Nina's apartment spreadsheet contained thirty-four columns before anyone had agreed toward one address. Rent, deposits, transit, room count, utilities, privacy, lease names, exit costs, plus national absence all occupied separate calculations. The unromantic file protected us from allowing beautiful rooms to decide legal and financial consent.
"The sheet is a proposal tool, not evidence that moving together became inevitable. Every person retains no without explaining why the numbers failed to create desire," Nina said.
We joined through one video call because Yuna remained at the training center and Nina's internship kept her outside Orison. Thea sat beside me at Fourth Place only because our offices shared transit, while separate headphones protected each person's participation.
