Chapter Text
“I cannot believe I have this much crap,” Keiko muttered, hauling yet another box from the tailgate of her beaten-up truck. Ayumi, her younger sister, smiled knowingly, trailing behind with the last of the crates.
“I told you not to pack so much.” Keiko scoffed playfully, adjusting her grip on the box, but she couldn’t find it in herself to argue further. She would miss Ayumi dearly in the next few months, even if they were only a couple of hours away— and the younger girl knew it.
The building that stood before her was large and looming, but inviting. Red bricks stacked high, with rows of white-paned windows and two matching sets of large white doors. A gold and navy flag blew in the breeze in front of the dormitory. The dorm rooms themselves were tiny, with musty carpet and dingey, off-white curtains. All the communal areas smelt strongly of dude and burnt pizza rolls, not to mention the pleasant aroma of very stale beer. Although they did have a bathroom in their room, there was only room for a toilet and a sink, and the communal showers gave little privacy with their cramped stalls and nearly transparent doors—not to mention the grimy tile. The dorm left something to be desired, certainly, but Keiko still found herself giddily smiling up at it.
She set her box on the step leading up to the dormitory and sat, groaning as she stretched her aching fingers. A tinkling laugh rang beside her from Ayumi, carrying two boxes with ease and a smile gracing her pink cheeks. “Come on, lazy. This is the last of it.”
Keiko figured it was just her luck she was placed on the top-most floor of the building, having to trek up too many flights of stairs before finally reaching the sixth floor. The building was a shared one, both girls and guys bustling around the site to get settled in before supper. Panting, she hauled the final box beside her bed with a satisfied grunt, falling back into the semi-comfortable mattress. A decently sized window split the room in two, sunlight streaming heavily into the already stuffy area. With a start, Keiko realized the bed parallel to hers was already set up, a white and gray comforter tucked neatly into the corners of the bed. She hadn't expected her roommate to arrive so early.
After cracking a window open, Keiko turned back toward the pyramid of boxes that faced her. Ayumi sat on the bare mattress, teary-eyed and sniffling. She gave a weak smile toward her sister. “I’m going to miss you, you know.”
Keiko could feel a lump forming in her throat. She pushed it down, cradling her sisters head into her shoulder. At only sixteen, Ayumi had always been the more emotional of the two, and terrible at hiding it—one look at her large doe eyes and you could read any thought going through her head. Ever since they were little girls, she could recall wiping fat tears from her sister's chubby cheeks, reassuring her it would be alright. Keiko stared up at the ceiling to ignore her own watering eyes. “I’ll call you all the time, every day if you want.”
“Well let’s not go crazy, here.” giggled Ayumi, sniffling lightly. With a deep breath, she smudged away the wetness on her cheeks. “How about you text me whenever you can, and call me on the weekends?”
Trying not to let her smile look too grim, Keiko pulled her sister close, pressing her nose into her hair. “It’s a deal.”
Pulling away, she pushed a piece of ebony hair from Ayumi’s face. It was hard to believe she wouldn’t be seeing the girl every day now, accompanying her to school or driving her to movie dates with boys she didn’t approve of. She could feel her heart sinking with the realization, and swallowed hard.
“Just… call me if you need anything. And don’t let those boys try anything!” she could feel her voice cracking up, and struggled to string her words together. “It’s a short drive back home and it’s a hell of a lot shorter if I’m mad and speeding.”
Ayumi giggled joyfully, the rosiness in her cheeks fading a bit. At times, she still reminded Keiko of the little girl she’d helped ride a bike, and write her name for the first time. It made her heartache to have to part with her. The door creaked open suddenly, startling the two girls. Keiko’s eyes jumped to Yuna, her roommate, and best friend, struggling with an armful of yoga mats and an extremely oversized lamp. With an amused grin, Keiko relieved her of the tall lamp, balancing it on the girl’s bedside table.
Yuna regarded her with an ironically impressed look. “Wow, didn’t expect you two to be here so early.”
‘I can be on time occasionally, you know.” chucked Keiko, playing with the failing tape on her nearest box.
“Damn, really?” Yuna snorted sarcastically, observing her nearly totally unpacked side of the room. “Would be the first time in the six years I’ve known you.”
With a quick roll of her eyes, Keiko turned back towards her sister, pulling her into one last bone-crushing embrace. Ayumi sent her a hesitant gaze, looking guilty. “You know, you could still come for dinner with us if you’d like. I’m sure Dad would–“
“That’s okay.” Keiko’s tone was clipped as she distracted herself with organizing boxes, eyes refusing to meet her sister's gaze. “I had plans to meet up with Sora anyways.”
Ayumi paused, going to press further but steered off at the sight of Keiko’s clenched fingers. With a discouraged sigh, she bid one last farewell to her sister, closing the door carefully behind her.
With a slightly relieved sigh, Keiko fell back against her bare mattress, the frustration that had been building in her chest slowly fading.
“What the hell was that about?” Yuna questioned, straightening a string of lights around her headboard. “I’ve never seen you that rude to Ayumi.”
Guilt building up slow in her throat, Keiko chewed her cheek, avoiding her friends pressing gaze. She studied the graffiti craftily placed along the inside of the bed frame, heart weighing down her chest. “Just a long morning, I guess.”
By the time dinner rolled around, nearly the entire room was unpacked and decently tidy, in exception of the large pile of dilapidated boxes stuffed along a far corner. Trying to keep her mind off her aching feet and fingers, Keiko adjusted the last of her wall decorations, a slightly tacky brass sun, and slung herself against the bed. Yuna giggled mercilessly from her bed, a cheeky grin across her slim cheeks. “What? Regretting that you didn’t show up a little earlier?”
Keiko groaned airily, slipping on a pair of sandals. She still had to meet Sora for dinner at a nearby coffeehouse, although her body was begging for a bit of relaxation.
Sora lived on the third floor, only three staircases down from Keiko and the only all-girls floor in the building—by her mother’s request, no doubt. Her knock on the door was answered quickly by a cute girl with long bubble-gum pink hair, a matching cowgirl hat perched elegantly on it. She smiled brightly, if confused, and tilted her head sweetly. “Can I help you?”
“I’m actually just looking for Sora,” Keiko explained, trying to sneak a look past the girl's shoulder for her friend. “I think I have the right room?”
“Well obviously,” Sora quipped, adjusting her sneakers from behind her roommate, her red hair bouncing. “When have I ever given you the wrong directions?”
Keiko chuckled, adjusting her bag over her shoulder. “Guess you haven’t failed me yet.”
The café was a quick walk from the campus, the walkway lined by trees with coloring leaves and a few stray flowerbeds. Although the restaurant was moderately occupied with chatting students, Keiko couldn’t help but enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and the lowkey music floating through the establishment. She could finally feel her shoulders relax as she cradled the warm cup of coffee between her fingers.
Sora giggled at her friend, swirling her cup of tea mindlessly. “You look like you haven’t relaxed in days.”
Throwing her a half-smile, Keiko reveled in the taste of her bitter drink. It was true, the last few days had been overly hectic and rushed, and she had hardly slept at all. “What gave it away, the bags under my eyes or just the general look of death?”
With a chuckle, she adjusted the sleeve of her cardigan. Although they were only creeping into the last week of August, the nights still nipped with cold, especially with the wind rustling a few leaves across the branches. “Actually, it was more in your eyes.”
Keiko furrowed her brow, turning back to her warm mug. She hadn’t known Sora too long, a little under a year, and yet somehow the girl had always been able to read her. It both comforted Keiko and unnerved her—there were some things she’d rather keep to herself. But that was the nice thing about Sora, she could tell when you didn’t want to talk and respected it. She knew boundaries.
With a newly brightened smile, Sora quickly steered away from the topic, ripping a piece from her scone. “How are you liking your room? You got Yuna as your roommate, right?” That was a nice thing about Sora, she could tell when you didn’t want to talk and respected it. She knew boundaries.
Hiding her relieved sigh at the change in direction, Keiko smiled excitedly. “Yeah! She requested it since she didn’t want to be alone, especially for her first year.”
“It must be nice,” Sora sighed, blowing at the steam pluming up from her cup. “to be with someone that you know.”
“It definitely helps.” Keiko agreed. “How are you liking your roommate?”
“Mimi is, she’s nice,” Sora uttered, twisting a dainty ring on her finger. It was the only jewelry Keiko had ever seen her wear. “It’s just…”
Keiko sighed as Sora stopped herself, looking guilty. “You know, it’s not a bad thing if you don’t really like her.”
“It’s not that I don’t like her.” Sora insisted, a bit defensively. She never wanted to be rude, and she always hated feeling like she was judging people, especially after only one afternoon together. “We just don’t have a lot in common. I tried talking to her all day, and she’s really sweet, but she doesn’t play any sports or even know how soccer really works! And she kept raving about the shopping mall nearby, and kept forgetting where she put things.” She paused, taking in a breath. “It’ll just be an adjustment.”
Keiko could imagine, being an only child her whole life, that suddenly having to live surrounded by unknown people was a bit dismaying for Sora. She gave the girl a comforting smile. “You’re going to do just fine here If I know anything about Sora Takenouchi, it’s that she doesn’t give up when shit gets hard.”
With a proud giggle, Sora finally seemed to release some tension, leaning forward onto the table. She gazed out into the courtyard facing the café, the main building of the university peaking over the trees. A feeling of anticipation washed over her as she examined the establishment. “I can’t believe this is really happening.”
Keiko purses her lips, sharing a glance out towards her future home. “I know what you mean. Seems a bit surreal, doesn’t it?”
Sora hummed, her eyes holding a tinge of sadness to them. “Both our families are already gone, and we’re still here, and we’ll be here for the next few years. No parents, nothing familiar. All by ourselves, like a new life…”
Keiko could share some of her concerns, but her overwhelming excitement had crushed them all. She’d been dreaming for years about university, of finally getting out of that house, of no longer having to live under her father. No, she really couldn’t see any downside to being here. She swallowed hard, giving Sora a wide grin. “I know it must be a little scary, but try not to worry yourself so much. If you ever need some help, I’ll be here. You won’t be all alone.”
Keiko wasn’t sure if she had said the right thing, she never really was, but Sora seemed calmed by her words. With a relieved sigh, she continued, “Besides, these are supposed to be the best years of our lives, might as well make the best of it.”
Sora giggled and nodded, seemingly more at ease after her friend's little speech. “You’re right, these will be the best years of our lives.”
With a grin, Keiko snuck one last glance out towards the university, the sun starting to set slowly behind it. With a final resolved look, she swore she would do what she could to fulfill that prediction.