Outside the record shop, Harajuku continued its endless fashion parade. The street teemed with tourists taking photos, teenagers showing off their latest style experiments, and salarymen cutting through the chaos with single-minded focus.
Rome stepped out of the shop with Sakura close behind, followed by Megumi and Yuji. The sight of Gojo unleashed a fresh wave of irritation that Rome had been nursing since his midnight stair climb.
"There you are!" Gojo called, waving his crepe so enthusiastically that a glob of whipped cream flew off and landed on a passing businessman's shoulder. "I see you've found Sakura!"
Rome marched straight up to Gojo, ignoring the new student who leaned against a nearby railing. "You. Me. Parking lot. Now."
"Rome! Did you miss me?" Gojo grinned, taking another bite of his crepe. "It's only been twelve hours."
"I saw the bus, Gojo." Rome jabbed a finger at the man's chest. "I saw the road. There is a paved road that goes all the way up the mountain. And you made me climb the Stairway to Heaven at midnight."
"First rule of Sorcery: Always be ready for a workout." Gojo licked cream from his fingers. "Plus, the view is better from the stairs!"
"There was no view!"
"It was a view of your inner strength."
Rome's eye twitched. He had killed men for less. Well, no, he hadn't actually killed anyone yet, but right now, the strongest sorcerer in the world was making an excellent case to be his first.
"I will punch you in the throat."
"You're welcome to try." Gojo's smile never wavered.
A long, heavy sigh interrupted their standoff. Rome glanced over to see the source—another student around his age who looked like consciousness itself was a burden. His hair was a stylish mess of black with bleached blonde streaks, and an unlit cigarette dangled from his lips. Everything about his posture screamed that he'd rather be horizontal.
"Can we speed this up?" the boy drawled. "Standing here is a drag."
[Image]
Gojo gestured with his crepe. "Right! Introductions! This is Aki Kimoto. He's the other first year."
Aki raised his hand in the laziest possible wave. "Yo. Aki. Don't expect much. I'm just here to clock in, clock out, and retire early."
Yuji bounded forward, hand extended. "Nice to meet you! I'm Yuji!"
Aki looked at Yuji's hand like it might bite him before offering his own in a limp handshake.
Sakura tilted her head, studying Aki's lanky frame and piercings. "Not bad. A bit emo, but the earrings work. I'm Sakura."
Rome sized up the newcomer. Where Rome was all sharp edges and aggressive posture, Aki seemed almost liquid in his relaxation, like a cat that had found the perfect sunny spot. "You look like you're about to fall asleep," Rome observed.
Aki shrugged one shoulder. "I'm conserving energy. You're too loud. It's troublesome."
Rome couldn't decide if he wanted to smack this guy or buy him a drink.
Gojo licked whipped cream off his thumb and looked at his assembled students. "Okay, that's one, two, three, four, five..." He pointed at each of them in turn. "We're missing the country pumpkin."
Megumi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please don't call her that."
"Who are we wait—" Rome started to ask when a commotion erupted twenty feet down the sidewalk.
"Hey! You! What about me?"
A crowd had formed around what appeared to be a confrontation between a girl with short orange hair and a terrified-looking man in a rumpled suit. The girl had physically grabbed his lapels and was shaking him like a vending machine that had eaten her money.
"M-miss, I'm really in a hurry—" the man stammered.
"I saw you scout that girl over there!" The orange-haired girl pointed accusingly. "She was a solid six! I am clearly a ten! For the modeling gig, I'm asking what you think about me."
The man looked desperately for an escape route. "I—I don't scout for models, I scout for—"
"Don't give me that!" She shook him harder. "Just come out and say it! Am I cute or not?! ADMIT I'M CUTE!"
The group watched this spectacle unfold with varying reactions.
"Is she... shaking him down for a compliment?" Yuji asked, jaw hanging open.
"There she is!" Gojo said proudly, as if the girl's behavior was something to celebrate.
Aki sighed again, somehow managing to put even more exhaustion into this one. "Troublesome woman."
Sakura cackled, pulling out her phone. "This is totally going on my story."
Rome, however, found himself unable to look away. The girl was a force of nature. Her uniform—the same navy blue as theirs—fit her like armor, and she wore it with the confidence of a general. Her skirt swished with every violent shake she gave the poor man, and her eyes blazed with righteous fury.
She was loud. She was aggressive. She was demanding validation.
This chick is absolutely insane.
He glanced at Sakura beside him with her cropped uniform and electric blue eyes.
Then back to Orange-Hair with her fury and fire.
A slow, predatory smirk spread across his face as he mentally checked off his list. Spunk? Check. Fever? Check. Attractive? Double check.
Not one but two high-maintenance, high-energy, borderline dangerous women in his class.
Rome touched the rings hanging from the chain around his neck. "Jackpot," he whispered to himself.
Gojo clapped his hands. "Nobara! Stop terrorizing the civilians and get over here!"
The girl—Nobara—finally released her victim, who scrambled away. She strutted over to them, chin high, completely unashamed of the scene she'd just caused.
"You're late," she announced, as if they were the ones who'd kept her waiting.
"You were assaulting a random businessman," Megumi pointed out.
"He was a scout." Nobara flipped her hair. "He needed to acknowledge my obvious star quality."
Aki exhaled smoke from a cigarette that Rome hadn't even seen him light. "He was carrying a briefcase of insurance forms. Guy was probably just a salesman."
"Whatever." Nobara waved dismissively. "Who are all of you people?"
Introductions went around again. Rome watched how Nobara's eyes narrowed when she took in Sakura's modified uniform, the way her gaze lingered on Aki's piercings, how she instantly classified Yuji as harmless and Megumi as stuck-up.
When her attention finally landed on Rome, she didn't flinch from his red eyes like most people did. Instead, she looked him up and down with the same judging stare she'd given the others.
"What's with the headband? You think you're a ninja or something?"
Rome snorted. "What's with the attitude? You think you're special or something?"
Nobara's eyes widened for a moment before a grin spread across her face. "Oh, I know I'm special."
"Alright," Gojo interrupted, tossing his empty crepe wrapper into a nearby trash can without looking. "I've finally gathered all six of my students. On top of that, half of them are from the countryside…. Who wants to go sight seeing in Tokyo?"