Teiko Middle School — Next Morning · First-Year Building
Morning sunlight poured through the tall glass windows, stretching long bars of gold across the corridor. The faint scent of chalk dust and floor wax lingered in the air.
For most students, today was just another ordinary school day.
But for Teiko Middle School…
Today was special.
Because the white-haired transfer student who had caused an earthquake in the basketball club yesterday was officially attending class.
However—
For Momoi Satsuki, the newly appointed first-year manager…
Today marked the beginning of a disaster.
"F-found him!!"
Clutching a crumpled registration form, Momoi sprinted down the hallway. Her long pink hair streamed behind her like a banner of war.
She stopped at the door of Class 1-A, panting heavily, eyes blazing with two flames named Persistence.
"Satoru Gojo-kun! Please stop running away!!"
Her clear voice echoed through the entire floor, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
But—
The "special seat" by the window was empty.
Only a small note remained on the desk.
Gone to the rooftop to find the meaning of life
(actually to catch up on sleep)
Beside the words was a poorly drawn chibi stick figure wearing sunglasses.
The face looked extremely punchable.
"…Not here again?!"
A red anger mark popped on Momoi's forehead.
As Teiko's self-proclaimed intelligence expert, Momoi had always been proud of her observation and data-gathering skills. If she wanted information, she could get it. If she wanted to find someone, she would find them.
But Satoru Gojo…
He was the only exception.
That guy wasn't a person.
He was a gust of wind.
Or worse—a ghost with a physical body that could vanish whenever he pleased.
The reason was simple.
This morning, Captain Nijimura had given her a strict order:
She must submit Gojo's complete physical data sheet and official club registration form before lunch.
Height, weight, address, blood type, emergency contact—everything.
Otherwise—
She'd have to run ten laps around the field.
And Gojo's application form?
Every single box was blank.
Except his name.
"…Don't underestimate the Teiko manager's intelligence network," Momoi muttered through clenched teeth.
She spun around and dashed for the stairs.
"The rooftop, right? I'm definitely cornering you this time!"
Teiko Middle School · Rooftop
The wind howled across the open sky.
On top of the water tank—
Satoru Gojo lay flat on his back, hands behind his head, a math textbook he'd never opened covering his face.
Completely relaxed.
Completely at peace.
Even without sunglasses, even with his eyes closed—
He could still sense everything.
The drifting clouds.
The flapping wings of birds.
And…
That pink-haired girl violently kicking open the rooftop door, her heart rate already over 120 from running.
"GO—JO—KUN—!!"
The shout shattered the silence.
Gojo didn't even flinch.
Momoi stormed across the rooftop and quickly locked onto her target.
"I finally caught you!"
She climbed the maintenance ladder and stood in front of him, blocking the sunlight like an angry pink storm cloud.
"Fill out the form!"
She slammed the paper and pen beside him.
"Height, weight, measurements, dominant hand, address—everything! The captain said if I don't submit this today, I have to run ten laps!"
Gojo slowly removed the book from his face.
His black round sunglasses reflected the sky.
He yawned lazily and sat up.
Momoi's cheeks were flushed from running. Her bangs stuck to her forehead with sweat. Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
She looked furious.
But annoyingly cute.
"Yo, isn't this the manager-lady?"
He adjusted his glasses, lips curling into a mischievous grin.
"Chasing me this passionately first thing in the morning… what, did you fall for me already?"
"W-who would fall for you?!"
Her face turned bright red.
"I'm doing my job! Stop being narcissistic and fill it out!"
"So troublesome…"
Gojo leaned back on his hands, staring at the sky.
"Can't you just estimate it? Aren't you supposed to be good at analyzing data?"
"Even if I can, I can't write guesses on an official form!"
She stomped her foot.
"And your numbers don't even make sense! Yesterday you were 190 cm—why do you look taller today?!"
"Still growing."
He said it like it was completely reasonable.
Then stood up and brushed dust off his pants.
"Too much hassle. Tell Nijimura to ask me himself."
He stepped forward, clearly about to leave.
"Stop! You're not allowed to run!"
Momoi lunged instinctively, trying to grab the hem of his uniform.
Her fingers almost—
Almost—
Touched him.
Then—
[Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue]
Gojo's figure flickered.
Not vanished.
Not blurred.
Just—
Gone.
And instantly—
Three meters away.
"Eh…?"
Momoi stared blankly at her empty hand.
Gojo stood at the edge of the water tank, white hair whipping in the wind.
"Too slow, Momoi-san," he said with a lazy smile. "If you want to catch me, you'll need better speed than that."
"You—was that teleportation?!"
"Secret."
Finger to lips.
Then he jumped down effortlessly.
"Wait! Don't run!"
Her competitive spirit exploded.
She scrambled down the ladder and charged after him.
Chase — Teaching Building Corridor
For the next thirty minutes…
Teiko Middle School witnessed a spectacle known as:
Cat vs. Mouse.
"Satoru Gojo! Stop right there!"
"Haha—come catch me."
He walked casually with hands in his pockets, like he was out for a stroll.
But whenever Momoi got close—
Flick.
He disappeared.
Top of the stairs.
Behind a crowd.
Across the hallway.
At one point, he even used Blue's suction to stick to the wall like a gecko, letting her run straight past underneath.
"…Damn it! Damn it! He's definitely playing with me!!"
Momoi Satsuki bent over, hands on her knees, gasping for air in the second-floor connecting corridor.
Her lungs burned like they were about to explode.
But even while exhausted—
Her brain kept working.
As Teiko's data expert, analysis was second nature to her.
"His movement patterns aren't random…," she muttered between breaths.
"Where is he trying to lead me…?"
Suddenly, her eyes snapped toward the far end of the corridor.
That direction—
The equipment room in the Old School Building.
A dead end.
"…Idiot," she whispered.
Her eyes lit up like she'd just seen victory itself.
"You ran yourself into a corner!"
She sucked in one last deep breath, squeezed every ounce of strength from her legs—
And sprinted.
Old School Building · Equipment Room
Just as she predicted.
Satoru Gojo stood at the very end of the hallway, leaning lazily against the locked iron door.
No windows.
No side exits.
Nowhere to escape.
"Huff… huff… I… caught you…"
Momoi spread her arms wide, blocking the only path like a hunter cornering her prey.
She approached step by step, a triumphant smile blooming on her face.
"Now… where are you going to run?"
Gojo looked at her.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Not even slightly flustered.
Instead, he raised an eyebrow.
"Yare yare… backed into a corner, huh?"
His tone wasn't tense at all.
If anything—
He sounded amused.
"Quit talking and fill out the form!"
She marched right up to him.
Less than half a meter away.
Trying to look authoritative.
Unfortunately…
160 cm vs. 190 cm.
She had to strain her neck just to meet his eyes.
Instead of intimidating—
She looked ridiculously vulnerable.
"And if I don't?" Gojo asked lightly.
"Then I'll… I'll cry for you to see!"
"…That's your threat?"
"I—I'm serious!"
Gojo sighed.
"I really don't know what to do with you."
Momoi's heart skipped.
Was he finally giving in?
Then—
He stepped forward.
One step.
And instantly invaded her personal space.
"Eh—?"
She tried to step back—
But there was a wall behind her.
Thud.
His palm pressed lightly against the wall beside her ear.
Not forceful.
Not aggressive.
Just enough to trap her within his reach.
More like he was quietly enclosing her in his territory.
A faint scent brushed past her—
Mint.
And something clean, like sea salt.
"G-Gojo-kun?!"
Her brain short-circuited.
This close, she could see everything.
His sharp jawline.
His smooth skin.
The faint outline of his eyes behind the sunglasses.
"Since you want my information so badly…"
He leaned down slightly.
His warm breath brushed her ear.
A shiver ran straight down her spine.
His fingers hooked the edge of his sunglasses.
And slowly—
Pulled them down.
[Six Eyes]
Azure pupils.
White mist swirling within.
Endless.
Bottomless.
Like staring straight into the night sky itself.
Under that gaze—
Momoi felt completely exposed.
Like every secret, every thought, every emotion had been stripped bare.
Her heartbeat thundered so loudly she could hear it herself.
Not from running.
Not from fear.
But from something far more dangerous.
Infatuation.
Even knowing he was lazy.
Arrogant.
A troublemaker.
Under those eyes—
No girl could resist.
"Can you see clearly now?" Gojo murmured, voice low and smooth.
"My height. My weight. Even the way I'm looking at you…"
"Can your 'Data Eye' read all that?"
Momoi stared blankly.
Her lips parted.
But no words came out.
She couldn't read anything.
The numbers that usually filled her mind—
Had turned into pink static.
"Idiot."
Gojo chuckled softly at her dazed expression.
Then he stepped back, lifting the pressure around her.
Air rushed back into her lungs.
Only then did she notice—
There was already a paper in his hand.
Her form.
"When did you—?!"
"While you were spacing out and blushing at me."
He casually placed the completed form on top of her head.
"Here."
Momoi grabbed it quickly.
Every blank space—
Filled.
Messy handwriting, but complete.
Not a single detail missing.
"I hate trouble," he said, sliding his sunglasses back on, "but making a girl cry over paperwork would ruin my aesthetic."
He walked past her with his hands in his pockets.
"Oh, and help me ask the coach for leave. I'm skipping first period. Need to buy kikufuku."
He waved lazily without looking back.
Watching his retreating figure, Momoi hugged the form tightly to her chest.
Her face was still burning.
"What the heck…"
Her eyes drifted to one column.
Specialty: [All-rounder]
Then another—
Preferred Type: [Someone whose cooking is edible]
"…Is that a jab at my cooking?!"
She remembered yesterday's "dark matter" bento.
Even while complaining—
Her lips curved up.
"Mean… big idiot."
But she carefully folded the form like it was something precious.
"…He really is ridiculously handsome."
Outside the Gym · In the Shadows
Just as Gojo left the Old School Building—
His steps slowed.
The vision of the Six Eyes swept casually backward.
Behind a tree.
A gaze full of malice.
Sticky. Filthy. Resentful.
Like a venomous snake.
Gojo didn't turn around.
His smile just grew colder.
"…Still peeking, rat?"
Haizaki Shogo.
Yesterday's humiliation hadn't scared him off.
It had only fermented into hatred.
"Tch… guess yesterday wasn't enough."
Gojo adjusted his sunglasses.
To him—
Haizaki wasn't even worth attention.
Just another toy he could crush whenever he felt bored.
"But first…"
He stretched lazily.
"Kikufuku is more important."
Humming to himself, the white-haired figure walked off into the sunlight.
As if nothing in the world could possibly threaten him.