A FEW DAYS LATER...
After the intense battle with Charles Choi, Gun Park, and Goo Kim, Gojo Satoru suffered injuries, bleeding from the stomach, and scars on his abdomen. Serious injuries and bruises covered his body, but surprisingly, the opponents who faced Gojo Satoru fared worse.
Goo Kim sustained severe injuries, and Gun Park, while in better condition, suffered numerous head injuries, almost losing an eye. Charles Choi, with considerable durability, didn't endure as much damage as Gun Park but still faced a serious injury.
When Gojo Satoru woke up, he found himself at 70% of his strength. How did he recover so quickly? Superhuman abilities, of course. However, Gojo Satoru realized that his carelessness almost cost him his life.
Arrogant, sometimes playful and unserious, he paid the price. Now, he contemplated recruiting new members. He considered adding an information gatherer to the team. Bored with his outfit from the previous months, he decided to change it.
He ventured into remote areas where bullying victims often surfaced—an easy way to find recruits. While searching for potential members, he witnessed a girl being mistreated by two others. She appeared to be a foreigner with black short hair, brown skin, and orange eyes.
"Hey, girls, I didn't expect to witness girls bullying," Gojo Satoru shouted.
Before she could respond, the girl's eyes sparkled like hearts, and she flirtatiously said, "Hi handsome, want to have a good night?"
Gojo Satoru calmly replied, "No," shocking her. Accustomed to being admired, the girl couldn't believe someone had instantly rejected her.
"How dare you!" she exclaimed, attempting to slap him. However, Gojo Satoru effortlessly stopped her with his middle finger.
"Please, lady, if you try to attack me, I won't be merciful. I believe in gender equality," he warned with a smile. The girl cursed at him and left with her friend, leaving the trembling victim in the corner.
"Hello, are you okay? I cleaned up here, the garbage," Gojo Satoru offered.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"What's your name?"
"Meredith... Meredith Aslanov."
Gojo Satoru thought, 'Such unique names, like Jade...'
"Meredith, do you still want to be weak?"
"N-no, but how can I be strong?"
"What if I train you in martial arts?" Gojo Satoru suggested.
Her eyes lit up at the mention of martial arts. "Mister, you know martial arts?"
Gojo Satoru chuckled and replied, "OF COURSE!"
"Why do you want to train me? Nothing is free, right?" she questioned.
The smile faded from Gojo Satoru's face, and he said, "That's right. I want loyalty from you—the loyalty to never betray me. I want you to join my crew, Vendetta."
"Just loyalty?" she asked, and he confirmed, "Just loyalty."
Unbeknownst to Gojo Satoru, Meredith held numerous significant secrets that nobody knew.
Meanwhile, at the VIP Hospital where Charles Choi resided with Gun Park and Goo Kim:
"That bastard was stronger than I expected," Charles Choi remarked.
"Indeed. However, I wasn't even serious. He knocked me out so fast that I didn't have a chance to get serious. I only used 40% of my strength," Gun Park added.
Goo Kim laughed and said, "HAHAHA! Even if you were serious, you wouldn't have beaten him. I, too, didn't use 100% of my power. I only used 60%."
"I missed the chance to let him be my secret friend," Goo Kim said with a sad expression.