Ten o'clock in the morning in New York—the sunlight was piercing. Gin, having reached the limit of his patience, pushed open the door and walked straight to Gojo Satoru's bedside. His silhouette was outlined by the morning light filtering through the gaps in the curtains, fringed with a golden glow.
"...The beach... so many seashells..." Gojo was still deep in dreamland, mumbling incoherently.
Gin looked down at him from his height and spoke: "Caesar, time to get up."
Zero response. If this were a manga, a "speechless" symbol would likely be hovering over Gin's head.
"Gojo Satoru?"
"...Satoru?"
"The sun is burning your backside, you idiot." The blonde youth directly and ruthlessly hauled him up like a radish from the ground, only then catching sight of what Gojo was clutching in his arms. It was a familiar snow-white cat plushie, its face squashed flat by the weight of Gojo's 190cm frame, looking utterly pitiful.
Right—it was the gift Gin had sent him last time. He had originally thought of returning a favor after that first birthday cake. One day, after a trade mission ended, he'd seen this thing hanging in a nearby shop. He had to admit it reminded him of Gojo Satoru... they both had that same "stupidly innocent" face. So, he'd bought it on a whim and sent it over with a touch of malicious humor. He hadn't expected the guy to actually bring it on a business trip.
"Eh? Gin-chan." Gojo, feeling like he'd dreamt back to those three years in the training camp, finally woke up. He yawned and asked, "What time is it?"
Hiss~ I suddenly thought of those harem anime protagonists who have the perk of a tsundere sister or childhood friend waking them up, he thought, recalling clips he'd seen out of boredom. But having a "Workaholic" wake you up... it's a miracle if you aren't scared to death.
"It's ten o'clock. If you keep sleeping, don't bother waking up at all," said Gin coldly. His schedule was strict; he was always up by seven.
...Even though it was warm outside, the room felt inexplicably chilly. Gojo couldn't help but shiver.
Gin, who had intended to throw a few more snarky remarks, saw the white fluff-ball in Gojo's arms, and his cold expression seemed to thaw slightly. Once he was sure Gojo was awake, he turned to leave the room. "Vodka prepared breakfast. Eat it or don't, I don't care."
"Vodka? He's that capable?" Gojo asked curiously, pulling on a white shirt and casual pants as he headed out to wash up.
The moment he stepped out, he was blinded by the sight of the hulking Vodka busy in the kitchen, wearing a bright pink bunny apron. The burly man gave him a goofy smile: "Good morning, Lord Caesar."
Help... why does he radiate such "housewife" energy!! Vodka! Gojo covered his face, unable to look directly at him.
Having finished their missions with Gin early that morning, Vodka had decided to practice his cooking skills in his spare time. When in Rome, do as the Romans do—he had prepared a standard American breakfast: two sunny-side-up eggs paired with bacon, toast spread with butter and peanut butter, and two cups of espresso for Gin and himself. After hearing Gin mention that Lord Caesar disliked the bitterness of espresso, he had thoughtfully prepared a glass of sweet milk for him instead.
If Vodka had a dating-sim system, he would probably see a notification: [Gojo Satoru Favorability +100].
"Wow~ I didn't see that coming, Vodka." Once the toast and eggs hit his stomach, Gojo didn't hold back his praise: "Your skills are pretty good."
"I'm glad you like it, Lord Caesar." Ever since the "drunken incident," Vodka had become increasingly cautious around him.
Gin took a sip of his coffee and suddenly spoke in a flat tone: "By the way, our flight is this afternoon. We have to leave soon."
Gojo swallowed his milk, shocked: "So soon? There's no need, right?" He had wanted to hang out with them in New York for a bit.
Gin explained that the missions in Tokyo were urgent. If they didn't go back now, Pisco might start playing little games, which would be a nuisance.
"Fine~" The white-haired, blue-eyed youth sighed with regret, but quickly bounced back with energy. "Maybe I'll go to Japan in a while too," Gojo said with a mischievous wink. "You better treat me well when the time comes."
Gin, who had assumed Gojo would continue cultivating his influence in Mexico, found this strange and asked about his plans. Upon learning of the Boss's order following Gojo's "failure," Gin thought for a moment and offered a sentence that counted as comfort. "Take things as they come. It's no big deal."
"Don't worry." Gojo waved it off, the corners of his mouth curling up. "No matter where I am, I am the strongest~"
Gin snorted, though he didn't disagree.
A few hours later at New York's JFK Airport, crowds were surging. Even though Gin said it wasn't necessary, Gojo insisted on seeing them off.
"Gin-chan, remember to miss me when you get back, okay? Ah, and Vodka—I won't forget your delicious breakfast~"
Vodka was flattered, while Gin pulled down the brim of his hat. After a moment of silence, he spoke: "Be careful in the States. Try not to be too high-profile."
"Also... don't go to those shady places anymore. Take care of your health."
"Eh?" Gojo froze for a second before realizing Gin was referring to those "special" bars. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Last time was just an accident... and you said you'd believe anything I said!"
Hey, hey, you clearly didn't believe me at all! And "take care of your health"? He was so innocent, pure, and kind (insert 2,000 words here)—he definitely wouldn't do what certain people were thinking.
Just then, his private phone buzzed with a message. He opened it to see a text from Shuichi Akai.
[Satoko, are you still in New York? If you're free this afternoon, let's get dessert.]
Hoho, of course I'm free! Why would he turn down free Impression Points?
"Gin-chan, you're breaking your word, I'm not playing with you anymore," Gojo huffed. "I have plenty of people to play with, like Maki..." He cut himself off. Hmm... maybe if I don't say it out loud, I'll seem more innocent?
"Maki? You're still in contact with him?" Gin looked at him with an indescribable expression. Clearly, in Gin's imagination, this "Maki" was already some sort of male stripper. "...Forget it. As long as you're happy," Gin sighed, his tone leaking the helplessness of watching a dear friend walk down a path of no return.
"What do you mean 'as long as I'm happy'!" As the situation got more awkward the more he tried to explain, Gojo wanted to argue, but Gin and Vodka were already about to board. He could only swallow his rebuttals and bid them farewell. "Alright, time to say goodbye—"
Gin's long pale-gold hair billowed in the wind, leaving only a cold silhouette and a slightly raised palm. Having lost his two companions and without Salello and the others around, Gojo felt a brief flash of loneliness. But remembering Akai's message, his eyes brightened behind his sunglasses, full of anticipation. After agreeing on a time and place, Gojo set off humming a tune.
Already seated on the plane, Gin rubbed his temples and opened his phone to check if any Tokyo members had contacted him. Suddenly, an unexpected photo filled the screen. A handsome youth with white hair and blue eyes was tilting his head at the camera, making a finger-heart and adding a charming wink—looking exactly like a K-pop idol's fan-service selfie.
"..."
That brat... when on earth did he steal Gin's phone to set that as the wallpaper?!
Gojo the Prankster Cat: Hehe~ Fun times.
Beside him, Vodka saw Gin's "cracked" expression and leaned over curiously. "Big Brother, what's wrong?" Gin snapped his flip phone shut and said indifferently, "Nothing."
But his speed was no match for Vodka's gossip-hungry eyes. The burly man, after a brief moment of internal shock, quickly turned away and remotely dropped 300 Impression Points to Gojo.
I didn't expect that even after Lord Caesar was out carousing, Big Brother still couldn't let him go—he even set him as his wallpaper?!
Big Brother... you've gone soft!
Vodka, feeling indignant on Gin's behalf, hallucinated an entire tragic romance drama and forced back a tear. In that case, Lord Caesar... I'm sorry.
To avenge his Big Brother, he would personally safeguard the rumors within the Organization from now on!!
Gojo Satoru, discovering years later that he's rumored to be the Organization's biggest playboy: ???