A Ray of Sunshine

I brought my luggage up to my room and set my suitcase on the bed then sighed. "Worst start ever."

I opened my suit case and pulled out a box and opened it. It was a necklace with my gemstone and Zodiac Sign engraved into it. I set it on my nightstand and didn't think too much of it. After all it was a gift from one of my old friends.

As I got settled in, I heard some talking going on outside my room.

"Come on, Rena! It's not right to isolate him! He just got here how do you know he'll do anything bad to us?" Momoko asked.

'Is she defending me..?' I thought to myself as I listened.

"Listen, Four of the seven of us don't trust him. I have to take necessary actions to make sure everyone is happy in the house." Rena said and crossed her arms.

"Everyone or just us women?" Momoko asked and silence followed. "You all can isolate yourself from him but in the end he's gonna need a friend who understands him."

"Do what you want Moko, but just make sure whatever you two do...keep it away from Aki, Suki, and Sayaki. They don't necessarily like him." Rena said and walked into her room.

With that, silence followed suit until I heard my door open and Momoko knocked on it. She looked at me with a cheerful smile, a smile that was like a ray of sunshine.

"Hey new guy. Sorry about all of this. Unfortunately the others other than me, and Mitsuki don't really trust you. Especially Aki and Suki." Momoko spoke then walked over to my stuff. She looked around and held her arms. "When is your other stuff supposed to be arriving?"

"Probably next week." I answered and shrugged.

"Hmm, Oh! Has anyone offered you to show you around the campus? We go tomorrow so I can show you around if that's okay." Momoko smiled.

"I...Yeah that's fine." I said then let a soft smile appear on my face.

Momoko smiled and I could've sworn she was sparkling with joy. "It's settled then!~ See you tomorrow morning!"

"Yeah." I nodded and watched her walk out and close the door behind herself. I sighed softly and sat on my bed. "Maybe...this all won't be that bad.."

The next morning arrives and it's the day that truly starts my new life. It's currently 8:45 and I'm all prepared to go to school. I walk downstairs and noticed Suki, Aki, Momoko, and Sayaki.

"Good morning." I greeted.

"..." Aki didn't say anything to me and just held her arm, looking away.

"Hm!" Suki scoffed and crossed her arms.

"G'morning, Archer." Momoko smiled at me.

"Hey." Sayaki waved.

They really did not like me much at all. It seemed pretty awkward and I sighed softly and rubbed the back of my head. I really felt greeted this morning, is what I said if I was a dense dumbass. Suki and Aki didn't really approve of me living with them and I really felt it. Sayaki was a little neutral albeit she still doesn't trust me, and Momoko didn't really mind.

I remembered the rules and decided to sit at the table. "I'll just wait here or something since I can't walk with you all to school."

"Alright." Sayaki said then walked to the door.

Aki and Suki walked off without saying a word to me. Momoko was checking her pockets and gasped.

"You girls go ahead! I forgot something in my room!" Momoko said.

"Okay, hurry to school because we don't want you being late!" Suki said then left the house.

The others followed behind and I watched Momoko. She walked over to me then grabbed my hand then dragged me to the door.

"Whoa whoa! What the hell?" I said in shock. "Momoko, what the hell are you doing?"

"Walking to school with you! What else?" Momoko said then left the door, dragging me with her.

"I can walk on my own!" I shouted.

With that, Momoko and I walked to school together despite Rena's rules saying we couldn't do anything together. I subtly looked at Momoko and she hummed as she walked with me.

"Why are you doing this? Wouldn't this get you in trouble?" I asked.

"Not really. I mean come on, think about how boring your life would be if you had to live in isolation! I wouldn't wish that on you, you haven't done anything to us and they are already treating you like a criminal just because you're a boy." Momoko said and crossed her arms then smiled at me.

I looked at Momoko then closed my eyes and looked away, slightly flustered by her kindness.

"Anyway, we are here!~" Momoko said and stopped in front of the gates.

"The campus is rather large. I don't think we can explore it all in its entirety." I said.

"True, but I can show you around after school." Momoko said and walked ahead. "Come on, you can sit with us."

"Uhhh I don't think-"

"Come on!" Momoko walked back to me and dragged me with her.

I let out a slight groan as I felt this wasn't going to end well for me. I ended up being forced to sit at the table with Suki, Aki, Sayaki and Momoko. As expected Suki and Aki strayed away from me as best as they could.

"W-Why is HE here?!" Suki protested.

"Y-Yeah, what did he do to you to make you allow him to sit with us?" Aki asked and looked at Momoko with furrowed eyebrows.

"What? He didn't do anything to me. I allowed him to sit with us because it's wrong to isolate him. You all may not trust him because of his sex and gender, but what he is doesn't make him less trustworthy." Momoko said.

"M-Mmph.." Suki grunted slightly.

"Fine, he can sit with us but count your blessings because if it were me, I would've had you sitting on your ass alone!" Aki yelled and pointed at me.

Sayaki lowered Aki's hand then looked at me. "Momoko is somewhat correct. We shouldn't isolate him because he's a boy. I mean it is a share-house, we are all a family there also so we should give him the same treatment."

'And here I thought Sayaki hated me as much as Suki and Aki did. Maybe there is hope for me around here.' I thought to myself.

The bell rang and everyone got up to go to their first period. I walked into the building and went to the front office to get my schedule. I wandered about until I found the correct wing and room number. I noticed a professor standing outside the classroom. The professor looked at me.

"Ahh you are the new student of the university?" The professor asked, speaking japanese.

"Yes. I am the new student." I nodded, answering back in Japanese.

"Oh? You know how to speak Japanese?" She asked, surprised at my ability to speak Japanese.

I smiled and nodded at her. "I've been practicing a lot, so I should be able to hold my own here."

"I see I see, well come on inside. I'll allow you to introduce yourself." The professor said.

I walked into the classroom and noticed I shared a class with Momoko, Sayaki, and Aki. 'Fuck.'

Aki still didn't like me despite Momoko and Sayaki being on my side. I could feel her piercing glare and I'm not even looking at her. I cleared my nerves and took a deep breath then exhaled.

"Hello everyone, it's nice to meet you all. My name is Archer Gray and I am from America. California to be exact. I know I come from a long way and I don't truly understand everything about Japan but I hope we can be friends and I can learn a lot from you all!" I said then bowed.

"Wow...for an American that is some impressive Japanese." One guy said.

"Yeah, so fluent.." A girl spoke.

"Great, now let's see. There is a seat next to Momoko. Momoko can you raise your hand?" The professor asked and Momoko raised her hand. She pointed at Momoko then I nodded and went to my seat.

I sat down beside Momoko and she nudged me. I looked at her.

"Pretty nice, pretty nice. I sense that you'll fit in well." Momoko smiled.

"Hopefully.." I said.

The class period began and it was a new lesson the professor taught. History wasn't my favorite subject but it was tolerable. I didn't really take much notes, but I did take the important bits and let that be the reason. The bell rang and the first period ended. We all collected our belongings and left the class.

"Hey, what's your next class?" Momoko asked.

"It's actually Chemistry at 12:25." I said.

"Nice! I have that class as well at the same time, come on I'll show you around while we have an hour to spare." Momoko smiled.

I nodded then followed Momoko around the campus and she showed me around the campus as much as she could before our class began. Now chemistry, I loved Chemistry because of the projects we got to do in high school. It seemed like it was the same here in College as well. Since I joined late, I wasn't able to participate in the project but my partner was Momoko since her last partner is currently gone...indefinitely. It wasn't that they moved locations or anything, it was just no one knew what happened to him.

As the class went on and I shadowed Momoko for the entire period, the bell rang and it was now time for the Lunch Period. Momoko and I cleaned up and gathered our bags then proceeded to the cafeteria. We grabbed our lunch then Momoko led me not to a table but to the roof. Yeah we ate lunch on the roof.

"So why do you eat here?" I asked.

"Because it's quiet. Nice for reading and taking a nap." Momoko smiled and pulled a book from her bag.

"What book are you reading?" I asked.

"It's called Lovers in a Box." Momoko answer and turned the book over to read the synopsis. "It's basically about a guy who falls in love with one of the seven women and each time he reaches the end with them, a loop will happen and something on the first day will change. It ranges from an item to an entire person. It's essentially a time loop story where he doesn't escape the loop until he's dated all seven women. I'm only on the second volume, and so far it's a little creepy. He has no memories of the past loop and just starts like nothing happens."

"A Time Loop? Like Cat in the Box?" I asked.

"Mhm!" Momoko nodded and smiled at me.

"I see..." I nodded and just got on my phone.

We sat on the roof in silence, but it wasn't awkward silence...it was more of a mutual silence. 30 minutes go by and the bell finally rings. We looked up from our items then stood up.

"Well that was a good lunch~" Momoko smiled.

"I guess." I shrugged.

We walked back to the cafeteria to rinse our dishes and set them on the conveyor belt then walked off. We split ways and I went to the rest of my classes. My last class was Art in which I shared with Mitsuki. I sat beside her at the table which was the only seat available.

"H-Hey Archer...We actually share a class together.." Mitsuki said shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear bashfully.

"Yeah, it wasn't a class I normally would pick since I can't draw but it was one of the easier classes." I said.

"Yeah.." Mitsuki said then fell silent.

I could tell she had no problem with me, but she was nervous around me. I couldn't tell you why since I don't know myself, but she was pretty cute and nice.

The class ended and we all grabbed our bags then left. I walked to the gates and noticed Momoko was waiting for me.

"Coming to walk with me home as well huh?" I asked.

"Of course~ So how was your first day?" She asked as she walked home with me.

"Tolerable." I answered honestly.

"Tolerable? That's it?" She asked.

"I wasn't isolated so I guess we can count that as a good day." I shrugged.

Momoko smiled at me. "As long as it wasn't a bad day that's good! You can expect this to be an everyday thing from now on! I won't isolate you and Mitsuki won't as well. She's the nicest of the bunch, so you'll get along with her as well."

"Thank you, Momoko." I said and smiled.

"No need to thank me, I'm just being me~" She smiled brightly and once again that ray of sunshine beamed on me once more.

𝒯𝑜 𝐵𝑒 𝒞𝑜𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓃𝓊𝑒𝒹...