As he headed through the common room on his way to his room he spotted another student who’d arrived early. It was a girl, with somewhat spiky dark hair. Miroku noticed she looked lost and said, “Need help?”
“Which room is mine?” the girl asked. “There don’t seem to be room numbers.”
Miroku glanced over her shoulder and saw the number printed on her sheet along with the name of her roommate, “Megumi Tanaki.” “You’re in Soumei g-1. Soumei is the house you’re in, it’s in that wing,” he added pointing. When she still looked a little uncertain he smiled and said, “I’m in the same house, follow me.”
As he took her down the hallway in their wing of the building he explained, “The dorms are co-ed; so we’re all together. Boys are on the left as you enter the wing and girls are on the right. The numbers also start as you enter the wing so… that’s room g-1,” Miroku smiled and pointed at the proper door. “And I’m in b-1, so if you’d like any more help…” he trailed off significantly. “I’m Miroku, by the way.”
“I’m Kara,” she replied, a smile brightening her red-brown eyes. “Thanks,” Kara said as she opened the door and disappeared inside the room.
“Quiet girl, but pretty,” Miroku mused, entering his own room. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the state of his room. “What the –” he exclaimed, as he took in the fact that all his possessions had been moved to one side of the room.
“This is my side,” a voice explained, “that’s yours.” Turning towards the source of the voice Miroku found a boy about his own age with somewhat long dark hair sitting on the other bed that had been moved into the room.
“This is my first year with a roommate,” Miroku said. “I didn’t know you were coming until this morning. I’m going to have to move this stuff into some semblance of order before tonight.”
“Why?” his new roommate asked. Miroku was about to tell him about the periodic room neatness inspections, when he thought better of it. The other boy had basically randomly shoved Miroku’s things in a pile on the side of the room designated as “his;” he hadn’t even tried to place them neatly or, even better, waited until Miroku had shown up so he could move the things himself.
“So I can get in my bed without climbing over things,” he answered smoothly. After all, so long as the boy was neat, he wouldn’t get into any trouble when Master Bertram came to inspect the room. And if he wasn’t, the clear demarcation of “your side” and “my side” would keep Miroku from getting into any trouble. Miroku went to work getting his possessions back in a logical order and was finally finished after a couple of hours.
“I’ll be back,” Miroku said as he left the room. He wanted to see if anyone else had arrived early and since he wasn’t leaving the building and Colin was still in their room, Miroku didn’t grab his keys. He made his way down to the common room and finding it empty he went down the hallway into the Kowaii wing.
Spotting a student he recognized from the previous year he walked over and peered over the brown haired boy’s shoulder. “Something wrong, Seto?” he asked.
“This key… isn’t… going in,” the taller boy replied between grunts.
“Don’t force it or it may break,” Miroku recommended.
“Stupid thing!” Seto said, kicking the door.
“Is there a problem, Mr. Kaiba?” a deep voice asked from further down the hall.
“No, Master Hiko,” Seto growled.
“He can’t get his key into the door,” Miroku explained.
“Are you sure it’s the right key?” The tall man asked. Seto scowled and handed the key to him. “Kowaii b-4,” Hiko read.
“B-4?” Seto repeated.
“B-4,” Hiko reiterated, pointing down the hall to the room in question. Seto actually blushed and, taking the key back, went down the hall to his room. Miroku covered his mouth to hide his smile, it wouldn’t do for Seto to see his amusement; the boy had a horrible temper.
Still grinning, Miroku went back to the common room and from there down the hall towards the Ureshii wing. “Hey, Yusuke,” he called.
“Hi, Miro. What’s up?” the other boy called, with his usual grin.
Barely containing his chuckles, Miroku explained what had gone on with Seto and the room. Yusuke laughed uproariously at the other boy’s plight. Miroku wasn’t the only one who’d gotten on Seto’s bad side in the previous year and seeing him get taken down a few pegs was an enjoyable experience.
Rolling his eyes, Miroku said, “I have a roommate this year.”
“Oh, no,” Yusuke said, grinning. “Welcome to the world of regular students, Miro. You’re the only person who didn’t have a roommate last year and I think you’re overdue.”
“You’re no help,” Miroku replied, smiling. Yusuke shrugged and glanced back into his own room. “You have to clean before inspection tonight,” Miroku reminded.
“It’s only the first one, Grandma will just have to live with my room the way it is,” Yusuke said with a cocky grin.
“Suit yourself,” Miroku said, with a shake of his head. “Bye,” he called as he went back across the common room towards Kawaii. He didn’t doubt that Kenshin was already on campus and knew he’d assumed correctly as he saw the open bedroom door at the end of the hall.
Suddenly he heard a loud crash followed by a cry of “Oro!”
Repressing a snicker at the unusual cry, which he recognized as “Kenshin’s Patented Distress Call,” he bounded over to the room. “Are you alright?” Miroku asked as he entered the room.
“I was standing on a chair to hang up this picture and I fell,” the red haired boy explained.
“Did you break anything?” Miroku asked looking around the room. “Rooming with Aoshi again.”
“Yes, and I’m looking forward to it, that I am!” Kenshin said brightly. Miroku shook his head and hid a grin. Kenshin either didn’t realize or didn’t care how much he annoyed his roommate. Not that Aoshi ever lost his temper. He would just sigh and look down before asking Kenshin to calm down or be quiet or whatever was needed at the time.
“Well, I have to get changed for lunch, so I’ll head back to my room, if you’re alright,” Miroku said, looking intently at the other boy.
“Oh, I’m fine. I landed on the cushion when I fell, that I did,” Kenshin assured him.
Miroku grinned and left, thinking about where to hang the pictures he’d had on the wall before his roommate had so obligingly removed them. Presently, they were all neatly stacked in his closet on a shelf. But what was the point of having posters if you couldn’t display them. Spotting his room, Miroku grabbed the doorknob and tried to turn it. It was locked. Growling quietly, Miroku knocked on the door, hoping his roommate was within. Sighing, when he got no reply Miroku sat down to wait until Colin returned. He was supposed to wear his uniform for meals if nothing else and if he wanted to change for lunch he had to get into his room.
It was only five minutes until lunch when Colin returned from where ever it was that he’d gone. Miroku didn’t really care where that was. “You locked me out!” he shouted as soon as he spotted the other boy.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Colin replied, looking aghast. “I was distracted, Chloe was talking to me.” He pointed at a space in the empty air beside him.
“Who?” Miroku asked, more confused than angry now. “Never mind. I have to get changed.” After Colin had unlocked the door, Miroku bounded in. He noticed as he grabbed up his uniform that the other side of the room was just as neat as his side. So much for getting him into trouble. Miroku sighed as he untucked and untied his purple over-robe. Maybe it was for the best, after all he had to live with Colin for the next year or more.
“Oh my goodness! Chloe you can’t watch; he’s getting changed!” Colin suddenly exclaimed as Miroku started to take off the robe as well.
Whirling around at the sudden cry, Miroku looked around the room to find that he was still alone with Colin. “Who are you talking to?” he asked exasperatedly.
“Chloe,” Colin said, indicating the empty space next to him.
“There isn’t anyone –” Miroku had waved his hand in the seemingly empty space but broke off as he sensed the presence he came into contact with. “There is someone there.”
“Yeah,” Colin said, slightly smug.
“And she’s a girl?” Miroku asked.
“Yeah, she’s Chloe. It’s not exactly a boy’s name, ya know.”
Miroku smiled, “Is she pretty?”
“She’s beautiful,” Colin said enthusiastically.
“Hi, Chloe,” Miroku greeted her, somewhat flirtatiously. Colin looked slightly annoyed but turned and left to give Miroku some privacy while he changed. Miroku could hear him mumbling as he left but didn’t quite catch what was said.
After he was changed, Miroku exited the room to find his roommate waiting for him. “Sorry about tossing all your stuff on the other side of the room like that. My brother told me about these inspections they have and I wanted to get my stuff all neat so I wouldn’t get into trouble.”
“Oh,” Miroku said a little nervously, “so you knew about the inspections already.”
“Yeah, my brother is Master Keenan. He teaches here,” Colin explained.
“He’s the potions master,” Miroku agreed. “So he told you about the inspections. Did he tell you there was one… um, tonight?”
“Yeah,” Colin said, glancing over at Miroku. “Were you planning on telling me?”
“Well, um,” Miroku floundered. “We got started off on the wrong foot, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yeah I guess,” Colin said, reluctantly. “Want to start over?”
Miroku smiled his best smile and said, “My name is Miroku Kamuru and I’m your roommate this year. I’m very pleased to meet you.”
Colin grinned back and said, “Likewise, I’m Colin Meadows and this,” he waved a hand at the apparently empty air, “is Chloe.”
“Here we are, a little late,” Miroku announced as they reached the dining hall. “That’s alright today –”
“Just try to be on time in the future,” a sardonic voice said. The voice belonged to a teacher who Miroku didn’t recognize. This could only be Master Bertram, the new music teacher and Head of House for Soumei.
“Hello, sir,” Miroku greeted, nervously.
“Hey, Bertram,” Colin greeted.
“Master Bertram,” the older man corrected.
“Right, sorry,” Colin replied easily. “Chloe and I lost track of time and Miroku was locked out of our room until I came back. So, that’s kinda my fault.”
“It’s alright this time,” Bertram said reassuringly.
As he started to direct the boys to their seats another boy entered the room. “I, Kazuma Kuwabara have arrived,” he proclaimed. Colin clapped and cheered jokingly causing Miroku and a few other students to laugh.
“Now we can eat,” Miroku said, as if they’d been waiting for him. He smiled as he heard Colin chuckle. Looking around, he found a table with several familiar faces at it. “Colin, I’ll introduce you. Come on.”
“Thanks,” Colin said sitting next to him and carefully leaving an empty seat on his other side.
“This is Yusuke; he’s a tough but he’s nice,” Miroku began. “That’s Seto Kaiba, not the kind of person you want to get on the bad side of. That’s Kenshin.” The red-haired boy beamed at Colin. “And this vision of loveliness,” Miroku continued, “is Sango.” Looking up at the girl he’d just introduced, Miroku smiled and said, “Hello Sango.”
“Hello, Miroku. The answer is still no.”
“He asked her out on a date every single chance he had last year,” Yusuke explained.
“It doesn’t help his chances any that he gropes every girl he gets near,” Seto said, sarcastically.
“Only their bottoms… and knees,” Miroku said, grinning. “And it’s not every girl.”
“He doesn’t grope me,” said a voice from behind them.
“I should hope not, Ayeka,” Yusuke exclaimed, “He’s your brother!”
Miroku grinned up at his twin and pointed at the chair next to him before turning to Colin and saying, “This is Ayeka, my older sister.”
“Hi, I’m Colin. This is Chloe,” he replied looking over at Ayeka and pointing at the chair beside him.
“She’s there,” Miroku said softly before any of the students could say anything.
“I see her,” Kuwabara said, “She’s pretty. Hi.” Colin glared daggers at the taller boy.
“Hmm, tomorrow all the rest of the students will get here. That’s why it’s okay that we were late today. Tomorrow any latecomers will sit in the hallway and eat, unless someone shoves over,” Miroku explained. “Classes start the day after. That’s when you have to start wearing one of the uniforms at all times. Otherwise our year loses points. There’s a bit of a competition between the years as well as the Spirit Games, which are between houses.”
“That’s not until late in October though,” Yusuke added. “Kenshin usually wears his work-out uniform, I usually wear my class uniform and Sango usually wears her dress uniform, so does Ayeka. The teachers just want us in some kind of uniform, it doesn’t matter which.”
Miroku smiled as he ate his lunch. Maybe it wasn’t going to be so bad having a roommate this year after all.
End
