coat over it.

He slumped lazily in the back of the chair, his long legs casually crossed.

Although he wore a pair of pure black sunglasses that obstructed his vision, his slightly upturned lips and relaxed, almost boneless posture suggested that he was in an excessively good mood today.

Even from a distance of more than ten meters, the students could feel the sweet and languid aura emanating from him, which seemed to emanate from him in the form of tiny pink flowers.

"Did Gojo-sensei... take the wrong medicine today?" Kugizaki Nobara lowered her voice and nudged Itadori Yuujin next to her with her elbow.

Itajō scratched her pink hair, her face showing innocent naiveté: "No, right? Didn't the teacher have us warm up this morning? But in this weather, you're all dressed so warmly, even your necks are covered. Aren't you hot?"

"More than that." Kugizaki Nobara put her hands on her hips, her keen high school radar going off like crazy.

"Didn't you guys notice? He's practically radiating pink bubbles today! And that shirt... the size looks off, it's noticeably too loose at the shoulders, it's definitely not his own clothes!"

"Huh? Isn't it Gojo-sensei's clothes?" Hisahito Itadori scratched his head, looking bewildered.

Fushiguro Megumi stood with his hands in his pockets, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Fushiguro Megumi keenly sensed that Gojo Satoru was sitting there motionless not because he was plotting something bad, but simply because he...didn't want to move.

On the steps, Gojo Satoru could hear the students' whispers clearly.

Of course, he wouldn't tell these kids that the reason he was wrapped up so tightly today was because under that turtleneck sweater, his collarbone and the side of his neck were covered in bite marks left by a doctor who was usually gentle and refined but had gone mad last night.

He would never say that he didn't want to go off to practice with them today because his waist and groin still felt sore from being overexerted.

It was an extremely unfamiliar pain, but just thinking about Sumi Kichikawa's eyes last night, red as if they were about to bleed, yet full of infatuation, made Gojo Satoru feel that even this soreness became as sweet as honey.

"Hey there—you guys over there!"

Gojo Satoru lazily drew out his words, resting his chin on his hand, and waved towards the center of the playground.

"Don't think you can slack off just because the teacher is sitting down. Megumi, your movements are too slow; Yuujin, you need to refine your control over your spell power output. Today, the teacher will only give verbal instructions. Anyone who dares to be perfunctory will have double the physical training this afternoon!"

Although the students were full of doubts, they still obediently began the practice.

Watching the young people sweating on the playground, Gojo Satoru shifted to a more comfortable position, but his thoughts gradually drifted away from that tender affection, and the smile in his eyes also settled down, turning into an unfathomable azure.

"Speaking of which, Hisahito," Gojo Satoru suddenly spoke, interrupting Itadori who was sparring with Fushiguro Megumi, "how are you feeling about the missions I've been assigned to you lately?"

"Huh? A mission?" Yuujin Itadori paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "It's going well! The recent missions have all been within the normal range. Although there are a few troublesome cursed spirits occasionally, our teamwork is getting better and better!"

"Yes, yes," Kugizaki Nobara chimed in, "I've finished the handmade cookies Dr. Kikawa gave me last time. Gojo-sensei, can we come to your house for dinner again? I'd like to ask him how to make that strawberry daifuku!"

"That won't do." Gojo Satoru immediately raised his eyebrows protectively, like a big cat guarding its territory. "Susumu is very busy with work lately, and his weekends are all mine. Don't even think about taking them over."

Although he said that, Gojo Satoru's eyes behind his sunglasses were filled with a soft smile.

Since the group of children began frequently visiting Sumi Kichikawa's apartment and were healed by that gentle man with delicious food and patient listening, the bond between them has visibly deepened.

The nerves that had been stretched taut by the cruelty of the sorcery world were soothed in the safe zone of "ordinary people" that Sumi Kikawa had created.

Consequently, the topics of conversation between these children and their teacher were no longer limited to the tedious tasks of controlling and exorcising magical powers, but instead included a lot of lively, everyday life that belonged to normal high school students.

Gojo Satoru listened with a smile as they chattered about their recent amusing experiences, occasionally interjecting with a sarcastic remark that made Kugizaki and Itadori yell in exasperation.

However, hidden behind the sunglasses, those six pale blue eyes gleamed with a cold and sharp light.

He was thinking.

The students felt that the recent assignments were "normal" and "reasonable," but that is precisely the biggest irrationality.

Gojo Satoru knows better than anyone what kind of rotten oranges those in the General Manager's Department are.

As the vessel for the two Sukuna, Hisahito was seen as a ticking time bomb by the higher-ups, who wished they could execute him immediately.

Given the old geezers' modus operandi, even if they were afraid of me being the "strongest" and dared not act openly, they would definitely sabotage the missions in secret, such as deliberately assigning dangerous missions far beyond the student's level, or using someone else to do their dirty work.

To protect Itadori, Gojo Satoru was prepared to turn against the higher-ups at any time.

But recently, the supervisory department has actually become well-behaved.

They honestly assigned tasks that matched the Tiger Staff's level, ensuring accurate intelligence and avoiding traps.

Gojo Satoru didn't think that his previous warnings had worked.

Those old orange-loving folks aren't the type to give up so easily.

Moreover, not long ago, the hidden force also reached out to Sumi Kichikawa.

Using informants within the management department, they once attempted to probe the relationship between Sumi Kiseki and Satoru Gojo through the department's influence.

Since the other party has already noticed the special treatment that Sumi Kichikawa has for him, and even the fact that the students frequently visit Sumi's house has not escaped their notice, why did they suddenly stop?

Why not take the opportunity to create chaos in the students' tasks to distract them?

Will those old fogies just give up like that?

Absolutely not.

Gojo Satoru's fingertips tapped rhythmically on the wooden armrest of the bench.

During this time, he had been secretly investigating that force.

It would have been better not to investigate. Once you start investigating, those seemingly insignificant clues gradually piece together a chilling web.

Previously, he always felt that the Directorate General suppressed college students and manipulated tasks because those senior officials were too stubborn and conservative in order to maintain their corrupt power system.

He was too strong, so strong that he didn't need to care about those underhanded schemes, so he always attributed those actions to "the stupidity of rotten oranges".

But now he realizes he was wrong.

The traps set for students are so ingeniously designed; the foolish instructions issued by higher-ups sometimes seem so coincidental, as if they were deliberately orchestrated.

Even... when he dug deeper along this line, some deliberately erased traces actually pointed to more than ten years ago.

"Rotten oranges don't have the brains for such patience and scheming..." Gojo Satoru sneered coldly in his heart.

The current eerie calm is precisely what indicates that the player hiding in the shadows has noticed his investigation and is deliberately concealing his presence in an attempt to lull him into a false sense of security.

What kind of shady insect is causing trouble in the shadows?

"Teacher Gojo?"

Yuuji Itadori, noticing Gojo Satoru's sudden silence, waved his hand in confusion. "What's wrong? Are you really sick?"

"Huh?" Gojo Satoru snapped out of his daze, and the chilling aura emanating from him vanished instantly.

He flashed a bright, almost irritating smile, grabbed Itachi's neck, and ruffled the boy's hair forcefully.

"Teacher, how could I possibly be sick! I'm the strongest! But—I'm being too strict with Dr. Kikawa, so I didn't get to eat the daifuku I wanted today, and I'm actually feeling a little down."

"Just as I expected..." Fushiguro Megumi rolled her eyes speechlessly.

"Alright, alright, you've rested enough, let's get back to training!" Gojo Satoru stood up, clapped his hands, and said in a lighthearted tone, "If anyone doesn't meet my standards today, next time I go to Sumi's house, I'll eat their entire hamburger steak!"

"How despicable!" Kugizaki Nobara exclaimed angrily.

The playground was bustling with activity once again.

Standing in the sunlight, Gojo Satoru looked at the energetic students, and the smile on his lips became genuine and gentle.

Since the bugs have given themselves away, let's just find them one by one and crush them.

He's Gojo Satoru.

He will absolutely not let anyone take away everything he has now.