"You perv…"
"Pervert looking for death!"
Kugisaki Nobara swung her fist straight toward Arashi's face. Though Arashi hadn't expected such a strong reaction, he instinctively reacted in time, dodging the punch.
BANG!
A muffled thud echoed as Kugisaki Nobara's fist slammed into the wall instead. The wall cracked in a small area under the impact. Before she could make another move, Arashi quickly waved his hands.
"I just moved in! I'm your new neighbor! I only wanted to say hi, I'm not some kind of pervert!"
"Not a pervert?", Kugisaki Nobara froze for a second, then suddenly realized what was going on. She awkwardly withdrew her fist and gave an embarrassed smile. She had definitely overreacted just now. Thinking about it now, she felt kind of awkward.
Besides, looking at Arashi's face, he really didn't seem like that kind of creep. In fact, 'He looks even younger than me?'
"Yeah, how could I be a pervert? Have you ever seen a pervert greet you by saying 'hi'?", Arashi said with a wry smile. He finally remembered who this girl was, 'Wasn't she the future first-year of Jujutsu High, Kugisaki Nobara?'
'As expected, just like I imagined, what a fiery temper...'
If he hadn't dodged in time, that punch would've definitely peeled off a layer of skin, if not worse.
Thinking of that, Arashi felt this girl was kind of dangerous. At least for now.
"Sorry. Lately there've been people following me around, so I might've been too jumpy. Really sorry," Kugisaki Nobara bowed apologetically. She'd gone a bit too far. Hopefully she hadn't scared this boy too much.
The dent in the wall was still there, proof that it really happened. And that it was she who'd caused it.
Arashi looked her up and down. Though Kugisaki Nobara was indeed pretty, she didn't exactly look harmless, 'Who on earth would tail someone like her?'
'Also, around this time, she should've been somewhere else. Why is she in Sendai City?'
"It's fine. I'm not hurt anyway. I'm Aragami Arashi, your new neighbor," Arashi extended his hand with a smile.
"Kugisaki Nobara," She also reached out, shaking his hand briefly. Only then did she realize, 'He is actually this tall?'
After that awkward exchange, the two smiled at each other. Arashi went downstairs, Nobara went up. That short scuffle and chat counted as a first meeting, at least.
———
"So embarrassing…", Kugisaki Nobara muttered once she got home. She scratched her orange hair, dropped her shoulder bag, and splashed cold water on her face to calm down.
Only then did she notice something was off. That punch earlier, even though she had held back, shouldn't have been something an average teenage boy could easily dodge.
But Arashi had avoided it with ease. That wasn't normal. And when she observed him, she hadn't sensed any cursed energy from him, he wasn't a sorcerer, 'So maybe… he just practiced self-defense or something?'
"Still, he's got guts, living in a place like this," Nobara looked out the window thoughtfully.
———
Arashi had only gone downstairs to avoid the awkwardness. The whole reason he'd gone out was to see his new neighbor. So after circling the building a bit, he went back home.
He really hadn't expected Kugisaki Nobara of all people to be living here. What kind of coincidence was that? Out of the whole Sendai City, they just happened to end up in the same tiny apartment building.
The building had five floors, one room per floor. Arashi lived on the fourth, Nobara on the fifth. Considering the surroundings, and the local rumors about supernatural incidents, it was no wonder she found his sudden move-in suspicious.
Still, Nobara's reaction had been too much. That punch on their first meeting left quite the impression.
"Well, whatever. I should try to get on good terms with her. We might have to deal with the same stuff later on," Arashi chuckled, took off his shirt, and went into the bathroom for a shower.
Upstairs, Nobara could hear the sounds of the door opening below. She closed her book on jujutsu, bit her lip, and muttered, "I have to leave this place soon."
———
[The Next Day]
Before dawn, Arashi went out for his morning run. Every day he had to run a full ten kilometers, endurance training for his body. Strength training was also crucial, and he never skipped it.
These days, since he didn't have to report to school yet, he spent all his time training and practicing with his cursed energy armor.
He'd see Nobara once during the day, once at night, but their interactions were limited to brief greetings.
Still, over time, Nobara's impression of Arashi had changed.
She'd thought he was some shut-in nerd type, but clearly, she was wrong. She'd seen him go out running every morning with her own eyes. No wonder he'd been able to dodge that punch.
Even so, Nobara had decided to leave soon after wrapping up her business here. Her goals and ambitions didn't belong in some small city like this.
———
Time passed quickly. Half a month later, Arashi slung his shoulder bag and headed to Sugisawa Third Middle School to report in.
Coincidentally, his assigned class was right next to Itadori Yuji's. Not the same class, but very close.
"Before we start today's lesson, let's welcome a new student from Kanagawa! Please come up and introduce yourself," The female teacher smiled toward Arashi, who was standing at the door.
The moment Arashi stepped into the classroom, several girls covered their mouths, while others let out small gasps.
"He's so handsome!"
"Mhm, and he's tall too."
"Right? He looks about our age, how'd he get that build?"
"Could you not say that out loud? What do you mean by 'that build'? He probably just eats well!"
The girls whispered among themselves, all clearly curious and excited about the newcomer.
The boys, on the other hand, looked like they'd just seen a rival. Most of them gave Arashi subtle looks of hostility.
Well… maybe more like jealousy over potential competition.
"Pfft, so what if he's tall? What's that even good for? He almost hit his head on the doorframe walking in."
"Yeah, no way he's agile with a build like that. Just looks tough."
"Click your tongue all you want, you guys sound so sour I can taste the lemon!"
"Hey, Momoe, what's that tone? You're seriously taking the new guy's side?"
"What, got a problem with that?"
"Alright, alright, everyone quiet down. Let's let our new classmate introduce himself first," The teacher raised a hand to calm the class. As a teacher, she could understand why everyone was stirred up. The new kid was tall and handsome, after all.
"...", Arashi had clearly heard everything they'd said. In his past life, he'd never had this kind of height or looks, no one ever gossiped about him in class. But now? Everyone was talking. And strangely, instead of being annoyed… he kind of enjoyed it.
"Hey everyone, I'm Aragami Arashi, from Kanagawa. I'm 182 centimeters tall, won't mention my weight, I like working out and listening to music. Nice to meet you all!"
Once he finished, the class burst into applause, especially the girls.
"Hey, Itadori, did you hear the noise from the next classroom?"
"Hard not to. Sounds like they're welcoming a transfer student?", Itadori Yuji tilted his head, resting his chin on one hand.
He'd seen that new student around school before. Pretty tall, kind of ordinary-looking, but something about him felt different.
He couldn't quite explain what it was, but it left him with a strange feeling.
So, Itadori decided to keep an eye on Arashi.
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