"Hmm?" Satoru Gojo leaned in close to Suguru Geto.
He widened his eyes to study him, and quickly came to a conclusion: "Another one drawn in by my charm, though I'm not into guys, you know."
Suguru was jolted back to his senses by this astonishing declaration.
"Who's drawn to you?" He straightened up and added, "You're so narcissistic."
Before Satoru could react, as if remembering something else, Suguru tacked on: "Oh, and you have no manners."
"Ha?!" Satoru draped an arm over Suguru's shoulder. "You were totally mesmerized by me just now! Even if you just froze because of my eyes, that still counts!"
Too lazy to argue with him, Suguru brushed Satoru's arm off and turned to Masamichi Yaga, who had been completely ignored by Satoru. "Yaga-sensei, since the last classmate has arrived, I'll go find Lu and the others."
Masamichi nodded. He glanced at Satoru, who was trying to drape his arm back over Suguru's shoulder, and sighed inwardly.
He had known this brat would pull something like this.
"They're probably at the infirmary. It's on the map, go ahead."
"Got it." Suguru nodded, grabbed his suitcase, and turned to leave.
"Oh, so I wasn't the second one here after all. I thought I came early." Satoru looked thoroughly pleased with himself.
Masamichi, who had started walking toward the office area, paused, his fists clenched tight.
He stopped for a second, then resumed walking, though at a faster pace this time.
Whatever, it's the first day of school. Whatever.
"Hey, that 'Lu' you mentioned is the exchange student from China, right?"
Unaware that he had just narrowly escaped a beating, Satoru eagerly struck up a conversation with Suguru.
"Mhm." Suguru nodded. "His name is Mu Sanlu."
Suguru briefly explained to Satoru why the remaining two classmates hadn't waited for him.
"That's something only weaklings would do." Finding it impossible to sling an arm over Suguru's shoulder, Satoru gave up and raised both arms, clasping his hands behind his head with a trace of disdain on his face.
"So lame," he said.
Suguru thought: Why is this guy so annoying?
He pulled out his phone, sent a message to Mu Sanlu, and quickened his pace toward the infirmary.
......
"How is it?" Suguru pushed open the half-closed door and asked.
"Nothing major." Shoko Ieiri was sitting in a chair, twirling a scalpel between her fingers.
Sanlu was sitting on the bed, hands tucked beneath his thighs to elevate his legs, happily swinging them back and forth.
"There really is nothing wrong..."
Suguru nodded. "Good to hear."
"I just awakened a second technique, that's all," Sanlu added.
"Ha?!"
Before Suguru could react, Satoru, who had been trailing behind him, pushed his way to the front.
He shoved past Suguru, who was frozen in the doorway, and darted right up to Sanlu.
Satoru lowered his sunglasses just enough to expose his eyes and stared straight at Sanlu.
"Interesting..."
Recovering from his surprise, Suguru reached out, grabbed Satoru by the collar, and yanked him away from Sanlu.
Satoru didn't care; breaking free from Suguru's grip with a shove, he lunged right back into Sanlu's personal space.
"Spar with me! Use both of your techniques," Satoru demanded.
"Are you the last classmate?" Sanlu asked with a nod of understanding.
"Your eyes are gorgeous. The most dazzling blue I've ever seen," Sanlu praised, the corners of his lips curling up.
"But I have to decline, classmate. I've already promised to spar with Geto." Sanlu pulled one hand out from under his thigh and waved a single finger.
"What's wrong with sparring with me first?" Satoru frowned.
"No." Sanlu shook his head.
Suguru sat down beside Sanlu with a faint smile on his face.
"Then hurry up and go spar!" Satoru reached out, grabbed Sanlu and Suguru by the collars, and dragged them both off the bed.
"Hey, you..." Suguru glared at Satoru.
"Let's go, Geto, time to spar." Sanlu pushed open the infirmary door.
"Yeah, coming." Dropping the matter, Suguru took a few steps to catch up with Sanlu.
"Are you coming, Shoko?" taller than him, Sanlu tilted his head to ask.
"Let's go." Shoko unwrapped a lollipop and popped it into her mouth.
Besides, she was rather curious to see what using two techniques looked like in action.
"Hurry up, hurry up!" Satoru hopped up and down.
"Stop rushing us, you rude jerk!" Suguru snapped impatiently.
......
Arriving at the field, Sanlu and Suguru took their positions on the east and west sides, respectively.
"Geto, my first technique is Reversal. I can reverse anything, including the strength and weakness of cursed spirits and jujutsu sorcerers," Sanlu stated. "My second technique is Truth. Any hypothesis in the world can be turned into truth through my technique."
Such a powerful technique!
The moment Sanlu finished his introduction, that was everyone's immediate reaction.
Sanlu's first technique was already monstrous enough, and the second was easily just as formidable.
However...
Satoru broke into a smile.
Since ancient times, every technique had a weakness.
"Be careful, Geto," Sanlu smiled and warned.
"I'm not weak either, Lu." Realizing Sanlu had explained in such detail out of concern for him, Suguru smiled with a hint of helplessness.
Does he look down on me? Suguru wondered.
"I am not looking down on you, Geto," Sanlu shook his head.
"I've heard of you, the 'Cursed Spirit Manipulation' user," Sanlu explained.
"I understand." Suguru nodded.
"Then let's begin," Sanlu said.