The Devotion of Suspect X

"Ring, ring, ring."

The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch break. Although the morning's events had been unpleasant, most of the students were excited at the thought of their swimming class that afternoon.

Watching the large crowd of students rush out of the classroom for the cafeteria or elsewhere, Gojo Satoru took out the pile of sweets he'd prepared earlier.

"Uh? Gojo-kun, aren't you going to the cafeteria?"

Looking at his first friend, Ayanokoji was a little confused. Could sweets alone provide enough nutrition?

"Mm-hmm. Sweets are all I need for lunch. But don't worry, I won't forget the points I owe you!"

"Ow!"

Rubbing his badly bruised kidney, he helplessly watched Horikita Suzune walk away.

She did that on purpose, didn't she?! She only said it when she saw Horikita walking by. I hadn't even asked.

He glanced back at Gojo Satoru, whose face was filled with a mischievous smile, and said with a twinge of hurt, "Then I'm going to the cafeteria. I really hope Gojo-kun won't keep tattling on me to Horikita-kun."

"Sure, go ahead. I only let it slip by accident just now, so don't worry!"

As if I believe you.

He didn't reply and walked straight out of the classroom.

"Gojo-kun, could we exchange contact information? And thanks for what you did today!"

Seeing that Gojo Satoru was finally alone, Sakura Airi timidly stepped forward and asked.

"Sure, but I won't reply to your messages."

Does he dislike me?

Looking at Sakura Airi's crestfallen expression, he was afraid she'd misunderstand, so he added, "I just don't like looking at my phone. I don't mean anything by it."

"Okay! I look forward to getting along with you, Gojo-kun!"

Sakura Airi left the classroom with a happy expression, cradling her phone in both hands. Seeing this, Hasebe Haruka followed after her.

"Ugh, I forgot to bring a bottle of water again."

On his way to the vending machine, Gojo Satoru felt annoyed with himself.

He'd already experienced that dry, parched feeling last time, yet somehow he still hadn't learned his lesson.

He suddenly stopped at the corner. The Six Eyes had sensed someone coming around it, and if he kept walking, they would definitely collide.

"Ah!"

"Thud!!"

"What's the meaning of this, classmate?"

Blocking the girl's straight punch with his right palm, Gojo Satoru looked at her, puzzled.

Ibuki Mio was forceful and passionate about martial arts, but that didn't mean she went around punching everyone she met.

"So hard!"

Ibuki didn't answer. She quickly pulled her right hand back and blew on the reddened back of it.

Once it seemed to feel better, Ibuki lowered her hand and glared angrily at Gojo Satoru. "You bastard! You scared me on purpose!"

????

Gojo Satoru was left with a head full of question marks.

Scared her? Had he?

"Are you serious?"

"What else?! You're huge, you're wearing a blindfold, and you're lurking behind a corner. Anyone would get scared if they suddenly saw you! Or are you so completely clueless that you don't realize that?!"

Hearing her explanation, Gojo Satoru finally understood.

She had a point. He was used to his appearance, but to an ordinary person, it was still a little strange. And at 185 centimeters tall, he towered over Ibuki, who was only 159 centimeters.

Imagine walking along and suddenly seeing someone much bigger than you, with a bizarre appearance. It really would be frightening.

He'd only been thinking that they wouldn't collide and had forgotten he might scare someone. Next time, he should simply walk around or take a few steps back.

That explained it, then. Unlike an ordinary girl, Ibuki was forceful, so it made sense that she'd instinctively attacked when startled.

"Sorry, sorry. I was thinking about something, so I stopped for a moment. I'm really sorry I scared you."

Now that he understood, Gojo Satoru smiled and apologized. Then he walked around her, intending to leave. His mouth was so dry it was unbearable.

But after just two steps, he sensed an attack from behind. He tilted his head slightly to avoid a punch, turned to dodge a straight kick, then used the back of his right hand to slap away an uppercut aimed at his abdomen.

After that, he hopped backward lightly to create some distance.

Looking utterly confused, he asked, "I already apologized, didn't I, classmate?"

"You really are strong! I knew something was off when you blocked my punch just now. You're different from that lunatic Ryuen—you're all technique!"

When her attack had first been blocked, she'd been shocked by the sheer hardness of his palm, not to mention how quickly he'd defended himself. She'd thought it was just the result of intense training and his body's instinctive reflexes, the same way she'd attacked without thinking.

But after that brief test, she realized he was good at more than just physical strength. His technique was impressive, too.

He could react even to attacks from behind, dodging each one with the smallest possible movement. And when he slapped her uppercut aside, she could feel it—that was Force Nullification!

Even though he was so tall, he'd landed from his backward jump without making a sound!

This was the first time Ibuki had encountered someone like him, whose physical abilities and technique were so perfectly matched.

"You're doing all this just because of that? What if I were weak? And the school rules are very clear: violence on campus isn't allowed."

"Just look at you! You don't look weak! Do you think I'm an idiot? Besides, my instincts are pretty sharp!"

Ibuki retorted with a look that said he was an idiot, steering clear of the sensitive topic of school rules.

"Sure, sure. You're right about everything. But I'm in a hurry, so I'm off!"

He waved with a smile and left.

"Hey, what's your name?!"

"Class 1-A, Hashimoto Masayoshi! Remember it!"

He didn't turn around, calling his answer over his shoulder.

Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class A, huh? I'll remember that!

"Ahh, I'm back to full strength!"

After taking a sip of the high-sugar drink, Gojo Satoru let out a satisfied sigh.

Then he walked over to a tree, sat down with his back against it, and enjoyed the warmth of nature.

A few minutes later.

"Excuse me, may I sit beside you?"

A girl carrying a book approached Gojo Satoru's right side and asked softly.

Without turning his head, he answered casually, "Sure. Make yourself comfortable."

After hearing his permission, the girl sat down to his right, about an arm's length away, and quietly read her book.

Neither of them spoke throughout the whole thing. It wasn't until it was almost time for class that the girl emerged from the world of her book.

She stood up, holding the book in her right hand, and brushed her skirt with her left where she'd been sitting on it. Then she politely introduced herself. "I'm Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C. What's your name, classmate?"

Gojo Satoru didn't answer right away. Instead, he stood up and stretched, then looked the girl over and replied with a smile, "X."

"Huh?"

Shiina Hiyori was stunned by the incomprehensible answer.

But Gojo Satoru paid her no mind. Instead, he looked at the book in her hands, The Devotion of Suspect X.

Noticing his gaze, Shiina Hiyori finally understood and asked excitedly, "Do you like reading, too, classmate? And mystery novels, at that! I do, too! By the way, why did you answer 'X'? Are you perhaps a math genius?!..."

Questions poured from Shiina Hiyori's mouth without end, as though she'd met a kindred spirit and couldn't bring herself to stop talking.

"Okay, okay, let me interrupt you for a second."

"Ah! O-okay, sorry! Nobody in my class shares my interests, so I was really happy to meet you. I got carried away and said too much!"

Once Shiina finally stopped talking, Gojo Satoru answered, "I'm not just a math genius! And that's not the point!"

"Then what is the point? The X in the book is a math genius."

"Because I'd also sacrifice myself for a beautiful mother and daughter!"

Shiina Hiyori was left standing there, dumbfounded, as Gojo Satoru said something so shameless with a completely straight face.

"Hahahaha! You're so funny, classmate! Hahaha!"

Once she'd recovered, Shiina Hiyori laughed so hard she could barely catch her breath. She couldn't believe that the boy in front of her had called himself "X" for that reason.

Gojo Satoru had already left. Watching him walk away, Shiina Hiyori murmured, "Then I'll investigate your identity like a detective!"