After entering the wooden hut, the shopkeeper turned out to be a kind-looking old grandfather with a slight hunchback.
The interior of the shop smelled faintly of sea salt and old wood. Various swimsuits hung neatly on the walls, while swimming rings and beach balls were stacked in the corners. The sound of waves crashing outside mixed with the distant laughter of tourists, creating a relaxing summer atmosphere.
"Yo, old man, hello." Gojo Satoru casually raised his hand in greeting, his tone relaxed as always.
The old man, who had been lowering his head to organize bills behind the counter, slowly turned around. His wrinkled face revealed a peaceful smile.
"Ah, welcome, welcome. Hello to both of you."
"Hello."
Nakano Nino nodded politely, her light-blue eyes already wandering toward the swimsuits hanging on the walls.
From a single glance, she could tell that most of the designs here were recent releases.
Some were even limited seasonal styles sold only near coastal shopping districts. Originally, she had only intended to browse casually, but now she was genuinely interested.
If she couldn't find anything suitable here, then after spending some time at the beach with Gojo Satoru, they would probably head to the nearby shopping district afterward.
Meanwhile, Gojo Satoru had already wandered away from her.
Like an overgrown child visiting a toy store for the first time, he walked toward the men's section and began looking through beach shorts and swim trunks with surprising seriousness.
"This one's too small…"
"Hm, this design looks too tight."
"Oh? This one's not bad… but bright red? Isn't that a little too flashy?"
Hearing him muttering to himself, Nino almost laughed.
Seriously… why was this man so ridiculous sometimes?
Shaking her head helplessly, she stepped closer to the wall and pointed toward a swimsuit hanging near the top.
"How much is this swimsuit?"
The swimsuit she pointed at was a relatively conservative three-piece design. It had a lightweight white outer jacket, delicate lace around the chest area, and lace trimming around the lower half as well. Compared to the bikinis nearby, it revealed very little skin.
Well…at least in Nino's standards.
The old man adjusted his reading glasses and stared at the swimsuit thoughtfully, remembering and calculating the price in his head.
After a few seconds, he spoke kindly.
"Ah, this one is a bit expensive. Twenty-five thousand yen."
"It's fine if it's expensive."
Nino waved her hand indifferently.
She had brought plenty of spending money today anyway.
Besides, compared to some of the fashionable clothes she usually bought, this price was still at an acceptable range.
However, before she could say anything else—
"I'll buy it for you, Nino."
Gojo Satoru's voice suddenly came from the side.
At some point, he had already walked over while carrying a pair of black beach shorts in his hand.
"And I'll buy some for your sisters too while we're at it."
Nino immediately frowned.
"How can I let you do that, Gojo-kun?"
In her opinion, even though they were dating now, relationships shouldn't just be one-sided giving.
Besides, one swimsuit already cost twenty-five thousand yen. Buying four more for her sisters would easily exceed one hundred thousand yen.
Gojo Satoru simply pointed at the shorts in his hand and smiled lazily.
"Then buy these shorts for me, and I'll buy your swimsuit. Fair trade."
"…" Nino hesitated briefly before finally sighing as she looked at his innocent eyes under his glasses, "…Fine."
Then before he could say anything, she quickly added, "But forget about my sisters. They can buy their own swimsuits."
"Yeah, yeah." Gojo Satoru replied casually, clearly not listening very seriously.
The old grandfather smiled warmly.
"Thank you for your patronage. Thirty-five thousand yen total. Twenty-five thousand for the swimsuit and ten thousand for the shorts."
Nino immediately took ten thousand yen from her bag.
At the same time, Gojo Satoru pulled out twenty-five thousand yen from his pocket and placed it on the counter.
After paying, Gojo Satoru stretched lazily.
"I'm going to buy coconut juice outside. Wait for me here, Nino."
"Okay."
Nino nodded.
After watching him leave the wooden hut, her eyes slowly drifted toward another swimsuit hanging nearby.
Specifically—A bikini.
Actually, from the moment she entered the shop, she had already noticed it.
Compared to the conservative swimsuit she bought earlier, this bikini was far bolder. It was stylish, beautiful, and extremely eye-catching.
Normally, the old Nino would never even consider buying something like this.
After all, she had always been strict regarding herself and her sisters. In her mind, swimsuits should remain relatively conservative.
But…
For some reason…
After officially dating Gojo Satoru, her thoughts had gradually started changing.
Especially when she imagined his reaction after seeing her wear it…
Ba-dum! Ba-dum! Ba-dum!
Her heartbeat unconsciously accelerated.
"…Sir..."
"Hm?"
The old man looked over curiously.
Nino pointed toward the bikini while trying to maintain a calm expression.
"Can you please take that one down too. I'll buy it."
"Huh? Oh, alright."
The old man looked slightly confused by the sudden decision but still obediently took it down.
"This one is nineteen thousand yen, is that okay?"
"No problem."
Nino quickly took out the money and paid.
Just as she hurriedly stuffed the bikini into the shopping bag—
Step! Step! Step!
Footsteps sounded behind her.
Thinking Gojo Satoru had returned already, Nino almost panicked and quickly hid the bag.
"Sir, do you have bikinis?"
However, the voice belonged to another woman.
Nino relaxed slightly before turning around.
Standing there was a tall woman with long orange hair with a yellow in the end tied into a single ponytail. Her yellow bangs partially covered one eye, while her figure could only be described as explosive.
Even Nino, who was highly confident in her own appearance, had to admit this woman possessed overwhelming maturity.
"Ah… hello."
The woman awkwardly greeted after noticing Nino was aggressively staring at her.
"…Hello."
Nino nodded politely before quickly looking away.
She didn't know why, but this woman gave off a strange feeling.
Not dangerous exactly…just unusual.
At that moment—
Step! Step! Step! Step!
Footsteps sounded again from outside.
Gojo Satoru had returned while holding two fresh coconuts with straws inserted into them, he walked inside the shop before looking at the unusually panicking Nino.
"Let's go, Nino."
"...Coming."
Nino immediately grabbed her bags and trotted toward him.
As they left, the old grandfather smiled warmly, as his voice behind them.
"Please visit again next time."
Outside the shop, the warm sea breeze blew gently.
Gojo Satoru handed one coconut over to Nino while casually sipping his own, staring at her from behind his glasses.
"What's with that suspicious expression?"
"H-Huh? Nothing!"
Nino immediately denied it.
Her hands subconsciously tightened around the shopping bag containing the hidden bikini.
This was her secret weapon!
Next time they went to the beach together, she planned to wear it specifically to surprise him.
Just imagining Gojo Satoru staring blankly at her figure made Nino feel secretly proud inside.
'Hmph! Let's see how calm you stay then, Gojo-kun!'
.....
Meanwhile, Inside the wooden hut.
The orange-haired woman stood silently near the entrance, her expression no longer absent-minded like before.
Instead, her eyes narrowed seriously.
"…Gojo Satoru?"
She muttered softly.
Even without the iconic blindfold, the pressure radiating from him matched the rumors perfectly.
There was almost no doubt.
That man was Gojo Satoru—the strongest exorcist in the current supernatural world.
The woman slowly crossed her arms.
Kirigakure Shura!
A senior exorcist knight.
Disciple of Fujimoto Shirou.
Holder of four knight titles: Aria Knight, Dragoon Knight, Doctor Knight, and Tamer Knight.
And currently, an ordinary person supposedly enjoying her vacation.
"…What a troublesome coincidence."
Shura sighed softly.
Still, after only a moment, she shook her head.
Whatever.
She was on vacation right now.
As long as Gojo Satoru didn't cause trouble for her, she had no interest in involving herself with the strongest exorcist.
....
Gojo Satoru and Nino continued walking side by side while drinking coconut juice.
The sunlight reflected across the ocean beautifully, while groups of tourists laughed and played nearby.
Gojo Satoru suddenly glanced sideways.
"Nino."
"Hm?"
"You've been holding that bag really tightly since earlier."
Nino's body stiffened instantly.
"I-I'm not!"
"Oh?"
Gojo Satoru's blue eyes curved slightly with amusement behind his black glasses.
"That suspicious, huh…"
"N-No it isn't!"
Nino immediately denied it again, her face growing slightly red.
Seeing her reaction, Gojo Satoru only chuckled softly.
He didn't expose her.
After all…watching Nino secretly prepare surprises for him was actually pretty cute.
The two continued walking along the coastline beneath the bright summer sky.
Not far behind them, Kirigakure Shura stood quietly beneath the shade of a tree, watching the retreating figure of the white-haired man thoughtfully before finally turning away herself.
...
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Bonus Chapter:-
4 Bonus chapter at 100 powerstone
6 Bonus Chapter at 150 powerstone
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Word Count — 1,500