The next day soon arrived.
Panda, Toge Inumaki, and Megumi Fushiguro stood outside Akutagawa Shang's dorm room, whispering among themselves.
The reason was that class had already started, yet Akutagawa Shang still hadn't shown up in the classroom.
At first, they had thought this was just another instance of Akutagawa Shang's usual tardiness.
But time kept passing until the sun was high overhead and lunchtime was almost upon them, and there was still no sign of him.
And it wasn't just Akutagawa Shang. Maki Zenin, the model student who would never normally be late, and Mai Zenin, who was auditing their classes, were both absent as well.
Toge Inumaki and Panda exchanged a glance, both realizing at once that something was wrong.
After waiting without seeing any of the three, Satoru Gojo simply sent them to the dorms to check whether the three were still alive.
Toge Inumaki and Panda were particularly enthusiastic about their assignment. Without another word, they dragged along a visibly reluctant Megumi Fushiguro.
"Why did you have to bring me along too...?"
Megumi Fushiguro kept a straight face as he looked at Toge Inumaki and Panda, who had forcibly dragged him here.
"Come on, Fushiguro... don't put it like that. Don't you want to investigate the juicy little secrets between your senior and your two aunts?"
"Not interested at all..." Megumi Fushiguro's reply was exceptionally firm. He had no interest whatsoever in gossip.
Seeing that Megumi Fushiguro wouldn't budge, Toge Inumaki simply stopped talking to him and turned to chat eagerly with the equally excited Panda.
"Hey, Panda... do you think Akutagawa-kun being late has anything to do with Maki being late...?" He leaned close to Panda's ear and whispered.
"I bet fifty yen there's definitely a connection between those two. And I suspect it's not