"Looks… small," Sheila noted, taking in the dorm room with a critical eye.

"It's just right. You're the one with abnormal taste," Adrian corrected, walking toward one of the wardrobes positioned against the far wall.

He opened it and found it stocked with female uniforms, inner wear, and everything else that made it abundantly clear this wardrobe belonged to Sheila.

"This is your part of the room," he said, turning back only to find her already sprawled across what he now realized was his bed.

The room itself was spacious—not as large as the lounge they'd been staying in for the past week, but still quite generous for student accommodations. Then again, that wasn't so surprising considering most students here were nobility. The space featured one large room containing two beds positioned at opposite ends, two wardrobes, and various pieces of furniture like tables and chairs, all arranged strategically to create the sense of distinct personal areas in each corner. Attached to the main room was a shared space that functioned as both a kitchen and dining area combined. There was only one bathroom, which they would obviously have to share.

"Sheila," Adrian said suddenly after placing his luggage—which contained barely any clothes—beside the wardrobe he'd claimed as his own.

"What?" she responded without moving from her sprawled position on the bed.

"You've been acting oddly clingy recently. Is there something you want?" he asked directly.

She turned her head to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"...Your jealous behavior and clingy attitude. I just want to know if there's a reason for it," he said again, his expression remaining neutral.

"Jealous? Clingy? Please. I'm just making sure you don't get carried away," she deflected.

"Sure," he replied flatly. "Though mind you, I don't do anything without a reason."

"Like flirting with anything in a skirt?"

"There it is again…" Adrian squinted at her. "Also, everything I do has a purpose. I plan on getting information through distraction, so I would appreciate it if you would sometimes TRY to read between the lines instead of actively sabotaging my efforts."

"So you're saying you were trying to gain something from that admin officer?" she asked, glancing at him sideways.

"Exactly… Though it doesn't matter now. It wasn't that important."

"...Whatever."

Adrian said nothing in response, his cold eyes simply watching her for a long moment before he stood up.

"How about I make something for us to eat," he suggested, and she caught sight of a small smile playing at his lips.

"You can cook?" She looked genuinely surprised by this revelation.

"Well, I only have limited experience, so don't get your hopes up," he said before heading toward the door.

"We're not supposed to buy things with anything other than the ID cards, right?" she suddenly asked.

"...That's right."

"So?" She raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Let me handle that," was his only reply before opening the door and closing it behind him—only to come face-to-face with a young girl standing in the corridor.

"Huh?" The girl looked genuinely shocked to see him emerge from the room.

"Is something wrong?" was Adrian's immediate question.

"...Yes, actually. What are you doing in my dorm?" she asked with a frown.

"Your dorm?" Adrian tilted his head slightly.

"Yes?" she replied, mirroring his confused tone.

"Room 54?"

"Yes, room 54. What are you doing here? I know my roommate, and you're definitely not her."

"I think you're mistaken. Rooms have been reassigned," he clarified before walking away, completely unbothered by the fact that she might try to enter since it required a specific key card anyway.

"That's not possible," she said, stumped by his words, but he was already moving down the corridor.

"Wait," she called out, following after him.

"What is it?" he replied without stopping, his hands sliding into his pockets as he walked through the empty corridor.

"There has to be some kind of error here."

"And that's my problem how?" came his blunt response.

"It… I… Alright, fine. At least help me out."

"What do you want?" He didn't slow his pace, showing not an ounce of interest in her predicament.

"I really like that room, so if it's been reassigned, maybe we can—"

"...Swap?" he completed her sentence.

"Y-yes."

"No."

"Eh?"

"I said no. I'm not an idiot. I know you already know which room you've been assigned to. This whole act is just a tactic to make me swap because you don't like your new room," he said, exposing her scheme as he glanced at her. She actually looked surprised that he'd seen through it so quickly.

"Alright, sorry for acting that way, but I really do like that room. It's been my lucky charm since fourth year," she explained, but he didn't seem the least bit moved by her plea.

He stepped into a teleporter without responding, and she promptly followed him inside.

"I will not swap. Don't waste your time trying to convince me," he said firmly, pressing the down button and waiting.

"Fine, I'll pay you then. Give me your ID number… Wait, come to think of it, are you a new student?" she asked, studying him more carefully now.

"New student?" he prompted.

"I mean, I haven't seen you around here before."

"I am," he confirmed, walking out as the teleporter doors opened to reveal a huge, sprawling hall filled with students moving in various directions.

"Oh, no wonder. Wait—" She stepped in front of him with her hand extended for a handshake. "I'm Violet," she said with a friendly smile.

"Adrian," he answered, but didn't take her hand, simply continuing to walk with both hands remaining in his pockets.

"Wait, that's kind of rude," she protested.

"That's the point."

She frowned at this response, clearly not understanding his attitude.

Adrian walked out of the dorm hall and into the golden rays of the afternoon sun streaming across the grounds.

"About an hour should be enough," he muttered to himself before heading toward the portals that would transport him to the academic city.

There was something he needed to get taken care of while he had the chance.

The crowd around the portals was thick with students from diverse year levels—most were just arriving back to campus, while others like him were headed out into the city.

This was the Elite building, the premier student accommodation on campus.

It had two distinct sections: a front face and a back face.

The front section housed fourth and third-year elite students, while the back section was designated for second and first-years. This arrangement ensured there wasn't much conflict or overlap between the different year levels.

But this Elite building was just one part of the campus housing system. The main dormitory for regular students was located some distance away from here—far less opulent in comparison. Those students typically had to share small spaces with three to four roommates, the standard arrangement for non-elite students.

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