The tea really was good

The sun shone brightly that day. The autumn air was crisp, and the sky was cloudless.

Zhiyan sat at the stone table in his courtyard, holding a cup of tea and quietly watching the koi. It was his usual routine-finish his work, drink some tea, and consider what to do that day.

Then his courtyard stopped being peaceful.

"What is this stuff? It tastes awful!"

Satoru Gojo set his cup on the table and dropped onto a stone stool, his face full of disgust.

"This is what your Zenin Clan drinks? It's way too bitter! Got any sweets? I want sweets!"

Zhiyan watched him, his expression unchanged, though his fingers tightened slightly around his cup.

He'd only fought this guy the day before yesterday, and now he'd come barging in?

Who invited him?

"No," he said flatly. "Leave if you don't want to drink it."

"I'm not leaving!" Satoru Gojo declared without a shred of shame. "I finally escaped! If I go back, those old fossils will start nagging again. They're so annoying!"

As he spoke, he looked to the side.

Kamo Xian Di sat on the other side of the stone table, quietly sipping his tea. His expression resembled Zhiyan's-both possessed an unruffled composure. Only his had a little more warmth and a little less aloofness.

"Kamo, don't you think this tea tastes awful?" Satoru Gojo stared at him.

Xian Di set down his cup and glanced at him.

"It's all right."

"All right?!" Satoru Gojo's expression grew even more exaggerated.

Zhiyan's brow twitched.

He took a deep breath and decided to ignore him.

But Satoru Gojo clearly had no intention of leaving him alone.

"Hey, Naoya Zenin, why aren't you saying anything?"

Zhiyan looked at him.

"What should I say?"

"Say..." Satoru Gojo thought for a moment. "Why aren't you asking what I'm here for?"

Zhiyan fell silent for a moment.

"Then is there something you came here for?"

Satoru Gojo slapped his thigh, grinning like a fox that had stolen a chicken.

"Nope! I just came to hang out with you!"

Zhiyan paused.

"Hang out with me?"

"Yeah!" Satoru Gojo said as though it were obvious. "We're friends already, aren't we?"

Zhiyan watched him in silence for several seconds.

Then he reached a conclusion-

Far too familiar.

Case closed.

He turned to Kamo Xian Di.

"And you?"

Xian Di leisurely set down his cup and met his gaze.

"I heard your tea was quite good, Zenin. I came to try it."

Before Zhiyan could speak, Satoru Gojo exploded.

"What?!" He sprang up onto the stone table and looked down at Xian Di. "Zenin, Kamo, are you two okay? This tea is bitter as hell, and you think it tastes good?!"

A vein bulged on Zhiyan's forehead.

"I'll say it again. Leave if you don't want to drink it," he said. "Also-"

He looked up at Satoru Gojo, who was standing on the stone table.

"Get off my table."

Satoru Gojo blinked, then suddenly put on a pitiful expression.

He jumped down from the stone table and threw his arms around Zhiyan's arm.

"Zhiyan-chan, could you really bear to kick me out?"

Zhiyan froze.

Zhiyan... chan?

He looked down at Satoru Gojo clinging to his arm, at that face straining to look pitiful, and a few more veins bulged on his forehead.

"Let go."

"No!" Satoru Gojo held on even tighter. "If you kick me out, I won't let go!"

Zhiyan laughed in exasperation. Didn't you hate tea? You're certainly putting on a syrupy act now.

He reached out to push Satoru Gojo's face away.

Satoru Gojo's face squished under his hand, but he still refused to let go.

"Mmph, mmph-I'm not letting go, even if you push me-"

Kamo Xian Di sat beside them, holding his teacup and quietly watching.

His expression was calm, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Clearly, he was enjoying the show.

Another vein bulged on Zhiyan's forehead.

"Satoru Gojo-"

"Call me Satoru!" Satoru Gojo squeezed the words out through his squished mouth. "We're friends! Why be so formal?"

Zhiyan took a deep breath and was about to speak when a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Wana, it looks like we came at a bad time."

The voice was soft and gentle, carrying the faintest hint of amusement.

Zhiyan stopped.

He turned and saw two people standing at the courtyard entrance.

Shoko stood in front, wearing a pale blue kimono, watching them with a smile.

Wana stood beside her, her little face full of shock.

What had she just seen?

She'd seen a white-haired idiot hugging her brother!

"You-!"

Wana instantly exploded.

She pattered over, grabbed Satoru Gojo's hair, and yanked hard.

"Let go of my brother! Shoko hasn't even hugged him yet! Get off him!"

"Ow-!"

Satoru Gojo instinctively let go at the pain.

Wana couldn't stop her momentum and toppled backward, still pulling his hair.

"Ah-!"

Thud.

They both fell to the ground.

Satoru Gojo landed on top of Wana.

Everything descended into chaos.

Zhiyan stood to the side, watching, unsure what to say.

Kamo Xian Di held his cup and watched even more intently.

Shoko slowly walked over and stood beside Zhiyan, looking at the two on the ground.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently.

Pinned to the ground, Wana's little face was full of fury.

"White-haired idiot! You're hurting me!"

Only then did Satoru Gojo realize what had happened. He scrambled up and pulled Wana to her feet as well.

"Hey, hey, hey! We only fell because you pulled my hair!"

The moment Wana got to her feet, her anger flared again.

She grabbed Satoru Gojo's hair and kept pulling.

"It's all your fault! White-haired idiot!"

Satoru Gojo winced and stopped holding back, grabbing Wana's cheeks and pulling them outward.

"Who are you calling an idiot, brat?!"

"You're the brat! Your whole family's brats!"

"I'm taller than you! You're a brat!"

"What's the point of being tall if your brain doesn't work?!"

"Your brain's the one that doesn't work!"

They tangled together, neither willing to let go.

Zhiyan watched in silence.

He looked at Shoko.

Shoko was watching the two grappling with each other, plainly enjoying the show.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" Zhiyan asked.

Shoko considered it.

"Let them fight for a bit?"

Zhiyan fell silent again.

Then he nodded.

"That works."

Kamo Xian Di laughed beside them.

"Zenin," he said, "your courtyard certainly is lively today."

Zhiyan glanced at him.

"You can leave first."

Xian Di raised his cup and leisurely took a sip.

"No hurry. I haven't finished my tea."

Zhiyan: "..."

In the courtyard, Wana and Satoru Gojo were still grappling.

"Let go!"

"You first!"

"I'll let go if you do!"

"Think I'm stupid? If I let go first, you definitely won't!"

"How can I let go if you won't?!"

"You let go first, and I will!"

Watching them, Shoko suddenly spoke.

"Wana."

Wana paused and turned to look at her.

"Shoko?"

Shoko beckoned to her.

"Come here."

Wana looked at Satoru Gojo, then at Shoko, and reluctantly let go.

Satoru Gojo let go too, rubbing his scalp where she had pulled his hair.

"Ouch-you've got quite a grip, brat."

Wana glared at him again and pattered back to Shoko's side.

"Shoko, that white-haired idiot bullied me!"

Satoru Gojo's eyes widened.

"I bullied you? You pulled my hair first!"

Wana ignored him and simply tilted her little face up toward Shoko.

Shoko reached out and gently stroked her hair.

"There, there."

Her voice was very soft and gentle, with a soothing power to it.

Most of Wana's anger vanished instantly. She leaned against Shoko, though she still remembered to make a face at Satoru Gojo.

Satoru Gojo stared, dumbfounded.

"That... that was all it took to calm her down?"

Shoko looked at him, her eyes curving with a smile.

"Good morning, Gojo."

Satoru Gojo froze for a moment, then broke into a huge grin.

"Morning, morning! You're that-that-" He thought for a moment. "Zhiyan's fiancée, right? Shoko Ieiri?"

Shoko nodded.

"Mm."

Satoru Gojo looked her up and down, then nodded.

"Not bad, not bad. Easier on the eyes than Zhiyan."

Zhiyan caught a stray shot for no reason.

"What do you mean, easier on the eyes than me?"

Satoru Gojo said matter-of-factly, "I mean she doesn't annoy me to look at."

Zhiyan clenched his fists. He really wanted to punch him.

He looked at Kamo Xian Di.

"Kamo, did you come here today just to watch the show?"

Xian Di set down his teacup and smiled faintly.

"More or less."

Zhiyan: "..."

Satoru Gojo leaned over again and slung an arm around Zhiyan's shoulders.

"Oh, don't be so serious! Your friends came to hang out. You should be happy!"

Zhiyan looked at him.

"We only met the day before yesterday."

"So what?" Satoru Gojo said with complete confidence. "I like you, so you're my friend!"

Zhiyan fell silent for a moment.

"Do you like everyone you meet?"

"Of course not," Satoru Gojo said. "I'm not too fond of types like Kamo. A bit pretentious. Though you are, too."

Xian Di spoke up from the side, his voice brimming with "apology."

"Then I'm terribly sorry, Gojo."

Satoru Gojo waved a hand.

"No worries, no worries."

Watching this, Zhiyan suddenly felt a headache coming on.

He looked at Shoko.

Shoko was looking at him, her eyes curved with amusement.

There was unmistakable delight in his misfortune in that gaze.

"Zhiyan," she said, "your friends are pretty interesting."

Zhiyan fell silent for a moment.

"...They're not my friends."

Satoru Gojo immediately jumped up.

"What?! We've already hugged, and we're still not friends?!"

Wana immediately chimed in from beside them.

"Who said you could hug him! Don't hug my brother!"

Satoru Gojo looked at her.

"What business is it of yours? You're not his fiancée."

Wana froze for a moment, then grew even angrier.

"I'm his sister!"

"So what? A little sister doesn't get to decide who her brother makes friends with!"

"You-!"

The two were about to start arguing again.

Zhiyan took a deep breath.

"Enough."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an authority that brooked no defiance.

Satoru Gojo and Wana shut their mouths at the same time and looked at him.

Zhiyan looked at them,

then spoke.

"Both of you, sit down."

Satoru Gojo obediently sat down.

Wana obediently sat down too, but she sat beside Shoko, far away from Satoru Gojo.

Kamo Xian Di remained in his original seat, holding his teacup and looking utterly above worldly concerns.

Shoko also sat down beside Zhiyan, quietly watching everything unfold.

Around the stone table sat five people, each with their own thoughts.

Sunlight spilled down, bathing everything in a warm golden glow.

Satoru Gojo was the first to break the silence.

"Naoya Zenin, do you really not have any sweets here? This tea is way too bitter."

Zhiyan looked at him.

"No."

"Then go buy some!"

Zhiyan frowned.

"I'm not your servant."

Satoru Gojo blinked, then put on a look of sudden realization.

"Oh-right. You're the young master of the Zenin Clan, not a servant."

He thought for a moment, then added,

"Then have someone go buy some!"

Zhiyan: "..."

Kamo Xian Di spoke unhurriedly from the side.

"Gojo, if you want tea, just drink it. If you want something sweet, you can go home and have some."

Satoru Gojo glared at him.

"Kamo, what's with you today? Are you turning against me too?"

Xian Di smiled faintly.

"No. I just think you're especially... lively today, Gojo."

Satoru Gojo caught his meaning, but didn't care in the slightest.

"What's wrong with being lively? Better than being a stick in the mud like you!"

Wana muttered under her breath from the side.

"White-haired idiot."

Satoru Gojo's sharp ears caught it, and he immediately turned his head.

"What did you say?"

Wana ducked behind Shoko and peeked her head out.

"I called you a white-haired idiot!"

"You-!"

The two were about to start arguing again.

Zhiyan suddenly spoke.

"Satoru Gojo."

Satoru Gojo turned to look at him.

"What?"

"You said you sneaked out?"

Satoru Gojo blinked, then grinned.

"Yeah! Those old fossils at home are so annoying. Every day it's 'Young Master Satoru, it's time to train,' 'Young Master Satoru, it's time to receive guests,' 'Young Master Satoru, it's time to-' It's driving me crazy! So I ran off when they weren't looking!"

As he spoke, a smug smile spread across his face.

"They're definitely looking all over for me right now. But they won't find me. I've hidden myself really well! I actually wanted to come yesterday, but..." Satoru Gojo seemed to remember something and shut his mouth.

Seeing him go silent, Zhiyan raised an eyebrow.

"But what?"

Satoru Gojo's smile stiffened.

"Yesterday..."

"What happened yesterday?"

Satoru Gojo's expression turned a little odd.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, then swallowed it back down.

Wana poked her head out from behind Shoko.

"Come on, tell us! What happened yesterday?"

Satoru Gojo looked at her, then at Zhiyan, before finally mumbling,

"...I got lost."

Everyone went quiet.

It was so quiet they could hear the koi splashing in the pond.

Then-

"Pfft."

Kamo Xian Di was the first to lose control and laugh out loud.

He hurriedly raised his teacup and pretended to drink, but his shoulders were shaking hard.

Although Shoko didn't laugh out loud, she couldn't hide her amusement.

Wana burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha-white-haired idiot! You actually got lost! You even managed to get lost in Kyoto!"

Satoru Gojo's face flushed bright red.

"I-I don't go out that often! It's perfectly normal not to know the way!"

Wana laughed even louder.

"Hahahaha-don't you have those Six Eyes or whatever? You can still get lost with Six Eyes?"

Satoru Gojo's expression froze.

"W-what do the Six Eyes have to do with knowing the way?"

"Can't the Six Eyes see everything?"

"Seeing things and knowing the way are two different things!"

Wana laughed so hard she slapped her thigh.

"Hahahahaha-Six Eyes idiot! A Six Eyes idiot who gets lost!"

Satoru Gojo jumped up in anger and tried to grab her again.

Wana had seen it coming and ducked behind Shoko, making faces at him.

"Can't catch me! Can't catch me!"

Satoru Gojo stamped his feet in frustration.

Watching this, Zhiyan suddenly felt...

that maybe it wasn't so annoying after all.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The tea was the same as ever. Bitter.

But for some reason, it didn't seem quite so unpleasant today. Tsk, that guy was rubbing off on him.

Nearby, Satoru Gojo and Wana were still squabbling.

"Get over here!"

"Nope, nope, not coming!"

"You-!"

"Bleh, bleh, bleh-"

Zhiyan finally spoke.

"That's enough."

Both stopped at the same time and looked at him.

Zhiyan glanced at Satoru Gojo.

"If you want tea, sit down and drink it properly."

Then he looked at Wana.

"If you want to play, go play in your room."

Wana blinked.

"What about you, big brother?"

Zhiyan fell silent for a moment.

"I'll keep our guests company."

Satoru Gojo immediately leaned over.

"So are we guests or friends?"

Zhiyan looked at him.

"What do you want to be?"

Satoru Gojo thought for a moment.

"A friend, of course! Friends are better than guests!"

Zhiyan nodded.

"Friends, then."

Satoru Gojo's eyes lit up, and a huge grin spread across his face.

"That's more like it!"

He plopped down beside Zhiyan and poured himself a cup of tea.

It was still the same tea. Bitter.

But this time, he didn't complain. He simply picked it up and took a sip.

"Fine, a little bitterness won't hurt. It'll keep me awake."

Wana watched him and muttered under her breath.

"What an act."

"Give it a rest!"

Wana stuck out her tongue and hid behind Shoko.

Shoko reached out and ruffled her hair.

"All right, stop it."

Wana obediently nodded and said nothing more.

The courtyard finally grew quiet.

The five of them sat around the stone table, drinking tea and basking in the sun.

Leaves drifted slowly down, and koi swam leisurely in the pond.

After a long while, Kamo Xian Di suddenly spoke.

"Zenin."

Zhiyan looked at him.

"Hm?"

Xian Di set down his teacup and looked at him.

"I watched your fight with Gojo the day before yesterday."

Zhiyan said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

Xian Di fell silent for a moment, then spoke.

"You're strong."

He paused.

"Both of you are very strong."

Beside them, Satoru Gojo grinned smugly.

"Of course! I'm a genius!"

Xian Di ignored him, keeping his gaze on Zhiyan.

"I'm no match for either of you."

His voice was calm, without resentment or dejection. He was simply stating a fact.

"But I won't give up."

Zhiyan looked at him and nodded.

"I understand."

Xian Di smiled faintly, picked up his teacup, and took another sip.

Satoru Gojo watched them from the side, then suddenly spoke.

"Kamo, you're actually not that annoying."

Xian Di looked at him.

"Thank you for the compliment, Gojo."

Satoru Gojo waved a hand.

"You're welcome, you're welcome."

The sunshine was lovely.

The breeze was gentle.

The courtyard was lively.

Days like this weren't so bad.

Zhiyan was just about to lift his teacup for a sip.

"Zhiyan."

Shoko's voice sounded beside him.

He turned to look at her.

"Hm?"

Shoko pointed at his teacup.

"Your tea's gone cold."

Zhiyan glanced down. It had indeed gone cold.

He was about to pour himself another cup when a hand reached over.

Shoko picked up the teapot and poured him a fresh cup.

"Here."

Zhiyan looked at her, his smile deepening.

"Thanks."

Watching this from the side, Satoru Gojo clicked his tongue.

"Tch. You think you're so special just because you have a fiancée."

Wana immediately chimed in.

"He is special! Do you have one?"

Satoru Gojo glared at her.

"I'm only nine! What do I need a fiancée for?"

Wana grinned triumphantly.

"Then what the hell are you acting so smug for? Go be jealous!"

Satoru Gojo stamped his feet in frustration.

Kamo Xian Di watched from the side.

Zenin's tea really is good.

I could come over more often, he thought.

There's plenty of time ahead.

With these people around, I probably won't get bored.