001:

First day Saitou's moved in. He decided to go to Shinsengumi University because his parents insisted, he had the brains, and oh - what luck. There was the possibility of a flatmate so someone could 'take care of him,' as his mother put it. Saitou's still convinced that his mother just didn't want to pay for room and board. But oh well. Negotiations were settled before he was even informed of it. His 'flatmate' was about his age - she was 19; hello mother, that's nowhere close to eighteen except compared to thirty-eight, try twelve months! - had a good height - still shorter than him, though - light haired - unusual in Japan, but whatever, unless it was dyed - blue eyed - maybe contacts - and seemed to be a guy, from the picture given to him, but then again...one could never tell.

Okita insisted on teasing the hell out of him. "What if he's gay? Or better yet, what if your flat-buddy's a girl?"

Saitou beat his ass at kendo and shut him up.

He lugs his crap into the apartment. He's a day early, but decided to take the metro here in spite of his mom. She didn't look sorry to see him go. The place looks pretty decent from where he's standing in the vestibule, and it doesn't look like a guy lives here. In fact, there's no sign that anyone lives here, or is currently breathing here.

Then he steps into the living room and wants to take it all back, call his mother, and tell her not to be a cheapskate and let him live on campus at Shinsen-Uni. The place is practically overwhelmed with shit. He can't live here. Not here, where clothes are strewn all over the floor and - is that left-over ramen on the coffee table? Oh kami, he's fucked.

"Yo," a voice says. "Is your hair dyed?"

Saitou turns around carefully, cautiously. As soon as he sees his roommate, his heart sinks. His flatmate's a girl. She's dressed like a slob, oversized grey t-shirt and sweatpants, hair thrown into a messy ponytail, and her eyes... She doesn't have contacts. She's wearing glasses. Shaking her head slightly, she takes them off and holds them in her slightly slackened and slender fingers.

"No," he responds. "Who are you?"

Yes, he sounds rude, even to himself. But this girl is his flatmate. This girl. He'll be living with a girl for three years he's attending Shinsengumi University.

This, apparently, is all the prompting needed. The girl, leaning against the wall, shrugs. "The name's Nanami." She doesn't extend her hand or look faintly excited, like most girls are when introducing themselves to him. "Until I find a better surname than my bastard of a father's, you can just address me by that. See that door?" She points to it. "Behind it is a Baldwin Grand. Worth more than this flat and my ass. Play on it all you like - just don't break it. I hate mushrooms, cucumbers, peppers, and am desperately allergic to cough syrup and meds. Also, don't mess around with the sheet music - it'll all get jumbled up and last time I screwed up the order, one of my rondo's turned into a sonata. Not that it was bad or anything. If you get on my bad side..." She trails off with a laugh and shrugs again. "I like peanut butter. So. Tell me about yourself, if you'd like."

Saitou's going to be living here for three years.

Doesn't seem habitable.