"Sorry. It was my mistake." Geto Suguru's tone carried regret. He'd been warned to guard Kuroi Misato carefully, but he had underestimated the woman's value to their enemies.
"It's not such a big screw-up," Gojo Satoru said, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
Soujun spoke as well. "Their real target is Riko. We still hold the initiative. Kuroi should be safe for now."
"Then we stick to the plan," Gojo said, turning to Soujun. "You'll play Riko's double. Your technique can mimic her, right?"
Soujun hesitated, then nodded. His eyes drifted toward Riko Ten'in. All three fell silent.
Sure enough—
"W-wait a second!" Riko shouted, stamping her foot. "I'm coming along to the exchange too!"
"What?"
"Because I don't trust you guys yet!" she declared.
Gojo rubbed his forehead. "This brat… does she really have time to be throwing tantrums?"
"Even if you can save Kuroi, what if…" Riko's voice dropped, her hands twisting at the hem of her shirt. "…what if you can't bring her back before the merger happens?"
"I—I haven't even said goodbye to her."
Her words cracked, the edge of tears glistening.
The three young men exchanged glances.
Finally, Gojo sighed. "The kidnappers will contact us soon. If they're more cunning than we thought, bringing you along might only hurt Kuroi's chances. If that happens, we'll leave you behind."
He turned to Soujun. "You'll need to pick the right moment to transform."
Soujun nodded.
"Eh? Ehh?! So you're agreeing? I can go?" Riko scrubbed at her eyes, hope brightening her face.
"If you get scared halfway and start bawling to go home, we're ignoring you," Gojo warned, giving her a side-eye. "You'd better be ready."
Riko sniffed and nodded firmly. "Fine by me. As long as I can see her."
…
The message from the kidnappers came late, almost nine at night. Riko snatched her phone the instant it buzzed.
"They picked Okinawa?!" Her voice cracked with urgency. "We have to go—now!"
"Riko," Geto placed a calming hand on her shoulder, locking eyes with her. "Don't get caught in their rhythm. Keep your cool. As long as you're alive, they won't risk anything."
"…Okay." She forced herself to nod, suppressing her panic.
"I'll go first, scout the ground." Soujun stood.
A taller version of Riko stepped out from his body—arms flexing, biceps bulging. She smirked, then shrank with each step until she matched Riko's frame perfectly.
"Hand me your phone," she said, extending a palm.
Riko blinked at her mirror image, then handed it over.
Soujun accepted the device, dissolved the mimicry, and exchanged a quick look with Gojo and Geto. They all understood.
His mission was clear: investigate, sow confusion, and if luck allowed, rescue Kuroi outright.
…
The next morning, at 9 a.m., Gojo, Geto, and Riko landed in Okinawa.
Riko, her eyes puffy from a sleepless night, dashed out of the terminal—and froze.
Kuroi Misato was standing right there beside Soujun.
Riko's breath hitched. She slapped a hand to her mouth, then sprinted forward. The two girls collided in a desperate hug.
"Thank you," Geto said quietly, approaching Soujun.
"For what? Protecting her is our job."
"Even so…"
"You're such a stiff, Weird-Bangs." Soujun waved him off.
Geto narrowed his eyes, but his mood was too good to argue.
"You worked fast." Gojo strolled over and elbowed Soujun. "Run into any trouble?"
"When I found them, they were too busy fantasizing about their future. Easy sweep. I killed some, let some go. None worth interrogating."
He dusted his palms. "Anyway, it's over. All that's left is to get Riko back to Jujutsu High before tomorrow night."
But as he scanned the airport, his expression shifted. "Huh. A lot of shady types hanging around."
"Relax," Geto said with a knowing look. "We're not the only ones here."
Soujun's eyes lit with understanding.
"Then that settles it." Gojo threw his arms over both their shoulders. "Perfect timing, perfect place… let's hit the beach!"
"…What?"
"I agree!!" Riko's eyes sparkled.
Just like that, a rescue mission turned into a sightseeing trip.
…
Okinawa basked in tropical warmth year-round, especially pleasant in spring and autumn. Late March was practically summer on the islands: sun, sand, sea—who could resist?
Soujun changed into a beach outfit plastered with golden sunflowers.
The others donned swimwear too. Their mix of lean muscle and striking looks drew more than a few stares.
Soujun's stomach growled. He glanced around and spotted a food cart with a sign: Grilled Squid Cakes.
He approached politely. "One, please."
The vendor—a woman in her thirties under a wide-brimmed hat—tensed under his gaze.
"R-right away."
Ah. Another of Jujutsu High's hidden guards. Soujun looked away, giving her space.
She sighed in relief and set to work. Iron plates clamped around squid battered in flour and egg, sizzling as they pressed. The smell was mouthwatering.
She flipped it open, revealing a crispy, flattened cake. With quick strokes she brushed on sauce, folded it, and wrapped it neatly in wax paper before handing it over.
Soujun took it, paid, and strolled back to the beach. He finished it in a few bites. Surprisingly good.
Maybe he was being paranoid.
He sank into a lounge chair beneath a parasol, sea breeze in his lungs, waves rolling before him.
Behind him, Riko whispered to Gojo, mischief sparking in her tone. "Once he relaxes, we'll sneak up and—heehee—I can't wait to see his face."
"Big ocean~~!"
Riko suddenly dashed to the surf, then swerved back, yanked off her hairband, and tied it over Soujun's eyes.
He remained expressionless. Her enthusiasm wilted.
Gojo added his sunglasses onto Soujun's nose.
Soujun sighed and went along, rolling his eyes dramatically beneath the makeshift blindfold before collapsing back like a grade-schooler pretending to faint.
"Hahaha!"
Riko burst out laughing. "Come on! Before his boredom infects us!"
The two pranksters ran off, giggling as they splashed into the sea.
…
Geto and Kuroi wandered over.
"Turning this into a vacation… are we sure that's okay?" Kuroi murmured.
"He's just giving Riko her moment in his own way," Geto replied with a smile. "But we should probably think about heading back soon."
"Gojo! Time's up!"
"Aww, already?" Riko pouted.
"Let's stay one more night," Gojo said, shamelessly inventing excuses.
Geto leaned in close, lowering his voice. "You haven't dropped your technique since yesterday, have you? Not even while sleeping. And tonight—you don't plan on resting either, do you?"
Gojo grinned. "No problem. Back when I was hunting for hidden game content, I went through worse. Besides, I've got you guys, don't I?" He snatched the sunglasses back from Soujun's face.
Geto glanced at him too.
Soujun lay perfectly still on the lounge chair, eyes hidden under the headband, his thoughts unreadable.
"See? Even Soujun's fine with it." Gojo clapped his hands and laughed. "Settled, then!"
Riko's pleading gaze finally broke Geto's resolve. He sighed. "Alright."
"Yay! I wanna go boating, eat takoyaki, and visit the aquarium to see the whales—"
Her laughter drifted down the shore, mingling with the crash of the waves.
__________________________________________________________
If you'd like to support my work and unlock 15 advanced chapters, visit:
-> patreon.com/TLAuthor