Tokyo – Shibuya,
Shibuya, one of Tokyo's bustling 23 wards, was alive as always.
A district overflowing with department stores, fashion boutiques, cafés, amusement facilities, arcades, and more.
Alongside Shinjuku, it carried the reputation of being a true "24-hour sleepless street", a place where the flow of people never stopped. It was the "young people's street," where cultures collided.
And in such a place —scouts, cosplayers, gangsters, tourists, otaku, and ordinary students brushing past each other every second.
Inside one of the commercial buildings, on the third floor, sat a haven for all trainers and children at heart: the Pokémon Center.
The moment she stepped inside, Umaru Doma's eyes widened. She darted to the entrance display where a glass case held a perfectly detailed Mewtwo figure.
"Mewtwo!!" Umaru squealed, pressing her hands against the glass. "It looks so real! So cool! Kirara, look—it's like it's alive!"
Her best friend, Kirara Hoshino, stared wide-eyed as well.
"Eh? Alive? Umaru-chan, it looks like it could break out of that case any second! It's scary but also amazing!" she exclaimed, tugging on Umaru's sleeve with childlike excitement.
Umaru chuckled, shaking her head at her friend's gullible innocence.
"Don't be silly, Kirara. It's just a figure. There's no way it's alive."
Kirara pouted, folding her arms.
"But it looks like it's breathing!"
Umaru smiled helplessly. "Alright, alright… let's just go in already. There's too many tourists, and we'll get separated if we don't stick together."
"Un!" Kirara nodded eagerly.
The two girls linked arms and stepped inside the Pokémon Center, blending into the crowd of fans and shoppers.
...
At a Small Villa,
Meanwhile, away from the crowds, the air was calmer.
In a small but stylish villa, Hiratsuka Shizuka sat across from Gojo Satoru in the living room. Neither spoke for a moment.
Instead, they simply stared at each other, the silence oddly heavy.
"…Are you really… Gojo?" Hiratsuka finally broke the silence, her tone mixed with suspicion and curiosity.
Sitting casually across from her, Gojo smirked.
This time, however, he wasn't wearing his trademark blindfold. His piercing ice-blue eyes, framed by long white lashes, were fully exposed for the first time since she had known him.
Her lips parted slightly. She had known this man for nearly half a year, but seeing him like this—it was… dazzling.
There was no other word for it.
He was handsome. Too handsome.
"It's me, Shizuka-chan," Gojo replied playfully, leaning back against the sofa. "Surprised? Huh? Come on, you must be very surprised."
His grin widened, clearly waiting for her to gasp or blush.
But Hiratsuka quickly fixed her features, straightening her back.
"Oh, no surprise."
"…Eh?"
Gojo's face froze, then twisted into exaggerated despair. He slumped sideways on the sofa dramatically.
"What?! You're not surprised? You're supposed to be shocked! This world is so boring… so cruel. I can't go on. Destroy it all!"
Hiratsuka pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh.
'What an idiot', she thought, amused despite herself.
Of course she had been surprised—but she was a teacher in her thirties. She was long past the age of swooning just because a man was handsome.
"Tsk, Baka," she muttered under her breath, hiding a smile.
After a pause, she tilted her head.
"Anyway, Gojo… why did you come to see me today?"
Gojo straightened a little, crossing his legs with a lazy smirk.
But as Hiratsuka's mind wandered, she suddenly stiffened, her arms instinctively covering her chest.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Hold it. If you came here for anything indecent, I'm throwing you out right now. Sex is not allowed!"
"Oi, oi, what kind of guy do you think I am?" Gojo protested, clutching his chest in mock offense. "I just came because I was bored. Wanted to hang out, have lunch… oh, and maybe drag race a little."
"Lunch, huh…" Hiratsuka tapped her chin. "That's fine. But I have to meet my father this afternoon. He said he had something to discuss. So, sorry, Gojo."
The sorcerer groaned dramatically, collapsing back on the sofa like a fish out of water.
"Ehh?! I brought out my Kawasaki and everything! And now you're ditching me for your dad? Ugh… life is suffering. So tired. This world is truly merciless…"
Shizuka rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic."
But looking at his sulking form, her expression softened just a little.
After a long moment of hesitation, she sighed.
"…Fine. I'll compensate you later."
The words slipped out before she realized, and her cheeks immediately turned pink.
Gojo's ears perked up instantly, though his body remained limp on the couch. Compensate? Now he was curious. But he didn't move, pretending to stay weak.
Hiratsuka clicked her tongue.
"Seriously… if you want me to take the initiative, that's unfair. What kind of man just lies there waiting for the girl to move first?"
She muttered under her breath, slipped off her slippers, and leaned closer.
Her lips brushed his.
The kiss lingered—
Longer than she expected.
Finally, when she pulled back, Hiratsuka gasped softly for air, her cheeks flushed. Her lips still brushed faintly against his as she whispered, "There. Happy now?"
Gojo smirked lazily, his voice low and teasing.
"Mm… not bad, Shizuka-chan. But your breathing control needs work. Only lasted a few minutes."
"…A few minutes?!" Hiratsuka's face burned hotter. She pouted, wiping the corner of her lips with her hand.
"Anyway, compensation over. Now, what do you want for lunch?" She reached for her phone quickly, avoiding his gaze.
"Desserts. Definitely desserts. Oh, and something sweet to drink."
"Desserts again? Fine… then let's order some good food."
As she scrolled through the takeout app, her mind wandered—
She would never admit it aloud, but seeing Gojo without his blindfold… kissing him… it had shaken her heart more than she wanted to show.
Gojo, meanwhile, stretched lazily, satisfied.
"Food and desserts, huh? Heh. Today doesn't sound so bad after all."
...
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