"Yuri, get over here! Help us pack your damn stuff!" yelled my sister Mari. Today's the big day, when I'm finally going to Hasetsu University. I took two years off after high school to help with my family's business, Yu-topia, so I'm already twenty and entering as a freshman, but that shouldn't be a big issue. My high school friends all went to far-away universities to get out of Hasetsu, so I would have been on my own either way.
We loaded up the family car and made our way to the University, where I would have one week to get used to college life before starting any classes.
"Hey piggy, ever find out who your roommate is?" Mari questioned with a sneer.
"Mari, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling him piggy? He's not that chubby." Chuckled out my dad.
My cheeks blushed with embarrassment, and I squeaked out, "No… But I hope he'll be nice…"
Mari laughed, "You mean you hope he likes pork cutlet bowls. I swear, you're the cutest little piggy!"
With a last groan of annoyance from me, we arrived at the University. Seniors from the school greeted us and led us to the dorm. We were directed to a booth, where a friendly upperclassman named Otabek welcomed us.
"Greetings from Hasetsu University. My name is Otabek, I'm a senior here majoring in dance, and I'm an RA for this dorm. I'm actually in charge of the floor you are staying on, which is the third floor, room 315. So if you have any questions or issues, do not be afraid to contact me."
With a grateful "Thank you," we made our way to my room. I led my family, and they trailed behind me, carrying all of my necessary-for-college belongings. I knocked a hesitant three knocks, unsure if my roommate was inside. I didn't hear a response, so I cautiously pushed open the light wooden door.
What I saw inside made me slightly wary of what was to come. My roommate was giggling maniacally, taking selfies in crazy positions on what was claimed as his bed. He finally noticed us when Mari cleared her throat, and large, hopeful hazel eyes looked up at us. Springing up from his bed, he introduced himself.
"Hi! I assume you're my roommate. I'm Phichit, and I recently moved here from Thailand. Just by looking at you, you seem really nice, so I'm sure we'll become really close!"
He shook my hand, and I could not help but shyly smile at his enthusiasm.
"Hi, I'm Yuri Katsuki, and I've lived in Hasetsu my whole life. If you-if you need someone to show you around, I can be your guide…" I said hesitantly. However, my nervousness disappeared when he sent me a winning smile and shook my hand.
"Thanks Yuri, I will definitely take you up on that! By the way, I hope you aren't allergic to hamsters…" He looked off to the wall with a mildly ashamed grin.
I followed his eyes to a mysterious-looking rectangular object covered with a light piece of fabric. Now that I focused, I could hear a light squeaking, and could sense a faint smell of wood chips in the air. I sent Phichit a lazy grin and said,
"Hamsters are kindof my second favorite animal, next to dogs... So I guess we have a secret to keep from Otabek, haha?"
Phichit squealed and jumped into my arms, squeezing out a tight hug.
"I just knew you would be an awesome roommate!"
My parents and sister gave me two thumbs up, eyeing the way Phichit was clinging to me. I promptly turned a dark shade of red, which the monkey hanging on me noticed.
"Yuri, is something wrong? You're super red! Do you have a fever?! This is no good, and it's not even the first day, too! And…"
My dad cut him off by clearing his throat.
"Well, Yuri, I think it's time for us to go. I'm sure your new friend Phichit is willing to help you unpack your boxes, and we have got to head back to the resort; we can't leave it unattended for very long."
And with a flurry of "I love you"s and "See ya later, Piggy"s, my family headed back to Yu-topia, after many assurances to my mom that I would come home often and visit them. They finally closed the door, and I came face-to-face with an energetic Phichit. We got to work unpacking, and after two hours filled with introductory conversation, we were still learning more about each other.
Phichit was talking with enthusiasm about his major of dance.
"So I can't believe our RA is a dance major, too! I mean, what a coincidence! I'm sure we'll get along well, and we have to because I don't think hamsters are really allowed in the dorm… But anyways, I've practiced dance since I was five, ballet in particular. Although recently, I've taken up ice skating. I'm really excited because I saw there's a rink in Hasetsu! You know what, I just had the best idea. What if you join me ice skating sometime? I'm sure you'd love it! Also, what is your major, Yuri?"
I quickly tried to process this onslaught of information and answered,
"Right now, I'm undecided, but I hope to find a definite major by the end of the year. Also, I'm not too sure about ice skating. Um, I'm pretty clumsy, and I don't know if I have good balance, and aren't I a little too- too chubby for that?"
"Nonsense!" Phichit responded. "Now I won't force you into doing something you aren't comfortable with, but if you decide to step out of your comfort zone a bit, just hit me up and I'll gladly take you!
"Now, we need to work on your self-confidence a bit… Hmm, how should I do this- Ah! I've got it! Yuri, are you dating anybody right now?"
I was momentarily blinded by the suddenness of the topic. It's usually something I don't discuss with others, not only because I'm quite reserved, but because I have what some may consider a "different" preference.
I came out as gay to my family two years ago, and they accepted it easily and gave me an abundance of support. Unfortunately, however, I never found somebody that I wanted to pursue a relationship with. I debated whether to provide Phichit with these details, because I had just met him, but he interrupted my thoughts before I could.
"Wait, Yuri, I realize that question was a little too personal. I tend to get quite forward at times, so please don't feel like you have to answer my questions." He said with a face ridden with guilt.
From my initial impression of him, I judged that Phichit was a trustworthy friend, and I decided I could confide this fact about myself to him. Also, I didn't want to see his pouting face anymore.
"I'm not in a relationship and… You see… I'm kindof attracted to men, too, so it makes it a little difficult. Um, I hope this doesn't upset you, being my roommate, with how I am…"
Phichit looked shocked for a short moment, and worries that he really would decide he didn't want to be my roommate haunted my thoughts. Once again, before I could stress about it too much, Phichit jumped in with a response.
"Yuri, this is great! You don't have to worry about me being uncomfortable, because I'm bisexual, and you being gay doesn't bother me at all. Anyways, back to college majors. I'm thinking I should take some classes…"
And that was the end of the conversation. I felt blessed by the gods to have such an accepting and friendly roommate as Phichit-kun. As he continued talking, my worries about college got less and less urgent, masked by the whimsical feelings that accompany a new friendship.
The next day Phichit and I resumed our easy, lighthearted conversations. I got to know amazing details about his life in Thailand, which seemed a million times more interesting than my ordinary upbringing. Nevertheless, Phichit seemed endlessly interested in learning about me and Hasetsu.
I decided to put my knowledge of the area to good use and show the restless boy where the pet store was. Once there, we bought items for the hamsters such as wood chips, organic treats, small toys, and, most importantly, an odor-ridding spray.
We waddled around the store and eventually, our hands got full and Phichit dropped every new item he picked up, which was followed by us laughing our asses off at how stupid we looked.
"Yu-" Phichit tried to squeeze out between laughs. "Yuri, how can you balance all of that!? I swear, either you have god-like balance or you're a magician." His voice suddenly dropped to a much lower octave, and he slowly slipped his tongue over his lips.
"You can work some of your magic on me, if you want, Yu-ri." He said, dragging out the syllables of my name.
I then proceeded to drop every single item that was in my arms, with my face rapidly turning scarlet.
What? Phichit-kun… why did he say that? Does he like me? Does he think of me as attractive? What does this mean for us as roommates? Wait, who would even bot-
Phichit yanked me from my impure thoughts with the loudest laugh I had ever heard from a human being.
"YUUURII! I was just- Ahaha ohmygod, your face! Your face when I said that! Yuuuri!"
Against my small but stubborn pride, I found myself laughing crazily along with him. Suddenly, a new thought popped into my head. It really does seem like we're best friends, doesn't it?
I realized my mistake of speaking out loud when Phichit answered my rhetorical question.
"You mean to say we weren't already?"
With a new best friend by my side, I finally felt truly ready to face the challenges of Hasetsu University.