"He was perched on the roof like a black cat, eating a lollipop." Rei Furuya plucked a cherry blossom petal stuck to the corner of his mouth, letting it drift away from his fingertips into the wind. "Then he vanished in the blink of an eye."
After a brief moment of surprise, Hiromitsu Morofushi spoke from the heart: "Whatever the case, he sounds pretty interesting."
Rei's gaze shifted toward the drainpipe on the gymnasium's exterior wall, his eyes sharp.
"He might have used the pipe for a rock-climbing style rapid descent, then retreated via the fire escape on the back... With the visual interference of the cherry blossoms, it's normal not to notice him. However, it's difficult for an ordinary person to do all that in a split second..."
Watching his childhood friend sink into deep thought, Hiromitsu couldn't help but tease: "It seems our Zero isn't just good police material; he's got the makings of a Great Detective?"
"Stop making fun of me, Hiro."
Rei acknowledged his own reasoning skills were decent—he had even planned to open a detective agency when he was a kid—but now that he was in the Police Academy, there was no need to dwell on that.
His future would be spent protecting the citizens and this country.
"Seriously though, I've read plenty of detective novels... Sherlock Holmes and the like. You were just like him a second ago."
"I'm flattered—if I'm Holmes, then you'll have to be Dr. Watson."
"Actually, I prefer Inspector Lestrade..."
Rei and Hiromitsu laughed and chatted about detectives as they walked, no longer obsessing over the strange sight from earlier.
Meanwhile, the "strange person" in question was not in a good mood.
Standing atop a jagged reef and facing the churning waves of the sea, Satoru Gojo nearly bit his lollipop in half.
He had simply wanted to leave an inscrutable impression on the future Bourbon during their first encounter to farm some minor impression points, but he ended up overdoing it.
Where the hell am I? Is this even still Japan?
He argued passionately with the System in his mind: [You said there wouldn't be much of a rejection reaction!]
[Well... it's probably because the power fluctuations of 'Infinity' itself are too strong. Switching to an alias does indeed cause a severe nerf.] The System's voice was high-pitched and cloying, acting cute: [It's fine~ Host, you're so capable, you'll adapt in no time.]
The so-called "rejection reaction" referred to the unstable performance of the alias when receiving skill transplants from the main body.
While Gojo himself could already use "Blue" to teleport at will, "Hisashi Kuno" couldn't yet. In other words, while wearing the mask, he needed several practice runs to reach the proficiency of his main body.
Not long ago, he had successfully passed the entrance exam. During that time, he handed over a detailed six-month development blueprint for the family to "White"—the hosted AI who didn't get along with Tama. After ensuring no major errors would occur, Gojo put on his black-haired, red-eyed shell to report to school, successfully teleporting to the gymnasium roof to enjoy the view.
Because Rei Furuya was so conspicuous in the crowd, Gojo found him without effort. Unexpectedly, he was spotted while observing.
Fine, I'll just play a little joke on this 'Japan's Guard Dog' then.
After finishing his "cool guy" act, Gojo intended to teleport directly behind some bushes, but a sudden bout of rejection reaction nearly sent him tumbling into the ocean. ...The last time he had an experience like this was back in the Organization's training camp.
[At least we banked 300 impression points, even if it's a bit low.]
Gojo looked at the ancient reef around him, his eyelid twitching: [So, how do I get back now?]
[Just keep trying, dear~] The System said shamelessly.
[Are you sure my next destination won't be the middle of a gang shootout?]
[I can't guarantee that, dear~]
[...] Are you some kind of stubborn customer service bot?!
"Guess I'll have to work hard to eliminate this rejection..." Gojo felt the flow of cursed energy throughout his body, his cherry-colored eyes glowing an even more brilliant red.
"After all, even I don't want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opening ceremony."
Rei Furuya and Hiromitsu Morofushi carried their suitcases and stepped into the dormitory building.
The beige tiles of the multi-story exterior reflected a brilliant luster in the sunlight. Floor-to-ceiling windows were distributed symmetrically, each fitted with deep blue shades neatly tucked to the sides, revealing spotless glass. The cherry trees in front were meticulously pruned, their branches spreading like umbrellas, weaving a soft carpet of pink and white petals over the granite walkway.
The building looked quite grand; the accommodations shouldn't be bad.
The management office at the entrance was already crowded with freshmen in deep blue uniforms. Rei noticed his friend's shoulder strap was crooked; as he reached out to straighten it, he heard a staff member's raspy voice cutting through the crowd: "Excuse me! Early arrivals, please leave your luggage by the lockers! The room assignments are still being adjusted—expect a wait of one to two hours!"
"Room assignments? Does that mean..."
The two exchanged a look, sensing trouble.
Since the recruitment brochures in previous years listed single rooms, they hadn't looked closely this year. Upon inquiry, they learned the school had allocated a massive amount of funding to optimize training grounds and equipment, forcing them to cut costs on housing. The original single rooms had been converted into doubles.
After storing their luggage, they didn't bother pressing the staff for details and walked out together.
Rei sighed. "I thought I'd be living alone. I should have noticed this sooner."
"Maybe it's not a bad thing?" Hiromitsu comforted him. "In a double room, we can look out for each other in emergencies. It's safer."
"True... but we don't know who the roommates will be yet."
The tan-haired youth smiled, making his aura much more bright and approachable: "It would be great if I happened to be with you, Hiro."
Hiromitsu was about to agree, but then he thought of his increasingly frequent nightmares. He opened his mouth, hesitating. He really didn't want to worry his best friend.
At that moment, the two heard a complaining voice nearby.
"Please, who wants to squeeze two grown men into one room? I didn't come to the academy to suffer this kind of indignity."
A man with naturally curly black hair leaned against a bench. Even with a disgruntled expression, his handsome features were undeniable; aside from his somewhat wild movements, he looked quite dignified. "If I'm assigned to some guy who snores like a diesel engine and grinds his teeth in his sleep, keeping me awake all night... I'll take him apart like spare parts and reassemble him. Guaranteed silent mode."
"Hey now, Jinpei-chan."
Kenji Hagiwara, whose looks rivaled his childhood friend's, shook his head helplessly beside him. "The human body isn't a motorcycle engine."
"People and motorcycles are the same," Jinpei Matsuda snorted. "If the basic parts aren't maintained well, they might as well be 'repaired' by me."
"Hmm..."
Rei's leather shoes stopped on the pavement, his gray-purple eyes locking seriously onto Matsuda: "Fellow student, don't you think your remarks are a bit inappropriate?"
Hiromitsu, who grew up with Zero and was all too familiar with these confrontational scenes, wasn't surprised. He silently followed, hoping things wouldn't get too out of hand.
"Arrival of the Disciplinary Committee duo?"
Matsuda hadn't expected someone to challenge him directly. He blanked for a moment before standing up abruptly. After a subtle comparison, he found the other guy was a centimeter shorter and let out a cold laugh.
"I suggest you memorize the school regulations before trying to lecture me." He poked a finger toward Rei's chest. "Especially you. Being a future cop and dyeing your hair blonde? Talk about arrogant."
Rei brushed his hand away rudely. "I'm mixed-race. My hair color is natural."
Kenji Hagiwara rose slowly to mediate: "Everyone, let's not be so heated. This is..." He caught the nameplate on the other's collar and added: "Furuya-kun, a fellow student in the Onizuka Class? Jinpei-chan was just joking~ By the way, this is Jinpei Matsuda, and I'm Kenji Hagiwara. We are..."
"Hagi, stay out of this. I find this kid really annoying."
Matsuda narrowed his eyes, staring at Rei.
"Matsuda-kun, you seem to lack a basic reverence for life." Rei didn't back down. "Aren't the 'parts' you talk about dismantling exactly what we, as academy students, are supposed to protect in the future?"
"..."
Matsuda fell silent, the air suddenly freezing.
Hey, does this guy really think I'm going to 'dismantle' people? It was a metaphor. Don't you get humor?
He clicked his tongue, deciding to keep his distance from someone so literal and upright: "I can't be bothered with you... I'm leaving."
Rei took a step across to block his path, the morning sun casting a golden glow on his dark skin: "Please take back what you said."
"Hah?! On what grounds?!"
A sharp whistle for assembly suddenly interrupted the standoff.
A fellow freshman running hurriedly toward the auditorium didn't forget to remind them: "You four over there! Only fifteen minutes left until the opening ceremony! Get moving!"
Hagiwara grabbed Matsuda's belt and dragged him back, while Hiromitsu seized the opportunity to pull the stubborn Rei away.
"Hagi, I have to fight that blonde bastard!"
"Hiro, let me set that curly-haired bastard straight first!"
The two childhood friends, both acting as peacemakers, exchanged a knowing glance—
Diagnosis complete: They're all idiots.