The adviser really was a master at playing dumb

Shoko rested comfortably against his shoulder, sleeping without a care.

Shoko nestled close to him, her soft hair brushing the side of his neck. Her warm, even breaths gently swept his collar, her girlish scent lingering beneath his nose.

Qingxiao stared blankly at her profile so close to his, and the little bit of frustration in his heart vanished in an instant.

Maybe... having her asleep was nice, too.

Compared with deliberately finding things to chat about, his body tense with awkward restraint, quietly leaning against each other like this felt gentler and more reassuring instead.

Qingxiao's cheeks heated visibly, a flush spreading from his cheeks all the way to the tips of his ears and his neck. His whole face burned.

His entire body went rigid, and he dared not move an inch, afraid that even the slightest motion would wake the girl resting against him.

His eyes darted about in helpless panic. He had no idea where to put his hands and stayed utterly still, his body tense with mortification.

Suguru Geto took in his innocent, clumsy display, his eyes brimming with hidden amusement, but did not tease him aloud.

He merely straightened up and gave Qingxiao a knowing look-you handle this yourself.

With that, he promptly removed the hand covering Satoru Gojo's mouth, grabbed Satoru Gojo, who had just been freed from suffocation, and turned to move aside, leaving the two plenty of room.

As soon as they were some distance away, Satoru Gojo could no longer contain himself. He lowered his voice and exclaimed excitedly, "Geto! I saw that! Those two were sleeping so soundly snuggled up together!"

He was already rubbing his hands together, his head full of how he would tease them mercilessly later.

Suguru Geto raised a hand to hold his restless friend in place. His expression was calm, but his tone left a hint of no room for refusal. "Behave. No running your mouth."

"Huh? Why? It's not every day I get something on Qingxiao!" Satoru Gojo protested, thoroughly unconvinced.

Suguru Geto arched an eyebrow and spoke unhurriedly, knowing just how to handle him. "If you dare make a scene in front of everyone and embarrass those two, I'll buy up every last limited-edition dessert tomorrow morning. I won't leave you a single piece."

Satoru Gojo froze instantly, his pupils quivering in shock. "That's cheating! You're threatening me!"

"More or less." Suguru Geto admitted it readily, then added a precisely targeted incentive. "Have Qingxiao buy you whatever desserts you want tonight. Take your pick. Otherwise, not only will you get no dessert, but Qingxiao will definitely target you throughout your next training session."

Satoru Gojo immediately found himself torn.

After weighing it up for two seconds, he gave in, waving a hand in resignation. "Fine, fine! I won't say anything, all right? I'll keep my mouth shut!"

Suguru Geto nodded in satisfaction. With the biggest problem held in check, he waited at ease for the two to get out of the car.

Meanwhile, Qingxiao took a deep breath and suppressed the panic churning inside him. He softened his breathing and tried to keep his tone calm and gentle as he called softly, "Shoko, wake up. We're here."

He called to her softly twice in a row, his voice impossibly gentle.

Only then did Shoko slowly lift her eyelids, her eyes hazy and sleepy with the confusion of someone just waking up. Instinctively, she nuzzled closer to the warmth.

Only a moment later did she suddenly realize she was leaning against a person. Her body stiffened instantly, and she abruptly sat upright.

Realizing what had happened brought her fully awake. As she recalled how she had slept against Qingxiao the whole time, a faint blush instantly colored the tips of her ears, and her face quietly grew hot.

But for the sake of her pride, she forced herself to look composed. Feigning nonchalance, she raised a hand to smooth the loose strands beside her ear and insisted, "Ah... I fell asleep. The ride was so smooth, I didn't even notice." She made no mention whatsoever of what had just happened.

She stole a sideways glance at Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto standing a short distance away. Finding them standing quietly in the distance, seemingly unaware of what had happened here, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and rejoiced inwardly: Thank goodness they didn't see. Otherwise, they'd definitely tease us.

The adorable way she said one thing while feeling another and pretended to be calm struck Qingxiao right in the heart. He tactfully refrained from pointing it out and gently rose to get out of the car. "Let's go. Time to gather."

The two straightened their clothes and hurried over to join the pair pretending to be calm by the roadside.

When they reached the two, Suguru Geto acted as though he knew nothing at all. With a calm, natural tone and just the right amount of puzzlement, he took the initiative to ask, "What took you two so long? The car's been stopped for ages. We thought something had happened."

His acting was flawless, his expression composed and calm.

Faced with such an earnest question, Qingxiao felt a little awkward. He instinctively raised a hand to scratch the tip of his nose and explained vaguely, "N-no, nothing happened. We just accidentally fell asleep in the car and got held up a little."

Inwardly, he gave Suguru Geto a thumbs-up and marveled: The adviser really is a master at playing dumb!

At those words, the tips of Shoko's ears warmed slightly again. She silently nodded along, following his lead to discreetly conceal how they had been leaning against each other.

Beside them, Satoru Gojo immediately grew agitated, frantically making faces and tugging at Suguru Geto's sleeve, looking for all the world as though he were anxiously asking, "Why aren't you getting to the point?"

Suguru Geto completely ignored his little gestures and calmly continued his act, nodding gently. "So you fell asleep. That explains it. It really was a long trip. It's normal to be a little tired."

His skill at smoothing things over made Qingxiao silently marvel. He truly was the most dependable friend.

Satoru Gojo was finding it unbearable to hold back. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone turned around, he leaned close to Suguru Geto's ear and muttered under his breath, "I've got to make Qingxiao shell out big-time today, or all that holding back will have been for nothing."

Suguru Geto nodded slightly and said quietly, "Tell Qingxiao yourself in a bit. He won't refuse."

The sky had gone completely dark, the night deep around them, and the sparse streetlights nearby cast a dim yellow glow. Considering how late it was and the lack of suitable conditions nearby for surveying the mission site, assistant supervisor Satō had arranged a nearby hotel in advance. They would rest for the night and begin the mission early the next morning.

When the group arrived at the hotel to check in, however, the front desk informed them that rooms were in short supply, with only the last two remaining.