A couple hours and a transfer later, the team arrived at Naganohara Kusatsuguchi Station.
"So! Where to first?" Yuji asked, stretching his arms above his head. The sun was high above them in the sky and Satoru gave a loud yawn as he took out his phone to check the time.
"First, it's lunchtime- do you guys want anything to eat?" He replied, feeling the pang of hunger.
Qian peered at him in concern as the other three looked at each other knowingly. Nobara sniggered. "Well if you weren't SLEEPING the whole ride, you would've been able to eat some of Qian's food."
He quirked a brow. "What food?"
"U-Um…I-I have more if you want!" She quickly opened her luggage and took out the bento box, opening the lid to reveal more onigiri.
Satoru regarded them suspiciously, cautiously taking the box from her. "You made this?"
She nodded her head enthusiastically. "L-Last night! I promise it's fresh!"
As all four of their wide eyes stared up at him expectantly, plus being unable to fight the hunger pains gnawing at his stomach, he grabbed one and slowly took a bite. When the rich flavor of salmon and rice vinegar washed his palate, he couldn't help but begin to scarf it down ravenously.
Qian felt her heart surge with pride upon seeing his satisfaction and smiled. Satoru noticed her expression and coughed slightly in embarrassment. "Anyways, the reports say that most people tend to disappear around-"
"Ah, ah, ah, sensei…aren't you supposed to say something to Qian?" Yuji admonished, clicking his tongue disapprovingly. "After all, she went through so much trouble to make us food!"
"N-No it's okay! It's really no problem!" Qian protested, her face completely red from embarrassment. "I-I enjoy cooking as a hobby and wanted to do this!"
Satoru glanced at his oldest student, who shrugged in response. "You are being a bit rude." Megumi quipped in mild amusement.
"N-No, he's not! It's really okay!" The poor girl was waving her hands frantically in front of her as Satoru ran a hand through his hair in defeat.
He released a sigh and turned to the girl. Despite him wearing sunglasses, Qian could feel his stern gaze on her and her blush darkened, forcing her to look down at her feet.
"Thanks." He grumbled awkwardly, almost inaudibly.
Her head shot up, hands clasped closely to her chest. He was already turned away, taking a bite out of another onigiri, and she sighed in relief. "N-No worries! Please have the rest!"
He cleared his throat. "Anyways, as I was saying: seems like people are going missing in Kusatsu Onsen, especially around nighttime. So we need to rent a car and I'll drive us there."
"OH OH! We gotta get a cool one, sensei! Like maybe a Ferrari, or a Bugatti!" Yuji begged, stars shining in his eyes.
"Ooooh or a Maserati, or an Aston Martin?" Nobara chimed in, her eyes also sparkling with pleading expectation.
"Or… just a regular car that's practical with decent mileage." Megumi muttered in exasperation at his teammates' behavior.
"Megumi is correct, guys. We have to get a car that doesn't draw attention." Satoru asserted, swallowing his third rice ball. His sunglasses glinted with determination. "This is an important mission and people's lives are at stake. We must move carefully from now on and become the true definition of stealth."
—-
"...Gojo-sensei, I think you and I have very different definitions of 'stealth'."
Megumi, Qian, and Nobara sat in the back of the vehicle, wind rippling their hair as they swerved up and around the local highway. The Porsche 911 Turbo they were riding in was misty silver-blue in color, glistening radiantly in the afternoon sun. Every person they passed stopped what they were doing and stared as they drove past, a few of them whistling and cat-calling in awe.
"Tsk, tsk, Megumi, you don't understand." Satoru scolded, waggling his finger in the rearview mirror in disapproval. In the passenger's seat beside him, Yuji was howling in glee, sticking out the window like an excited puppy. Nobara lost their Rock, Paper, Scissor game and was moping in the back with her arms crossed firmly on her chest. "In the Jujutsu World, things like this are how we catch the enemy off-guard."
"Off-guard?" Nobara asked suspiciously, a long pout still visible across her face.
"Exactly. The enemy will not expect us this way. In other words…" Satoru smirked, leaning one elbow out the window. "It's so overt, it's covert!"
Megumi groaned, palming his face in his hand. "How do we even know there is an enemy? For all we know, these people could just be down on their luck and end up in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Well that's what we need to find out. If that is the case, the people of this town are safe, and there is nothing for us to worry about." Satoru responded flippantly, "Besides, this is where 'Initial D' takes place! How could I pass up on such an opportunity to recreate the best scenes?"
Yuji's head snapped to regard his teacher with a radiant grin. "Really, sensei? Man, I loved that anime!"
"Yes, yes." He immediately grabbed the back of Yuji's belt as he almost leaned too far out the window. "Yuji, come back inside, we're almost there."
The boy plopped down in his seat, pulling out one of Qian's granola bars out of his pocket and peeling back the wrapper to hungrily take a bite.
"U-Um, may I ask where we will be staying tonight?" Qian queried timidly, feeling very uncomfortable being 1) squished in the middle, 2) inside such an expensive vehicle, and 3) a passenger of such reckless driving.
"Le Ciel de Nippon Springs! I know the owner and she's offering us a discount." Satoru replied jubilantly. "Ah speaking of, we're here!"
They pulled in front of a large two-story inn, built with both asian and western accents. While the main tower had silken wooden panels similar to a french cottage, the two extensions sticking out on each side led to smaller pagoda-like structures. Vines of wisteria flowers cascaded down the cream-colored exterior, and pathways were laid all around the premises like winding rivers made of stone. To the right of the veranda stood a majestic Japanese Maple tree, with batches of roses and lavender surrounding its roots.
As they parked in front of the entrance, a tall, elegant woman waited by the steps. Her visage glowed like a polished porcelain doll as she smiled, bowing down in welcome as they parked. She was dressed in a silk cherry-blossom kimono, her curled blond hair pinned up with an intricate jade pin. All four teens couldn't help but gawk at her beauty, Yuji especially had his jaw dropped almost to the pavement.
"G-Guys!" He stammered in suppressed excitement. "It's Jennifer Lawrence!"
Nobara whacked the back of his head. "Idiot! Keep your voice down!"
"It's obviously not her… if anything, she's honestly prettier." Everyone whipped their heads in surprise at Megumi, who held his hands up in defense. "What? It's the truth."
"Satoru." They turned upon hearing the melodious chimes of her giggles. "You've always had a penchant for doing ridiculous things like this." Her violet irises twinkled with amusement as she approached the sorcerer.
He closed the door behind him, shrugging casually with a smirk on his face. "What can I say? You know my style." He grinned and leaned down, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-WHAT?!" Yuji and Nobara shrieked incoherently, both blushing at the intimate gesture. Megumi simply sighed and looked away, already used to his teacher's behavior after working with him for so many years. Qian's face was bright red in particular, though she felt a weird pang in her chest.
She immediately slapped herself, much to the shock of the others around her.
"...Are you okay?" Megumi asked with a quirked brow.
Qian turned to him, nodding energetically and chuckling nervously. "Y-Yep! Sorry, thought I saw a fly buzzing around." A red handprint was visible on her cheek.
Nobara frowned. "Your face… you uh, you got something-"
"Guys, don't be rude, come on out!" Satoru called, waving and gesturing for them to come closer.
The four of them attempted to crawl out of the car, with Yuji trying to lift the handle to pull the seat down while the others tried pushing it from the back. Finally, after a few awkward minutes, they stumbled out of the vehicle and straightened their clothes.
"This is Adalaine, she's the owner here and an old friend." Satoru introduced, placing an arm around her shoulder tenderly. "And these adorable kids are my students."
Yuji stood up rigidly, shooting his arm high in the air. "My name's Itadori Yuji! And you're just my type!"
"I'm Kugisaki Nobara." The brown-haired girl, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "I apologize for my idiot teammate."
Megumi simply nodded in greeting. "Fushiguro Megumi."
"Oh my, so all of you are Jujutsu Sorcerers?" Adalaine gasped in reverence. "What an honor, and you are all so young too!"
"Well, all but one." The man corrected, peering at Qian behind his sunglasses. The girl bowed politely in turn.
"I-I'm a medical assistant at Jujutsu High. I'm here to support the team in case they need me!" She replied nervously, already feeling out of place.
"Well, welcome to Le Ciel de Nippon, everyone!" She raised a hand to motion them inside. "Please, right this way, and we'll show you to your rooms."