Early in the morning, Itsuka Shido arrived at school in a daze, his mind heavy with thoughts of Chinatsu and the dangerous "sub-personality" within her.
He sat in his seat, his eyes vacant, his mind replaying the bloody images on the Fraxinus screen and Kotori's stern warnings.
(Chinatsu... and that "her"... What should I do?)
(And Koushi... Even though he doesn't remember anything, how can I face him after seeing Chinatsu like that...)
As he was lost in his worries, a slight commotion suddenly came from the classroom door.
Shido subconsciously looked up, his pupils contracting instantly.
It was Tobiichi Origami.
But her appearance at that moment made everyone who saw her gasp.
Her forehead, arms, knees, and other parts were wrapped in white bandages, and in some places, a faint crimson color was even seeping through.
Her walking posture was also slightly unnatural, with a somewhat shaky gait.
(!)
Shido held his breath. He knew that the Realizer had powerful healing abilities.
The fact that she was still wrapped in so many bandages after a few days of rest could only mean that her injuries were extremely severe.
—Most likely, they were caused by the rampaging spiritual power of Tohka when she was sniping Tohka last time, or even from the brief confrontation with "Heavenly Judgment" afterward.
Under the gaze of the entire class, who were either surprised, curious, or worried, Origami walked directly to Shido's seat.
"Good... Good morning, Tobiichi."
Shido felt a wave of awkwardness and pressure, and he forced himself to speak.
"Seeing that you're okay—"
Before he could finish his sentence, an unexpected scene unfolded.
Origami's figure suddenly lowered, disappearing below Shido's line of sight.
Shido froze for a second before realizing—Origami was bowing deeply to him!
Her waist was bent at a perfect ninety-degree angle, her bandaged forehead almost touching her knees!
"Tobi... Tobiichi...?!". Shido was completely bewildered.
The entire classroom instantly fell into a commotion of whispers, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the two of them.
But Origami seemed completely oblivious to the reactions around her. She spoke in her usual calm but incredibly solemn tone:
"—I'm sorry, even though my apology is useless."
Shido immediately understood. She was apologizing for sniping Tohka before and indirectly causing his "death." Although it was an AST order, she was indeed the one who pulled the trigger.
(It really was her...) Shido's emotions were complex.
"Wh-What did Itsuka do to Tobiichi...?" Tonomachi Hiroto, sitting next to him, leaned over and asked in a low voice, his face full of shock.
"I didn't! If I did anything, I should be the one apologizing!"
Shido quickly retorted in a low voice, unable to explain in detail in such a situation.
He turned around, facing Origami, who was still bowing, feeling incredibly awkward:
"Al... Alright, just lift your head first..."
Unexpectedly, Origami obediently straightened up as he said.
However, just as Shido let out a sigh of relief—
Origami's right hand shot out with lightning speed, grabbing the base of Shido's school uniform tie and pulling him sharply towards her!
"Eek—?!" Shido was caught off guard, his body forced to lean forward, almost bumping into Origami's face.
Origami maintained her characteristic indifferent expression, bringing her face extremely close, staring fixedly at Shido with her unwavering eyes, and clearly and firmly uttered four words:
"Don't... cheat!"
"...Huh?"
Starting with Shido, and including all the classmates who had been closely watching Origami's every move, everyone now wore expressions of stunned disbelief and brain shutdown.
An apology followed immediately by... a declaration of ownership?!
This twist was too abrupt, and the amount of information was immense, plunging the entire classroom into an eerie silence.
Shido could clearly feel Origami's breath, see her unwavering gaze beneath the bandages, and also feel the curious and scrutinizing eyes of his classmates around him, as if they were piercing him.
(What... What is this situation now?!)
Shido felt his brain completely overloaded. Just moments ago, he was contemplating serious issues of spirits and the world's survival, and the next second, he was embroiled in such a melodramatic (?) school romance (?) drama.
Facing Origami's unannounced yet incredibly serious "warning," he stood with his mouth open, unable to utter a single word, only able to remain stiff, feeling the undeniable force on his tie.
The air in the classroom seemed to freeze at this moment.
— — — — — —
Just as Shido's brain was shutting down from Origami's sudden "don't cheat" declaration, the entire class was in an eerie silence, and the air was filled with an unspeakable awkwardness and gossip—
"Everyone—Good morning! Please return to your seats and sit down~"
A cheerful but slightly nervous voice came from the classroom door, breaking the frozen atmosphere like a savior (for Shido). Homeroom teacher Okamine Tamae-sensei walked in timidly, holding the attendance book.
The classroom, as if a pause button had been pressed, instantly resumed its flow. Although the students still scanned back and forth between Shido and Origami with curious eyes, they obediently returned to their seats.
Origami also slowly released Shido's tie and returned to her seat expressionlessly, as if nothing had happened, though her bandages and cold gaze still drew attention.
Shido let out a long sigh, feeling his back drenched in cold sweat. He gratefully glanced at Tamae-sensei, but noticed a slightly troubled expression on her face.
"Um... Before we start the morning assembly, I have two things to announce to everyone." Tamae-sensei adjusted her glasses, raising her voice slightly, "First, Koushi Hōoin-kun is absent today due to feeling unwell."
(Koushi is absent again?)
Shido's heart sank.
(Is it because of... Chinatsu's matter? No, Koushi doesn't remember anything now, so is it...)
He couldn't help but connect Koushi's absence with the tragic incident at the night market last night, and a deeper shadow fell over his heart.
"Then, the second thing is—" Tamae-sensei smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "We have a new transfer student joining our class today! Please give her a warm welcome!"
"A transfer student?"
"Transferring at this time?"
A small murmur of discussion rose in the classroom.
Under the curious gazes of everyone, the classroom door was pulled open again.
A figure walked in with light and energetic steps.
She had long, night-colored hair tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon, amethyst-like eyes curiously surveying everything in the classroom, and was wearing a fitted Raizen High School girls' uniform. It was—
"I'm Yatogami Tohka! Nice to meet you!"
Tohka stood at the podium, introducing herself in a clear voice, with a pure and radiant smile on her face.
Her outstanding beauty and unique aura instantly captivated the attention of the entire class.
"Oh, oh! What a cute girl!"
"Her name is nice too!"
"She seems like a very energetic person!"
However, Tohka's gaze quickly swept across the classroom and soon locked onto the figure she knew best—
"Shido!"
She let out a joyful cry, completely disregarding the ongoing transfer student introduction and forgetting that she had just said "Nice to meet you."
Like a happy puppy seeing its owner, she ran directly from the podium, sprinting to Shido's seat amidst the wide-eyed stares of the entire class, her face beaming with unclouded joy.
"Shido! Look! I'm going to school too! This way, I can always be with you!" Tohka said happily, grabbing Shido's arm.
"To... Tohka?! Wait! Class is still in session..."
Shido fumbled, his face instantly turning crimson. He could feel the eyes of the entire class, especially Tonomachi Hiroto, saying, "You're quite the guy."
And... a gaze from a certain direction that suddenly became incredibly cold.
Tohka followed Shido's embarrassed gaze and only then noticed Tobiichi Origami sitting not far away, as well as the bandages wrapped around her.
Tohka's smile instantly receded a bit, and a hint of wariness and an almost imperceptible... guilt flashed in her purple eyes? After all, Origami's injuries were largely caused by Tohka's rampage last time.
"It's you..." Tohka frowned slightly.
But then, remembering that the other person had hurt Shido, she became resolute again.
Origami, in turn, looked back at Tohka with her unwavering eyes and spoke coldly: "This is a place for learning, not for you to pester Shido."
"What did you say?! What's wrong with me being with Shido?!" Tohka's temper flared instantly.
"Disrupting discipline, affecting others."
"You are! You're wrapped in so much cloth, it's hideous!"
"This is a proof of love, unlike a certain idiot who only knows how to rage impotently."
"Who are you calling an idiot who rages impotently?!"
"Whoever admits it."
Seeing the growing tension between the two, their verbal sparring gradually escalating, the air seemed to crackle with static electricity.
The entire class held their breath, watching this sudden "transfer student versus ice queen (?) showdown," even Tamae-sensei was stunned at the podium, unsure what to do.
"Wait, wait a minute! Tohka! Origami! Both of you calm down!" Shido, caught in the middle, tried to mediate, feeling like his head was about to explode.
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