The next morning, Uuzhit came out of his room, wearing a towel and slippers, only to discover the bruised and beaten duo, Asakay and Inyoninko, ready to leave. "You two going somewhere?"

Asakay was stretching, not even pausing as he looked him over. "Don't we got classes?"

Inyoninko glanced over as Asakay continued stretching. As had been pointed out yesterday, Uuzhit was the whitest person in the room. He was also the skinniest and tallest. If he were any skinnier, his ribs, hips and shoulders would protrude and he would resemble a skeleton. With his dark mop of hair and without his tinted glasses, the light bags of his eyes looked darker and dark gray eyes were left squinting at them.

"Yeah." Uuzhit reached down to pull out his phone, only to realize he was just wearing the towel. "But you know. We don't have class til ten this morning." He looked them over. "You two know your classes?"

"Nope."

"Would you mind if we accompanied you?"

He shrugged. "I don't. Originally. That was my intention. Easiest if you just take my classes. But I need to stop by the administration to change my section."

"Ashir!"

"Down boy."

Uuzhit swallowed back a chuckle, looking at the pout on Asakay's face and watching as Inyoninko ignored him, starting her own stretches. He looked Asakay over and shook his head as he headed into the bathroom.

"Yo, yo!" He stopped in the doorway and looked to Asakay. "What time classes end?"

He smiled and leaned back. "It hasn't started."

Asakay glanced at Inyoninko. "Fine. We're goin' to the governor's tonight."

His brows furrowed. "Governor's." He faced them. "For what?"

"She got books." Uuzhit visibly relaxed until Asakay muttered, "And." Asakay looked to Inyoninko. Uuzhit only then noticed the way Inyoninko was studying him. "They've got guests from Maluurzh."

Uuzhit held his breath. He looked away, thinking something over.

"Weren't you invited?"

When he breathed out, he breathed quickly through his mouth. With a glance at the two, he headed back into his room. His towel fell.

"Dude. White butt."

Inyoninko and Asakay moved to Uuzhit's door. Asakay grabbed the towel and held it out to him but Uuzhit had already covered himself with a textbook, holding up his phone and navigating to his messages. When he froze, breath stopped, they knew he had received the same message. Uuzhit straightened slowly, keeping the book against his crotch, eyes lifting to the ceiling, gripping the phone. Dark gray eyes darted over the ceiling. He clenched his jaw, lowering his gaze, looking disturbed as he tried to figure something out. He looked to Inyoninko. "What do you think?"

Asakay looked between them. "What?"

"It's too early to say."

Uuzhit turned his head but stared at nothing. "There can't be," he muttered. "There can't be. It's too soon."

"Too soon?" Asakay looked between them. "For what?"

They looked to Asakay. Before Uuzhit could respond, Inyoninko, calm and indifferent, said, "He thinks the west is making it's move. Tonight's dinner is just for show."

"And? That means?"

Inyoninko was watching Uuzhit. She glanced at Asakay. "We're not enough."

"What?" He looked between Inyoninko and Uuzhit, visibly racking his brain until her words settled in his gut. His head bowed with understanding as his shoulders tensed and bunched up. He looked to Inyoninko and stared at her. "Hug."

She opened her arm to him. He moved over and hugged her, her arm coming around him as she turned her attention to Uuzhit who looked shaken, even on the brink of panicking. Her eyes narrowed the slightest. "If you need a hug," she called out and held open her other arm. "I've got an arm."

It took a moment but when Uuzhit registered her words, he smiled. He almost raised his hand to cover a laugh but he could not put down either the book or the phone. He took a breath and breathed out. Looking over, spotting his towel dangling from Asakay's hand, he threw his phone to his bed, leaned far enough towards them to pluck the towel out and drew it back. He seemed to be thinking of something as he wrapped the towel round his hips. Once secured, he looked to Asakay still wrapped around Inyoninko, his back being patted.

"I hate this country."

She shifted her attention to Uuzhit. Though she thought of something that might be funny, her gaze softened and she mustered a smile, nodding to him. Uuzhit grinned before he could stop it and nodded to himself. He focused on Asakay. Like Inyoninko, whatever he would have said, he held it back. He lowered his gaze. In tiny steps, Inyoninko and Asakay maneuvered out of his doorway, letting him pass. He chuckled as he past them.