...The Dorms...

Kaito walked home, a strange weight settling in his chest. Why the hell did that idiot take a class he doesn't even have? he wondered, irritation bubbling up. God… he's such a menace.

The thought of Akuma alone was enough to sour his mood.

He stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Peeling off his hoodie and blazer, he tossed them onto his gaming chair without a care.

Gaming was the side of Kaito no one really knew about. Behind that quiet, aloof exterior, he was a top-ranked player—not just locally, but nationally.Though he always wore a mask to hide his face.

He let out a long sigh as he collapsed onto his bed, eyes softening as they fixed on the slow-spinning fan above.

His mind drifted, as it often did, back to Akuma.

Tsk. What the hell does he want?

Kaito covered his eyes with one arm, clutching a pillow in the other.

With a sharp thud, he threw the pillow at the light switch above his bed's headboard, plunging the room into darkness.

That's when he heard a knock on the door.

"How was class?"

The lights flicked on just as Kaito's stepfather stepped inside.

Kaito flinched at the sudden brightness, groaning as he sat up. His fingers curled around the pillow again, aiming to chuck it at the switch——but his stepfather moved first, calmly placing his hand over it.

"Get up. We need to talk," he said, voice clipped and formal, the same tone he always used. Cold. Commanding.

Kaito didn't respond right away. Just stared.

His stepfather was everything he hated—strict, polished, distant. A constant reminder of everything that changed after his real father's death.His mother's second chance at happiness…His first step into silence.

No matter how many years passed, Kaito never let the man in.And he wasn't planning to start now.

"What is it?" Kaito muttered, eyes narrowing, voice flat and uninterested.

Masaru Hayashi wasn't the kind of man who tolerated attitude. He stepped inside silently, scanning the room with that familiar look of quiet disapproval. His gaze landed on the glowing gaming setup across the table. A scoff escaped him.

"I told you to get rid of this garbage."

His voice was calm, expression unreadable—but his presence carried weight. Kaito didn't bother replying. He got up, peeled his hoodie and blazer off the gaming chair, and tossed them into the laundry basket without looking back.

"I've never asked you to shut down your business," he said coolly as he turned around to face him."Have I?"

Masaru said nothing.

He stood tall, arms clasped neatly behind his back like always—every inch the disciplined, upper-class man he pretended to be.

"You'll be moving into the school dorms," he said at last. "Starting tomorrow."

That did it.

Kaito's eyes flared, rage flickering behind them—but it didn't erupt. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair and let out a long, bitter sigh.

Fine.

If anything, it meant getting away from this cold, glass box of a house.

He scoffed, a grin tugging at his lips—half amusement, half venom.

"Pathetic."

He yanked the gaming chair toward the desk and slammed it into place with a sharp crack of plastic against wood.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday | 12:10 PM

Break had just begun, and with it came the announcement: dorm allocations were now open. Students continuing with on-campus housing could collect their room numbers from the dormitory head.

Unlike public universities, everything here had a price tag—and a heavy one at that. But nothing Kaito's so-called father couldn't afford. Not that he asked for it.

After finishing lunch, Kaito made his way toward the dorm building tucked at the edge of campus. The structure was almost too pretty for student housing—more luxury hotel than a place for sleep-deprived undergrads. Must be the private uni effect, Kaito thought with a shrug. Not that he cared.

The dorm resembled a modern company headquarters, yet had the regal charm of a castle—clean glass panels, stone arches, and ivy climbing the walls like a scene from a period drama. Other students were walking alongside him, the crowd growing heavier by the minute.

Did everyone get kicked out of their houses too? he scoffed silently.

Ten minutes later, he stood at the glass entrance—double doors carved with ornate designs, almost like Cinderella's ballroom entrance. With both hands, he pushed them open, revealing a vast marble hall, the administration counter straight ahead.

He headed to Counter 4, where a neatly dressed woman was already flipping through documents.

He was one of the first to arrive—but soon enough, the room flooded with students. And among them, just his luck: his personal migraine in human form.

Akuma.

He slid into the line right beside Kaito with a little hop, grinning like the devil he was.

"Yo, pretty boy!"

Kaito clenched his jaw but didn't respond. Luckily, the counter lady popped up from her seat before he had to.

"Hello, dear! May I know your year, department, and your age?" she asked, her voice as sweet as her smile.

"Uh… second year, Literature Department, nineteen years old," Kaito replied quickly, eager to get the hell out.

Akuma, not missing a beat, chimed in to the adjacent counter just as fast—same smirk, same drawl.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Kaito received his black keycard from the lady at the counter—who, to her credit, was probably the nicest person he'd spoken to all week. He muttered a thank-you and turned toward the dorm elevator.

The hall had become chaos. Students piled in, dragging suitcases and duffel bags, some excited, some already exhausted. The elevator? A complete nightmare. At least fifteen people were hovering around, waiting for the next lift.

Kaito sighed.

God. Could this day get any better?

Finally, the elevator dinged.

Before anyone could rush in, Kaito slipped through the crowd like a ghost, stepping inside with practiced indifference.

And then—seven more students crammed in behind him.

Kaito turned.

Right in front of him, far too close for comfort, was Akuma.

That smirk—cocky, wolfish—spread across his face like he'd been waiting for this moment all day.

The doors hadn't even closed yet when the pressure of bodies behind them pushed Akuma flush against Kaito. Reflexively, Kaito's hands pressed against Akuma's chest, bracing for space, for air, for sanity.

"God… y-you—!"

"Yes. Me," Akuma replied smoothly, his grin widening.

And that's when it hit him—Akuma was tall. Really tall. Maybe Kaito had known that in the back of his mind, but up close like this?

It felt different.

The elevator shuddered to life and began its slow, stop-every-floor crawl. Students shuffled out one by one, the space opening gradually—until it was just the two of them.

Kaito moved instinctively toward the opposite corner of the elevator.

But he didn't get far.

Two arms slammed against the walls on either side of him, boxing him in.

Akuma leaned in, tilting his head with mock curiosity.

"Leaving already pretty boy?" he asked, voice low.

Kaito crossed his arms tightly, lips pressed into a hard line. He didn't say a word.

But inside, he already knew: Akuma was dangerous—and way too strong for him to deal with right now.

Akuma's face lingered—far too close to Kaito's. His breath was warm, brushing against Kaito's skin in maddening waves.

Kaito's lips instinctively pulled in. He pressed them together tightly, jaw locked, eyes screwed shut. He turned his face away, involuntarily, heart thudding like a war drum against his ribs.

Akuma's smug smile grew. His lips hovered inches from Kaito's cheek, his nose brushing ever so slightly against his skin.

Kaito's fists clenched around the fabric of Akuma's shirt.

Then—just as Akuma dipped closer, face angling toward Kaito's neck—

Ding!

The elevator chimed.

The doors slid open on the fifth floor, like divine intervention.

Akuma glanced sideways at the open hallway, then slowly pulled back. He stood straight again, noting how Kaito remained frozen in place—eyes and lips still shut tight, body tense like a statue.

Akuma scoffed softly, ran a hand through his hair, and stepped out without another word.

It took a few seconds for Kaito to register he was alone.

He opened one eye, then the other. Still breathing hard.

He let out a shaky sigh and chuckled weakly to himself.

Heh… saved by the lift.

Finally, he stepped out.

Ahead of him, Akuma was already punching his sleek black keycard into his dorm door. Kaito noticed he didn't have any luggage—no bag, no suitcase, nothing. He'd probably bring it later… if he even bothered. Kaito too, didn't bring nothing except his school bag, but that's because their maid informed that they'll bring it to him later.

As Akuma turned, he caught Kaito staring.

"Don't stare like that. Your eyeball might pop out," he teased with a smirk before stepping into his room and locking the door behind him.

"I—" Kaito blinked, completely thrown."F-fuck you!" he yelled back down the hallway.

His voice echoed, met with silence.

Then Kaito looked to his right.

His own dorm room was directly across from Akuma's.

He let out a small breath of relief.

At least we're not in the same room.

Small mercies.