Ren was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his uniform, when he heard a movement coming from the couch. He turned around and realized that the girl who had been there had woken up. Their eyes met, still sleepy, and both of them froze for a moment.
She looked at him for a few seconds, her green eyes still hazy, and without thinking too much, said:
"Wow... are you... an angel?"
Ren froze. The girl seemed genuinely surprised, as if she wasn’t fully aware of what she had just asked. He blinked, confused, and looked at his own uniform—the red ribbon, the skirt, the thigh-high stockings—and felt even more uncomfortable.
"H-Hello..." he murmured nervously.
The girl, noticing the confusion on his face, gave a lazy smile.
"Oh, sorry, it''s just that with this white hair and the way you look... I thought you were an angel." She chuckled. "If you are, I hope you''re a good one."
Ren felt his face heat up, more embarrassed than before.
"N... I''m not an angel..." he replied quietly, not really wanting to continue the conversation.
The girl shrugged and stretched on the couch.
"Oh, right. Hehe~." She smiled casually. "But, if you change your mind, let me know."
Ren, not knowing what to do, just stared at the mirror, feeling the discomfort grow. The tension in the air lessened a bit, but he still couldn’t feel at ease.
After a brief moment of silence, Saki stretched her arms and let out a big yawn, still with her eyes half-closed. Yuki was standing there, looking at the mirror, while she got up from the couch, seemingly in no hurry at all.
"Oh, sorry about that..." she said with a sleepy smile. "I think I got carried away and slept for too long."
Yuki watched her without saying anything, and then she finally straightened up, looking more awake.
"I''m Saki Tanaka," she said, introducing herself with a mischievous smile. "Looks like we''re roommates, huh? And we''ll be in the same class too... I guess you can''t escape me. Don''t worry, I''m easy to deal with~."
Yuki gave a shy smile but still seemed uncomfortable. Saki spoke in such a casual tone, it was so different from the way Yuki was.
"I''m Yuki Amagiri," she said quietly, still trying to adjust to the situation. "Nice to meet you..."
Saki looked at her with a curious gaze, evaluating the situation. She let out a soft laugh, as if she were enjoying the moment.
"You''re pretty quiet, huh?" she said with a playful look. "But don''t worry, I''ll help you loosen up a bit. Things here might be easier than you think, you just have to take the first step!"
Yuki felt a bit uncomfortable. She wasn’t exactly looking to “loosen up,” but Saki seemed to have such a carefree attitude, which made her feel a bit more at ease. However, she still felt strange about the situation. Saki, on the other hand, seemed to be handling everything almost casually.
She threw herself back on the couch, stretching her legs in a relaxed manner.
"Since we''re in the same room and the same class, it should be easier, right? By the way, something tells me you''ll stand out, one way or another."
Yuki looked at the mirror, trying to push away the uncomfortable feeling. She was still trying to adjust to the idea of being in this environment, especially with Saki''s presence. Saki seemed so different from Yuki, so... carefree.
Saki gave a smile and then looked at her with a curious gaze.
"Oh, Yuki..." she said, in a teasing tone. "If you really are an angel, let me know, okay? Who knows, maybe we can work some miracles together."
Yuki didn’t know how to respond. She just smiled weakly, without much conviction, while looking at herself in the mirror once again. The uncomfortable feeling hadn’t gone away, but something about the way Saki acted made her feel... a little more relaxed.
After a brief moment of silence, Saki stretched again and threw herself back on the couch with a lightness that only she seemed to have. Yuki, on the other hand, was still trying to absorb everything happening around her. The feeling of being in that place, away from home and her parents, was starting to feel even more palpable.
"Come on, Yuki," Saki said, getting up and stretching her arms. "The maid said dinner is ready. I''m starving, and I''m sure you are too, right?"
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Yuki didn’t have time to protest before Saki pulled her by the arm, grinning mischievously.
"Don''t worry, dinner will be a great opportunity for you to start socializing with the other girls. It''ll be fun!"
Yuki wasn’t sure how it could be fun, but she just followed Saki down the hall. The two passed by several doors until they reached a large shared dining room, where other girls were already sitting, talking, and serving themselves.
But before leaving the room, Saki, realizing she was still in revealing and too-casual clothes, went to her wardrobe and quickly changed. She opened the closet, and with a lazy expression, took off the purple shirt she had been wearing, tossing it aside.
"I’m not as formal as some of them..." Saki said, looking at Yuki with a cheeky smile as she grabbed a comfortable t-shirt and short shorts. She seemed so at ease while changing that Yuki couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed for being so uncomfortable with her uniform.
Saki quickly dressed in her new, more casual and comfortable clothes. She tossed her hair to the side, fixing it, and then looked at Yuki, who was still in her impeccably adjusted uniform.
"Now this is comfort~" Saki said with a wide smile.
Yuki just smiled shyly and followed Saki to the dining room, where the smell of fresh food started to make her even more aware of her hunger.
The dining room environment was immaculately arranged, with dark wooden tables and white plates, decorated with fresh flowers. The other girls were already serving themselves, some laughing and others talking animatedly. The place seemed welcoming at first glance, but for Yuki, the pressure of being there still lingered in the air.
Saki, apparently, was at ease, as if nothing bothered her. She served herself quickly, taking a generous portion of rice, fish, and vegetables, while Yuki was still trying to decide what to take.
"Don’t worry about the others," Saki said, noticing Yuki''s hesitation. "They’re all kind of competitive, especially with the new class, but in the end, it’s just a matter of time before you get used to it. Trust me."
Yuki didn’t respond immediately, still a bit lost in her own thoughts. She served herself quickly, taking just enough to feel comfortable. The environment, which should have been welcoming, only made her feel more isolated, as if she were a stranger in the middle of it all.
As she ate, the conversations around her began to fade into distant noise. Yuki focused only on the movement of food in her mouth, trying not to think too much. But inevitably, her mind started to wander. She thought about what the others might be thinking of her. About how, once again, if they find out, the consequences would be just too much...
Suddenly, one of the girls next to them turned and said, with a sweet voice, but a curious look:
"You’re new, aren’t you? Your arrival was kind of... sudden, you didn’t talk to anyone~. We’re all really curious to know how you’ll adapt here."
Yuki, feeling the weight of the words, slowly lifted her gaze. She knew the question wasn’t simple. It wasn’t just a polite introduction. It was an analysis, an attempt to understand where she fit into this new reality.
"Yes... it’s my first day," Yuki replied with a calm voice, despite the internal tension. "I hope I adapt well."
Saki, noticing the tone of the conversation, let out a carefree laugh and intervened.
"Yuki is a really calm girl, you don’t need to worry about her," Saki said with a wide smile. "I think she just needs some time to get used to it."
The girls around Yuki and Saki started laughing softly, and Yuki felt a momentary relief when she saw the mood seemed to calm down. The expressions of the girls, once curious and investigative, softened, and they began to smile in a friendlier way.
One of them, with long brown hair and yellowish eyes, smiled at Yuki, clearly trying to be welcoming.
"Well, since you’re new, I’ll give you some important information..." she said with a soft tone, but with a hint of seriousness. "Things here can be... a little intense at first. So, it’s better to stay alert."
Another girl, with her hair tied up in a messy bun and a look of always being on alert, added, with a light nervous laugh:
"Oh, yeah, for sure. First off, keep an eye on the Princess of the Red House. She’s... complicated. If you get in her way, you might regret it."
Yuki raised an eyebrow, a bit confused, and the girl with the bun continued with a laid-back smile.
"She’s super popular, gets whatever she wants, and worse, she has an ''explosive'' personality. The Ice Monarch is also problematic, as they call her. Better avoid trouble with her."
The girl next to the first one, with an expression like she was enjoying the stories, then joined the conversation.
"And don’t forget the psychopathic prodigy of the first year... Yurei or something like that. She seems cute, but her temperament... let’s just say it’s interesting. She’s made some people disappear on campus. Not literally, of course, but... you’ll understand."
The girls laughed lightly, as if it were a funny and absurd story, but Yuki’s gaze became more serious.
Saki, who had remained silent until then, looked at Yuki with a mischievous smile, as if she were observing her reaction.
"Don’t worry too much, Yuki," she said casually. "Things might seem a bit scary at first, but trust me, you’ll get used to it. And if those girls mess with you... well, you have me to protect you! After all, I’m an expert at... giving a few ''touches'' when the situation calls for it."
The girls around, noticing the interaction between the two, just smiled amiably and nodded, as if everything was already settled. They seemed to know that the dynamic between Saki and Yuki wouldn’t go against their desires to conquer territory.
Yuki, on the other hand, continued to chew the rest of her food, trying to process the information she had just received. With each word spoken by the girls, she felt the weight of her situation. She was trapped in a game whose rules she didn’t even understand, with pieces and moves she still didn’t know how to interpret.
The meal continued with more conversations, but for Yuki, the sound of laughter and comments around her seemed distant, as if she were in another place.
After finishing her meal, Saki stood up with a sigh, rubbing her eyes and letting out a small yawn. She was visibly tired, clearly more focused on the comfort of her bed than the conversations around.
"Well, I’ve said enough for today. Now, I’m going to run to my savior and beautiful bed," Saki said with a lazy smile, already walking away from the table. "Are you staying here, Yuki? Won’t you rest a bit too?"
Yuki looked at Saki, who was already walking away, and thought for a moment. Although the idea of resting was tempting, she felt she shouldn’t give in to comfort so soon. It would be better to explore the dormitory a little more, maybe find something or someone who could help her understand better how things worked at this school.
"I think I’ll stay a little longer. I’ll look around," Yuki replied, more to herself than to Saki.
Saki gave a wink before leaving, leaving Yuki alone in the common area. The girl looked around, feeling a slight unease in the air. The space seemed enormous, with various corridors and doors leading to different areas of the female dorm. Every detail of the place seemed designed to provoke admiration and a certain discomfort.
She walked down the long walls, her steps echoing slightly as she tried to familiarize herself with the environment. Without realizing it, she bumped into someone.
"Ah!" Yuki exclaimed, trying to compose herself.
The girl in front of her was an imposing presence. Her red hair shone like flames, a vibrant and overwhelming, as if illuminating the hallway around her. She wore the same uniform as Yuki, but with a clear difference: a badge with a large "S" printed on it, visible on her chest, marking her level - S, the highest.
Yuki was frozen for a moment, observing the girl with the red double tail that moved smoothly, as if it had a life of its own. The girl''s bust was prominent, and her eyes, a piercing golden hue, looked at Yuki with an overwhelming intensity. The girl''s gaze seemed capable of piercing her soul.
The girl looked at Yuki with a subtle smile, as if evaluating her, and then said, in a soft voice, but full of authority:
"You... must be new." The girl smiled, a smile that seemed more like a mark of superiority than any friendly gesture. - "I am the Princess of the Red House. Don’t forget that."
Yuki swallowed nervously, trying to hide her unease. The Princess of the Red House seemed to have no interest in being friendly, quite the opposite. Her golden eyes glinted with a calculating coldness, as if she were deciding what to do with Yuki.
She took a step forward, getting even closer, and her words were like a cutting blade:
"And I wouldn''t show mercy even to angels, you know?" she said with a arrogant smile.
"This place is not for everyone. Be strong or fall to your knees, it doesn''t matter. I... don’t have time for weaklings."
Her tone was clear, and Yuki felt the weight of the threat in her words. The Princess of the Red House seemed to enjoy Yuki’s discomfort, as if she were testing her resistance, provoking her with her words. Yuki stood frozen, not knowing how to react.
Without another word, the girl walked away with an almost supernatural grace, the sound of her steps echoing down the corridor. Yuki remained still, motionless, trying to process the encounter.
The figure of the Princess disappeared around the corner of the corridor, leaving Ren alone, with a racing heart. The girl’s piercing gaze still burned in her mind.
"-!"
".....this can only be hell."