While Shiro was on the receiving end of a silent death threat from Arien's glare, Professor Kareth finished drilling the partnership expectations into the rest of the class. The air was thick with a mixture of anxiety and resignation, the weight of their newly tethered fates settling over the students like a fine dust.
Sometime later, a loud, resonant bell clanged throughout the academy's stone corridors, a welcome sound signaling the end of the official day. There was a collective rustle as students immediately began snatching up bags and scrambling for the door, a tide of relief ready to spill into the hallway.
Just as the first wave reached the exit, Professor Kareth's voice, sharp and laced with false sweetness, cut through the chatter.
Professor Kareth: A moment, if you will! I'd hate for anyone to forget our new... partnership rule. Your fates are now intertwined. Choose your actions wisely.
A collective groan, heavy with the understanding of impending doom, echoed through the room. Shiro, meanwhile, had already slung his bag over his shoulder and was mechanically shuffling out with the crowd, his expression as hollow and defeated as it had been that morning when his precious meat bun was stolen. The promise of rest was the only thing pulling him forward.
Arien: Ooooi, Shiroooo! Wait for meee!
Her voice, bright and demanding, called out from the back of the room. Shiro, lost in a thought process that was seriously questioning the merits of his entire academy enrollment if it came with this many attached strings—specifically, a very loud, crimson-braided string named Arien Solvine—didn't even turn around.
She pushed through the thinning crowd with practiced ease, finally catching the back of his uniform with a firm grip and yanking him to an abrupt stop.
Arien: You are really heartless, aren't you? And I think you clearly heard the rule Professor Kareth just made, right?
Her tone was sharp with anger. Shiro slowly turned his head toward her, his blue eyes dull with the pure, unadulterated resignation of a man facing a force of nature.
Arien: We're partners now! If you don't show up, I have to pay for it. That's a nasty rule, don't you think? So I'm adding some rules of my own!
In a split second, Shiro's brain calculated the threat level: the mandatory partnership was trouble, but having the intensely motivated Arien as his designated other half catapulted it into the realm of catastrophe. He had to derail her momentum before she could list her conditions.
Shiro: Sooooo, he said, a mocking lilt in his voice. I see that you're pretty popular with the boys, aren't you?
It was a cheap shot, a desperate gambit. Arien's face flushed a spectacular shade of crimson instantly.
Arien: Ahhhh! Do you think you have any right to speak to me like that? Mr. Unusually Long White Hair, Ice Blue Eyes, and Prettier than Most of the Girls themself! I know you're clueless, but didn't you hear those girls in class talking about you? She mocked his clueless expression. Then again, how would you hear? You've only got the look—not a single braincell in that head.
Shiro, wisely recognizing he'd struck a nerve and that further provocation was a one-way ticket to pain, kept his mouth firmly shut.
Arien took a deep, shuddering breath, and as if flipping a switch, her mood changed entirely. The storm clouds vanished, replaced by a facade of casual calm.
Arien: Well, I'm going to the girls' dorm now. What are you going to do?
She asked the question as if the previous thirty seconds of verbal evisceration had never occurred.
Shiro, suffering from severe emotional whiplash, could only stammer in response.
Shiro: Oh... ya... same.
Arien: Well then, she said, already turning to walk in the opposite direction. She offered a breezy wave over her shoulder. See you tomorrow.
Shiro: Ok, he replied, waving weakly at her retreating form.
He let out a heavy, soul-weary sigh that seemed to drain the last of his energy.
Shiro: HAAAAAAAAAA... How can someone talk that much in one day? And we only met today. A terrifying thought suddenly struck him, and he gulped audibly. If- if she becomes one of my friends, what's going to happen to me?
A quick, horrifying montage of forced socialization, endless chatter, and energetic activities played out in his mind as he trudged the rest of the way toward the boys' dormitory, each step feeling heavier than the last.
Upon arriving at the heavy oak door of the dorm, he suddenly stopped mid-step. He patted down his uniform, a faint look of panic crossing his features as he mumbled to himself.
Shiro: Where is that room key? Ahhhh... oh. He pulled it from his shirt pocket. Found it. Let's see... second floor, room twenty-three.
He found the door, its number stamped in cold, unfeeling metal, and paused, his hand hovering over the knob.
Shiro: There should be another first-year student inside. Wonder what kind of guy he is. A faint, wry smile appeared. What are the chances it's someone I fought in the entrance exam? Ha ha ha...
He pushed the door open to find a boy with neatly trimmed brown hair, about the same height as Shiro, wearing glasses and looking up from his bed with a mildly surprised expression.
Shiro: Zero percent, I guess, Shiro said flatly, his theory instantly disproven.
The boy blinked. what?
Shiro: What?
They locked eyes for an awkward, protracted moment, the air thick with unspoken questions, before the boy broke the silence.
The boy: Are you my roommate?
Shiro: Think so.
The boy: Ok.
Shiro: Ok.
The room was simple and utilitarian: two plain beds on opposite sides, each with its own small closet and a simple wooden desk. It was a space designed for function, not comfort. Without another word, Shiro walked toward the unoccupied bed.
Shiro: You want this one?
The boy: No.
Shiro: Ok.
Shiro unpacked his meager belongings—a spare uniform, a few personal items—and collapsed onto the thin mattress with a groan that spoke of profound exhaustion. The other boy simply stood, walked to the door, and turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness before getting into his own bed.
The boy: Night.
Shiro: Night.
Just before sleep finally claimed him, Shiro ran through his mental rating system for the day, a final ritual to process the chaos.
Shiro: *Today's time between first period and final period: 1/10. The battle? I'd have given it a 7/10 'cause that guy was strong, but I lost my meat bun, so 3/10. The roommate is a perfect, peaceful guy: 8/10. So I give overall score around... 4/10.*
A sudden, vivid image of Arien's furious face, her eyes promising a slow and creative demise, flashed in his mind.
*...7/10 overall score. Not bad for the first day,* He decided, a faint, unconscious smile touching his lips as he finally drifted into sleep.