Rian stepped out of the dorm's infirmary alongside the red-eyed girl, Kaelin. Behind them, the medical staff murmured in low tones as they took the lead.
The hallway was quieter now, with just a few students peeking from half-open doors, whispering to each other.
Kaelin strolled with her hands in her pockets, long hair swaying slightly with each step.
"Walk easy," she said, voice relaxed but tinged with amusement. "Those jerks'll take a while to get scooped up. The staff here's good, but not that good."
Rian tilted his head, scratching his cheek as he kept pace beside her.
"You an old student?"
She let out a dry chuckle, shaking her head.
"Not exactly," she replied, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. "I worked as a professor's assistant for a bit. That's why I know the rules so well, but now I'm a student."
Rian frowned, mulling that over.
"Why'd you stop being an assistant?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Kaelin sighed, shrugging.
"Worked here to pay for school," she explained, voice dipping a little. "Did it 'cause I couldn't snag a scholarship, and my family…"
She frowned, searching for words.
"Let's just say they wouldn't foot the bill for this place. They're way too overprotective—hated the idea of me being here."
Despite the smile she flashed, she didn't look thrilled about it.
"Got it…" Rian said.
"Oh, and by the way, what's your name?"
"I'm Rian. Just got here."
Kaelin's grin widened, red eyes glinting with interest.
"Just Rian, huh," she echoed softly.
Two thoughts hit her then.
Either Rian was hiding his last name because he came from some big-shot family, or his folks had stripped it from him to cut him loose.
Still, not wanting to rude up her savior, she went full intro:
"I'm Kaelin Veyra."
Kaelin dipped into a mock bow, tilting her head to see if he'd bite, but Rian just glanced at her sideways, so she rolled on:
"Nice meeting you. And thanks again for earlier—and sorry too… didn't know you were there…"
Her cheeks flushed as she recalled barging into his room.
Rian nodded, scratching his cheek again.
"No worries," he mumbled, heading back toward his room.
'Pretty laid-back guy…' Kaelin thought, trailing after him.
When they reached 17-B, the door hung ajar—probably from the staff hauling out the troublemakers.
The floor was clear now, no sign of the chaos those guys had kicked up.
Kaelin let out a low chuckle, leaning against the doorframe with a hand on her hip.
"They hustle when they feel like it," she quipped, peering into the dark room.
Rian slipped inside quick, frowning as he checked the shelf.
His meds and supplements were still there, next to the white phone and rule sheet.
He let out a small, relieved breath and stepped back.
"Everything's here…"
Kaelin watched from the doorway, tilting her head.
"Want me to flip the light?" she asked, voice lifting with curiosity. "It's pitch-black in there."
Rian shook his head, scratching his neck.
"Nah, don't need it," he said, tone calm. "Found what I was worried about."
Kaelin raised a brow, crossing her arms.
"How do you see so well in the dark?" she asked, intrigued. "I can barely make out shapes, and my eyes aren't half-bad." She edged closer, squinting to get a better look at him in the gloom.
Rian shrugged, face unchanged.
"Where I used to sleep was kinda like this," he said, short and sweet. "You get used to it."
Kaelin blinked, thrown, then let out an incredulous laugh.
"For real?" she said, stepping toward the window. "Now I'm wondering what kind of dump you crashed in before."
She grabbed the curtain with one hand and yanked it aside, letting the orange afternoon light spill in.
The glow hit the faded white walls and the blue bed Rian still hadn't figured out.
"See," she said, pointing at the curtain. "Want fresh air or light? Just ditch this thing." She turned to him, smirking a bit. "Could use some airing out in here."
Rian nodded, eyeing the curtain with mild interest.
"Thanks."
Kaelin waved it off, brushing it aside.
"Least I can do," she said, voice warming up. Then she tilted her head, studying him. "Hey, what's your phone number? Wanna keep in touch."
Rian blinked, puzzled for a sec.
"My phone number?" he mumbled, scratching his cheek as he thought.
Then he reached for the shelf, grabbed the white phone, and handed it straight to her with a simple flick.
"Here."
Kaelin stared, eyes widening a touch.
"You're giving me your phone?" she asked, voice pitching up in disbelief.
She took it gingerly, then frowned.
Catching on, she let out a low giggle.
"Oh, wait… you want me to put my number in? But I…" Her fingers brushed the screen, lighting it up, and her eyes popped wider.
"Huh!?" she yelped, tone spiking again as she gawked at it.
Rian tilted his head, lost by her reaction.
"What's up?" he asked, scratching his neck while watching her.
Kaelin spun the phone toward him, pointing at its sleek, shiny design.
"This is the latest Nexlify model!" she said, voice brimming with awe. "These things cost a fortune… How do you have one when…?"
She paused, eyeing his frayed gray tunic. Then back to the phone, totally thrown.
"It doesn't match your vibe at all…"
Rian shrugged, unfazed.
"Someone gave it to me," he mumbled, like that cleared it all up.
"Who the heck are you to get handed something like this!?" she blurted, stunned.
Then, realizing she was ribbing the guy who'd bailed her out, she backpedaled fast.
"Sorry… forget I said that…"
To Kaelin, Rian was a puzzle sparking more questions by the minute, but what really floored her was that a phone this pricey…
Had no password!
'Talk about trust, huh?' she thought, unlocking it—and, to her shock again…
Sure, it was fine if someone stuck with the default backgrounds, but…
Nothing!
Rian didn't have a single app downloaded!
The phone looked brand spanking new.
Out of sheer nosiness, she peeked at the gallery—zilch there too.
'Seriously… what kind of person rocks a phone this fancy like this!?'