Nanami looked at him for a few seconds and nodded, "That's good then. Let's go, it's time to head back.
The two walked back to the car. Gojo Satoru was leaning against the vehicle playing on his phone; seeing them return, he put his phone away. "Finished talking?"
Yeah." Nanami opened the front door, "I'll sit in the front.
On the ride back, Tu Bai leaned against the car window, Nanami's words replaying repeatedly in his mind.
Being with the Strongest..
Was he really "together" with Gojo Satoru? Not in that sense, but.. as partners? Friends?
Or something else?
"What are you thinking about?" Gojo Satoru tapped his shoulder.
Tu Bai snapped back to reality: "It's nothing."
What were you talking about with Nanamin? You're being so mysterious.
.. Work stuff.
Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow, but did not press further.
After a moment of silence, Tu Bai suddenly asked, "Senpai, did Nanami-san and I coordinate well?"
He wanted to hear an evaluation. Not regarding tactics, but.. something else.
Gojo Satoru froze for a moment, then laughed: "So-so~ A little bit worse than me."
Tu Bai glared at him.
Just kidding." Gojo Satoru ruffled his hair. "You did great. That guy Nanamin rarely praises people, but he just complimented you, didn't he?
.. Yeah.
So you're quite impressive," Gojo Satoru said as if it were a matter of course, "As expected of the partner I chose~
Tu Bai's ears felt a little hot. He turned his head to look out the window.
Gojo Satoru suddenly pulled something out of his pocket and handed it over: "A reward."
Tu Bai looked down and saw a rabbit-shaped candy. It was pink, with three-dimensional ears and eyes decorated with sugar pearls, looking very exquisite.
Where did you get it?
I bought it at the convenience store next to the Shopping Mall just now," Gojo Satoru said with a smile. "I thought it reminded me of you, so I bought it.
Tu Bai took the candy and held it in his hand. The candy wrapper was cool, but it quickly warmed up in his grasp.
.. Thank you.
You're welcome~
The car drove to the bottom of Tu Bai's apartment building. Tu Bai got out of the car, Gojo Satoru got out as well.
We'll continue the experiment next week," Gojo Satoru said. "I've thought of a new structure that might allow the crystals to be stored for a longer period.
Okay.
And," Gojo Satoru paused, "don't believe everything Nanamin tells you. That guy is far too serious.
Tu Bai looked up at him: "Nanami-san is a good person."
I know," Gojo Satoru smiled. "But he doesn't understand fun~
Tu Bai did not know how to respond.
"I'm off." Gojo Satoru waved, then turned and got into the car.
Tu Bai stood in place, watching the car drive away. He looked down at the Rabbit Candy in his hand and stared at it for a long time.
Then he unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth.
It was strawberry flavored and very sweet.
He turned and headed upstairs. Halfway up, his phone vibrated. It was a message from Gojo Satoru:
【Is Rabbit Candy delicious?】
Tu Bai replied: 【Mhm.】
【Next time, get the mango flavor~】
Tu Bai stared at this message, then thought of Nanami's words.
Together with the Strongest..
He turned off the TV Screen and continued heading upstairs.
The sweetness of the Rabbit Candy in his mouth seemed to spread all the way into his heart.
Chapter 14
On Friday morning, Tu Bai did not go to school.
It wasn't laziness; he truly couldn't get up. From the early hours of the morning, he felt something was incorrect with his entire body, as if ants were crawling through his bones, his Demon Power was racing wildly through his meridians, impossible to suppress. He managed to send an email to Professor to request a leave of absence, then curled back into his bed, wrapping himself tightly in his quilt.
The fifteenth day of the lunar month. It was the monthly period of energy fluctuations, but it was usually not this severe. Tu Bai guessed it was because he had used his Demon Power too frequently this month—training, missions, that crystal experiment with Gojo Satoru had left his consumption without full recovery.
He hugged his pillow, attempting to suppress his unruly Demon Power. But the more he tried to suppress it, the more chaotic it became; Silver Light Flakes overflowed uncontrollably from the surface of his skin, floating in the air like tiny, fragmented stars.
The phone vibrated several times, but he didn't have the strength to answer it.
It wasn't until two in the afternoon that the bedroom door was pushed straight open.
Tu Bai opened his eyes dizzily and saw Gojo Satoru standing at the bedroom door, still wearing that dark blue coat, with his sunglasses pushed up onto his head, his ice-blue eyes staring at him.
.. Senpai?" Tu Bai's voice was hoarse. "How did you get in?
Teleportation." Gojo Satoru walked in, his brow furrowed in a rare display of concern. "Ijichi said you were sick, you weren't answering your phone.
He walked to the bedside and knelt down. With the Six Eyes fully active, the flow of Silver Light Flakes was clearly visible to him.
Unstable energy.." Gojo Satoru observed. "Influenced by the lunar phase? Does your Demon Race have settings like that too?
Tu Bai buried his face in the pillow: ".. It happens once a month, but this time it's particularly severe. It might be because I consumed too much energy previously."
"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Gojo Satoru's tone was a bit harsh.
What's the use of saying it.." Tu Bai muttered softly, "There's nothing we can do anyway..
Before he could finish speaking, his body shuddered violently. Demon Power surged out like a bursting dam, completely out of control.
Silver Light exploded.
Gojo Satoru subconsciously activated Limitless, but immediately turned it off—that Demon Power was not aggressive; it was merely scurrying around the room, then it began.. to perform Construction.
First, it was the ceiling. Silver Light Flakes gathered, stretched, transformed—becoming a massive Carrot-shaped Chandelier that emitted a soft orange glow, swaying precariously from the ceiling.
Then came the quilt. The pillow Tu Bai was holding suddenly expanded, transforming into a Rabbit-shaped Pillow with drooping ears and eyes made of two red buttons.
Next was the sofa. A "poof" sounded from the Living Room, Gojo Satoru turned his head to see the sofa had transformed into a pile of Mushroom-shaped Cushions, their caps even glowing with fluorescence.
Gojo Satoru froze for two seconds, then burst into laughter.
This fetish of yours.." His shoulders shook with laughter, "is truly adorable.
Tu Bai was so ashamed he wanted to die. He grabbed Gojo Satoru's sleeve, his fingers pressing so hard they turned white: "Stop laughing.. help me.."
His voice was thick with tears.
Gojo Satoru's laughter stopped. He grasped Tu Bai's hand, pressing his palm against his.
Relax," he said, his voice dropping low. "Don't resist, let it flow out. I'll help you guide it back.
Tu Bai grit his teeth. "I can't control it.."
Then don't control it." Gojo Satoru placed his other hand on his forehead. "Trust me.
He closed his eyes, but the Six Eyes were still functioning. Tu Bai's Demon Power trajectory formed a clear image in his mind—chaotic, far too chaotic, like a tangled ball of yarn. He needed to find the end of the thread.
Gojo Satoru began to input Cursed Energy. It was not the usual overwhelming, cold Cursed Energy belonging to "Blue," but a gentle energy that had been deliberately adjusted to mimic the frequency of Demon Power. Bit by bit, little by little, it was like guiding a small stream back into its riverbed.
The process was slow and meticulous. Fine beads of sweat formed on Gojo Satoru's forehead, the stinging sensation of his Six Eyes overloading began to emerge, but he did not stop.
Tu Bai felt a gentle force enter his body, traveling along his meridians, gathering the erratic Demon Power bit by bit and guiding it back onto the right track. That sensation of ants crawling slowly subsided, the feeling of losing control over his body also began to fade.
His tense muscles relaxed, a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
Gojo Satoru guided him for nearly half an hour before Tu Bai's Demon Power finally stabilized. Those strange constructions did not disappear, but they stopped glowing and remained quietly in place.
Tu Bai was too exhausted to keep his eyes open; his body went limp, he leaned into Gojo Satoru's embrace.
Gojo Satoru froze for a moment, but he did not push him away. He looked down at the person in his arms; Tu Bai's face was still pale, but his breathing had become steady. His black curly hair was dampened by sweat, clinging to his forehead.
When I was little.." Tu Bai mumbled in a half-asleep state, "I used to do this too.. conjuring up a bunch of Carrots.. Mom and Dad laughed at me for a long time..
His voice was very soft, tinged with grievance.
Gojo Satoru fell silent for a few seconds, his arms tightened slightly.
Not anymore," he said. "I'm here.
Tu Bai complained amidst his blurring consciousness, "You were just mocking me.."
Gojo Satoru choked for a moment, then laughed. "I was wrong, alright? I shouldn't have laughed at you."
Tu Bai did not respond; he was already on the verge of falling asleep.
Just then, Gojo Satoru noticed something moving within the black hair atop Tu Bai's head.
A pair of black, furry rabbit ears were slowly emerging from between his hair. The tips of the ears were tipped with a bit of white fur, trembling gently with every breath.
Gojo Satoru's eyes widened.
And there was a tail—behind Tu Bai, the hem of his pajamas puffed out, a round, black rabbit tail poked out, furry and shaped like a ball.
Gojo Satoru stared for a full ten seconds.
Then he reached out with his other hand, cautiously approaching that left ear.
Before his fingertips could even touch the fur—
Tu Bai suddenly opened his eyes and, almost by instinct, bit down on Gojo Satoru's wrist.