"How lame, Michi."
Just as the classroom door pushed open, Satoru Gojo's voice rang out.
"You managed to get lost, of all things."
Mu Sanlu ignored the mockery from his classmate and walked straight up to Masamichi Yaga, offering a proper, respectful apology.
"I'm truly sorry, Teacher Yaga. Please punish me."
Mu Sanlu kept his head bowed until a warm, dry, large hand rested on top of it. He lifted his head in surprise.
Teacher Yaga really wasn't angry, just like Suguru had said.
"Hand me a 500-word detention report. Next time you go out, take a companion with you. If your companion is busy and there's truly no other way, just call me, and I'll come pick you up," Masamichi Yaga said.
"Yes, Teacher Yaga!" Mu Sanlu lowered his head again, a smile spreading across his face.
*I'm so happy,* he thought.
"Why?!" Satoru Gojo slammed his hand down on the desk, his expression full of intense dissatisfaction.
"Why is it that when we're both late, I have to write a 2,000-word report and get beaten up?!"
"Satoru Gojo! You'll write 3,000 words! Put it on my desk tomorrow morning!" Masamichi Yaga's mood, which had finally been soothed by his well-behaved student, was ruined all over again.
"Eh?" Mu Sanlu looked on at the scene, somewhat bewildered.
"Michi."
Mu Sanlu followed the voice.
Suguru Geto had cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and was calling out to him in a low voice.
"Over here!" He pointed to the desk right next to his own.
Suguru Geto had arrived at the classroom earlier, and upon his arrival, he had gone ahead and moved a desk for Mu Sanlu right next to his.
"Okay." Mu Sanlu nodded cheerfully.
Today's lessons were mostly basic knowledge about the jujutsu world. Before System 001 left, it had already transmitted all of this into Mu Sanlu's mind. Not just that, but also the Three Great Families of the jujutsu world, their closely guarded secrets, and even little secrets about those high-and-mighty leaders of the jujutsu community—System 001 had told him everything.
*"If they threaten you, use these to threaten them back,"* System 001 had said.
*"If you really can't threaten them, it doesn't matter."*
*"I'll handle it for my host."* System 001's robotic voice had been cold and calm.
It sounded like a very reliable system.
...
Up on the podium, Masamichi Yaga looked out at the students with their varying expressions. Shoko looked like she was spacing out the second she sat down, and Suguru was doing the same. Let them zone out if they wanted; these basics were common knowledge across the entire jujutsu world, and to Shoko Ieiri and Suguru Geto, the material was genuinely boring.
He would just pretend he didn't see.
Masamichi Yaga looked at his next student.
As for Mu Sanlu's grasp of jujutsu society's internal knowledge, China had sent over his test scores that very afternoon.
Straight A-pluses, yet even so, Mu Sanlu still listened with absolute focus during class, without the slightest hint of distraction or messing around.
*Such a good, well-behaved child,* Masamichi Yaga sighed inwardly.
With a satisfied look, he shifted his gaze to the final student.
It would have been fine if he hadn't looked, but looking brought a disaster.
Not only was Satoru Gojo spacing out, but he was actually holding a box of small cakes in his hand! And that wasn't even the worst part—the absolute most infuriating thing was that this guy's legs were practically propped up on the desk!
Veins literally popped out on Masamichi Yaga's forehead, like something straight out of an anime.
Mu Sanlu watched this spectacle in sheer awe.
"Satoru Gojo! Hand me a 5,000-word report tomorrow morning!" Accompanying Masamichi Yaga's roar was a blow delivered with 'righteous' fury.
"Ha?! Why?!" Satoru Gojo clutched the massive bump on his head, crying out in fierce protest.
Masamichi Yaga didn't want to argue with him. With a sharp huff, he walked back to the podium and resumed the lecture.
At 4:30 in the afternoon, Masamichi Yaga stood on the podium and dismissed the class.
"You can use the remaining time to familiarize yourselves with the campus," Masamichi Yaga said.
Then, his gaze shifted to Mu Sanlu, the only person in the entire room who had actually paid attention to the lecture.
"Sanlu, wherever you're going, have Suguru go with you," Masamichi Yaga instructed.
"Yes, Teacher Yaga." Mu Sanlu nodded in agreement.
After Masamichi Yaga left, Suguru Geto and Mu Sanlu stood up.
"Let's go, Michi. Let's go tour the campus together," Suguru Geto invited.
"Alright," Mu Sanlu nodded.
He turned to look at the remaining two classmates. "Shoko and Satoru, are you coming along?"
Satoru Gojo, standing by the door, turned around and scoffed with utter disdain. "I'm not an idiot who can't even find his own way like Michi. There's a cake shop I love that's about to close, I'm not wasting time with you guys." With that, he stuck out his tongue and made a face.
You didn't even need to look at his eyes to know he definitely wasn't expressing anything nice.
"You really are something." Suguru Geto wasn't the least bit surprised by Satoru's words.
Mu Sanlu nodded. "Is that so? See you later then, Satoru. Hope you get the cake you want."
"Of course I'll get the cake I want," Satoru Gojo said, lifting his chin, looking rather like a proud, finicky cat.
"As for you..." Satoru Gojo let out a sneer and continued, "When we spar tomorrow, you'd better use your second cursed technique, or you might end up crying after I beat you."
"Got it, Satoru." Faced with Satoru Gojo's provocation, Mu Sanlu remained entirely unfazed; he even curved his lips into a smile.
"Hmph." Seeing that he couldn't provoke any anger, Satoru Gojo couldn't be bothered to keep playing around with Mu Sanlu. He grabbed the door, pulled it shut with a loud *bang*, and left.
*My, he even closed the door behind him. So polite.*
"You've got a great temper, Michi."
"He's just a kid, no need to get upset with him, Suguru." Mu Sanlu replied with calm composure.
"...Fair enough." Suguru Geto chuckled. Michi was right; didn't Satoru Gojo act precisely like an overgrown child?
Mu Sanlu turned his head toward the sole female member of their year, awaiting her answer.
"I'll pass, I'm heading back to the infirmary to read medical texts," Shoko Ieiri declined.
"Alright," Mu Sanlu nodded.
"Let's go, Suguru."