Summary: When Rei's dad sends her off to boarding school, she ends up being roomed with the school's sex god, Makoto. But he's got a secret: He can travel to another world. When Rei accidentally stumbles there, she doesn't know if he's the villain or the hero! What's a girl to do?

Tera: My first story set in Japan....

Matt: And I'm stuck being her author's note partner. Again.

Tera: Well, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

“Name,” said the secretary behind the large pink bubble coming from her mouth.

“Matsui Rei.” My hands were sweating as I held my bags. The important papers were in my purse and my mother’s picture was safely tucked away in my wallet.

She flicked through papers slowly pushing me ever closer to a nervous breakdown.

I was just starting a new boarding school in Kyoto and, at 16, I was pretty nervous. My mother died not too long ago and my dad’s never home, so he thought it would be better for me to live somewhere else. I didn’t mind, really. I don’t have any friends back home in Hokkaido and the memories of mom were so strong there, even certain roads had me bawling.

But it’s in my nature to worry about everything. I could just tell that my father had forgotten to do something and they were going to have to send me back home. I could tell by the way she had already gotten through half the folders in the file cabinet and still hadn’t found my name.

“Ah, here it is!” She pulled it out triumphantly, blowing another bubble. I sighed with relief. He really hadn’t messed up.

“Wait...you’re Matsui Rei?” she asked glancing from me to the papers. I grew cold again.

“Yes, miss.”

“But you’re a girl.”

You know that feeling you get when you can just tell something’s about to go horribly wrong? Or that you just know that there’s going to be bad news and can tell what it is? Yeah, well, I had that feeling tenfold.

“Y-yes, I am a girl. Rei is usually a girl’s name, miss,” I stammered.

“Hmm, well, they must have had too many girls this year and needed to use some of the boy’s dorms. I’m sure everything will work out. In there’s your map, room assignments, key, and schedule. Breakfast is at eight sharp and dinner is at six. Enjoy your year at Takahashi Preparatory.”

The boy’s dorms? Oh kami, that didn’t sound very good.

Nodding my head, I accepted the folder and heaved my luggage to the elevator. I was surprised (and thankful) that they had one. I managed to find my room and lug my bag to the door.

Opening it turned out to be the worst mistake of my life.

There were clothes strewn on the floor and a large suitcase lay open in the corner.

“Takeshi, there you are, I was wondering–” The boy who had been talking had stepped out of the open bathroom and noticed that I apparently wasn’t Takeshi.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked.

“I-I’m Rei.” Oh god oh god oh god! A boy? For a roommate? Were they insane?

He looked at me and gave me the once over.

“You’re pretty cute. I’m Makoto.” He grinned at me. Suddenly, the room felt very hot. Or maybe it wasn’t the room, maybe it was just me. I could feel my legs turning to jelly as I tried to nod in greeting.

“Please you,” I mumbled. He laughed.

“What was that?”

“Pleased to meet you!” I squeaked. What had come over me? I had never been interested in a boy before! Well, I suppose he wasn’t really a boy. He was tall and sleek, but apparently strong. His dark hair fell into his dark eyes giving him a mysterious appearance. Yep, he was most definitely a man.

“So, Rei, what are you doing in here?” His eyes challenged my own and I needed to look down.

“This is my room,” I said to my feet. Oh yeah, like they were gonna answer me.

“You gotta be wrong. This is my room.” I didn’t even bother pointing out all of his grammatical errors. I knew that if I looked at him, I would cry of embarrassment.

“Well then, I guess it’s our room. My key fits the lock,” I whispered.

He seemed to think about this for a moment, then walked over and lifted my chin up.

“Hey, Rei, are you crying?” he asked softly.

I sniffled and shook my head, wiping my moist eyes.

“Look, it’s not your fault you’re here. We’ll just go down to the desk in the morning and see about getting your room changed. No big deal, ok Rei-chan?”

“Tomorrow morning?” I squealed indignantly.

“Yeah, tomorrow morning. They got their hands full today, everyone’s coming in.”

I sighed and finally set my bag down. “Ok, Makoto-kun. But you’ll need to clean up your mess.” I would not be living in a room full of male belongings even if it was just for one night.

He laughed. “I was gonna, don’t worry!”

Would I get through the night?

---

“What?!” Makoto and I shrieked simultaneously.

“I’m sorry, there are no available rooms.” Mrs. Bubble gum didn’t look too sorry.

“Are you telling me that I have to live with him for a whole year?” I spat at her.

“If someone withdraws, I’ll make sure that your room gets changed, alright?”

“No, it’s not alright. I can’t live with a girl! She’s got her....womanly time of the month that I’ll have to deal with!” Makoto raged.

“What?” the secretary and I both said, turning to stare at him. He sounded as though he was the one who would be in pain, bleeding between the legs for days. He got very uncomfortable.

“I mean, PMS and stuff,” he said lamely, looking anywhere but the two of us.

“You’ll manage it. Now get to breakfast, both of you.” The secretary gave us a hard look and so we sighed and walked off.

“So, roomie-chan, do you shower in the morning or at night?” Makoto asked me as we headed to the cafeteria.

“At night. I’m not a morning person.” Roomie-chan was such a cute nickname for such a handsome guy, so I didn’t think it appropriate to use it.

“Good. I shower in the morning. Keeps me fresh for school.”

Mealtimes, it seemed, were our times to learn about different cultures. This weeks theme was France, so we had crepes. They were quite good, actually. I ate with Makoto and his friends, keeping quiet the whole time, even when they talked to me.

“So what’s up with your hair?” Takeshi, the one who was supposed to be Makoto’s roommate asked.

“I like it,” I mumbled. Since seventh grade, I have dyed my waist-length hair violet. I happen to like it, seeing as my natural hair color is an awful mud-brown. Usually, I wear it in two half ponies on either side of my head with the rest just flowing down my back. Today, Makoto had been badgering me to hurry up, so it was just in one half pony.

“It’s really gonna clash with the school uniforms,”another said. Ugh, tell me about it. What were they thinking when they made the uniform crimson and beige plaid? The shirt was white, but that was it. The skirt and collar were plaid with a crimson tie and crimson knee highs. Can someone say ugly?

“So?” But I wouldn’t let them know that I thought that.

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Makoto was ready to go back to the room. I think I followed him a bit too eagerly because his friends all gave him weird looks. Some even cracked smirks. He had so many of them...I wasn’t used to things like that.

“Roomie-chan, I’m going out for a bit. See you later.”

I looked up from where I was reading on my bed.

“Ok.” When I looked up again, he was gone, though I’d never heard the door open. Maybe I was too engrossed in my book to notice.

I must have been, for when he came back an hour later, I didn’t hear anything open or close either.

“Hey, roomie-chan. Still reading?”

I jumped about a foot in the air.

“When did you get here?” Maybe he was just a quiet door opener.

“Just a few minutes ago. Hey, I brought back some pocky, wanna share?” He dangled the box in front of my face and smirked when I moved so he could sit on the foot of my bed.

I love pocky, but this was the strangest I’d ever encountered. It was the normal pocky shape and my favorite flavor, chocolate with almonds, but the chocolate was, well, purple. And even more delicious than regular pocky.

“Makoto-kun, where did you get this? It’s so different!” I felt so happy, I could’ve flown. But there was nothing to explain this sudden elation, and that worried me.

“Do you like it? I got it from this little place I know.”

“And how did you know this was my favorite?” Really, if he brought me pocky, I think I could learn to love this guy.

“Lucky guess, I guess. So what’s your favorite subject?” I noticed that he had barely eaten any.

“History, I suppose. And foreign language. I’m taking German this year, how about you?”

“I like math. And I’m taking English.”

“Still?” I nearly stopped eating the pocky. Nearly.

“Yeah, I never really caught onto it. It was too hard.”

“I could help you, if you wanted.” There wasn’t much pocky left. Maybe I should eat slower.

“Really? Roomie-chan, that would be great!” He beamed at me, turning my happiness into a dizzying bout of euphoria. Was this alcoholic pocky?

“Makoto-kun, I feel happy. What is this stuff?” I’d never felt this jubilant.

“It’s pocky. An old man’s special recipe. I dunno what’s in it, roomie-chan.”

“Oh.” I have to stop eating. I must I must I must. Well, maybe just one more. Mm, it’s delicious. It melts in your mouth ever so slowly. But really, I need to stop.

“Makoto-kun, why don’t you have the rest? I’m getting full.” Take it away from me! It was too tempting.

“Are you sure, roomie-chan? You seem to like it a lot.”

“Yes, I’m positive. I-if I eat anymore, I’ll get fat.” The excuse was lame, but he bought it nonetheless and finished off the pocky.

“Well, roomie-chan. Since tomorrow’s our first day, we should get some rest. Night, sleep good.” He gathered the mess from the pocky and dumped it in the trash can, then made his way over to his bed by the window.

“Night, Makoto-kun.” I got under the covers and snuggled into them, thinking about how different they were from the bed coverings in my own bed at home.

---

Dear Mom,

I started boarding school today. Takahashi Prep, it’s in Kyoto. Father said that it would be best for me to be around other people instead of being home all the time, but you already know that from my last letter.

They messed up my room assignments and put me with a boy. His name’s Niahari Makoto and he’s really handsome. Tall, too. He’s a pretty nice guy. Today he brought me the strangest pocky I’ve ever had. The chocolate on it was purple! But it was delicious. It made me happy, for some reason. Are you happy mom? I miss you so much, I thought I’d never be happy again. But Makoto’s pocky cheered me up. That’s strange, isn’t it? Maybe it was some kind of sorcery. Haha, but sorcery doesn’t exist, right mom?

Oh well, I’m writing this by flashlight under the quilt because Makoto has the lights out and is trying to sleep. Come to think of it, I’m tired. We got up early this morning to try and get our rooms changed. Naturally, I was sick with tension last night so I got no sleep. So I think I’ll put my pen down and write to you again soon.

Good night, mom, I love you.

Love,

Rei

---

Tera: Soooo? How'd you all like it? Was it good? Was it terrible? Let me know, please!

Matt: Yes, please review!