Ashford dorms were multiple two-story buildings scattered strategically across the sprawling campus.
Each of these buildings was boasting surprisingly spacious rooms, each accommodating two students comfortably.
"What do you think the new dormmate will be like?" William asked his roommate, spinning around in his desk chair.
"I don't know. Might be some rich spoiled brat from how late he's attending," Jonathan responded, lying flat on his bed and texting someone at the same time without looking up.
"Well, obviously."
"Don't you see the workers who came in today to renovate the room? Even they were wearing suits. Of course he's rich," William said, gesturing towards the wall.
William and Jonathan were roommates from the investment management department. Their room had two single beds, a small table mounted on both sides right above each bed, and a shared bathroom.
They didn't know each other at all before the room assignment, but since they'd moved in a whole week prior to the official opening of their college, they'd already become pretty good friends.
And today, since they'd finished class early, they went straight back to their dorm after a quick stop at the busy shopping district.
Their room was located on the second floor. There was another room situated between their room and the staircase connecting down to the first floor.
They'd recognized and greeted the residents of their neighboring room a few times in passing, but when they came back today, those students were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, there was a whole group of professional workers reconstructing the room on a modest scale.
The two standard beds were carefully carried out, and a single bed—much larger and more luxurious—was brought in.
The lighting was completely fixed and replaced with modern fixtures. A cloth rack was constructed and mounted along the concrete wall, and even the door lock was upgraded to something more secure.
After the whole place was thoroughly cleaned and reconstructed, several people wearing actual butler suits came in carrying expensive luggage and stocked up the room with brand-new clothes, different imported snacks, and premium study materials.
Jonathan had gone out to smoke in the corridor and watched in fascination as they turned the previous normal room into a high-end modern accommodation in a span of just a few hours.
He called out to William to come witness what was unfolding in their neighbor's room. Catching a glimpse of the finished product before the room was locked left both of them standing there in complete awe.
When they'd first entered the dorm a week ago, they were praising the institute for providing such spacious dorms for its students. Most dorms would squeeze four to eight students in a single cramped room, not to mention buildings that were falling apart. But this building was still in perfect condition.
But now, seeing a much improved, luxury version of their room right next door, they were genuinely hesitant to head back to their same old, mediocre room.
They couldn't help but silently point out all the parts where their room could be improved in their heads.
Even though the need for such changes hadn't appeared before, now they couldn't unsee it.
As the saying goes, "Comparison is the killer of joy."
---
At around 9:00 PM, Philip finally entered the dorm building and, using the key that had been handed to him, unlocked his room.
As soon as he pushed open the door, a pleasant fragrant scent seeped out from the inside.
And as soon as he pressed the light switch on the wall, he instantly knew the original design had been completely remodeled.
Different sets of clothes were hanging on racks and folded neatly on shelves. The bed spread was unnaturally clean and crisp, and the room was clearly accommodating only one person now.
'This is...'
Philip had already known deep down that this would be done—he just hadn't said it out loud to Lucas.
In fact, it was honestly a miracle that his overprotective mother had let him stay in a public dorm so easily in the first place, so this much was completely understandable to Philip.
The weather at night was quite warm and humid. Philip, still wearing his three-piece suit, felt a thin layer of sweat forming on his back.
He went into his private bathroom and took a warm shower to refresh himself after the long day.
After he was done, it was almost eleven PM, so there wasn't much to do. He changed into comfortable clothes and headed straight to bed.
The dorm had a strict rule of having all lights out after 10 PM. Though students were still allowed to stay up after that, they could only do so without causing any disturbance for others.
---
The next morning, Philip woke up at 4:30 AM—which was when he usually woke up naturally. Even without an alarm, he would automatically wake up and could proceed to fall back asleep if he wanted.
Since he wanted to check out the school premises anyway, he got up, had a quick wash, threw on his running cleats, and headed out for a run.
The morning air was especially fresh and clear, with perfect weather as the sun was just starting to climb up towards the horizon, painting the sky pink and orange.
Philip jogged around the campus, following the tile-laid pavement that wound through the grounds.
There weren't many people out at this early time—just a few others who were running as well. Their lean, muscular physiques could tell that they were competitive track athletes training.
Other than them, there were some people to be spotted down in the field, which was located lower than ground level.
This was completely understandable. Teenagers his age tended to want more sleep and usually weren't morning people at all.
After about half an hour of running, Philip went back to his dorm room, his back and forehead covered in a fresh layer of sweat.
He took a cold shower to start the day with freshness and energy.
*Knock knock.*
Right after he came out of the shower and was getting dressed, he heard a knock on his door.
"Hello, neighbor! We're residents from the neighboring room," William greeted enthusiastically.
He had ruffled hair sticking up in multiple directions and droopy eyes, which clearly indicated it hadn't been long since he'd woken up.
"We heard you arrive last night, but since it was already late, we figured it would be better if we waited until morning to introduce ourselves," Jonathan, who stood behind William, said politely.
The three of them shook hands firmly and greeted one another, introducing themselves.
"You can call me Philip. I hope we get along," Philip introduced himself as well after they both finished their introductions.
He deliberately didn't mention his family name because he didn't want to make them cause a fuss so early in the morning. Even he knew that he would be recognized immediately after he said his last name.
Rather, he preferred if they would find out themselves later on naturally.
"Of course, of course," William said, waving his hand as if it was a given.
Philip invited them inside, as it would be inappropriate if they continued their whole conversation standing at his doorstep.
"Man, you gotta be really rich, right? For you to afford such a complete remodeling of a dorm room," William said as he looked around. He was still mesmerized by how much the room had changed overnight.
He was never the type to keep his thoughts to himself, so he could casually compliment others without worrying about being too forward.
"But I wonder, if you had that much money, why didn't you just stay at a nearby apartment? I believe that would be much cheaper than reconstructing an entire room," Jonathan added. He was equally mesmerized but more reserved than William.
"No, that's not the case," Philip denied their assumptions.
"My parents own a hotel chain, and they happen to have spare parts from hotel decoration projects, so I used those. That's all," Philip explained.
Technically, he wasn't lying—it was simply understated much more from the actual truth.
"I see," William nodded understandingly, like a bird pecking at its food.
"But still, that's still pretty impressive. My family owns a clothing company, which did not help in renovating my room," William said and laughed to himself.
Philip watched as the two inspected his room with genuine curiosity.
William was very energetic and lively, commenting excitedly on whatever he saw, displaying his carefree nature. Meanwhile, Jonathan was more reserved, still looking around but making sure not to be loud or disrespectful to Philip.
The two were almost polar opposites, yet they got along incredibly well.
William would comment on useless stuff to Jonathan, and Jonathan would nod or reply in a short sentence.
Truly a dynamic duo.
Philip was genuinely glad that his neighbors seemed like good people.