It feels weird being in the girls’ dormitory. visually it’s the same as our own, but there is still something in the air. It smells…
Girly, for a lack of a better word.
There’s a small group of girls sitting in the main room, they turn to each other and snicker as we pass them. Whether or not it’s because of us, I don’t know, but I wouldn’t rule it out.
Ritsu doesn’t seem to care for it, so I don’t pay it any heed.
She leads the way up a flight of stairs, and we arrive in a hallway not unlike the one where I live. The biggest difference is that some doors have colourful name signs taped on them. Another difference is that there is actually someone there. Kenji and I seem like the only people to ever walk outside our rooms. There is a pair of girls that I recognize from class entering one of the rooms, and another group like the one downstairs standing at the end having what sounds like a fight, or at least a loud discussion. I’m wondering why they’d pick the hallway for this, were everyone in the rooms can hear them, but I can’t come up with any meaningful explanation. Not that it matters.
The most striking figure in the hallway is a character that could be either a boy or a girl. They’re wearing a suit and carrying a suspiciously unsuspicious paper bag, and I guess from the talk with Lilly earlier and the very blonde hair on her head that she is her sister.
Ritsu seems to think so too, as she’s making a point of not looking at her. Or maybe she comes by often enough for her not to be anything special.
 
Ritsu’s shoves me into the first room on the left side, identified as hers by the note shaped nametag plastered on the door.
The room is basically the same as mine, but it has more of a personal feel to it. There are a few posters for various bands on the walls, and in the corner there’s an electric drum kit stacked on top of itself in a way that makes playing it impossible. There’s a small fridge under the desk, and on top of it is an unplugged rice cooker. There’s an alarm clock standing on the nightstand along with a framed picture turned away from me, facing the wall. There is also a CD player and a few dozen records in the shelves placed in-between the various school books
R: Just… seat yourself.
I take another gaze around the room, there isn’t actually any place to sit, the chair that goes with the desk is covered in clothes, and sitting on the bed seems awfully forward, so I just sit on the floor. She has a carpet, so it’s not that bad.
Ritsu seems like she’s about to say something, but just opens her mouth before closing it.
And so the awkward silence settles.
 
Usually, I can just rely on Ritsu to carry our conversation, so when she goes silent, I have no clue about what to do.
It’s probably me who should say something, anything. Even something like “nice room” would probably be enough.
It would sound awfully boring though.
I don’t want to be awfully boring. Not that this is much better.
I end up saying it regardless.
H: Nice room…
R: I’ll take that.
H: I really mean it, especially compared to mine. Mine is very, I don’t know, impersonal, like in a hospital or something.
H: It’s actually quite sad.
R: Ah. Mine was like that too, but I just put a bunch of stuff all over.
R: I don’t even know why I have the electric drums. They’re too noisy to play after curfew, and before that I have access to the music room. The sound is really bad too.
R: The Rice cooker is handy though, it allows me to not learn how to cook for a couple of years.
R: I’m not that horrible, I can fry things. It’s just not something I like doing.
H: I’m not much of a cook myself, if you hadn’t “accidently” made double portions of your rice dishes everyday I’d probably have to eat the cafeteria food.
H: Maybe that would motivate me to learn to cook.
R: Guess I should stop feeding you then, for your own sake.
She snickers a little before continuing.
R: I actually like doing it, because it takes like 2 extra minutes, but it’s still a nice thing to do.
R: Fills up my karma with no effort.
H: So you’re religious?
R: I don’t know.
R: Haven’t given it much thought, it doesn’t really matter.
The room once again goes silent, but it’s not the same kind of devastating silence from earlier, this one is almost comfortable.
 
Ritsu leans back towards the wall, seemingly very interested in the rather mundane roof.
Maybe she finds this silence to be of the bad kind. I should probably break it.
Last time went better than expected after all.
I’m curious about the picture on her night stand, so I decide to ask about that, even if it’s only a picture of her family or something like that it will still be something to talk about.
H: Can I look at the picture?
R: uh, sure…
She doesn’t sound overly certain, but going back now doesn’t seem like an option.
I pick up the frame from the nightstand; the first thing that hits me is that it obviously isn’t of her family.
It’s a picture of 4 girls posing for the camera, they’re wearing matching uniforms, so I guess they’re Ritsu’s old classmates, there is also a fifth girl crudely cutout and taped in the bottom-left corner. Ritsu looks younger than now, but only slightly, if I were to guess, I would say it’s a year old, maybe two.
H: Who are they?
I ask even though I’m almost certain that I know the answer.
That’s how you usually hold a conversation after all. Talking just for the sake of it.
R: My old band.
R: I miss them a lot, we were best friends as well as band members, it’s different from now.
Honestly, I think that Ritsu is pretty much my best friend these days. I haven’t even tried contacting anyone from my old school, and it would probably be weird anyway. I’m not one for long distance relationships, not even platonic ones.
I don’t say that though.
R: It’s not like I don’t talk to them, but I miss seeing them every day.
R: Not that there is anything wrong with you, or Hanako or Ken for that matter, it’s just…
Suddenly there’s a loud thump from the hallway. Through the not very sound proof walls, Hanako’s voice can clearly be heard.
There’s a first time for everything, I guess.
Ha: But I want to stay with you and Lillyyyyy
She’s slurring the words, and her stuttering is gone, even though I haven’t actually interacted with a drunk person before I understand that that’s what’s going on.
?: You’re drunk, you should go to bed already, you can be with us tomorrow too!
I don’t recognize the other voice, but logic suggests that it’s the suit clad girl from the hallway earlier. She has a rather boyish voice, but it’s definitely feminine, quite like Ritsu’s actually.
R: So Lilly is keeping Hanako away from the city to get her drunk, very mature.
H: You’re assuming they planned to drink, and I actually think that a night on the town would be more terrifying than getting drunk, if anything.
R: Just thinking it would be healthy for her to get out a little, but you’re probably right.
 
She throws a glance at the alarm clock beside her bed.
R: You should head home now if you wanna get back before curfew.
H: Ah, sure.
I get up from the carpet, my back is stiff from sitting in the same uncomfortable position for a bit too long, but overall I can’t complain.
R: See you tomorrow.
H: Bye.
Today was a good day in the end.