Ch 25 first encounter

As Ichiro entered his siblings' house, a wave of relief washed over him, knowing that they were safe. After exchanging smiles and hugs, they settled in for the night, finding solace in each other's presence.

The following morning, with the soft hues of dawn creeping through the curtains, Ichiro gathered his thoughts before delivering the news. "Oh by the way," he began, interrupting the tranquil morning atmosphere, "Will said that you guys are invited to attend his daughter's first birthday."

Tsumiki's eyes widened with delight, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Really, Ichiro? Yay!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine excitement as she envisioned the joyous celebration.

Meanwhile, Megumi remained stoic, his focus solely on his breakfast, seemingly unfazed by the news. "That's nice," he murmured casually, his attention fixed on his meal as if nothing else mattered.

Sensing the subdued atmosphere around Megumi, Ichiro couldn't help but inquire further. "Hey, Megumi, aren't you glad?" he prodded gently, his curiosity piqued by his brother's indifferent demeanor.

Megumi glanced up from his breakfast, meeting Ichiro's gaze with a calm expression. "Yeah, I'm glad," he replied evenly, though his tone lacked the same enthusiasm that Tsumiki had radiated moments before.

Noticing the subtle tension in Megumi's response, Ichiro decided to push the conversation a bit further, his playful nature emerging. "Oh, are you perhaps nervous?" he teased, flashing a mischievous grin in Megumi's direction, hoping to elicit a reaction from his typically reserved brother.

Megumi simply shrugged, unfazed by Ichiro's teasing. "Not really," he replied nonchalantly, his demeanor remaining stoic as ever.

Contrary to Ichiro's expectations, Megumi didn't show a hint of irritation or a strong reaction to his brother's playful banter. Instead, he continued to eat his breakfast with measured calmness, as if the conversation were of little consequence to him.

Ichiro's playful jab at Megumi's reserved nature hung in the air, causing a momentary pause in the morning conversation. Megumi's brow furrowed in confusion as he processed his brother's words. "What?" he questioned, a hint of perplexity lacing his tone.

Ichiro continued his playful banter, nudging at Megumi's reluctance with a teasing grin. "You know, Megumi, you won't be popular with girls if you're not good with your words," he quipped, his tone light but tinged with underlying amusement.

Megumi's expression remained stoic, though a faint glimmer of amusement danced in Ichiro's eyes. 'Well, I don't have the right to say that given how introverted I am in my past life,' he conceded with a subtle smirk, acknowledging his own tendencies.

As Ichiro's thoughts drifted to memories of his past life, a sudden wave of overwhelming pressure washed over him, causing him to stiffen in his seat

Sensing Ichiro's distress, both Megumi and Tsumiki turned their attention towards him, their concern palpable in their expressions. "Hey, Ichiro, are you alright?" Tsumiki's voice was laced with worry as she reached out to her brother.

Ichiro forced a reassuring smile, despite the turmoil churning within him. "Ah, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for worrying about me, Tsumiki," he replied, his voice strained as he struggled to maintain his composure.

"Megumi," ichiro interjected gently, redirecting his brother's attention to the matter at hand.

Megumi's gaze refocused on Ichiro, concern etched into his features. "Yeah, what is it, Ichiro?" he asked, his voice tinged with genuine worry as he waited for his brother to elaborate.,

Megumi observed Ichiro's unusual expression with a furrowed brow, silently mulling over the possible reasons for his brother's sudden change in demeanor. "I've never seen that kind of expression on Ichiro's face. I wonder what happened," he thought to himself, concern knitting his brows together as he searched for answers.

As Ichiro's attention shifted, he sense the presence of someone approaching them, prompting him to inquire of Megumi, "Megumi, there's someone who is approaching us. Do you know someone who always visits you guys?"

Megumi nodded in acknowledgment of Ichiro's query, his expression returning to its usual composed state. "Yeah, that man who stopped our sale visits us from time to time," he confirmed

A smirk played at the corners of Ichiro's lips 'Yes,' he thought, suppressing a chuckle, 'he's here, the one and only, the crosswis—no, I mean, the strongest sorcerer.'

As Ichiro made his way towards the door, a sense of anticipation coursed through him, his heart pounding with excitement and nerves. "I see, well, I guess I should greet him then," he muttered to himself, steeling his resolve before reaching for the doorknob.

Before Ichiro could even turn the handle, a sharp rap echoed through the room, signaling the arrival of their visitor. 'Finally, he's here in the flesh,' Ichiro thought with a wry smile

With a deep breath to steady himself, Ichiro swung open the door, revealing a man of imposing stature with lean muscles, broad shoulders, and the unmistakable combination of black glasses and shock of white hair. Clad in a sleek black uniform, Gojo Satoru exuded an aura of power and charisma that was impossible to ignore.

Ichiro couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension in the presence of the renowned sorcerer. 'Haha, Gojo is really something else. Just the pressure alone is enough to make me back off,' he mused inwardly, his resolve faltering momentarily before he reminded himself of the need to maintain composure in front of his siblings.

With a forced smile, Ichiro cleared his throat and addressed their guest. "May I ask who you are?" he inquired, his voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.

Gojo's gaze flickered towards Ichiro, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he recognized the eldest sibling. "Hmm? Oh, are you perhaps Ichiro, the eldest among the siblings?" he replied, his voice smooth and confident.

"Yes, that's me," Ichiro confirmed, his nerves settling slightly now that their guest had identified him. "Do you need something from us?" he asked, his curiosity piqued by the unexpected visit from the enigmatic sorcerer.

Gojo's laughter filled the air as he shrugged off Ichiro's inquiry. "Hahahah, not particularly. I just happened to be passing by after finishing my job," he replied casually, his tone betraying none of the gravity that Ichiro had anticipated.

Ichiro's mind raced with the implications of Gojo's statement. 'Does he mean there's a curse spirit nearby?, damn how unfortunate I could've fight it'

Before Ichiro could voice his thoughts, his attention was drawn to the object in Gojo's hand. "Uhh, sir—" he began, only to be swiftly interrupted by Gojo.

"Gojo Sensei," the sorcerer interjected with a casual wave of his hand, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Ichiro blinked in surprise at the sudden correction. "Excuse me?" he stammered, taken aback by Gojo's insistence on the honorific.

"Just call me Gojo Sensei," Gojo declared, spreading his arms wide with a theatrical flourish. "After all, we're now one big happy family."

Ichiro couldn't help but cringe inwardly at Gojo's proclamation, his discomfort evident in the awkward shift of his posture. Casting a sideways glance at Megumi, he silently sought confirmation that if this was indeed the same man who had thwarted their sale.

'Wow, I thought he was just an annoying person, but now I don't know,' Ichiro mused inwardly, feeling a mix of curiosity and trepidation about their unexpected guest.

As Ichiro struggled to find the right words, Megumi interjected with a more practical question. "Gojo Sensei, what are you holding?" he inquired, gesturing towards the paper bag in the sorcerer's hand.

"Oh, this?" Gojo replied with a casual shrug, extending the bag towards Megumi. "Here," he said simply, offering the contents to the siblings with a nonchalant smile.

"What's this?" Megumi asked, his curiosity piqued as he peered into the paper bag, unaware of its contents.

"Of course, it's clothes," Gojo replied with a grin, his tone dripping with playful sarcasm.

As Megumi and tsumiki opened the paper bag, their eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the fashionable clothing nestled inside. "Wow, those look expensive, Megumi. Be sure to express your gratitude, okay?" Ichiro chimed in, a genuine smile gracing his lips despite the twinge of envy he felt at the thought of Gojo's apparent wealth.

As they examined the high-end brands, Ichiro couldn't help but mentally calculate the value of the clothes. 'Damn, those clothes are worth around 90,000 yen. Just how rich is Gojo?' he mused silently, his mind racing with questions about the sorcerer's seemingly bottomless pockets.

"Oh, by the way, since when did you come back, Ichiro?" Gojo asked, his curiosity piqued as he turned his attention to the eldest sibling.

"When I asked Megumi about you, he said that you left for training," gojo explained, recalling the conversation he'd had with megumi

"Oh, I was in Africa," ichiro replied casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I see," gojo responded, nodding in understanding.

"So, Ichiro, any interest in becoming like Megumi?" Gojo asked suddenly, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Ichiro paused, taken aback by the unexpected question. 'Does he mean becoming a sorcerer?' he wondered silently, his mind racing with possibilities. "Well, since that was my goal in the beginning, I don't see why not," he replied, his voice tinged with determination.

"Excellent!" Gojo exclaimed, his enthusiasm palpable as he nodded in approval.

As Ichiro announced his departure, Gojo's eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. "Hmm? Where are you going? Isn't this your house?" he inquired, his curiosity evident in his tone.

"Well, sir Will said that they need to prepare for his daughter's first birthday, so I'll go there to help with the preparation," Ichiro explained, gesturing towards the door.

"I see," Gojo nodded in understanding, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. "Well, since it's time for you to go, do you mind if we could go to a nearby coffee shop?" he suggested, a mysterious glint in his eye.

Ichiro shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, I don't mind. But why?" he asked, curiosity piqued by Gojo's sudden request.

"I'll tell you once we get there," Gojo replied cryptically, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Exiting the house, Ichiro and Gojo made their way to a nearby coffee shop. After settling into their seats and placing their orders, Gojo leaned in with a serious expression, and start telling ichiro the same thing he said to megumi

"Hmm? You don't seem so surprised about the fact that the man who killed your father is in front of you," Gojo remarked, studying Ichiro's reaction carefully.

Ichiro's expression remained impassive as he absorbed Gojo's words. "Well, can I really blame you? Since my father tried to kill you, and you only responded to his actions," Ichiro reasoned calmly. "And besides, Father must've known the consequences of his actions. And besides, what's done is done, as they say."

Gojo nodded in acknowledgment, impressed by Ichiro's maturity and composure in the face of such heavy topics. "I see you're taking this easy, you know. Some children your age would have been crying by now if they knew what happened to their parents. But you and Megumi are different. It makes me wonder if you two are really children," he mused aloud, his gaze searching Ichiro's face for any hint of emotion.

'well, I'm an adult inside, so of course I act more mature'

Ichiro simply shrugged, offering no further explanation. "Well, putting that aside, it's great meeting you, Ichiro. Become strong, okay? Strong enough to keep up with me," Gojo encouraged, a hint of challenge in his voice.

With those parting words, Gojo stood up and began to leave, leaving Ichiro to contemplate their conversation as he watched the sorcerer's retreating figure. After a moment's hesitation, Ichiro followed suit, bidding farewell to Gojo before heading off in his own direction, thoughts swirling in his mind.