The rent is cheap. The hot water is disputed. An ordinary semester is out of the question.

Twenty-one-year-old university student Ren arrives at Lavender Hall looking for an affordable room of his own. He finds an aging manor, unusually opinionated plumbing, and a residence council holding an emergency meeting about his arrival.

Famous for its femboy and futanari residents, Lavender Hall has a charter that turns Ren’s presence into a constitutional event. He is officially the house’s “honored guest.” Everyone is responsible for his comfort and happiness. Everyone also has a very different idea of what that involves.

Five people in particular:

• Sera: The council president, who has a regulation for every occasion and no idea how to ask for help.

• Coco: A pink-haired streamer who lives on camera and can turn a quiet room into a spectacle.

• Yuzu: An endlessly supportive athlete, ready for the pool at six in the morning and far too good at hiding her own exhaustion.

• Mimi: An artist of few spoken words, mercilessly funny messages, and closely guarded sketchbooks.

• Bianca: An heiress with expensive tastes and a sharp tongue, who would rather make an invoice disappear than admit she did something kind.

At Lavender Hall, laundry becomes a ceremonial contest, dinner becomes a kitchen disaster, and a pillow fight becomes a matter of historical precedent. As the Midwinter Ball approaches, rivalries intensify, flirtations deepen, and conversations grow more personal once the corridors empty.

But the old house faces an uncertain future. A proposed merger, strained finances, and outside expectations threaten the life its residents have built together. Somewhere between shared meals and late-night confessions, Ren becomes attached to its peculiar routines, closely held secrets, and people who refuse to give up on one another.

Welcome to Lavender Hall. Your room is ready. The meeting about you has already started.