Roommates

The beautiful girl in front held a fixed, furious gaze, her teeth clenched in the fervor building inside her.

“Are you not going to say anything? What are you doing here? How did you get in?” she demanded.

The man snapped back to himself, with no time to process why he hadn’t reacted earlier.

“There must be some mistake. I’m going to live here.”

“Mistake!?” she retorted, stepping closer. “I live here! How can you just show up and say something like that? Are you some kind of lunatic?”

“Look, I don’t know what you’re doing here, but from what I heard, the place was empty. Besides, I have the key to the apartment,” he said, holding it up so she could see.

The woman scratched her head vigorously.

“How do you have a key?”

“My sister gave it to me. The apartment is hers.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” she said. “How does the owner give you a key, knowing there’s someone here?”

To her, it might not make sense. But to him, everything was starting to fall into place. His sister’s smile and her provocative behavior now fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

“I think it was just a tasteless joke,” he said as he headed toward the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to her.”

He was walking with his head down when he was suddenly grabbed. The golden-haired woman seized him by the collar and pushed him against the wall. The force with which she did it startled him, and her expression was serious and determined. It wasn’t common for someone to touch him, let alone with such firmness. For an instant, it even made him forget that he was a god.

“I’m going to call the owner to confirm your story,” she said, edging closer to his face. “And if this is a lie and you’re nothing but a criminal intruder, I will end you.”

Despite being immortal, her words pierced him like blades. A chill ran down his spine.

She released him but didn’t take her eyes off him. She took her phone from her pocket, found the contact, and initiated a call.

While she was making the call, he could only wait. His eyes studied every detail of that woman. He had dealt with reluctant and aggressive souls before, but this woman was different. There was a strength in her that made him step back.

After several seconds of waiting, the call was finally answered.

“Hello, Akari,” the woman said. “Sorry to bother you, but... we have a little problem here in your apartment.”

He couldn’t hear who was speaking on the other end of the line, so he could only deduce the context of the conversation.

“Yes... of course... I’d like to resolve this, no problem... all right... I’ll be waiting,” the voice replied before she hung up and put her phone away.

“And now?” he asked.

“She wants to come here in person to explain the confusion. We have to wait until she arrives.”

She pointed to the couch, indicating that he should sit down. He settled himself, and she leaned against the wall, still eyeing him with suspicion.

***

It took a while for Akari to arrive. He wondered why, knowing she could’ve simply appeared on the other side of the door in moments. Perhaps she didn’t want to arouse suspicion about her divine power in front of the mortal present. Or maybe she had other plans, but he couldn’t imagine what they might be.

The doorbell rang. The woman promptly went to answer it. When she opened the door, Akari appeared with her usual expression, offering a smile that could hold a thousand meanings, showing no concern about the confusion.

“Hello, Akari. I appreciate you coming,” said the blue-eyed woman.

“Hello, Hana-chan,” Akari replied amicably. “Are you having some kind of problem?”

She genuinely didn’t seem to understand what was happening. Or perhaps that was exactly her intention.

“As you can see, there appears to be a misunderstanding. Did you give him the key to the apartment?” she asked, nodding toward the man seated on the couch.

“Yes, I gave him the key. It seems you’ve already met my brother. That makes things easier.”

“Wait... he’s your brother?” Hana exclaimed, surprised.

“Yes! Didn’t I tell you? Maybe I forgot to mention that he would be coming today,” Akari said, lightly tapping her temple. “Oh, how clumsy of me. I’m sorry!”

The man, who had been merely observing until now, stood and approached Akari, who was still at the entrance.

“Was this all part of your plan, Akari?” he said firmly. “Come on, tell me the meaning of all this.”

The tone in his voice seemed to radiate an aura that made Hana step back. The smile on Akari’s face vanished for a moment but soon returned, albeit more disguised.

“Look, little brother... it was all just a misunderstanding,” she said, resuming her provocative tone. “You needed a place to stay, and I gave you the key to one. You didn’t ask if it was empty, so I assumed you wouldn’t mind sharing the apartment. And from what you told me, I thought it would help you out.”

“Wait!” Hana interrupted. “And you just gave him the key without even consulting me?”

“Sorry, Hana-chan,” Akari said, clasping her hands together as if asking for forgiveness. “I thought that with a little encouragement, you’d agree. I was going to mention that you wouldn’t have to pay rent while he was here, but... I forgot to say it.”

“I can see it was all your plan,” the man said, sighing as he passed Hana on his way toward the exit. “Don’t worry. I’ll look for another place.”

He was surprised again when Hana grabbed his shirt, halting his departure.

“Did she say I wouldn’t have to pay rent?” Hana asked. “Maybe... we can discuss this further, can’t we?”

“I knew you’d like the idea,” Akari said. “It’s going to be an interesting experience, don’t you think, little brother?”

Akari cast that characteristic, provocative look. At this point, he realized he had indeed fallen into his sister’s trap. It was true that he wanted to observe humans up close, but he hadn’t imagined Akari would take it so literally.

Still, the idea didn’t seem so bad. Living near a human could be useful. And there was something about her that intrigued him. He wasn’t sure if it was her determined way... or something else. But he wanted to understand.

“What do you think of the idea, Hana-chan? Consider it a new experience. It could even be fun. My little brother here doesn’t bite... I think,” she said.

Hana really mulled over the proposal. As sudden as it was, and even with a strange man appearing out of nowhere. Something in her mind prevented her from refusing.

And in a way... he also wanted her to accept.

Hana turned her gaze back to him, but couldn’t hold it for very long. Her face flushed lightly.

“Well... I wouldn’t have to pay rent... and since he’s your brother, Akari... maybe it’s not a problem,” she said hesitantly. “You wouldn't mind living here, would you?”

She briefly studied him, and he could feel his face warm. Her initial fury had vanished. Now... she even seemed a bit endearing.

“Well... if you don’t mind,” he replied, running a hand over the back of his neck.

After his response, Hana sighed. The man before her also appeared more relieved.

“Then it seems everything’s settled,” Akari said, practically jumping with joy. “I’ll leave you two to sort things out on your own. See you later!”

She quickly left, giving them no chance to reconsider. The place fell silent. They stood facing each other, uncertain of what to say. From now on, they would be roommates. They would have to share an apartment with a stranger. But deep down, something suggested that it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“Well... there’s an empty room,” Hana said, pointing to a door. “You can have it.”

He nodded, offering a slight bow of thanks.

“Oh! We also haven’t been properly introduced, have we? My name is Hana Yuzuki. Nice to meet you. I hope we get along well.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Shinya.”

“You don’t have a last name? How odd. But it’s just like your sister’s... she only has one name too.”

“Well... we weren’t born into families like you are,” Shinya explained. “Our birth process was... a bit different.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re gods. We don’t have a family structure like you understand,” he said seriously. “That’s why we don’t have a last name. Just a name.”

Hana was silent for a moment, looking at him. Then she broke the silence with a burst of laughter.

“Hahaha! A god? Oh... you’re hilarious. Maybe living with you won’t be so bad after all!” Tears streamed from her eyes as she laughed heartily. “Come on, tell me: what kind of god are you?”

Despite her laughter, Shinya remained solemn. He wanted to be honest with his future roommate and didn’t think he should hide something so essential.

“I... am the god of death.”

The moment the words left his mouth, the apartment lights flickered, and a gust of wind swept in through the window. Hana, who had been laughing, stopped in surprise and then laughed even louder.

“Talk about timing! I could even say you’re a real god!”

It was to be expected, Shinya thought, though slightly bothered by her disbelief... but also, at the same time, relieved.. Living with someone who wasn’t afraid of his true nature might be a good start.

Perhaps... Akari’s tricks weren’t so bad after all.

Living with that woman might be an opportunity, a chance to observe her... to learn... and then, finally, to find what he had been searching for.

But there was something more. A thought that wasn’t logical or rational. It was just a feeling. Something warm and friendly... that surfaced every time he looked at her, and grew stronger every time she laughed.

Hana still studied him with a gentle smile. Perhaps he really was just a lunatic... but for some reason, she couldn’t get him out of her head.

As for Shinya, he thought that maybe understanding humans wouldn’t be so hard after all. All he needed to do was keep observing that charming, laughing woman.

Charming… and utterly unpredictable.