After everything had settled, Geto Suguru stood in the ruined Kawasaki apartment, surveying the mess with a frown.
"Satoru, this is my fault. If Yaga insists on making you copy the Sorcerer's Code again—"
Gojo Satoru, however, was in an excellent mood.
Not only had he taken down a special-grade curse, but now Geto felt guilty.
And when Geto felt guilty, Gojo saw an opportunity.
"If you really feel bad, buy me Kikufuku!" Gojo cut him off before he could finish. "Preferably from Kikusuian, with five times the sugar."
Geto paused, giving him a doubtful look. "Does Kikufuku even come with five times the sugar?"
"It should."
"Are you sure?"
"Obviously."
Geto sighed, eventually nodding. "Fine. I'll go buy it."
"Right now?"
"Aren't you waiting for Inspector Megure? Conan said he's on his way."
Gojo waved him off. "Tsuna can deal with it."
He had already copied more than enough pages of the Sorcerer's Code—he wasn't about to stick around for extra scolding.
Without hesitation, Gojo grabbed Geto by the arm and pulled him toward the exit, leaving Conan and the other kids staring after them in confusion.
As they walked down the street, Geto still looked conflicted.
"Are we seriously just leaving those kids and the Kawasaki family back there?"
Gojo didn't even glance at him. "You worry too much, Suguru. You'll give yourself gray hair."
Then, as if he had just remembered something, Gojo leaned in slightly and muttered, "By the way, I've got a wild secret for you."
Geto raised an eyebrow. "What secret?"
"Conan is actually seventeen."
"…Excuse me?"
Geto blinked in confusion, glancing in the direction they had come from. "You're joking."
Gojo grinned. "I have Six Eyes, remember? His soul is seventeen. The guy's practically our age, just stuck in a tiny body."
Geto considered this, his expression neutral. "Then why does he still look like a kid?"
Gojo shrugged, looking far too amused. "Dunno. Not my problem."
They soon arrived at a Kikusuian specialty store.
The moment Gojo saw the long line, he nudged Geto forward.
"You go buy it. I'll wait here."
Geto sighed but didn't argue, stepping into line.
Fifteen minutes later…
Finally reaching the counter, Geto approached the clerk.
"I'd like edamame Kikufuku, with five times the sugar."
The clerk—a young woman with dimples—looked apologetic.
"I'm sorry, we don't sell edamame Kikufuku… and we definitely don't have anything with five times the sugar."
Geto's eye twitched. "…What?"
He turned around—only to find that Gojo had mysteriously vanished.
"Gojo Satoru!"
Clenching his jaw, Geto mentally added 'punch Gojo in the face' to his to-do list.
Still, since he was already here—
"I'll take two of any flavor."
The clerk's eyes brightened. "Any flavor?"
"Yeah, whatever."
Five minutes later, Geto walked out of the store with a bag of Kikufuku.
As soon as he stepped outside, he spotted Gojo squatting near the entrance, laughing to himself.
"You knew they didn't sell edamame Kikufuku, didn't you?" Geto narrowed his eyes dangerously.
Gojo, still laughing, snatched the bag from Geto's hands. "Let's see what flavors you got! Feels like opening a mystery box!"
Reaching into the bag, his hand paused.
Then, his expression changed.
Instead of Kikufuku, he pulled out a small note.
A phone number was written on a small slip of paper inside the bag.
Gojo pulled it out, then snorted loudly. "Oi, Suguru, look at you! Already getting numbers?"
Geto glanced at it and frowned. "Huh? Oh. Must be that girl at the counter."
Gojo grinned and elbowed him playfully. "Damn, smooth. You didn't even try!"
Geto sighed, grabbing the Kikufuku bag from Gojo's hands. "I was just buying sweets, Satoru."
Gojo laughed, tossing the note at him. "Yeah, yeah, 'just buying sweets.' Meanwhile, people are lining up to give you their numbers."
Geto let the note fall to the ground, clearly uninterested. "You want your Kikufuku or not?"
Gojo threw an arm around his shoulder, grinning like an idiot. "I do, but I think you should go back and thank your admirer first."
Geto shoved him off. "Shut up and eat your damn sweets."
Gojo just kept laughing, already tearing into the Kikufuku.
Before Geto could say anything else, a woman in a black dress walked past them.
Gojo stiffened.
That presence—
Cursed energy.
She wore a straw hat, concealing her forehead.
Kaori Itadori?
Or rather—
Kenjaku.
Then, unexpectedly—
"Doctor Itadori?"
Gojo's head snapped toward Geto.
The black-haired sorcerer smiled politely and waved at the woman.
What.
The.
Hell.
Doctor Itadori?!
At twenty-nine, Gojo had seen plenty of weird things.
But this?
This was unexpected.
The woman turned, smiling. "Kayoshi Kayuki? Are you here to buy Kikufuku too?"
Geto nodded. "Just passing by."
Gojo eyed her carefully. "And you are…?"
Kayuki looked at him warily. "And you are…?"
Gojo flashed a practiced smile.
If Kenjaku was already keeping tabs on Geto, then he had to play this carefully.
"Gojo Satoru." His tone was lighter than usual. "Dr. Itadori, which hospital do you work at?"
She waved a hand. "Just a small private clinic. Nothing special."
Her answer was deliberately vague.
She politely excused herself and left.
Gojo watched her disappear into the crowd, then turned back to Geto.
"How do you know her?"
"She treated Nanako and Mimiko once."
Gojo's thoughts immediately sharpened.
So Kenjaku had been lurking around Geto even back then?
Keeping his tone casual, he asked, "And how'd you meet Nanako and Mimiko?"
"They followed me to Tokyo. Their guardian, Mrs. Kaba, asked me to watch them for a few days."
Gojo blinked. "And who's Mrs. Kaba?"
"My neighbor."
Gojo froze.
That was it?
After all that searching for Geto, the answer was this simple?
Gojo grinned.
"Suguru, weren't you born in Tokyo? Why weren't you here before?"
Geto shook his head. "I was born and raised in Sendai. I never lived in Tokyo before transferring."
…Wait.
If Geto met Kaori Itadori in Sendai, then—
Itadori Yuji was probably born there, too.
Gojo's eyes lit up.
"Suguru! Take me to Sendai this weekend!"
Geto gave him a skeptical look. "Why?"
"Hot springs." Gojo grinned. "And I wanna check a few things while I'm there."