"Wait, so this is actually mixed dorms? I thought it'd be separated into boys' dorms and girls' dorms."
Maybe it was because she'd just arrived in a new environment, or maybe it was just the princess's natural curiosity—but ever since she got off the plane, Stella's inquisitiveness had been nonstop.
Everything here felt novel to her.
"Probably because there aren't that many students, so they didn't bother with dividing them," Harumura Makoto replied.
"When I woke up this morning and realized there were girls in this building, I was just as surprised."
A co-ed dorm setup… If his classmates back in Academy City found out, they'd be green with envy.
After all, fifteen- and sixteen-year-old boys had more impulses than they could count, all itching to be released.
And really, what could be better than living under the same roof as a bunch of cute girls?
"Stella, which room are you in? I'll just drop your luggage off there."
"Ah, let me check."
Flustered, Stella fished out the student ID card Kurono had given her earlier, examined it carefully, then scanned the numbers on the doors.
"Found it—Room 407!"
Her face lit up with joy as she hurried forward, practically skipping over to the door. With a swipe of her student card, she opened it.
"Thank you so much today, Makoto. If you don't mind, let me treat you to dinner later to express my gratitude."
"Mm."
"It's really a nice room. Looks like my roommate's already here, but she doesn't seem to be inside right now. Come on in, Makoto."
The moment she entered, Stella eagerly inspected every corner, eyes sweeping across every detail—of course, she didn't miss the bed that looked just a little messy.
Only after confirming everything did she let Makoto step in.
Otherwise, if anything happened, and one of those "lucky pervert" incidents she'd only read about in Japanese manga back in Vermilion came true—it'd be bad.
"Yeah, the room's fine. But… your roommate should already be here."
"Huh? Where? I don't see anyone."
Curious, Stella turned her head—only to find Makoto wearing an awkward, complicated expression, like he didn't even know how to explain.
"And what's with that face, Makoto?"
"Um, Stella… did you know? In Japan, people often put nameplates with their names on their doors."
He took a few steps forward and shoved her two suitcases toward the wardrobe on the left.
"My advice? Take a look—you'll know exactly who your roommate is."
"Eh? I don't think it's that important, but since you're insisting, I'll check."
Still confused, Stella walked back to the doorway.
"Let's see… Stella Vermillion, Hara—"
Her pupils instantly widened, her voice leaping several octaves higher.
"H-Harumura… Makoto?!"
"Uh—"
"Ehh—?!"
Watching Stella's beet-red face, Makoto could only sigh helplessly.
It seemed there was, in fact, something even more thrilling than just living in the same building as a group of cute girls—sharing a single room with a princess.
No matter how you put it, this was definitely something to get flustered about.
At least, judging from Stella's cheeks, which were red like a boiling teapot, it was obvious her heart wasn't calm at all.
"Th-this school… what the hell is going on… They—they actually put an unmarried princess in the same room as… as some strange man…"
"Yeah, this is pretty serious."
Makoto frowned deeply.
Whether it was some kind of clerical mistake or deliberate, even he couldn't make sense of it.
Forget about how precocious teenagers could be—just the fact of boys and girls sharing a room was enough to invite huge trouble.
And on top of that, this wasn't just any girl—it was the princess of an allied nation. If word got out, it could escalate into a diplomatic incident.
"No matter what, let's go find the principal. This needs to be dealt with."
"Well, well. After such a long day, instead of resting, you two still have time to come see me?"
Kurono, cigarette dangling from her lips, was very clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Her eyes flicked back and forth between Makoto and Stella, like she was trying to spot some juicy detail.
"You know exactly why we're here," Makoto said flatly. "What's the deal with our room assignment?"
He had no choice but to chalk the princess's awkwardness up to being overly pure-hearted.
Even now, walking all the way here, her face was still flushed as she stammered along—totally unreliable when it came to explaining anything.
So Makoto had to take the lead.
"What do you mean, what's the deal? It's a perfectly normal double room. Unless something's broken? If that's the case, you should just talk to your dorm manager."
"…Hah."
From early morning until now, Makoto's exhaustion was bone-deep.
Sure, the Blazer aptitude tests seemed simple on the surface, but in reality they demanded multiple bursts of magic.
For someone who'd only just awakened as a Blazer, it was incredibly taxing.
All he wanted now was to crawl into bed and pass out.
"Don't try to change the subject. I'm asking why Stella and I were put in the same room. What exactly were you thinking? Don't tell me you're not worried about the Vermillion royal family protesting this arrangement?"
That sharp question drew both Kurono's and Stella's attention.
"Well, I'd expect nothing less from you," Kurono said smoothly. "You always cut straight to the heart of the issue."
She leaned on the desk, fingers interlocked beneath her chin, gaze sliding over to Stella.
"It's true. If the Vermillion royal family raised a fuss, even as director, I'd have my hands full. But you overlooked one thing. As long as Her Highness Stella herself agrees… there's no problem at all."