Chapter 51: A Quiet Girl with Flowers

“Let go of him!”

“I was here first, you loud thunder broomstick!”

The living room had officially lost its right to be called a living room.

Hikami Arisawa stood with flames lazily rolling off her shoulders, one hip cocked, expression smug. Raika Tennouji faced her with her arms crossed, twin tails crackling as sparks jumped between strands of hair and the light fixture above.

Between them, on the floor, was Gojo Kase.

He was sitting very still, like prey that had accepted its fate.

“I already told you,” Hikami said sweetly, tightening her arm around his neck just enough to be irritating, “Gojo-kun is having lunch with me today.”

“That was not consent,” Raika snapped. “You dragged him by the collar.”

Gojo raised a hand weakly. “I think I blacked out halfway…”

Lightning struck the ceiling.

Not a warning strike. A real one.

The lights flickered. Smoke drifted down.

From the couch, Arashi Kumon leaned back with her feet on the table, chewing something crunchy. “Yo, if you fry the ceiling again, I’m not helping fix it.”

“No one asked you, wind gorilla!” Raika barked.

Arashi grinned. “Still mad I beat you in arm wrestling?”

“That was a fluke!”

Hiyori hovered near the wall, hands clasped, eyes watery. “P-please don’t fight… Fuji-san said we’d lose our allowance…”

Suma, sitting on the armrest, sighed. “We’re losing the house at this rate.”

Hikami leaned closer to Gojo, pushing his face into something very warm and very unfair. “See? Everyone agrees. You’re mine today.”

Gojo muffled a scream. “I CAN’T BREATHE—!”

Heat and static clashed violently.

Then—

“Um… excuse me…”

The voice was soft. Almost too soft.

No one noticed.

“I’m really sorry to interrupt…”

Still nothing.

A gentle step. The faint rustle of leaves.

“I don’t mean to intrude, but…”

A single flower petal floated down between Hikami and Raika.

The flames sputtered.

The lightning fizzled.

Silence crashed into the room like someone hit mute.

Everyone turned.

Standing politely in the doorway was a girl none of them had seen before.

She wore a light green dress woven with leaves and soft fabric, long chestnut hair falling neatly over her shoulders. Tiny flowers bloomed and closed slowly in her hair as if they were breathing. She held a basket of herbs and blossoms close to her chest, knuckles white.

She bowed deeply.

“My name is Anzu Midare,” she said gently. “From the Flower Fairy Clan.”

Gojo blinked. “Uh… hello?”

Hikami squinted. “Who invited the garden?”

“I-I’m not— I mean—” Anzu straightened in a panic. “I’m a princess. Technically.”

Suma snorted. “Sure you are.”

Anzu flinched but smiled anyway.

Raika crossed her arms. “State your purpose.”

Anzu looked at Gojo.

Really looked at him.

Her expression softened instantly, brows knitting with concern.

“I felt something strange,” she said quietly. “Your Spirit God energy feels… unwell.”

Gojo stiffened. “…You can tell?”

She nodded. “It’s being pulled in too many emotional directions.”

From the couch, Arashi whistled. “Yeah, no kidding. Dude lives in a battlefield.”

“HEY,” Hikami snapped.

Arashi shrugged. “Just saying.”

Anzu took a small step forward and placed a cloth pouch gently on the table. “These herbs help calm emotional turbulence.”

Raika eyed it suspiciously. “You expect us to trust that?”

“Yes,” Anzu replied instantly.

Then she realized how blunt that sounded and bowed again so hard her hair brushed the floor. “I mean— only if you want to! There’s no obligation!”

Hikami leaned down, peering into her face. “You’re not flirting.”

Anzu froze. Steam practically rose from her head. “F-f-flirting?! N-no! I just want to help!”

Hiyori’s eyes sparkled. “She’s so nice!”

Arashi leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “Huh. You’re different from the rest. No grabbing, no shouting.”

Anzu nodded eagerly. “Yes! I don’t like fighting.”

“BORING,” Hikami said instantly.

Raika turned away. “Irrelevant.”

Gojo rubbed the back of his head. “Um… thank you, Anzu.”

Their eyes met.

For half a second, the room felt warmer. Softer.

The flowers in Anzu’s basket bloomed all at once.

CRASH.

A shelf tipped over. Petals exploded into the air. A vine shot out of nowhere, wrapping around Gojo’s wrist and yanking him forward.

“W-WAH?!”

He stumbled straight into Anzu.

The basket flipped. Herbs scattered. They fell together in a pile of flowers, Gojo awkwardly hovering over her, hands planted beside her shoulders.

Their faces were inches apart.

Anzu’s brain shut down completely.

Gojo’s face turned bright red. “I-I-I’M SORRY!”

Hikami’s eyes widened. “…Oh?”

Raika’s lightning exploded violently. “STEP AWAY FROM HER!”

Arashi burst out laughing. “Damn, first day and she already scored!”

“I DIDN’T SCORE,” Anzu squeaked.

The vine recoiled instantly like it had been embarrassed.

Gojo scrambled back so fast he tripped over his own feet. “I swear I didn’t touch anything weird!”

Anzu sat up slowly, flowers tangled in her hair, face red to the tips of her ears. “That wasn’t intentional! My magic reacts when emotions spike!”

Suma narrowed her eyes. “So you’re dangerous.”

Anzu shrank. “O-only accidentally…”

Hikami smirked. “I like accidents.”

Raika clicked her tongue. “This house is getting worse.”

Arashi stood up and stretched. “Relax. At least she’s not another loud psycho.”

“HEY,” Hikami snapped again.

Gojo looked around at the destroyed shelf, the flowers creeping along the walls, the electric scorch marks on the ceiling, and the wind rattling the windows.

“…Yeah,” he muttered. “My Spirit God energy is definitely unwell.”

Anzu clasped her hands together anxiously. “I-I can help stabilize it! I promise!”

Everyone stared at her.

Hikami grinned.

Raika sighed.

Arashi cracked her knuckles.

Hiyori smiled brightly.

Suma smirked.

And somewhere far away, something dark felt the shift.

The quiet girl with flowers had arrived.

And peace didn’t stand a chance.