"Itsuka-san?"
"Nushi-sama?"
Two voices filled with astonishment echoed simultaneously.
Shido cursed himself internally. He had carelessly agreed to Kotori and the others' request to attend today's open class without considering who the teacher might be. Although he knew the class was First-Year Class 4, it had completely slipped his mind that the teacher could be Tama-chan. Memories of their inexplicable past encounters flashed through his mind, and he braced himself for trouble now that they were meeting again.
"Um, Itsuka-san, what are you doing here?" Tama-chan looked at the boy before her with a puzzled expression.
"I'm here for the open class," Shido replied, masking his awkwardness. "I'm Kotori's big brother, and also—"
"Oh, I see," Tama nodded in understanding. "For a moment, I thought Itsuka-san wanted to continue the discussion about our future together. But, as you see, I'm already engaged now. Even if Itsuka-san still harbors feelings for me, I couldn't possibly betray my fiancé and marry you, could I? However, if you insist, I might consider it again…"
Sweat immediately beaded on Shido's forehead as he listened.
"Ahem…" Superintendent Kuriu suddenly cleared his throat.
"Ah, Itsuka-san, look at me, saying such things," Tama-chan finally snapped out of it. "Quickly, go and sit with Kotori."
"Uh, right." Shido nodded and complied.
"Hey, is that the infamous Shido Itsuka?"
"He kinda looks... gay?"
"And he charmed a lot of cute girls with that face?"
"Don't judge a book by its cover. He may seem gentle, but who knows what kind of despicable schemes lie beneath."
"Hmm, he looks familiar. I feel like I've seen him somewhere before," murmured Ayame's mother, Azusa Sakurazaki, while gazing at Shido.
"What's wrong, Mom?" Ayame asked.
"It's nothing. He just resembles a high school classmate of mine. Maybe I'm overthinking it. After all, there are so many lookalikes in the world."
Ignoring the whispers around him, Shido took his seat beside Kotori.
"Everyone, quiet down," Tama-chan announced. "Next—"
Her words trailed off as she noticed another figure silently standing at the doorway.
It was a short-haired girl with a doll-like, expressionless face.
"Origami-san, why are you here too?" Tama-chan's voice carried both surprise and delight. As a former prodigy of the school, Origami's unexpected return was a pleasant shock.
"I'm here for the open class."
"And are you here as someone's guardian?"
"I'm Mana Takamiya's sister-in-law."
"I see. Then please—" Tama-chan stopped mid-sentence, realizing what she had just heard.
"Maybe I misheard. Could you repeat that, Origami-san?" Tama-chan asked cautiously.
"I'm Mana Takamiya's sister-in-law, here for the open class," Origami repeated, her expression unchanging.
"Ah, understood," Tama-chan confirmed after realizing she hadn't misheard. "I heard that Mana's brother is Itsuka Shido. So—"
"There's no problem," Origami said matter-of-factly.
"Mana-chan, why is Origami here, and why did she call herself your sister-in-law?" Yoshinon whispered to Mana.
"Sister-in-law means Brother's wife," Mana explained.
"Wow, Origami is so sneaky! She's already made the decision herself. I want to be Mana-chan's sister-in-law too!" Yoshino blushed furiously as she covered Yoshinon's mouth.
"Well, aside from Kotori, everyone has a chance to become my sister-in-law," Mana declared unexpectedly.
"What are you talking about?!" Kotori exclaimed, her face turning bright red.
"Kotori, you should just focus on being my sister. Becoming my sister-in-law is out of the question."
"Just you wait. Someday, you'll be calling me 'Sister-in-law'!"
The other students, overhearing Origami's words, began whispering among themselves.
"Did you hear that? The rumors were true—Origami really did fall into that pervert's clutches."
"I wasn't too interested in Origami's legend before, but now that I've seen her in person, I can't help myself."
"Such a beautiful girl, even though she's so cold it sends shivers down your spine. Even if she stomped on me, I'd feel it was worth it."
"What the heck are you saying, you pervert?"
"I just love being treated like that by Origami!"
"That's not love. You're just lusting after her body, you creep!"
"Yes, I'm a creep! But Itsuka Shido is even creepier than me!"
"That vile guy!"
"…"
"Origami-san, please take your seat," Tama-chan interjected.
"Understood," Origami replied, moving to sit next to Shido.
"Origami-san, Mana's seat isn't over there," Tama-chan reminded her.
"It's fine," Origami dismissed her words.
"Why are you here?" Shido asked, looking at Origami beside him.
"I wanted to attend the open class with you," Origami replied, leaning in close. "—Is that a problem?"
"No, it's not." Shido sighed with a bitter smile. "It just surprised me. Though, to be honest, handling five people alone isn't ideal. Your help is appreciated. But isn't skipping university a problem for you?"
"It's no problem, as long as I'm with you. Besides—"
"Besides?"
"I'm not the only one here," Origami added.
"Oh my, so many people have arrived already. Looks like I'm late again," said a cheerful voice from the doorway. A woman in glasses and worn-out jeans appeared.
"You're…" Tama-chan looked at her in surprise. "The woman who appeared when the delinquents caused trouble yesterday—Nia-san?"
"Teacher-chan, your memory is pretty good to remember me," Nia replied with a smile.
"I recall that Nia-san is the older sister of Hoshimiya and the others. So, you must be here for their open class?"
"Ah, is that so?" Nia paused before continuing, "Yes, that's right."
With that, Nia strolled over to Shido and plopped into a seat next to him, swinging her legs nonchalantly.
The trio of classmates whispered again.
"Hey, didn't Mukuro say her 'Nushi-sama' would come to the class? Could it be this person?"
"Impossible. 'Nushi-sama' is obviously a term for a man."
"This one looks so sloppy. If you didn't pay attention, you'd think she's an old man."
"I see. Then calling her 'Nushi-sama' isn't entirely out of the question."