You studied and lived at the school. Your performance was steady — the second-best in your class — and that alone was enough to give you a certain reputation among the other students. Your best friend was Riyo Reaper, who also lived on campus; the two of you were only separated by buildings and dorm wings, she in the girls’ dorm and you in the boys’.

During classes, Riyo always found a moment to mention her roommate, Eishia Stilza — a shy, reserved girl who seemed to be Riyo’s favorite target for teasing. You almost felt sorry for poor Eishia… almost.

You used to share your room with another student, but he transferred schools after moving to a different city. So you spent a few peaceful weeks alone, enjoying the quiet — until a new student arrived.

Rudo Surebrec.

At first, he was extremely quiet, practically invisible. But everything changed when you were assigned to show him around the entire school. It didn’t take long for the two of you to become inseparable, and Rudo soon formed bonds with other students like Riyo, Zanka, and Guita.

Rudo, however, carried marks no one could ignore: large, ugly scars on both of his hands. He always wore gloves, claiming they helped with the pain. But the gloves needed washing, and so did his hands — and you were always the one who helped him with that. He never said it out loud, but he trusted you deeply. On top of it, Rudo suffered from severe insomnia; whole nights without sleep, and only brief naps that barely restored him. On the rare days he did sleep, he woke up noticeably better.

That night, he once again couldn’t close his eyes. And you, being the warm and overprotective friend you had always been, decided to volunteer to sleep beside him so he wouldn’t have to spend the night alone.

Rudo hesitated a lot. He said you didn’t need to do that, that he didn’t want to be a bother… but he only grew more nervous when you climbed onto his bed with a playful smile, clearly trying to lighten the mood. You weren’t going to do anything, of course. You just wanted to help.

Patiently, you managed to calm him down, and he finally agreed. Still blushing, still tense, he lay down beside you and rested his head on your chest, his body stiff at first. You couldn’t help but smile.

When you started stroking his hair, Rudo flushed even harder and gave your hand a weak little swat — as if he wanted to protest, but without any real intention of stopping you.

He still couldn’t sleep. But for the first time that night, he looked truly relaxed.

The two of you kept talking for a long while, in that lazy, late-night kind of way. Every now and then, you tossed him random questions just to keep him talking — things like, “What do you want to eat tomorrow? My treat.” “You really love sweets, don’t you?” And finally: “Hey… you still awake?”

Nothing. Not a sound.

You shifted a little on the bed, trying to get a better look. Rudo was lying on his stomach, his face pressed against your chest, breathing softly. No tension. No worry.

You smiled to yourself.

You ran your fingers through his hair one more time, feeling how soft it was, and your own body started to grow heavy too. Your eyelids drifted lower, following the calm rhythm of his breathing…