Chapter 54: The Hug Potion Incident

Anzu Midare had not slept.

This was not an exaggeration.

Her eyes were puffy, her hair slightly wilted, and the flowers around her drooped in sympathy as she stood in the kitchen at six in the morning, hands shaking while she reread her own handwritten notes for the fifth time.

“I can fix this,” she whispered to herself. “I can definitely fix this.”

Gojo’s emotional output was destabilizing the house, the plants, and possibly the ecosystem. Yesterday, a vine had tried to tuck him into bed. That was not normal. That was a problem.

So Anzu did what flower fairies did best.

She brewed something.

“This is a stabilizer,” she muttered, grinding petals carefully. “It reinforces emotional grounding, prevents sudden spikes, and encourages gentle connection.”

She paused.

“…Encourages?”

Anzu frowned, reread the line, then shook her head.

“It’ll be fine.”

That sentence would later be identified as the root cause of everything.

The living room was unusually calm.

Raika sat on the sofa with perfect posture, pretending not to glance at Gojo every three seconds. Hikami lounged across an armchair like she owned it. Arashi was doing push-ups for no clear reason. Mizuki sat quietly by the window, sipping water tea. Suma leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Hiyori hovered near Gojo like a nervous satellite.

Gojo, for his part, looked tired.

“…Why is everyone staring at me?”

“No reason,” Hikami said smoothly.

Raika coughed. “Ignore her.”

Anzu stepped forward, holding a small bottle filled with pale green liquid.

“Gojo,” she said earnestly, “this potion should help stabilize your Spirit God energy.”

Raika stiffened. “Potion.”

Mizuki tilted her head. “Another one?”

Anzu nodded quickly. “This one is very safe! No emotional amplification! No side effects!”

Suma squinted. “That’s exactly what you said last time.”

Anzu bowed deeply. “I’m very sorry about last time.”

Gojo looked at the bottle.

Looked at Anzu’s exhausted face.

“…Okay,” he said gently. “I trust you.”

Anzu almost cried.

Raika opened her mouth to protest.

Too late.

Gojo drank it.

All of it.

Again.

“…Why do you always do that?” Raika demanded.

Gojo shrugged. “It’s rude not to.”

Nothing happened.

Five seconds passed.

Ten.

Hikami clicked her tongue. “Boring.”

Then Gojo’s body stiffened.

He blinked once.

Twice.

“…Huh.”

Anzu leaned forward. “Do you feel strange?”

“I feel…” Gojo paused. “…Warm?”

The flowers around the room trembled.

Anzu’s stomach dropped.

“Oh no.”

Gojo suddenly stood up.

Everyone tensed.

He turned slowly, eyes unfocused, scanning the room.

“Why are you standing like that?” Arashi asked.

Gojo took a step.

Then another.

Straight toward Hiyori.

Hiyori froze completely.

“G-Gojo-kun…?”

Gojo stopped in front of her.

Looked at her.

Then, without warning, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug.

“EH?!”

Hiyori made a tiny squeaking sound as her face buried in his chest.

Gojo sighed.

“…This feels right.”

The room exploded.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Raika shouted.

Hikami shot to her feet. “Hey, hey, that’s not fair!”

Suma’s eye twitched. “WHY HER?”

Arashi blinked. “…Did he just auto-lock?”

Hiyori’s brain completely shut down.

Her face turned red. Steam might as well have been coming out of her ears.

“G-Gojo-kun—! T-this is—! I—!”

She tried to pull away.

She couldn’t.

Gojo’s arms were firm but gentle, like his body had decided this was necessary.

Anzu panicked. “I-I think the potion created a proximity compulsion!”

Mizuki stood calmly. “Meaning?”

“He has to hug the nearest person,” Anzu squeaked. “Until the effect wears off.”

Raika pointed sharply. “How long.”

Anzu checked her notes.

“…Thirty minutes.”

Dead silence.

Then—

“THIRTY MINUTES?!” everyone screamed.

Hiyori made a soft whimper and nearly fainted again, except Gojo was holding her up.

“I-I can’t breathe,” she whispered.

Gojo adjusted slightly, still hugging her. “Sorry. Like this?”

Her heart almost exploded.

Hikami cracked her knuckles. “I’m killing the potion.”

“You can’t,” Anzu cried. “Interrupting it could cause emotional backlash!”

Raika’s hair sparked dangerously. “Unacceptable.”

Suma paced. “This is unacceptable.”

Arashi squinted. “Wait. Nearest person?”

She took one step forward.

The flowers trembled violently.

Gojo tightened his hold on Hiyori.

“Don’t,” Mizuki said calmly. “The plants will restrain you.”

Arashi stopped. “…Okay yeah I felt that.”

Hiyori was trembling now, clinging instinctively to Gojo’s shirt.

“I-I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t mind but—!”

Gojo looked down at her, confused. “Why would you mind?”

Her soul left her body.

Raika clutched her head. “I cannot watch this.”

Hikami paced like a caged animal. “He’s hugging her. He’s really hugging her.”

Suma crossed her arms tighter. “She’s winning by doing nothing.”

Mizuki observed quietly, eyes sharp.

“Interesting,” she murmured. “His emotional grounding chose her.”

Anzu swallowed. “That means…”

“It means,” Mizuki continued, “his power associates safety with her presence.”

Hikami froze.

Raika went very still.

Hiyori’s entire existence peaked.

The flowers bloomed wildly again, petals drifting through the air as Gojo rested his chin lightly on Hiyori’s head.

“…You smell like snow,” he said honestly.

Hiyori let out a tiny noise and completely fainted.

“Oh no,” Gojo panicked. “She stopped responding!”

“She’s alive,” Raika snapped. “Unfortunately.”

Gojo tightened his hold instinctively to keep her upright. “Wake up.”

Hikami slammed her foot down. “THIS IS UNFAIR.”

Anzu bowed repeatedly. “I’m so sorry! I really thought this would help!”

The clock ticked loudly on the wall.

Twenty-nine minutes left.

The flowers rustled happily.

And the other fairies slowly, visibly, completely lost their minds.