A Bizarre Adventure That Begins in Jujutsu Kaisen

"Thanks."

Xia Youjie accepted the blessing with a smile.

"Like the green grass in the mountains, the breeze in the harbor, the moon at night... 'Wholehearted love' is something that cannot be faked."

When you truly receive it, you will feel as if the whole world is gazing upon you tenderly and accepting you.

He sighed softly and continued:

"In the past, I carried the unattainable 'paradise' in my heart and was burdened by the so-called 'righteousness,' and I was always very afraid."

I fear that if I give up halfway, get married and have children, and live an ordinary and happy life, I will become complacent one day and eventually be consumed and burned out by my former ideals and curses.

So I never dared to reciprocate her feelings... I really feel so sorry for her.

Now, Theo has stepped forward, raised the banner of change, and pointed out the truly viable path...

I feel like the heavy burden on my shoulders can finally be lifted.

Finally, I can... live with a clear conscience, for myself and for those I love.

After saying that, he reached out and hooked his arm around Gojo Satoru's neck, throwing the topic back to him:

"Satoru, you're not a kid anymore. Have you ever felt that... 'being gazed at gently' moment from Shoko or the songstress?"

"It's so noisy!"

Gojo Satoru, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, immediately broke free from his arm, the tips of his ears appearing slightly red.

"After this conference, once things have settled down... I'll go ask them!"

"Oh? Asking both at once?" Xia Youjie immediately seized the opportunity, giving a thumbs up with a teasing look that said, "You're really efficient, Mr. Gojo!"

"...Not really!" Gojo Satoru was speechless for once, scratching his head and turning his face away, his voice lowered.

"As for Shoko... we're too familiar with each other, so familiar that neither of us seems to have any desire to take things further. We're more like close friends and family."

But the songstress… perhaps… there’s a tiny… glimmer of hope?

"Oh, oh~~" Xia Youjie drawled out, his face showing a knowing expression that said, "I saw it a long time ago."

"Actually, I've always felt that there's a strange, unspoken understanding between you and the songstress."

Although the way it's presented... well, it's rather unique.

Just then, Nanami Kento, who was always known for his seriousness and reliability, suddenly took half a step forward, lowered his voice, and spoke mysteriously:

"Actually... I asked Shoko-senpai."

"Um?!"

Several burning, gossipy gazes instantly focused on him.

Qi Haijian made a "shush" gesture, his expression serious yet revealing a rare youthful liveliness:

"Anyway, Shoko-senpai isn't here today, so it's just the few of us here..."

He looked around and emphasized, "Don't say it was me who said it."

"I understand, I understand!"

"Don't worry, it'll stay completely to myself!"

"Tell me quickly!"

Once everyone had tacitly gathered in a small circle, holding their breath, Nanami Kenjou repeated, word by word, in an almost whispered voice:

"That's what she said—"

"To be honest, falling in love with either of them is something that wouldn't happen even if the world turned upside down or it was the end of the world."

But after Jie left the vocational high school, I really felt... that Wu and I both became more lonely.

"...As expected." Xia Youjie stroked his chin, a complex mix of understanding and guilt flashing in his eyes. "Compatibility is something you can't force."

Gojo Satoru immediately straightened his back, adjusted his small round sunglasses, and his tone regained its usual, almost self-righteous confidence, or rather, narcissism:

"As expected! It's because I'm too handsome and too strong that she's too shy to confess directly, so she can only express her dependence in a subtle way!"

"...Senior, I think your understanding is definitely seriously flawed at some crucial point." Nanami Kento squinted and retorted mercilessly.

"Speaking of which," Kusakabe Atsuya, who is usually honest and has a rather traditional focus, brought the topic back, looking at Gojo Satoru with a somewhat conflicted expression.

"It feels like the songstress... has always been the one being bullied by you unilaterally."

Is this really appropriate?

I mean, everyday interactions—even in that… well, awkward way, like a kindergarten boy?

"No way!" Gojo Satoru immediately retorted, his voice rising a half-octave, but a closer listen revealed a hint of insecurity. "I always...stop before she gets really angry! And I always apologize and make amends afterwards!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Youjie nodded thoughtfully, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"Oh? I see... Now that you mention it, I think I remember."

I heard Shoko mention before that the songstress-senpai said something like this in private—sometimes, "getting angry at just the right time" usually... results in receiving some kind of "special gift" to "calm down your anger."

"So you two were really flirting!"

Nanami Kento slapped his thigh, his tone full of certainty, "I knew it."

"I've always felt that you two are playing some kind of weird game of offense and defense—the kind that only you two understand, like 'Kaguya-sama: Love Is War,' going back and forth endlessly!"

"So why do you read these romance comics? The art style is so mismatched with your image!" Gojo Satoru tried to steer the conversation away from the topic.

"I'm only twenty-six! 'Radiant Announcement' is just a normal manga serialized in 'Young Jump,' it's none of your business to lecture me!"

Nanami Kento relentlessly reached out and pressed down on Gojo Satoru's shoulder, as if trying to force this perpetually mischievous senior onto the ground of "reality."

"More importantly—you'd better meet the expectations of your senior songstress first!"

Even the usually calm and dignified Principal Yamo Masamichi couldn't help but join the "criticism."

He crossed his arms, his gaze fixed seriously on Gojo Satoru, his tone carrying the unyielding authority of an elder:

"I remember, the little songstress should be thirty years old this year, right?"

Wu, how long are you going to keep 'playing with' her like this? It's time for a clear explanation and closure.

Gojo Satoru rarely showed a hint of embarrassment, scratching his head: "Ah, Ms. Yagami, I'm not that kind of irresponsible person."

As the head of the Gojo family, I've never even had a proper romantic relationship.

"Is that so?" Theo joined the "siege" with a smile.

He crossed his arms, speaking slowly and deliberately, yet every word he uttered hit the nail on the head:

"If you had any excuses before—like 'being too busy,' 'the heavy burden of bearing the title of the strongest,' or 'the world of sorcery can't do without me'...

Now, even with me, Jay, and Youtai sharing the burden, we can't hold our own anymore.

He took two steps closer and gently patted Gojo Satoru's shoulder with a friendly touch, but his words pressed on: "Would you like... us to give you some advice?"

Let's brainstorm together. After all, it seems your approach to this kind of problem doesn't quite live up to your reputation as the 'best'.

Finally, Gojo Satoru couldn't withstand the "firepower" coming from all directions. He raised his hands in surrender, his ears turning bright red as if they were about to bleed. His voice, unusually, carried a hint of embarrassment and embarrassment: "Enough! Stop ganging up on me!"

He whirled around, trying to break free of the "encirclement," and threw out a sentence: "You guys can argue amongst yourselves! Forget about me!"