Fortune's Favor Pt. 1

My eyes opened to sharp rays of light piercing through the window. I instinctively lifted my sheets to cover up my face.

I don't recall shifting my curtains at all. So why...?

As much as I wanted to get up and shut them, I couldn't. My body just wouldn't move. Makes sense, though. Sleeping in is a moral duty on Saturdays.

The chill outside practically whispered through the cracks of my windowpane, making my bed feel like a warm sanctuary. I had every intention of burying myself deeper into the blankets, ignoring the world and letting the cold handle itself.

But of course, fate had other plans.

Behind me, I heard something. Muffled clatters and... humming.

I blinked through the haze of sleep, rolled over to the side—then nearly fell off the bed when I saw Chloe in the middle of my room, clutching a laundry basket.

"What the hell—?!"

My voice cracked halfway through the sentence, a pitiful yelp more than anything else. Chloe jumped slightly, turning to face me with the brightest smile on her face, completely unfazed.

"Ah! Good morning, Aikami," she said sweetly like this was the most normal thing in the world. "Did you sleep well?"

"Y-yeah, but... What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, that? You had a lot of clutter, so I took the liberty of tidying up a bit. I was gonna ask you, but I didn't wanna wake you up. I hope you don't mind."

"A... bit...?"

I sat up in bed, eyes wide as I surveyed the scene. My manga books were neatly stacked on the shelves instead of teetering in a questionable tower next to my desk. A bunch of receipts and forgotten keychains were gone. Even the random socks under my chair were now back in a basket, folded into perfection.

"How did you even get in here?" I muttered, rubbing my face with both hands.

"The door was unlocked," she replied with a small tilt of her head, as though that justified everything. "And Lana said you needed help getting your life together."

"Of course she did..."

Chloe trotted over and placed the basket down gently, wiping imaginary dust off her hands. "It's okay, Aikami! I didn't mind at all. Back home, I would always do all the cleaning, so this much is nothing."

"That's not the issue here."

"O-oh. Then... what is?"

I sighed, caught between being mortified and… oddly grateful. It was strange—having someone care enough to do something like this. It wasn't just cleaning. It was attention. Thoughtfulness.

"It's not a matter of whether you didn't mind or could've handled it," I said. "This is my room. I should've been the one to handle it."

Chloe looked at me, then gave a soft giggle. "But you didn't."

I opened my mouth to argue but gave up halfway. She got me there.

With a little twirl, she moved toward the door. "Anyway, it's a beautiful day! Alice said there's a winter market downtown. She and Lana are already getting ready. You should too."

"W-wait, wha—"

Before I could say anything else, she peeked over her shoulder and added with a tiny wink. "Don't worry. I didn't touch your secret manga stash under the bed."

I choked on my own breath. "What?!"

But she was already gone, the soft pitter-patter of her steps fading down the hallway, followed by Lana's distant laughter from the other room. My face flushed with a mix of horror and defeat.

Just as I thought I could enjoy a slow morning...

I sat there for a full minute, just staring at the now-pristine floor of my room. The absurdity of it all had me in a daze.

Chloe… cleaning? Humming? Winking about secret manga stashes like it was normal? And now there was apparently a winter market plan I didn't remember agreeing to?

I groaned, dragging myself out of bed. The cold air immediately wrapped around me like an unwanted hug.

I shuffled into the bathroom, washed my face, and brushed my teeth while trying to mentally prepare for… whatever this day was going to be. When I came back into my room, someone had already laid out a scarf and gloves on my chair. I stared at them in silence for a moment.

"I am losing control of my own life," I muttered under my breath. "No... I never even had control, to begin with."

Still, I picked them up and smiled a little.

By the time I stepped out of my room, the apartment had that subtle buzz of anticipation in the air. It smelled faintly of shampoo, hairspray, and someone's overuse of peach-scented body mist.

In the hallway, I passed by Alice adjusting her gloves with that usual poised look she always wore like a crown. She glanced over her shoulder at me.

"Look who's finally awake," she teased, her voice cool and silky. "And here I was thinking you'd waste another wonderful Saturday sleeping in. Tsk, tsk, Aikami. For a host, you have terrible etiquette."

"I mean, that's how I always spend my Saturdays. At least, before you guys showed up."

"You're welcome," she said smoothly, then tilted her head as she gave me a once-over. "Hmm. Not bad. For once, you actually dressed to impress."

I rolled my eyes. "It's just a coat and jeans, not a fashion statement."

"Mmm. And yet I find myself staring. Care to explain why that is the case, darling?"

Before I could even think of a comeback, Lana came bounding out of the bathroom, bundled up in an oversized jacket with a fuzzy hood and a beanie halfway falling off her head.

"Aikami!" she grinned. "Can I use your cologne? Yours smells better than the one Alice uses!"

"It's not for—Wait, how do you even know that I—?!"

"Don't worry, I only used three spritzes! Or was it four?" She sniffed the air dramatically. "Smells like only three..." 

"Is that... something you can just smell?"

"My nose is pretty sensitive, so I can tell. Anyway, we ready?"

"I've been ready," Alice replied coolly, already grabbing her purse.

"Aikami?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Although..." I pulled out my phone. "It's supposed to thunderstorm badly today. Should we really be doing this?"

"Ahh~ It'll be fine! I'll take that as you being ready." She twisted her head around. "Chloe?"

Chloe peeked out from the kitchen, now dressed in a pale cream coat and soft wool mittens, smiling as she grabbed her own scarf.

"Alright!" Lana cheered. "There's a whole new world out there for us! And by 'a whole new world', I mean a festival! Eee~! Let's move out!"

"M-moving out!" Chloe chanted.

They both fled through the front door in a matter of seconds.

"And once again, we've been left behind," I sighed.

Alice chuckled, walking past me. "Come along, darling. Any slower, and we'll miss them completely."

As we stepped outside, the cold met us like a curtain, crisp and biting. Our breaths curled into soft clouds as we walked down the street, the sound of boots on snow-patched pavement echoing between idle conversations.

The morning sun hung low behind a gray blanket of clouds, casting the city in a muted light. Street lamps were still lit, glowing warmly against the winter palette of whites and grays. There was something calm about it all—something quietly magical.

And for a moment, as I walked slightly behind the three of them—Chloe hugging her scarf close, Lana hopping from one sidewalk crack to another, and Alice brushing snowflakes off her coat like she was above it all—I felt it again.

That unfamiliar, lingering feeling.