"Brother, I'm so glad you finally have a room! You'll probably be hosting guests from time to time, so here—I brought some daily necessities!"
"Ann and I picked these out at the school store," Anhel added. "You’re more than welcome to weep with gratitude, you know?"
Fee handed over a large paper bag, his face beaming with a truly joyful smile. Inside were essentials like toilet paper and soap, along with tableware such as cups and plates. It was clear Anhel had lent her expertise to help Fee with the selection.
As Yugo expressed his thanks to the two of them, another guest arrived.
"It has been a while, Master Yugo. I rushed over as soon as I heard you’d moved in. Hex had some errands to attend to, so he couldn't make it... but this is a small housewarming gift from the three of us—me, him, and Claire. Please, accept it."
The one offering the gift with a polite greeting was Misery, the girl Yugo had previously mentored. He thanked her for the premium-looking bottled juice she had prepared and extended his gratitude to the other two she mentioned. No sooner had he finished than even more visitors appeared.
"Yugo! I'm so happy for you! I knew Professor Castle would take care of you!"
"On behalf of the Cooking Club, we’ve brought a beginner’s cooking kit and some ingredients," Hao added. "There’s a shared kitchen in this dorm, so why not use this as an excuse to start learning? Swinging a massive sword is all well and good, but I think a man who’s handy with a kitchen knife is just as impressive."
The President and Vice President of the Cooking Club, whom Yugo had recently befriended, had come to offer their congratulations. Yugo accepted the thoughtful gifts, feeling a bit swept up in the moment. He figured becoming a "cooking boy" might not be such a bad path after all.
(Meanwhile, Melt—being the only one who hadn’t brought a physical gift—stood by feeling rather awkward.)
"Thanks, everyone!" Yugo said. "It truly means a lot to have so many friends come by to celebrate with me!"
He knew the only reason he had this room was because his companions had petitioned the school on his behalf. Not long ago, he’d been branded the lowest of the low, disowned by his parents and cast out of his previous dorm. Yet here he was, supported by so many people, his life finally turning for the better.
Just as Professor Castle had warned, he couldn't afford to betray the trust of those who had gone to such lengths for him. As Yugo renewed his resolve, Presia began sorting through the various gifts.
"Oh, look! We have everything we need for a proper celebration!" she chirped. "Hey, since everyone is already here, let’s throw a party! I’ll head to the kitchen and whip up something special!"
With the crab from Marcos, the tableware from Fee, juice from Misery, and ingredients from the Cooking Club, they had a feast in the making. The decision was unanimous. The girls and Hao headed to the shared kitchen to begin preparations for the housewarming party.
This left the guest of honor, Fee, and Marcos—none of whom could cook—to wait in the room. The scale of the celebration was becoming a bit more elaborate than Yugo had expected, but he was happy nonetheless as he chatted with the others.
"By the way, Brother, what about Skull?" Fee asked.
"Oh, Professor Castle arranged for him to stay in the staff stables. That’s where he is now."
"Hmph. Knowing that wild beast, he’ll probably be the king of the stables within a few days," Marcos snorted.
"Just make sure you don't let him get lonely, Brother. He really cares about you."
"I know. I'd never do that to my best buddy!"
The conversation felt familiar, yet the simple act of talking indoors rather than under the stars gave it a different weight. As Yugo marveled at how much his quality of life had improved since his days of roughing it, Marcos shifted the topic.
"On another note, classes are set to resume shortly. The injured faculty members—Professor Castle included—have returned, and the repairs to the academy are nearing completion. We’ve lost some time, but our proper life as students of the High School Division is finally starting."
"I guess that explains why they let me into the dorm now," Yugo remarked. "They probably wanted my living situation sorted before the term starts."
"That likely played a role, but the biggest factor is probably the exchange students. The academy can't afford to look like a disgrace in front of international guests."
"Exchange students? What are you talking about?"
Yugo looked at him blankly, the news coming as a total surprise. Marcos raised a hand and gave a small snort before launching into an explanation.
"I suppose it’s only natural you haven’t heard, given how detached you are from the student body. Every dorm is buzzing with the news: exchange students from the eastern country of Yamato will be arriving at Luminous Academy very soon."
"Yamato...? An eastern country?"
"Are you telling me you’ve forgotten that, too?! Honestly, you are beyond help!"
Marcos sighed in exasperation. Yugo seemed clueless not just about the visitors, but about the very existence of Yamato itself. Yugo gave a sheepish laugh to cover his confusion, but just then, the girls returned with the food, and the conversation shifted to include the whole group.