December 7, 2019
Gojo Family Mansion
Pop! Pop!
Itadori Yuji and Kugisaki Nobara set off party poppers, aiming them straight at Shion and Satoru.
Everyone in the spacious living room shouted in unison, "Happy Birthday!!!"
Satoru brushed back his hair, his expression full of mock annoyance. "Damn it, I'm thirty now."
"I'm no longer a beautiful young man."
Yuki Tsukumo twitched slightly. "Are you trying to call someone old, or are you not even trying to hide it?"
Satoru covered his mouth with a laugh. "Heh, you caught me."
Kugisaki stared at both brothers, her eyes sparkling with envy. "How are both Shion-sensei and Satoru-sensei already thirty, yet still look like they're in their twenties?"
She leaned closer, staring at Saroru. "Especially your skin, it looks even better than mine. What do you use? Tell me."
Satoru smirked. "I'm using XX brand moisturizer. Nothing special."
Amanai Riko leaned in immediately. "Oh, really? I use the same one."
From the side, Geto Suguru spoke calmly. "He uses yours."
Silence fell for a split second.
"Stop right there, you idiot!"
"Hey, I'm the birthday guy today! Geto, you really sold me out like that, you're dead!"
Geto casually rubbed the ring on his left ring finger, watching with amusement as Riko chased Satoru around the room.
In a corner, Mimiko stared at the ring on Haruko's finger, her eyes shining. "It's so pretty. It doesn't look like Geto-sensei's taste at all."
Haruko smiled. "That's because I chose it."
"Nanako, go out with me!"
Nigi Riku bowed deeply, his voice shaking with both nerves and determination.
"I refuse."
"Huh? Why?"
Riku looked completely crushed.
Nanako rolled her eyes. "You burned my skirt during the last mission."
"Th-that was an accident… ow, ow, ow…"
Sugata Manami twisted his ear. "You're not even an adult yet, stop thinking about dating."
Riku protested, "What does that have to do with anything? Even Okkotsu-senpai…"
"He's an adult, and a Special Grade. You failed last month's combat test."
"…Right."
Not far away, Yuta Okkotsu and Rika fed each other cake and fruit, completely absorbed in their own world.
The sweetness in the air was almost unbearable.
Mei Mei and Utahime were locked in a drinking contest, empty bottles piling up beside them. Ui Ui cheered enthusiastically for his sister.
Haibara Yu, Ino Takuma, and Inumaki Toge handled the grill, carefully cooking and seasoning meat for everyone.
Kusakabe Atsuya arrived with his younger sister Mei, who carried a "dog-like" cursed corpse named Kobu.
Kobu stared at Panda with envy. "Will I ever grow that big?"
Panda scratched his head and turned to Yaga Masamichi. "Dad, does eating help cursed corpses grow?"
No one answered.
Across the room, under pressure from Kamo Noritoshi and Momo Nishimiya, Kokichi and Miwa Kasumi sat awkwardly side by side.
Both of them turned red instantly, unable to say a single word.
Kamo and Momo looked ready to lose their patience.
Nearby, Zenin Naobito fussed endlessly over Fushiguro Megumi.
"Megumi, has training been tough? How many shikigami have you mastered? Have you tamed Mahoraga yet? How does it feel being the head of the family?"
Megumi rolled his eyes. "Everything else aside, being the head is pretty easy."
Naobito wiped his forehead.
Well, of course it was.
Zenin Maki, sitting nearby, awkwardly looked away.
Mai clung to Maki's arm and said lazily, "Since the Zenin clan is like this now, old man, why not have a few more kids while you still can?"
Naobito's eyelid twitched. "I'm young? If anything, Zenin Toji…"
Fushiguro Toji cut him off immediately. "My surname is Fushiguro, not Zenin."
He turned away, continuing to tie his daughter Tsumiki's hair.
"Little brother!"
"Little brother!"
Itadori blinked at the two strangely dressed men, then looked at Choso in confusion.
Choso explained, "Yuji, these are your older brothers, Eso and Kechizu."
"Thanks to Shoko's research, they've gained human forms. Their fashion sense is still questionable."
He pulled them closer. "Come on, let's take a picture."
Todo Aoi appeared instantly. "Brother, count me in!"
Nanami Kento looked at them, visibly shaken. "This feels like cheating."
Dagon, Hoshi Kiarara, and Uro Takako tried to hold back their laughter.
Kiarara spoke up. "By the way, your domain gives you a 1 in 239 chance, right? Why do you still lose every time you gamble?"
Nanami's expression stiffened. "Kiarara, can you lend me some money this month?"
At the head of the table, Shion rested his chin on his hand, quietly watching everything.
Thirty years.
This kind of life was not bad at all.
He glanced at Nanami beside him. "Nanami, try smiling a little today."
Nanami paused, then forced out a stiff smile that looked worse than his usual expression.
"…Forget it. Just go back to normal."
Shion sighed and wiped imaginary sweat. "At this rate, you'll never get a girlfriend."
Nanami adjusted his glasses. "I'll think about that after my trip to Malaysia."
Just as Shion was about to reply, two arms wrapped around his neck from behind.
"Instead of worrying about Nanami, you should worry about yourself."
Ieiri Shoko ruffled his hair. "Some guy hasn't made a single move, even though his student is already engaged."
Shion's face darkened. "Yuta is engaged? And he didn't tell me?"
He dropped back into his chair with a long sigh.
"I'm thirty, already at marriage age, and I've never even been in a relationship. That's just sad."
Shoko leaned closer. "Then… do you want to change that?"
"What?"
Thinking she was about to whisper something, Shion leaned in slightly.
The next moment, Shoko pressed a light kiss to his cheek.
Then she pulled away with a small, knowing smile. "I'm going out for some air."
Shion froze, staring after her.
When he turned back, he nearly jumped.
Everyone had gathered around him, staring with wide eyes and shameless grins.
Even Nanami had taken out his phone and snapped a picture.
"You people…"
Shion stood up, clearing his throat. "I'm going out for some air."
A chorus of cheers erupted behind him.