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

On the way from the vocational school to Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital, a gentle autumn breeze blew in through the half-lowered car window, dispelling the last bit of chill from Gojo Satoru.

He leaned back in the back seat, humming an unknown tune in a rather pleasant mood.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

It was an investigation report sent by his subordinates—regarding the whereabouts of Sumi Kichikawa yesterday afternoon, which he had requested to be investigated.

Gojo Satoru swiped the screen with one hand and quickly scanned the text.

The report indicates that Sumi Kizawa did indeed leave the hospital yesterday afternoon and had contact with Junpei Yoshino. It appears that Junpei Yoshino was subjected to severe bullying by a delinquent he knew, and it was Kizawa who arrived, rescued him, and took him home.

"Shunping..."

Gojo Satoru looked at the name on the screen and thoughtfully stroked his chin.

It seems that the first time he vaguely sensed that "sharp" aura belonging to a protector in Xiao Cheng was when Shunping was being harassed by some thugs.

So, was Xiaocheng's near-collapse and loss of control last night due to seeing Shunping being bullied, which triggered some kind of intense stimulation?

Gojo Satoru tapped lightly on the screen with his fingertips, a hint of coldness flashing deep in his azure eyes.

wrong.

If it were just simple school bullying, Xiaocheng, with her usually gentle but fundamentally principled and resourceful personality, could definitely handle it properly, and it wouldn't have caused that feeling of despair last night, as if she were being swallowed by nothingness.

Last night, Xiaocheng seemed to have confronted something else out of control, which triggered intense self-loathing and paranoia.

There's definitely something else hidden behind that bullying.

Without hesitation, Gojo Satoru issued a new order to his subordinates: "Investigate those people who bullied Junpei. I need to know their current situation, the more details the better."

After sending the message, he casually tossed his phone back into his pocket and looked out the window.

The hospital's iconic building is now in sight.

The outpatient hall was still bustling with people in the afternoon.

The moment Gojo Satoru stepped into the hall, the previously noisy corridor seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Even though he was wearing a turtleneck sweater that completely covered his neck and his signature black sunglasses, his exceptionally superior bone structure and the noble and languid air he exuded made him shine like a radiant being, instantly attracting all eyes to him.

Gojo Satoru was already used to these stares. He walked familiarly toward the pediatric ward, and as soon as he reached the nurses' station, he bumped into Miyazawa Chinatsu, who was holding a patient's medical record.

"Huh? Mr. Gojo?" Chinatsu Miyazawa paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly. "Are you here to pick up Dr. Kikawa?"

"Yes." Gojo Satoru greeted him with a smile, one hand in his pocket. "Good afternoon, Dr. Miyazawa. Where's my Sumi?"

"Dr. Kikawa just went to the wards for his final rounds; it'll probably be another ten minutes or so before he's done," Miyazawa Chinatsu said, pointing towards the end of the corridor.

"You can wait in his office. Kobayashi! Kobayashi!"

She turned and called to a young nurse who was passing by carrying a tray: "Could you please take this Mr. Gojo to Dr. Kikawa's office? I have a family member here who needs my explanation."

"Okay!"

The nurse, called Kobayashi, rushed over.

She was absent from the hospital's spring games day event last time because she was on leave, so this was the first time she had met Gojo Satoru.

The moment she looked up, Nurse Kobayashi's breath hitched.

So handsome!

Although the sunglasses obscure her full appearance, her jawline, her white hair, her aura... she's a hundred times more dazzling than any popular idol on TV!

"Thank you for your help, Nurse Kobayashi." Gojo Satoru smiled at her, his voice deep and naturally magnetic.

"No, no trouble at all! This way please!" Nurse Kobayashi blushed and quickly led the way.

Walking down the corridor to her office, Nurse Kobayashi couldn't suppress her gossipy nature.

She secretly glanced at the man beside her, frantically wondering what his relationship with Dr. Qichuan was.

Dr. Qichuan is usually like a high-and-mighty flower in the hospital. Although she is gentle, there is always a faint sense of distance about her.

Aside from Dr. Miyazawa and a few other old colleagues, he rarely had any private relationships with people outside the hospital, let alone with a handsome guy of this caliber!

"How is Xiaocheng doing at the hospital today? Did she eat lunch on time?" Gojo Satoru naturally started the conversation, his tone revealing a familiar intimacy.

"Oh? Dr. Kikawa?"

Nurse Kobayashi paused for a moment, then quickly replied.

"The doctor is doing very well today. He ate lunch in the cafeteria on time. He's as gentle with the children as ever. There was a little girl who was afraid of needles earlier, and the doctor personally comforted her."

"Really? That's good." Gojo Satoru's lips curled up. "He's always too concerned about others and doesn't pay enough attention to himself."

Hearing his tone, which sounded like a complaint but was actually full of doting, Nurse Kobayashi's curiosity swelled to its peak. She finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Excuse me... are you a friend of Dr. Kichikawa?"

Gojo Satoru paused slightly in his steps.

He turned his head and looked at the curious young nurse beside him through his sunglasses, a smile playing on his lips.

"friend?"

Gojo Satoru drew out the word, seemingly deep in thought, then chuckled softly, his tone laced with a natural intimacy and pride.

"We're not really friends."

Kobayashi paused for a moment, then said, "Th-that's...?"

Gojo Satoru lowered his voice slightly and winked at her through his sunglasses: "You could call me 'family member'."

"Family...family members?!"

Nurse Kobayashi's eyes widened instantly, and she even stumbled a bit.

elder brother?

younger brother?

cousin?!

Wait a minute, these two people don't even have the same last name!

Moreover, the way this man spoke when he mentioned Dr. Kichikawa earlier, so sticky and affectionate, didn't sound like a typical relative at all!

Before Nurse Kobayashi could recover from her shock, the two of them had already stopped in front of Sumi Kichikawa's office.

"Thank you for showing me the way." Gojo Satoru waved to her, then pushed open the door and went inside without any ceremony, leaving Nurse Kobayashi standing alone in the corridor, bewildered in the wind.

Upon entering the office, Gojo Satoru closed the door behind him and looked around with great interest.

This was the first time he had truly entered Sumire Kikkawa's work territory.

The office wasn't large, but it was kept extremely tidy.

There was no pungent smell of disinfectant in the air; instead, there was a clean and reassuring scent unique to Xiao Cheng.

The room was decorated in a pediatrician's style: several children's doodles were pasted on the wall, and several clean plush toys were tucked into the corner of the filing cabinet.

Gojo Satoru walked to the desk and noticed a white cat sticker next to the computer monitor. On the desk, a small transparent jar was filled with candy and cookies meant to appease children.

Gojo Satoru casually picked a strawberry-flavored candy from the jar, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. Just as he was about to flip through the medical magazine on the table, a familiar sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

He pushed open the door and peeked out.

In the corridor, Sumi Kichikawa was walking back with her medical record book in her hand.

He was wearing a crisp white coat, his black hair flowing smoothly down his forehead, and he was explaining something to Nurse Kobayashi.

His profile is refined and elegant, exuding an undeniable sense of professionalism and reliability.

Gojo Satoru leaned against the door frame, a candy in his mouth, watching his lover work with a mixture of curiosity and fascination.

Seemingly sensing an overly intense gaze, Sumi Kichikawa in the corridor looked up.

"Enlightenment!"

Kikawa Sumi's eyes widened slightly as she strode in, her tone filled with undisguised surprise and joy.

"How did you end up here?"

"Because I wanted to pick Xiaocheng up from get off work."

Gojo Satoru leaned lazily against the desk, his long legs crossed, and looked at him with a smile. "What, aren't family members welcome visiting the set?"

Upon hearing the word "family member," Sumi Kikawa's ears instantly flushed slightly.

Almost instinctively, he reached out and grabbed Gojo Satoru's hand, which was hanging by his side, and even pinched his fingertips lightly as punishment.

Nurse Kobayashi, who was still outside the door, witnessed the entire scene.

Seeing that the usually composed and self-possessed Dr. Kichikawa had actually taken the man's hand, Nurse Kobayashi's eyes widened even more than before, her mouth slightly agape, as if she had seen an alien.

Gojo Satoru keenly sensed the gaze from outside the door.

Instead of letting go, he took the opportunity to grip Sumi Kichikawa's hand tightly, interlocking their fingers. Then he turned his head and gave the petrified nurse Kobayashi outside the door an extremely bright smile. Then, with a "bang," he hooked the office door shut with his foot.

As soon as the door closed, Sumire Kikawa turned around and carefully examined Satoru Gojo's expression.

Are you tired today?

Sumi Kikawa reached out and touched his neck, which was covered by a turtleneck sweater.

"Have you been eating on time? Is it too hot to wear this sweater?"

"It's not hot, you picked this out for me."

Gojo Satoru casually put his arm around his waist, rested his chin on his shoulder, and said with a smile,

"And after seeing Xiaocheng, I'm not tired at all anymore."

A slight blush rose to the tips of Kikawa Sumi's ears.

With the arrival of Gojo Satoru, all his fatigue vanished, and even the hidden unease lingering in his heart from the loss of control last night was completely soothed by the comforting warmth of this person's body.

"I don't get off work for a while yet, would you like to sit for a bit?"

Kikawa Sumi pulled him to sit down on the chair next to her office chair, and even took out a box of limited-edition cookies that Gojo Satoru liked from the drawer and stuffed it into his hand.

"Okay, you go ahead and do your thing, don't worry about me." Gojo Satoru obediently unwrapped the cookie.

For the rest of the time, Gojo Satoru sat quietly to the side, resting his chin on his hand, watching Sumi Kikawa work.

Several family members brought their children to pick up the follow-up appointment slips.

When they pushed open the door, all the young mothers were immediately drawn to the dazzling white-haired man sitting next to them, and some even blushed and kept stealing glances.

Gojo Satoru ignored this.

His gaze remained fixed on Sumire Kichikawa the entire time.

He watched Xiao Cheng patiently bend down to soothe the crying child, watched Xiao Cheng type on the keyboard with his slender fingers, and watched the slightly protruding finger bones when he pushed up his glasses.

so good.

Gojo Satoru sighed inwardly.

No matter how deep the abyss of obsession this man harbors, or how dangerous the power he possesses, at this moment, he remains vibrant and warm.

Finally, Sumi Kichikawa pressed the last Enter key.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

He stood up, took off his white lab coat—a symbol of his profession—and hung it on the coat rack. Then he turned to look at Gojo Satoru, his eyes filled with a gentle smile:

"I'm off work, let's go home."

"Great! Let's go home and have hamburger steak!" Gojo Satoru cheered and grabbed Sumi Kikawa's hand.

The two walked out of the office side by side.

As they passed the nurses' station, they greeted Chinatsu Miyazawa, who was organizing records.

"Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Kikawa. See you tomorrow." Miyazawa Chinatsu waved with a smile, her gaze lingering on their clasped hands for a second before her smile became even more meaningful.

Beside her, Nurse Kobayashi was holding a stack of documents in a stiff posture, her eyes gleaming with gossip, her cheeks flushed red.

"Nurse Kobayashi, you've worked hard today too, bye-bye." As Gojo Satoru passed by her, he deliberately paused for a moment and waved with a smile.

"Bye-bye! Take care, Mr. Gojo! Take care, Dr. Kikawa!" Nurse Kobayashi stammered as she bowed.

Although Sumire Kawakawa was somewhat puzzled by Nurse Kobayashi's excessive nervousness, she didn't think much of it. She simply nodded gently, took Gojo Satoru's hand, and walked together into the end of the corridor bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.