Chapter 37 Decision

　　"Yes, I'm with Kei."

　　Rina Kojima said:

　　"We are..."

　　"Mom! Wait a minute,"

　　Kei Kojima quickly stopped Rina Kojima from saying:

　　"Give me the phone and I'll talk to him."

　　Kojima Rina understood and handed him the phone:

　　"Jie said he couldn't get through to you on the phone, so he called me."

　　Kojima Kei secretly glanced at Gojo Satoru's expression, feeling rather guilty, and turned his back to answer the phone:

　　"……Hello."

　　"Kyu, that's great."

　　A gentle voice came from the other end of the receiver, with a smile:

　　"I thought you had an accident... I couldn't get through on the phone. Are you okay?"

　　"I'm fine. My mom is by my side. I'm not unsafe."

　　Kojima Kei said calmly:

　　"What's up?"

　　Precious time should not be wasted on him anymore. The hatred that was so strong before has been dwindling away with the restart of the world. Now Kei Kojima no longer has any feelings for this person.

　　Xia Yujie paused for a moment:

　　"Is there nothing I can't call you about? Kyu…are you still mad at me?"

　　Annoying!

　　Kei Kojima really wanted to make things clear with Geto Suguru right now, break up with him as soon as possible, and end their relationship.

　　but……

　　Gojo Satoru opposite him was staring at him, his eyes full of scrutiny and confusion, as if the word "Jie" reminded him of someone he knew.

　　Kojima Kei's tone was perfunctory, with a hint of annoyance:

　　"Of course not, what could be the problem?"

　　Geto Xia Yu was stabbed but didn't say anything.

　　"My mom and I are planning a trip soon. If you don't have anything else, please don't call me. I'm a bit busy."

　　“…Where are you going?”

　　"Just take a walk."

　　Don't come to my house, we're not here.

　　Geto Xia Yu was silent for a moment:

　　"I want to see you. When will you be back?"

　　"Let's talk about it later."

　　Kei Kojima didn't want to talk too much with Geto Suguru in front of Gojo Satoru:

　　"I'm going to eat now, bye."

　　He immediately hung up the phone, returned the phone to his mother, and explained to Gojo Satoru, who had been staring at him, "This is a lie."

　　"Just, um... a neighbor."

　　Gojo Satoru smiled slightly: "I do care about you~"

　　Kei Kojima immediately distanced himself from the matter:

　　"How could that be! We don't know each other at all!"

　　Kojima Rina looked somewhat helpless:

　　"Kyu...did you and Jie quarrel again? Why are you saying such childish things again? He was very worried about you. Before..."

　　Kojima Kei hurriedly stopped his mother from saying anything else:

　　"No, we haven't been in touch for a long time! It's not the same as before."

　　Gojo Satoru would always feel uncomfortable if he knew that he and his best friend were in a relationship.

　　More importantly... at least for now, he didn't want the person in front of him to know about this.

　　He clumsily changed the subject:

　　"I'm a little hungry, is there anything to eat?"

　　Gojo Satoru didn't ask any more questions. He snapped his fingers and a figure suddenly appeared in front of them. He knelt on one knee and said,

　　"Have dinner prepared in the kitchen, the guests are hungry."

　　"yes."

　　Kei Kojima was already used to it, but Rina Kojima was a little uncomfortable. She stared in amazement at the servants carrying plates who came in from both sides of the door. In less than ten minutes, the entire table was filled with dinner, enough for five or six people.

　　"That's too much... Gojo-kun, we only need two or three dishes."

　　She said a little embarrassedly:

　　"You saved Kei, we should treat you to a meal, this is too expensive."

　　Gojo Satoru waved his hand:

　　"You're welcome, Aunt Kojima. For me, saving Kei was just a matter of convenience. To be honest, I'm very interested in the technique Kei possesses, and it will also assist me in my training. So, this is my suggestion. If it's convenient, you can stay here for the time being."

　　Kojima Rina immediately refused:

　　"How can this be! It's too much trouble for you. Let's go home, right, Kei?"

　　Kei Kojima was starving. He had already sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks and started eating, with a piece of bread in his mouth. He turned his head when he heard this:

　　"Um?"

　　Kojima Rina: "..."

　　She grabbed Kojima Kei's arm:

　　"Why are you already eating? That's so rude... The host is still standing here!"

　　Kojima Kei swallowed the bread and said aggrievedly:

　　"I'm hungry..."

　　He hasn't rested since he got up. He ran away to avoid Geto Suguru, went to the hospital, and accidentally moved into the Gojo family.

　　I was extremely tired from the journey.

　　When he got here, his tense mood finally relaxed, and his stomach had been growling with hunger for a long time.

　　Rina Kojima looked at her pitiful son and her heart softened instantly:

　　"Okay then...eat more, drink some water, and eat slowly so you don't choke. Sorry, Gojo-san."

　　She scratched her face and said to Gojo Satoru.

　　Gojo Satoru smiled and shook his head:

　　"It's okay~ I prepared it for you guys anyway. If you're hungry, just eat it quickly. There's no need to be so particular."

　　"Thank you! It's delicious! Gojo..."

　　Kei Kojima considered his words.

　　"Wu. Just call me Wu."

　　Gojo Satoru said thoughtfully:

　　"We are already one year apart in age, is it okay for me to call you Kei?"

　　Bad guy!

　　I've already called his name several times, and he heard it all! What are you saying now?

　　Damn, the person I met for the first time is so kind!

　　Is he like this to everyone?!

　　Kojima Kei didn't know why, but he felt a little angry:

　　"Sure. Call me whatever you want."

　　Gojo Satoru raised his eyebrows slightly, but didn't ask directly. He said:

　　"All the rooms in this courtyard are available for use. They've all been cleaned up. There's a bell hanging at the door. If you need anything, just ring it and someone will come to help you."

　　He said:

　　"Stay here peacefully. I won't disturb you while you're eating. I'm leaving now. Goodbye."

　　Kojima Kei nodded while eating:

　　"Uh-huh!"

　　"Wait! Gojo-san!"

　　Before Rina Kojima noticed, these two had already made the final decision?! This is so weird...

　　She knew her child, when did she become so friendly to a stranger she met for the first time? She even felt it didn't matter if he lived at home?

　　Could it be... that they know each other?

　　"Is that the decision? It's a bit too hasty."

　　She said:

　　"We'll think about it when we get back. We also need to discuss the medical expenses and accommodation fees."

　　She can take leave from work, but living in someone else's house is always inconvenient.

　　Gojo Satoru shut down Kojima Rina's doubts with just one sentence:

　　"Aunt Kojima, maybe the person who cursed Kei lives near your home. I suggest that you don't go back for the time being. You are safe here. If you want to go out, I will send someone to protect your safety. As for the cost and so on, these are trivial matters. Let's talk about it after Kei's treatment is completed. Now this is the key point, isn't it?"

　　Rina Kojima hesitated for a moment and finally agreed.

　　The world is big, Gui's safety and health are the most important.

　　The Gojo family is wealthy, and Rina Kojima and Kei Kojima don't have anything valuable on them. Their son's situation is unknown. Maybe if they stay in this sorcerer's house, there really will be some solution.

　　...Let's wait a few days and see how things go.

　　Rina Kojima thought so.

　　There is no such thing as a free lunch.

　　She wanted to see what intentions this considerate Gojo Satoru had.

　　However, after Rina Kojima stayed for several days, she had someone prepare three meals a day and a therapist came to treat Kei Kojima every day.

　　After that, Kei Kojima relapsed several times, but fortunately he was rescued in time. The sight of her son lying on the bed, trembling and vomiting blood scared Rina Kojima.

　　A week later, Kei Kojima's pale face became much rosier and his physical condition finally stabilized.

　　Rina Kojima was so tired that she fell down. She almost thought that her son would not come. She could not sleep for several nights. Now she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She lay on the bed for a while and fell into a deep sleep.

　　Looking at his pale mother, Kei Kojima couldn't help feeling a little ashamed.

　　He originally just wanted to take advantage of the favorable treatment environment at the Gojo family, where no matter what happened, Gojo Satoru would be there to solve it, so he began to conduct bold experiments and gradually test the bottom line of the rules.

　　It scared my mother.

　　But after going back and forth a few times, I finally figured it out.

　　No matter how you think and imagine in your head, stream of consciousness will basically not touch the red line. But once the behavior involves things related to the future, it will definitely be punished.

　　The latter is based on the intelligence available in Kei Kojima's timeline, but it also finds loopholes that can be exploited.

　　——As long as you are not aware of it, if you deceive yourself, you will deceive the technique in your body.

　　The technique is just following the rules.

　　Kei Kojima has been injured again and again these days, and incredibly expensive supplements have been sent to him one after another to nourish his body, all at prices that his family cannot afford.

　　Rina Kojima was shocked and looked through her savings, feeling deeply worried that she would not be able to pay the bills.

　　Every time Kei Kojima has an attack, Gojo Satoru is always the first to appear, staying by his side all night and holding Kei Kojima's hand.

　　People are all made of flesh and blood. Even if Rina Kojima still had doubts and wariness towards Gojo Satoru, her favorability towards him increased sharply because of these treatments.

　　At least, she saw it with her own eyes. When she was also feeling anxious for Kojima Kei, this person was always by her side, finding a therapist in time, and even doing it himself, covering Kojima Kei's forehead with his palm. It can be seen that there is a strange power flowing, and he did not rest all night. After Kojima Kei calmed down, he left quietly.

　　Rina Kojima couldn't help but sigh that Gojo-san is such a good person.

　　No wonder he's aristocratic! Look at his noble character!

　　It has been eight days since he came to the Gojo family, and Kei Kojima has slept for almost eight days.

　　Now that the experiment is over, he naturally won't encounter any unexpected situations. He just needs to ensure that his actions are within the red line.

　　Perhaps because he had slept too much in the past few days, Kei Kojima was not sleepy at night. He went to take a look next door and saw that his mother was still fast asleep. He gently closed the door and simply went out of the yard to walk around.

　　He had stayed in the Gojo family for a long time and was very familiar with the layout here.

　　There was no one around at night, and most people were resting in their rooms, except for a few people on duty. When they saw Kei Kojima, they would bow silently and would not ask where he was going.

　　Kei Kojima walked a short distance and finally stopped.

　　The house in front is where Gojo Satoru lives.

　　Whenever he came before, he would stay in the innermost room.

　　The house was dark, with no lights on, and it seemed that no one lived there.

　　…Isn’t Wu in there?

　　Kei Kojima leaned against the wall for a while, but when he didn't hear the expected sound, he walked back dejectedly.

　　He was in a daze these days and only heard his mother say that Wu was always by his side, but he had no idea about it.

　　At least when he was sober, he never saw Wu's face again.

　　He missed her a little...

　　"Where did this little wild cat come from, wandering around outside so late at night? Why don't you go back?"

　　A light and familiar voice.

　　Someone suddenly grabbed Kei Kojima's collar from behind.

　　He froze all over, he was discovered!

　　He just wanted to take a sneak peek.

　　Gojo Satoru grabbed Kojima Kei by the collar and turned him over. He got closer and, with the moonlight shining through, he could finally see his face clearly.

　　"Are you... Kei? What are you doing here? Can't you find your way back?"

　　Apparently because they couldn't see clearly, their faces were very close to each other, enough for one to see the eyelashes on their eyes.

　　"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."

　　Kojima Kei said without changing his expression.

　　Although this is an excuse, he has lived for more than ten years after all. Even if he was caught on the spot, he could quickly make up a reason. This is the composure of an adult!

　　"I don't have anything valuable at home, kid~"

　　Gojo Satoru said.

　　Who wants to steal something?

　　I'm one year younger than you physically, but I'm more than nine years older mentally! Who are you calling a kid?

　　Kojima Kei glared at him angrily.

　　Gojo Satoru put him down and touched his head:

　　"Okay, I'm not a kid. I was just kidding. Don't be angry. What's wrong? Can't sleep? Do you want me to go shopping with you?"

　　Kojima Kei thought for a few seconds with reserve:

　　"Will it be inconvenient?"

　　"Of course not, I'd be happy to accompany you~"

　　Gojo Satoru gave a faint smile.

　　"Then...I won't be polite."

　　Kei Kojima coughed lightly and took a step forward.

　　He wanted to stay with this person for a while longer.

　　Even if it's just for a moment.

　　Kei Kojima walked forward tremblingly. He didn't know why. Even though he had known him for a long time, he became inexplicably nervous today because of such a small matter.

　　Even he himself could clearly hear the sound of his heartbeat.

　　Boom boom boom.

　　Maybe it’s because I haven’t walked side by side with him for a long time.

　　The two men were an arm's length apart, their shadows stretched out long in the moonlight.

　　Even during their relationship, Kei Kojima rarely had time to stroll with Gojo Satoru. He always felt that he did not have enough time for training, and that it was a waste of time, and he missed a lot of time they could spend together.

　　Now, he realized the preciousness of time.

　　The two were silent for a while.

　　Gojo Satoru asked gently, "Are you used to living here?"

　　"...Very comfortable. Thank you. My mother told me that you've helped me a lot. I don't know how to thank you enough."

　　Kei Kojima said in a fake polite manner.

　　"No need. Now that you have magical powers, what are your plans for the future? Do you want to go back to high school? Or do you want to be a sorcerer?"

　　Five questions for enlightenment.

　　"I……"

　　Kei Kojima tilted his head to look at Gojo Satoru beside him.

　　If possible, he actually wants to return to the technical college.

　　But in this way, he would have to leave his mother. If his mother was abducted by people from the curse world without his knowledge, he would still be completely unaware.

　　If it was really because of their own faults that their mother was exposed, then it would be safest for them to stay out of the sight of those involved in the curse world.

　　More importantly, even if he entered the world of spells, he would only be a drag. Without spell power, he would be unable to move forward. In a mission with a high mortality rate, it would be difficult for a third-level spellcaster to survive.

　　Maybe I can join the logistics department and do work related to Idi Chi Jie Gao.

　　He had to personally send his former companions to the battlefield and watch them die with his own eyes.

　　He didn't want to go through it again.

　　"I'm just an ordinary person."

　　Kojima Kei said easily:

　　"I'm not really suited to this kind of work. I'd better go back to school and be an ordinary, leisurely person."

　　"But what if the spell on you can't be lifted?"

　　There seemed to be confusion on Gojo Satoru's face.

　　"If it can't be cured, then it can't be cured. I can't keep bothering you. My mother has her own life too, and she can't always be around me."

　　When one day he really leaves, Rina Kojima will have to move on with her life.

　　In the past ten years, he has always been able to find someone or something that can accompany his mother for the rest of her life.

　　A figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

　　Will they still be destined to be together in this life?

　　Thinking that Mr. Ye Mo will never be able to leave the high school...

　　No, it’s better not to get involved.

　　Gojo Satoru didn't say anything.

　　"Besides, I've figured out the trick. It'll be fine."

　　After saying this, Kei Kojima suddenly closed his mouth.

　　It would be bad if Gojo Satoru asked him what the secret was and he couldn't answer.

　　"Oh~ I see~"

　　Gojo Satoru chuckled:

　　"Kyu has a very clear plan for his future life~"

　　Kei Kojima always felt that the young man spoke in a sarcastic tone. He turned his head and glanced at the young man's expression. He was smiling, but he couldn't tell any other emotions.

　　But he inexplicably felt that this guy didn't seem to be in a very good mood.

　　"That's fine too~"

　　Gojo Satoru shrugged slightly and opened the door:

　　"This is the yard where I live, come in and take a look~"

　　"Wu, why are you still awake so late?"

　　A female voice yawned as she walked out of one of the rooms.

　　woman?

　　Oh, that's not right.

　　This is... Wu's mother!

　　Kojima Kei hurriedly saluted:

　　"Hello, I'm Kojima..."

　　Before he could finish his words, Gojo Satoru beside him stopped him and introduced:

　　"This is my mother. Mother, this is Kei Kojima. I told you."

　　Said?

　　How do you say it?

　　Picked it up on the road?

　　"Hello, auntie."

　　Kei Kojima felt a little ashamed for disturbing his elder's sleep, and couldn't help but hide behind Gojo Satoru.

　　In the past, he was always afraid to meet this elder. The woman had almost the same appearance and intelligence as Gojo Satoru. In front of her, Kei Kojima always felt that he had nowhere to hide and his thoughts were seen through.

　　"Ah, it's you."

　　Gojo Hinako glanced casually:

　　"Go to bed early. Wu, he's not feeling well, so send him back home as soon as we're done."

　　"Okay~"

　　After saying this, Gojo Hinako went back to her room without saying anything else.

　　Kojima Kei was a little confused:

　　"Do you live in the same yard with...your mother?"

　　It's strange, it wasn't like this before.

　　"No, just these few days. Her yard is being renovated recently, so she just lives here."

　　"So that's how it is."

　　Gojo Satoru took Kojima Kei around the huge house, and while strolling around, he recognized several iconic buildings:

　　"If you want to come find me in the future, I'll either be here at the training ground or in the yard we just visited. If you're bored, you can always come and play with me. Here's my number."

　　He took out a note and quickly wrote down his contact information:

　　"Save it. You can call me when you get lonely later."

　　He winked at Kei Kojima.

　　Kei Kojima looked at the familiar phone number on the note and held it in his hand:

　　"……good."

　　The most urgent thing is to go back and change a new number!

　　Don't let him know that it was him who sent him the message.

　　However, Wu still hasn't asked. Did he not investigate at all? Did he just think it was a prank? Or did he forget because of all the things that happened?

　　Maybe the latter is more common.

　　Kei Kojima thought so with a lucky mentality.

　　——"It's almost 12 o'clock, let me take you home."

　　"Um."

　　After walking around for most of the way, Kei Kojima's body could no longer bear it. He was so sleepy that he kept blinking and walked slower and slower.

　　"Are you sleepy?"

　　Gojo Satoru's voice seemed a little far away. Kojima Kei tried to shake his head to stay awake.

　　"fine."

　　"Don't be patient,"

　　An arm was placed on his shoulders, and he was brought closer, leaning his head against the strong body. The familiar voice whispered:

　　"Go to sleep if you're tired. I'll take you back to your room."

　　His consciousness was a little fuzzy, and the habit formed in his subconscious made Kei Kojima couldn't help but reach out and hug Gojo Satoru's neck and bury his head in it.

　　Just like the way they used to sleep in each other's arms every night.

　　He felt as if he was being gently held in someone's arms, with a warm palm against the back of his head, and a soft neck against his. He could feel their pulse, their breathing, and a familiar scent. He was a little groggy afterward, but in that familiar embrace, he slept soundly, falling asleep almost instantly.

　　When I woke up again, it was already daybreak.

　　Kei Kojima turned over, wearing pajamas that someone had taken off, and holding the note given by Gojo Satoru in his hand.

　　He folded the note and put it carefully in his pocket.

　　When Rina Kojima walked in, she saw her silly son holding his face and laughing foolishly, completely forgetting everything that happened in the past few days.

　　"Hehe~Hehe~"

　　Silly boy! What happy things are you thinking about? It's really written on your face.

　　She smiled helplessly, she hasn't grown up yet.

　　Could it be that... he and Jie finally reconciled?

　　After lunch, when the daily therapist finished his checkup, Rina Kojima knew that Kei Kojima was in stable physical condition, so she felt relieved and went back to her room to catch up on some sleep.

　　Kei Kojima snuck into the room and placed a sleeping spell on his mother's forehead, enough to keep her asleep until he returned that night.

　　He was familiar with the layout of the place and slipped out of the gate while the servants of the Gojo family were not paying attention.

　　After walking for about half an hour, I finally found a taxi and took it to Tokyo.

　　Kei Kojima returned home, looked at the intact door, checked to see if there was anything serious, then went downstairs, found a seat by the window in the cafe downstairs, sat down and waited for someone.

　　The time he agreed to meet was half an hour later, but after a while, the other party arrived early and sat in front of him.

　　"Kui."

　　Kojima Kei looked up at the person opposite him and said coldly:

　　"I'm in a hurry, so I'll keep it short, Jay."

　　Xia Youjie immediately shook his hand on the table and said seriously:

　　"Why do you... have cursed powers? You can see cursed spirits? Is that right?"

　　Sure enough, the strange aura of cursed power in Kei's room that day was Kei!

　　Kojima Kei raised his eyebrows slightly to show his surprise:

　　"Huh? You actually knew that?"

　　Geto Summer Oil's expression is inexplicable:

　　"Well... of course I know. I'm a sorcerer. I transferred to a school that specializes in sorcery these past few years. So, I should be the one asking, how did you know?"

　　"Ah...I see."

　　Kojima Kei looked unconcerned:

　　"But this topic has nothing to do with why I asked you out today."

　　"What do you want to say?"

　　Geto Suguru looked at Kei Kojima's cold eyes. It was only two months since they last saw each other, but the look in the boy's eyes was only of annoyance, and he didn't even want to look him in the eye.

　　Same feedback as I gave him when I called.

　　Geto Suguru probably already had a premonition in his heart.

　　"Let's break up."

　　Kojima Kei stated bluntly:

　　"I don't like you anymore."

　　This breakup, which came ten years late, finally had the chance to be said.