Raika Tennouji stood at the edge of the school's track field, arms folded tightly, her twin tails bobbing with irritation. Thunder crackled faintly above her head — not a weather report, just her emotions.
She wasn't mad. Not at all. Nope.
...Okay, maybe a little.
"You're doing great, Raika! That stretch was super graceful!" Gojo's voice rang out from the bleachers, cheerful and oblivious.
Raika flinched.
Zap.
A tiny spark danced across her cheek.
"H-He said graceful?! I—I wasn't doing it for him!" she muttered, eyes wide, cheeks red-hot. Her pride as a Thunder Fairy noble couldn't take such casual praise. Especially not from that infuriating spirit boy with the dumb, warm smile.
"B-baka," she whispered.
She took her place for the high jump, every movement rigid with pent-up embarrassment. Her heart was practically thunder-drumming against her ribs. Gojo watched her, beaming as he wolfed down a taiyaki Suma had brought.
"All right," the PE teacher blew the whistle. Raika sprinted, focused, graceful… and at the last second, Gojo cupped his hands and cheered again: "FLY, RAIKAAAAA!"
BZZZT!
With a screech and a flash, the lights across the gym blew out. Every vending machine pinged open, and dozens of coins magnetized to Raika's thigh-high socks.
Thunk.
"W-wha—?" Raika tumbled mid-jump, legs flailing awkwardly in midair.
"Oh no!" Gojo leapt to catch her.
Their bodies collided with a whump! Gojo cradled her, face pressed... somewhere that made Raika spark again. Her eyes widened. So did his.
"EEP!"
CRACK-THOOM.
Electricity surged from her hair to her boots, zapping them both into a smoking heap. Around them, girls screamed, and boys clapped. Hiyori shouted, "Somebody hose them down!" while Hikami just muttered, "Static kink unlocked... noted."
"Y-you IDIOT!" Raika screamed, springing up, flailing her limbs, coins clinking with every furious stomp.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to catch you like that!" Gojo rubbed his cheek, still tingling from the love-tap electrocution.
"I'm not graceful! And I'm not flustered! And I definitely didn't notice how warm your chest was or how good you smelled or—GAAAH!"
She shot off like a firework toward the showers, leaving behind scorched floor tiles and a very confused Gojo.
---
Meanwhile, after school…
Suma grinned wickedly as she peeked into Gojo's shoe locker. "Huh? Another one?" She pulled out a pink envelope that smelled faintly of ozone.
"Let me see!" Hiyori snatched it. "Still no name. Super formal handwriting though. And is that… a drawing of Gojo naked on a cloud?!"
"Wait, wait—let me!" Hikami pushed in. "That's not a cloud. That's… his spirit aura." She squinted. "This girl's good."
Suma raised an eyebrow. "You think it's that new tsundere lightning rod?"
"Oh, 100%," Hikami said. "Nobody else blushes that hard while frying him."
"Hmm…" Suma's smirk grew. "Maybe we should help push her a little."
---
That night, in Raika's guest room…
Raika buried her face in her pillow, kicking her legs in frustration. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID!"
Her fingers sparked involuntarily as she recalled Gojo's words. You're doing great, Raika!
"…Why does it feel so different when he says it?" she whispered. "Why do I care what that idiot thinks?"
She reached for her stationary. A fresh pink envelope waited.
Dear Gojo,
You have the emotional intelligence of a rock, but your smile makes my knees feel like jelly lightning. I hate it. I hate you. (But I like your stupid voice.)
Don't you dare stop cheering for me. Or I'll electrocute your spine.
- Anonymous (again)
She stared at the letter for a long moment, cheeks burning.
"…Ugh. I'm doomed."
---
Next morning.
"Why is my locker always a crime scene?" Gojo muttered, picking up the envelope. "Wait… another one?"
He blinked. "Thunder-scented. Smells like fried daifuku."
Hikami walked past, sipping coffee. "Might want to check the handwriting. It's familiar."
Gojo narrowed his eyes. "The only person who writes in cursive like this is…"
Across the hallway, Raika sneezed. A bolt of lightning shot out and zapped a nearby fire extinguisher.
Gojo tilted his head. "Nah. Couldn't be."
---
To be continued