CHAPTER 22: MISSION WITH MINI MENACE

Satoru Gojo sat alone in his home, lounging on his couch like royalty, an energy drink floating in his hand via cursed technique. Peace. Silence. Infinity. Everything was good in the world.

Then his phone rang.

Gojo lazily picked it up and grinned when he saw the name.

"Oh? What divine blessing do I have today to be contacted by the one and only Meimei-sama? Has the sun finally risen from the west?"

Mei Mei's voice was as flat as ever.

"I have a mission that's going to be very dangerous. I need someone to watch Ui Ui."

Gojo's face dropped like a rock.

"Excuse me? You want me—the honored one—to babysit the protein-powered tiny devil?"

From behind him, another voice chimed in.

"Who are you calling a devil, old man?"

Gojo slowly turned his head to see Ui Ui already behind him, phone in hand.

"…You're fast."

"I eat protein."

Gojo forced a smile. "Okay okay, I'll get you more protein powder. Just don't glare at me like that, you look like a cursed doll."

Day 1. Ui Ui arrived at Gojo's home with a duffel bag full of whey, creatine, and zero enthusiasm.

The first few hours? Tense.

Gojo's dumb jokes? Ignored.

His dancing? Scoffed at.

His Infinity tricks? Ui Ui just muttered, "Useless for muscle growth."

Eventually, Gojo sighed and threw his arm over the kid's shoulder.

"You wanna go on a mission or what?"

Ui Ui raised an eyebrow. "Can I fight?"

"Sure, I'll let you punch a cursed spirit or two."

The mission led them to an abandoned warehouse where a semi-grade 1 curse had been reported. Nothing lethal, but not something to underestimate either.

Gojo stepped in with his usual swagger. "Alright Ui Ui, show me what those protein shakes are made of."

Ui Ui took the lead and charged the curse, landing a surprisingly clean hit. He was agile, sharp, and eerily focused.

Gojo nodded in approval. "Okay, kid's got skills."

Ui Ui turned mid-fight, flexed slightly, and said, "Told you, I have better reflexes than you."

Suddenly, the curse lunged at him from the side—

But Gojo appeared in a flash.

One finger raised.

"Who's the boss now?"

BOOM. In a burst of cursed energy, the curse was vaporized.

Gojo walked up, flicked his sunglasses, and patted Ui Ui's head.

"Good job, kid. You've got potential."

Ui Ui smirked slightly. "Fine. I won't call you old man anymore."

Gojo threw his hands up. "YES! This is real victory! Not defeating curses! Not saving the world! This! I made the muscle demon respect me!!"

Three days later...

Gojo opened his door to find Mei Mei standing with her usual calm demeanor.

"Where's that demon kid?"

"Oi, you're not supposed to call your own brother a demon!"

Ui Ui stepped out, wiping his hands with a towel. "He didn't trouble me."

Gojo smiled proudly.

"But," Ui Ui added, "he troubled me a lot."

Gojo fell to the ground in dramatic fashion. "Et tu, Ui Ui?!"

Mei Mei raised a brow. "I see you survived. That's all that matters."

She turned, walking away with Ui Ui.

Gojo stood at his door, waving goodbye.

"Next time, let's go on a mission to Disneyland, not the cursed spirit warehouse!"

Ui Ui didn't even look back. "Only if they serve protein bars."

Gojo whispered, "What happened to normal childhoods...?"