"Sorry for the wait, everyone... um... I'm here!"
A figure appeared at the doorway, dressed in a man's outfit but with an overly cautious disguise: sunglasses, a mask, and a large hat, covering themselves from head to toe. Despite her efforts to appear masculine, certain distinctly feminine features betrayed her disguise.
"And who might this… 'gentleman' be?" Tama-chan asked, raising an eyebrow. Though the person spoke with a deepened voice and used masculine pronouns, the unmistakable bulge of certain attributes and her awkward demeanor suggested otherwise.
"I'm Kubo," the disguised person announced, scanning the classroom. "I'm here for the open class as—" Kubo's voice trailed off as their eyes locked with Natsumi's.
"Huh?" Natsumi tensed, shrinking back in her seat.
"What's wrong, Natsumi?" Yoshino asked with concern.
"It's nothing... I just felt a dangerous presence," Natsumi muttered, frowning.
"Natsumi-chan looks like she's seen a pervert," Yoshinon quipped with a cheeky grin.
"I'm Natsumi's brother," Kubo suddenly declared with an exaggerated grin.
"No, I don't remember ever having a brother like you," Natsumi retorted sharply.
"Oh, Natsumi-chan, you're such a cute little goldfish!" Kubo laughed, stepping closer. "How could you forget about me? Didn't we just have dinner together last night?" With that, Kubo spread her arms and pulled Natsumi into a tight hug.
"Let go! Stop it!" Natsumi cried, struggling to escape.
"Natsumi!" Shido and the others stood up, ready to intervene, but someone else moved first.
"What's going on here?" Superintendent Kuriu stood abruptly, his expression thunderous. "This is a classroom. I don't care if you're this student's brother; such inappropriate behavior in public is unacceptable. And judging by her reaction, she doesn't even know who you are. Who are you really?"
"Men are just so disgusting," Kubo grumbled under their breath. Then, leaning close to Natsumi's ear, they whispered seductively, "It's me, Miku. Why are you so resistant to me?"
"Miku?!" Natsumi nearly shouted in surprise. Taking a closer look at Kubo, she recognized the familiar features despite the disguise. Yet, instead of relief, her unease intensified.
"Nothing, nothing," Miku said quickly, turning to Kuriu. "We just like to play around like this. My little sister always acts this way towards me, but deep down, she loves me. Isn't that right, Natsumi?"
"I absolutely disagree," Natsumi replied with a scowl.
"Oh, Natsumi-chan, you're always joking." Miku pinched her cheeks with a playful grin.
"Enough," Kuriu said, glaring at them. "I'll tentatively believe you're her brother, but please exercise basic decency. Your behavior is disgraceful."
"Got it, got it," Miku said nonchalantly, finally releasing Natsumi and sitting down nearby. Natsumi let out a sigh of relief.
"What the heck?" Shido thought to himself. He was certain Natsumi didn't have a brother. Yet, this person seemed oddly close to her. Could they be a new acquaintance? Feeling a mix of suspicion and irritation, Shido decided to speak to them.
Noticing Shido's gaze, Miku suddenly turned toward him and embraced him tightly.
"Ah—!" Shido froze, unsure how to react.
"Well, the rumors must be true. Shido Itsuka really is gay," one student whispered.
"Seriously. So many beautiful girls aren't enough for him; now he's going after men too."
"Can't stand it," another muttered.
The classroom buzzed with murmurs, and Shido, hearing them, panicked.
"Um, excuse me, sir," Shido said, awkwardly patting Miku's back.
"Darling—" Miku whispered into his ear.
"M-Miku?!" Shido immediately recognized the familiar tone and the trademark term of endearment.
"Darling, how could you forget me? So mean," Miku pouted, snuggling closer to Shido.
Realizing how odd the situation must look to others—two "men" embracing tightly in the middle of class—Shido glanced around.
First, he saw Origami, whose expression remained as unreadable as ever. Yet, Shido could tell she had figured out Miku's identity long ago.
Next was Kotori, who also seemed unsurprised but wore a faintly displeased expression.
"Miku, why are you dressed like this?" Shido asked.
"What a fool," Kotori suddenly snapped, smacking Shido on the head. "Miku's a famous idol. If she showed up in public without a disguise, wouldn't chaos break out?"
"I feel like it's already chaotic enough," Shido muttered, glancing at the judgmental stares of the students and superintendent Kuriu's darkened expression.
"I don't care what you do in your private life, but here, you can't just act however you please," Kuriu said sternly, slamming his hand on the desk. "This school's atmosphere seems highly questionable. I've heard unsavory rumors about students harassing their peers, treating classmates like pets, and engaging in inappropriate relationships with multiple girls. Seeing this now, I'm inclined to believe those rumors aren't baseless. I'm seriously concerned about the influence on other students."
"Miku, let go for now. This is really inappropriate," Shido whispered urgently.
"Fine," Miku sighed, reluctantly releasing him.
"My apologies," Tama-chan interjected hastily. "I'll ensure stricter discipline in the future."
"Good. I have faith in the teachers here," Kuriu said. "Last time I visited, one teacher left a strong impression on me. They were dedicated to their students, always putting their safety first—even risking their life to protect them from danger. I hope you can take that as an example."
"Yes, I'll do my best to live up to your expectations," Tama-chan nodded fervently.
"Alright. Have all the guardians arrived? If so, let's start the class," Kuriu said.
"Yoshino's guardian hasn't arrived yet," Yoshinon spoke up.
"Speak properly," Kuriu said, glaring at Yoshino and her puppet. "This is a classroom, not a place for silly antics."
"That old man's words are still so mean! Calling Yoshinon a 'random thing'—that makes Yoshinon very angry!" Yoshinon exclaimed, jabbing Superintendent Kuriu on the nose with a playful poke.
"What are you doing?" Kuriu glared at the puppet, a flicker of recognition crossing his face as though he had seen it somewhere before. "No sense of decorum at all—touching your superiors like this! Is this the so-called discipline of your school? I'm confiscating this." He grabbed Yoshinon from Yoshino's hand, yanking it away!