Ai could feel the girl's gaze boring into her. She closed her eyes, feeling the girl's hot breath on her face. She couldn't help but shut down, being frozen by fear.
"Headmaster Dickhead didn't tell me I'd be getting a cute bunkmate. What's your name, gorgeous?"
Ai swallowed thickly. She wasn't able to breathe, since she was violently trembling out of pure terror. She slid down to the floor and covered her face, hoping that she would disappear altogether.
Her roommate stepped back in shock, not wanting to cause her any further distress.
"Woah, hey! I just asked for your name. There's no need to freak out like that!"
The girl sat back in her chair, watching Ai from afar. She drummed her fingers on the desk with a scowl on her face, impatiently waiting for Ai to calm down. When she was unable to do so, her roommate groaned loudly, fed up with their current dilemma.
"Look, you need to get a grip. Just because you're in a loony bin doesn't mean you have to act like all these nutcases here."
Ai opened her eyes slightly and peered through the spaces between her fingers. Her glasses were fogged up from her hyperventilating, and she was grateful she didn't have to see her. She wasn't able to process the whole situation yet, but she worked up the courage to at least engage in conversation.
"Loony...bin?" She croaked out.
The girl grinned at her. "Well, look at that. It actually talks!" She folded her arms across her chest, resuming back to her former quirky self.
"It's just like I said...a loony bin. A crazy house. An insane asylum."
Ai stopped shaking, temporarily distracted by the idea of this girl comparing the facility to an asylum of all things.
"But I thought..." She mumbled incoherently, unable to finish her sentence.
The girl laughed, amused at Ai's naive conclusion.
"You didn't think this was an actual school did you? This is a one way stop for all us rejects that nobody wants around. They dump us here as a last resort. Think of it as a prison; it should be easy with all these locked doors around." She winked at Ai.
Ai instinctively blushed, not used to someone being so forward with her; especially by a girl.
"My name's Kumi by the way. Tatsumi Kumiko."
Ai's heart leaped. Her mind was spinning but for some reason she felt grounded, thankful that this girl she had to stay with was at least conversing with her for the sake of formality. Even if she didn't think they would become anything more than acquaintances, she smiled on the inside. This girl, at least, helped give her a bit of courage for the time being.
"Nice to meet you Tatsumi-san, I'm-"
"No. I'm Kumi. Kumiiiiiii." She yelled harshly, making Ai jump in response. "If you're going to use formalities, then there's no point in talking. I told you what my name is; I expect you to use it."
Ai stiffened and nodded repeatedly. She apologized profusely until Kumi started laughing.
"You really are something. So tell me…" She rested her cheek against the back of her hand, "Your name?"
Ai swallowed the growing lump in her throat. "Kimura Ai…"
Kumi clapped her hands together. "Ai-chaaan, adorable~"
"So what brings you here, Ai-chan?"
Ai looked down, trying to avoid Kumi's intense gaze. She was highly uncomfortable, and knew that her roommate was playing off her vulnerability. If this would prevent her from being a target, then she would do her best to keep talking.
"Well...my parents," she swallowed, "my parents. They left me here and—"
Kumi sat back, her eyes wide with shock and gasped. Ai looked back at her, worried that she had said something wrong.
"You. You're the transfer student?!"
Ai gave her a funny look. "Yeah...isn't that what you are?"
At that, Kumi grinned, quite taken with Ai's ignorance.
"You really have no idea do you? I told you before, this is a dumping ground for rejects that nobody wants. I literally meant what I said. The "students" that come here are all from orphanages; kids that were rejected by their parents. Technically, you're the first actual person here that has a family."
Ai adjusted her frames, suddenly interested about the setup of this supposed school. She felt somewhat relaxed, and decided to open up about her unfortunate life.
"My parents brought me here...I wasn't doing well at my other school, so they figured that sending me away would help with that." She shrugged, "An opportunity opened up to transfer me here, and they took it. They said a reformed Catholic school would do the trick in getting me to be the daughter they always knew I was." She mimicked the last words in her mother's tone.
Kumi smiled tenderly, eager to learn more about this new transfer student.
"That's what all adults say. They tell you that doing something will be good for you, but it's just an excuse for them not to deal with us anymore. That way, we become somebody else's problem." She used her fingers to make quotation marks for emphasis.
Kumi adjusted herself on the chair and turned it around, so she could face Ai. They were silent for a while, and Ai began to feel anxious once more, unsure if she should continue the conversation.
"So...is this place like, religious? Or something." Her cheeks turned pink and she mentally cursed her lack of communication skills.
Kumi raised an eyebrow. "Are you joking? You can't honestly be buying that whole dog and pony show of the Headmaster being a holy man. Tell me, have you seen any religious figures or even crosses when you got here?"
Ai thought back, but was unsuccessful. The only image she had in her mind's eye was of Father Reiji. She couldn't stop thinking about him; his dashing good looks, and those captivating red eyes. She did remember his priest's uniform, and that he wore a cross around his neck. Everything else was really a blur.
Kumi rolled her eyes when she saw Ai's expression. "Great, not you too. Fallen victim to the forbidden Headmaster, have we?" She replied sarcastically.
Ai snapped back to the conversation, not paying attention to what Kumi had just said. "What?"
"Seriously, what is it with you girls and the male teachers at this school? It's not like they're God's gift to us all." She spoke as if she had a bad taste in her mouth.
Ai shrank back, already ashamed of how she reacted. "It's not...I just...I've never seen anyone so beautiful. Do you not like him?"
Kumi furrowed her brows. "I'm sure from our last encounter you can tell how well we get along. Besides, he doesn't do anything for me. He is a guy after all."
Ai gave her a confused look, not understanding her meaning.
Kumi snorted. "Wasn't it obvious?" She noticed the lost expression on the girl's face and realized she would need to explain further.
Kumi groaned, wishing now that she didn't have to be partnered up with such a dense bunkmate.
"Let's just say that he doesn't have all the qualities I look for in another person. Attractive qualities, I should say." Her eyes sparkled with a certain mischievousness.
Ai raised her eyebrows and made a small "o" with her mouth. She didn't know what else to say in this situation, since she still didn't understand what Kumi was hinting at. Ai just nodded, hoping that her defiant roommate wouldn't catch on to her ignorance.
"But, I'll explain at a later time, seeing as how you just got here." Kumi stood up and stretched, arching her back. She walked over and collapsed carelessly on her bed.
Ai picked herself up from the floor, shaking slightly, and held her arms. "Is it...time for bed?"
Kumi opened one of her eyes and chuckled. "Well, aren't you perceptive."
She rolled over and faced the wall. "Ai-chan?"
Ai was pulling the sheets from her bed, setting it up for her to sleep in. She flinched and turned around. "Yes?"
Kumi was facing her now, her expression serious. "Don't believe everything you see. There's a reason why this school operates the way it does. Even those with the purest intentions can become morally corrupted the longer they stay here."
She turned around after she finished, leaving Ai to stare at the ceiling, taking in everything her roommate said. Some time passed by and the lights shut off automatically, leaving both girls to dwell in complete darkness.