Idiotic High School Boys and Strawberry Daifuku

Time passed quickly. By the time they finished eating, it was around two o'clock. They left the restaurant and strolled through the streets of Tokyo.

However, the two groups were clearly divided.

The girls walked in front, while the other three followed behind. The topics they discussed were entirely different as well.

"It must be hard on you. Being classmates with people like that must be exhausting, right?"

Utahime Iori spoke pointedly as she looked at Shoko Ieiri with a hint of sympathy, leaving Shoko both speechless and amused.

Perhaps their personalities simply clashed, because the two of them had gotten into another minor argument during the meal.

It started when Utahime, being more familiar with the restaurant, recommended several dishes while they were ordering.

For some reason, Gojo Satoru suddenly mocked her choices as childish preferences, then decisively ordered a set meal that hardly anyone ever chose.

But that set meal... how should one put it? Both its flavor and presentation were bizarre. Although someone claimed it tasted fine, the slightly dark expression on his face after finishing it made it obvious that he was just putting on a brave front.

Utahime immediately began laughing at him.

But he started speaking in that irritatingly sarcastic tone, saying it was fine, that he could just order something good afterward, before immediately ordering the set meal Utahime had recommended in the first place.

That left her both annoyed and speechless.

If that was what he wanted, couldn't he have just ordered the meal she recommended from the beginning?

It was as though that guy had argued with her purely for the sake of arguing!

Even Geto Suguru didn't know how to comment on it, so he could only eat quietly. The others simply pretended not to notice.

In any case, after that little incident, they all realized that, for some reason, those two really might not get along.

Utahime did have certain personality issues, but as long as no one provoked her, she generally wouldn't show them. Yet someone just had to oppose her at every turn.

People were truly hard to understand.

Thinking that, Shoko revealed a slightly helpless smile, though she wholeheartedly agreed with Utahime.

"You're right. Those two really are like middle schoolers who never grew up. They're either fooling around or bickering all day long. High school boys really are idiots, aren't they?"

"Exactly! High school boys are idiotic creatures... no, perhaps Toho should be excluded."

Utahime was pleased by Shoko's words, but then she seemed to recall something and shook her head.

Shoko was somewhat curious at that reaction.

She had learned that when Toho Che had first been studying the basics, he had learned from the two seniors before her. Perhaps they had seen a side of Toho Che that she didn't know about?

"What do you mean?"

"Um... did he tell you about that mission?"

Shoko shook her head.

"His first mission? Yaga-sensei mentioned it, but when we asked him about it afterward, he said there was nothing worth talking about."

At the mention of that, Utahime became a little more interested. She quickly began telling Shoko about that mission, along with some things that had happened while she had been teaching Toho Che.

As a result, Toho Che's image in Shoko's mind became increasingly vivid and multifaceted. Halfway through listening, she even secretly glanced back with the corner of her eye.

Mei Mei, who had been watching everything, felt rather sentimental.

As someone who had been observing from the sidelines, she understood clearly that Utahime's feelings toward someone had changed. They could not yet be called blossoming feelings, but they had at least begun to shift.

Then, if certain possibilities truly came to pass in the future, would Utahime regret it and think she had said a little too much today?

Thinking that, Mei Mei smiled, completely overlooking the fact that she herself would later form a partnership with someone and spend even more time together with him...

However, the three men behind them knew nothing of what the girls were discussing. They were talking about something else.

"Ugh... that curry rice just now tasted way too weird. Even though I ate a normal fried rice afterward, it still feels like that flavor is stuck at the back of my tongue."

Gojo Satoru took a sip of strong tea and complained with a terrible expression, earning an eye roll from Geto Suguru.

"Who told you to stubbornly order that? Utahime-senpai already said it didn't taste good."

Though he did find it hard to stomach the way that girl always put on airs as a senior, he was still rather grateful to her in this matter.

After all... it was rare to see someone bring suffering upon himself like that.

"Wow, you're saying that too? Isn't trying new things humanity's most precious spirit?

If people had never tried new things, how could they have built so many magnificent structures or invented so many useful things and sophisticated machines?"

Seeing him make such a shameless argument, Toho Che joined the conversation.

"I still don't understand why you like targeting Utahime-senpai so much. You two have barely even met a few times, have you?"

Geto Suguru was also somewhat curious about that question. After thinking for a moment, Gojo Satoru answered with remarkable honesty.

"Of course it's because it's interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Yeah. She feels like a timid cat. She's clearly scared and powerless, but when faced with a threat, she still hisses. She looks so full of energy. Isn't that interesting?"

Hearing those exceptionally mean words, both of their expressions became a little strange.

But Gojo Satoru did not care in the slightest. He casually tossed his drink can toward a trash bin, then flashed a brilliant smile when it went in.

Several girls passing by immediately froze, their dazed gazes lingering on his face as all of them blushed at once.

Seeing that, he even lowered his sunglasses and gave them a suave little wave.

After receiving delighted squeals from the girls, he continued forward with a smile. Geto Suguru and Toho Che merely exchanged a glance at the absurd sight before following him.

Time passed as they chatted and wandered through the streets.

By the time they decided to head back, it was already past four in the afternoon. Not only had they bought things that were difficult to find near Jujutsu High, they had also picked up some daily necessities.

It was worth mentioning that when they passed a tobacco shop, Toho Che noticed Shoko's gaze unconsciously linger there for a moment.

But perhaps because she was considering the others with them, she did not go in. Instead, she immediately turned her head away.

They still did not call anyone to pick them up on the way back, instead walking and browsing as they went.

When they reached a dessert shop, Gojo Satoru's steps unconsciously came to a halt at the sight of the strawberry daifuku in the photos outside.

"Hm? Gojo, what's wrong?"

Seeing him suddenly stop, Geto Suguru asked.

Hearing them, Toho Che turned to look over. The moment he saw the dessert shop, he understood most of what was going on.

"He probably wants to buy some sweets?"

"Sweets?"

Geto Suguru saw the dessert shop too, but he looked puzzled.

"You... actually like sweets?"

"Huh? What's wrong with sweets? The Six Eyes and Limitless consume a huge amount of energy, and sweets are perfect for replenishing it. Besides, sweets really do taste... forget it. There's no point explaining it to you."

Gojo Satoru pushed up his sunglasses and left the two of them behind as he headed into the shop.

Although Toho Che knew that was more like an excuse, he said nothing and simply waited quietly with Geto Suguru.

The girls in front heard the commotion and stopped as well, looking over curiously. When they found nothing unusual, they resumed chatting among themselves.

Not long afterward, Gojo Satoru emerged from the shop carrying a bag of strawberry daifuku. Yet his expression was somewhat grave. When he reached the two of them, he lowered his voice and put on an extremely serious look.

"Geto, Toho, I need to ask you for something. It's very important."

Hearing that serious tone, Geto Suguru's expression immediately turned solemn. No matter the situation in the past, that guy always wore a carefree smile.

Even when fighting that troublesome cursed spirit, he had not seemed this serious. Could something have happened nearby...?

He surveyed the surroundings as he asked in a low voice.

"What is it? Is there a cursed spirit nearby, or something strange going on?"

Having thought of the same possibility, Toho Che began using cursed energy to sense the area as well. But he did not detect anything unusual either, so he cast Gojo Satoru a confused look.

Gojo Satoru merely waved a hand.

"Ah, no, not that. I want you two to help me buy two more portions of strawberry daifuku."

"?"

"Huh?"

Seeing their bewildered expressions, he shrugged.

"Can't be helped. For some reason, this dessert shop sells strawberry daifuku in limited quantities. No matter what I said, the owner refused to let me buy more."

Geto Suguru, realizing he had been played, continued staring at him with dead fish eyes. Toho Che, however, was puzzled.

"That shouldn't be the case. With your looks, shouldn't the limit be lifted if you just say a few words?"

Remembering certain scenes from earlier, Geto Suguru, whose expression was still rather complicated, nodded as well. But someone merely scratched his head.

"Well... maybe it was because the owner's wife kept staring at me. The owner sold me the strawberry daifuku, but he still looked really unhappy about it."

At that, both of them fell silent in unison.

That made sense. The dessert shop owner was a man, and his wife had become absorbed in staring at this guy. Naturally, no matter what he said, the owner would refuse his request.

"So hurry up and help me buy another portion, okay?"

Though Toho Che did not think it was a big deal, Geto Suguru turned away in exasperation.

"I'll pass. Toho can help you, can't he?"

Though he did not think much of it, those words dealt Gojo Satoru a devastating blow.

"Didn't I say before that I'd help you exorcise new cursed spirits? How can you refuse to help me with something this small? Could it be... could it be that there really are no feelings left between us anymore?!"

Halfway through, his voice suddenly rose. He even took a few steps back with a wronged expression, looking at Geto Suguru as if he were some heartless man who had abandoned him.

Noticing the curious gazes from the people around them, the dark lines on Geto Suguru's forehead deepened. But after only glaring at him once, he quickly turned and headed for the dessert shop as though fleeing the scene.

Seeing the two of them fool around like that, Toho Che could not help laughing. He shook his head and followed after them.