Chapter 26 : Teenage Five
Not long after young Gojo Satoru went down the mountain, Jiang Lai noticed a white countdown appeared in the upper right corner of his phone screen.
The displayed time remaining was thirty minutes, approaching zero with each passing minute and second.
Jiang Lai: Not bad, not bad, advance notice instead of sudden transfer, adding another point for world consciousness's conscience ( )
Actually, Jiang Lai had originally planned to go out and explore the situation briefly during this time, but the remaining half hour was obviously insufficient.
So he simply maintained his sitting position on the shrine's outer steps, taking the opportunity to open his phone to check messages.
The group chat contained concern and questions about his current situation, mainly caring about how to adapt after suddenly crossing time and space.
Jiang Lai typed replies one by one, adding quietly at the end:
[#Good Luck Lai Coming#: Don't worry, everyone, I'm no longer human in this world now! (Little seal confidently balancing ball.gif)]
[???]
The online family and friends in the group sent out a string of question marks. Jiang Lai curved his lips and briefly explained what had just happened in the group, finally summarizing:
Jiang Lai: Yes! Human troubles have left me behind! .jpg
After chatting with Detective Conan family for a few more lines, he logged onto the official website, planning to see if there was more intelligence to share.
The official website had no new detailed revelations, but when Jiang Lai refreshed for the second time, an update appeared very quickly. Jiang Lai immediately clicked on the latest updated content.
The manga perspective followed young Gojo Satoru, beginning from their meeting at the shrine and ending with going down the mountain.
The black-haired, brown-eyed person in the panels wore unmarked navy blue kimono, ordinary straw rope wooden clogs on his feet. His slightly smiling appearance no longer had the grim filter but instead carried another kind of mysterious feeling that was ethereal to the world.
From the manga, Jiang Lai also saw what was at his heart in the Six Eyes' field of vision, golden luster in ring-like trajectories regularly circling there.
Gojo Satoru's inner thoughts revealed the wandering speed, like the second hand of a clock.
......He hadn't expected to have that kind of special effect at his heart, it felt quite magical. Jiang Lai placed his hand on his left chest, feeling the steady, powerful heartbeat beneath.
The manga also didn't truly reveal Jiang Lai's identity, only bolding the word [existence] in the dialogue.
Let's see what speculation the forum has. Jiang Lai thought for a few seconds himself, then jumped to the new series forum page's latest plot discussion thread.
Although the manga had just updated not long ago, real-time discussions were already popping up continuously.
【Woo woo it's young Five!! Young Five mommy kiss kiss kiss! Where did this little kitten come from, such a cute white-haired blue-eyed kitten was born to be eaten by mommy kiss kiss kiss! (Special grade cursed spirit going crazy)】
【Grass, upstairs is actually Shiji Niangniang. Died laughing, you can't kiss him, at most you can kiss the air (representing 5t5 to exorcise the special grade cursed spirit upstairs)】
【Family! That new character's name was actually given by young Five! He himself only said his name was Lai, when young Five's first reaction was to add the surname, it became Gojo Lai, no wonder at the airport opening, the official didn't mark the text box name, after all this isn't His real name!】
【Good guy, already starting to use [He] to refer to the new character?】
【Unchanging appearance over long years, plus ability that Six Eyes can't see through, with flowing luster at the heart... anyway, doesn't seem like a person (dog head)
And the character himself also said he's a kind of [existence], seriously, so mysterious, is this some kind of personified incarnation? Like the [Clock] personification mentioned before?】
【Not too clear, just feel that this Lai in the [Yesterday's Past Days] chapter is so gentle, and somewhat playful, like that kind of ethereal existence in healing stories. Different from the heart-stopping special effects in the main story】
【Young Five in the past chapter was still a cold, cool kid, personalities can change...】
【Woo woo, young Five god-child and gentle [existence]'s interaction is so beautiful, woo woo woo... love it when jjxx draws positive stories, rare for the one-eyed cat to shine once...】
【What kind of description is that last sentence hahaha】
【Am I the only one paying attention to that seemingly nonsensical dialogue about deities and monsters in the manga, it's really hilarious!! Can't help but imagine a scene:
When Fushiguro Megumi was looking down asking if Teacher Gojo knew that person, Teacher Gojo pointed upward under his students' gaze, drawing out his tone:
"Oh my, how would I know? He's a deity, a great deity from heaven!"】
【Damn hahaha died laughing, feels like something Teacher Gojo would do (profound) I can even imagine Yuji and them with bean eyes afterwards speechlessly, but actually this time Gojo Satoru was saying the original words from memory hahahaha!!】
【Cough, so when Teacher Gojo faced this question, why didn't he directly deny or directly admit, but avoided it in that obviously problematic way? Is he still thinking about how to respond to this question, or are there some constraints preventing him from speaking?】
【Can't say for sure, maybe jjxx just wanted to create plot effects (dog head) seriously, this kind of attitude makes people scratch their heads】
【Leave analysis to you all, I'm responsible for licking my beautiful wives hehe, beautiful little Five and Lai Lai】
......
Jiang Lai stopped at this question, he paused for a few seconds and began recalling previous manga scenes.
If he and Gojo Satoru had known each other for a long time, then the other shouldn't need to hide it from his own dear students. With 285's personality, he might really joke about "deity" like that earlier building's scenario.
Hmm... mainly the past timeline hasn't been completed yet, and he doesn't know what the future situation actually is. Jiang Lai put down his phone, resting his chin on one hand.
Future determines past, past determines future, time forms a Möbius loop.
He tilted his face up to look at the distant sky, maintaining quiet, integrating with nature. Waiting for the last few minutes of countdown.
He hadn't been spacing out long when Jiang Lai keenly heard footsteps approaching from far to near, the sound of wind brushing through grass and people walking was different, this was survival experience from the Detective Conan world years ago.
He didn't think the person coming now was young Five returning. Because those footsteps were too calm, and the walking sound was very regular, young Five wasn't that rule-abiding type.
To avoid trouble, Jiang Lai didn't plan to have too much contact with other people. So he quickly moved backward, hiding in the forest to the side-rear of the shrine building, but his gaze still silently watched the outer entrance.
Walking slowly out from the outer forest was an unfamiliar long-haired man wearing elaborate patterned kimono, about thirty years old, with long black hair tied low behind his head and narrow light green eyes.
Wide sleeves half-concealed his hands, only vaguely glimpsing the silhouette of a folding fan he held (with some pattern on the fan).
Facing this, Jiang Lai's first reaction was: Indeed Gojo Satoru's white hair and blue eyes were specific mutations! Most people in the Gojo family should still have normal black hair.
Immediately after, he remembered what young Gojo Satoru had said before, that only he, the family head, the elder council, or those with tokens could freely enter and exit this place.
The pattern on this person's kimono looked like a variation of the family crest, most likely someone with relatively high status. But the current family head was Gojo Satoru's father, this person probably wasn't, right? And family heads were usually busy with affairs, rarely coming here normally.
So this person was from the elder council? But seemed too young... or perhaps well-maintained.
Why did he come here alone? Was it for daily shrine worship, or did he sense some slight change in young Five and came to investigate what different appearance there was here?
Jiang Lai's mind flashed with instinctive analytical speculation. While he watched that person, the other seemed to sense something too, slowly turning his head this way.
Wind blew through grass and trees, clouds covered fierce light. When this Gojo family person's gaze fell over, only ancient trees stood in place.
The countdown had ended a few seconds ago.
=
The lively chattering of crowds first entered his mind, accompanied by the sound of fireworks launching and exploding in the sky.
Jiang Lai opened his eyes, this was the edge of an alley. Outside, bustling crowds flowed, adults and children in kimono or yukata passed by shoulder to shoulder.
It was still summer, currently nighttime. The not-hot evening breeze brought the brightness of the moon, swaying sleeves and hems, carrying distant laughter in the air, occasionally mixed with threads of incense.
Was there a fireworks festival here tonight? Very lively.
Jiang Lai wasn't clear where exactly this was, nor did he know the precise time point now, but he still calmly stepped out and joined the crowd.
His heart was like still water.
If he could find clues, then he'd gather intelligence. If he couldn't find any, he'd treat it as an ordinary time-space travel vacation, enjoying this fireworks temple fair.
Jiang Lai's face carried a smile, but he felt some regret in his heart. Too bad he didn't have money on him, couldn't buy some snacks or play some temple fair games.
He looked up at the brilliant fireworks blooming in the sky. Fireworks of various colors and countless shapes bloomed in the night sky, beautiful clusters then falling as scattered points of light, sprinkling into the human world.
While appreciating the beautiful scenery, Jiang Lai also unconsciously raised his phone (in others' eyes an ancient book), wanting to take a photo to share with family and friends.
"Hey!"
"Hey! Lai! Gojo Lai!"
Beyond the banging fireworks and noisy crowd sounds, another teenager's voice forcefully entered his ears.
Hearing the call, Jiang Lai turned his head to see a white-haired teenager squeezing through the crowd.
The other raised his hand to push aside the people around him, face showing some disgust, maintaining activated Infinity, separating himself from the various people around by a distance that would never shrink.
The current Gojo Satoru had grown much taller compared to their previous shrine meeting, probably around early middle school age now.
The once indifferent child was no more. After that cold expression was removed, rich and varied expressions were boldly displayed, personality unrestrained and flamboyant.
"I'm the greatest" was practically written on that perfect face, forming a sharp contrast with the formerly cool young Five.
Jiang Lai was somewhat surprised to encounter him here, though not too shocked. After all, the past chapter seemed to revolve around Gojo Satoru.
The white-haired teenager finally reached Jiang Lai's side. He lifted his pair of blue eyes, drawing out his voice: "Really! I called you so many times, did you hear me or not?"
Jiang Lai smiled: "Maybe you got the wrong person?"
Teenage Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow: "Six Eyes doesn't make mistakes, and your mist is special enough too."
"Every kind of [existence] is special." Jiang Lai nodded calmly, "Also, you need to use honorific language with elders."
"Hah??" Teenage Gojo Satoru's blue eyes widened, "Still use honorifics? I haven't even severely condemned you, you kid-deceiving guy!"
"How did I deceive kids?" Jiang Lai rested one hand on his chin.
"You promised me back then that you'd tell two types of stories afterward, but the next day you disappeared without a trace, who knows where you went to play." The white-haired teenager in front said, "You even said something about waiting to meet at the next turning point..."
Jiang Lai listened, the first part was indeed breaking a promise, but the second part should be fine, right?
Under the blue-eyed stare of the middle schooler in front, Jiang Lai blinked: "Um... you didn't actually wait for me for a while, did you? I mean, stopping at actual turning points a few times."
Teenage Gojo Satoru was silent for a moment, he coughed: "I thought you were like those in folk tales, similar to the slit-mouthed woman, a turning corner man."
"......No, what's a turning corner man?" Jiang Lai's forehead slid down three black lines.
"It's those monsters that only appear under specific conditions." The white-haired teenager in front said matter-of-factly, "Obviously very similar."
Jiang Lai recalled that time, for atmosphere and setting, he had indeed said many mysterious words, old Detective Conan riddle person!
But he still said seriously: "Then I didn't deceive anyone either, just spoke some metaphorical riddles."
"I was only seven years old then, okay? Although I'm a super genius prodigy, I also hate having to rack my brains to understand another layer of meaning."
"You could have just honestly said you didn't want to think." Jiang Lai smiled jokingly.
"Hah? Right now I'm the one condemning you, how did it circle back to me?" Teenage Gojo Satoru made an X with both hands, indicating the focus couldn't change.
For Jiang Lai, due to world consciousness placement, he only felt time had passed an instant. But for Gojo Satoru, since this meeting, it should have been a long time.
He hadn't expected they could still chat so naturally, probably because the other's personality was just this capricious and free, plus that accumulated curiosity still existed.
"Alright," Jiang Lai spoke like coaxing a child, "then let's find a brightly lit place now, and I'll tell you two more stories?"
"How old am I. No." The white-haired teenager immediately refused.
Immediately after, a flash of cunning passed through his sky-blue pupils as he smiled: "As compensation, why don't you tell me, what kind of [existence] are you exactly?"
This sentence seemed to be the real point. The answer he hadn't explored back then, curiosity accumulated over the years becoming even thicker. Curious cat Five stared at the "person" in front that Six Eyes couldn't see through.
"......" Jiang Lai's expression didn't change, he didn't immediately reply.
After all, he hadn't figured out Gojo Satoru's question yet, nor finished laying groundwork.
But of course he couldn't honestly say "I'm making it up," so his warm brown eyes blinked lightly as he smiled: "Speaking too early isn't as good as timely telling, you'll know."
Teenage Gojo Satoru rolled his eyes, obviously dissatisfied with another "riddle person" moment.
"Be polite to elders." Jiang Lai instinctively raised his hand to tap the other's head with his phone (book in others' eyes), "Of course, certain rotten old fools excepted."
The white-haired teenager naturally noticed Jiang Lai's raised hand early, but he didn't even dodge, eyes arrogant, with Infinity activated he wasn't worried about this kind of...
Until the phone (ancient book) directly knocked his head, producing a "thunk" sound.
"Ow that hurt!!" Teenage Gojo Satoru shocked, covering his head, his widened blue eyes looking at Jiang Lai, "How's that possible? How did you hit me?!"
"......" Jiang Lai was actually surprised for a moment too, but he quickly realized, this was probably Phone-kun's doing.
Magical Phone-kun wasn't blocked by Infinity, so it very directly knocked the genius Six Eyes' head... worthy of being the true protagonist! Jiang Lai once again felt solemn respect.
Internally scrolling through emoji expressions, Jiang Lai maintained a leisurely appearance on the surface. He lightly covered the phone (phantom book) near his lips, smiling under teenage Six Eyes' gaze:
"Because I'm the [kind of existence that gets to hit people's heads when they don't use honorifics with me]."
Teenage Gojo Satoru: "......"