Acquainted

"You'll have a roommate this year."

The sentence lands in the center of his chest, feeling like a bug in his processing-an annoyance shy of justifying a fix. Luka blinks, double-checking that he's wearing his glasses.
He wasn't expecting this. The housing system was supposed to place him in a single dorm, just ike last year. Quiet. Predictable. Functional. His. Now, it's none of those things.

A roommate.

It's disruptive.
It's intrusive.

↓↑

"Hey," Mizi says, nudging Ivan lightly with her shoulder. "It's just college. You're not, like, disappearing forever. We'll still see you all the time."
Sua joins them, brushing a stray strand of hair from Mizi's forehead before turning her gaze to Ivan. "She's right. You're just a few hours away. And honestly, I think it'll be good for you. You've been ready for this for a while."
Ivan nods absently, his fingers tracing the edge of a textbook on the bed. He doesn't tell them how much harder it feels without Till around, how the idea of starting over in a new place feels heavier when there's no familiar melody to anchor him.