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

Outside the director's office, Ijichi was standing next to the car, holding a mission logbook in his hand.

Upon seeing Wu Tiao realize this, he immediately went to greet him.

"Mr. Gojo, how is it?"

Gojo Satoru stretched: "Nothing much. Just the same old meeting stuff with rotten oranges."

Ichiji adjusted his glasses, still frowning. "But I just checked it again, and there's nothing wrong with the records of unusual cases. Why would they suddenly bring this up...?"

"Because someone bypassed you and checked my itinerary directly."

Ichiji's expression changed.

"How is this possible?"

"So," Gojo Satoru opened the car door, glancing at him with a smile, "it's simply impossible to expect that idiot Ijichi to find that person."

"...Mr. Gojo."

Gojo Satoru waved his hand and bent down to sit in the back seat.

The moment the car door closed, the smile that had been on his lips vanished completely.

The General Manager's probe this time was too direct, completely unlike their usual roundabout approach. They didn't even hesitate for a moment before mentioning Sumi Kichikawa.

This deliberate act suggests that someone is using these old men to test him.

So, what answer are you trying to glean from his reaction?

Gojo Satoru leaned back in his chair, tapping his knees with his fingertips, his sunglasses concealing the icy turmoil in his eyes.

It seems that it's not just the director's department; there appears to be another group trying to monitor his life, and apparently, some of their informants are from the director's department.

Who exactly is this person...?

My phone suddenly vibrated.

Gojo Satoru lowered his eyes. The name of Sumi Kikawa popped up on the screen. He looked at it for two seconds, and when he answered the phone, his voice had already switched perfectly to its usual light and cheerful tone.

"Xiao Cheng?"

"Satoru, are you busy right now?" came the clear voice of Kikawa from the other end of the phone, with subtle urban white noise in the background.

"Not busy at all." Gojo Satoru leaned back, lazily drawing out his words, "What, did the doctor leave early today?"

On the other end of the phone, Sumi Kichikawa stood outside the garage, holding a brand new car key in her hand.

He originally wanted to tell Gojo Satoru directly, "The car is ready, I'm coming to pick you up now," but before he could even say it, he keenly sensed that something was wrong with Gojo Satoru.

Kikawa Sumi's smile faded slightly, and she swallowed back her initial surprise as she spoke, her words taking a detour.

"Yes, I have a day off today." He paused, then asked gently, "Wu, were you very tired from work today?"

"It's alright." Gojo Satoru chuckled, maintaining a relaxed tone. "I just had a few errands to run at school, and I was busy all day. I'm only just finishing now."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone. Kikawa Sumi didn't press for details, but simply said:

"I'm coming to find you now."

Gojo Satoru sat up slightly: "Hmm?"

Send me the address.

"Now? I'm a bit far from you."

"It's okay," Sumi Kichikawa said gently. "Send it to me."

Gojo Satoru looked out the window.

The old, gloomy building housing the director's office was reflected in the rearview mirror, like a patch of mold that wouldn't dissipate.

He wasn't in a high mood right now, and he really didn't want his emotions to affect Kikawa Sumi, but Kikawa Sumi's tone was so firm that he couldn't easily refuse.

Gojo Satoru raised his hand and adjusted his sunglasses.

"All right."

He gave the directions to a busy intersection some distance from the director's office and asked Ijichi to take him there.

This is a relatively bustling commercial street, with people coming and going after get off work. No one knows that a near-suffocating silent standoff has just taken place a few kilometers away.

Gojo Satoru stood casually in place, and while waiting, he bought a strawberry milkshake.

Then a dark blue SUV slowly came into view and came to a steady stop in front of him.

The car body was clean, with calm lines, and gleamed softly under the streetlights at dusk.

Gojo Satoru paused slightly as he chewed on the straw, a hint of doubt flashing in his pale blue eyes.

The next second, the car window rolled down, and Kikawa Sumi sat in the driver's seat, one hand on the steering wheel, turning her head to look at him. The warm light inside the car fell on his gentle eyebrows and eyes, with a clear smile in his eyes.

"Enlightenment".

Gojo Satoru froze on the spot, looking at the brand-new car, then at the person in the driver's seat, his eyes widening slightly: "Sumi? You... picked up the car?"

"Hmm." Seeing his surprised expression, Kikawa Sumi's smile deepened. "I just finished the formalities yesterday, thinking of giving you a surprise. Come on, get in the car."

Gojo Satoru walked around to the passenger side, opened the car door, but stopped the moment he saw the seat.

A cat-shaped cushion was neatly placed on the passenger seat.

The backrest features a light gray-white background with a soft, short velvet trim. Embroidered on the back is a spirited little white cat with light blue eyes and a high-held tail.

The car still had a faint strawberry scent, not too sweet, like freshly cut fruit.

Below the rearview mirror, a small transparent ball pendant sways gently in the breeze, its silver sequins and a white cat sitting on the moon faintly visible inside.

Gojo Satoru stared intently at the arrangements, the melancholy and coldness surging in his chest melting away inch by inch in these subtle and gentle touches.

He leaned over and sat down in the car. As soon as he settled into the soft seat, Sumi Kikawa leaned over him.

The distance between the two instantly closed to a great extent.

The clean and refreshing scent emanating from Sumi Kichikawa, mixed with the faint strawberry fragrance in the car, enveloped Satoru Gojo completely.

Kikawa Sumi reached out and took the milkshake, which he had only taken a few sips of, from his hand, and placed it steadily in the cup holder in the middle.

Then, his arm brushed past Gojo Satoru's chest as he reached for the other side of the seatbelt.

"Click".

The sound of metal fasteners clicking was particularly clear in the quiet carriage.

Kikawa Sumi maintained the posture of supporting herself with one hand on Gojo Satoru's side, slightly raising her eyes, her gaze tracing Gojo Satoru's eyebrows and eyes within inches of her.

"I originally wanted to buy the white cat cushion with the strawberry hug that you mentioned before," Kikawa Sumi explained earnestly, "but that store was out of stock. So, as compensation, I got a strawberry-scented diffuser instead. Do you like it?"

The distance is too close.

So close that Gojo Satoru could see his own reflection in Sumireki's eyes.

There was only his own shadow.

"...I really like it." Gojo Satoru let out a long breath, relaxed his body, and sank completely into the soft cat cushion.

Sumire Kichikawa then slowly sat back down, but instead of immediately gripping the steering wheel, she reached out towards the hand that Satoru Gojo had placed beside his leg.

His fingers slowly slid between Gojo's fingers, palms pressed together, their ten fingers intertwined.

Gojo Satoru was slightly taken aback.

"Can you tell me now?" Sumi Kichikawa asked gently. "Why were you unhappy on the phone just now?"

If it were over the phone, Gojo Satoru might have been able to continue to laugh it off, but now, facing those clear and gentle eyes, those perfunctory words suddenly got stuck in his throat.

"...I just ran into a few really annoying old men." A hint of softness, unconsciously tinged with emotion, crept into Gojo Satoru's voice, a softness he himself didn't even realize.

"They always like to boss me around, wanting me to do things for them while simultaneously disliking me. Now they even want to interfere in my private life."

Kikawa Sumi listened quietly, her thumb gently stroking Gojo Satoru's finger bones.

"Then just ignore them." Sumire Kichikawa squeezed his hand tighter, her tone gentle yet protective. "After get off work hours, Gojo-sensei's assignments are with me. They have no right to interfere."

Gojo Satoru felt the warmth emanating from their intertwined hands and chuckled softly upon hearing this.

All the gloom and frustration that had just accumulated were completely crushed and dissipated at this moment.

"Sumi," Gojou Satoru said, taking the initiative and lightly hooking his fingertip in Sumi's palm. "Do you know that what you're doing right now looks like you're trying to steal someone from the school?"

"If it's about taking you," Sumi Kichikawa didn't back down, her gaze frank, "then I'd be happy to."

Gojo Satoru could no longer suppress the smile on his lips. He turned his head and looked at the neon lights gradually lighting up outside the window, his heart melting completely.

"Alright then." Gojo Satoru leaned back lazily in his chair, letting him lead him. "Since you've managed to snag it, then tonight's schedule will be entirely up to the doctor."

A faint smile appeared in Kikawa Sumi's eyes before she released her grip, shifted gears again, and started moving again.

The car smoothly merged into the evening rush hour traffic and drove forward along the riverside street. The new car's shock absorption was excellent, and I could hardly feel any bumps.

"Since you're going to follow my arrangements, then we can't have milkshakes for dinner." Sumi Kichikawa glanced at the drinks on the shelf. "What do you want to eat?"

Gojo Satoru confidently began reciting the menu: "Grilled meat, and an extra-large strawberry parfait!"

"Barbecue is fine." Kikawa Sumi gripped the steering wheel, staring straight ahead, and ruthlessly rejected the offer. "Change the parfait to room temperature juice."

"Xiao Cheng——"

"Protest denied. I also have the authority to manage the co-pilot's health."

The two chatted casually, and the atmosphere in the car completely relaxed.

After the car turned into a relatively quiet intersection, Sumi Kichikawa remembered the topic she had forgotten: "Oh right, Mr. Fujii just sent me a message."

Gojo Satoru turned his head: "Hmm?"

"He said he had prepared a suitable old machine, the interface of which could barely fit the cartridge." Sumi Kikawa glanced at him, "and asked when we would be free to go over."

Gojo Satoru's attention was instantly drawn to it, and his eyes lit up.

"Did he find a machine that could be plugged in?"

"Yes, we found a discontinued machine. Most of the parts are unavailable for replacement, so we were planning to send it to a recycling center anyway. We won't be too upset if we burn it out during testing," Sumire Kichikawa asked.

"Want to go?"

"Go! Of course I'll go!" Gojo Satoru immediately sat up straight and said excitedly, "How could I miss out on such a great adventure?"

Kikawa Sumi was charmed by his sudden excitement and couldn't help but smile: "Okay. Then this weekend, I'll bring the tamagoyaki and onigiri I made, and we'll go together."

Gojo Satoru leaned back in the soft cushion, turning his head to look at Sumi Kikawa's profile, illuminated by the flowing light from outside the car.

"Hmm." He responded softly, turning back to quietly look at the swaying white cat keychain.

Let's go together.