It was supposed to be just another regur school morning. You know—drag your feet, fake alertness, maybe survive gym.

  But then again, nothing is regur anymore when you live with a levitating mute girl, a dropkicking sarywoman, a tarot-obsessed president, and a mother who thinks rent money is optional if there’s sake.

  So naturally, the moment I stepped onto school grounds, chaos greeted me like a nosy aunt.

  ?

  People were swarming around the courtyard—more specifically, around Arina Cherrylin.

  There she stood, in her usual pristine uniform, smiling like a divine being descended to grace the commoners. Girls were literally whispering prayers hoping to get a peek into the student council room.

  “She’s doing tarot today?” one girl said, clinging to another.

  “Only if you’re on the list… which I’m not,” the other pouted.

  Someone sighed, “I’d give up my winter break if I could get her to tell me when my crush’s heart chakra aligns with mine…”

  I did my best not to look her way.

  Eyes forward. No distractions.

  But of course—

  “Oi.”

  Two massive shadows fnked me like twin eclipses.

  I looked up.

  Two guys. Easily 6’3”. Built like refrigerators with faces. Matching bzers. Identical dead stares.

  “You’re being summoned,” said the one on the left.

  “By Cherrylin-sama,” said the one on the right.

  I blinked. “I think I’ll pass.”

  They didn’t respond.

  I turned to walk away.

  They coughed. At the same time. Like synchronized human warnings.

  A chill crawled down my neck.

  Fine.

  ?

  The student council office smelled like incense, expensive leather, and high-stakes secrets.

  Arina sat at a table, cards id out in front of her like a battlefield of fate. Two girls sat across, whispering nervously.

  “Three of Cups,” Arina said with a small smile. “Your friendship will be tested this week, but if you remember why you bonded, you’ll survive it.”

  The girls nodded as if receiving the meaning of life.

  Once they left, Arina motioned to the seat across from her.

  I hesitated. “This is… unnecessary.”

  “Sit. The universe is loud today.”

  “I’m louder.”

  She gave me a look. I sat.

  She shuffled the deck with delicate precision, eyes closed. Calm. Focused.

  Then she drew.

  “The Fool. Reversed,” she said softly. “You’ve been running. From someone. From yourself.”

  “Rude.”

  She kept drawing. “The Moon. Secrets hidden in pin sight. And…”

  She drew the final card.

  “…The Tower.”

  I stared. “What, am I gonna get hit by lightning?”

  “Not literal lightning,” she said. “More like unexpected shifts. Possibly physical. Possibly spiritual. But definitely… impactful.”

  “You guys ever draw the ‘Take a Nap and Everything Will Be Fine’ card?”

  She smiled. “Rare. But I’ll look out for it.”

  ?

  When I got home, I changed and went looking for Mogi.

  Found her in the back hall staring at the mop bucket like it owed her money.

  “Come on,” I said, waving her over. “Help me clean. If you’re gonna live here, you gotta contribute to the madness.”

  She followed me quietly.

  And then, of course—started floating. Again.

  This time she wasn’t the only thing levitating.

  So was the water.

  I stared at her. “Mogi. Stop floating the water.”

  She tilted her head. Then floated it higher.

  “Seriously, girl—walls. Buckets. Gravity. Let’s py nice.”

  No response. Just wide-eyed rebellion.

  I tried to grab a sponge mid-air, flicking it toward the wall to mop before things went cosmic.

  I sighed. “I need to tell Ms. Kase before she walks in and faints.”

  Too te.

  ?

  “Seems like the other tenants will figure out Mogi’s gifts sooner than you expected,” came Arina’s voice.

  I spun around.

  There she was. Leaning in the doorway, arms crossed.

  Mogi slowly rotated in mid-air with a smug expression like she was proving her worth.

  “I told you,” Arina said. “My tarot readings don’t lie. People like Mogi exist. And Baja… she’s far more powerful than she lets on.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “So what’s the card that expins you snooping around while I’m trying to mop?”

  “Weekly horoscope,” she said, unfazed. “You’ll want to read it. Important things ahead. Stars are aligning.”

  “Stars can wait. I’m cleaning. And cooking. Unless the horoscope says you’re doing dishes tonight.”

  “I’ll take Mogi, then.”

  “Don’t mess with her,” I warned. “She might turn your water into snowfkes.”

  Arina smiled and led Mogi down the hall like a floating balloon pet.

  ?

  I finished cooking—rice, fish, a side of pickled veggies—and washed up fast so I could get to my ptop.

  Because now it was time for the part I hated most.

  Tenant browsing.

  I logged into the app.

  New applicants had arrived.

  Three profiles.

  One with no image. One with a photo of a ferret. One with a default silhouette and the name: “Bliss Y. Chanter.”

  I groaned. “I already hate this.”

  Still, I was expected to go out that weekend and “find new members,” like some twisted version of Pokémon trainer meets slumlord.

  Mom’s words echoed in my head.

  “Use the app. But be careful. Baja said some profiles aren’t verified.”

  Baja always says stuff like that after the danger’s in the house.

  And Christmas was right around the corner.

  Snow. Decorations. Magic in the air.

  And I was sifting through application profiles that looked like they were written by vilins trying to rebrand.

  ?

  I sat back, stared at the screen, and muttered:

  “Please. Let the next tenant be normal.”

  Somewhere in the shrine, something crashed.

  I closed the ptop.

  Yeah.

  Right.