Chapter 19: Good Morning, My Roommate
The dazzling morning sunlight streamed through the window, and the distant chirping of birds stirred me awake. Slowly, I opened my eyes.
Where am I…? My still-sleepy mind struggled to comprehend the unfamiliar surroundings. After a moment, I remembered that I had passed the entrance exam for the Royal Academy and had begun my dormitory life.
Right, this is the room where I’ll be spending the next three years. I glanced over to the bed on the opposite side, where my roommate, Rouge Vect, should be… but he wasn’t there. It seemed he had woken up before me. He must have gone to the bathroom or somewhere. The bed was empty.
Should I sleep a little longer…?
Just as I thought to roll over, I felt an unusual heaviness in my body. Something was preventing me from moving.
As I shifted my cramped left arm, I felt a faint, soft sensation in my palm. Moving my free right arm, I encountered the texture of fabric that wasn’t the blanket or me; it felt small, soft, and somewhat elastic.
“…Fwaah.”
A sweet sigh came from beneath the blanket. I pulled it back, and to my shock, I found silver hair snugly pressed against me.
No way…!
My roommate, the cute boy, Rouge Vect, was sleeping soundly while clinging to me.
No wonder I couldn’t move. So that soft sensation I felt earlier was…? Sorry, Lily. I might be in trouble here…
Calm down, keep your composure. It’s fine, just breathe, breathe…
As I seriously considered using my Brainwashing Skill to tame this spirited little horse that had gotten a bit too lively, Rouge stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
“Huh, Hugh…?”
“Ah… good morning, Rouge.”
“Good morning—ehehe…”
Still half-asleep, Rouge smiled dreamily and closed his eyes again, hugging me tightly.
Oh man, he’s too cute…!
I wanted to stay like this forever, but I was reaching my limit for patience.
“Wake up, Rouge. It’s morning already…!”
“Morning…? Huh, why is Hugh sleeping with me…?”
“That’s my line! This is my bed, you know?”
“Wha…?”
Rouge sat up groggily and looked around. It seemed he finally remembered the bed arrangement we decided on last night. His face turned bright red as he practically leaped off the bed.
“I-I’m so sorry, Hugh! I can’t sleep well unless I’m hugging something, and after I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I just couldn’t help myself…!”
“You did it on purpose, didn’t you…?”
“Thanks to that, I slept really well! Thank you so much!”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that…
At this rate, I might end up being used as a body pillow again tomorrow. If that happens, my reason will definitely fly out the window.
Lily’s advice was becoming more valuable by the moment. I’d want to write it down and frame it.
“Let’s go look for a body pillow after the entrance ceremony, okay…?”
“Eh!? Hugh, can’t you be one…?”
“Of course not, you hopeless roommate!”
“Hopeless roommate!?”
Ignoring the shocked Rouge, I changed into my uniform. Although there was still time before the entrance ceremony, I had to consider the time it would take to eat breakfast in the dining hall.
The uniform was primarily white, featuring blue lines and golden buttons. The colors white and blue were used in the flag of the Kingdom of Reese, while gold symbolized the royal family. It truly felt like the uniform of the Royal Academy of Reese.
When I turned around, I saw Rouge covering his face with both hands… but peeking through his fingers to stare at me as I changed.
“You’re pretty well-built, Hugh.”
“Isn’t this just normal?”
In this world, there are no sugary drinks or snacks like in my previous life. I couldn’t lead an unhealthy lifestyle, and I often moved my body in daily life. I hadn’t been training specifically, but somehow, I had developed some muscle.
But really, did he need to pretend not to watch while asking that?
“I’ll be waiting outside. Come out when you’re done changing.”
I left the room and waited in the hallway. It was breakfast time, so students in their brand-new uniforms were pouring out of their rooms.
This scene would probably become familiar over time.
After a while, Rouge emerged from our room, now dressed in his uniform.
“How do I look, Hugh? Do I suit it…?”
“Yeah, surprisingly, it looks good on you.”
Compared to yesterday’s outfit, this one didn’t feel like it was forced on him, and it suited him well. With this, he didn’t look out of place as a cute boy.
“Hey, ‘surprisingly’ was unnecessary, Hugh.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
As Rouge puffed out his cheeks in dissatisfaction, I calmed him down and we stepped outside the dormitory. We had breakfast in the dining hall adjacent to the school building, then headed straight to the entrance ceremony.
It seemed that the content of entrance ceremonies was the same in any world; we, the new students, just sat in chairs and listened to speeches from the important figures.
The only highlight for me was when Lily took the stage to give the representative speech for the new students.
As expected of Lily. She spoke with a dignified voice and confident demeanor without even glancing at her notes. According to Rouge, the representative is chosen based on entrance exam scores, not family background. So, it seemed that this year’s top scorer was Lily.
She seemed to excel in written exams, and I could imagine she possessed powerful Skills, so it made sense.
Once the entrance ceremony concluded, we were dismissed for the day. Tomorrow would be a day off, and class assignments and lessons would begin the day after.
When Rouge and I returned to our dorm room, I found a letter addressed to me in the mailbox.
There was no sender listed, but it was sealed with a wax emblem shaped like a flower crown.
A flower crown… I had a bad feeling about this…