When the iron rooftop door creaked open, the wind rushed in with the cicadas' late-summer chorus, carrying a faint, astringent scent of vegetation.
White hair stood out conspicuously, sunglasses slipped down to his chin, revealing blue eyes that were staring blankly toward the distant mountain hollow, in the direction of Yamanashi Prefecture.
Qingxiao neither dodged nor retreated. He closed the door behind him and stood where he was, waiting.
He had known all along that he could not hide it, and he had never intended to hide it forever.
A figure blurred, and the next second, he landed in front of him.
His landing was as light as a feather, but the gust it raised whipped against Qingxiao's cheeks.
Satoru Gojo wasted no words. He raised his fist and punched him squarely in the left cheek.
"Guyue Qingxiao, fuck you!"
Most of the force drained from the punch just before it reached him, but it was still heavy.
Qingxiao stood perfectly straight, not retreating even half a step as he took the blow head-on. His head only tilted slightly.
The dull thud was even softer than expected.
He straightened his head and wiped his face. Against a body tempered to its utmost by Heavenly Motion, that little force did not even count as a tickle.
Qingxiao knew full well that he deserved that punch.
"Guyue Qingxiao!"
Satoru Gojo's voice held back his anger, several pitches lower than his usual flippant tone:
"What happened? Is this how you were keeping an eye on Geto for me? You were right beside him. If you'd really tried to stop him, could he have done it?"
He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
Satoru Gojo knew Qingxiao's strength better than anyone. If he had truly been determined to stop him, even ten