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Hikigaya stood outside the door with two plastic bags in hand, nervously glancing around the unfamiliar hallway. The quietness of the corridor only amplified the weight of his awkwardness.
He tilted his head upward and stared at the surveillance camera above the door with guilt plastered across his face.
"This has to be illegal," he thought grimly. "Entering the girls' dorm... am I about to be arrested?"
To be completely honest, this was his first time even setting foot on a floor above his own, much less entering the girls' domain.
Despite the architecture being nearly identical to the boys' dorm, there was something… different about it. A faint, sweet fragrance lingered in the air. It wasn't perfume or air freshener—it was just the atmosphere. Feminine and warm.
"This is dangerous ground," Hikigaya muttered to himself. "I shouldn't be here."
He nervously glanced around again. Thankfully, winter break had already started. Most students were away—probably hanging out, dating, or wasting their points somewhere crowded and noisy.
He was safe. For now.
He rang the doorbell quickly, almost hoping no one would answer.
"Ding dong~"
A familiar voice responded almost immediately.
"Hikigaya? Hold on, I'll be there in a second."
The door opened moments later, revealing Karuizawa. She was wearing soft pink pajamas and had a white towel wrapped around her head like a turban. Her cheeks were flushed slightly, and her expression was hazy.
"Come in," she said, her voice low and somewhat hoarse.
"No," Hikigaya replied flatly, holding out the bags in front of him. "I brought cold medicine and some white porridge. Be sure to eat it. It cost me 2,600 points. Here's the receipt."
He handed over the plastic bag like it was a hostage exchange and turned as if ready to leave.
Karuizawa blinked. A faint tick mark twitched above her temple.
He was really going to leave?!
Sure, the gesture was sweet. But did he really think just delivering food and medicine and running away was enough?
And besides… she wasn't even sick.
"Who eats plain porridge during winter break?" she thought.
Still, this was Hikigaya Hachiman. He was easier to manipulate than he probably realized.
"Thanks…" she said weakly, taking the bag from him with exaggerated frailty.
Just as her fingers curled around the container inside, she deliberately let it slip.
"Ah!"
With a dull thud, the lunch box fell to the ground.
Hikigaya's eyes widened.
"Wait, are you seriously so sick you can't even hold a lunchbox?" he asked, startled.
"Sorry… I didn't think it was so heavy." Karuizawa crouched down unsteadily and leaned against the wall for support. "I'll handle it, don't worry."
She looked up at him, forcing a weak, pitiful smile—like a heroine from a melodrama.
Hikigaya narrowed his eyes. "She did that on purpose."
Still, seeing her like this tugged at something inside him.
"You should've told me you were this sick," he muttered with a sigh. "I wouldn't have just dumped the food and run."
Karuizawa lowered her head, her expression guilty. "Sorry..."
"Well… whatever."
He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly unsure of what to do. "Do you want to go lie down? I'll clean this up."
"Really? Thank you."
As Karuizawa turned toward her room, she smirked to herself, forming a small victory sign with her fingers.
"So easy to handle."
Once inside, Hikigaya took a glance around.
The room was painted in soft pink hues, with floral wallpaper and tiny, cute stickers decorating the walls. Her bedsheets matched her pajamas, and the air smelled of lavender and fabric softener.
It was… overwhelmingly girly.
"What a terrifying room," Hikigaya thought.
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Where's the mop?"
"In the bathroom."
"You go rest. I'll take care of this."
Karuizawa nodded and slowly lay back down on the bed, wrapping the blanket over her legs.
Hikigaya walked into the bathroom with laser focus, grabbed the mop, and returned to clean the spilled porridge from the floor. He didn't even glance around. His eyes were locked on the task.
When he returned, Karuizawa was lying on the bed, her sapphire-blue eyes staring up at the ceiling.
Her hands clutched the bedsheets, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.
"Don't worry," Hikigaya said, deadpan. "I didn't do anything weird."
"No, I didn't mean that!" she quickly hid her face behind the quilt. "I was just thinking… Hachiman, you're actually really good at housework."
"It's normal. I live alone in my dorm, after all," he replied, a little exasperated. "But more importantly, why are you calling me by my first name? This is, like, our third meeting."
"What's wrong with it?" Karuizawa peeked from behind the blanket, pouting slightly. "You can call me Kei, then."
"And it's not our third meeting! When was the second? When was the first?"
"Uhh…" Hikigaya froze.
He did remember. Their first meeting—technically—had been back on the uninhabited island during the summer trip. But she probably didn't remember it the way he did.
Back in elementary school, he'd once made the mistake of memorizing everyone's names on the first day. That had only earned him ridicule. He wasn't going to repeat the same mistake.
"Must've been my imagination," he mumbled and quietly returned the mop to the bathroom.
When he came back, he headed straight for the door. "Alright, get some rest. I'll head out."
"...I'm hungry."
Hikigaya turned back slowly. Karuizawa was looking up at him with those oversized, innocent eyes again.
"Are you kidding me?"
He stared at her in disbelief. "I brought food."
"You dropped it."
"YOU dropped it!" he wanted to shout, but held his tongue.
He was already here. He might as well see it through.
"Fine," he muttered. "There should be something in your kitchen. I'll cook something simple."
"Thank you!" Karuizawa chirped.
"Don't thank me yet. It'll cost you 500 personal points."
She pretended not to hear, biting back a grin as she watched him retreat into the kitchen.
From the bedroom, she could hear the clinking of utensils and the sounds of boiling water. The aroma of fresh rice porridge began to fill the air.
It was comforting. Familiar.
In less than fifteen minutes, Hikigaya returned with a steaming bowl of porridge. He placed it on the bedside table next to her, along with some pickled vegetables that had survived the earlier spill.
"It's simple," he said. "But edible."
"You're really amazing, Hachiman."
"Don't say that. It's just porridge."
He turned to leave again.
"Wait—"
She stopped him mid-step.
"...Won't you eat something too? You haven't eaten yet either, right?"
He paused but shook his head.
"I'm used to skipping meals."
"...Still, thank you."
He hesitated by the doorway for a moment, then nodded and walked out quietly.
As the door shut behind him, Karuizawa sat up slowly, cradling the bowl of porridge in her hands.
Her lips curled into a soft, thoughtful smile.
"If it's him… maybe…"