"Minamiya?"
"Huh? Isn't that Minamiya?"
"You're finally back, Minamiya-kun!"
"Minamiya!"
"Minamiya!"
The moment Rozen stepped into the classroom, the students erupted into cheers, transforming the previously quiet room into a lively hub.
Girls rushed toward him, their faces flushed with excitement.
"Welcome back, Minamiya-kun!"
"Thank goodness you're back!"
"So relieved!"
The female students were practically glowing with joy.
The boys, on the other hand, while they did greet him, lacked the same enthusiasm—some even sighing in resignation.
"I mean, it did feel like something was missing while Minamiya was gone, but now that he's back, it's kinda annoying again."
"Yeah..."
"The moment he shows up, all the girls forget we exist."
"Sigh..."
The boys grumbled among themselves.
This was the general mood across Saikai Academy—girls rejoicing, boys sulking. Even students from other classes peeked into the hallway, likely confirming whether Rozen had truly returned, adding to the commotion.
"Sorry for worrying you all. As you can see, I'm back now. My apologies for the concern."
Rozen responded with his usual flawless smile, sending the girls into a dreamy daze, hearts practically floating in their eyes.
His already overwhelming popularity had now been amplified by a newfound mature charm, utterly captivating the teenage girls.
After what felt like forever, Rozen finally managed to extricate himself and return to his seat.
There, his friends had been watching the spectacle with deadpan expressions.
"Yo, superstar. Seems like your fanclub's still going strong."
Motoki spoke in an exaggerated, comedic tone that made Rozen want to punch him.
"I knew the moment you came back, chaos would follow."
Kojou yawned, resting his head on his desk, his voice dripping with exasperation.
"There are so many upper and underclassmen outside who heard you returned. Wanna go say hi?"
Asagi smiled thinly, clearly irritated.
Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Rozen sat down and replied,
"Quit teasing me. If this turns into a big fuss, Natsuki-nee will destroy me. And if that happens, I'm dragging all of you down with me."
Though his expression remained composed, his tone had shifted from polite to casual.
His friends didn't hold back either, continuing to rib him mercilessly.
Only Kojou bothered to ask something else.
"So, uh… Nagisa hasn't caused any trouble over there, right?"
He tried to sound nonchalant, but the others' reactions were immediate.
"Kojou, you ask this every day. Don't you get tired of it?"
Asagi looked at him like he was some kind of creep.
"You've got Yuuma-chan—a super cute girl—living with you and doing who knows what, and you're still obsessing over your little sister? That's kinda gross, man."
Motoki shook his head in mock disappointment.
"W-What's with those reactions?! Why does asking about Nagisa make me the bad guy here?!"
Kojou was dumbfounded before turning red with frustration.
"And what's this about 'doing who knows what' at home?! We haven't!"
His denial only earned him even more disdain.
Including from Rozen.
"You've been living under the same roof, just the two of you, for this long. If you haven't done anything, then I gotta say, Kojou… you're even more pathetic than I thought."
Rozen's words dripped with scorn.
"Y-You guys are the worst...!"
Kojou fumed.
As the group continued their usual routine of bullying their resident punching bag, Rozen scanned the classroom.
"Hey," he suddenly asked, "doesn't it feel like there are fewer people here today?"
This had been bothering him since earlier.
Not only did the school feel emptier, but even the classroom was unusually sparse—less than two-thirds of the students were present despite it being nearly time for class.
Kojou, seizing the chance to shift focus, chimed in.
"Yeah, I noticed that too. Did everyone just oversleep after the holidays or something?"
He sounded skeptical.
At this, Motoki raised an eyebrow.
"Wait, you guys haven't seen the news?"
His question caught both Rozen and Kojou off guard.
"News?"
Kojou blinked.
"News?"
Rozen echoed.
Asagi sighed and explained.
"You do know that since yesterday, none of the scheduled ships have managed to dock at Itogami Island, right?"
She crossed her arms.
"There's been a bunch of maritime accidents—some ships had mechanical failures, some hit reefs, and others had mass food poisoning outbreaks. None of them arrived on time, and they're still stuck at sea."
Rozen's brows furrowed.
Even Kojou looked stunned.
"None of them made it? Seriously?"
His reaction was understandable.
One or two ships running into trouble was plausible—but all of them failing to arrive? That was suspicious.
And it got even stranger.
"And it's not just the ships. All flights have been grounded too."
Motoki added casually.
"Apparently, there's been turbulence or something. Since yesterday, no incoming flights have been able to land. They all had to turn back."
Kojou was speechless.
Rozen's frown deepened.
"So… both air and sea routes are completely cut off? No one's getting in?"
He murmured.
"Meaning Itogami Island is isolated."
Exactly.
As an artificial island in the Pacific, Itogami Island relied entirely on flights and ships for supplies and travel. If both were disrupted, the island would be cut off from the outside world—unable to sustain itself, leading to potential shortages.
"It's not even typhoon season. How does this happen?"
Kojou scratched his head, baffled.
Bad weather would've explained it, but the skies were clear—making the situation downright eerie.
At least now they knew why the school was so empty.
With all flights and ships halted, students who'd returned home for the holidays couldn't make it back in time for the new semester.