Under detailed instructions, I arrived at the dormitory area and successfully located the room assigned to me. The sensor on the sliding door scanned my biometrics and, upon confirming my identity, parted to either side--I was fairly certain I didn't want to know why my biometrics were in the database.

I'd been told that normally, the dorms were shared by two, so I'd probably have a roommate from the same grade. Suppressing all curiosity, I resisted the urge to speculate about what my roommate might be like, trying to keep an open mind as I embarked on this new chapter.

Upon entering the room, I was greeted by the sight of a shirtless deer, using a towel draped over his antlers to wipe his face. He had probably just finished showering, I thought, glancing at the sliding door that presumably led to the bathroom, though I saw nothing that could confirm my assumption. Noticing my arrival, the deer paused, slowly looked me up and down, and then furrowed his brow as if uncertain whether he was seeing things correctly.

I pushed aside any feelings of hesitation or offense, convincing myself that the body language of herbivores must convey entirely different meanings.

"I'm Richter. Nice to meet you!" I said, wagging my tail slightly as I extended my right hand toward the deer.

"The gray wolf... right?" But he merely stared at my hand without moving. "You can take the other side of the room; I've already set my stuff up." He hung the towel back up and pulled out a white T-shirt that looked similar to the one Koutetsu wore.

Alright, I guess not every deer is going to be warm and welcoming.

I glanced over at the "other side" of the room while mentally compiling a list of things I'd need to print out.

Taking up most of the space was a desk terminal with numerous drawers, topped by a large, very comfortable-looking bed. At the foot of the bed, next to a set of stairs, was a full wall of cabinets, filled with even more drawers. I recognized the unique tracks between the drawers as part of a seven-piece modular storage unit, a fun piece of furniture that could be rearranged to create different storage configurations. I'd only ever seen them in certain lecture halls before, and I'd always wanted to play around with one.

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I heard the deer moving behind me, and my curiosity got the better of me. I turned to look at my roommate.

"Do you have a problem?" he asked coldly, glancing at me as he closed the cabinet.

"I...," I started, trying to curb the bizarrely intense curiosity that had taken hold of me. "I was wondering how you... put on clothes." I pointed to the space above my own head, hoping he'd understand what I meant.

The deer didn't say anything; he simply pulled the collar of the T-shirt wide, lifted one leg and slipped it through, then the other. He then tugged the shirt up to his torso and pushed his arms through the sleeves.

"Does that answer your question?" If he were a wolf, I'd be sure he was mocking me.

"Oh, the shirt's a lot stretchier than I thought!" I replied in the most upbeat tone I could muster. The deer didn't react, simply tidying up a few items before sitting down at the desk.

I turned back to the other side of the room, trying to find a good spot to place Gray Snow. The cabinets didn't seem wide enough, and I didn't have time to figure out how to rearrange the modular storage unit, so I decided to hang it up for now.

"Is that a sword?" The deer's voice came from behind me.

I hadn't expected him to take an interest in my sword, but from the tone of his voice, it didn't sound like the admiration Koutetsu senpai* had shown. After securing Gray Snow, I turned around to see the deer still in the same position, sliding something across the desk without even glancing in my direction.

"Yes, it's a hand-and-a-half sword." I scratched my ear, beginning to wonder if my social skills needed a complete overhaul. I should probably ask Koutetsu senpai later; herbivores must have their own way of communicating--probably?

"Is it a status symbol or something? I thought it was an Imperial custom," he said, his tone turning somewhat... unfriendly when he mentioned the Empire. "But my Senior Mentor is a dog, and he doesn't carry a sword, though some dragons do." He continued fiddling with the terminal, speaking in an offhand manner.

"Oh, it's not entirely unrelated to status." I suddenly realized that even here, most of the people in my grade probably knew nothing about psychic. Someone like me, who had received training, was definitely in the minority. "But I might be running out of time. We can talk more later!"

"You're going for your assessment?" he asked blandly, resting his chin on his right hand. "Good luck."

"Thanks!" I replied. The deer's ear twitched slightly, and he slowly turned his head, fixing one brown eye on me, as if contemplating something.

Was this a cultural difference?

But I really had taken too much time, so I quickly apologized and left the room.

Aside from a bit of awkwardness, this went much more smoothly than I had expected. There would be plenty of time later to get to know each other better. My roommate was a deer--I could never have imagined this a year ago.

I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, and even my steps grew lighter. So many unknown possibilities--what surprises would the future hold for me? With eager anticipation, I continued on to the next step.