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The sun was already shining through the half-open curtains of Ryosuke's room, flooding the space with a gentle morning light.
Ryosuke, however, was still fast asleep, his face half buried in his pillow.
A knock came at the door, three sharp raps. No answer. A few seconds passed before a creak echoed: the door slowly opened, and a tall boy stepped inside. His long black hair was neatly parted into two strands framing his face.
He approached the bed silently, stopping just in front of Ryosuke. His piercing gaze fell on the sleeper, and he spoke in a calm but firm voice: "Ryosuke, second-year student. Wake up."
No reaction. Ryosuke seemed lost in a dream far more pleasant than reality. The stranger hesitated for a moment, then reached out to shake him lightly. But just as he raised his arm, Ryosuke moved: his right hand shot up and seized the intruder's wrist with startling speed. His eyelids flew open, revealing eyes still a little blurry.
He squinted at the boy standing over him and, in a fraction of a second, shouted: "OH! RAPE! HELP! SOMEONE! HELP!"
The tall boy drew back slightly, raising his eyebrows in annoyance. Ryosuke, now fully awake, sat up in bed and pointed an accusing finger at him: "What the hell, Senpai?! You don't just barge into a high schooler's room like that!"
The boy took a deep breath and declared in a composed voice: "I am Noritoshi Kamo, third-year student and heir of the Kamo clan."
But Ryosuke, still too shaken to process the information, opened his mouth wide and screamed even louder: "HELP, A PERVERT!"
Noritoshi closed his eyes for a second, clearly irritated. He slowly turned away.
"So, you're the so-called prodigy Todo won't stop talking about."
Still sitting on his bed, Ryosuke frowned and crossed his arms.
"And that gives you the right to assault me in my room? Seriously, you think you can do whatever you want just because you're a senpai?"
Noritoshi let out a faint sigh, one hand absentmindedly brushing through his long black hair.
"Assault? I merely wanted to see with my own eyes if you lived up to your reputation. I admit I was impatient. No matter, I'll soon have the chance to test your skills myself."
With those words, he turned on his heel and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Ryosuke, meanwhile, jumped out of bed and double-locked the door. He leaned against it, breathing heavily, a bead of sweat sliding down his temple.
"Phew…" he muttered to himself. "One more second and I might have…"
He cut himself short, a shiver flickering across his eyes. Pulling himself together, he shook his head and walked toward his desk.
"Alright, I really need to finish perfecting this technique. If something like that happens again, I could…"
He sat down, brows furrowed, and buried himself in his notes with renewed determination.
Outside, Noritoshi, calmly descending the stairs, wore a faint smirk.
He glanced at his right wrist.
"Interesting…" he murmured to himself. "Very interesting."
By then, the sun had fully risen.
Ryosuke, now dressed in his uniform, strolled down the academy's main hall with a nonchalant air, his bag slung carelessly over one shoulder.
Kasumi called out to him with a warm smile.
"Ryosuke! So, how did your duo mission go?"
Ryosuke cast a quick look around the room and, without answering, went to sit at the back row near the window. He dropped his bag on the desk, crossed his arms, and leaned back lazily in his chair.
"Our window got taken out," he finally said in a detached tone.
Kasumi blinked, slightly shocked.
"Really?"
Before Ryosuke could reply, another voice cut in.
"Tch. Must've been a tough mission," Mai said from three rows ahead.
Ryosuke raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Not really," he shrugged. "Let's just say I slipped up… because I'm too strong."
Mai narrowed her eyes, clearly irritated.
"You're insufferably arrogant."
Kasumi quickly tried to change the subject.
"By the way, Ryosuke, do you know what happened to Mechamaru? It's strange he isn't here this morning."
Ryosuke straightened slightly and gave Kasumi a smile.
"You'll have the chance to ask him yourself soon."
Kasumi opened her mouth to ask another question, but Ryosuke turned his gaze away, staring absently out the window. The topic seemed closed.
Mai, still annoyed, just rolled her eyes before pulling a textbook from her bag.
"Seriously, this guy…" she muttered under her breath.
The classroom door suddenly opened. Utahime walked in.
"Good morning, everyone," she said in a calm but firm tone.
Immediately, Ryosuke, Kasumi, and Mai stood respectfully. Utahime gave them a nod and a faint smile.
"Sit down."
As Ryosuke was about to sit back down, she called out: "Not you, Ryosuke. The principal wants to see you."
Ryosuke blinked, visibly surprised, then nodded.
"Got it."
Utahime turned to the others.
"Your teacher will be here soon. You'll have theory class today," she added before leaving the room, Ryosuke following behind.
In the hallway, after a few moments, Utahime turned her head slightly toward him.
"So, Ryosuke, how do you feel after these past few days here?"
Ryosuke shrugged, hands clasped behind his head.
"Not bad, honestly. It's nice being surrounded by people my age who actually get what it's like to have… let's say, a quirk."
Utahime nodded.
"I'm glad to hear that."
She paused, her expression turning more serious.
"Speaking of which, I wanted to apologize for yesterday's mission. I never imagined things would turn out that way."
Her voice faltered slightly, and she looked away.
"Miss Ito… She didn't deserve that."
Ryosuke glanced at her, his expression softer than usual.
"That's why the principal wants to see me, right?"
Utahime stayed silent for a moment, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
Ryosuke looked away, shoving his hands into his pockets.
They continued walking in silence until they reached a massive door. Utahime placed a hand on the handle and turned to him one last time.
"Tell me, Ryosuke, why do you want to become a jujutsu sorcerer?"