Satoru Gojo understood, "So that 'phenomenon' that affects me is the price you paid to ensure your Cursed Technique could be cast smoothly?"
The young man's intelligence was just right, Kobe Suzuo was extremely satisfied: "Yes, the people around me will suffer misfortune because of the Binding, I will be affected by that bad luck."
Binding is a highly convenient concept, essentially an absolute law of Jujutsu where one exchanges "loss" for "gain."
The moment Kobe Suzuo encountered this concept, he had already thought of how to use a Binding to rationalize his own abnormality.
As expected, Satoru Gojo wore an expression of sudden realization:
That's why I fell from the sky and crashed into you, why I tripped over something as ridiculous as a slip of the foot.
Kobe Suzuo successfully bamboozled the child, a hint of guilt appearing on his face while a smile remained hidden deep in his eyes:
Yeah, I rarely activate my Cursed Technique. Bad luck is random. Sorry for involving you in this.
"Eh~" Satoru Gojo mused.
This was the first time he had ever seen this form of Innate Technique.
Can a [Binding] take effect on a Cursed Spirit?
Kobe Suzuo shook her head. "Low-grade Cursed Spirits lack intelligence and cannot meet the condition of 'mutual consent,' while the Cursed Energy of high-grade Cursed Spirits far exceeds mine, making it highly probable that I would suffer a backlash."
Satoru Gojo was deeply disappointed. "An interesting ability, but isn't it completely useless?"
But it was within expectations; if this kind of rule-based Cursed Technique could be applied to Cursed Spirits, wouldn't it essentially become a text-based version of Geto's Cursed Spirit Manipulation?
A Binding sounds powerful, but with all those restrictions and side effects, it's nowhere near the level of a combat-oriented type like Satoru Gojo.
Kobe Suzuo did not get angry at being mocked, she simply looked at Satoru Gojo quietly.
The dim, beautiful candlelight cast a hint of warmth onto his pitch-black pupils. "Can I ask Satoru-kun a question?"
Satoru Gojo tilted his chin up, signaling Kobe Suzuo to speak his mind.
The other party had revealed their Cursed Technique, satisfying his curiosity, so it wouldn't be much of a problem for him to answer a question.
Satoru Gojo pondered privately what kind of questions Kobe Suzuo would ask.
Asking about the Gojo Clan's stance?
Or perhaps simply ask him what his personal attitude toward the Jujutsu Director is?
It is also possible that he would demand the removal of the photos of him being splashed with water after his failed blind date.
The waiter had already cleared the tableware from the table and brought over some refreshing tea to cut through the grease.
Satoru Gojo picked up his cup and took a sip, washing away the cloying sweetness left in his mouth by the dessert.
Does Satoru-kun have a boyfriend?
"Pfft." He choked on his tea and sprayed it out.
Chapter 5: That Mission
A man's voice was gentle and deep, his words clear: "Do you have a boyfriend yet?"
Satoru Gojo felt as if he were hallucinating; the tea got stuck in his throat, he began to cough violently.
Did I startle you?
Kobe Suzuo handed over a towel and knelt on one knee beside Satoru Gojo, saying with concern, "I'm sorry, I was just a little curious."
He had already deduced the answer he was thinking of, but he asked anyway, knowing full well the truth.
So the reason you're reacting so strongly, Satoru-kun, is because you already have a boyfriend?
His usual gentle and elegant demeanor had been thrown to the dogs.
Satoru Gojo was thin-skinned—physically thin-skinned—and his entire face turned bright red with anger.
No matter how you look at it, I'm a man, right? Even if I had a partner, it should be a girl, shouldn't it?
Satoru Gojo himself didn't even know why he was getting angry over something like this.
But looking at Kobe Suzuo's elegant and handsome face, Satoru Gojo felt his temples throbbing, his emotions completely ignited.
He grabbed Kobe Suzuo and slammed him down into the chair, using his height advantage to look down at him, his palm cupping the man's cheek.
He hooked a single finger under the black-rimmed glasses resting on Kobe Suzuo's face, forcing those dark eyes to meet his own.
Candlesticks and tableware tumbled with a clatter, making various sounds.
The azure eyes beneath the sunglasses were fully revealed, appearing as if a multitude of stars had converged within them.
He looked down from his height, "Why don't you tell me then—where exactly do I look like someone who would date a man?"
Kobe Suzuo gazed quietly at those eyes, before averting her gaze after a short while.
I understand.
The surrounding waiters were as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to step forward and disturb the confrontation between the two distinguished guests.
After a long time, an older waiter took a deep breath, lowered his head, said in a low voice:
Gentlemen, the candlesticks are open flames. Considering fire safety concerns, could you allow us to deal with them first?
Satoru Gojo suddenly snapped out of his daze, his gaze meeting a scene of total devastation within his sight, his azure eyes filled with astonishment.
Is this also a side effect of your Binding?
Actually, a Passive had been triggered—the CEO's candlelight dinner was meant to end in an accident.
Yes." Kobe Suzuo lied without changing her expression, "After all, I just used a Cursed Technique.
Satoru Gojo looked at the red marks he had pinched onto Kobe Suzuo's chin and twitched at the corner of his mouth. "That is truly quite unlucky."
After a long silence, he added, "Sorry."
Adjusting his glasses, Kobe Suzuo looked at Satoru Gojo in surprise at his words and laughed from the bottom of his heart.
I should be the one saying sorry, because the side effects of my Cursed Technique affected you.
He originally thought Satoru Gojo was the type who would never apologize proactively; it turns out he was just being unruly on the surface.
Having rolled through the business world for many years and then dealing with those old fossils in the higher-ups after transmigrating, the adult, who had long since become a seasoned veteran, felt quite moved.
A pure, innocent little flower, completely without pretense.
Kobe Suzuo, who had placed countless filters on Satoru Gojo, was extremely satisfied, her words gradually became greasy:
I apologize for offending you just now, but I only asked such a question because I wanted to understand Satoru-kun.
He ignored Satoru Gojo's gradual transition from blankness to horror and said to himself, "I really like Satoru-kun."
That's why I want to get to know you a little better.
..
“Don't you think Supervisor Kobe has been appearing more frequently lately?”
As the culture class ended, Suguru Geto gazed at the figure below, lost in thought.
Nobara Iori followed his gaze and saw a bodyguard standing straight under the shade of the trees, a man with a muscular build wearing a black suit.
Beside the bodyguard, a Porsche with sleek lines, low-key and luxurious, was parked.
In the span of two months, Kobe Suzuo's flamboyant behavior had long since become well-known to everyone.
"The supervisor changed cars again." She glanced at the model, her focus slightly off-track.
Suguru Geto tried to describe that faint sense of incongruity:
Supervisor Kobe always seems to be very busy, doesn't he?
He pointed downstairs. "But now, he actually stays at Jujutsu High for such a long time."
Kobe Suzuo usually only appeared to scout locations when there were missions, coming and going in a hurry.
There were several times when the person wasn't even on-site; transportation was handled by bodyguards, intelligence was handed over via video conferences, with all communication conducted online throughout the entire process.
It is difficult to describe the feeling of having a man's voice suddenly ring through one's earpiece, analyzing financial statements, right after they had just exorcised a Cursed Spirit.
It was strange, but the work an Assistant Supervisor was supposed to complete had indeed been finished.
After all, Kobe Suzuo seemed to have the persona of someone who earns tens of millions of yen for every single second they breathe.
Time truly is money.
The adults in the Jujutsu World are either old men who reek of age from the inside out, or corporate drones whose lives are predictable at a glance, or eccentrics with flawed personalities.
In short, for a fifteen or sixteen-year-old Jujutsu Sorcerer who had only recently been plucked from the crowd of ordinary people, it was quite disillusioning.
On the contrary, a "cool" persona like Kobe Suzuo's was more attractive.
A bit cool.
"Just an illusion, right?" Nobara Iori's Reverse Cursed Technique was a healing skill, so her contact with Assistant Supervisors was much less frequent than those of combat-oriented types.
After all, it's almost midsummer, with the workload increasing, isn't it normal for supervisors to appear frequently?
High temperatures, combined with various factors such as the social atmosphere, have created a breeding ground where the accumulation of negative human emotions leads to the birth of Cursed Spirits.
The workload of Jujutsu Sorcerers has increased exponentially along with the surging number of Cursed Spirits.
Jujutsu High has no concept of summer vacation. As the temperatures rise, the students are faced not with summer homework, but with an endless stream of missions that can never be finished.
I don't feel like the frequency of missions has increased..
As Suguru Geto was speaking, the window of the Porsche in the building below rolled down, revealing half of Kobe Suzuo's profile.
Immediately after, the phone in his pocket buzzed.
Is class over already? Could you please ask Suguru-kun to come down? —Supervisor Kobe
After reading the message, Suguru Geto exchanged a glance with Nobara Iori beside him, they both turned to look at Satoru Gojo, who was still sitting in his seat.
The white-haired youth sat with his legs crossed on the desk and his arms folded behind his head, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"Satoru-kun, do you have a mission today?" Suguru Geto raised an eyebrow.
Satoru Gojo's movement as he rocked his chair stuttered for a moment, he said guiltily, "Do I? I don't think so."
There is definitely a mission, this person is standing up Supervisor Kobe.