The battle was over, leaving the place in shambles as the dust in the air slowly settled. Suguru Geto walked forward at an unhurried pace and bent down to look at the dying Grade 2 Cursed Spirit on the ground, faint cursed energy gathering at his fingertips.
He deftly activated his cursed technique, forcibly compressing and refining the Grade 2 Cursed Spirit with its formidable defenses. In an instant, a pale blue Cursed Spirit Orb appeared in his palm.
Suguru Geto pinched the cold, slimy Cursed Spirit Orb between his fingertips. The instant he brought it to his lips, his expression abruptly stiffened.
An indescribably nauseating taste rushed into his nose and onto his tongue before anything else, rank and slimy, mingled with the foul air of decay. It was like forcibly chewing and swallowing a moldy rag soaked in vomit and covered in grime. The sticky stench plastered itself to his mouth and throat, sending nausea surging straight to the top of his head.
Suppressing his involuntary dry heaving and extreme discomfort, he did not hesitate in the slightest. He tipped his head back, opened his mouth, and cleanly popped the Cursed Spirit Orb inside, swallowing it all the way down to complete the cursed spirit's absorption and subjugation.
Suguru Geto's face visibly paled. His gentle brows drew tightly together, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his jaw went taut.
The instant he swallowed, he swayed slightly and instinctively raised a hand to his chest. His Adam's apple bobbed as he forced down the rising dry heaves. His entire face was deathly pale, without a trace of color, and his usual calm composure had vanished completely.
"Geto! Are you okay?" Qingxiao was the first to notice something was wrong. He hurried forward and took hold of his arm, his voice full of concern.
Almost simultaneously, Shoko and Satoru Gojo immediately gathered around him as well.
Suguru Geto waved a hand and forced himself to say, "I'm fine. I'm just... not quite used to it."
"Geto? Does it feel that bad?" Shoko softened her voice, her tone full of concern. She instinctively raised a hand to check his condition, afraid something was wrong with his body.
Satoru Gojo also dropped his usual joking grin and leaned forward slightly, his tone unusually serious. "Thanks for doing that, Geto."
Suguru Geto took several deep breaths of fresh air, forcibly suppressed his physical discomfort, and slowly straightened up.
Seeing him like this, Qingxiao could not help frowning and complaining, "Don't push yourself so hard. No matter how useful the cursed spirit is, that taste is way too much torture."
After a brief rest, Suguru Geto's condition eased a little. Only once they confirmed there was nothing seriously wrong with him did the others finally stop worrying.
Satoru Gojo suddenly came running over with an obnoxious air and asked, "What did it taste like to make you that sick?"
Suguru Geto frowned, seemingly unwilling to recall it, but still took a deep breath and said, "Like... a rag covered in vomit, I guess."
His words sent a wave of revulsion through all three listeners.
Satō, the assistant supervisor standing nearby, stepped forward at an appropriate moment and quietly outlined the follow-up arrangements. "The mission was completed successfully. I'll coordinate the wrap-up report, procedural archiving, and subsequent records. You don't need to worry about them."
Suguru Geto shook his head slightly. "No need. I'll go coordinate with you. It'll be a good chance to familiarize myself with the process."
With all their remaining worries now thoroughly resolved, Qingxiao instantly breathed a sigh of relief and joked casually, "Well, that's great. Finally, a chance to slack off instead of getting a headache over a pile of tedious paperwork."
Satoru Gojo's eyes positively lit up. Instantly restored to full vigor, he could think of nothing but fun and relaxation. "Great! No overtime! Let's hurry back to the hotel and get our things together. We have to go out and have a proper look around today!"
Having watched Suguru Geto endure his discomfort to finish the battle, only to take on the complicated wrap-up work now, Shoko volunteered to stay and help. "I'll stay and lend a hand too. Checking everything with just two people is too slow. Another person will make it much quicker."
Seeing this, Qingxiao naturally had no reason to leave on his own, so he casually added, "Then I'll stay and wait too."
Only Satoru Gojo was left standing by himself. He had been looking forward to shopping and relaxing, but seeing everyone choose to stay and finish the work, his face instantly fell, and he grumbled under his breath, "Huh? Everyone's staying? That's so boring. I wanted to hurry out and shop and eat..."
Though he kept complaining about how boring and troublesome it was, he showed no intention of taking a single step toward leaving. He leaned lazily against the wall and obediently stayed to wait for everyone.
They each took on their own tasks and worked seamlessly together. Satō organized the official archival documents, Suguru Geto checked the combat records and details of the cursed spirit's exorcism, Shoko helped organize and preserve the scene footage while checking for oversights, and Qingxiao inspected the details and filled in missing information. With everyone working together, the tedious wrap-up progressed rapidly.
Once all the wrap-up work was settled, Shoko looked at Suguru Geto, who still seemed somewhat weak, and thanked him sincerely. "Geto, thank you for all your hard work today."
Suguru Geto's expression softened at her words. He smiled faintly, his voice gentle and calm. "We're all teammates. Helping each other is only natural. When I felt sick earlier, you all showed concern for me right away too. It was no trouble."
After a brief exchange, all the work was finally finished. Only then did they lay down their burdens and leave the unfinished building together, driving back to the hotel to rest and prepare to go shopping and relax later.
Back at the hotel, Shoko returned to her room alone to organize her belongings. Qingxiao had just finished putting his own things in order when someone abruptly pushed his door open. Wearing a mysterious expression, Satoru Gojo hurried over, grabbed Qingxiao's wrist, and pulled him farther into the room.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing? What's with all the secrecy?" Caught off guard by the tug, Qingxiao looked utterly puzzled.
Satoru Gojo closed the door and lowered his voice, looking smugly as though he had everything under control. "Listen, I already put together a personalized plan to get you a girlfriend! It's absolutely reliable. Guaranteed to help you win Shoko over!"
Qingxiao's mouth twitched hard, and distrust instantly filled his heart. After knowing him for so long, he knew Satoru Gojo's reliability was practically zero, and he had bad dating advice by the handful.
"You? Reliable?" Qingxiao looked him up and down skeptically. "You've never even dated anyone yourself. Quit giving me random ideas. Don't end up making things worse and leaving me too embarrassed to show my face."
"That's where you're wrong! A master theorist doesn't need practical experience!" Satoru Gojo patted his chest, brimming with confidence. "These are top-tier strategies I've painstakingly researched. They're rock solid! Just listen to me, and you can't go wrong!"
Qingxiao sighed helplessly, knowing full well that this guy was probably just messing around again. But despite having lived two lives, he had never been in a relationship. He had no experience whatsoever and had no idea how to make a move or grow closer to someone.
After a moment of indecision, he finally gave in, deciding to at least hear out this unreliable plan.
"Fine, fine. Go ahead. I'm listening."
Satoru Gojo immediately brightened. He promptly dug a brand-new, fitted black shirt out of his suitcase and held it out to Qingxiao, his eyes full of pride. "Ta-da! Your very own custom battle outfit! I had it specially ordered for you. The cut looks super sharp!"
Qingxiao took the shirt and, looking at the fine-quality fabric, walked into the bathroom to change with lingering doubts. But once he had put it on and stood before the mirror, the result far exceeded his expectations.
Satoru Gojo had clearly had it tailored to Qingxiao's measurements, but he had still underestimated the physique Qingxiao had honed through years of arduous training and actual combat.
His well-developed shoulders and neck filled out the crisp neckline perfectly. It was not tight, yet it followed his figure completely, offering glimpses of his broad shoulders and back and the firm contours of his chest, while the lines of his waist and abdomen were taut and clean. On him, what had originally been a refined, neat shirt took on an intensely untamed appeal.
Qingxiao looked at his reflection, which seemed a little incongruous yet particularly attractive, and said somewhat helplessly, "You ordered this way too small."
Satoru Gojo's eyes shone as he looked him over, clapping repeatedly in approval. "No, no, no! It's just right! This looks incredible! Even better than I imagined!"
As the two fussed around and joked in front of the mirror, a soft knock came at the door, followed by Suguru Geto's voice. "Are you two ready? Want to head to Shopping Street together to shop and unwind?"
Before you continue