The road was silent as he walked toward his dormitory, his footsteps sounding louder than they should have.
The school was huge, but with the help of the map, it was easier to find his way.
The buildings looked old, most of them worn out. What stood out even more was that not a single one had more than one floor.
He took a breath. Looking at the trees lining the road, he didn't think they would look the same at night.
Before long, he spotted a long building stretching ahead. A sign outside read North Dormitory, exactly what his room card indicated.
He stopped in front of the first room. Since it was class hours, he didn't expect anyone to be inside. He reached out to open it, but the moment his hand touched the lock, the door swung open.
The lock was already broken. Even if the school was all boys, it was still… he frowned. What negligence.
He stepped inside and scanned the room. It was spacious, with three bunk beds, each paired with a small closet.
He couldn't remember ever sharing a room before, and now there would be six of them. What if they were too different to get along or worse, bullies?
A shiver ran through him at the thought.
Nonsense. What was there to be scared of? This wasn't just a school, it was a disciplinary one. They wouldn't tolerate violence.
Reassuring himself, he walked further in, stopped at a closet, and began unpacking his clothes. When he picked up his blanket, he suddenly remembered how the teacher had reacted.
What was the problem? The blanket was meant to protect him from the cold. If so… did that mean it was useless? Not enough?
Now that he thought about it, the school was in the mountains. Even now, the cold breeze seeped through his skin. They had said to bring a thick duvet, but never mentioned you would freeze without one.
I'm screwed.
He lowered his head, then sighed. Still, it couldn't be that bad.
With that thought, he got up and dropped onto the bed. He pulled out his schedule and began reading.
It didn't take long before he fell asleep without even realizing it.
The door opened. Ethan stopped at the entrance the moment he noticed a figure on the bed. He was no longer in the numbered uniform but in a regular school uniform, looking like any other student.
He pushed his suitcase aside and took another look at the boy on the bed. So they were in the same room.
And he was sleeping during class hours. Ethan shook his head.
Christan suddenly jolted awake, sitting upright as his breath came fast. He wiped the sweat from his neck and face, unsettled by the nightmare he had just had.
"Are you alright?"
Christan turned sharply toward the voice. A silver-haired boy stood there, looking composed in the red uniform. Judging by the luggage beside him, they would be sharing a room.
Wait… sharing a room?
He remembered the comment the guy had made about him earlier in the office. It had annoyed him, even if he hadn't shown it. And now… roommates?
The door burst open again, startling him.
"The right room?" Joshua checked his card once more. "North Room 1."
He looked up at the two inside. "Cool."
What was cool about it? Christan shouted inwardly, not daring to say it out loud. He was already struggling to accept the silver-haired guy and now this one too.
Joshua walked in and placed his suitcase by the closet.
Then Logan entered through the open door and threw himself onto a bunk in the corner.
"Peanut donuts? That guy's trying to kill me!" he grumbled, irritated by his allergy. Then he looked at the others. "Why the hell are all of you here?"
Joshua ignored Ethan completely and walked straight up to Christan."Hey, Chris, where's your bed? I'm taking the one next to you."
Christan blinked, his pupils widening slightly. That was… strange. "Why... though?"
Joshua frowned. "Do I really have to spell it out? We're buddies. Friends!"
"Ah."
The door opened again. Alan froze at the entrance, staring at the scene. His expression twisted then laughter burst out of him, filling the room.
"Why does he always laugh?" Logan muttered.
"What's so funny?" a voice said from behind Alan, casting a shadow over him.
Alan immediately stopped laughing and turned with a grin. "Brother Kai, you're here too?"
A tall blond stepped in, his hair neatly combed. Kai scanned the room with a tight expression. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. All six of us?"
"What? I like this. It'll be interesting," Joshua said with excitement.
Kai stepped further in, still frowning. The idea of sharing a room with five others clearly didn't sit well with him. What was the point of coming to this school if it felt no different from the place he had just left?
Logan suddenly got up. "Where's the washroom?" he asked, already halfway out the door before finishing the sentence.
The bathrooms weren't inside the rooms, after all.
Ethan ignored the commotion and went straight to a closet, beginning to unpack. They were supposed to return to class soon, and he had no intention of missing it.
Kai chose a bed near the window, clearly liking the spot, and began arranging his sheets.
Ethan glanced at Christan, his expression calm as ever. "I won't be using the upper bunk."
Christan raised an eyebrow. What made him think he had a say in that? Still, remembering his promise to avoid trouble, he simply nodded.
Joshua took the upper bunk above Kai. Their bed was close to Christan and Ethan's, so those on the top bunks could easily move between them.
Christan took a slow breath. He hadn't expected any of this, but so far, they didn't seem bad, just not particularly nice either.
Still… he found himself slightly relieved it was them instead of complete strangers, even if he barely knew them.
He had already met his roommates.
Now the question was—
How would his classmates be?