It had been two weeks since I moved into the dormitory. During that time, I also started my first year as a middle school freshman.
"It makes no sense—who the fuck would want to live in a haunted mansion, even for free?!" I shouted into the air, my voice echoing through the empty yard. Still, I kept sweeping the fallen leaves from the front yard like some kind of underpaid groundskeeper.
The job was tougher than it looked. Just keeping the place clean didn't count as "renovation," so technically, I could still try to find someone willing to move in.
The real issue? It was a girl's dormitory!
I sighed and muttered, "No normal guy would touch this offer with a ten-foot pole. And a girl? Forget it—no one trusts a free room in a creepy mansion straight out from Survive Five Days at Diddy!" I yanked a weed from the grass and growled, "Motherf—should I just start the renovation already?"
At first, I tried offering the room at a cheap rate, thinking at least someone would bite. But nope. Not a single message.
Today, I got desperate. I put up a sign at the front gate—"FREE ROOM AVAILABLE." No discounts, no gimmicks. Just free fucking real estate. Guess what? Still nothing. Not even a nosy neighbor.
So, I kept cleaning and maintaining the dorm, hoping for someone foolish—or desperate—enough to take the bait.
Today was special, though. I switched the knob to the other world. It was still modern Japan, but the dorm's location had shifted from the outskirts of Hachioji to smack dab in the heart of Minato.
Big change—closer to the city, more foot traffic, and best of all, right near Shuchi'in Academy. Sure, it's a fancy private school for rich kids, and yeah, that ties back into this whole mansion's original purpose. But even with all that going for it, the place is still fucking useless until I fix it up.
Still, I figured this world might finally give me something.
It was Saturday, and I spent the day scrubbing every inch of the mansion. The hours passed quietly until the sun began to set.
"I should probably check the materials too later," I muttered. "Most of them will probably need to be imported."
In the common room—furnished with plush sofas, a dining table, and an open kitchen—I poured myself a glass of water.
Ding dong~
The doorbell rang.
Probably Eri again. But hold up—I'd switched the knob. Maybe…
I walked over to the intercom, trying to hide my weird mix of hope and dread.
On the security camera, I saw a girl I didn't recognize. Long purple hair tucked under a hat, white hoodie, black backpack. Still, I kept my expectations low.
"Are you lost, Miss?" I asked through the intercom.
She looked up at the camera, eyes bright. "Nope. I saw the sign about the free room. Thought maybe it was my lucky first day in Tokyo. Is it really free?"
My eyes widened. I couldn't hide the excitement in my voice. "Yes! It's not a prank."
"Great!" Her face lit up with this adorable, eager smile.
I buzzed open the gate and watched as she stepped inside.
A moment later, she knocked on the door. When I opened it, she walked in, wide-eyed.
"Whoa! So fancy…" she said, glancing around at the high ceilings and antique furniture. "Oh, hello. I'm looking for the owner."
"I'm the owner."
"Eh? For real?"
"For real," I said, clearing my throat. "If you're still interested, please come in for a quick interview."
She tilted her head and smiled. "I guess that's fine. Okay~"
And just like that, she stepped inside, carefree as fuck. I couldn't help but worry a little.
Still, we sat down at the dining table in the common room, facing each other.
As she kept admiring the interior like a wide-eyed tourist, I cleared my throat to get her attention.
"So, let's start with introductions," I said, trying to sound more professional. "I'm the owner of this dormitory. My name is Yamada Sasaki. Born in Kyoto, just moved here recently. Pleasure to meet you."
She paused, then reached up and removed her hat. And the moment her eyes met mine—I felt something. Like a shift in the air.
"Um... nice to meet you, Yamada-san," she said politely. "I'm Hoshino Ai. I'm from Nagano... and trying my luck here in Tokyo. Oh—and I just turned fifteen."
I froze. 'That Hoshino Ai?' I thought, instantly flashing back to the iconic pop idol mom.
I hadn't recognized her at first. This version of Ai was different.
"Owner-san?" she said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I cleared my throat again. "Alright. Before we begin the interview, I want to be upfront. This dorm isn't affiliated with any school or university… yet. It's not on any official housing list. You probably get it a little why it's free."
She nodded. "I see. I don't understand. But I don't mind. As long as I have a roof over my head and it's not too far from downtown, I'm fine. Honestly, finding this place feels like a miracle."
"I see... And which school are you attending?"
"I'm not attending any school right now."
I kind of expected that.
"So," I said gently, "you're saying you just arrived in town. Are you... running away from home?"
She stared at her lap, fingers clenching her pants. "…Yes. The truth is, I ran away from the orphanage. Is that going to be a problem?"
I gave a wry smile. "Legally speaking, yes. Technically, it's a crime to shelter a minor without permission from a guardian or legal rep."
She looked up, voice steady. "Please don't worry. I don't have any parents. My dad left us long ago. My mom got caught stealing and went to prison. After that, I was placed in an orphanage. But when she got out, she never came back for me. So... I left. I had nothing to lose."
Dad went for milk. Mom got caught looting. A literal tragic heroine backstory.
I studied her face. Her eyes sparkled with quiet determination. She looked tougher than she probably felt—but I could see through that mask.
"You know," I said slowly, "even if the room's free, why should I give it to you? I'd be risking a lot by taking in a teenage runaway."
Her lips trembled for half a second, but she covered it fast. "Don't worry. I'll repay you someday."
"Oh?" I leaned forward, fingers steepled. "How?"
"Because…" She put a hand to her chest. "I'm cute."
"…I beg your pardon?"
I gave her the flattest stare I could manage. She wasn't wrong—but saying it with that much confidence and zero shame totally threw me.
"Don't worry, Yamada-san," she added quickly. "Actually, I met a strange man in Shibuya. He offered me a spot in his idol group. I didn't say yes—I was scared. But now… I feel like this is my only shot. So please, give me that room. I swear I'll succeed."
In short: trust me, bro.
But looking at her now… The air around her shimmered. Not literally, but it felt like it. Her smile had that raw ambition, that spark you only see in people right at the start of something great.
Yeah. She's a heroine for a reason.
I didn't say anything. I just pulled a room key from my pocket and placed it on the table.
"You can have Room 1, Hoshino."
Her eyes lit up. "Thank you, Yamada!" Then her expression shifted, worried. "But… what if you get in trouble for this?"
"Oh? You mean for giving a minor a place to stay?"
She nodded.
I laughed. "Well, I'm a minor too. Just started middle school this month. Hahaha!"
"Hm?" Ai tilted her head. "I see, um, can I ask one more thing?"
"Go ahead."
"Why is it free? Like… is there a reason?"
I hesitated. "Let's just say I need feedback before I start renovating the place."
A lie. But I said it with enough seriousness to hopefully kill any suspicion.
"Ooh, I see~" she said cheerfully. "Well, it's free, so I don't really care~ Hehe~"
Truth was, I was sweating bullets inside. Please don't dig too deep, I silently begged. The last thing I wanted was to seem shady giving away a free room in a spooky-ass mansion.
"Then, how about checking out your room first?"
"Sure!" Ai jumped up, buzzing with excitement.
We headed down the left wing, passing through a hallway that used to be glamorous. Ai glanced around at the ornate wall décor and tilted her head. "Why are there so many headphone drawings on the walls?"
I chuckled. "You're too young to understand."
"Huh?" She looked at me like I was the younger one.
"Anyway, this building has eight rooms per floor," I explained. "There are four stories total. And there's a mirrored wing on the right side for the boys. The room we just left? That's the common area."
Ai looked curious. "Then… where do you sleep?"
"My room's on the third floor of the central building. That floor also has guest rooms—like for teachers, in case a school sends a guardian. Anyway, here we are. Your room. Cleaned it myself, top to bottom."
I opened the door.
"Whoa… it's big."
We stepped inside. I opened another door to the right. "Each room has its own bathroom. It's about the size of a standard 1LDK, but with an old-money aesthetic. What do you think?"
She nodded eagerly. "I like it!"
We came back out into the main room.
"You've got a queen-sized bed, furniture suited for girls, and a big window for plenty of fresh air."
After giving her time to take it all in, I showed her a few more areas before we finally circled back to the living room.
"Well, that's the tour. Some facilities—like the indoor hot spring—aren't available yet. But if you ever change your mind, I won't take it personally."
Ai giggled. "Unfortunately, I doubt I'll find another free room this nice. I'm totally fine with everything. Haha—I don't have the luxury to be picky."
I smiled at her answer. Then something clicked in my memory.
"Wait—we almost forgot something. Come with me."
---
(Hoshino Ai)
Damn, this place is seriously suspicious! What if this boy is just a front for something worse? What if there's someone else pulling the strings—and I end up the lead in a true crime documentary? This is exactly how it starts in all those serial killer movies!
But I don't have money. I don't have anyone to take me in. This might be my only shot to survive.
'Atta girl. You can do this.' I cheered myself on, forcing a smile and hoping to God this wasn't a trap.
"Wait—we almost forgot something. Come with me."
After the room tour, Sasaki said that. My blood went cold. What now? The torture room? The hidden basement with a drain in the middle?
I followed him anyway.
The boy—shorter than me, surprisingly—led me down a hallway. My nerves were going haywire. Everything inside me screamed danger, but my legs kept moving.
"Uh…" I muttered, glancing around. We were near the entrance again.
"I want to show you this," he said, gesturing proudly to a weird-looking doorknob.
"I see..." I stared at it blankly. "Nice design. But… why are there four knobs?"
"Great question," Sasaki replied with a grin. He grabbed the leftmost knob. "Since you agreed to be part of this freaky dormitory…"
Click.
He turned it.
"Follow me."
Suddenly, the view outside the windows changed. I'm not even kidding—just like that, it's snowing.
I gasped. "Is this… real?"
"Yeah. For real," he nodded. Then he tossed me a thick coat and put one on himself. He opened the door.
A burst of freezing wind smacked me in the face. I flinched, shut my eyes, and then peeked. The air stung like tiny needles. My breath fogged up. I slipped on the coat and stepped outside.
The lawn was gone—buried under snow. The blue sky had turned into a stormy sea of gray clouds. I followed him to the edge of the property, heart pounding.
"Look over there..."
He pointed past the hills.
In the distance, I saw it: an old city nestled in the snow, rooftops blanketed in white. A clock tower stood tall over everything like something from a storybook.
"Where… are we?" I whispered.
Sasaki turned to me. "This is the Kingdom of Midgard. That city down the hill? That's the capital."
The cold bit at my cheeks, but I couldn't look away. It was beautiful. Too beautiful to be real.
"It's beautiful, Sasaki..." I said softly. And then, without thinking, I looked at him and smiled. "Thank you—again."
Whatever this was, whatever magic brought me here... I didn't care. I wasn't scared anymore.
I came to Tokyo with no money, no plan, no talent. But I had one thing. The one thing I've always had.
I'm cute.
It's the only thing my mother hated about me.
I never said it aloud before. But I learned early on—being cute drew people in. And scared them, too. I didn't ask for it, but I had it. And people treated me differently because of it.
When I first arrived at Shibuya Station, I was exhausted. I ducked into a café and stupidly spent the last of my money on a fancy drink just so I wouldn't get kicked out.
That's when he approached me.
A man. Said I could be an idol. Said I had "the look." It freaked me out. But deep down, I wasn't surprised. I'd seen that look in people's eyes before. Like they were seeing a product, not a person.
That face—my face—could open doors. And slam them shut.
And yet… this boy. Sasaki. He didn't seem impressed by it. Not at all.
"Is he just bad at hiding it?" I murmured to myself, neck-deep in warm bathwater.
The heat seeped into my bones, chasing away the ache from walking all day. It felt like the first real comfort I'd had in years.
"That boy is different, though..."
I still remembered the interview. How weird it was. How serious he looked. How… grown-up he sounded.
Then a free room. Was he stupid? Or kind? Or just way too rich?
I sighed, got out of the tub, wrapped a towel around myself, and stepped into the room. The walls were old but elegant.
I had never traveled before. Not even outside my hometown. But the view from this window... it's like something out of a fantasy. Snow was falling. I stared at it, mesmerized.
"This place…" I whispered. "What even is this?"
But now, I didn't care.
I walked out toward the living room, towel still wrapped tight. My damp hair clung to my shoulders.
I found him in the kitchen, cooking.
"Oh, perfect timing," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "I just finished tuna and spring onion stew—as a welcome party!"
"Tuna and spring onion stew? Eeeeh~ sounds delicious!" I said, smiling for real this time.
The fireplace crackled nearby, filling the room with soft heat. Steam curled up from the pot in the middle of the table. The scent was rich and comforting.
Sasaki placed two bowls on the table.
I sat across from him and said nothing. I just studied the boy who'd taken me in, who'd shown me snow and another world, who'd asked for nothing in return—at least, not yet. Maybe I couldn't let my guard down completely… but maybe, just maybe, I could learn to trust him.
"Thanks for the food!" I said brightly.
This warmth—this weird dormitory.
Maybe this is what love feels like, in its smallest form.