See You Tomorrow

“Alright, let’s go.”  Gojo Satoru  pulled off his blindfold and extended a hand toward  Lin Ge.

His hand was pale, flawless without a single scar, nails neatly trimmed. His fingers were unusually long, with distinct knuckles.

Faint blue veins were vaguely visible on the back of his hand, standing out starkly against his fair skin.

No technique—just pure, raw handsomeness!

Even his hands were that good-looking.

Lin Ge’s  Adam’s apple bobbed for a moment. He cautiously raised his arm, but just as he was about to touch that hand, he trembled and abruptly pulled back.

Meeting  Gojo Satoru’s  puzzled gaze,  Lin Ge  let out a forced chuckle to cover it up. He pretended to rummage in his pocket but actually pulled out a pair of charms he’d bought earlier from his personal inventory. Clasping them with both hands, he handed them to  Gojo Satoru. “Almost forgot—this might come in handy…”

As for the dumplings… they were too bulky to pull out now.

He’d give them to him tomorrow.

Gojo Satoru  had his auto-healing thing, so if he didn’t need them, he could pass them to his students.

The two charms rested quietly in  Lin Ge’s  palm. He explained softly, “They might not look like much, but they’re pretty powerful.” He separated them. “The blue one can block a fatal hit. The gold one blocks damage and restores your condition.”

Pretty game-changing, right? Say something!

He felt a bit nervous.

Would Strawberry Shortcake think he was making it up?

Was he sounding too fantastical?

But Strawberry Shortcake was a walking miracle himself—damage-blocking items shouldn’t be that shocking, right?

“Huh?”  Gojo Satoru  froze, a storm of emotions surging within.

He took half a step back.

As his  Six Eyes  locked onto the charms, a flood of information crashed into his brain like a tidal wave—overwhelming, immense—giving him a rare “brain overload” sensation.

Even with his reverse cursed technique constantly repairing him, he felt a subtle discomfort.

He pressed a hand to his forehead, fingers digging into his temple.

This feeling… so unfamiliar.

He didn’t reach for the charms.

Seeing him stand there, his expression off,  Lin Ge  waited a moment before looking at him with concern. “You okay?”

A headache?

Didn’t Strawberry Shortcake say he had auto-healing?

“I’m fine.”  Gojo Satoru’s  expression softened slightly, but the information kept pouring in, endless, relentless. “Why give me something so valuable?”

An item that could block a fatal blow…

Would it work against any level of attack? Or was there some kind of power limit?

Even with a limit, this was a rare treasure.

If the old geezers at the  Supervisory Department  found out…

Under his gaze,  Lin Ge  scratched the back of his head, lashes lowering. “No reason…” His voice carried a hint of nerves. “You’ve helped me a ton.”

So unfair.

He was already stupidly good-looking with half his face covered, but now, with his whole face out? He was a walking human trap.

And those eyes—why did they glow like they were alive?!

Seeing  Gojo Satoru  hesitate,  Lin Ge  stepped closer and half-forced the charms into his hand. “It’s just a little gift between friends.”

He blinked rapidly. “Take it. I’m begging you.”

Once the charms were in his hand, the torrent of information stopped, the discomfort vanishing.  Gojo Satoru  let out a long breath, a flicker of complexity in his eyes.

He had so many questions.

Where did these come from? Could they be obtained again? What was the cost of getting them?

But when his eyes met  Lin Ge’s, the questions popped like bubbles, sinking quietly into his heart.

Lin Ge  pulled his hand back, eyes crinkling with a smile. “Keep them safe, okay?”

These were heavy little coins!

—

Gojo Satoru  wasn’t kidding—everyone who’d tried his teleportation gave it five stars.

In the blink of an eye,  Lin Ge  was standing in front of the homestay’s entrance.

No dizziness, no wobbly legs—not a hint of discomfort.

To avoid being caught by the entrance camera and causing trouble, they’d landed about ten meters away.

Lin Ge  turned back to see  Gojo Satoru  waving at him with a smile. “See you tomorrow.”

Lin Ge  grinned back. “…See you tomorrow.”

Strawberry Shortcake.

Even after  Gojo Satoru’s  figure vanished with a whoosh,  Lin Ge  couldn’t tear his eyes or smile away.

His shoulders slumped, and he stood there for a while.

Finally, he pressed his index finger to his chest, expression unreadable.

So weird.

His heart felt… empty.

Was he hungry?

—

The night shift at the homestay was handled by a young guy with short chestnut hair, maybe in his early twenties. He wore frameless glasses and looked utterly drained.

Hearing footsteps, he yawned, plastering a smile on his face. “Hello.”

Nodding at him,  Lin Ge  pulled up his room booking info on his phone and handed it over.

The guy worked fast, scanning the code in seconds. He pulled out the corresponding keycard from a drawer and handed it over politely. “Your room’s on the second floor. We don’t have an elevator—turn the corner, and the stairs are right there. Your room’s probably to the left of the stairwell… If you can’t find it, call me, and I’ll help you look.”

Lin Ge  gave a soft “Mm,” but didn’t speak or take the keycard and leave. He just stared at the guy’s shoulder.

The guy’s smile faltered. “Is there something on my shoulder?”

This dude was kinda creepy.

I know I’m decent-looking, but you don’t have to stare like that.

He’s not unhinged, is he?

Or high?

Glancing at the time, the guy’s mouth twitched.

Lin Ge  nodded, pointing behind his shoulder. “You can’t see it?”

It’s huge.

The guy: “…”

He quickly glanced at his shoulder.

Nothing.

Though it did feel a bit stiff… probably from too much gaming?

Letting out an awkward laugh, thinking this was some dumb dare or something, the guy said halfheartedly, “You’re funny, sir.”

Weirdo…

As for his shoulder, he’d check it out at the hospital tomorrow if he had time…

Maybe it’s just phone posture syndrome, haha.

If that didn’t work, he’d hit up the blind masseuse next door—heard their technique was solid.

Seeing the guy was about to write him off as a creep if he kept talking,  Lin Ge  laughed along to let it slide.

Before heading up the stairs, he gave the guy one last look.

A grotesque, pitch-black spirit was gnawing at his shoulder with its teeth. It had a pair of gray cat ears on its head, blood weeping from its eyes. Invisible resentment enveloped the young man, eroding his body and soul.

The spirit let out piercing shrieks—sometimes a cat’s meow, sometimes the hoarse, rough rage of an old woman.

Sensing a stranger’s lingering gaze, it suddenly whipped its head around, baring its teeth viciously. A wave of dark energy surged toward  Lin Ge.

“See… you can see?”

It stammered out a few words, so close it was nearly touching  Lin Ge’s  face.

—

Gripping the stair railing,  Lin Ge  broke out in a cold sweat. This thing was ugly beyond limits.

Getting no response, it reached out, grabbing his shoulder.

Its grip was strong, claws practically sinking into his flesh, repeating obsessively, “You can see, you can see?”

Its voice pitched higher, crimson eyes growing larger, almost swallowing its entire face.

Twisted, terrifying, unhinged.

Not like a cursed spirit—more like a vengeful ghost?

Or maybe cursed spirits came in weird forms too.

Let’s just call it a cursed spirit.

Lin Ge, unable to look directly at it, grabbed its neck and pushed it back.

What’s your deal?

Why you getting so close?!

Don’t you know chastity is a man’s best dowry?!

How dare you mess with my zen?!

—

The cursed spirit froze for a moment, clearly not expecting its prey to fight back.

The next second, a torrent of dark energy erupted from it, pouring into  Lin Ge.

For a normal person, facing this level of resentment head-on would probably melt them into a puddle of blood.

But  Lin Ge? He looked like he was enjoying it.

Cool and refreshing—like standing in front of an AC unit.

Pure bliss!

The hand gripping the cursed spirit’s neck was tainted by its resentment, his skin turning pitch-black like he’d been poisoned. Yet  Lin Ge  only felt better than ever.

His stomach growled right on cue.

…This ghost smelled like tomatoes.

Yeah, he could use some veggies.

Lin Ge  opened his mouth, ready to swallow the cursed spirit as a pre-dinner snack, when a blinding flash cut through his vision.

A blade gleamed like daylight, striking with the force of a thunderstorm, slicing the cursed spirit into countless grid-like chunks. Foul purple blood sprayed onto  Lin Ge’s  face, a few drops even splashing into his eyes.

Wiping his face messily,  Lin Ge  didn’t get a chance to speak before someone draped soft fabric over his head, plunging his world into darkness. He could only feel a pair of hands gently wiping the blood off him.

“Sorry, I was late.”

It was  Yamanbakiri Kunihiro.

He glanced at  Lin Ge’s  hands hanging by his sides.

They were already turning black…

Tainted by the ghost’s resentment?

His gaze grew heavy for a moment.  Yamanbakiri Kunihiro  decisively channeled his spiritual energy, intricate golden arrays spreading beneath their feet.

They had to get back to  Honmaru  fast.

“This thing’s ugly.”

Casually flicking the blood off his blade,  Tsurumaru Kuninaga  grimaced, sticking out his tongue dramatically.

It stank.

Cutting it felt different from the  Retrograde Troops.

All squishy.

He’d need a long soak in the hot springs after this.

—

“Mon… monster!”

The chair crashed to the ground with a dull thud. The front desk guy was so freaked out by the scene, he was on the verge of a breakdown. He scrambled out the door, tripping twice in his panic, his worldview completely shattered.

Glancing coldly at him before looking away,  Tsurumaru Kuninaga  admired his handiwork with satisfaction.

Yup, still got it.

Perfect.

He jogged a few steps to the center of the array, whispering to his companion, “ Yamanbakiri,  Yamanbakiri.”

Yamanbakiri Kunihiro: “?”

Tsurumaru Kuninaga  pointed at the wrecked floor tiles, his voice barely above a mosquito’s hum. “I don’t have to pay for this, right?”

Got too caught up looking cool and accidentally trashed half the place.

The once cozy, romantic homestay now looked like a warzone straight out of Syria. A huge hole gaped in the wall, and the white floor tiles from the entrance to where they stood were completely ripped up, exposing gray-brown soil and foundation.

Yamanbakiri Kunihiro  was silent for a moment. “What do you think?”

Tsurumaru Kuninaga  pouted, pulling a handful of glittering gold nuggets from his sleeve and tossing them precisely onto the front desk.

He spread his hands, signaling that was all he had. “I was saving those to buy stuff…”

But since it was to save the  Saniwa, he could probably get reimbursed, right?

Double the amount wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it?

Feeling like he’d struck gold with the idea,  Tsurumaru Kuninaga  squinted happily.

Sensing something,  Lin Ge  yanked the fabric off his head.

No surprise there.

It was  Yamanbakiri Kunihiro’s  cloak.

Spotting the array patterns spreading beneath his feet, realizing what was happening,  Lin Ge  stretched out a hand like a drama queen. “Wait a—”

The “second” didn’t make it out. The array activated, a golden pillar of light shooting skyward, radiant like a god descending.

The spectacle was as grand as  Lin Ge  had imagined—maybe even flashier.

But right now, he had zero interest in how cool he looked. His mind was entirely on Strawberry Shortcake, who he’d promised to see tomorrow.