Because, for the first time in his life, someone had respected his freedom as an individual and understood the desperation of someone born with ordinary talent, Asou Akiya arrived in the second-year classroom carrying a backpack whose hidden compartment had been emptied of every coin inside.
One by one, he began dropping them into the piggy bank that Gojo Satoru always carried with him.
Ieiri Shoko: "..."
Getou Suguru stared at him in horror.
"Akiya... why are you giving him so much?"
The more Akiya fed the piggy bank, the bigger Gojo's appetite would become and before long, he'd turn into the school's most notorious extortionist!
"Suguru, I'm worth it."
Gojo Satoru cheerfully shook the piggy bank, and crisp clinks of coins rang out from inside.
The little white cat piggy bank wearing sunglasses had been emptied the day before to pay for the KTV private room, but now its savings had already begun to recover.
Gojo flashed Akiya a bright smile.
The piggy bank didn't just collect money—it stored every bit of affection inspired by the smiles people gave him.
Asou Akiya smiled back, tiny stars of hope sparkling in his eyes.
"Gojo is super cute when he smiles."
"No way! Can you even call a guy cute?"
Gojo crossed his arms, thoroughly dissatisfied with being described using a word reserved for children or girls.
"Then... you're super sweet," Asou Akiya amended, comparing him to the crêpes sold on Takeshita Street.
"No! I want to be called ridiculously, super handsome!"
Gojo hugged the piggy bank protectively against his chest.
"Too many requests. That exceeds the wishing limit for a single coin—ding-dong—please take your coin back."
Standing beside the desk, Asou Akiya ignored his protest and slipped another coin into the piggy bank.
Feeling its satisfying weight in his hands, Gojo couldn't help laughing.
"It won't fit anymore, Akiya. Kitty's tummy is already full. Save the rest for next time."
Getou Suguru grimaced, feeling his teeth ache from how sugary Gojo's tone had become. Seeing that Akiya seemed completely unfazed, he looked across at Ieiri Shoko instead.
Good.
Judging by her expression, she found it just as sickening.
After dropping in the last coin, Asou Akiya looked at Gojo.
"Want to go to a maid Café together after school? Just the two of us."
Gojo blinked, completely puzzled by the invitation. Instead of answering immediately, he puffed out his chest smugly.
"Suguru already asked me to play games with him."
Getou Suguru forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"That's right. So who are you going to choose?"
Gojo Satoru looked conflicted as he weighed his options.
"I don't really like coffee. I'd much rather play games... but I've never been to a maid café before..."
Seeing his indecision, Asou Akiya smiled gently and gave way.
"Then I'll go scout one out today and find a good café. We can go together after school tomorrow instead. You and Suguru should have fun today."
"Sounds good."
The moment he realized he could have the best of both worlds, Gojo agreed without hesitation.
"Suguru, you heard that, right? You're coming with me. No backing out."
Gojo stretched out a leg and nudged the desk beside him with his foot.
Getou Suguru could only stare at him speechlessly.
Akiya went out of his way to invite you; You should've just accepted, you idiot!
Enthusiasm was something that faded with time.
Asou Akiya rarely took the initiative to invite anyone out, and today he was clearly happier than usual.
Getou Suguru couldn't help advising him.
"We can play games anytime. You don't have to indulge Satoru so much."
"I'm not like you, Suguru." Asou Akiya said as he returned to the seat beside him. The overwhelming joy that had filled him earlier was gradually settling back down, along with thoughts that needed no one else's understanding. "If I don't indulge him, it's easy for him to get upset with me."
Getou Suguru laughed.
"As if Satoru would get mad at you over something like that."
He glanced over at Gojo Satoru, who was sprawled across his desk without a care in the world, and grew even more certain.
"Hmm, he wouldn't." Asou Akiya, however, could never believe that.
With quiet envy tempered by reason, he lowered his head.
Long ago, he had cast aside his naivety. What remained was the worldly, detached self that society had painstakingly shaped. His cruelty was most often directed inward. Better to be ruthless with himself than wait for someone else to be ruthless to him.
The pain he inflicted upon himself was limited.
It was predictable.
It would never be quite so humiliating, nor linger for so unbearably long.
The pain inflicted by others, however, had no limits.
[I'm not a genius.]
[I'm not one of the powerful figures in the world of jujutsu.]
[Ugly Treasure was originally meant to acknowledge Getou Suguru as its master. My Cursed Tools were originally Gojo Satoru's spoils of war. The only reason I was able to train my body to this extent was because of Ieiri Shoko's healing. The capital that allowed me to build my future came from wealth that belonged to no one. And on top of all that... I'm still buried under Mei Mei's usurious loans.]
[The only thing I can do is hide myself away and quietly plan for the future. My methods cannot withstand the light of day; once exposed, they'll lead only to my death.]
[A maid café... is already the nicest place I can think of to invite him.]
[Gojo... thank you for your gift. Truly, thank you.]
...
After school, Asou Akiya rode his bicycle across the city. Following recommendations he had found online, he visited one maid café after another, sampling their food.
His gaze never lingered on the girls in maid uniforms with any ulterior motive. Instead, he approached each café with the mindset of someone exploring a piece of anime and gaming culture, carefully searching for the best one.
Any café with a poor atmosphere was crossed off the list.
Any whose maids looked as though they hadn't put care into their appearance was eliminated.
Any with disappointing food or desserts was rejected.
Any that required waiting in line or couldn't accept reservations by phone was likewise discarded.
Asou Akiya devoted the same patience and meticulous attention to this as he did to every other aspect of his life, determined to give Gojo Satoru the best experience possible.
When one maid café asked whether he wanted to reserve a single seat or a table for a couple, Asou Akiya explained with great care,
"It'll be me and another boy. We're classmates, not a couple. My classmate has never been to a maid café before so I'd like to order the Angel Set for him tomorrow. If possible, I'd like your prettiest maid to wear beautiful white wings and white stockings, then greet the white-haired boy in sunglasses with a sweet 'Welcome home, Goshujin-sama,' and surprise him."
It was one of the services offered by the maid café, one of Japan's unique attractions. Asou Akiya had already picked out the Angel Set he thought Gojo would enjoy most. It cost more than twice as much as an ordinary set meal.
As for some of the café's more unconventional services...
He politely declined.
"We'll need you to pay part of the reservation deposit in advance, sir."
"Of course."
These days, Asou Akiya no longer had to worry so much about his living expenses. He finally had a little spare money to spend on things he wanted.
The following day, Asou Akiya and Gojo Satoru arrived at the maid café together.
The air conditioning inside was pleasantly cool. Every server in the café was a girl dressed in a maid outfit; there weren't any cross-dressing part-timers mixed in among them.
Like any first-time customer, Gojo Satoru lowered his sunglasses slightly along the bridge of his nose. His dazzling Six Eyes swept back and forth across the entire café again and again, brimming with curiosity as he eagerly took everything in.
The angelic maid serving them was as lovely as she was sweet. "Goshujin-sama in the sunglasses, here's your coffee~"
That single "Goshujin-sama" was enough to make any high school boy's heart melt, and Gojo Satoru was no exception. The corners of his lips immediately curled upward.
"This is fun!"
He pulled out his phone and snapped several photos in quick succession. The angel maid maintained her flawless smile, politely waiting until he had finished taking pictures before excusing herself.
Gojo selected the photo he considered the best and set it as his phone's wallpaper, temporarily replacing the picture of Inoue Waka. Turning the screen toward Asou Akiya across the table, he said excitedly,
"She's wearing white thigh-highs!"
Then, with a mischievous grin, he added, "These maid outfits look way better than the clothes people wear at my house. Next time I go home, I'll make all those old oranges in the Gojo Clan put on maid uniforms too and call me 'Goshujin-sama!'"
Asou Akiya nearly spat out his coffee.
"I... don't think they'd be happy to do that."
Gojo waved his phone dismissively.
"It doesn't matter. As long as they do it!"
"Them...?"
Gojo amused himself with the thought.
"Ever since that time they made me drink those tonics, I chased away all my personal maids. The only ones left are male attendants. Sure, none of them are as good-looking as you, Akiya, but they're obedient enough. They already call me embarrassing stuff like 'Miko-sama.'*[1] I'm sure it'd be even funnier if they put on maid outfits and called me 'Master.'"
Asou Akiya pressed his lips together.
'Miko-sama' is embarrassing? And did you just compare my looks to your household attendants?
Gojo blinked.
"Why'd you go quiet?"
Asou Akiya slowly stirred his coffee. He wasn't someone who liked adding much sugar.
"I'm starting to regret not inviting Suguru."
Gojo immediately picked up his coffee, moved it to the opposite side of the table, and switched seats so he was sitting beside Akiya instead. Then he launched into a rapid-fire protest.
"You were the one who invited me out alone! I only came because it was you asking me to have coffee. How can you regret it now?"
"If Suguru were here, you definitely wouldn't compare him to the people who work in your house."
Gojo rolled his eyes upward.
"Did I do that?"
"You did."
Gojo hurriedly defended himself.
"That's only because I don't know that many people! I trust you!"
Asou Akiya lowered his gaze to the rippling coffee in his cup.
"I don't think that's a healthy kind of trust. It's built on the credibility of the Gojo Clan, not on your understanding of me. You don't actually know me very well. What you've seen is only the version of myself I choose to show you, and what you've heard are only the things I'm willing to tell you."
Gojo Satoru knew that the reason he had trusted Akiya in the beginning was because he belonged to the Gojo Clan.
But everything that had happened afterward had proven that Asou Akiya was worthy of that trust.
Even if Asou Akiya were to leave the Gojo Clan, Gojo would still be willing to believe in their friendship.
Feigning ignorance, he whined, "I don't get it. This is giving me a headache."
Asou Akiya refused to be swayed by his shameless act, "Yes, you do. You see things more clearly than anyone."
Gojo leaned closer, peering at him.
Only then did he realize that Akiya was genuinely upset. Even now, he lowered his eyes, hiding them behind the curtain of his lashes.
"You're the one who wants to be friends with me," Gojo said. "But then you keep saying things that kill the mood. If you don't want me mixing up your identity with the Gojo Clan's, then just terminate your employment with the Gojo Clan."
Terminate it?
Where can I 'terminate' it?
A soft, bitter chuckle escaped Asou Akiya's lips.
Gojo casually slung an arm around his shoulders.
"Sure, I'd miss your cooking if you stopped making meals for me, but whatever kind of life you want to live is your own choice. I'm not going to make things difficult for you."
With his free hand, he picked up his phone and opened his contacts.
"How much is the penalty for breaking the contract? I'll get it waived for you."
Just before Gojo could place the call to the head of the Gojo Clan, Asou Akiya reached out and pressed a hand over his.
Gojo looked at him.
"Coward."
"Yes," Asou Akiya admitted without denying it. "I'm a coward. I'm just... not ready yet."
Gojo frowned.
"What exactly are you waiting to be ready for?"
Asou Akiya quietly listed everything he had yet to accomplish.
"This summer hasn't arrived yet. With so many missions ahead, now isn't the time to introduce more variables. Yaga-sensei hasn't become the principal yet. My strength still hasn't reached the level of a Grade 2 jujutsu sorcerer. The orphanage hasn't been renovated yet. And I still haven't come up with a good excuse for using a Special Grade Cursed Tool..."
Gojo Satoru: "??????"
If there had been even one fewer question mark, it would have been disrespectful to the sheer bewilderment he felt toward Asou Akiya.
His eyes went blank.
He abruptly took a huge gulp of coffee, smacked his lips, and muttered,
"I was going to say... what was I going to say again?"
After a long pause, he looked at Akiya with complete sincerity.
"Have you ever considered just... turning your brain off for a while? Focus on getting better at using your Cursed Tools instead. Now that you've got a Special Grade Cursed Tool, if you learn to use it skillfully, you're already about on par with the weakest Grade 2 jujutsu sorcerers."
Then Gojo declared with absolute confidence,
"I think your brain is what's stopping you from getting stronger!"
Gojo Satoru's conclusion made Asou Akiya waver for all of two seconds before he quickly regained his resolve.
"Impossible. If I lived without using my brain, wouldn't my life be reduced to nothing but instinct? I can't even imagine living like that for a single day."
Gojo Satoru happily ate his fried chicken meal while leaning comfortably against his friend, completely oblivious to the fact that there might be something questionable about the image he presented.
"Akiya, I can inherit the position of clan head now."
Then he asked, "So when are you finally going to come to the Gojo Clan to see me?"
What Gojo disliked most was that Akiya always refused to step inside the Gojo estate. It always gave him the feeling that this decaying, feudal clan was a place only he himself was willing to live in—that even Asou Akiya found the life he led within the Gojo Clan distasteful.
After enduring Gojo Satoru's relentless barrage of urging, Asou Akiya suddenly realized the chain reaction brought about by Gojo's growing strength.
First, Gojo's rebellious phase was gradually coming to an end. He was no longer as resistant to inheriting the position of clan head.
Second, his Limitless Technique was now only one year away from reaching its twenty-four-hour automatic activation state. By September, next year, if Asou Akiya were to lose Gojo's trust and failed to explain the truth about his relationship with the Gojo Clan, then for the rest of his life he would never again be able to touch the Gojo Satoru protected behind the absolute barrier of the Limitless.
The reason he refused to enter the Gojo estate wasn't because he didn't want to.
It was because his cursed energy had never been registered with the clan's barrier. The Gojo Clan's barrier simply didn't recognize him as anything other than an outsider.
An overwhelming sense of urgency instantly welled up inside him.
Summer is almost here.
No... absolutely not.
It wasn't the first time the Higher-Ups had deliberately made life difficult for the students.
Autumn.
By autumn at the latest...
He had to completely resolve the false identity he had fabricated before enrolling at Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"I..."
"Akiya, I'm not forcing you." Gojo interrupted with a grin. "You're sweating from how nervous you are."
"Like what you just said, it's because I'm a coward." Asou Akiya smiled helplessly. "Not having the courage is perfectly normal."
He deliberately turned his own vulnerability into a joke.
Just as he'd expected, Gojo accepted it without question.
Gojo answered with his usual blunt sincerity.
"Kill a few more Cursed Spirits, and you'll get your courage."
"That's a good idea."
This summer...
He'd give it a try and see if it really worked.
Gojo Satoru ate and drank contentedly, no longer paying any attention to the maids. Instead, he decided to tease Akiya.
"I want to see you in a maid outfit."
Asou Akiya thought for a moment about when Halloween would be.
"Then how about we all wear maid outfits together on Halloween at the end of the year?"
Gojo grinned.
"Hehe—"
Asou Akiya returned a knowing look.
He was planning to drag Getou Suguru into it too.
This year's Halloween fell on November 1st. It would be the perfect time to go out together after everything had been laid bare, to stroll through the streets, have fun, and finally erase the distance between them.
Resting his cheek against one hand, Asou Akiya asked softly,
"White stockings or black stockings? Which would you rather see me wear when we go out?"
Gojo held up a finger, then another, wavering between the two choices before shamelessly declaring,
"Wear both for me once."
"...All right."
Gojo blinked in surprise.
"How come you're agreeing so easily all of a sudden?"
A faint smile played across Asou Akiya's lips.
"That's hardly a difficult request. If you're in a good mood by then, I wouldn't even mind serving you tea, putting on a pair of wings, and calling you 'Goshujin-sama' once."
Provided you're still in the mood to go out and have fun by Halloween.
Asou Akiya silently finished the sentence in his heart.
Unfortunately, Gojo knew nothing of that. Instead, his anticipation for November 1st shot through the roof.
Gojo Satoru had never been the patient type. Unable to satisfy himself by merely looking forward to it, he immediately opened the calendar on his phone.
"That's so unfair, Akiya! It's only May! Why would you tell me something like this so far in advance?"
While his attention was fixed on the calendar, Asou Akiya gazed at him with gentle eyes and softly called out, "Goshujin-sama~"
Gojo Satoru froze.
"...!!!"
At that moment, he suddenly understood why Zen'in Naoya had fallen for it and abandoned his resolve to resist until the bitter end.
Being called "Goshujin-sama" felt amazing, okay?!
Asou Akiya reached out and gently smoothed Gojo's unruly white hair before adjusting the sunglasses that were forever on the verge of slipping off his nose.
"Keep them on properly."
Then he looked at him with quiet tenderness.
"If that's your wish, then I've already granted you an advance payment."
"So... be happy this year."
Asou Akiya lightly pulled Gojo's head down.
"Don't hold your head so high."
"Ordinary people won't be able to reach you."
Gojo Satoru immediately corrected him.
"What do you mean, 'ordinary people'? Don't put yourself down like that. Aren't you standing right here in front of me?"
"That's true."
Asou Akiya smiled softly.
"I'm standing right here in front of you and you're willing to lower your head for me, even if it's only for a brief moment while we chat."
The heart that had always drifted between emptiness and barely restrained despair finally found something solid enough to cling to.
He leaned forward.
Then he pressed a gentle kiss against the neatly smoothed strands of Gojo's white hair.
"Then I wish you a lifetime of peace, happiness, and joy, Gojo."
His fine hair was like delicate snow.
Cool beneath his lips.
It would never melt.
At that moment, the rest of the world dissolved into something unreal before Asou Akiya's eyes.
Only the white-haired boy before him remained real.
Through that kiss, Asou Akiya felt the unyielding strength of Gojo Satoru's heart and the vibrant force of his life.
—May the person I know live a lifetime blessed with peace, happiness, and joy.
No one had ever kissed the loose strands that fell across the Six Eyes' forehead.
The touch of his hair tickled Gojo slightly. The old wound where a dagger had once been driven mercilessly through his brain seemed to reappear for an instant before healing all over again, leaving behind a strange phantom ache, as though something were quietly sprouting to life.
Gojo Satoru stared at Asou Akiya without blinking, observing the scene from different angles.
From eye level.
From above.
Curiosity.
Surprise.
Growing shyness.
No matter how he looked at the moment from within his own heart, it always felt as though he had been profoundly blessed.
Ever since childhood, Gojo had been collecting the missing pieces that everyone else seemed to possess but he alone had lacked, fitting them one by one into the life that carried him relentlessly forward.
He wanted to be one of a kind.
He also wanted to have everything.
He was proud.
He was greedy.
And yet, throughout it all, only Asou Akiya had never left his side.
During the Star Plasma Vessel mission, when Gojo lay in a pool of his own blood, Akiya had been the one to promise that they would walk into the underworld together if that was where fate led them.
Gojo's wide blue eyes silently asked the question he had never learned to voice:
How does someone who never cries and never throws a tantrum, ever receive candy?
Asou Akiya's felt sorry for him, so he silently made him a promise.
As long as Gojo was willing to lower his head, Akiya would always give him candy.
Whatever flavor he wanted, Akiya would do everything in his power to place it in his hands.
Even if he had to smash the entire jujutsu world to pieces...
It wouldn't matter.
Because, to him, Gojo Satoru mattered more than the jujutsu world itself.
Gojo Satoru felt an overwhelming sweetness bloom inside him.
His heart filled with emotions too numerous to name, until they all condensed into one simple thought.
—Akiya, isn't my forehead worthy of a kiss too?!
[1] The raw text uses 神子 (miko) here, an archaic term meaning “Divine Child” or “Child of the Gods.” This is different from 巫女 (miko), the much more familiar Japanese term for a shrine maiden. Since both are romanized as miko but carry completely different meanings, I kept Miko-sama in the translation rather than using “Divine Child-sama,” which sounds rather awkward in English.