Before they knew it, six months had passed in the blink of an eye.
Satoru Gojo was living quite a comfortable life. Because of his "connections," he received special treatment in all aspects. Moreover, ever since he crushed the "eggs" of those five bullies, people who dared to provoke him had gone extinct. Whenever he walked by, people would bow and scrape.
Occasionally, if he found someone in the training camp likeable, he didn't mind giving them a few pointers or stepping in when they were being bullied. Consequently, a few people truly began to view Satoru Gojo as their savior. The rampant culture of bullying that used to plague the camp had quieted down significantly due to the existence of this combat "ceiling."
His most devoted admirer was Kasumi Shimizu, the girl he had saved that first time. She had changed a lot since that incident; her ranking in combat drills rose steadily, and she no longer looked so frail. Whenever she spotted Gojo, her eyes would light up, and she would rush over to greet him—she had even asked for his autograph.
This fangirl style... she really is the Miwa of the Conan universe, Gojo thought. It wasn't a bad thing. If these "Gojo fans" became outer members or codenamed agents in the future, it would benefit him eventually. Though, to be honest, Gojo didn't hold much expectation for them.
Over the past six months, he had been working hard to "conquer" the Workaholic. For example, he constantly stuffed desserts into Jin's mouth after lunch, shared lollipops from the system mall for no reason, and persisted in passing notes during class to "build rapport."
(Kurosawa Jin: Are you sure it's not just harassment?)
Hard work pays off. Now, he and Kurosawa Jin had become inseparable (?) friends. Gojo could tease the Workaholic without him getting angry (he was mostly just numb to it now). Jin was even willing to go to the shooting range or the combat base with him, and they had become "meal buddies" in the cafeteria, sharing bread.
While the daily training seemed grueling to others, it was "so easy" for Gojo, whose power level was a total "dimensional strike" against this world. While others were frantically overworking themselves to earn a codename, he would just yawn and lazily sleep in. Watching this, Kurosawa Jin felt incredibly frustrated—especially since he couldn't even touch the hem of Gojo's shirt during sparring. Is there really someone in this world who does nothing but is born strong? Or is it some... talent I can't understand?
What does the world look like through Gojo's eyes?
Watching the other boy casually raise his hand and hit a bullseye every single time, Kurosawa Jin would grit his teeth and pick up his gun to practice again, refusing to fall behind. If there were an award for the "King of Overachievers," Jin would likely be the world champion.
"..."
Inside the training base cafeteria, members sat quietly at tables eating mediocre food after another combat drill. Gojo, who had once again emerged victorious, was happily eating a donut he had requested from Tequila. He loved sweets just as much as his original self did—perhaps it was destiny.
Noticing the "low pressure" aura radiating from his roommate, Gojo calmly chewed his food and added fuel to the fire: "Why the long face?"
Kurosawa Jin snapped, "Shut up." He lowered his head to focus on his rice, wanting nothing to do with this "cheater."
Gojo propped his chin on his hand, unaffected. His blue eyes sparkled with confidence and mischief. "I can't help it~ I'm a genius, after all."
Jin thought back to his declaration at the sniper range six months ago—"I will become stronger than you"—and remained silent, continuing to shovel food into his mouth. He had indeed become stronger. But Gojo didn't stand still either. Every time Jin felt he was close to catching up, it turned out to be an illusion. It was like playing a game you could never win—every time you neared the goal, the difficulty automatically spiked.
He "tched," gripping his spoon tighter and turning his frustration into an appetite, stuffing his cheeks like a hamster.
Over the last six months, by teasing Jin and showing off to Tequila, Gojo had farmed a total of 3,000 Impression Points. However, the system informed him that points were hard to get and would eventually yield diminishing returns. There was a limit to how much he could "shear" from one person. Once a character's impression of Gojo hit a peak, the points would stop, and he would have to move to new targets. The peak was estimated at maybe 10,000 to 20,000.
The goal is 100,000... when will this end? And there are so few plot characters in the Black Organization! "It's too hard. I might as well just retire here," Gojo grumbled internally. He asked, "System, what is the Workaholic's current impression of me?"
"Bzzz... Analysis: It can be summarized as annoyance, intent to kill, and friendliness."
Hey hey... this kid still hasn't given up on killing me! Truly, conquering the Workaholic was a long and arduous journey.
Days turned into weeks. Everyone endured militarized management and harsh training, giving their all to avoid being discarded. Despite forming small groups, they all viewed each other as enemies. However, Tequila mandated that everyone have a partner—like Gojo and Kurosawa Jin. They competed against each other in drills but had to cooperate in team exercises to defeat other pairs. The Organization did not encourage solo play; coordination was vital.
As their teamwork grew more seamless, the annual Elimination Round began.
This time, it was a battle with live ammunition. Previous drills were nothing compared to this. Like many competitions, it was points-based. Each person had to face other teams alongside their partner. The teams with the lowest scores would be personally executed by Tequila or his guards and thrown into the deep sea. Their files would be marked "OUT," and every trace of their existence would vanish. Those slightly more "lucky" would become bottom-tier servants on the island, never to train again, trampled upon by everyone.
The details of the battle are unnecessary to recount. For Gojo and Kurosawa Jin, who crushed everyone in terms of strength, taking first place was easy. However, Jin's wrist was grazed by a bullet while seeking cover—a small accident.
A few hours later, Tequila announced the end of the round. The white-haired boy looked back at the piles of corpses. Among them were a few familiar faces—kids who had once been brave enough to ask him for combat advice. They had died in the points competition against other teams.
Then, Tequila gave the losing teams a "chance."
"Whoever kills their partner... I will let them live."
Hearing this, Gojo thought, As expected... the reason he assigned partners was only to test their will. If an assassin cannot kill due to emotion, they are a failure.
Watching the orphans cry while desperately opening fire under the threat of death created a grotesque scene. Never had Gojo realized more clearly that the Organization was the embodiment of evil itself. It reminded him of those "Old Tangerines" (elders) in the Jujutsu world who didn't treat people like human beings.
Gojo was no savior, and he was long since desensitized to death. But he still found himself wanting to change something. He looked at Kurosawa Jin, who remained indifferent. He realized that eventually, there would be a fight between them, too—whether in the near or distant future.
If Kurosawa Jin dies, will the Conan world collapse? The system was vague, saying only that the world order wouldn't crumble easily. But it didn't say it was impossible.
After everything ended, Gojo ate his meal as usual, but due to his distraction, it tasted like wax. He needed to talk to Kurosawa Jin.
By nightfall, they were back in their dorm. The wound on Jin's wrist was becoming infected. He hissed in pain and reached for the medicine.
"Don't move. I'll help you," Gojo said suddenly.
"...What are you doing?" Jin stared at him, wondering what had gotten into him.
"Hey, hey. Helping a friend with medicine is normal, isn't it?"
In the past year, Gojo had never explicitly used the word "friend." Kurosawa Jin didn't know what to call the feeling of comfort he felt around Gojo compared to others. He didn't know, and he didn't want to think about it. This arrogant brat was annoying, but once you got used to him, he was actually... real. You didn't have to overthink when talking to him.
But Jin had assumed they were just partners, roommates, rivals, or enemies. Thus, he looked at Gojo as if he'd heard a massive joke. He sat frozen as Gojo grabbed his hand.
"Friend?" He spoke the word with difficulty, as if he had never seen it in a dictionary. "You think... I am your friend?"
"Aren't you?" Gojo shrugged. "Jin, we've hung out for a whole year. How do you usually view me?"
Jin was silent for a moment before sneering. "Are you an idiot? Do you know who we are? People living in the dark world don't need friends."
"Isn't that a boring way to live?"
"..." The blonde youth frowned. "So, besides playing hero, you like playing house too?"
Gojo sighed. "If you could only get a codename by killing me, what would you do?"
Jin snorted. "Is that even a question? Of course I'd kill you." He knew he couldn't actually beat Gojo, but he mocked him anyway. "Stop pretending. Don't you understand? People with no value don't deserve to live. That's the rule of this world."
"...Is that so?" Gojo said, his voice unusually serious as he finished bandaging the wound. "I used to think that too. But not anymore."
"Having someone who can walk beside you as an equal... even if you move slower, it's better than rushing ahead alone."
"Value doesn't matter. I just... don't want to kill my friends. The world shouldn't be like this."
Jin paused as he walked toward his bed. He said nothing. After a long silence, he muttered, "Heh. No matter what you say, I'm the one who will get a codename. I'll kill anyone who stands in my way."
He sounded cold as ice, however...
[Ding! Impression Points from story character Kurosawa Jin increased by... 2000!]
[Impression Judgment: Friendship.]
Holy cow. It took a whole year to save 3,000 points! He was rich now.
Gojo happily opened the Mall, putting weapons and clothes into his cart, planning to spend the rest once he left the island. If he didn't have the system, he really would have been fooled by Kurosawa Jin's act.
Who said this guy didn't have feelings?
Tch, what a total tsundere~