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

The next day, the morning sunlight shone through the shoji paper, carrying a gentle, pale gold hue.

When Gojo Satoru woke up, he found his hand still loosely resting on Sumi Kikawa's waist.

Last night, at some point, the two of them changed from facing each other to lying side by side, but their bodies were still close together.

He didn't immediately pull his hand away, but instead gazed at Sumi Kichikawa's sleeping face, which was so close to him, for a while in the morning light.

Her black hair was spread smoothly on the pillow, her breathing was extremely calm, and there was not a trace of the fatigue and restraint that was usually faintly visible between her brows.

Gojo Satoru gently withdrew his hand and carefully got up.

When he walked into the hallway, Aunt Tako was already busy in the kitchen. The aroma of miso soup and grilled fish wafted from afar, along with the comforting sweetness of cooked rice.

"Mr. Gojo, you're up early!" Aunt Touko poked her head out of the kitchen, smiling at him. "Breakfast will be ready soon, go wash your face first."

"Thank you, Auntie." Gojo Satoru smiled, his eyes crinkling.

After washing up, he walked into the yard, still slightly damp.

He raised his head, looked at the distant mountain range that was dyed pale pink by the morning glow, and took a deep breath.

The air was incredibly clean.

There was no sticky feeling of cursed power, no urban restlessness, and even the information flow received by Six Eyes was less than half of what it usually was.

The world was so quiet that it seemed as if only birdsong and the sound of the wind could be heard.

Gojo Satoru brushed his wet white hair back and suddenly felt that being inexplicably thrown into a strange world occasionally wasn't such a bad thing.

At the breakfast table, Aunt Tazi indeed kept her promise from last night.

A plate of freshly steamed handmade red bean buns was served. The white and plump dough revealed a faint hint of deep red, and it exuded a sweet aroma of red beans.

Gojo Satoru picked one up and took a bite.

The red bean paste filling was smooth and creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness, and carried the natural fragrance of red beans—neither cloying nor bland. He chewed it a couple of times, his eyes widening slightly.

"It's delicious," he said, his voice tinged with genuine surprise. "Auntie Tazi, this is really delicious."

"Right?" Aunt Tako smiled happily. "Eat more if you like. I made a lot."

Gojo Satoru picked up another one.

Kikawa Sumi sat next to him, glanced at the half-eaten red bean bun in his hand, then looked at the remaining buns on the plate, and subtly pushed the one in front of her to him as well.

Gojo Satoru turned his head to look at him.

Sumi Kikawa picked up her bowl of miso soup, took a sip, and said calmly, "I don't eat much sweets."

Gojo Satoru smiled and added the red bean bun to his territory.

After breakfast, Natsume said he would take them to explore the town.

The town of Bayuan is not large, with a main street running north to south, lined with old shops on both sides.

Soy sauce shops, general stores, rice shops, small shops selling handmade pottery, and occasionally a bookstore with a noren curtain hanging in the walls, all house wagashi (Japanese sweets) shops.

Gojo Satoru walked on the stone path in his wooden clogs, making a crisp "clattering" sound.

His height made him stand out on the narrow street, and his white hair was almost transparent in the sunlight, attracting the attention of the elderly and children passing by.

But no one showed any fear.

They were simply curious and intrigued. One little girl even tugged at her mother's hand, pointed at Gojo Satoru, and whispered, "Mommy, that older brother is so handsome."

When Gojo Satoru heard this, he bent down and waved to the little girl.

The little girl ran away, her face flushed.

Kikawa Sumi walked beside him, watching this scene, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

"You are very popular among children."

"Probably because I look like a character from an anime." Gojo Satoru straightened up and put his hands in his pockets. "Is it like this for Sumi in the hospital too? All the kids lining up to see Dr. Kikawa?"

"Pretty much," Sumi Kikawa thought for a moment, "but they prefer the lollipops in my pocket."

"I like it too."

You don't need a lollipop.

"Then what do I need?"

Kikawa Sumi turned her head to look at him, squinting slightly in the sunlight.

"You need to eat less sugar."

Gojo Satoru looked at him with an accusing expression.

When passing by a wagashi (Japanese confectionery) shop, Sumi Kichikawa stopped.

The shop's noren (traditional Japanese string curtain) was old, with faded dumpling patterns printed on it. Various kinds of wagashi (Japanese sweets) were neatly displayed in the glass window, including green kusa mochi (sweet rice cakes), pink cherry blossom daifuku (sakura-shaped daifuku), and nerikiri (a type of sweet glutinous rice cake) shaped like little rabbits.

Gojo Satoru's gaze was completely captivated by the shop window.

"Xiao Cheng."

"Um?"

"That rabbit is looking at me."

Kikawa Sumi followed his gaze. The nerikiri was exquisitely made; the little white rabbit was sitting there, and the red bean eyes were round, making it seem as if it was staring straight at Gojo Satoru.

"Do you want some?"

"I didn't say I wanted to eat it," Gojo Satoru denied guiltily, but his gaze was completely fixed on the rabbit.

Sumi Kikawa pushed open the noren curtain of the wagashi shop.

Five minutes later, when they came out, Gojo Satoru had a small paper bag wrapped in bamboo leaves in his hand, containing two niki rabbits and a grass cake.

"You can only eat one." Sumi Kichikawa gave him a heads-up in advance.

"And what about the other one?"

"For Natsume."

"Xiao Cheng is so biased."

"You've already eaten three red bean buns."

Gojo Satoru was silent for two seconds, then reluctantly admitted, "...Okay."

They walked slowly along the path towards the mountain, with Natsume leading the way.

The deeper you go into the mountains, the denser the trees become, and sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the earthy ground. The air is filled with the fresh scent of soil and vegetation, and occasionally an unknown bird flies overhead, leaving behind a string of clear calls.

Gojo Satoru's six eyes silently observed from behind his sunglasses.

He saw a lot of things.

A one-eyed little monster was curled up in a tree hole, dozing off; a translucent water sprite sat on a rock by the stream, lazily combing its long, waterweed-like hair; and several other little monsters, seemingly formed from fallen leaves, were chasing and playing in the bushes.

These monsters were completely different from the cursed spirits he had seen in the world of sorcery.

They are not aggressive, have no malice, and even exude a gentle aura that brings peace of mind.

For the first time, Gojo Satoru discovered that "non-human" beings could be like this.

"Natsume, where does this road lead?" Sumi asked from ahead.

"Beyond this mountain, there's a large lake." Natsume turned back and smiled. "On a clear day, the entire mountain is reflected in the water; it's beautiful."

The lake is indeed very beautiful.

The emerald green lake was as still as a mirror, reflecting the distant mountains and sky, making it impossible to distinguish which side was real and which was an illusion.

The lakeside was covered with reeds, and when the wind blew, the entire reed bed undulated like golden waves.

Natsume and Nyanko-sensei sat down on the grass by the lake and took out the bento box that Aunt Touko had prepared from their bags.

Gojo Satoru found a place to sit down.

He chose a large rock closest to the lake, dangled his long legs over the edge of the rock, and tilted his face up to feel the wind blowing across the lake.

Kikawa Sumi sat down next to him, leaning against the other side of the stone.

The two men were separated by half a stone, and neither of them spoke.

A breeze blew across the lake, carrying the coolness of the water vapor. Gojo Satoru closed his eyes, his white hair fluttering slightly in the wind.

In this world where the six eyes could not perceive any threat, he finally relaxed completely and without reservation.

After a while, he felt the person next to him move.

Sometime during the night, Sumi Kichikawa had moved to his side and was sitting against the same rock, her shoulder pressed against his.

"It's windy," Sumi Kichikawa said softly, explaining why she was sitting so close.

Gojo Satoru didn't open his eyes, but the corners of his mouth curved up.

"Mmm," he responded, then turned his head and rested it on Sumire Kichikawa's shoulder.

Sumi Kichikawa did not move.

The two sat side by side on a large rock by the lake, listening to the wind and the distant sounds of Natsume and Nyanko-sensei bickering.

Gojo Satoru had no idea how long he had slept.

When he opened his eyes again, the sunlight had changed from the intense heat of midday to the gentle warmth of the setting sun.

His head was still resting on Kikawa Sumi's shoulder, and Kikawa Sumi's hand had somehow landed on his other shoulder, her palm warm and her fingertips gently touching his shoulder.

"Awake?" Sumi's voice came from above.

"Mmm." Gojo Satoru's voice was still a little hoarse from waking up. He didn't sit up immediately, but instead snuggled against Kisakawa Sumi's shoulder. "How long did you sleep?"

"More than an hour."

"Xiao Cheng has been sitting there without moving?"

"Um."

"Aren't your shoulders sore?"

"fine."

Gojo Satoru turned his head and looked up at Sumi Kikawa's chin and the side of her neck.

"You're lying," he said. "Your neck is stiff."

Kikawa Sumi lowered her head, meeting his gaze, a faint smile in her eyes.

"But it's worth it."