Ren was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his uniform, when he heard a movement coming from the couch. He turned around and realized that the girl who had been there had woken up. Their eyes met, still sleepy, and both of them froze for a moment.

She looked at him for a few seconds, her green eyes still hazy, and without thinking too much, said:

"Wow... are you... an angel?"

Ren froze. The girl seemed genuinely surprised, as if she wasn’t fully aware of what she had just asked. He blinked, confused, and looked at his own uniform, the red ribbon, the skirt, the thigh-high stockings... and felt even more uncomfortable.

"H-Hello..." he murmured nervously.

The girl, noticing the confusion on his face, gave a lazy smile.

"Oh, sorry, it's just that with this white hair and the way you look... I thought you were an angel." She chuckled. "If you are, I hope you're a good one."

Ren felt his face heat up, more embarrassed than before.

"N... I'm not an angel..." he replied quietly, not really wanting to continue the conversation.

The girl shrugged and stretched on the couch.

"Oh, right. Hehe~." She smiled casually. "But, if you change your mind, let me know."

Ren, not knowing what to do, just stared at the mirror, feeling the discomfort grow. The tension in the air lessened a bit, but he still couldn’t feel at ease.

After a brief moment of silence, Saki stretched her arms and let out a big yawn, still with her eyes half-closed. Ren was standing there, looking at the mirror, while she got up from the couch, seemingly in no hurry at all.

"Oh, sorry about that..." she said with a sleepy smile. "I think I got carried away and slept for too long."

Ren watched her without saying anything, and then she finally straightened up, looking more awake.

"I'm Saki Tanaka" she said, introducing herself with a mischievous smile. "Looks like we're roommates, huh? And we'll be in the same class too... I guess you can't escape me. Don't worry, I'm easy to deal with~"

Ren gave a shy smile but still seemed uncomfortable. Saki spoke in such a casual tone, it was so different from the way Ren was.

"I'm Yuki Amagiri," he said quietly, still trying to adjust to the situation. "Nice to meet you..."

Saki looked at him with a curious gaze, evaluating the situation. She let out a soft laugh, as if she were enjoying the moment.

"You're pretty quiet, huh?" she said with a playful look. "But don't worry, I'll help you loosen up a bit. Things here might be easier than you think, you just have to take the first step!"

Ren felt a bit uncomfortable. She wasn’t exactly looking to “loosen up,” but Saki seemed to have such a carefree attitude, which made him feel a bit more at ease. However, he still felt strange about the situation. Saki, on the other hand, seemed to be handling everything almost casually.

She threw herself back on the couch, stretching her legs in a relaxed manner.

"Since we're in the same room and the same class, it should be easier, right? By the way, something tells me you'll stand out, one way or another."

Ren looked at the mirror, trying to push away the uncomfortable feeling. He was still trying to adjust to the idea of being in this environment, especially with Saki's presence. Saki seemed so different from Ren, so... carefree.

Saki gave a smile and then looked at "her" with a curious gaze.

"Oh, Yuki..." she said, in a teasing tone. "If you really are an angel, let me know, okay? Who knows, maybe we can work some miracles together."

Ren didn’t know how to respond. He just smiled weakly, without much conviction, while looking at himself in the mirror once again. The uncomfortable feeling hadn’t gone away, but something about the way Saki acted made him feel... a little more relaxed.

After a brief moment of silence, Saki stretched again and threw herself back on the couch with a lightness that only she seemed to have. Ren, on the other hand, was still trying to absorb everything happening around him. The feeling of being in that place, away from home and is parents, was starting to feel even more palpable.

"Come on, Yuki," Saki said, getting up and stretching her arms. "The maid said dinner is ready. I'm starving, and I'm sure you are too, right?"

Ren didn’t have time to protest before Saki pulled him by the arm, grinning mischievously.

"Don't worry, dinner will be a great opportunity for you to start socializing with the other girls. It'll be fun!"

Ren wasn’t sure how it could be fun, but he just followed Saki down the hall. The two passed by several doors until they reached a large shared dining room, where other girls were already sitting, talking, and serving themselves.

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But before leaving the room, Saki, realizing she was still in revealing and too-casual clothes, went to her wardrobe and quickly changed. She opened the closet, and with a lazy expression, took off the purple shirt she had been wearing, tossing it aside.

"I’m not as formal as some of them..." Saki said, looking at Yuki with a cheeky smile as she grabbed a comfortable t-shirt and short shorts. She seemed so at ease while changing that Yuki couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed for being so uncomfortable with her uniform.

Saki quickly dressed in her new, more casual and comfortable clothes. She tossed her hair to the side, fixing it, and then looked at Ren, who was still in his impeccably adjusted uniform.

"Now this is comfort~" Saki said with a wide smile.

Ren just smiled shyly and followed Saki to the dining room, where the smell of fresh food started to make him even more aware of her hunger.

The dining room environment was immaculately arranged, with dark wooden tables and white plates, decorated with fresh flowers. The other girls were already serving themselves, some laughing and others talking animatedly. The place seemed welcoming at first glance, but for Ren, the pressure of being there still lingered in the air.

Saki, apparently, was at ease, as if nothing bothered her. She served herself quickly, taking a generous portion of rice, fish, and vegetables, while Yuki was still trying to decide what to take.

"Don’t worry about the others," Saki said, noticing Ren's hesitation. "They’re all kind of competitive, especially with the new class, but in the end, it’s just a matter of time before you get used to it. Trust me."

Ren didn’t respond immediately, still a bit lost in him own thoughts. He served himself quickly, taking just enough to feel comfortable. The environment, which should have been welcoming, only made him feel more isolated, as if he were a stranger in the middle of it all.

As Ren ate, the conversations around him began to fade into distant noise. "Yuki" focused only on the movement of food in his mouth, trying not to think too much. But inevitably, his mind started to wander. He thought about what the others might be thinking of him. About how, once again, if they find out, the consequences would be just too much...

Suddenly, one of the girls next to them turned and said, with a sweet voice, but a curious look:

"You’re new, aren’t you? Your arrival was kind of... sudden, you didn’t talk to anyone~. We’re all really curious to know how you’ll adapt here."

Ren, feeling the weight of the words, slowly lifted his gaze. He knew the question wasn’t simple. It wasn’t just a polite introduction. It was an analysis, an attempt to understand where he fit into this new reality.

"Yes... it’s my first day," Ren replied with a calm voice, despite the internal tension. "I hope I adapt well."

Saki, noticing the tone of the conversation, let out a carefree laugh and intervened.

"Yuki is a really calm girl, you don’t need to worry about her," Saki said with a wide smile. "I think she just needs some time to get used to it."

The girls around Ren and Saki started laughing softly, and Ren felt a momentary relief when he saw the mood seemed to calm down. The expressions of the girls, once curious and investigative, softened, and they began to smile in a friendlier way.

One of them, with long brown hair and yellowish eyes, smiled at Yuki, clearly trying to be welcoming.

"Well, since you’re new, I’ll give you some important information..." she said with a soft tone, but with a hint of seriousness. "Things here can be... a little intense at first. So, it’s better to stay alert."

Another girl, with her hair tied up in a messy bun and a look of always being on alert, added, with a light nervous laugh:

"Oh, yeah, for sure. First off, keep an eye on the Princess of the Red House. She’s... complicated. If you get in her way, you might regret it."

Ren raised an eyebrow, a bit confused, and the girl with the bun continued with a laid-back smile.

"She’s super popular, gets whatever she wants, and worse, she has an 'explosive' personality. The Ice Monarch is also problematic, as they call her. Better avoid trouble with her."

The girl next to the first one, with an expression like she was enjoying the stories, then joined the conversation.

"And don’t forget the psychopathic prodigy of the first year... Yurei or something like that. She seems cute, but her temperament... let’s just say it’s interesting. She’s made some people disappear on campus. Not literally, of course, but... you’ll understand."

The girls laughed lightly, as if it were a funny and absurd story, but Ren’s gaze became more serious.

Saki, who had remained silent until then, looked at Ren with a mischievous smile, as if she were observing his reaction.

"Don’t worry too much, Yuki," she said casually. "Things might seem a bit scary at first, but trust me, you’ll get used to it. And if those girls mess with you... well, you have me to protect you! After all, I’m an expert at... giving a few 'touches' when the situation calls for it."

The girls around, noticing the interaction between the two, just smiled amiably and nodded, as if everything was already settled. They seemed to know that the dynamic between Saki and Ren wouldn’t go against their desires to conquer territory.

"Yuki", on the other hand, continued to chew the rest of her food, trying to process the information he had just received. With each word spoken by the girls, he felt the weight of her situation. Ren was trapped in a game whose rules he didn’t even understand, with pieces and moves he still didn’t know how to interpret.

The meal continued with more conversations, but for Ren, the sound of laughter and comments around him seemed distant, as if he were in another place.

After finishing her meal, Saki stood up with a sigh, rubbing her eyes and letting out a small yawn. She was visibly tired, clearly more focused on the comfort of her bed than the conversations around.

"Well, I’ve said enough for today. Now, I’m going to run to my savior and beautiful bed," Saki said with a lazy smile, already walking away from the table. "Are you staying here, Yuki? Won’t you rest a bit too?"

Ren looked at Saki, who was already walking away, and thought for a moment. Although the idea of resting was tempting, he felt him shouldn’t give in to comfort so soon. It would be better to explore the dormitory a little more, maybe find something or someone who could help her understand better how things worked at this school.

"I think I’ll stay a little longer. I’ll look around," Ren replied, more to himself than to Saki.

Saki gave a wink before leaving, leaving Ren alone in the common area. The girl looked around, feeling a slight unease in the air. The space seemed enormous, with various corridors and doors leading to different areas of the female dorm. Every detail of the place seemed designed to provoke admiration and a certain discomfort.

He walked down the long walls, his steps echoing slightly as he tried to familiarize himself with the environment. Without realizing it, him bumped into someone.

"Ah!" Ren exclaimed, trying to compose himself.

The girl in front of him was an imposing presence. Her red hair shone like flames, a vibrant and overwhelming, as if illuminating the hallway around her. She wore the same uniform as Yuki, but with a clear difference: a badge with a large "S" printed on it, visible on her chest, marking her level - S, the highest.

Ren was frozen for a moment, observing the girl with the red double tail that moved smoothly, as if it had a life of its own. The girl's bust was prominent, and her eyes, a piercing golden hue, looked at Ren with an overwhelming intensity. The girl's gaze seemed capable of piercing his soul.

The girl looked at Ren with a subtle smile, as if evaluating "her", and then said, in a soft voice, but full of authority:

"You... must be new." The girl smiled, a smile that seemed more like a mark of superiority than any friendly gesture. "I am the Princess of the Red House. Don’t forget that."

Yuki swallowed nervously, trying to hide his unease. The Princess of the Red House seemed to have no interest in being friendly, quite the opposite. Her golden eyes glinted with a calculating coldness, as if she were deciding what to do with "Yuki".

She took a step forward, getting even closer, and her words were like a cutting blade:

"And I wouldn't show mercy even to angels, you know?" she said with a arrogant smile.

"This place is not for everyone. Be strong or fall to your knees, it doesn't matter. I... don’t have time for weaklings."

Her tone was clear, and Ren felt the weight of the threat in her words. The Princess of the Red House seemed to enjoy Ren's discomfort, as if she were testing his resistance, provoking him with her words. Ren stood frozen, not knowing how to react.

Without another word, the girl walked away with an almost supernatural grace, the sound of her steps echoing down the corridor. Ren remained still, motionless, trying to process the encounter.

The figure of the Princess disappeared around the corner of the hallway, leaving Ren alone, with a racing heart. The girl’s piercing gaze still burned in her mind.

"-!"

".....this can only be hell."