Seize the opportunity!

“Now stopping at—Tokyo University-West Campus–”

The train rolled into the station, coming to a complete stop as I made my way towards the sliding doors. Within thirty seconds, I was jogging up the stairs to the ground floor. My deconditioned body was not built for this burst of physical activity, but I had to make this meeting. The faint scent of cherry blossoms lifted my spirits enough to continue my trek forward. Housing office….left here….across the terrace…

I was not about to be homeless for my first year at university, not on my watch!

***

At the housing office, I was greeted by a tall man in his thirties, who introduced himself as the housing advisor and warmly welcomed me into his office. He offered me a cup of tea, which I instantly jumped on as my mouth could rival the Sahara desert at this point.

While I was busy rehydrating myself, he got to work, opening files and different applications on his computer. He asked me about typical information: full name, date of birth, home address, etc. He found my file, and then a peculiar question came up.

“Iwasaki-kun, how’s your English?” he asked, his fingers whizzing away on his keyboard. English?

“One of my stronger subjects, I suppose,” I responded, my face making a puzzled expression as I wondered what his question meant. I mean, I did well on my entrance exams, which included English, though how that translates to getting a dorm room was, at that moment, beyond my comprehension.

“Then this might work,” he stopped typing, and within moments, the printer came to life and started printing several documents.

I had caught my breath at that point, yet my mind was still at race pace. I was mere days away from starting a new life at university. Having spent the past year hunkering in my studies to pass one of the most difficult entrance exams out there, to finally reach Tokyo and enjoy this new lifestyle, in a university dorm where students like me can respect each other’s privacy, and I can quietly live my tranquil life, until…

“Again, we’re sorry that your original plan for housing accommodations went up in flames, quite literally…” According to the news, the previous student had accidentally left ramen in the microwave without enough water. I’ve read several stories of this occurring on the internet…

Not to blame him or anything, I had almost done the same in a sleep-deprived state.

“The dorms across campus have been fully occupied up until this point, however, there is one room that will open up if you’re interested.” He picked up the freshly printed papers and placed them on the table in front of me. Tokyo-Nishi [West] International Dormitory, the title read.

“One of the resident advisors is currently moving out of this room, and due to some administrative changes, the room will be vacant for the upcoming year. The room is usually reserved for senior division students, so it comes with its own kitchen as well.” I perused the several pages…it is comparably larger than the junior dorms, and comes with an in-unit kitchen. 7th floor… fairly new renovation…

“You asked about my English, what’s that about?”

He nodded. “Only catch is that this floor is traditionally for the international scholarship students in the English program.” Ah, I’ve heard of that…they take their classes in English for most of their program.

“Though in consideration of the inconveniences we’ve put you through, the university is willing to waive your housing costs if you choose–”

“Deal.” I mean…it’s free housing.

The advisor chuckled. “Smart choice.”

***

That was two days ago, and now I stood in front of my new home for the year. Seems like things were sorted out for the better; I signed the new housing agreement, received a dorm key and welcome package the next day, and within 48 hours, I was ready to move in.

The building was quite empty, which made sense. The academic year starts in April, and most international students will join during the fall semester that begins in October. The outgoing students have completed their 18-month “junior” component of the undergraduate program and will move to their “senior” component to complete their degrees at different campuses.

Because of this, many of the rooms in this building will remain unoccupied for the first term.

I tapped my dorm keycard on the lock, a soft click followed, and a moment later, I entered my new home. A small room, to be frank. There’s a valid reason students who live at a commutable distance would rather stay at their family homes. The induction stove and oven were the unexpected bonuses here, including not needing the shared kitchen for a late-night meal. I walked towards the back of the room where the glass screen door was; opening the screen door, the balcony opened up to an expansive view of the campus.

To the left, a sprawling pink forest; just in front and to the right were other dormitories, walkways crisscrossing the courtyard below. Being on the seventh floor was quite high up, with a mild breeze brushing my hair to the side. Enjoying a spring afternoon out here might become a favorite pastime of mine in the immediate future.

After all that unpacking and organizing, I believe I should reward myself with a nice shower and nap…

***

A few hours later, I woke up, slightly groggy from my afternoon snooze. I still wasn’t that hungry yet, but a run to the store across the street sounded like a great idea. Plus I can grab some toiletries I forgot to pack.

At the convenience store, I grabbed a couple of items: a toothbrush and toothpaste, a cup of instant ramen, bottled tea, and some rice balls. Waiting in line, my mind drifted off as I scrolled on my phone. News about the blooming cherry blossoms, a new manga adaptation… a new animated movie adaptation from my favorite light novel series… hold on, I need to save this to my calendar.

A message notification popped up… from my younger sister Kaede.

Kaede: Settled in!? Having fun??

Ryuuto: Enjoying some peace and quiet for once, finally.

Kaede: :(

Huh, this line hasn’t moved in quite a while, what’s–

“Ah… eh… sor…pho” the person in front of me, almost frantically fidgeting with her phone. Her long blonde hair twirled left and right as her head bobbed around. “What do I do?” she quietly said. Wait… she just spoke in English quite clearly. Perhaps she is an international student. The cashier looked on with an awkward smile, likely genuinely wanting to help, but was faced with an insurmountable language barrier.

“Um…is there…something you want help with?” Jeez, I hope my English is sufficient. Using it in a conversation felt more jittery than an oral presentation or a written test.

The girl turned around, still flustered from her attempts to communicate, yet her face quickly shifted to surprise. It was the first time I could see her face clearly; she had these bright green irises that I had only seen from those famous actresses in Western movies. Her face had a fair complexion, her bangs loosely covering her face from all her head movement—was she really a student or maybe a fashion model or celebrity…C’mon Ryuuto, stop staring at her face like that, that’ll save us both the awkwardness of this situation.

She also shook herself out of the trance and blurted out, “You understand me? Thank goodness….” A light sigh escaped her mouth as a smile took its place. “Yes! Please help me!”

Reading Note: Dialogue in italics denotes the character is speaking in Japanese, standard text is in English