When people are extremely embarrassed, they often pretend to be busy.

Lin Ge was in that exact state right now.

He tugged at his clothes, smoothed his hair, and began brainstorming excuses.

“Are you hungry?” Gojo Satoru tilted his head slightly.

Lin Ge shook his head like a little rattle drum.

Gojo Satoru couldn’t help but let his lips curve upward.

“You really like my chair, huh.”

It wasn’t even a question—it was a statement.

Lin Ge: “…”

Busted.

Scratching his head, he felt an unprecedented urge—one that spanned two lifetimes—to find a hole to crawl into. He tried a desperate struggle: “Listen, there’s a reason for this…”

It’s coming, it’s coming!

Soon, he could dig himself a metaphorical castle with his toes!

Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow. “A reason?”

The look on his face practically screamed, I’m curious to hear what kind of nonsense you’ll come up with.

Even with the blindfold covering his eyes, Lin Ge felt completely exposed, as though Gojo could see right through him.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally mumbled, “Your room smells so nice… I couldn’t help myself…”

It’s not my fault, okay?

If a winning lottery ticket worth a billion yen fell right in front of you, could you resist picking it up?

Lin Ge’s thoughts were filled with pain and regret.

It’s logical, reasonable, and totally within the rules!

“Is it the smell of the strawberry cake?”

Surprisingly, Gojo Satoru didn’t seem angry.

In fact, he looked… oddly pleased?

But how did he know?

Wait, am I that obvious?

No, come to think of it, I’ve never even tried to hide it…

Sneaking a glance at him, Lin Ge hesitantly let out a small “mm.”

The air went still for a moment.

After a short pause, the man across from him let out an amused laugh.

“Ha, are you a little dog? That nose of yours is something else.”

Oh, so even furniture can soak up smells, huh.

Lin Ge: “…”

L-little dog?

Did he just insult me?

But…

It felt kind of good.

When he said “little dog,” why did he deliberately lower his voice? That’s cheating!

“…Woof?”

Lin Ge had no idea what possessed him, but after a brief silence, he actually barked.

Now it was Gojo Satoru’s turn to fall silent.

“…”

However, when he saw Lin Ge panic and fluster after his “woof,” a fleeting smile played at the corner of Gojo’s lips.

A little dog, huh…

Not a bad comparison.

When Gojo didn’t reply for a long time, Lin Ge finally realized what an absolute fool he had made of himself.

Damn it, this stupid mouth of mine.

He suddenly remembered that their relationship wasn’t quite at the point where he could joke around like this. And Gojo Satoru, for his part, probably didn’t understand Lin Ge’s uniquely strange thought process.

Forcing out an awkward smile, Lin Ge attempted to shift the topic, trying to salvage the situation. “I was just trying to make you laugh… Really.”

Then he added, “Are you done with work?”

At his words, Gojo Satoru stared at him for a few seconds.

The two locked eyes.

Just as Lin Ge thought Gojo was about to announce the end of their budding friendship, the man simply said, “Do you want to meet the principal of Jujutsu High?”

He sighed, as if exasperated. “Most of the Jujutsu Sorcerers are out on missions at this hour. The second-year students are around, though…”

The principal?

At the mention of this title, Lin Ge firmly shook his head.

No, thank you.

In both this life and his previous one, he’d always hated dealing with superiors.

The second-year students were probably Jujutsu Sorcerers too, right?

He could just sniff them a bit.

After all, Lin Ge figured there couldn’t possibly be another Jujutsu Sorcerer as generous as Gojo Satoru, who’d feed him techniques without expecting anything in return.

Even if a human smelled amazing and tasted great, there was no way he could take a bite.

All he could do was sniff and let his sense of smell enjoy itself.

The thought alone was depressing.

“Why that face? Don’t worry, Principal Yaga Masamichi is quite fun,” Gojo Satoru said, noting Lin Ge’s resistance. Guessing that Lin Ge might have misunderstood something about the principal, Gojo moved closer and mimicked a sewing motion with his hands.

“He’s really good at making cursed corpses—basically animated dolls. The moving kind.”

Gojo was genuinely curious about what Yaga Masamichi might smell like.

With his penchant for collecting cute things, he was probably something sweet?

If he smelled like Yaga’s least favorite flavor—sweet sake—that’d be even more entertaining.

The two were about the same height, but with Lin Ge wearing sneakers with built-in cushions, they were nearly eye-to-eye. As Gojo Satoru approached, his sharp features became clearer, hitting Lin Ge like a mini beauty filter.

Gojo’s lips were especially striking.

They were a soft, pale pink, opening and closing as he spoke, reminding Lin Ge of falling cherry blossom petals.

The room wasn’t large, but it was well-lit. With the sunlight pouring in, Lin Ge, standing backlit, could see how the light seemed to favor Gojo’s profile, casting a soft golden halo around him.

Lin Ge’s gaze began to wander.

Why is everyone else a stunningly handsome guy, and I’m not?

Dear heavens, I’m done calling you ‘heavens.’ You’ve truly treated me like a grandson.

“Are you even listening?”

Apparently noticing Lin Ge’s lack of focus, Gojo Satoru extended a finger and poked his left cheek—one that didn’t have much flesh to begin with.

Huh.

Surprisingly pleasant.

Unable to explain why he’d been staring at Gojo’s face, Lin Ge quickly stammered, “Listening! I’m listening!”

Meeting the principal, right? Fine, he’d go!

“When do we leave? Now?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“He’s downstairs.”

Lin Ge: “…”

Wow, I’m really pulling rank here!

Leaving the boss waiting downstairs like that!

He quickly reached out to grab Gojo Satoru’s hand. “Then let’s hurry!”

When their fingers brushed, Lin Ge briefly felt an odd resistance, but it disappeared almost immediately. Assuming it was his imagination, he didn’t think much of it.

As their skin made contact, Lin Ge silently mused.

Little Cake’s hand is so warm.

Unlike mine. Maybe it’s because I’m still technically a ghost—I’m cool all over, like a walking air conditioner.

They hurried downstairs, and Lin Ge scanned the area, looking for someone in an administrative jacket, with a serious expression, slicked-back hair, and the aura of a proper superior.

But he saw no one.

Could the principal be in the car?

Turning to Gojo Satoru, he asked, “Where is he?”

Gojo pointed ahead. “There. Right there.”

Following Gojo’s finger, Lin Ge spotted a tall man in black, wearing sunglasses, with closely cropped hair and a pineapple-like hairstyle.

Lin Ge: “…”

That’s… the principal?

So trendy?

And what’s with the sunglasses? Is that a new trend?

Little Cake often wears them, sure—he’s handsome, so it makes sense.

But a principal?

Gojo Satoru patted Lin Ge’s shoulder, speaking in an almost fatherly tone. “Principal Yaga handles student entrance exams, so he probably asks a lot of questions. He might have picked up a bit of a habit. If he starts asking you things, don’t overthink it—just make stuff up.”

Not far away, Yaga Masamichi: “…”

Hey, I heard that!

His fists clenched slightly.

Lin Ge: “…”

Got it.

An interrogation, huh?

Fine.

Talking nonsense is my specialty.

He wasn’t even sure how he walked up to Yaga. By the time he realized it, their hands were already clasped in a handshake.

Looking at Principal Yaga’s resolute face, Lin Ge instinctively plastered on a smile. Before the principal could even say anything, Lin Ge launched into an introduction:

“Hello, hello!

“My name is Lin Ge. Just started my job in public service. If I’m hungry, I’ll dig up wild vegetables. If it rains, I’ll head home. I want to hustle but can’t, and when I want to lie flat, I can’t seem to stay put. My dream is to earn a billion yen while lying in bed every day.

“My life motto? Sweep aside morality and embrace my true self.”

Yaga Masamichi: “…”

Who asked you?

As expected, anyone who could hang out with Gojo Satoru was bound to be a little unhinged.

Pulling out a faint smile, Yaga replied, “Nice to meet you. I’m Yaga Masamichi. You can just call me Yaga.”

Lin Ge was touched.

What a kind and approachable leader!