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

Once the atmosphere relaxed, Fujii Makoto watched as Sumi Kiseki once again skillfully placed the grilled meat onto Gojo Satoru's plate, and finally couldn't help but put down his wine glass.

He spoke with a mix of seriousness and curiosity: "Seriously, Gojo-kun. Kikawa is usually really quiet; besides work, he just reads and plays games, and he doesn't talk much. You seem really popular. Wouldn't it be boring to date him?"

Gojo Satoru was biting into a piece of grilled meat covered in sweet soy sauce.

Upon hearing this, he stopped what he was doing.

He turned his head to the side, propped his cheek with the back of his hand, and stared intently at Sumi Kichikawa, who was flipping the pork belly, behind his sunglasses.

"No, not at all." Gojo Satoru's voice was light and cheerful, with a hint of laughter. "Sumi is actually quite interesting."

"What's interesting about it?" Chinatsu Miyazawa asked curiously, intrigued.

Gojo Satoru immediately perked up, and as if showing off, he stretched out his fingers and began to count:

"For example, when he encounters a part of a medical paper that he doesn't understand, he will solemnly annotate next to it, 'Still don't understand';"

"And he's actually a very picky eater. He absolutely refuses to eat things like green peppers, celery, and onions. He even secretly picks out the lettuce from his hamburger."

"Also, if he loses to me in a game, he'll ask to restart it with a blank expression. If he restarts it three times in a row, he'll just stop talking. And he absolutely hates going out; he's a total shut-in who loves staying home and playing games..."

Hearing these revelations, Miyazawa Chinatsu and Fujii Makoto exchanged glances, their expressions revealing a mixture of emotions.

"Is this... really funny?"

Makoto Fujii couldn't help but complain.

"This person sounds like they're going to be really difficult!"

"Huh? Really?" Gojo Satoru tilted his head, his tone matter-of-fact. "But I think it's cute."

The private room fell silent for a moment.

Kikawa Sumi, who was picking up meat, stopped mid-air.

He glanced at his lover beside him, whose expression was quite smug, and sighed helplessly. Amidst the swirling smoke of the barbecue, his eyes and brows were filled with indulgent tenderness.

Miyazawa and Fujii looked at the two of them and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

But amidst the laughter, Gojo Satoru's voice suddenly softened.

He watched as Kikawa Sumi placed a perfectly grilled piece of pork belly into his bowl, the corners of his mouth softening into a gentle smile: "And... he's very good to me, very good."

His tone was so sincere that anyone could hear the unreserved honesty in his slightly drooping eyes and gentle voice.

After chatting for a while, the relationship between the group became noticeably closer at a speed that was visible to the naked eye.

Gojo Satoru was adept at controlling the atmosphere, while Miyazawa and Fujii were warm and sincere people, and the private room was soon filled with uninhibited laughter.

Halfway through the meal, Gojo Satoru's phone, which was on the table, suddenly vibrated.

He glanced down at the name "Ijichi" on the screen, his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly.

He gave everyone an apologetic gesture, got up, opened the door to the private room, and went to the corridor to answer the phone.

A few minutes later, he pushed the door open and came back down to sit.

Chinatsu Miyazawa noticed the fleeting seriousness in his expression when he answered the phone and asked with concern, "Was it about work?"

Gojo Satoru picked up his chopsticks and casually replied, "Ah, it's nothing, just a little trouble at school."

"School?" Fujii Makoto frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. "It's the weekend! Your school doesn't even spare teachers during their rest time?"

Sitting next to him, Sumi Kichikawa poured him tea while casually adding, "I think so too. This is the first time I've ever seen a school that calls people out at 3 a.m. to deal with trouble."

Upon hearing this, Miyazawa and Fujii's eyes widened, and they immediately became indignant.

"Three in the morning?!" Miyazawa Chinatsu's eyes widened as she looked intently at Gojo Satoru. "Mr. Gojo, don't spoil them too much! No one should be exploited like this. Even teachers deserve a proper rest!"

"That's right," Fujii Makoto chimed in. "If the school goes too far, you might as well quit. Anyway, Kikawa can afford to support you!"

They each took turns speaking out in defense of the injustice.

Gojo Satoru was somewhat stunned.

This was the first time he had been so openly defended by someone other than Sumi Kichikawa.

It wasn't because he was the "strongest," nor because he was the "head of the Gojo family," but simply because he was Sumi Kichikawa's lover, and therefore also their friend.

They didn't know what kind of monster he was facing; all they knew was that he had been deprived of sleep by the corrupt school.

A strange yet tender emotion spread through Gojo's heart.

He looked at the two indignant men in front of him, then turned to look at the gentle-looking Sumi Kichikawa, and suddenly chuckled softly.

"Okay, I'll think about it." He smiled and agreed obediently.

As the dinner party drew to a close, Miyazawa Chinatsu used the excuse of going to the restroom to pull Kishikawa Sumi aside.

"Dr. Kikawa," Miyazawa Chinatsu lowered her voice, her tone tinged with caution, "Mr. Gojo seems to have a very strong presence, but he's surprisingly easy to talk to. With that kind of personality, if you're not careful, he could be overly manipulated by malicious people."

Sumi Kikawa looked at the white-haired young man who was chatting enthusiastically about games with Makoto Fujii not far away, her eyes gentle.

He whispered, "I know."

After finishing their meal, everyone said goodbye at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant.

Gojo Satoru also enthusiastically exchanged LINE contact information with Miyazawa Chinatsu and Fujii Makoto.

"Let's play games together again sometime, Gojo!" Fujii Makoto waved.

"No problem~"

As I walked towards the parking lot, the summer night breeze dissipated some of the heat.

Gojo Satoru was visibly happy.

He walked ahead with light steps, occasionally glancing down at his phone screen at the newly added friends list, looking cheerful and humming an unknown tune.

He was very happy.

Because he genuinely felt the acceptance and blessings from his friend, Sumi Kichikawa.

Kikawa Sumire lagged half a step behind him, her hands in her pockets, her gaze slowly tracing the white silhouette. Seeing Gojo Satoru's happy expression, a gentle smile rippled across his eyes.

I'll do anything as long as this person is happy.

And shortly after they left.

In the dark alleyway diagonally opposite the barbecue restaurant, a thick shadow shifted slightly.

Under the streetlights not far away, Chinatsu Miyazawa and Makoto Fujii were walking towards the subway station, chatting and laughing, completely unsuspecting.

In the darkness, a very faint mechanical shutter sound came, almost drowned out by the evening breeze.

"Click."

A faint red light flickered for a moment in the alley, and then a photo with pixelated noise slowly emerged from the portable printer.

A pale, bloodless hand reached out from the shadows and grasped the photograph.

The photo captures the unguarded smiles of Chinatsu Miyazawa and Makoto Fujii.