CHAPTER 1: Room 210

Alicia stood before the towering dormitory building with a victorious little smile tugging at her lips. Her suitcase was nearly as tall as her leg, and she leaned on it dramatically like it was her exhausted travel buddy who had survived a three-hour journey with her.

“Well, here goes nothing,” she muttered, gripping the handle and striding toward the entrance like she already owned the place.

The first thing she noticed inside was the porter’s desk. Empty. Completely deserted. Typical. She rolled her eyes but didn’t waste energy hunting for help. She had her room number memorized. The school made everyone ballot for spaces online, so she was good. At least, she thought she was.

Dragging her suitcase down the hallway, she groaned, “Arghhh, my goodness!” Her voice echoed in the quiet hall, sounding much louder than she intended. Each corridor looked identical long stretches of endless white doors and silent walls. Not a single human being to point her in the right direction.

She tugged the suitcase behind her like it weighed a hundred bricks. “I really don’t like this,” she muttered, huffing as her sneakers squeaked against the polished floor. By the time she climbed the stairs to the third floor, sweat prickled her forehead and her arm ached from dragging the stubborn suitcase. Two more turns later, she finally saw it 210, neatly etched on a bronze plaque.

Her mood flipped instantly. “Finally!”

She hurried over, knocked twice, but was met with silence. Shrugging, she typed the passcode into the keypad and stepped inside.

Her jaw dropped. “Holy moly!”

The room was bigger than she expected. Sunlight spilled generously through tall windows, drenching the space in a warm glow. The walls were painted a creamy beige that made the place feel almost cozy. Alicia twirled once in the center, giddy. “So spacious! So pretty!”

She shoved her suitcase into a corner and flopped onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. Bliss. Pure bliss. After hours of traveling, she was ready to melt into the mattress forever.

Her sharp eyes roamed across the other side of the room, unimpressed. A lone chair, a pile of folded clothes, and not a single decorative touch. “Hmm. My roommate doesn’t have nice taste… for a girl.”

Then her gaze froze. Her brows furrowed. “Wait. Why is there only one bed? Excuse me? I do not share beds.” She complained with a haughty frown, puffing her cheeks out like a stubborn child. Still, she couldn’t stop the loud yawn that broke free, making her eyes water.

Her protest was cut short by her body’s betrayal, heavy eyelids tugging her down, her limbs sinking deeper into the mattress. Within seconds, she was out cold.

---

BANG!

Alicia shot upright, eyes flying open at the deafening noise. Her heart hammered in her chest. Someone was in the room.

“Why are you in my room?!” she yelped, clutching the blanket like it was her only weapon.

A tall figure stood at the foot of the bed. Gym bag slung over one shoulder. Baseball bat in hand, the same bat, she realized, that had slammed against something to make that obnoxious noise. His expression was sharp, annoyed and annoyingly handsome.

“I should be asking you that,” he said, his voice low and smooth.

Alicia blinked, then narrowed her eyes. “Huh? Excuse me? You’re in a girl’s dorm, bro. So explain why you’re trespassing before I scream.”

He arched a brow, utterly unimpressed. “First off, don’t call me bro. Second, this is my room. And I don’t know how you got my code, but it ends here.”

She gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. “Oh wow. A thief and delusional. Great. Just great. They really should install cameras.”

He scoffed, stepping closer, his presence filling the room. “Delusional? No. You’re the intruder here.”

Alicia’s brain scrambled. Okay, yes, he was ridiculously hot, with arms that screamed gym membership well spent, but that was beside the point. “Listen, mister muscle-tank,” she snapped, fumbling for her phone, “I was allocated this room. It’s on the school website. Do you want proof?”

He sighed, rubbing his temple as though she were the most exhausting problem in the world. “Don’t stress yourself. Go sort it out with the warden. Someone clearly made a mistake.”

Then he dropped the bat against the wall and strode toward the closet like he actually owns the place. Before disappearing inside, he turned back with a bored look and added, “Don’t forget your suitcase.” And then the door shut firmly, leaving her standing there like an unwanted guest.

Alicia gawked at the closed closet door, her mouth hanging open. “Rude. Arrogant. Annoying. And way too attractive for his own good.” She had no choice but to go make a complaint, she dragged her feet grudgingly and stomped toward the exit, dragging her suitcase noisily behind her. “Ugh, my life is already a rom-com cliche just on my first day, isn’t it?”

---

The porter’s desk was finally occupied when she marched back down. Relief flickered only to vanish within two seconds.

“Good evening, sir,” she said with forced politeness, though her voice cracked slightly. “I need to see the dorm warden. There’s a huge mistake with the room allocated to me.”

The porter didn’t smile. His eyes were flat as a pancake. “What mistake?” he asked while ignoring her request.

“My roommate is a guy, and he claims he doesn’t want a roommate,” Alicia blurted, her words tumbling out in frustration.

“Name and room number?”

“Adams Alicia. Room 210.”

He clicked around on the computer, then nodded with infuriating calm. “That’s your room.”

Her jaw hit the floor. “What? With a guy? And with just one bed? No, no, no. I need a change immediately.”

“No more rooms,” he said, monotone. “Adjustments will be made tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Alicia nearly screeched. “Do you know how many terrible things can happen between now and tomorrow? What if he’s some serial killer? What if he’s secretly filming me? What if...”

The porter gave her a look so cold it froze her mid-sentence. The kind of look that said complain one more time and I’ll throw you out myself.

Alicia’s mouth snapped shut. Her anger burned, but there was no winning against a wall like him.

She stormed out of the office, muttering under her breath, “Adjustments? What am I, a broken chair? This school has no conscience ”

"Arghh!!! I still have to drag this suitcase all the way back" She let out a frustrated complain with a light frown.

Dragging her suitcase once more, she trudged back toward Room 210, her thoughts swirling. Each step felt heavier, her mind replaying his bored face, his infuriating tone, and the way his arms looked in that sleeveless shirt.

She groaned, covering her face with one hand. “Why does he have to be good-looking? Couldn’t I at least get stuck with a plain, boring guy? Ugh.”

Still grumbling, she stopped in front of the door to 210, her stomach twisting with a mix of dread and curiosity. This was her new reality, whether she liked it or not.

And judging by the arrogant stranger waiting inside, reality was about to get a whole lot more complicated.