Yumi sat cross-legged on her bed, flicking through her phone, while Sakunagi sat at her desk, scribbling quietly in her notebook. It was one of those rare peaceful moments in the dorm, and Yumi found herself bored enough to strike up a conversation.
"Hey, Sakunagi," Yumi said, looking over at her shy roommate.
Sakunagi jumped slightly at the sound of her name but quickly turned around with a polite smile, clutching her pen like it was a lifeline.
"What's your deal? You're always so quiet," Yumi said, leaning back on her hands.
Sakunagi didn't answer out loud. Instead, she grabbed her notebook and scribbled something quickly before holding it up: *I'm not good at talking. Writing is easier for me.*
Yumi tilted her head. "Huh. Fair enough. But seriously, you don't have to be all formal with me. Relax a little, will ya?"
Sakunagi nodded, her cheeks pink. She wrote again: *I'm trying. Sorry if I'm awkward.*
"You're not awkward," Yumi said with a shrug. "You're just… quiet. It's fine, though. I'm loud enough for both of us."
Sakunagi smiled faintly at that, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
Just then, Yumi's phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw a message from her mom, Ere'ana:
*Hey, sweetheart! Just checking in. How's college life treating you? Do you need anything?*
Yumi smiled to herself. *Mom's always so sweet,* she thought, quickly typing a reply: *I'm good, Mom. College is fine, and no, I don't need anything. Love you!*
As she put her phone down, Yumi noticed Sakunagi staring at her with wide eyes.
"What?" Yumi asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sakunagi didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed her notebook and scribbled furiously before holding it up: *That was your mom?*
"Uh, yeah?" Yumi said, confused.
Sakunagi hesitated, then wrote again: *Your mom is Princess Ere'ana? The princess of Heaven?*
Yumi groaned. "Oh, come on, not you too. Yes, my mom's Ere'ana, and my dad's Kikidori, prince of Hell. But seriously, stop freaking out about it. It's not a big deal."
Sakunagi's jaw dropped, and she immediately stood up, bowing deeply again.
"Ugh, no! Stop bowing!" Yumi exclaimed, throwing a pillow at her roommate.
Sakunagi straightened up, clutching the pillow and looking mortified. She quickly wrote: *I'm sorry! I didn't know I was sharing a room with someone so… legendary.*
"Legendary?" Yumi snorted. "You're making it sound way cooler than it is. My parents are just regular people—they just happen to be royalty. Trust me, they're both dorks."
Sakunagi blinked, then wrote: *Your dad doesn't seem like a dork.*
Yumi laughed. "Oh, he totally is. You should hear the crap he says. And my mom? She's the sweetest, but she's also way too overprotective sometimes. Like, one time, she wouldn't let me go to a party because she thought I'd 'get corrupted.' Newsflash, Mom: I live in Hell."
Sakunagi stifled a giggle behind her notebook, finally starting to relax around Yumi.
"Anyway," Yumi said, lying back on her bed. "You really don't need to bow or act weird around me, okay? I'm just Yumi. Goth, sarcastic, and tired of everyone's crap. Got it?"
Sakunagi nodded, smiling softly. She picked up her pen and wrote: *Got it. Thank you for being so nice to me.*
"Eh, don't mention it," Yumi said, waving her hand dismissively. "But seriously, if you bow one more time, I'm throwing Cerberus at you."
Cerberus, curled up at the foot of Yumi's bed, perked up at the sound of his name and barked. Sakunagi laughed silently, scribbling in her notebook: *Understood.*
For the first time since moving into the dorm, the atmosphere felt a little lighter, and Yumi realized she didn't mind having Sakunagi around after all.
The End of Chapter 40