Pucked Over

3

  "Let's get the rest of your things and give Senju a head start. We'll get you settled in in no time, and then we can erase what happened from your mind." I can one hundred percent agree with that. "Are you two high school friends?" I ask as we descend the stairs and cross the street to where I parked my car.

I just peeked at their Instagram profiles and saw some of the newest posts they made over the summer. In almost all of them, they were together in Shibuya. "We can only wish! We only met this past summer through a mutual friend." I unlock my car and open up the trunk before giving her a side glance.

"Seriously? You guys seem so close!" Yuzuha pulls out a suitcase and a backpack, so I grab my two duffles. "We just kind of clicked, I guess?" Yuzuha shrugs as she waits for me to close the trunk and lock the door before we proceed back toward the dorm.

"My brother is dating her best friend." "Oh, that's sweet." We climb the steps, this time faster, and enter the building. Yuzuha waves at the girl sitting at the front desk, but doesn't bother to stop, instead leading the way toward the staircase.

"Not if you have to spend months watching them suck face all the time," she says, but the affection for her brother and his girlfriend is clear in her voice. "We ditched their asses and spent time together instead, and here we are." I shake my head. "Seriously, what are the chances you'd both end up here?" "It was pure coincidence. But we did request to share a dorm room. It just made sense, you know?"

"Yeah." I nod. "It does." If I were them and knew somebody who was coming to college with me, and we were getting along, I'd prefer to room with them; fewer chances of things being weird. "We missed you this past week, though." Yuzuha glances at me. "Senju wanted to finish setting up the room—that girl has OCD, I'm telling you—but she didn't want to pick something that you might not like."

  I'm not sure if she's serious, or if she's only trying to make me feel more welcome, but either way, it works. "I'm fine with whatever. After staying in all those hotel rooms, they all kind of blend together and you don't notice those kinds of things any longer." "A lot of competitions this year?" I told them a little about ice skating when we texted since I had to have an explanation for not showing up to orientation week with the rest of the freshmen.

"Yeah, figure skating season is long." To put it mildly. "That's why I'm taking just a few classes. I'm trying to find a way to balance college and being an athlete." Figure skating season lasts all year long. There are regional, state, and world championships, just to name the few most important ones and the ones that I've decided to concentrate on this year to prepare for Winter Games qualifications. "Girl, I don't get why you're taking any at all." Yuzuha shakes her head. "Pro athlete and a student. The next time my brother complains, I'll give him shit for days." "You're welcome, I guess?" I chuckle. "For real. He's always moan about — Oh my God, you cheater!" Yuzuha yells.

I look up and see we finally caught up to Senju on the final landing. She's casually chatting with a tall guy who's carrying my suitcase up the stairs. Senju  turns around, an innocent smile on her lips. "I didn't realize there were rules. Besides, I learned from the best." Yuzuha grins at her. "That you did." Senju rolls her eyes at her friend before turning to me. Is romance a thing? If it is, Yuzuha and Senju are the definition of it, and I'm slightly—okay, a lot—jealous. "(Y/N), this is Baji, he's on the third floor, but he was nice enough to offer to carry your suitcase up."

Baji looks over his shoulder, his light eyes taking me in from head to toe. "Well, hello there." A grin flashes over his face, showing off his commercial-worthy smile. He's cute, I have to give him that. With black hair , long lashes, and a killer smile, I wouldn't be surprised if he's a model or something.

He's a few inches taller than Senju, and his shoulders are wide, body lean. "Hey." I smile back, it's impossible not to. "Sorry for putting you to work." "No problem, it's always a pleasure to help a beautiful lady." Baji's grin widens and then he winks at me. I know he's teasing—well, at least I think he is—but my cheeks flush regardless. "Don't flirt with our new friend, Baji ." Senju pinches his side. "Just ignore him, he's a shameless flirt." "What? Why?" Baji places his hand over his heart dramatically. "Is that how you repay somebody for helping you?" "You know why, we've gotten to know you quite well in the last few days."

Baji shakes his head. "I don't know what you're talking about." "Of course you don't," Yuzuha says, patting him on the shoulder. We joke around as we climb the final few steps to the fourth floor. Even though I'm in peak condition, I'm slightly winded from walking four flights of stairs with two heavy duffles. Sweat coats my body, making my shirt cling to my skin. Puffing out a breath, I look at the doors, some open, some closed, my eyes scanning the numbers on the hard wooden surface. "This is us," Senju  says over her shoulder as she gets out her keys and unlocks the door for us to enter.

"Fourth and fifth floors are suites with three bedrooms, a common area, and a bathroom." "It's a sweeter deal than having one roommate and having to share a community bathroom," Yuzuha adds from behind me. I take in the space. It's pretty basic, with two sofas, a little coffee table, and an entertainment center. A plaid gray and white rug separates the living room from a counter against the wall, a coffee machine on top of it. Two sets of doors are on one side of the living space, and two on the other. "We claimed the rooms on this side so that one's yours. Hope that's okay." "Of course." I smile at Senju  and go to check out my room. Like the rest of the suite, it's pretty basic. A bed is shoved against the wall on one side of the room, desk, and wardrobe on the other. The space is tiny, so tiny my yoga mat will barely fit in between, but like Yuzuha  said, at least I have my own space.

"You ladies need any more help?" Baji asks as he puts my suitcase down by the door. I let the duffles drop to the floor. "Oh, no, they're just a few⁠—" "Keys," Yuzuha interrupts me. She extends her hand and wiggles her fingers in a gimme motion. "What?" "Keys." Yuzuha turns to her friends. "There's a mattress and a few more boxes in the car. We can bring them up while you settle in." "You don't have to do that," I protest. "I can grab it later." Senju shakes her head. "Nonsense, let us help you. It'll be faster that way." "Besides, we'll probably put Baji to work." Yuzuha winks at me. "He can do all the heavy lifting." Baji groans, but based on the smile on his face, he doesn't mind it. "You hear that? I'm going to do all the heavy lifting."

"If you feel guilty about it, you can always treat us to beer later." "Fine." I pull my key chain out of my pocket and take off the car key before giving it to Yuzuha . "Thanks, guys." "No thanks needed." Senju gives me a pat on the shoulder as they turn toward the door. "You start unpacking and later we'll show you around." I watch them go back toward the staircase, talking like they've known each other for years.

The doors across the living room catch my attention. This is just the first day, and while it didn't start in the best way, I have a feeling it'll be a good year.