They came to my room. Now that I think about it, this was only the second time anyone had ever done so.
The walk there was oddly quiet. I led the way, keeping my gaze forward while Aiya and Yoshida whispered behind me.
Their hushed conversation was filled with giggles and faintly audible words like "cute" and "awkward."
Miyamura, meanwhile, walked silently, hands in his pockets, his eyes darting to the other students we passed.
They entered into the room, but something was weird—they kept staring at my bedroom.
Conversations seemed to halt as we passed, their curious glances lingering a moment too long.
What's with the attention?
As the lock clicked open, they realized what awaited them: the plainest, most boring room imaginable.
The door creaked as it swung inward, revealing the small space I called home. It was as utilitarian as dorm rooms got—a single bed against the wall, a standard-issue desk, and a chair in the corner.
No decorations, no personal touches, not even a rug to cover the bare floor. It was functional, but it didn't exactly scream, 'Welcome! Make yourself at home!'
Yoshida, predictably, made herself at home. She flopped onto my bed without hesitation, bouncing slightly as if testing its firmness.
"A bit stiff," she remarked, folding her legs beneath her.
"It's not a hotel, Yoshida," I replied, closing the door behind us.
"It's a boy's dorm room. I didn't expect luxury," she quipped, smirking.
"Hey! My room is amazing, I even have a racer be—forget I said anything." Miyamura noticed his mistake and kept quiet.
Aiya, also like I expected, jumped onto my bed. She glanced around, clearly surprised at my minimalist room, while Miyamura leaned against the wall by the door, lingering on what he said.
The awkward silence weighed on me, so I defaulted to the one thing I could offer. "I'll make tea."
Aiya's face lit up. "You can make tea?"
"Yeah, it's not that hard," I muttered, heading to the small kitchenette.
While I filled the kettle, I could hear Yoshida teasing Aiya in a low voice. I couldn't make out the words, but Aiya's embarrassed laugh was unmistakable.
By the time the tea was ready, I'd grabbed the tray and brought it over to the desk, setting it down carefully.
"Tea's ready," I announced, pouring it into mismatched cups—I mean I didn't bother to decorate so why bother getting special cups.
"Finally, some hospitality!" Yoshida said, sliding off the bed to take her cup.
"You didn't even ask for anything," I muttered, handing her the cup anyway.
"You're not supposed to ask. It's the host's job to offer," she replied smugly.
I handed a cup to Aiya, who accepted it delicately, her fingers brushing against mine for a brief moment.
Miyamura, however, barely glanced at his cup. "Black tea? No sugar?"
"You're in my room," I said flatly. "You drink what I serve."
"Fair enough," he replied, though he didn't touch the tea again.
The silence stretched as we all sat there, the faint hum of the TV in the background filling the void—I was lucky that my room had TV hinges, if it didn't, bringing it from the living room to my bedroom would have been a hassle.
Finally, Yoshida broke it.
"So, Nakamura, what do you even do in this boring room? Sit around and stare at the ceiling?"
"Pretty much," I admitted with a shrug.
Aiya giggled. "You don't have any hobbies? Like… something fun to pass the time?"
I told you my hobby.
"I cook sometimes," I said, leaning back in my chair.
"That's kind of surprising," Miyamura said, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't think you had the patience for it."
"It's not about patience," I replied. "It's about survival. The price of cafeteria food isn't exactly inspiring."
That earned a laugh from Yoshida. "Fair point."
The conversation shifted to lighter topics—school events, weird things teachers had said during class, and rumors about a haunted supply closet on the third floor.
Yoshida was animated, gesturing wildly as she recounted a story about a classmate who'd gotten locked in there overnight.
Aiya laughed so hard she nearly spilled her tea, while Miyamura chimed in trying to be funny though failing badly.
For a moment, it felt… normal.
But then the topic shifted again.
"Aiya, how are your study sessions with Nakamura going?" Miyamura asked suddenly, his tone casual but curious.
The question caught her off guard. "Actually… we haven't started yet," she admitted, her cheeks tinged pink.
"What?!" Yoshida and Miyamura exclaimed in unison.
"What have you two been doing, then?" Yoshida asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"G-G-Going on dates," Aiya stammered, avoiding eye contact.
They both sighed loudly, shaking their heads.
"You should take your studies seriously," Yoshida said, her voice dripping with disapproval.
I'm surprised, I thought she was 'the all play no work', kinda person.
"Yeah, dates are fine and all, but you can't slack off forever," Yoshida added, her tone teasing but firm.
Aiya pouted, looking down at her lap. "I'll start soon… I promise."
I stayed silent, watching as they continued to scold her. It was oddly entertaining, though I wasn't about to say that out loud.
Eventually, the conversation wound down, and Yoshida stretched dramatically. "Well, this was fun, but we should probably head out. Thanks for the tea, Nakamura. Even if it was bitter."
"You're welcome," I replied dryly.
As they filed out, Aiya lingered for a moment at the doorway. She glanced back at me, her expression softer than usual. "Thanks for having us over. Really."
I nodded. "Anytime."
With that, she was gone, and the room was silent again.
After cleaning up the cups and wiping down the table, I made a quick dinner—something simple, just noodles and vegetables. The rhythmic chopping and the hiss of the pan filled the quiet space, grounding me after the chaos of the day.
Once the dishes were done, I took a quick shower and collapsed onto my bed. My phone buzzed just as I closed my eyes.
Aiya: Can you handle one more date?
Me: If I say no, would you let me?
Aiya: Nope.
Me: Can't it wait till Monday?
Aiya: It's urgent, I have something to tell you.
What? Why is the date urgent?
Me: I see, where are we going to?
Aiya: The amusement park : )
Me: Fine.
I really need to stop being a doormat. With a sigh, I tossed my phone onto the nightstand.
"Tomorrow's going to be exhausting," I muttered to myself, putting off my lamp and pulling the blanket over my head.