By the dorm.

(chapter originally by Misayaka on writing.com)

Fuuka was tired, afflicted with a perpetual blush, and her muscles were sore all over from covering her most intimate extremities... but she reached the dorm in record time. No one had actively seen her, only maybe one person with a dog had even been in her path, and at best they got a very surprised double-take out of the encounter before she was out of sight. She sighed deeply, and looked over the towering dorm. There was no more time to delay. She reached up, whispered a silent prayer to any deity that might have been listening, then pulled on the door.

It opened.

Fuuka felt a instinctive shiver from the cool gust of AC that greeted her, but it opened!

"Thank you... thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Her head tilted upward with whispers of profuse appreciation.

Her nightmare was finally over. Fuuka hurried inside, pulled the door shut behind her... only to realize the inside was pitch black.

Then all the lights clicked on, Fuuka saw a bright array of decorations, and then her heart sank.

"Surprise!" With her hands frozen against the door, the last thing Fuuka saw before blacking out amidst the perplexed faces of her colleagues was the cheerful 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' banner stretched out across the ceiling.