Ahahaha! Another chapter! Well… not much to say this time, I think. Just that I hope you enjoy it, as always. Until next time!
He pulled open the door of the dormitory hesitantly. Apparently, he was supposed to be rooming with another male who was already here. He didn't even get a name or any hope of being able to identify the person. Probably some messy person who won't clean up and fill my room with shit.
However, he was pleasantly surprised. The dorm, if it was actually appropriate to call it that, was more like a mini apartment, furnished, albeit sparsely, and quite spacious. He had stepped into a small, but useable kitchen, with dining table and chairs, today's newspaper lying on the bench nearby. There was enough evidence to legitimately state that another person lived here, but not by much. It was so quiet and tidy that it made Hayate wonder if the person that lived here was actually a robot as opposed to a mere mortal. Maybe he's a law student. Ha, I'm so witty. Although, technically, I shouldn't be joking about that, considering that I am studying law… no thanks to Father or anything. Couldn't do medicine, so the next in line was law… I should have been expecting it.
He opened the door to what he assumed was his room. A small bed was in one corner, and near the window was a wooden desk. Not bad, considering what he was expecting. A chest of drawers was on the far wall, next to the bed, and a cupboard on the opposite wall. He immediately dropped his suitcase on the ground and started unloading his clothes and possessions, making the room feel more like 'home'.
Look on the bright side, Hayate. At least you don't have to put up with Father complaining about maths work incessantly. That's all over. Basically.
Suddenly, he heard the door open. He stepped out into the main area, ready to introduce himself to his new room-mate.
He stepped back in complete and utter shock. His 'new room-mate' looked almost as shocked as he felt, which in itself was a rather impressive achievement. The door dug into his back as he stared brazenly at his long-time friend.
At least it explained why the place was so damn tidy.
Finally, he managed to find his voice. "Ryu. Long time no see, huh."
Over a year. Ryu had certainly changed in that time. Taller, more mature looking. Still had the excessively long hair, however. However, he looked thinner and to some extent, almost startlingly so, once tanned skin now lighter, as though his friend hadn't seen sunlight for a long time.
Regardless, it was still Ryu, still his best friend. Forgetting about the more 'masculine' approach of shaking hands, he pulled Ryu into a friendly embrace, instead. "Ryu. How you been? What did you do? More importantly, where did you go?"
They pulled away almost simultaneously, he mentally musing over the fact that Ryu certainly was a lot thinner then before, but not worrying about it too much at this point in time. Ryu ran his hands through his hair thoughtlessly.
"Fine. Not a lot. Nowhere that would interest you, really."
"You're still the same, I see," he settled himself on the couch. "Well, if you have nothing to tell, then would you like to hear about my travels?"
"Sure," Ryu sat down opposite him. "So. What did you do?"
Even as they talked, it seemed different. Almost as though he was talking to a different Ryu, a completely new person. Things were the same, but so dissimilar at the same time, which made him wonder. Oh well. Nobody can hold any secrets around me. I'll find out sometime.
"Do you want a drink of some description?" Ryu stood up and walked over to the small kitchen. "This certainly is a lot different to back home. No beer in the fridge."
"Well, that could change if you wanted it to…" he almost flinched under his friend's stern emerald gaze. "Alright, alright… I was only joking anyway. Do you have anything sugary in there? Or is it all crap? I don't even know what you like to eat. Hope you aren't too fussy if and when I have to cook."
Ryu shook his head, pulling a bottle of juice out of the fridge. "This alright?"
He nodded, and walked over, closer inspecting the small kitchen. "Small, but useful, at least."
Gratefully, he took the glass that was pushed across the bench to him.
Ryu glanced up. "Yes, I suppose. I only just got here about an hour ago, and left to buy some food to last us a while."
"Did you know that we would be rooming together?"
Ryu shook his head. "All I was told was that I would be sharing a dormitory with somebody, and that the first there had to cater. You don't mind pasta, do you?"
"Can you even cook?" he exclaimed exasperatedly.
"Enough. Mostly Japanese foods, though, and not knowing who I was rooming with, I didn't know whether they would appreciate that. Hence the reason I bought some pasta. Simply adding boiling water shouldn't be too difficult, even for me."
"Japanese food is fine," he sat down at the bench. "Even for you? You're a genius, adding boiling water couldn't be that difficult. Speaking of which, what course are you even doing? See? I know nothing, thanks to your nicking off and disappearing without a trace."
"Medicine," was the simple response. "What about you?"
He sipped at the juice. "Law. Father wanted me to do it, and of course, whatever Father says goes. So law it was."
A small faint hint of a smile played across Ryu's lips, but he didn't say anything.
"So. You have to tell me now… I'm curious. Where did you go? Must have been pretty good if you stayed there for a year."
Ryu shook his head slowly. "One such as yourself would not be truly interested in what my absence entailed. There is no need to trouble yourself with such frivolous conversation. I do not wish to tire you."
He blinked. Has it been truly that long? Ryu's speaking like a bloody dictionary. The way he was when we first met. What's changed? Sure, it's been a year. We've had the year off, so Kasumi and Ayane are with us now. But what else is so different?
A soft sigh escaped his lips. I suppose everything has changed. And perhaps I never knew Ryu as well as I thought. But then again, have I ever really truly known him? The answer is certainly no, which is… sad.
"Suit yourself. I'm going back out. Do you want to come?"
"No thankyou."
Fine. Before Ryu could say anything else, he had picked up his wallet and other belongings, before walking out of the room and closing the door with a finalising bang.
