Gojo Satoru traded barbs with Gin for a while, only ending the chat when Pinga finally parked the car.
Their destination was a famous Italian restaurant, rumored to have excellent pasta.
Pinga caught sight of Gojo Satoru messaging someone throughout the entire drive. Guessing the recipient was likely Gin, his expression soured.
Don't misunderstand; this wasn't some "I love you, you love him" drama. It was purely because two years ago, when Gin came to the U.S. for a mission, he had partnered with Pinga. The two didn't get along at all and ended up holding a grudge over a few petty matters.
Specifically, after Pinga heard Gin mocking his lower eyelashes as "ridiculous," he had furiously sent dozens of texts in protest—only for Gin to "Read" every single one and never reply. From that day on, Pinga swore they were sworn enemies.
What does that long-haired freak know!? These lower eyelashes are clearly my most charming feature!
However, Pinga knew Gin was a favorite at the Tokyo headquarters. For now, he had to bite his tongue and wait for a future opportunity to retaliate.
Gojo Satoru watched their friction with amusement, finally understanding why Pinga was so desperate to usurp Gin's position in the later movie plots.
Gin-chan really can be quite toxic with his words sometimes...
Come to think of it, the last time he'd seen Gin in person was during that mission two years ago. Although Gojo had mastered long-distance teleportation (covering roughly 10,000 kilometers), he mostly traveled between the U.S. and Mexico. His visits to Japan could be counted on one hand.
After all, the main plot hadn't started yet. Wandering around there every day would be boring. Before fully perfecting his "masks," Gojo Satoru didn't plan on meeting Conan and the others just yet. When the right time came, there would be plenty of Impression Points to fleece; there was no rush.
On the other hand, for characters like Curacao and Pinga, this was a "limited-time offer" before they exited the stage.
As for Gin—a "grindset" king on par with Pinga—he had spent the last few years fully immersed in missions with almost zero downtime, let alone time to hang out.
However, Gojo Satoru did manage to get his hands on some Zunda Mochi Kikufuku from Sendai.
Mmm~ Total satisfaction! It was the delicious taste of his memories; he'd give it a 99/100. He withheld one point out of fear the Kikufuku might get too cocky.
Does it sound like he's had a relaxing four years? Hardly. In truth, he's been just as busy as Gin.
As for what he's been busy with?
Completing monthly mission quotas, finding ways to fleece points from Pinga, Curacao, and Rum, teaching lessons to arrogant factions in Mexico, cleaning out pests in the American underworld... these were only a fraction of his activities.
In private, he actually went back to school.
Yes, you heard right. The invincible Son of the Six Eyes went to school!
Gojo Satoru understood deeply that the world of Detective Conan—a mystery manga—was different from the Jujutsu world. Brute force couldn't solve everything; knowledge was equally vital.
Furthermore, the "Gojo Clan" of this world wasn't like the one in his memories. To put it bluntly, they were a "fallen house." Aside from Satoru himself, no clansmen possessed abilities, and the family's financial situation was mediocre at best. All that remained was an ancient nameplate that many viewed as nothing more than an empty title.
If he were to inherit the Gojo Clan in the future, he absolutely wouldn't tolerate such a state of affairs. Therefore, a solid economic foundation was crucial.
Upon realizing this, Gojo began supplementing his knowledge. Initially, he self-studied using textbooks purchased from the System Mall. According to the System, the content of these books came from the future and was quite advanced.
Despite the material being incredibly dense and complex, Gojo Satoru possessed that special buff of "being able to do anything except give birth or handle alcohol." Even with an eight-digit calculation, he could derive the answer in a second.
After two years of absorbing and integrating all that knowledge, he felt that self-study wasn't enough. He began making a name for himself in various competitions, discussing theories with renowned professors, and tossing out futuristic concepts with such ease that he was hailed as a "transcendent genius." Eventually, he successfully enrolled in the world-famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology—MIT.
Then, in just another two years, he obtained dual Master's degrees in Finance and Criminal Psychology, graduating early.
In Gojo Satoru's plan, he intended to wear a "Detective" mask when interacting with Conan. These Six Eyes, which could see through any truth, shouldn't go to waste. Therefore, to make his detective identity more credible, "Criminal Psychology" served as a very convincing cover.
As for studying Finance, the reason was naturally to make money. Having become a master of economics, he could take the mission pay deposited into his account, take a casual stroll through Wall Street, and emerge with his capital tripled.
Even so, Gojo felt it wasn't fast enough.
Look at his "nephew," Kuroba Kaito—his bio clearly states an "IQ of 400." That's insane, right? Even Einstein was only 165. As the uncle, he couldn't very well let himself be outdone by his nephew.
Anyway, after graduation, he accepted an invitation from his mentor, Nobel Prize winner Joseph Streiff, to become a Teaching Assistant (TA). It was a return to his "old profession" in a way.
However, since Gojo held so many "jobs," it was impossible for him to stay on campus all day. Fortunately, a professor usually has multiple TAs; he just kept his name on the roster and taught a class once in a blue moon. His attendance rate was pitifully low.
Even so, through student word-of-mouth, he ranked #1 on the "Favorite Assistant Professor" list.
While Gojo displayed extraordinary academic talent, MIT is full of young geniuses, and those with dual degrees at a young age aren't exactly rare. Was it his witty and humorous teaching style? Perhaps that played a part.
But as everyone knows, whether in the "Land of the Free" or across the ocean in the "Middle Kingdom," there is no shortage of people who are suckers for a pretty face. Who hasn't fantasized about having a young, handsome, or beautiful teacher?
Speaking of teachers, though... was he forgetting something?
Pinga, seeing his thoughtful expression, asked, "Master Caesar, what's wrong?"
Yikes, I remember now.
Earlier, the professor said he was heading to Russia and asked Satoru to cover a class for him today.
Time until class starts... ten minutes.
Making up a quick excuse to leave, Gojo Satoru practiced his usual routine of slipping into a dark alley to teleport. When he reappeared, he was already in Massachusetts.
Moving like a bolt of lightning, he managed to reach the classroom just in time.
"Professor Gojo is here!"
"Good afternoon, Professor."
"I've been looking forward to your class for so long!"
The students greeted him enthusiastically.
"I'm very happy to see you all too, my dear students."
Seeing the room full of bright-eyed students, the white-haired, blue-eyed man stood at the podium. His every gesture exuded grace and elegance as he flashed an effortless, composed smile.
"Without further ado, let's begin the lesson."
Blowing up a building in the morning, acting as a lecturer in the afternoon.
Gojo Satoru: Life... easy as pie~