The sooner I changed the subject, the better.
I reached for the door, yanking it open, and just as I was about to take off running—
BAM!
“Ouch…” I stumbled back, rubbing my forehead. Great. I had bumped into someone.
Again.
Seriously, what was with me and running into people lately?
“I’m sorry—” I started apologizing out of habit, but then my eyes landed on the person I had collided with. My words caught in my throat.
“…It’s you.”
Standing before me was a red-haired girl, glaring at me with an annoyed expression.
Ariana.
“Damn it… use your eyes for goodness’ sake,” Ariana snapped, crossing her arms as she took a step back. Her expression was full of irritation, like I had just ruined her entire morning.
Before I could retort, another familiar voice called out from behind her.
“Aria? Are you alright?”
I turned my head to see Kotori approaching, concern evident in her eyes.
“Yeah… I’m okay,” I reassured her, rubbing my forehead for extra emphasis. Not the best way to start my day, but at least I wasn’t sprawled out on the floor.
“My, oh my… what an interesting morning we have here,” another voice chimed in playfully.
Standing beside Kotori was a girl with long ponytail hair, smirking in amusement at the situation.
She was the same girl who had been stuck cleaning the toilets with Kotori and me last week.
What was her name again? Kotori had told me before… Yukari? Was that it?“Good morning…” I said awkwardly, scratching the back of my head.
“Good morning to you too,” she replied with an amused smile, clearly entertained by my reaction.
Before I could say anything else, the door to my dorm swung open behind me.
“Onee-chan, wait for me—eh?” Irana’s voice rang out as she stepped outside, expecting me to have already left. Her eyes darted between me and the others before her lips curled into a knowing smile.
“That’s great! I knew you’d never leave me behind,” she said, walking up beside me with a satisfied look. Before I could say anything more, the door behind me opened again and out walked Viola.
She took one step outside, then froze, her eyes scanning the group gathered in front of her. Her gaze moved from Kotori to Yukari, then to Ariana—who still looked mildly annoyed—before finally landing on Irana, who was clinging to my arm with an exaggeratedly sweet smile.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then, without a single word, Viola turned on her heel and calmly walked in the opposite direction.
I blinked. "Uh… Viola?"