The next day…
Underneath an afternoon sky slowly transitioning to evening rests a four-story dormitory decked with colorful patterns. Standing in front of the glass door entrance, Zateon impatiently taps his foot, frequently moving his head up and down between the doors and his insignia device in hand that displays a projection of the time.
"I swear, if I have to wait one more minute…!"
That sound! It sounds like a lock being disabled! At long last, I can head inside away from the eyes of the occasional distrustful passerby.
I lifted my face for the final time, and sure enough, there she was. Dressed in spotted pink pajamas and with her orange hair wrapped in a bun, Kay answers the door. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with her being…this comfortable around me, but let's push that aside for now.
"Ah, there you are–you actually came! I didn't expect you to show up so early. Are you that excited to see me?"
"Early? I arrived here exactly at the time that was established; you are the one who is 17 minutes late. It's about time you show courtesy and pick up your transmitter!"
"Carrying around those insignia device things can be a hassle sometimes, you know? So I left it behind for a moment just this once and then I got caught up with something, my bad. But that's old news–come in, come in!"
Proceeding ahead, Kay guides me through the halls to get to the study lounge, presumably. I anticipated that she would try to hold my hand while doing so, but to my surprise, she didn't even playfully suggest that. Thank goodness.
The floor is mostly empty, which isn't typical for any dorm on such a huge campus, but given that it is the weekend and several students leave to do off-campus activities, it makes sense. That works well for me–for once, I don't have to feel the weight of many hateful eyes beaming at me.
"Go on, Zateon. You can go in first–don't worry, nobody else will bite 'cha."
Well there's some common courtesy! Of course, I cannot reject such an offer, so I enter through the door of the promised study lounge. Contrary to my expectations, the lounge is a rather small, comfortable space that is closer to a bedroom more than anything.
There's soft, fuzzy neon carpet as the floor, many assorted soft seating, blankets, a sizable TV, you name it. Actually, comparing it to any bedroom, especially mine, would be an insult to the designers of this lounge.
"And here we are! Let's sit on the water chairs–the ones that kinda look like jelly. I bet you have never seen those before; I didn't before enrolling here! I promise you they are super comfortable. Heck, you might even fall asleep."
"That would be counterproductive."
"Hey, it beats having to sit on a hard floor. Can't be productive at all without feeling comfortable, right?"
"There's a kernel of truth in that."
In the middle of the aforementioned "water chairs" lies a round table that isn't too far from the ground. As we settle in, I realize the extent to how useful this set-up is; everything I need to make adequate progress is here. Perfect.
So perfect, in fact, I'll begin working on my computer right away.
…
…
…
It's been a few minutes of quietness, aside from the sound of me typing frequently. I feel a sense of unease…and I think I know the source. The wolf sitting across from me, I can feel her staring even though she is trying her best not to. She's going to say something soon, I just know it.
…I heard a deep breath just now.
"So…did you come up with a plan?"
"Yeah, I know exactly what I'm doing. Thanks."
"Soo…anything you need me to do?"
"Nope, I'll handle everything on my own. You are just my token partner whose only job is to put her name on the final product."
"So…I don't have to do anything at all?"
"Besides your signature upon completion, nope."
"Okay then, I'll leave you be. Mind if I put some music on? The awkward silence and rapid typing is going to kill me."
"As long as it's not distracting, do whatever."
"Cool. I'll connect it to the TV; it's much better that way."
Perhaps I should have better defined what I meant by "not distracting", but before I could object…
…
Soft jazz. Soft, beautiful smooth jazz caresses my ears with its warm touch.
"...?"
Could that be?…no, stay focused. Accomplish only what's needed today and get out of here as soon as possible.
"Hmm hm hmm..."
"..."
Kay hums softly, matching the rhythm of the music. She's perfectly in sync with the tempo, even her voice matches the key. Just how familiar with this song is she? Certainly more than a casual listener.
I shake my head.
"Is there something wrong? You've been shaking your head with your eyes looking over here repeatedly for the past 23 minutes. A habit of yours?"
"No...it's just…is that…that song sounds familiar. I'm sure I'm mistaken, just forget it."
"Zero Cruise by Ichen. Is that what you were thinking?"
From the moment the word "zero" came from her mouth, my heart dropped to the bottom of my chest. I am forced to stop everything at once–all of my attention is on Kay now. Before I knew it, words rushed out of my mouth.
"How do you know about him?!"
"I dunno, I just find his music soothing. It really helps me unwind and get in the zone, you know?"
"He's a rather niche artist, even among humans. Wait, you do realize that Ichen is a human, right?"
"Obviously. Are you calling me an idiot in a roundabout way? My grades would beg to differ, you know!"
"Not intentionally. It's just that the thought of one of you demi-humans in Dander being a fan of any of us humans is unheard of–let alone someone like you with such a clashing personality."
"What kind of impression do you have of me?!"
"...do you really want me to say it?"
Kay giggles at my deadpan response, to the point of tearing up. As she is wiping a tear from her eye, for the first time…for the very first time…
–I witnessed a beautiful expression on a demi-human's face.
"I've never met someone as blunt as you. It's strangely refreshing!"
"I'm…glad you think so, I suppose."
"It's true that many of us demi-humans in Dander have a stigma against anything pertaining to you humans, but I believe that each generation is letting up little by little. Personally, if I like something, I will enjoy it despite who made it. It's not about them, it's about how I feel, and their product makes me feel good! Does that make sense?"
"It's rather simple-minded…but logically sound. It would be nice if most people thought that way, but that's not our reality. Well, since my mind is now distant from my workflow, I might as well ask. Is that the same mindset you had when reaching out for me, a human? I still can't fathom what would possess you to bother with me…but I can't help but feel that you'll never answer honestly."
"So you reeeally want to know that badly, huh…"
Kay takes a deep breath, which turns into a big yawn before stretching her arms. No doubt, she is buying herself time. Unfortunately for her, this time, I'm willing to wait.
"I guess the best way to summarize my reasoning is that I…just felt like it. I was unsure at first, but for some reason, my heart wouldn't let me remain any longer. So I acted."
"That's it? Just a whim? You really are simple-minded after all."
"If you keep saying that, I may have to bite you. Human meat like yours would make for a tasty snack, you know!"
Kay stretched open her mouth widely, playfully chomping her sharp fangs towards me. Before she could attempt to get any closer, I held up my hand.
"So, no other influences at all?"
"Well…okay, it's also to defy my friends. They bet that even someone as outgoing as me couldn't befriend humans, let alone help tutor one. So I took that challenge. But those details don't matter!"
Kay rubs her ears, avoiding eye contact with me. Somehow, I find her gesture to be kinda…cute? Like a child.
With a soft voice, something I never knew she was capable of, she meekly speaks.
"...is that wrong?"
"..."
The jazz music continues to quietly play in the background. Discreetly, Ichen is aiding the flow of our conversation.
Thank you.
"My judgment shouldn't matter to you, but if I had to say…defying expectations takes strong will. Without people with strong wills, society wouldn't be the way it is today. The same applies to immortals–I'd wager that even the goddess would think the same."
"I'll take that as a roundabout compliment–it was a complement, right?"
"Is that all you got out of that?"
"N-no! You brought up the goddess, right? You're a believer?"
"I think only a fool wouldn't believe in her and deities in general. Their existence couldn't be more evident."
"Wow, so are you a devout follower of her? We have so many of them here in Dander. Even several of my family members are–"
"My relationship is 'complicated'. Let's just leave it at that."
Again, Kay chuckles softly. For some reason, my mind can't help but take notice.
"One thing's for sure–you are one of the most interesting humans I've met."
"A-a human? A male human?! How did you get in here, you intruder! I'm calling campus security right away–no, I'll remove you myself!"
I was too caught up in the moment to register the sound of the door opening. Now my carelessness is paying the price in the form of a blond wolf, piercing into my eyes with shock and a tinge of swelling anger underneath.
I'm lying to myself–her anger is boiling over, and is dashing towards my face.
With her claws unsheathed, there's no way I can realistically defend myself from this position. Even though I accepted my fate, standing in the way at the final moment…
"Hold it! Relax, Risa–I invited him in. I'm helping him with his project, remember what all of us talked about?"
Risa takes a moment to internalize the situation, shifting her mind from attack mode to "reasonable person" mode. Consequently, her body tension decreases. Even so, the anger in her soul never truly went away completely.
"You madwoman…you're actually doing it. You were serious?!"
Kay pats her chest pridefully. Indeed, this does line up with what she told me about wanting to defy her friends. I have a strong feeling that I'm in the middle of something that I have no business being in, nor have the desire to.
"Yep, you bet I am super serious! Now if you'd excuse us, we would like to get back to work. You are ruining the vibes."
"Work time's over, he's got to go. You and I have somewhere to be tonight anyway, remember? Human, leave now!"
"His name is Zateon, and he's not finished. You can wait a little longer, we aren't breaking any rules."
"With my authority as dorm master, I do not permit this human to use our lounge! He would only cause a stir if more girls were to see him in such a secluded place. He must leave at once, and that's final!"
"Oh come on, really? Since when were you such a stick-up–"
"No need to defend me, I've had enough for today."
While they were busy going back and forth, I already packed up everything in my backpack proactively. That's why I'm able to immediately head towards the exit.
"I remember the way out, Kay. Farewell."
"Wait, Zateon! Let's meet again? Elsewhere?"
"...if at least one of our fates allows it to happen."
And with that, I take my leave. I won't even bother looking back…I can hear heavy footsteps trailing behind me.
"Hey, you can't wander around unsupervised! I'm escorting you, human!"
Even in the halls, I can still hear Ichen's saxophone whisper to me.