"Wow, even the air here feels spicy. Edano, are you sure we're in the right place?" Yuji Itadori looked around the restaurant, decorated entirely in red, and couldn't help asking.
I checked my phone, then looked up at the sign above the hot pot restaurant, which read "Authentic Chinese Hot Pot."
"Well... I just asked on a forum which restaurants were good, and they said this place had flavors they'd never tasted before. It's ranked in the top three by customer reviews..."
"Can you guys... handle spicy food?" I asked meekly.
"It's fine. We're already here, and I love Chinese flavors!" Nobara Kugisaki gave my shoulder a hearty pat.
Megumi Fushiguro thought for a moment before saying, "I can handle a little spice."
Yuji Itadori scratched his head, looking a little troubled. "I've never tried it, but I think I can give it a shot!"
"Great! What about you, Mr. Gojo?" Satoru Gojo had the most invincible sweet tooth in the universe. I honestly suspected he could down syrup concentrated tenfold... Could he handle spicy food? I couldn't help doubting it.
"Huh? Edano, why are you looking at your teacher like that? Are you doubting my ability to handle spice? Today, I'll show you that the strongest is the strongest in every way!"
"Come on, come on! Let's get inside!" Satoru Gojo pushed me toward the entrance as he spoke.
The farther inside we went, the more the smell of chilies stung our noses. Even I was starting to struggle to breathe. Couldn't anyone see that Satoru Gojo's face was already red? Open the windows and let some air in!
"Cough, cough, cough... Edano, see? I told you this was nothing-cough, cough, cough, cough."
"..." ×4
Why are you still acting tough? Look at your face in a mirror before you say that!
Once we entered our private room on the second floor, I hurriedly opened every window, then switched on the air conditioning and set it to 16°C.
"How's that? Feeling any better?" I frowned at Satoru Gojo. "If you really can't handle it, let's go somewhere else. I don't want to lose my teacher tomorrow!"
"No! I'm already feeling much better. Come on, let's order!" Satoru Gojo sat down obediently and picked up the menu to leaf through it.
"...Hey, Fushiguro, how old is Mr. Gojo this year?" Nobara, Megumi Fushiguro, and Yuji Itadori stood outside the private room, peeking through the gap in the door and whispering among themselves.
"...Twenty-eight."
"Tsk, tsk. Twenty-eight, and he still acts like a little kid."
"Don't you think Mr. Gojo is super funny like this?" Yuji Itadori's eyes sparkled.
"..." ×2
"Itadori, you poor idiot."
"Yeah."
Yuji Itadori, out.
"Megumi, Nobara, Yuji, come order!" Sitting there with a big, goofy grin, Satoru Gojo waved to the three whispering by the door.
"Coming, coming!"
"Hmm, let's get a split pot, half spicy and half mild. If everyone can handle it, we can switch to an all-spicy pot later." As the one with the most experience eating spicy food, I spoke up.
"No objections here!" ×2
"Same."
"None from your teacher, either!"
Soon, all the dishes we'd ordered arrived one after another, filling three entire racks.
"Wow~ Can we finish all this?" Nobara rubbed her hands together excitedly.
"Of course we can! Eat as much as you want. Everything today is on me!"
"Wow~ Be my sugar mommy~ Edano, need someone to cling to your leg? I can eat, sleep, and warm your bed!" Nobara hugged my arm.
"Look at me, Edano! I'm strong, and I can run errands and carry your bags!" Itadori raised his hand too.
"Everyone, out of my way! Your teacher is the strongest, so I get first dibs. I can do everything you can. Edano will definitely pick me!" Satoru Gojo squeezed Yuji Itadori aside, planted his hands on his hips, and laughed with a toothy grin.
Megumi Fushiguro: ...I don't know any of you.
After fooling around for a good while, we finally dug in!
Excitedly, I picked up a slice of beef tripe and swished it through the spicy broth. "One, two, three, four... fifteen! Done. Time to eat!"
I popped it into my mouth with an "Om!" The delicious tripe and fragrant, numbing heat thrilled my taste buds. It tasted exactly like it had in my previous life, and tears of happiness spilled from the corners of my eyes.
"Waaah, it's so good!"
Nobara hurriedly grabbed a napkin to wipe my tears. "Is it really that good? You're actually crying."
"Waaah, that's not all of it. Mostly, it tastes exactly like what I used to eat. I'm writing the owner a glowing review when I get back!"
"Used to? You mean when you were in China, Edano?" Yuji paused with his chopsticks in hand.
"Are you homesick, Edano?" Megumi Fushiguro also looked at me earnestly.
At the concern in my friends' eyes, warmth welled up in my heart and spread through my entire body. It was as though happiness had wrapped itself around me, leaving me warm all over.
I smiled through my tears. "No, that's not it. My family died when I was very little, but I have a home again now. Jujutsu High is my home! You're all my family. I love you guys!!!"
Before this, I'd always felt a barrier between me and this world, as though everything were unreal. Whether it was the darkness of Jujutsu Society or the bonds between friends, it would all vanish once I woke from the dream. That had left me afraid to get close or even think about it. But now, that barrier had disappeared completely, and I felt a warmth I'd never experienced even in my previous life.
At the same time, I silently made up my mind. I would give everything I had to protect everyone. Nothing could happen to any of them!
[Host, host, you have me too! Xiao Ba will always be with you!] [Okay! You have to stay with me forever, Xiao Ba!]
"Hah, hah, hah, so spicy! Water, water, water!"
Megumi Fushiguro quietly opened a bottle of a drink and handed it to me.
"Thank you, Megumi! You're the best!"
"Ahem, it's nothing." The tips of Megumi Fushiguro's ears turned red as he avoided my gaze and quietly turned his head away again.
"Hahahaha! So you can't really handle spice either, Edano. How lame!" Satoru Gojo mercilessly mocked the girl before him, whose lips had swollen into sausages from the heat.
"Damn it! You've got some nerve saying that, Mr. Gojo! You're sweating buckets from the spice yourself!!! Look at all the empty bottles beside you! Aren't you worried you'll be running to the bathroom after drinking that much?" I puffed out my cheeks, furious enough to turn into a pufferfish.
"Aww~ Why are you making personal attacks, Edano? Poor Satoru is so sad~" Sweating all over from the spicy food, Satoru Gojo had long since removed his blindfold. His soft hair fell down, with a few white strands plastered to his face by sweat. His pure baby-blue eyes gazed at me with such hurt that it was heartbreaking.
Damn it... Why was my conscience starting to hurt?
I silently lowered my head and covered my face, refusing to look at him.
Huh? Does this trick not work on Edano anymore?
Before Satoru Gojo could let his imagination run any further, the girl's muffled voice came through her palms. "I'm sorry. I'll buy you Kikufuku..."
Having witnessed the entire thing, Nobara and the other two had mixed feelings.
Nobara: I closed my eyes and saw no future for Jujutsu High.
Scumbag. He actually used his looks to seduce her! ×3
Before you continue