Once you've caught your breath and some semblance of order has been restored back to the classroom, only then does Gojo begin the introductions in earnest.
"Cursed Weapons user Maki Zenin! She wields special armaments to exorcise Curses! Spell-caster Toge Inumaki! His vocabulary consists of only rice-ball ingredients, so good luck having a conversation with him! Panda!" Gojo plays the role of the announcer well, introducing each student with an over-dramatic flourish. "And finally – [ FIRST NAME ] [ LAST NAME ]! Go to [ NAME ] if you ever get injured!"
Though it's unlikely he'll sustain any injury with Rika protecting him.
It worries you that you feel a surge of fear at the thought of seeing Rika again; still, you try to smile at Yuta as Gojo concludes the introduction. He turns his back to you, his shoulders hunched and his face pale and haunted. Every light in the classroom is on, as if electricity alone can banish all the shadows from the small space.
"For this afternoon's training, you'll be paired up! [ NAME ]'s on standby as always!" Gojo flashes peace signs more suited for a pop star than a teacher. "Maki and Yuuta will be one pair! Panda and Toge will be the other!"
Maki eyes Yuta with thinly-veiled disgust. "Ugh!"
Yuta quails.
Undeterred, Maki continues, unleashing a relentless tirade of words. "You were bullied, because of that curse, weren't you? You make people think that you're a good person, and that makes me sick. You can't possibly think of yourself as the victim when that curse is protecting you! You've always lived listlessly, but you'll never survive here without a goal in mind."
Her words hit Yuta like a blow, and you find yourself stepping in, placing a bracing hand on his shoulder. He flinches away from you, and you immediately drop your graceless hand back down to your side. "Maki, cut him some slack. It's not his fault that he's cursed."
Panda and Inumaki are quick to jump to Yuta's defence as well, and Maki backs down with a click of her tongue. She looks as if there's still more that she wants to say, but instead, she turns on her heel and stalks out of the classroom in a huff.
Yuta's been tense since you've first laid eyes on him. As you watch, it's as if all the hardness in him melts away, leaving him looking as vulnerable as a small child. His fingers are curled, but not into fists. Passively, like he's sleeping.
"Sorry," Panda says. "She thinks she's good at reading people."
Yuta laughs weakly. "She was right, though."
There's nothing you can say to that. Sympathy and understanding sift across your face. You imagine that you're still staring at him with that very same expression when you're hustled out of the classroom and into the school's garage.
When it's just him, Gojo drives a boxy, expensive-looking sports car. But now, with four students and a panda, he's upgraded – or maybe downgraded – his vehicle choice to a big white minivan – the kind commonly used by parents with too many children. You stare at it with no small amount of fear and trepidation, recalling his horrendous driving. Your friends are all unperturbed, and you realise that they haven't yet been subjected to Gojo in the driver's seat of a car.
"Where's Mr Ijichi?"
Gojo smiles. "Busy."
We're all going to die.
A wave of wooziness washes over you; you can only resign yourself to your fate, downing a whole packet of antacids before strapping yourself into the passenger seat. Yuta squeezes in next to you, and the two of you sit together, pressed up shoulder to shoulder.
