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

It's rare for Sumi Kichikawa to leave work on time.

The corridor of the children's clinic finally quieted down a bit in the evening.

The noisy crying and footsteps of the day gradually faded away, leaving only the occasional ringing of the telephone at the nurses' station and the soft rolling sound of wheelchairs across the ground.

Kikawa Sumi changed out of her white coat, put on a light-colored jacket, and put her stethoscope away in the cabinet.

Nurse Kobayashi peeked out from the doorway.

"Dr. Kikawa, you actually left on time today?"

"Okay." Sumi Kichikawa closed the cabinet door. "No early shift tomorrow."

"Then go back and rest." Xiaolin waved with a smile, "Don't go back to rescue someone on the way and then have to work overtime."

Sumire Kikkawa paused slightly.

"Probably not."

Xiaolin looked at him.

The two people stared at each other for two seconds.

Kobayashi sighed, "Every time you say that, it's so unconvincing."

Sumire Kikawa felt somewhat helpless.

I will try my best.

It wasn't completely dark when he left the hospital.

The setting sun was cut into narrow strips of orange light by the city's high-rise buildings, falling on the sidewalks and glass curtain walls.

The wind carried a hint of early summer warmth. People lined up to buy iced drinks at the convenience store by the roadside, and students walked by in twos and threes from the direction of the station, the charms on their backpacks swaying with their steps.

Kikawa Sumi paused at the intersection and took out her phone.

In the chat box, Gojo Satoru sent a message half an hour ago.

[Sweet White Cat: Work ended early today.]

A photo followed.

The photo shows a strawberry parfait with an exaggeratedly high amount of cream, and next to it is a beautifully packaged hard candy.

Sweet White Cat: Rewarding myself.

At that time, Sumire Kichikawa was processing the medication instructions for the last patient, so she only glanced at them briefly and hasn't replied yet.

He's now typing with his head down.

[Sumi Kawakawa: I left work on time today.]

The message was sent and received a reply in less than five seconds.

[Sweet White Cat: Wow.]

[Sweet White Cat: Deserves a reward.]

Looking at the word "reward," Sumi Kichikawa remembered the dessert sticker.

He replied:

[Sumi Kawakawa: What's the reward?]

[Sweet White Cat: Dinner?]

Sumi Kichikawa paused in her tracks.

People passed by at the street corner.

Some people were laughing, some were looking down at their phones, and some children were tugging at their mothers' hands, pointing at the toys in the shop window across the street and refusing to leave.

Sumi Kichikawa looked at the screen, her fingertips hovering over the keyboard.

They've been chatting for the past few days, but haven't met again.

Being busy breaks time into small fragments, but messages are like a thin, unbroken thread that slowly connects the two sides.

dinner.

When those two words popped up, the unfulfilled invitation from that night suddenly became clear.

Just as he was about to reply, another message popped up at the top of his phone.

[Sweet White Cat: But Xiao Cheng should go back and rest today.]

[Sweet White Cat: Doctors shouldn't overwork.]

Sumire Kikkawa paused for a moment.

Then he chuckled softly.

Gojo Satoru sometimes does this.

It would first extend its paw to nudge the person, but once the person actually looked over, it would casually retract its paw, pretending that it was just passing by.

Sumire Kawakawa replied with her head down.

[Sumi Kawakawa: We can eat something simpler.]

After the message was sent, there was no immediate reply from the other party.

Sumire Kawakawa waited for a while.

The next second, the phone vibrated.

Gojo Satoru called with a voice message.

Sumire Kikawa answered.

"Feed?"

"Xiao Cheng."

Gojo Satoru's voice came through the receiver, the last syllable rising slightly, with a hint of barely concealed laughter.

Were you inviting me just now?

Kikawa Sumi walked along the sidewalk, slowing her pace.

"Um."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then came Gojo Satoru's very soft laughter.

"Doctor, what you're doing is really dangerous."

"You've said that many times before."

"Because it's always true."

Seeing the red light ahead, Sumi Kichikawa stopped at the pedestrian crossing.

"Are you coming?"

The laughter on the other end of the phone seemed even more pronounced.

"I want to go."

Five points of enlightenment.

"But it's a bit far now."

"Work?"

"Almost done," Gojo Satoru drawled. "It's finished, just wrapping things up. Ijichi's driving will take a while."

Sumi Kichikawa gave a soft "hmm".

"No rush."

"No rush."

Gojo Satoru seemed to repeat those two words.

The voice was lowered a little.

"Xiao Cheng likes to say 'no rush' a lot."

Sumire Kawakawa thought for a moment.

"Because some things can't be rushed."

"Like dinner?"

"Um."

"Like pudding?"

"The pudding can be made in advance."

"Like meeting in person?"

Sumi Kichikawa did not answer immediately.

The red light turns green.

The crowd moved forward.

He followed the crowd onto the zebra crossing, and the evening breeze blew from the end of the street, carrying the scent of fallen leaves from the roadside.

On the other end of the phone, Gojo Satoru didn't urge him.

He just waited quietly.

After crossing the street, Sumi Kichikawa said softly, "There's no rush."

Gojo Satoru let out an "Eh," seemingly somewhat dissatisfied.

Sumi Kikawa added, "But I will think about it."

The phone suddenly went silent.

If it weren't for Sumi Kichikawa holding the phone, one would almost think the signal was down.

Then Gojo Satoru laughed.

The laughter was muffled by the receiver, as if softened by the night breeze.

"Dr. Kosuke".

"Um?"

"Aren't you being a little too talkative today?"

"I'm just telling the truth."

"That's even more of a foul."

A slight smile appeared in Sumire Kichikawa's eyes.

Just as he was about to say something, a sharp screech of brakes suddenly came from ahead.

Immediately following was a woman's scream.

"careful--!"

Sumire Kikawa abruptly stopped in her tracks.

Gojo Satoru on the other end of the phone immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Xiao Cheng?"

Sumire Kawakawa raised her head.

At the intersection not far away, a small truck swerved sharply to avoid a bicycle that suddenly changed lanes. The driver slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching against the pavement.

On the sidewalk, a child had somehow broken free from his mother's hand and was bending down to pick up a ball that had rolled to the side of the road.

He is too young.

They were completely unaware that the car was veering out of control and hurtling toward the side of the road.

The people around seemed stunned by this scene.

Some screamed, some reached out, but it was too late.

Sumire Kikawa's pupils contracted slightly.

His body reacted before he could think.

But just as he took his first step, a pink figure rushed out from the street corner.

too fast.

It's faster than an ordinary person.

That was a boy.

With short pink hair, wearing a loose hooded jacket and carrying a shoulder bag, he looked like an ordinary high school student. But the speed he unleashed almost exceeded the limits of ordinary people, like an arrow suddenly released, passing through the crowd in the blink of an eye.

He rushed into the driveway and hugged the child tightly.

The front of the truck almost grazed his shoulder when it hit him.

The boy didn't stop.

He held the child, pushed off with his feet, and tumbled to the side with the child in his arms.

boom--!

The truck crashed into the roadside guardrail, the metal making a dull, deforming sound.

The crowd then erupted into a chaotic commotion, as if startled awake.

Screams, cries, and hurried footsteps all rushed up.

Sumi Kikawa stood on the sidewalk, her phone still pressed against her ear.

Gojo Satoru's voice came through the receiver, but it had already faded away.

"Xiao Cheng, what happened?"

Sumi Kichikawa did not answer immediately.

His gaze fell on something not far away.

The pink-haired boy knelt on the ground, protecting the terrified, crying child in his arms.

His own arm was scraped by the ground, blood flowing down his forearm, and his knee was also bruised. But his first reaction wasn't to check on his own injuries, but to look down and make sure the child in his arms was alright.

The boy raised his face, as if he had breathed a sigh of relief, and revealed a slightly silly yet bright smile.

"Are you alright?"

Sumire Kawakawa looked at him.

Watching the pink-haired boy rush over with superhuman speed and save the child.

Then he lowered his eyes, his voice remaining steady.

"Enlightenment".

"Um?"

"There has been a traffic accident here."

"There are wounded; I'll go check on them first."