At 6 PM, Gojo Satoru finally arrived at Teitan High School.
Students streamed out of the campus in groups, their chatter filling the air.
He didn't need to look long.
His Six Eyes locked onto Geto Suguru almost instantly.
Leaning lazily against a tree near the school gate, Gojo pretended to scroll through his phone—though his attention never strayed far from his friend.
Ten minutes later, Geto walked out, carrying his schoolbag.
He wasn't alone.
A girl walked beside him.
…Wait. A girl?
Gojo immediately shoved his phone into his pocket and stepped forward, blocking their path.
A handsome white-haired boy suddenly appearing at the school gate caused an immediate stir among the students.
Several girls whispered excitedly, their eyes fixed on Gojo with admiration.
But Gojo wasn't paying attention to them.
Instead, he stared at the girl walking with Geto.
She had long, flowing black hair and soft, aqua-blue eyes—a stark contrast to Gojo's vivid, electric blue.
His eyes narrowed.
"Unbelievable. You run off to live a normal life, and now you're making new friends without me?" Gojo sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "This is betrayal, Suguru. Betrayal."
Geto exhaled through his nose, clearly restraining himself. "I swear to god, Gojo—"
But with so many people around, getting into an argument wasn't worth it.
The girl, however, remained composed and extended a polite hand toward Gojo.
"Hello! My name is Mouri Ran. I'm a second-year student here at Teitan High, and I'm in the same class as Suguru-kun."
Gojo grinned, about to introduce himself—
"He's my friend. We knew each other in junior high."
Geto cut him off immediately.
Smart move.
Who knew what nonsense Gojo would've said otherwise?
"Ran-neechan!"
A young voice called from nearby.
Gojo turned his head.
A baby-faced boy with large glasses zipped toward them on a blue skateboard, waving at Ran.
Two other boys clung to the back of the board, wobbling slightly as they rode.
"Conan?" Ran looked surprised. "What are you doing here?"
Before the boy could answer—
A white sedan tore past them.
The car sped down the road at dangerous speed, the engine roaring.
Then—
"Ran-neechan! Stop that car! Ayumi is in the trunk!"
The boy—Conan—shouted as he sped after it.
"Conan! That's dangerous!" Ran cried, but he had already disappeared down the street.
Gojo blinked. "Does that kid have a death wish?"
But before he could say more—
Geto was already moving.
From out of nowhere, he grabbed a bicycle and pedaled after the car.
Gojo stared. "Where the hell did you get that bike?!"
Sighing, he raised his fingers, activating his technique.
Gojo vanished in an instant.
His teleportation technique compressed the space between his starting point and his destination, allowing him to appear directly in front of the speeding car.
The driver's eyes widened in terror.
He slammed the brakes, but it was too late.
The tires screeched, the car veering out of control, its body tilting dangerously.
It was about to flip over—
Blue cursed energy surged around Gojo.
At the last second, he grabbed the side of the car, using his power to halt its motion completely—just inches from a collision with a nearby pole.
A moment later, Geto arrived, his bike skidding to a stop.
Behind him, Conan pulled up on his skateboard.
"Ayumi!"
Two little boys jumped off the skateboard and rushed to the trunk.
From inside, a girl's muffled cries could be heard.
The car door swung open, and a middle-aged man stumbled out, looking shocked.
Then—
"Arrest him!" Conan pointed. "He's the serial killer who's been targeting young girls!"
The bystanders gasped.
The man's face darkened. "You little brat, what the hell are you talking about?!"
"The evidence is in the trunk!" Conan yelled. "Ayumi saw it herself—a severed human head!"
Silence.
Even Gojo and Geto raised their eyebrows.
The man hesitated, then angrily unlocked the trunk.
The moment it opened—
A short-haired girl leaped out, hiding behind Conan.
Her face was pale. "There was a head in there! And a pile of cash! I heard him say he was going to kill someone!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The man scowled, then yanked something out of the trunk.
A rubber head.
It looked disturbingly realistic but was clearly a prop.
The man waved it angrily. "This is a fake head! It's a stage prop for my performance at Teitan University!"
The crowd fell silent.
Even Conan blinked.
For once, he had nothing to say.
"And you!"
The man pointed at the young man passed out in the passenger seat—then at Gojo.
"You suddenly appeared in front of my car, scared the hell out of my partner, and nearly got us killed! How am I supposed to perform tonight?!"
Gojo was speechless for the first time in his life.
Okay.
This time, it was kind of his fault.
Before Gojo could respond, Geto stepped forward.
He pointed at Gojo, then at himself.
"Sorry. This was a misunderstanding—it's our fault. If you need, one of us can replace your partner for the performance."
The man stroked his chin, scrutinizing them.
Then he pointed at Gojo. "You—too flashy. You'd distract the audience. You can do backstage work."
Gojo's eye twitched.
Then the man pointed at Geto. "You—handsome, but not flashy. You'll be my new partner."
Gojo scowled. "I didn't come here to do odd jobs."
His gaze flicked to Conan, who had started all of this.
Wait.
The moment Gojo looked at him with Six Eyes, something clicked.
This kid wasn't a normal child.
His soul was seventeen.
…What the hell?
Smirking, Gojo casually said, "Actually, I'm clumsy. I think Conan would be a better backstage assistant."
The man sighed. "Fine. Black-haired boy, you're performing. Kid, you're my assistant. White-haired boy—"
He paused, eyeing Gojo.
"…You can drive the van."
Gojo lowered his sunglasses slightly, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you sure you want me to drive?"