Aika Morishima thought her first day couldn't possibly get worse.
She was wrong.
By evening, she found herself standing in the middle of Dorm 3B, staring at a mountain of clothes, snack wrappers, and glowing LED lights that made the room look less like a bedroom and more like a nightclub.
"Welcome home, roomie!"
Mina Takahashi popped her head out from behind a beanbag chair, holding two cans of soda and wearing pajama shorts covered in cartoon strawberries. Her grin stretched ear to ear.
Aika's jaw dropped. "This is… our room?"
"Correction," Mina said, tossing her a soda. "This is our kingdom. And from now on, you're my princess ally. Rule #1: no crying over grades. Rule #2: no dating jerks. Especially not him."
Aika almost choked on her drink. "Him?"
"You know who." Mina leaned close, her voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. "Kaito Renji. The devil in Gucci sneakers."
Aika stiffened, the memory of Kaito's smirk still fresh. His voice echoed in her mind—You're mine now. She shook her head quickly. "Don't worry. I have zero interest in jerks like him."
"Good." Mina flopped onto the beanbag. "Because tonight, we're going to the welcome party. And I guarantee he'll be there, plotting something ridiculous."
---
The welcome party.
If the quad was chaos, the party was a warzone. Music thumped through the walls of the senior lounge, neon lights flickered, and the smell of pizza, perfume, and questionable decisions filled the air.
Aika clung to her soda like it was holy water. She wasn't a party girl. But Mina had dragged her in with the strength of a thousand wrestlers, insisting that "college is nothing without your first scandal."
And, of course, he was there.
Kaito Renji sat casually on a couch, surrounded by students hanging onto his every word. He wasn't even trying—his presence commanded attention like gravity itself. And when his eyes met Aika's across the room, his lips curved into that same infuriating smirk.
She turned away instantly. But fate had other plans.
---
"Alright, class, settle down."
The next morning, Professor Haneda's Philosophy 101 was buzzing. Aika slid into her seat, still tired from Mina's endless chatter about the party. She was ready for a quiet lecture.
Until Kaito walked in.
And sat directly behind her.
"Morning, partner," he murmured, low enough for only her to hear.
Aika stiffened. "We're not partners."
"Oh?" He leaned forward, his breath brushing the back of her neck. "Guess you haven't checked the seating chart yet."
Professor Haneda clapped his hands. "Ah, yes. For this semester, each student will have a debate partner for weekly arguments. Let's see… Morishima Aika, your partner will be—Renji Kaito."
The class erupted in laughter and gasps. Aika's stomach dropped.
She turned, glaring at him. Kaito only winked.
"Looks like fate ships us."
---
The debate was supposed to be simple: 'Is love logical or illogical?'
But Kaito twisted it into a battlefield. He spoke with ease, tearing apart every point Aika tried to make, but in a way that felt less like a debate and more like… flirtation.
"Love is a gamble," he said smoothly, eyes locked on hers. "You can calculate odds, but in the end, you lose control. Some people fear that… others crave it."
Aika's cheeks burned. The class leaned in, hanging on his words. He wasn't just winning—he was performing. And dragging her into his performance.
By the end, the professor chuckled. "I'd call that a tie. Excellent energy, both of you."
But Aika didn't feel like she'd tied. She felt cornered. Played.
As the class ended, Kaito leaned down, whispering as if sealing the deal.
"See you tonight. At the party."
Her heart skipped. She hadn't agreed to go. But Mina had already signed them up.
And Aika couldn't shake the feeling that tonight… something would change.
Something she might not be able to undo.
---