Thanks to Sherlock's reckless antics, Satoru Gojo had to carry out the prank on Suguru Geto himself.
Although Sherlock's Cursed Technique would have made the prank much easier, Satoru Gojo could still pull off this prank on Suguru Geto without him.
Meanwhile, Suguru Geto had absolutely no idea that Satoru Gojo, that Dickhead Cat, was already plotting a prank against him. First, he washed the two little girls clean in the private bath that came with their room.
Suguru Geto really did look after the two little girls like a mother until they both fell asleep, only then getting ready to head to the communal hot spring alone for a relaxing soak.
Wearing a yukata with his hair down, Suguru Geto pushed open the door leading to the hot spring with a relaxed smile on his face. After changing clothes and opening the door, his expression froze.
The pool in the Japanese-style courtyard should have been filled with crystal-clear hot spring water, but what was this red stuff in front of him, with lemon slices, star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon bark, and all sorts of spices floating on top?
Was it a specialty?
Suguru Geto did not understand. Suguru Geto was utterly stunned.
After staring at the strange pool for quite a while, still debating whether to get in, Suguru Geto happened to notice a freestanding sign by the entrance. It explained in detail what was going on with that incredibly strange-looking pool.
"'Hell Hot Spring'? What's this? Let me see. Red wine and assorted spices added? Anthocyanins? Relieves fatigue and whitens the skin?"
After reading it carefully for quite some time, Suguru Geto was left with a head full of questions. He even marveled that the hot springs run by monkeys had become so competitive that they were coming up with fancy tricks like this to attract customers.
Shaking his head helplessly, Suguru Geto tested the water. Finding the temperature pleasant, he settled into the pool quite calmly, even letting out a contented sigh.
No one could resist a pool of hot water, not even Suguru Geto, the Monkey-Exterminating Cult Leader.
After a comfortable soak of nearly half an hour, Suguru Geto decided to get up, rinse off, and head back to his room to sleep.
But when Suguru Geto stood up out of the pool, he was completely dismayed.
Everything below Suguru Geto's neck had turned a strange red, like a cooked shrimp, with even a faint purplish tinge.
Suguru Geto froze at the sight. He cautiously touched his skin, and when he found that nothing felt unusual and only the color had changed, his temper flared.
Nobody freaking said that soaking in a specialty hot spring would dye me!!!
Fuming, Suguru Geto climbed out of the hot spring and headed toward the changing area. He was going to have a proper word with those monkeys running the inn today!
But when Suguru Geto pulled out the clothes basket holding the yukata he had taken off, he was dumbfounded.
Not only had his men's yukata somehow been replaced with a women's one, but it was also printed with a jumble of meme images.
???
Just as Suguru Geto stood there questioning his life, he unexpectedly discovered an action camera in the clothes basket.
Turning on the camera, Suguru Geto immediately switched to playback mode. The moment he saw the date on the seemingly unremarkable vacation footage stored on it, his blood pressure shot up.
If he still couldn't fucking tell that this was a prank by those two Dickhead Cats, Suguru Geto might as well quit being the Monkey-Exterminating Cult Leader.
"Satoru Gojo! Sherlock! I fucking swear I'll never forgive you!!!!!!"
With Suguru Geto's furious roar, countless small Cursed Spirits poured out from behind him and began searching in every direction. If he couldn't catch those two Dickhead Cats today, he felt his whole fucking resolve would shatter!
Based on the Cursed Spirits' reports, Suguru Geto soon discovered large amounts of Cursed Energy residue at the inn next door. No longer caring that he had been dyed, he angrily jumped onto a Cursed Spirit and flew toward the room where Satoru Gojo's Cursed Energy residue had been found.
But when Suguru Geto arrived at the room, he discovered that Satoru Gojo had already grabbed Sherlock and fled. The entire room was frighteningly clean.
Just as Suguru Geto stood in the room with a dark expression, raging helplessly, someone slid the door open from outside.
Shoko had returned in a yukata after finishing her soak in the hot spring.
The instant their eyes met, both froze in place. The anger filling Suguru Geto inexplicably vanished without a trace. Looking at Shoko standing in the doorway, he gave a helpless chuckle.
"Hey, Shoko. Long time no see."
Perhaps it was Suguru Geto's gentle attitude, unchanged as ever, that put Shoko at ease. The tense atmosphere suddenly felt as though it had returned to their days at Jujutsu High.
Shoko smiled helplessly and said to Suguru Geto with exasperation,
"Looks like those two scumbags, big and little, really got you."
Hearing Shoko's jab, Suguru Geto wore a helpless smile tinged with irritation. He pulled open the ridiculous women's yukata he was wearing, pointed at the dyed skin below his neck, and cursed with a laugh.
"Those two damned Dickhead Cats! One day, I'll pay them both back!"
Seeing Suguru Geto's skin looking like a cooked shrimp, Shoko's smile broadened. Dropping all formality, she walked straight into the room, shut the door, and sat down on the couch like an old friend he hadn't seen in ages.
Only after casually taking out a cigarette and lighting it did she say to Suguru Geto with a chuckle,
"Well, Mr. Suguru Geto, the legendary Special Grade Curse User, would you care to have a drink with a Grade 4 Reverse Cursed Technique user like me?"
Faced with Shoko's invitation, Suguru Geto's reason told him that he ought to refuse. Given his identity, being in contact with Shoko was not a good thing. But his emotional side was frantically sounding the alarm, urging him to accept her invitation.
In the end, emotion won out over reason. Suguru Geto relaxed for once and sat down across from Shoko, speaking to her with an easy smile.
"I can never say no to you."
Looking at Suguru Geto's reaction, everything felt as though it had returned to their Jujutsu High days. With the cigarette between her lips, Shoko said to him almost instinctively,
"You're paying!"
Those two brief words made Suguru Geto pause. Then, as though he had realized something, he smiled and nodded at Shoko, giving the same answer he had back at Jujutsu High.
"Of course. Satoru can't keep you company, after all. One drink and he's out."
Hearing Suguru Geto's answer and watching him take a cigarette from her pack with practiced familiarity and put it between his lips, Shoko smiled even more happily.
It was like returning to those days they could remember for a lifetime, slipping away for drinks without Satoru Gojo, who went down after a single drink, and watching out for Teacher Yaga catching them, just as they always had.
At least tonight, in this room, there was no Reverse Cursed Technique user exclusive to Jujutsu High, nor any Special Grade Curse User named Suguru Geto. There were only two classmates from the same year who hadn't seen each other in a long time.