"Pay first!"
"What? It's not like we're not going to pay for the cake!"
After some back and forth, Nicole, Anby, and Billy forced their way into the small shop.
Nekomata served them a little slowly, her hand slightly trembling, afraid that any slight mishandling might cause the newly adopted "child" to bre… become frightened?.
And of course, Billy didn't get any.
Robots can't eat cake
"You've said that more than ten times now. You've already run up a debt of 40,000 Denny just from eating cake in my Small Shop!"
Gojo looked at the pink-haired woman with a mole on the "plate tectonics" with a helpless expression. She was a real headache.
Nicole from the Cunning Hares, an all-purpose agency she was the last person he wanted to deal with.
She was simply too cunning, using all kinds of wicked tricks to eat at his shop without paying, repeatedly swindling him out of his Denny.
When the Jujutsu Dessert Shop was first established, he was one of her victims.
In the past year, she hadn't paid back a single cent of what she owed him.
"Oh, Gojo~ We're friends, right? Since we're friends, I'll definitely pay you back, don't worry~" Nicole said while striking a pose that seemed to cause an "earthquake."
How wicked she was using all kinds of... tricks! yes!!, ALL kinds of tricks!!!, just to eat for free!!!!
"Pay up. Don't say anything else nothing you say will work."
Gojo's face was grim, and his attitude was firm, completely ignoring Nicole attempts to wheedle her way out at least, that's how it appeared.
"Ahem. Nekomata, bring out Nicole's debt notebook."
Gojo said this while forcing himself to look away from the "plate tectonics" currently causing an earthquake.
"Teacher," Nekomata said helplessly, then followed his lead and brought out an account book.
Nicole's expression stiffened slightly. Her pupils widened, and she began to sweat visibly. Knowing she couldn't escape this time, she reluctantly swiped half of the Denny with great difficulty. The thought of her balance decreasing made her feel nauseated.
After paying half of her debt, she lifted her eyes to look at their reactions. Seeing Nekomata's fierce expression, and Gojo's presence feeling firm and unyielding 'his eyes hidden behind dark glasses' she trembled even more. Her "plate tectonics" aura triggered a small earthquake, almost making Gojo shuddered in fear?
Then she finally, heartbreakingly, swiped the rest while muttering complaints.
"Wow, you guys are too much! The Cunning Hares are so poor lately we can't even pay the electricity bill. What's wrong with a little credit between friends?"
"Our Dessert Shop is also so poor we can't even pay the electricity bill. We're both shop owners we should understand each other. If you want credit, pay off your old debts first."
Gojo breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the money. Denny was his only source of security now.
'Phew… haha, as expected of me [(The Honored One)], I successfully resisted the overwhelming force of this "wicked plate tectonics."'
"So, what brings you all here so early in the morning?"
He didn't know what wind had blown these three in, but since he still had time before school, Gojo sat down with them, prepared to host.
"Gojo, you have no idea! We ran into that bastard [(The Honored One)] in the Hollow!"
"Well, Nicole said she came here to get some free cake and vent her frustrations and eat ca-"
"That guy is so annoying! We finally landed a 150,000 Denny commission that would've helped pay off the agency's debts, but he swooped in and took it from us! We spent the whole day in the Hollow for nothing!"
Nicole quickly covered Anby's mouth mid-sentence before she could speak further, then immediately raised her voice, launching into a passionate complaint about her misfortunes as if she had been wronged by the world itself.
Gojo rubbed his aching ears and instinctively replied,
"If it got snatched away, why don't you just take another commission… Wait… how much did you say that commission was worth? 120,000?!"
"Is this still about that commission to save the child!!!"
In his excitement, he spoke without thinking, even slamming the table as he stood up.
You should know, Qingyi only gave him 100,000!
No he had undercharged!
What a massive loss!
He would definitely have to find a way to make it up through other commissions later!
"How did you know it was a commission to save a child?" Anby asked, narrowing her eyes.
Not just her Nicole and Billy also turned their gazes toward Gojo.
Their sharp, searching gazes felt like they could pierce straight through him.
They knew Gojo was just an ordinary cake shop owner who should have no reason to care about Hollow matters!
"Could it be that you, Gojo…" Billy mused, looking as if he had seen through everything.
"Yeah, I know too!" nicole agreed, her sharp gaze fixed on him.
Nekomata panicked internally, and Gojo felt a brief surge of alarm.
From their expressions, it was clear they were beginning to suspect he was [(The Honored One)].
Just as Nekomata was about to crack and speak up, Gojo suddenly had an inspiration. He placed a hand on Nekomata to stop her and waved his other hand dismissively, pretending to be helpless.
"What are you guys overthinking again? I told you to stop watching movies like Anby. Now you're all imagining things. Isn't it clearly written on Inter-knot? The Public Security Bureau leader's daughter fell into a Hollow anyone could have guessed that."
"Oh, that's true. As expected of Gojo, you're so smart to figure it out!" Nicole relaxed upon hearing this and didn't think about it further.
Beside her, Billy deflated, clutching his head in disappointment.
"Waaaah, I almost thought Gojo was [(The Honored One)]! You two look so similar, why isn't he the real one? If I ever meet [(The Honored One)], I'd really want an autograph. He's just too cool, just like the Starlight Knight!"
Nicole and Billy were clearly fooled.
But Anby was different.
She quietly ate her cake while staring intently at Gojo.
"Wait, Gojo. That alone doesn't explain why you knew Nicole would take a commission to save a child. There are so many commissions on Inter-knot, so you…"
As Anby finished speaking, the pressure that had just subsided surged back to its peak.
Gojo showed nothing on the surface, but inside, he was starting to panic.
Among the three of the Cunning Hares, Anby was the most difficult to deal with. In their previous interactions, she had already begun to suspect his identity. If they didn't meet so infrequently, Anby might have exposed him just like Qingyi.
"Ha, Anby, I told you to watch fewer movies."
"This commission concerns the daughter of a Public Security Bureau leader, and it's all over Inter-knot. A leader like that would definitely offer a high reward, so Nicole would take it without hesitation."
"Hm… you really know Nicole well," she said in a quiet, flat voice, giving Gojo a side-eye.
Anby lowered her head and resumed eating her cake.
The crisis was successfully averted for now.
Gojo breathed a sigh of relief and quickly changed the subject again.
"So, you all rushed over here just for this? Nothing else?"
"Nothing else. We came to vent, of course. Besides, what can you even do? Can you give us a commission?" Nicole said with a worried expression. "Inter-knot commissions have been dry lately. If this keeps up, we'll really end up stealing electricity."
"The main issue is that all the commissions are being taken by that guy! He hasn't even been active in commissions for a long time, yet people are still posting about him."
"Damn it… damn it!"
Nicole angrily stirred the chibi [(Honored One)] cake until its face was completely destroyed.
Her hatred for [(The Honored One)] was obvious.
Seeing the condition of the cakes, the smile on Gojo's face grew slightly strained…
She really did hate him.
But that was [(The Honored One)] problem, which meant it technically had nothing to do with him.
"He's capable, so naturally he can take whatever he wants. Even if he snatches your commissions, there's nothing you can do, right?"
"Instead of complaining about that, Nicole, you should check Inter-knot more. Hollow disasters have been frequent in New Eridu lately, so there should be plenty of new commissions. I heard that yesterday, the commissions increased by over a dozen pages overnight."
"Really?! Oh, my brain! I completely forgot about that!"
At those words, Nicole's gloomy expression instantly lit up.
What did commissions represent?
They represented money.
She had been in the Hollow for so long yesterday that she hadn't even checked her phone messages. As soon as she got out, she had rushed straight to Gojo Shop.
"Wow, there are so many!"
"But why are they all just messy, low-paying commissions? Uh…"
Nicole scrolled through her phone excitedly for a moment, but soon deflated.
Two or three thousand Denny… doing these small jobs wouldn't even cover the cost of their Hollow entry equipment.
While she was complaining, Gojo picked up his phone to check the commission he had accepted last night.
He remembered vaguely accepting a commission before going to sleep. Now he could take a look at it and stop by a Hollow to handle it on his way to school.
"Commission… go to the Red Fang Gang to find a box?"
"Huh? This commission is a bit strange. Could it be…?"
Suddenly recalling the world of Zenless Zone Zero from before his transmigration, Gojo frowned.
Shouldn't this commission have ended up in Nicole's hands?
How did it end up with him instead?
This was supposed to be a mission for the main cast!
Could it be that his arrival had caused a ripple effect, changing the commissions that were meant for Nicole and the others?
That was the only explanation.
Looking at the commission, Gojo felt like he was holding a hot potato.
The main cast's missions should be handled by the main cast.
So, he decided he wanted to cancel the commission.
[Since the commission has been confirmed with a pre-paid deposit, the agent cannot cancel it!]
"Haa… this is going to be a problem."
Seeing the pop-up, Gojo felt a headache coming on.
"Hm? Is there a problem?" Nicole asked after hearing him mutter.
"Nothing," Gojo waved it off casually. "Ellen said I'll get expelled if I don't go to school today, so that's a bit of a problem."
"Ah~ I see. Gojo, you really have it tough working and going to school at the same time. Since you're busy, we won't bother you. I need to find a suitable commission too… the debt collectors are breathing down my neck again."
Nicole couldn't help but shudder, causing her "plate tectonics" to tremble. Gojo eyes behind his glasses briefly glanced over, as if moved by some supernatural force, of course, purely unintentional. Definitely!
Nicole finished her cake in one bite and prepared to leave. Seeing her stand up, Gojo originally intended to see them out, partly to keep an eye on the "plate tectonics" in case it caused an earthquake. New Eridu was clearly not ready for another disaster yes, that was it, all for the safety of New Eridu.
As Gojo considered New Eridu's safety, a plan related to the plot suddenly formed in his mind.
Since he couldn't cancel the commission, he could simply hire the main cast to do it for less money and act as the big boss behind the scenes.
A perfect deal he would get the Denny and delegate the task to the main cast.
And in doing so, he would also fulfill his dream of becoming a {Bum}.
'Oho… I'm a genius!' Gojo thought, his eyes lighting up.
Looking at the Inter-knot commission list, he posted his own 100,000 Denny commission, waiting for the fish to bite.
"Wait, Nicole. Why don't you help me check if there's anything I can do? Business hasn't been great lately maybe I need to experience life in the Hollow."
"Huh? You want to go into the Hollow too? I thought you were joking about not having enough for rent!" Nicole said in disbelief, completely missing any hint of conspiracy.
Gojo struck while the iron was hot, continuing to act as if things were difficult.
"I have no choice. You know how tough business these days is. I can't even afford my rent and it's 80,000!"
"Your rent is so expensive! But you're right your Small Shop usually doesn't have many customers, so it must be hard to make money. Since you have an Ether adaptation, you could probably take on some odd jobs."
Nicole was already calculating in her head, planning to act as a middleman and squeeze some profit out of Gojo.
At that moment, their thoughts oddly aligned, both trying to squeeze as much profit as possible out of each other.
"I'll take a look for you, but don't get your hopes up. Since you've never been to a Hollow, we might not find anything."
Nicole took out her phone again and started searching for commissions for Gojo. But while browsing, she suddenly noticed a high-paying commission pop up on her screen.
Another commission worth 100,000 Denny!
Excited, Nicole hurriedly clicked on it.
Seeing her reaction, Gojo figured she had likely taken the bait.
Sure enough, the moment Gojo checked his phone, a "Ping" sounded indicating that Nicole had accepted the commission.
[Your commission has been accepted by the Cunning Hares agency!]
'Heh… as expected. Everything is going according to keikaku.'
Having secured his objective, Gojo didn't remain any longer. He rose to his feet, feigned urgency, and walked toward the door, trying to suppress a wicked smile.
"Nicole, I'm going to be late for school. Things are a bit busy right now I'll ask you about the commission later!"
"I have to go now. Nekomata, take good care of the customers!"
"Okay, Teacher!" Nekomata quickly agreed as she watched Gojo leave.
"Wait, no Gojo, why are you in such a rush?" Nicole asked urgently. One moment he was asking for help finding a commission, and the next he was already gone.
"I don't want to be expelled. Let's talk later!"
Leaving those words behind, Gojo stood up and left the Small Shop, disappearing with incredible speed.
Once he was out of sight, he began monologuing.
"…Kuh… wicked… truly wicked… GOJO SATORU, you are TRULY wicked… Hie Hie Hie Hie…"
Gojo Satoru disappeared with a villainous laugh and a wicked smile.
...
Seeing him like that, Nicole and the others had nothing else to say and could only watch him go.
"Honestly… that guy is so impatient. Anyway, let's get ready we just landed another 100,000 Denny commission!"
"Did our luck really improve just from coming to see Gojo?" Anby asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Gojo is our lucky charm. Alright, let's go back, rest up, and then handle the commission!"
Nicole waved goodbye to Nekomata without thinking too much.
"Bye, little Nekomata!"
"Okay, meow! Please come again!"
On the other side, not long after Gojo left the Small Shop, a loud system notification sounded.
[Ding! System notification: Detected that the main storyline of Zenless Zone Zero has begun. Please assist Nicole from the Cunning Hares agency in completing this main quest. Reward for completion: 3% synchronization for [Hollow Technique: Purple]!]
Hearing the sound, he instinctively tried to ignore it.
But this time, the system notification didn't stop just because he muted it. The voice rang in his ears once again.
[Note: Due to the start of the main quest and the unnecessary world fluctuations caused by your frequent completion of Hollow commissions in the past, Hollow disasters in New Eridu will become increasingly severe. The system solemnly warns that the difficulty of Hollow disasters has doubled, and may reach a level that even the main cast will struggle to complete.]
[Warm Tip 2: With the start of the main quest, the Hollows have become unstable and chaotic. It is advised that you stop being a {Bum} from now on. Please increase your strength as soon as possible, or you will be defeated by unknown Ethereals. You will no longer be invincible. Please obtain the qualification for the second stage of synchronization in advance!]
[Note: The system is not joking. Please choose carefully, Host. Life is precious pay close attention to the changes in the New Eridu Hollows!]
"What did you say…?"
Gojo's footsteps faltered as he listened to the system, his face filled with disbelief.
"…Ugh… all according to keikaku?"
But saying that no longer make him feel any better.