Chapter 83: Jojo’s Greatness Speaks for Itself (9)

Inazono felt a little embarrassed. Sitting next to Fujimiya, she was about to stand up. “Maybe I should make you a bowl,” she suggested.

“There’s no need to bother with him,” Fujimiya replied, grabbing Inazono’s arm and raising his head to look at Imu. “Take care of it yourself.”

If Inazono cooked for him now, it was out of genuine concern. Fujimiya was not the sort who took such things for granted—no one was obliged to do so for another. Besides, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, the thought of Imu receiving the same care as himself left him somewhat displeased.

Only after speaking did Fujimiya notice he was still holding Inazono’s wrist. They met each other’s gaze, and he quickly released her hand, falling silent and turning his attention to his noodles as though avoiding her eyes.

Such intimacy was precisely what Inazono longed for. Though Fujimiya let go quickly, she still felt genuinely happy.

One focused on their meal, the other simply watched quietly. An unspoken atmosphere began to bloom between them.

As for Imu, who stood beside them, he was now completely ignored.

Imu: “...”

He stared blankly at the scene, a strange ache rising in his chest as though the loneliness of a single soul had pierced him.

Imu finally understood.

Inazono had never thought of him at all; for her, only Fujimiya existed.

“Damn it! I wish someone would like me too!”

Jojo’s situation with Mirai Asano was ambiguous, while the air between Fujimiya and Inazono was decidedly intimate.

The two before him kept silent, but the way Inazono kept gazing at Fujimiya made the silence almost deafening for Imu.

His expression twisted with discomfort.

“Grumble—grumble—”

His stomach growled again, the weakness of hunger making him feel even worse.

Inazono looked up at him.

Fujimiya also paused, surprise on his face before he frowned in annoyance. “Why are you still here?”

Imu’s face darkened.

Alright, alright! I suppose I should just crawl under a car and disappear!

With a sullen look, Imu turned and strode out.

He refused to believe he couldn’t find something to eat elsewhere.

Fueled by indignation, his hunger seemed to fade for the moment as he marched out of the base.

Yet, the moment he stepped outside and surveyed the surroundings, he froze.

Of course, being a secret base, the area was deserted—there were no homes, let alone restaurants.

Fujimiya always bought supplies in advance for the base, never staying in one place for long.

Darkness stretched in every direction. Imu felt utterly lost. Where on earth could he find food here?

He looked back at the base.

If he returned now, his pride would never recover.

His stomach rumbled again, the hunger sapping all his strength, leaving his face slack with despair.

People are made of iron; food is steel—one meal missed, and hunger is unbearable.

He still hadn’t fully merged with Gaia and remained a human being—he needed to eat.

Just as he was feeling utterly dejected, the low roar of an engine echoed from the night sky.

He looked up abruptly.

The moment he saw the EX, his spirits soared.

Eyes lighting up, he hurriedly activated his communicator. “Jojo! I’m over here! You finally made it!”

“I see you,” Jojo replied, maneuvering the EX toward him.

The EX landed not far from Imu.

Jojo stepped out of the cockpit, holding a bag.

Knowing he’d be late and expecting Imu’s complaints, he’d picked up some late-night snacks along the way.

“This is for you,” Jojo said, handing Imu the food with a perfectly serious expression. “I haven’t forgotten you.”

“I was just delayed by some business with Asano, that’s all.”

Whether it was a few hours or an entire night, Imu no longer cared.

Moved, he accepted the bag, his heart brimming with emotion. The aroma wafting from the food nearly brought tears to his eyes.

“Jojo! I misjudged you!”

So you’re not the type to ditch friends for love after all! You truly aren’t like Fujimiya!

Jojo noticed Imu’s odd reaction, sensing some misunderstanding, but kept a composed face and didn’t explain.

“As long as you know,” he said, patting Imu on the shoulder with a casual air. “Alright, I need to head back. You drive the EX home later.”

With that, he turned and walked away, radiating an aura of quiet greatness.

A misunderstanding was just fine.

The blue sapphire ring on his wrist shimmered, and in a flash of light, he vanished by teleportation.

Imu, left in place, was still moved, completely unaware of his own misunderstanding.

How could I have doubted Jojo so much? I shouldn’t have.

He remembered how Jojo had borrowed the EX for half a day, thinking his ride would never be returned.

Back in the EX’s cockpit, Imu set it to autopilot.

He opened the bag of snacks. Seeing it filled with pizza, hamburgers, and chicken legs, he felt the trip to see Renlong had been well worth it.

Meanwhile—

Though Jojo appeared to teleport away, he actually slipped back into the base to find Fujimiya.

He needed to get the full story.

Once he learned the plan had gone smoothly, he opened a teleportation portal and returned directly to the Takayama home.

But as soon as he entered his room, he heard strange noises.

With his extraordinary hearing, not even soundproofing blocked it—though the soundproofing here wasn’t great to begin with.

Takayama Yuichi and Takayama Shigemi, the married couple, were whispering and rustling under the covers.

Ever since Jojo had offered his advice, Yuichi had started taking an interest in kidney supplements. A little research turned up all sorts of recipes for boosting vitality—wolfberry leaf and pig kidney soup, eel soup, and others.

Soft, intimate voices filtered through the walls.

“You rascal, you’re so eager tonight. Someone might hear us.”

“It’s so late, Jojo probably won’t be back.”

“And even if he does, we’ll hear him come in. As long as we keep quiet, he won’t know.”

“Oh, you’re terrible!”

Their whispers reached Jojo’s ears, and for a moment, he fell silent. Sorry, but he’d already heard—quite clearly, in fact.

It wasn’t his fault; his hearing was just too sharp.

Fortunately, there was a solution, or he’d never get any sleep tonight.

He lay back on his bed and let his awareness drift into subspace, where the sounds vanished entirely.

He strolled with practiced ease toward the training ground portal, the scene shifting seamlessly before his eyes.

A transparent virtual screen appeared. Jojo glanced at it and selected four skills: Instant Transmission, Photon Knuckle Conversion, Stormblade, and Ultra Doubling.

Aside from learning these four, he planned to try developing a new beam technique on his own.

For instance, the large-scale purification wave he’d released today was a skill he’d improvised on the spot.

(End of chapter)