The next world.

Kael stood in front of the towering dormitory building, a mix of apprehension and dread swirling in his chest. The academy's administrators had emphasized the importance of living with his "peers" to foster teamwork and camaraderie, but the thought of sharing a living space with those guys—made him want to bolt.

"Room assignments are posted over there!" an overly cheerful student volunteer chirped, pointing to a bulletin board surrounded by a growing crowd of first-years.

Kael sighed and trudged over, weaving his way through the sea of students. He scanned the list until his eyes landed on his name.

Room A-204:

1. Kael Sulemoranis

2. Ren Kagetsu

3. Xolotl Ixtli

4. Hayashi Kuya

Kael's eye twitched. "No… no way."

"Oh-ho, looks like we're roommates!" a familiar voice drawled behind him.

Kael turned to see Ren leaning against the board, his usual smug grin plastered across his face.

"Kill me now," Kael muttered.

"Relax, boss," Xolotl added, appearing from nowhere and slinging an arm around Kael's shoulders. "It's just like the old days, except we're not broke, running from debt collectors, or hiding from rival gangs."

"Barely," Kael deadpanned, shoving Xolotl's arm off.

Ren smirked. "C'mon, it'll be just like old times. You, me, Xolotl… and who's the fourth guy?"

Before Kael could answer, a towering figure stepped into view. Hayashi kuya, "…Hi," Hayashi said, his voice barely audible over the chatter around them.

Kael blinked. "You're my roommate?"

Hayashi nodded once, his expression unreadable.

"This is going to be interesting," Ren said, his grin widening.

The dormitory was buzzing with activity as students hauled their belongings into their assigned rooms. Kael, Ren, and Xolotl arrived at Room A-204 together, each carrying a ridiculous amount of luggage. Well, Kael carried nothing—he had paid movers to bring his belongings—and Ren and Xolotl's "luggage" consisted of suspiciously duct-taped duffel bags.

"This place is huge!" Xolotl exclaimed as they stepped into the common area. The room was a spacious blend of modern and cozy, with a large couch, a flat-screen TV, and even a small kitchenette. Four doors led to individual bedrooms, and another door marked the bathroom.

"Not bad," Ren said, tossing his duffel bag onto the couch. "Way better than that shack we used to crash in."

Kael sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Can we not bring up the shack? I'm trying to forget."

"Oh, you mean the shack where you lived off instant ramen and expired canned soup?" Xolotl teased, plopping onto the couch.

"Or the one where you tried to bribe the landlord with counterfeit bills?" Ren added, smirking.

Kael groaned. "I hate you guys."

"Relax, boss," Xolotl said, throwing an arm around him again. "You're a billionaire now. You can buy us out of any mess we get into!"

"That's not the point!" Kael snapped, shoving him off.

Meanwhile, Hayashi silently began unpacking in one of the bedrooms, his presence so quiet that the others almost forgot he was there.

It didn't take long for chaos to erupt.

"Yo, Kael!" Xolotl called from the kitchenette. "How do you work this fancy coffee machine?"

Kael looked up from unpacking his state-of-the-art gaming PC. "Just press the button."

"Which button?" Xolotl asked, staring at the machine like it was a bomb about to explode.

"The big one!" Kael snapped.

Xolotl pressed a random button, and the machine sputtered to life, spewing coffee everywhere.

"IT'S ALIVE!" Xolotl yelled, leaping back.

Ren burst out laughing, doubling over as coffee sprayed across the counter.

"Can't take you anywhere," Kael muttered, grabbing a towel to clean up the mess.

Hayashi emerged from his room, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the chaos. Without a word, he grabbed the manual from the box and began reading it.

"See? Why can't you guys be more like Hayashi?" Kael said, gesturing to the quiet guy.

"Because Hayashi is boring," Xolotl replied, dodging Kael's half-hearted attempt to smack him.

Later that evening, the roommates gathered in the common area for dinner. Kael, still reeling from the disaster in the kitchen, had ordered takeout from a high-end restaurant.

"This is the life," Ren said, lounging on the couch with a plate of sushi.

"Can you believe we used to fight over instant noodles?" Xolotl added, stuffing his face with tempura.

"Stop reminding me," Kael groaned, sipping his imported sparkling water.

Hayashi, who had made himself a simple sandwich instead of indulging in the takeout, watched the exchange silently.

"So, boss," Ren said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. "When are we going to see you in action again? You know, like the old days."

Kael narrowed his eyes. "Those days are over, Ren. We're not gangsters anymore."

"Speak for yourself," Xolotl said, pulling out a deck of cards. "Anyone up for poker?"

Kael sighed. "Why did I agree to this?"

"Because deep down, you missed us," Ren said, smirking.

Later that night, Kael decided to take a shower to unwind. Unfortunately, the dorm's water heater had other plans.

"WHY IS IT SO COLD?!" Kael yelled, leaping out of the shower.

Ren and Xolotl, who were lounging in the common area, burst out laughing.

"You're supposed to turn the dial to 'hot,' genius," Ren said, wiping away tears of laughter.

"I did!" Kael snapped, wrapping a towel around himself.

Hayashi, ever the problem-solver, silently got up and inspected the water heater. Within minutes, he had fixed it.

"Thanks, Hayashi," Kael muttered, still shivering.

Hayashi nodded, returning to his room without a word.

"See? He's the MVP," Xolotl said, grinning.

"You guys are the worst," Kael muttered, retreating to his room.

As the night wound down, the roommates gathered in the common area to relax. Xolotl and Ren had turned the TV into a gaming station, while Kael tried to read a book in peace.

"Yo, Hayashi, you wanna join?" Xolotl called, holding up a controller.

Hayashi shook his head, settling into a chair with a book of his own.

"Lame," Ren said, focusing back on the game.

Kael, meanwhile, was secretly enjoying the quiet chaos. As much as he complained, there was something comforting about being surrounded by his old friends again—even if they drove him insane.

"Here's to surviving another day," he muttered to himself, smirking as Xolotl and Ren started arguing over the game.