Sit down and have a chat

"If my father heard that, he might climb out of his coffin."

Miwa Chisei had been close to her father, so joking about him didn't come across as disrespectful.

Satoru Gojo got annoyed just looking at that utterly impassive face, but this was the first time he'd heard the girl say something as ridiculous as she'd been waiting for him.

Didn't feel half bad?

"So, do you have something to do?"

Miwa Chisei patted the stone step beside her and said politely,

"If not, sit down and have a chat."

Excuse me, was this your living room couch? Hilarious.

So Satoru Gojo gave a little snort and planted his foot right where Miwa Chisei had just patted, completely snubbing her invitation.

"No time. Geto and I have things to do."

But Suguru Geto was curious. After all, this was the first time Miwa Chisei had sought out Satoru Gojo, and he couldn't possibly miss this opportunity.

"Do you have something to do, Satoru? We've already finished all our missions today."

Satoru Gojo turned his head and hooked his sunglasses down his nose, his pristine azure eyes giving off a dangerous air.

"Geto, you wanna die?"

Suguru Geto merely curved his foxlike eyes in a gentle smile, then settled comfortably on Miwa Chisei's right.

"It won't hurt to hear her out."

Suguru Geto had changed. Ever since Miwa Chisei showed up, the guy wasn't always willing to be his partner in crime anymore.

Miwa Chisei brought her legs together, propped her face in both hands, and looked up at Satoru Gojo.

Her whole demeanor said, Stop lying. Suguru Geto already exposed you.

Satoru Gojo clicked his tongue in displeasure, pulled back his long, straight leg, and dropped down onto Miwa Chisei's left.

"If you're just bored and spouting nonsense, I'll make you stand outside the men's bathroom as a hostess."

This guy really had a twisted sense of humor.

Miwa Chisei frowned, sighed silently, and let it slide.

"Someone told me the Gojo Clan posted the bounty. What do you think?"

Suguru Geto's narrow, foxlike eyes lit up. He really was going to hear something interesting.

"Huh?"

Satoru Gojo dug at his ear with his pinky, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Trying to pin this on me?"

Suguru Geto swore he'd tried his best, but he still couldn't hold back a laugh. When Satoru Gojo shot him an angry look from behind his sunglasses, he responded with an obnoxious grin.

"I just happened to think of something funny."

Satoru Gojo was about to reach across Miwa Chisei and "spar" with Suguru Geto, but the girl caught the arm flailing in front of her.

"Satoru Gojo, I'm not joking. You know this person too."

"The one from the Zenin Clan with the Heavenly Restriction."

Satoru Gojo stopped moving at that and looked Miwa Chisei up and down.

"Shit, did he really break your legs?"

That explained why she'd been sitting on the steps looking sickly without moving this whole time. He'd called it.

Miwa Chisei glanced at Satoru Gojo, then stood and gave a light hop in place, proving her legs weren't broken.

Suguru Geto covered his face, struggling desperately not to burst out laughing-these two were far too entertaining.

"He seems to have given up on capturing me alive, but he said something strange. So answer my question. What do you think?"

Miwa Chisei didn't sound like she was making a deadpan joke, so Satoru Gojo thought back to his investigation. There had been almost no trace of whoever posted the bounty.

That was why he'd concluded it was either one of the Three Great Families or an extremely mysterious Curse User.

No way. Had the trail led back to his own clan?

But Satoru Gojo's clowning around was only on the surface. He was smart, and he soon reached a conclusion.

"It couldn't have been the Gojo Clan."

For once, his voice lost its usual swagger. Even Suguru Geto propped his face in his hand, his expression calm as he listened quietly.

"There's no reason. Besides, my old man likes plotting right out in the open. Whoever did this is hiding in the shadows like a rat."

Satoru Gojo's assessment of his father was sharp. At least, Miwa Chisei thought so too.

But she said nothing, her head lowered, her thoughts unreadable.

The three of them sat brazenly on the stone steps at Jujutsu High's entrance, their sunglasses and delinquent air making them look like thugs hanging around the school gates to collect protection money.

For once, Satoru Gojo didn't interrupt Miwa Chisei's thoughts. He couldn't figure out what was going on in the girl's head either.

But if she really suspected the Gojo Clan, Satoru Gojo knew he'd be annoyed.

Suguru Geto broke the silence. He seemed to do it deliberately, his tone leisurely.

"It could still be the Gojo Clan. Your father is pretty formidable, after all. Even you can't see through everything he does, can you, Satoru?"

"Hey, Geto..."

Satoru Gojo frowned, convinced his best friend was just talking for the sake of it, but Miwa Chisei turned and gave Suguru Geto a serious look.

"Compared to his father, Satoru Gojo really is too green."

Satoru Gojo: Should I leave and let you two talk?

"Shit."

The silver-haired high schooler let out a crude curse. He was about to unleash a whole string of them, but the girl's gentle, soft voice soothed him.

"But I don't think it was the Gojo Clan either."

Suguru Geto smiled, his expression saying, Just as I thought.

"His father certainly has-a lot of tricks," Miwa Chisei paused as she said this, remembering how the man had dragged her into Jujutsu Society, then continued, "but if he really wanted to capture me alive, he could have done it when I visited the Gojo Main House."

There would have been no need for those candid words or a birthday present. The Gojo Clan never did anything unnecessary. If Gojo Yu had wanted to, he could have captured her at the Gojo Main House.

If she hadn't visited the Gojo Clan that time, she probably would still have harbored doubts. But she happened to have gone.

Satoru Gojo understood. So she'd known it was a lie the moment she heard it?

Of course Miwa Chisei had known. That was why she'd calmly pointed Toji Fushiguro in the completely opposite direction.

"Then why the hell did you ask me?"

Satoru Gojo turned his head and eyed the girl suspiciously.

The girl looked up at the blue sky, where clouds chased one another. A breeze stirred her silver hair, painting a picture of quiet serenity.

"No reason. I just wanted to see whether you'd panic when you heard."

"Too bad you didn't. Looks like your brain still works."

After saying that, Miwa Chisei's lips curved into the faintest smile. It vanished almost immediately, leaving her face as impassive as ever.

Suguru Geto suddenly stood, his expression looking a little strange from holding back his laughter.

"Sorry, I need to use the bathroom."

He ran off quickly, but the two still sitting on the steps heard Suguru Geto's unrestrained laughter.

It was loud, without the slightest attempt to hide it.

Satoru Gojo took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles.

"Ready for a beating?"

Miwa Chisei pinched the ends of her hair, looking perfectly composed.

"Ready to run."

-Then both of them vanished almost simultaneously, appearing in front of Suguru Geto, who had run several dozen meters away.

Suguru Geto raised a hand to brush aside the bangs on his forehead, a trace of ruefulness in his foxlike eyes.

Heh. Couldn't take a joke.