In early August, Renchoku Girls' Junior High announced that summer vacation would begin the following day.
The school was giving students a longer break than usual this year—a full fifty days.
Amanai Riko was still daydreaming about the wonderful vacation ahead when her best friend suddenly said,
"I'm transferring schools, Riko."
Amanai Riko hurriedly asked, "Why are you transferring all of a sudden?"
The girl explained that it was her father's decision. Her mother had told her that her father was doing it for her own good.
Amanai Riko felt as though the sky had collapsed.
The short-haired girl hesitated before speaking.
"I don't want to leave you behind, Riko. Would you come with me to Keika Girls' Junior High?"
"I... can't."
Amanai Riko couldn't agree, nor did she have any say in whether she could transfer schools. Clenching her hands tightly, she gazed at the girl with wide blue eyes, silently pleading for her to stay.
The short-haired girl left with regret.
Another piece of Amanai Riko's carefree world crumbled away.
One after another, the classmates whose families had the means to transfer them all left the school. This summer had been plagued by one natural disaster after another, while cursed spirits had been surging in secret. Tokyo had become the hardest-hit area in all of Japan.
As soon as word spread that Renchoku Girls' Junior High was no longer under the protection of the jujutsu world, well-connected wealthy families immediately began transferring their children elsewhere. Staying even one extra day was considered too dangerous.
During the lunch break, several close friends gathered together and chatted about Tokyo's well-known girls' schools.
"We all know Riko's family situation is... special. Do you think Riko will transfer to another school too?"
Amanai Riko was so lost in thought that it took several calls before she finally responded.
"I'm not transferring."
She found herself surrounded by the surprised gazes of her friends, and for some reason, she felt deeply ashamed.
Instead of going to the cafeteria, Amanai Riko rested her head on her desk, hiding her face behind her arms. Tears soaked into her sleeves. No matter how hard she wiped them away, they wouldn't stop—just as she couldn't erase the regrets that had become part of her life.
The people who had once surrounded her and cared for her were gradually disappearing, one by one, each heading down a different path.
After school, Amanai Riko sat blankly on the edge of her bed in the dormitory.
The school was once again requiring all boarding students to leave. No female students would be allowed to remain on campus during the summer vacation.
The policy was well-intentioned. The school hoped the girls would spend the holiday with their parents.
But things were no longer the same.
Amanai Riko had lost Kuroi Misato.
She had also lost the home she could happily return to during school breaks.
Now, she was nothing more than someone living under another person's roof.
When a phone call from Getou Suguru came through, Amanai Riko covered her mouth, unable to stop herself from crying.
"...Getou..."
It felt as though the entire world had abandoned her.
Only Getou Suguru, with his strange curtain bangs, was still willing to protect her.
"I'm fine... I'm fine... School's out for summer..."
With nowhere else to go, she clung to her last lifeline, crying out like a fledgling bird.
"Getou, come pick me up... I'm so scared. Everyone else has already left."
Despite being far away on a mission, Getou Suguru didn't hesitate.
"Don't be afraid. Wait for me."
Worried about Amanai Riko, the Special Grade jujutsu sorcerer rushed to Renchoku Girls' Junior High as soon as he finished his mission.
He descended from the sky, stepping into the role of the "hero" in Amanai Riko's heart.
This "hero," however, was thoughtful and meticulous. Believing that Amanai Riko had suddenly lost her financial support, he wondered if she might have become the target of bullying at school.
Rather than going to see Amanai Riko immediately, Getou Suguru sought out her homeroom teacher first.
After questioning the teacher in detail, he was met with a firm denial.
"I don't believe anything like that is happening," the teacher said. "Amanai is a pleasant girl. The students here wouldn't bully someone just because her family's circumstances suddenly changed. Doing so would only expose their own poor character, and anyone who started such bullying would be looked down upon by the rest of the class."
"The girls tend to gather around classmates who come from wealthy families, are pretty, or enjoy special privileges."
"Amanai simply hasn't adjusted to the change in her social standing yet. Her best friend transferred away as well. But I'm sure she'll adapt with time. No one stays popular their entire life."
The homeroom teacher had already been informed by the principal. Her gaze briefly lingered on the golden spiral button on Getou Suguru's school uniform. According to the principal, it was thanks to this distant relative of Amanai Riko that Renchoku Girls' Junior High had remained relatively safe until now.
She didn't understand what the principal meant by "safe," but she knew there was no harm in treating him with sincerity and courtesy.
"The same is true for the school itself. After summer vacation, we'll probably have far fewer new students."
Most of the girls at Renchoku Girls' Junior High came from wealthy or influential families. With so many transferring away, the school's reputation was bound to suffer.
"Thank you for telling me."
Getou Suguru stood and gave her a slight bow, realizing he had made an embarrassing mistake.
Afterward, he summoned a cursed spirit and brought Amanai Riko back to his apartment on the top floor of a high-rise building in Tokyo.
Amanai Riko climbed into the apartment through the window. Her legs were still weak, and she needed Getou Suguru to support her.
Helplessly, he sighed at how fragile she was.
"Riko, you really should work on your physical fitness."
The moment Amanai Riko returned to a familiar place, her usual sharp tongue came back as well.
"I just didn't want to fall!"
Getou Suguru teased her.
"Like last time, when you fainted from fright?"
Now that she was standing firmly on the floor, Amanai Riko blushed at the embarrassing memory.
"Gojo was the one who saved me afterward... and I even slapped him..."
Getou Suguru smiled as he picked up her suitcase. Without mentioning that he had actually been the one to save her, he spoke on Gojo Satoru's behalf.
"Yes, yes. So, Miss Amanai, do you regret it now? The next time Satoru comes by, remember to apologize to him."
The click-clack of Amanai Riko's leather shoes echoed across the floor as she happily pushed open the next door.
"Is he next door?"
"Satoru's probably out on a mission."
Hearing her hurried footsteps as she went looking for Gojo Satoru put Getou Suguru in a good mood.
"Ahhh!"
Amanai Riko let out a shriek.
Standing in the neighboring apartment was a renovation worker with his shirt off.
The man looked just as bewildered.
Out of nowhere, a bright, lively teenage girl had wandered into the room.
A little while later, Getou Suguru and Amanai Riko finally figured out what had happened.
The previous owner had sold the apartment at a low price. The new owner was a female college student from a well-off family, who was remodeling the apartment to suit her own tastes. The pink kitchen cabinets filling the room had been ordered by her, and the renovation worker was in the middle of installing them.
The summer heat was unbearable, so the worker had stripped off his sweat-soaked shirt while assembling the cabinets.
"So Gojo sold the apartment?" Amanai Riko asked in disbelief. "Aren't you two best friends?"
"..."
Getou Suguru wore an odd expression and avoided answering the question.
After putting his shirt back on, the renovation worker said apologetically,
"That's what happened. I've never met the previous owner, so I had no idea you knew them. I'll remember to keep the door closed next time. I hope I won't disturb you again."
Getou Suguru sighed.
"I hope so."
Amanai Riko wandered around the newly renovated apartment, running her hand over a beautiful wardrobe.
"It's so pretty."
She had spoken without thinking, but Getou Suguru took note of it.
After bringing Amanai Riko back to his own apartment, he asked gently,
"Riko, do you like pink wardrobes?"
Amanai Riko replied, "No girl can resist pink."
Then she looked at Getou Suguru with concern.
"Did you and Gojo have a fight? You should make up soon."
Getou Suguru smiled.
"It's fine. We've already made up."
Inside, however, he felt a pang of melancholy.
He had taken out a loan to buy the penthouse apartment, while the other man could casually sell his own at a reduced price whenever he pleased.
If that wasn't done just to spite him, who would believe it?
Satoru.
You're such a man-child.
Getou Suguru returned to reality and turned his attention to the other person who had absolutely no concept of money.
"Riko, have you thought about taking a summer job? Satoru and I are going to be extremely busy during the summer, so we won't have much time to look after you."
Amanai Riko nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"Sure."
Getou Suguru's impression of her improved yet again. She really is a good girl.
"What kind of job would you like?"
Amanai Riko's mind flashed through all the different jobs she had seen before. Remembering the various hamburgers Gojo Satoru had eaten in Okinawa, she blurted out without thinking,
"I want to work at a burger shop..."
Getou Suguru laughed.
"That'll be easy. Fast-food restaurants usually hire students for summer jobs."
Though he'd have to find some way to gloss over the issue of her age.
Amanai Riko asked expectantly,
"Could it be at the burger shop near your school?"
That made Getou Suguru's expression turn rather subtle as he remembered Gojo Satoru's love of hamburgers.
"I thought you hated Tokyo Jujutsu High."
"But I don't hate you two. You're the ones who saved me!"
Amanai Riko spoke her mind without reservation.
In that instant, Getou Suguru felt he'd been overthinking things.
Riko and Satoru were like two children who were always bickering with each other.
Besides, these days Satoru seemed to visit dessert shops more often than burger restaurants anyway.
...
By late August, students all across Japan were enjoying their summer vacation—or frantically finishing their homework.
The students of Tokyo Jujutsu High, meanwhile, were trapped in a living hell of endless overtime, struggling even to eat three proper meals a day.
Outside a burger restaurant, Asou Akiya stood there without going inside.
After parking nearby, Zen'in Naoya walked over, brushing the dust off his clothes as he came. Fresh from another battle, all he wanted was a high-calorie meal.
Without ceremony, he shoved Asou Akiya lightly on the shoulder.
"Akiya-kun, didn't you say you were going to get three burgers to go for dinner?"
Asou Akiya slapped his hand away, refusing to allow such casual physical contact.
"We're going somewhere else."
Standing on tiptoe, Zen'in Naoya peered inside the restaurant.
"If you don't want to go in, then I definitely want to see what's going on."
With that, Zen'in Naoya—who had just been paid that day—walked inside to buy burgers.
Asou Akiya: "..."
Avoiding the attention of the staff, Asou Akiya moved to a corner by the wall and waited for Zen'in Naoya to come back out.
When Zen'in Naoya emerged, he was carrying a large bag stuffed with fast food.
Grinning smugly, he said,
"Akiya-kun, I know who you saw. Aren't you going in to let her know who you are? Without you, she would've died at Toji's hands long ago."
Zen'in Naoya had seen the truth behind the Star Plasma Vessel mission perfectly clearly.
Without Asou Akiya's planning behind the scenes, Amanai Riko would never have escaped safely.
Not only that, but his exceptional looks had filled Zen'in Naoya with confidence. He was convinced every woman was flirting with him.
"At least she has a conscience. She recognized me, saw how handsome I am, and even gave me a bunch of free fried chicken."
Asou Akiya let out a dry laugh.
Zen'in Naoya immediately stopped showing off. He could sense the malice directed at him.
"...That smile of yours is kind of terrifying."
Asou Akiya replied flatly,
"No. You're imagining things."
Then he turned around and walked away.
That evening, Fushiguro Megumi enjoyed a lavish burger feast, while Asou Akiya quietly cooked himself a bowl of noodles.
From that day on, hamburgers were added to Asou Akiya's list of foods he didn't want to eat for the foreseeable future.
In the living room, with the television drowning out their voices, Fushiguro Megumi secretly asked Uncle Naoya what had happened.
Zen'in Naoya's train of thought was as unconventional as ever.
"Maybe he's jealous because I'm more handsome than he is. And since he never got thanked, he got mad."
Fushiguro Megumi stared at him in disbelief, then voiced the complaint that Uncle Akiya would have made.
"What are you even talking about?"
Zen'in Naoya pointed at his own face.
"Are you saying I'm not good-looking?"
Thinking of his father's taste in wives and concubines, he added proudly,
"I inherited all of my mother's best features."
Fushiguro Megumi: "...Narcissist."
Zen'in Naoya crossed his legs.
"No, this doesn't count as narcissism. There's someone at school who's even more narcissistic."
Gojo Satoru.
The proudest and most self-confident person among the Three Great Clans.
Zen'in Naoya willingly ranked himself second.
In the kitchen, Asou Akiya received a phone call. After wiping the water from his hands, he ruffled Fushiguro Megumi's sea-urchin-like hair, then walked out with his usual composed expression.
"Naoya, Megumi shouldn't spend his summer vacation doing nothing. Stay here with him and teach him his studies. I'm heading back to the dormitory for a while."
After giving his instructions, Asou Akiya walked to the entryway and bent down to put on his shoes. Just as he was about to open the door, he turned around.
His eyes landed on Zen'in Naoya, who was silently mouthing curses at him.
"Naoya, handwrite 'I'm so ugly it's earth-shattering' one hundred times tonight and turn it in to me tomorrow."
"...You've gone too far!!!"
...
The boys' dormitory.
Asou Akiya walked all the way there, taking the opportunity to glare at Getou Suguru's dorm room as he passed.
Then he quietly unlocked his own door with his key.
Inside, Gojo Satoru was sprawled across the sofa, fast asleep.
Asou Akiya reached out and touched Gojo Satoru's forehead first. His temperature was normal, his skin was smooth, there wasn't a trace of sweat, and the Limitless technique didn't reject his touch.
"Gojo, do you want to go back to bed and rest?"
Gojo Satoru awoke from a brief dream. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Asou Akiya.
"I dreamed about a whole bunch of delicious food."
As he spoke, Gojo Satoru rubbed his flat, empty stomach.
For once, he didn't urge Asou Akiya to head straight into the kitchen. Instead, he pinched Akiya's cheeks, refusing to let go until the coldness in his eyes and expression gradually melted away.
"Akiya, your negative emotions are a little too strong right now. Don't be upset. Smile."
Asou Akiya lowered his gaze and replied softly,
"Getou annoyed me a little."
Gojo Satoru looked intrigued.
"What did he do?"
Asou Akiya didn't want to reveal the darkness in his heart.
Yet at the same time, he wanted someone to indulge him, just once.
The sad part was that he couldn't think of anyone who would do so unconditionally. No one was obligated to tolerate his selfishness.
Caught between those conflicting feelings, the words he spoke to Gojo Satoru sounded even more unreal than sleep-talking.
"Gojo... could you go two months without eating hamburgers?"
"Nope!"
...
See?
That was exactly how it always turned out.
...
Gojo Satoru climbed to his feet and draped himself over Asou Akiya like a cat using him as a climbing frame.
"Could I do one month without hamburgers? Maybe. But two months is way too hard~."
"Then forget it."
Asou Akiya gave up the moment he realized he wouldn't get the answer he wanted. Instead, he coaxed Gojo Satoru gently.
"I'll go make you something to eat. Whatever you want, just tell me."
At that moment, his mood was no longer quite as bad… but it wasn't particularly good, either.
After Asou Akiya pried him off, Gojo Satoru flopped back onto the sofa. The innocent look on his face gradually turned hesitant as he stared up at the ceiling.
Two whole months without hamburgers... That's asking way too much of me. But if I only give up hamburgers for one month, Akiya doesn't even care. Why am I the only one who keeps getting stuck with impossible choices like this?
Gojo Satoru absolutely loved hamburgers, especially when he was away on business trips. They were particularly good at filling his stomach, and their savory taste offered some much-needed relief to his taste buds, which were practically on the verge of being overwhelmed by all the sweetness.
At times like this, he found himself missing Getou Suguru.
After all, Suguru was the one who had angered Akiya, not him!
Suddenly, as though a lightbulb had gone off in his head and unlocked a whole new level of understanding, Gojo Satoru sprang off the sofa and tiptoed out of the room, sneaking away to do something truly despicable.
He dragged Getou Suguru out of bed after the man had been asleep for less than half an hour!
"Akiya, I've caught the culprit! Make him go two whole months without hamburgers! And no somen noodles, either!"
"?????"
Getou Suguru looked utterly bewildered.
When Asou Akiya saw Getou Suguru, he let go of his lingering resentment. With gentle concern, he coaxed and cajoled Suguru until he had successfully escorted him back to his dormitory.
Once Suguru was taken care of and there was no third person left in the dormitory, Asou Akiya finally exploded at Gojo Satoru.
"If you're not willing to agree to something, what good do you think dragging Suguru into this will do?!"
Gojo Satoru: "Tch!"
Akiya actually losing his temper with him? That was a rare sight.
Gojo Satoru retreated to the other side of the room and protested indignantly, "You're being mean to me!"
Asou Akiya took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation that had been building up in the middle of the night. As expected, summer always seemed to put him in a bad mood.
"He can't take your place."
"He isn't you."
"I don't need him to know I'm angry. He didn't do anything wrong. He's a good person... I'm just not."
Asou Akiya returned to the main point.
"I didn't want to yell at you either. Next time, don't drag Getou into our personal matters. His mind is completely occupied with missions right now. Let him get some proper rest."
Gojo Satoru came up behind him and suddenly threw himself onto Asou Akiya's back.
"Got it. So just now, Akiya was actually acting spoiled with me? You wanted me to agree, didn't you?"
"No."
"Akiya, I've told you before—you need to be more honest. If you don't tell me what you want, how am I supposed to know?"
"...Even if I told you, you still wouldn't understand. It'd be pointless."
"I'm not an idiot!"
"You are."
Asou Akiya wasn't someone who enjoyed bickering, but speaking without thinking for once felt strangely satisfying.
After Asou Akiya fell silent, no longer wanting to argue, Gojo Satoru quietly spoke a single name.
"Is this because of Amanai Riko?"
"—?!!"
"On the way back to school, I sensed the lingering traces of her cursed energy. She's working part-time at the burger shop nearby."
"What are you trying to say? Just say it, Gojo."
"I can't go two months without eating hamburgers."
"But I can avoid her forever, so you won't get upset."
"...There's no need to go that far."
Asou Akiya's pupils trembled slightly.
The moment the word forever was attached to any promise, it ceased to be ordinary joking.
Gojo Satoru had never forgotten the one time he got angry with Suguru.
Even then, Suguru had insisted on taking Amanai Riko in, saying it was because the weak deserved to be protected.
"Akiya, I'm not Suguru, so..."
"I don't want you to be upset."
For the first time, Gojo Satoru had learned a little about putting himself in someone else's shoes.
He had already done more than enough for Amanai Riko.
On one side of the scales of the jujutsu world stood Master Tengen, who had borne the burden of a thousand years. On the other stood Amanai Riko, who had contributed nothing. Gojo Satoru hadn't wanted the filthy deeds of those old rotten oranges to stain his own hands, so he had taken the initiative to save the innocent Amanai Riko.
As far as he was concerned, that already made him an unbelievably good person.
Everything else...
He could leave to Getou, who loved sticking his nose into other people's business.
Gojo Satoru saw things with remarkable clarity.
Among friends, wasn't the bond they shared the one thing worth protecting above all else?
Akiya isn't someone who wants compromise or balance. He wants all of it.
And "forever"... that's a kind of "all," isn't it?
Gojo Satoru unleashed his ultimate secret technique on Asou Akiya:
A straight, head-on approach.
Just like that, the negative emotions that had been building up inside his friend disappeared.
"Let's make up."
...
See?
This was how someone who actually knew how to use their words handled things.
...
Asou Akiya couldn't withstand such a direct attack.
The corners of his eyes reddened as he wrapped his arms around Gojo Satoru and admitted what he truly felt.
"I don't want to lie to you. I really don't want to see her."
"Do you think I'm asking too much of you?"
He didn't want Amanai Riko anywhere near Gojo Satoru.
It was an instinctive, visceral aversion.
He wanted the Star Plasma Vessel mission, that had left Gojo Satoru lying in a pool of blood, to be over forever. He never wanted to spend another day living in fear over it, losing sleep and peace of mind.
What if Master Tengen saw Amanai Riko nearby, lost control even further, and once again entertained the idea of "assimilation"?
He refused to let Gojo Satoru bear responsibility for Amanai Riko's life for the rest of his days.
The Six Eyes saw through the silent yet overwhelming plea in Asou Akiya's heart.
"No one can force me to do anything."
Gojo Satoru smiled.
"If I don't want to see someone, then I won't."
The moment the words left his mouth, Gojo Satoru suddenly felt his feet leave the ground. In an instant, his head was level with the chandelier beside them.
Asou Akiya had lifted him high into the air.
"I like Gojo the most!"
Gojo Satoru's face instantly flushed red.
Then, in astonishment, he realized—
This was the first time Asou Akiya had ever said he liked him the most.
...I like Akiya the most, too!