Early Morning,
Gojo Satoru did not go to Sobu High School as usual. Instead, today he had another mission.
He was going to the hospital to visit the last student in his class—Kitagawa Marin.
As the homeroom teacher of First-Year Class F, it was only natural for him to check in on his students when they were sick or injured. As for today's lessons, he had shamelessly pushed the responsibility onto Shizuka Hiratsuka, his fellow teacher.
"Shizuka-sensei, please, cover for me just this once. I swear, I'll treat you to coffee."
Of course, he had no intention of following through. Hiratsuka-sensei would complain, but in the end, she always caved.
...
On the way to Nakano Hospital,
The name alone made Gojo pause for a second. Nakano? Could this hospital be related to Nakano Nino's adoptive father?
"Interesting… but not today's business."
He brushed the thought aside and hopped onto his beloved little electric scooter.
As he set off, with a carefree whistle.
Pedestrians along the street did double-takes. After all, here was a tall man with white hair, dressed like some fashionable delinquent, casually riding an electric scooter while blindfolded.
"Oi, isn't that dangerous?" one passerby muttered.
"Can he even see where he's going?" another asked.
Some shook their heads. Others pulled out their phones, secretly recording. A blindfolded man zooming through traffic was too bizarre to ignore.
Gojo, of course, remained oblivious—or rather, completely confident. After all, he could see everything perfectly fine beneath the blindfold.
"Relax, ladies and gentlemen," he chuckled under his breath. "This strongest man won't crash."
.....
Nakano Hospital – Inpatient Department,
Inside one of the rooms, Kitagawa Marin sat up in bed, phone in hand. She was scrolling through online forums and cosplay posts, her eyes sparkling at the photos of famous cosplayers.
So cool… Their costumes, their makeup, everything looks so professional.
She bit her lip in envy. Marin was an otaku through and through—obsessed with anime, manga, games, even those games that weren't exactly meant for all ages.
Recently, a burning desire had bloomed in her heart: the desire to cosplay.
For her, it wasn't just about dressing up; it was the ultimate way to show love for the characters she adored.
"I have decided!" she said aloud, determination flickering in her eyes. "After I'm discharged, I'll make my own cosplay. I have to! I'll sew it myself!"
She clenched her fists in resolve.
"Oh? My student actually has such ambition? As a teacher, I wholeheartedly support you!"
"Eh? Huh???"
A voice rang out from beside her. Startled, Marin nearly dropped her phone. She quickly turn her head to the side Window—and froze.
Sitting casually on the edge of her bed was none other than a tall man with messy white hair, wearing a black blindfold. He looked ridiculously pleased with himself, smiling warmly as though he were a dog who had finally reunited with its owner after ten years.
Marin's jaw dropped.
"Are you… my homeroom teacher? Gojo-sensei?"
Her voice wavered with disbelief. She had imagined Gojo-sensei as stern, strict, maybe a bit scary. Instead, the man before her radiated cheer and whimsy.
"You actually recognized me! I'm proud of you, Kita-san."
Gojo gave a thumbs-up, beaming.
"…Uh… hahaha—"
Marin scratched the back of her head awkwardly, unsure how to react.
Her gaze flicked toward the window. Wait—why was it open? Did he… did he seriously climb in through there?
"Gojo-sensei…" she began carefully.
"Yes, Kitagawa-san?"
"How did you get here?"
"Of course, I came from there."
Gojo pointed casually at the open window.
"There were too many people in the elevator and the corridor. No way I could squeeze in. So naturally, I climbed up from outside. Oh, and—" He rummaged in his pocket and pulled something out. "I picked this flower for you. Please accept it."
In his hand was a single chrysanthemum.
Before Marin could react, a furious voice bellowed from outside the window.
"BASTARD! Who ruined my chrysanthemum?! The chrysanthemum I spent so much time and effort growing! I'll never forgive you! Woohoo…! Don't let me find you, you damn bastard! Sob! Sob! "
The angry shouting quickly dissolved into pitiful sobbing.
Inside the hospital room, silence reigned.
Gojo and Marin stared at the flower in his hand.
"Hehe… I thought it was wild," Gojo admitted, grinning sheepishly.
He really did believe it was a wild flower.
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Marin burst out laughing, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"Sensei, you're seriously too much!"
"What do you mean, 'too much'? Kitagawa-san, I'll remind you—I am your teacher. It's improper to ridicule me!"
Gojo wagged his finger in mock seriousness.
"Okay, okay," Marin said, giggling as she wiped away her tears. She looked at him properly for the first time.
Up close, she noticed how his strange outfit somehow suited him, how the blindfold gave him an air of mystery. And yet, he was so… lighthearted.
'Can he really see through that blindfold?' she wondered. It's pitch black. 'Unless… it's transparent on the inside?'
...
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