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

Seeing that Sumire Kawakawa remained silent, Satoru Gojo cautiously inquired:

"You're about my age, right?"

Sumi Kichikawa remained silent.

Just at this suffocating juncture, a familiar yet irritating voice rang out in Kikawa Sumi's mind in a sarcastic tone.

【What? 】

[Is this old man, at his age, finally feeling ashamed that he has a partner so much younger than him?]

Sikawa Cheng: "..."

next second.

System: [Wait—]

The sound stopped abruptly.

Without hesitation, Kikawa Sumi locked the system in a blacklist and silenced it.

In reality, Gojo Satoru was still watching him intently.

Those azure eyes were so bright and clear that Kikawa Sumi felt like she had nowhere to hide under his gaze, and even her fingertips unconsciously curled up.

He moved his lips, then spoke with difficulty, "This identity..."

Gojo Satoru frowned slightly: "Hmm?"

Kikawa Sumi looked away, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"This identity is about the same age as Wu."

Gojo Satoru: "..."

He paused, then repeated, "This...identity?"

Sumi Kichikawa's gaze drifted to the wall beside her.

Gojo Satoru also fell silent.

The atmosphere between the two suddenly became somewhat strange.

Even though Gojo Satoru is usually quick-witted and witty, he was surprisingly speechless this time.

He couldn't very well say in an exaggerated tone, "Wow, so our Xiaocheng is older than that already?" nor could he ask with a joking smile, "So, I've been deceived both physically and mentally?"

If these were said under normal circumstances, he might have been able to use them to make jokes without any qualms.

But not now.

Because he could tell that Sumi Kichikawa was genuinely a little uneasy.

He was genuinely worried that the revelation of this matter would change something between them.

Looking at Sumire Kichikawa's forced composure, though her ears were slowly turning a little red, Gojo Satoru suddenly felt a soft pinch on a soft spot in his heart.

So he didn't immediately ask any further questions.

He simply tightened his fingers, firmly grasping Sumi Kichikawa's slightly cold hand in his palm.

Sumi Kichikawa's fingertips twitched slightly, as if she wanted to hold on back, or as if she hesitated because she was worried about something.

Gojo Satoru didn't give him a chance to back down, and shook their tightly clasped hands first.

"Xiao Cheng."

Kikawa Sumi's long eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly raised her eyes to look at him.

"You don't need to make that face," Gojo Satoru said softly.

Sichuan Cheng was slightly startled.

Gojo Satoru looked at him and continued, "I was just a little surprised. After all, normally, if your lover suddenly tells me that he might be much older than I thought... even someone as strong as me would need a little time to process that, right?"

Sikawa Cheng: "..."

Gojo Satoru solemnly raised one finger, his tone earnest: "But that absolutely does not mean I'm scared away."

Kikawa Sumi pursed her lips and whispered in defense, "I didn't mean to hide it from you."

"I know."

Gojo Satoru extended his other hand and gently rubbed the back of Kikkawa Sumi's hand with his warm fingertips, his tone resolute:

"If Xiaocheng really wanted to hide it from me, she wouldn't have answered just now. You just quietly steered the conversation away, and I didn't even realize I'd been evaded."

Sikawa Cheng: "..."

That's not entirely wrong.

Gojo Satoru smiled, his eyes softening: "So, I know you're not unwilling to tell me. You just... haven't figured out how to say it yet."

Sumire Kikawa lowered her eyes.

After a moment, he gave a soft "hmm".

"Because it's chaotic," he explained in a low voice, as if trying to untangle the tangled mess of time. "Some times are continuous, some are not. And the flow of time in some worlds is different from here."

Gojo Satoru listened quietly without interrupting him.

Kikawa Sumi paused, trying to explain this overwhelming and heavy matter to Gojo Satoru in the simplest terms possible.

"So, if we only consider this identity, Wu and I are about the same age."

"But if we count the actual time I've experienced..."

His voice gradually faded.

Gojo Satoru waited patiently.

Sumi Kikawa finally gave the answer: "It's much longer."

"How much is 'a lot'?"

Sumire Kichikawa was silent for a few seconds: "I haven't calculated it carefully."

Gojo Satoru: "..."

Sumi Kichikawa added softly, "But it should be... over a hundred years ago."

Silence fell over the corridor once again.

As Gojo Satoru looked at the person in front of him, many images suddenly flashed through his mind.

At that moment, he suddenly understood.

I understand why the calm that occasionally appears in Sumi Kichikawa, as if she has seen through everything, is completely unlike what one would expect from someone her age.

I also understand why he is so calm and almost indifferent in many things, and why he often acts like a bystander who has seen too much when faced with death, betrayal, cruel interrogation, or even life-or-death choices.

It's not that he was born cold-blooded.

Simply because he has traveled a long road.

Over time, many sharp emotions and pains have been dulled. The scars left by those experiences are still there, and the pain will not disappear, but... it will no longer be bloody every time.

Gojo Satoru looked at Sumireki, and it was as if, at this moment, through this young body, he finally glimpsed the long and lonely road behind her.

Gojo Satoru didn't say anything. He simply let go of her hand, opened his arms, took a step forward, and hugged Kisakawa Sumi tightly back into his arms.

Sumi Kichikawa's body visibly stiffened.

But soon, he slowly raised his hand and hugged Gojo Satoru back.

Gojo Satoru lowered his head and nuzzled his cheek, his voice deep and gentle: "That Sumi is really amazing."

Sumi Kichikawa hadn't expected him to say that: "...What?"

"After walking for so long, you've still managed to become like this." Gojo Satoru tightened his arms around her, conveying his warmth to Kikkawa Sumi. "To be able to have so many identities at the same time, to be able to stand here properly, and to be willing to tell me all this."

He chuckled softly, his tone filled with both heartache and pride.

"Isn't that amazing?"

Kikawa Sumi's breath hitched suddenly, and her throat tightened abruptly.

He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to answer.

Gojo Satoru seemed not to need his answer, and continued to hug him, whispering slowly in his ear, "However, the fact that Sumi is actually much older than me is a bit of a shock..."

Sumire Kichikawa's body, which had just relaxed, stiffened again instantly.

Gojo Satoru immediately chuckled softly, the vibrations of his chest clearly transmitted to the person in his arms. He deliberately dragged out the last syllable: "But it's okay."

"..."

"After all, judging from my appearance, no matter how you look at it, I'm the older, more reliable one!"

Sikawa Cheng: "..."

The bittersweet and heavy emotions that had just welled up in my heart were completely swept away by his words.

Kikawa Sumi stepped back slightly from his embrace, remained silent for a moment, and then commented very seriously, "Satoru, you really know how to ruin the mood sometimes."

Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow confidently: "Nonsense, I was just trying to lighten the mood."

Sumire Kikawa gave him a helpless look.

Gojou Satoru smiled and lowered his head, gently touching his forehead to Kikkawa Sumi's forehead, their breaths mingling together.

He abandoned his joking tone, softening his voice, and every word struck a chord in Kikkawa Sumi's heart:

"Besides, I like Xiaocheng."

He paused.

"It's not some dry, unremarkable number."

Sumire Kikkawa was stunned.

Gojo Satoru stared intently at him, his azure eyes, which seemed to hold the entire sky, showing no evasion, no reluctance, only pure emotion untainted by any impurity.

"Whether you're twenty, a hundred, or even older, as long as you're standing in front of me, you're the one I love."

The blush on the roots of Kikawa Sumi's ears could no longer be suppressed and spread all the way to the side of her neck.

He raised his hand expressionlessly, pressed it against Gojo Satoru's face, which was extremely close, and pushed him away slightly, trying to hide his unease.

"Stop talking."

Gojo Satoru wasn't annoyed at all; instead, he took the opportunity to kiss that warm, soft palm.

Kikawa Sumi's fingers suddenly curled up, as if she had been burned.

Gojo Satoru, however, acted as if nothing had happened, smiling innocently and brightly: "Alright, let's not argue anymore."

Although he verbally compromised, he once again took Kikawa Sumi's hand, their fingers intertwined, showing no intention of letting go.

The two continued walking out along the corridor.

As they reached the corner, Gojo Satoru suddenly seemed to remember something, his curiosity rekindled, and he asked with great interest, "So, did Sumi have a bounty when she was a pirate?"

Sikawa Cheng: "..."

Gojo Satoru persisted, "There must be! Of course there are! How much? Is it more expensive than mine?"

Kikawa Sumi closed her eyes, trying to hold back, but in the end she couldn't resist his persistent questioning and answered in a low voice, "Yes."

Gojo Satoru's eyes lit up instantly: "How much?!"

Kikawa Sumi looked away, her tone stiff: "I don't remember."

"You're lying." Gojo Satoru immediately leaned closer. "Your eyes just now clearly showed you were guilty."

Sumi Kichikawa quickened her pace.

Gojo Satoru laughed and chased after him, half-hugging him from behind, practically hanging on his back: "Sumi—tell me—"

"Enlightenment is very important."

Gojo Satoru retorted confidently, "I'm so much younger than you, and you still complain about my weight?"

Sikawa Cheng: "..."

Seeing his smug look, Sumi Kichikawa felt helpless.

This person has taken the concept of "abusing one's power because of one's status" to the extreme.

"Tell me, tell me!" Gojou Goro refused to get off his back. "What's it like being a pirate? What kind of certificate do you mean by a licensed hunter? Do ninjas really breathe fire? And why is someone from a world with so many mafia members just a temporary teacher?"

One question after another came crashing down, making one's ears ring.

This time, however, Sumi Kichikawa was not silent as before, nor did she feel uneasy.

He was so bothered by Gojo Satoru that he finally sighed softly, reached out and lifted the man's legs, carrying him steadily on his back.

In those usually calm and serene black eyes, a soft smile, unnoticed even by himself, now appeared.

"Ask slowly," he said softly.

Gojo Satoru immediately took advantage of the situation, resting his chin on the crook of his neck: "Then tell me slowly?"

Kikawa Sumi paused for a moment.

Then, he gave a very soft "hmm".

"Take your time."