The Eve of the Storm

Inside the faculty office.

"I've already made myself perfectly clear! Your class assignments are determined by the S-system. Since you've been placed in Class D, it only proves your incompetence!"

Under Horikita Suzune's relentless questioning, Chabashira Sae had begun to lose patience. She didn't know her own place—mediocre ability, yet overflowing with arrogance.

"But..."

Horikita Suzune tried to say more, but Chabashira Sae cut her off directly.

"If you believe your abilities belong in Class A, then climb your way up there yourself, instead of coming here to vent your grievances to me! Are you still a child who hasn't grown up? Do you need to report everything to your teacher? Besides, you're not even the best in your own class. Hirata Yosuke and Kushida Kikyo—which of them isn't better than you? And Gojo Satoru and Koenji Rokusuke—which of them is worse than you?!"

Horikita Suzune had already run out of things to say, but hearing the teacher claim Gojo Satoru was better than her, she couldn't help retorting, "That blindfold guy is only slightly ahead of me in academics! He's not necessarily better than me in other areas!"

"Then you should go prove that right now, instead of standing here yapping at me! If you have no other issues, get out! I have papers to organize, and I don't have time to indulge your tantrum!"

Kicked out by the teacher, Horikita Suzune stood dazed in the hallway. She had followed in her brother's footsteps to this school, yet classes were divided based on a meritocratic system. How could she, a Class D student, face her brother in Class A—especially when he was the Student Council President? If others found out that the Student Council President's little sister was a defective product in Class D... they'd be shocked, wouldn't they? Was she disgracing her brother again?

"Horikita, were you called in by Chabashira-sensei too?"

Hearing someone call her name, Horikita Suzune looked up to see Ayanokoji Kiyotaka staring at her with a blank expression.

"No!"

She said, then stormed off in anger. Watching her retreating figure, Ayanokoji found it somewhat baffling. He then knocked and entered the office.

Inside the dormitory building.

"Bang bang bang bang!!"

"Mako, are you in there? There's something I want to talk to you about!"

Kobashi Yume and her group arrived at Amikura Mako's door, pounding on it repeatedly. They stated their reason for coming.

After a moment.

"What is it?"

Amikura Mako's voice came from behind the door, sounding very weak. As if anticipating something strange. Unlike her indifferent tone, Kobashi Yume and the others grew anxious and quickly shouted, "Mako, your voice sounds really weird! Can you open the door first?!"

"Yeah! Mako, open up!"

Ichinose also urged her. A close friend she hadn't seen in just two days, yet her voice was so feeble. But Amikura Mako didn't seem inclined to engage much, replying in that same weak voice, "I'm fine. Just say it."

"It's about Gojo-kun!"

Shiranami Chihiro, watching from behind, couldn't take it anymore. These guys were just panicking and had completely forgotten the main point.

Bang.

The door swung open, revealing a somewhat haggard figure.

"Pong!"

Seeing her best friend's miserable state, Kobashi Yume immediately hugged her, speaking urgently.

"Have you not eaten in days?! You look so weak!"

"It's, it's fine. Did something happen to Gojo-kun?"

More concerned about her own condition, Amikura Mako was even more worried about Gojo Satoru.

She feared something had happened to Satoru-kun.

Seeing them still dawdling, Shiranami Chihiro cut straight to the point.

"Gojo-kun isn't dating Kamuro-san!"

"Huh?

Really?!

You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?"

Hearing that Gojo Satoru was still single, Amikura Mako couldn't quite believe it, but she perked up anyway.

At that, Kobashi Yume finally let go of Amikura Mako, placed both hands on her shoulders, and looked her in the eye.

"It's true! Chihiro and I already went to Class A and asked Kamuro-san. She said it herself!

She also said Gojo-kun doesn't have a girlfriend right now!"

Hearing this, Amikura Mako finally broke into a smile, tears streaming uncontrollably as she sobbed.

"Waaah!!!

I thought all my years of effort were for nothing!

I haven't been able to eat a thing for two days!"

She sniffled hard, wiping her face with both hands, her tear-streaked face beaming with joy.

Cheering up, she continued in fits and starts.

"Th-then, it's okay. It was all fake."

Seeing her friend finally recover, Kobashi Yume quickly said.

"Then let's go find Gojo-kun right now, okay?

Kamuro-san already told us where his dorm is, or at least where he's most likely to be."

She was so eager she looked like she was the one going to meet her crush.

Ichinose sighed helplessly.

"Shouldn't we get her something to eat first? And Mako kind of smells weird. Has she not showered in two days?"

"Yeah, and why does Yume-chan seem more worked up than Mako?"

Seeing Ichinose start teasing, Shiranami Chihiro immediately joined in.

"Huh?! No, it's not that! It's just that after seeing how upset Mako was the other day, I wanted her to go see Gojo-kun as soon as possible."

Remembering Amikura Mako's heart-wrenching breakdown two days ago, and all the complaints she'd poured out.

Kobashi Yume never wanted to see that again. She just wanted her friend to be happy again.

"Hahaha..."

Watching them fuss over her, Amikura Mako laughed.

Only then did she realize she wasn't a little kid anymore.

Now she had so many close friends, and she wouldn't lose Satoru-kun either!

Pulling herself together, Amikura Mako smiled brightly.

"Everyone, come in first. I want to take a shower and eat something, then go find Satoru-kun.

I don't want him to see me like this!

He'd be really disappointed, wouldn't he?"

Seeing the cheerful Amikura Mako back to her old self, Kobashi Yume and the others stopped bickering and nodded with smiles.

"He's not in his dorm?"

Knocking on Gojo Satoru's dorm door with no response, Hirata Yosuke was a bit puzzled.

But since he wasn't there, waiting around wasn't going to help.

Just as he was about to leave—

"Yo! Isn't this Hirata? What's up at my dorm door? You're not here to steal something, are you?"

Startled by the goofy voice from behind, Hirata Yosuke jumped.

He quickly turned around and saw Gojo Satoru standing there, grinning at him.

"Gojo!"

He'd found the person he'd been looking for.

Hirata called out excitedly.

But Gojo couldn't be bothered and just said, "That's a bit cringey. If there's nothing important, get lost. I'm going in."

"No, that's not it—there is something! I want to talk to you, Gojo!"

Seeing that the other guy was about to brush him off, Hirata blurted out his purpose.

At the serious look on his face, Gojo Satoru dropped his smile and accepted.

"Let's talk outside. I don't want guys in my dorm."