I crossed my legs and leaned my head back on the couch of the Green Wolves Dormitory's lobby. It had become a comfortable place to rest right after classes. Not only was the dormitory close to the course building, but it also had people who rarely visited it. Apparently, all of the seniors had been corrupted by the muscle seniors, while the juniors were busy trying to make friends or with their course, mostly their course.

"Say, isn't this place strangely cozy?"

"Huh? Oh, Y-yes... it is."

The listless words that were intended for the system ended up earning an answer from someone else. I slightly raised my head and lowered my gaze to see a young man staring at me. He bowed lightly when my gaze met his, sending a ripple down his black hanfu. I slowly stood up and returned the bow.

Aaah, embarrassing. That was quite an embarrassing start!

"Nice to meet you, I am Ralph." I decided to just get done with this, completely ignoring the whole 'cozy place' vibe I had mistakenly built up. Thankfully, the man across me seemed to not pay it much heed and smiled back.

"Jin Xuefeng. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Um..." My eyes fell on the mug in front of me. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Oh, I am sorry. I am not interested in men."

"Oi this runt."

Jin Xuefeng innocently tilted his head to the side.

"Look, I am just being nice." I thought it fine to not bother with him much.

"In that case, I'll take the coffee." Jin Xuefeng interrupted without missing a bit. "Please add only two sugar cubes, and I like mine with some cream."

"Punk," I clicked my tongue but decided to comply. "Fine, take a seat."

{Wow, host is being pushed around?}

Jin Xuefeng sat on the single-seater couch in the lobby, the one next to the couch I had made my own. He crossed his legs and smiled at me again, his gaze asking me to get on my way. Fine.

I nodded and walked over to the kitchen without much thought. A cup, the coffee machine booted up. Next was to fulfill his requests just as he asked. While I was well on my way to a breakthrough in culinary arts, nervous footsteps sounded behind me.

I turned slightly to see the brown-haired glasses-clad classmate of mine.

"Ralph..." the boy said. His name escaped me, but he was in my class for sure.

{I forgot too}

As if reading my mind, the system swooped in at the right time. This useless bastard, why was a 'system' forgetting things?

{I am very sorry. I'll melt myself in a kerosene stove}

Was it really reading my mind here?

"Who is that coffee for?" he asked.

"It'll be for you if you speak too much." I threatened back nonchalantly.

The guy nodded and stood beside me quietly. Fine. I finished up with the coffee and placed it on a coaster. Clearing up the salt, Tobasco, red chillis, mushrooms, and dish soap was something I just left for later.

{This bruno better not let the cat out of the bag}

Wow, insulting someone's hair color? That was a new low for the system.

"Hey, bruno," I said. "Better not let the cat out of the bag."

The bruno only nodded. "Name's Odis." He said something like that, but I ignored it.

Plastering a wide smile like that of the kindest of priests, I walked back to the lobby with the coffee in my hand. Jin Xuefeng smiled again.

"Oh, thank you very much," he said as I placed the cup in front of him before taking a seat. That other guy also naturally took a seat adjacent to Jin Xuefeng, and the two of them greeted each other with a nod.

"Know each other?" I asked.

"We are... protein shake buddies...?" the other one replied.

I prayed for them in my heart. Our seniors were too eccentric.

Nodding at them, I pushed my head back and looked at Jin Xuefeng from the corner of my eyes.

He lifted the cup up to his lips. It tilted slightly, and the coffee flowed down to his mouth.

Jin Xuefeng closed his eyes and placed the cup back down on the table. He swallowed the coffee surprisingly without raising a fuss.

I smiled and watched.

Would he still be able to keep it up when a piece of mushroom laden with dish soap touched him?

Jin Xuefeng slowly leaned over to the other guy next to him and formed a funnel around his ears.

"Hey, Odis." For all the actions of secrecy, I could hear everything. "I think Sir Ralph might be a little slow. He put in a lot of other things instead of sugar and cream." Saying that, Jin Xuefeng showed me a pained smile and picked up the cup again.

FUCK.

THIS GUY.

"Hmm..." At that time, the other guy suddenly spoke up. He pointed at me first. "An insane bastard."

Then, at Jin Xuefeng. "A complete idiot."

Lastly, at himself. "A super smart and admirable guy."

"Don't we have the best combination for a power trio right here?"

Oh god, another one? I thought he was gone when registering, but he was already beyond help.

"Power trio? What for?"

"To peek over in the girls' dorm of course."

Jin Xuefeng put down his cup. I stood up from my seat. For now, this annoying guy looked rather reliable.

The two of us beat down that third one black and blue.

Such was the beginning of a friendship that lasted me a lifetime.