I smiled nervously, my hand shooting up in an awkward little wave toward the girl staring at me. My throat tightened, and I swallowed.

“Hi, roomie.” The words tumbled out of me before I could stop them. “I’m Sophie Anderson.”

My eyes flickered over her. She stood from her bed, white sheets pooling around her slim frame, black socks on her feet. I caught the soft sound of her sniffle, the way she pushed away and hid a single photograph that had slipped out from beneath her duvet. Her movements were hurried, almost desperate.

When she looked at me again, her gaze lingered, sharp and consuming, as if she was memorizing every single detail of my face. Like she needed to remember me. Like this might be the last time she would ever see me.

And then, that smile. A forced, stretched thing across her lips.

“Hi. I’m Jun Park.”

Her voice carried a strange sweetness, laced with steel. She tilted her chin at me.

“Come in and shut the door. Unless you want to stand there staring at me like I’ve got a wart on my nose.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “Uh, of course.”

I stepped inside, slowly pushing the door until the click of it echoed in the golden-lit room.

“Lock it,” she said softly.

And I obeyed.

But my mind was spinning. Why did she have photographs of Lucas Dale, one of the heirs of Dale’s High, his face marked in red ink, hidden away as though it was forbidden? Why had she been crying over them? Why was she pretending like I hadn’t seen?

“Come on,” she waved me closer, that same smile plastered on her lips.

I nodded, glancing around the room as I walked in. And what a room it was.

The hostel wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen before, it was wealth painted into reality. Two enormous beds sat on opposite ends, both dressed in luxury sheets that belonged in five-star hotels. Golden chandeliers rained light down from the ceiling, it casted warm hues across polished marble floors. The walls were lined with velvet panels and framed by sheer curtains that shimmered. Each desk looked carved by master craftsmen, their surfaces glistening beneath the glow. A massive mirror stretched across one wall, tall enough to reflect twenty people at once, the frame detailed with gold leaf. Even the carpet beneath my shoes was so soft I nearly sank into it.

This wasn’t a hostel. It was a palace disguised as a school dormitory.

My eyes searched for the luggage I had arrived with earlier, the one the man earlier had promised would be delivered here. Where was the wardrobe?

“That’s your bed.” Jun pointed lazily at the one farthest from hers. It mirrored her own, thick blue and white sheets tucked neatly, with an army of plush pillows piled at the headrest. The bed seemed to call to me, whispering for me to sink into it, to forget my exhaustion without even showering.

“Thanks.” I smiled.

She nodded, smoothing her jean shorts as she perched back on her mattress.

“Your luggage came earlier. It’s in the wardrobe.”

“The wardrobe?” I repeated, frowning.

Without a word, she stood, walked to the giant mirror, and pressed against it. The mirror swung open like a secret door, revealing the largest walk-in closet I had ever seen.

“This is your side,” she pointed to one half of the wardrobe, “and that’s mine.”

My jaw nearly dropped. Inside, it wasn’t just a wardrobe, it was a room of its own. Shelves upon shelves gleamed with polished wood, and my luggage sat neatly in the middle.

“I helped put your things away,” Jun said casually.

I smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

“Welcome to Dale’s High, newbie.”

Her words rang with a strange finality, and I couldn’t help but feel the weight of them.

I pulled out my luggage, already ready to freshen up. The air in the room smelled faintly of an expensive body spray, something floral yet sharp. Definitely hers. Her pale skin, her sleek bob haircut, and those piercing eyes made her seem like she belonged here. Wealth clung to her.

When I unzipped my bag, I saw Jun sneakily shoving those photographs deeper beneath her pillow. I cleared my throat, pretending not to notice, and focused back on my shampoo and toiletries.

“You came with clothes?” she asked, watching my movements.

“Yes. Why?”

“You can only wear those inside. Not outside. It’s the rules.” She tilted her chin toward the closet. “The school already provided your entire wardrobe.”

I froze. “They… what?”

She smirked. “Check the red luggage.”

Sure enough, I noticed it then. A massive deep-red suitcase stood in the corner, my name engraved in bold silver on its label: Sophie Anderson.

I dragged it out, my heart racing, and opened it. Inside, luxury assaulted my senses, freshly pressed uniforms, neatly wrapped hoodies in every imaginable color, school sneakers, designer-level pants, socks, towels embroidered with Dale’s High crest, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, even sealed packs of skincare essentials. Everything brand new. Everything provided for me.

“Oh, wow…” I whispered, the smell of new fabric and wealth hitting me.

Jun chuckled softly, settling back on her bed. “Told you. They do this every year. You’ll get used to it.”

I barely could.

Later, as I unpacked a few essentials, she asked, “Who are your parents?”

“My mum works at a textile company. My dad’s… not in my life right now.”

I didn’t tell her the truth, not fully. That he was arrested years ago after what he did to my mother. That he disappeared, never once trying to reach me again.

“Sorry,” she said gently. “Did he die?”

I shook my head. “He left.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “With a mistress?”

“Maybe.” I shrugged.

She tilted her chin proudly. “My dad is into politics. My mum works for the state governor.”

I nodded slowly, glancing at the diamonds sparkling in her ears. That explained it.

Her shelves looked like something out of a celebrity mansion, rows of limited-edition sneakers, designer shoes, and fashion statements worth more than my entire closet back home. My own pitiful pairs of shoes were never going to compete.

“You’re not from here,” she said suddenly. “Your accent gave it away.”

“Yeah. I’m American. We moved to Singapore because of Mum’s work.”

Jun hummed, not unkindly. “I see.”

I excused myself for a shower, and she pointed me toward the far side of the room.

The bathroom was nothing short of breathtaking. White marble tiles gleamed beneath golden sconces, the air scented faintly of jasmine. A jacuzzi bathtub sat behind silk curtains, while a rainfall shower sparkled with crystal nozzles that promised streams of water from every angle. The mirrors stretched from wall to wall, making it feel like stepping into a palace spa.

When I stepped into the shower, warm water cascaded over me, the multiple jets massaging my stiff muscles, rinsing every trace of the day from me. For a moment, I just stood there, tilting my head back, letting the water wash away my exhaustion.

And then, as droplets slid down my skin, my mind betrayed me, flashing back to Lucas Dale’s face in the classroom earlier.

Handsome. Dangerous. Untouchable.

I blinked the thought away, letting the water veil my face.

When I emerged, wrapped in a towel, Jun sat cross-legged on her bed, a laptop on her knees, bags of chips beside her. She looked up, smirking.

“Out already?”

“Yeah. I needed that.”

She asked if I was Arts or Science. I told her I was Science, planning to study Medicine. She admitted she was Arts, forced into Law by her father’s command.

The more she spoke, the more I realized she wasn’t just rich. She was connected. Powerful.

By the time she tossed me a bag of chips, we were sharing snacks like old friends. Yet beneath the surface, I couldn’t shake the memory of those photographs hidden under her pillow.

I scrolled through my phone, messaging my friends back home, their excitement buzzing through the screen. They demanded pictures of the heirs. They teased me about making one fall for me. They begged me for details.

And then, Jun’s voice cut through.

“I had a roommate before you,” she said casually, shutting her laptop. “Her name was Clarissa.”

I turned to her, my stomach tightening.

“What happened to her?”

“She left Dale’s High.”

“Why?”

Jun’s eyes flickered. A pause. Then:

“Lucas.”

The name made my body freeze.

“She fancied him. Tried to talk to him. One morning, the entire classroom screen lit up, his face filled it. He was in a dark library, not here, somewhere else. And he warned her. To stay away from him.”

Jun’s voice dropped lower.

“The teachers, the students, everyone watched it. The next day, Clarissa was expelled. Just like that. Her bags packed, her name erased.”

A shiver ran down my spine.

And then Jun leaned closer, her whisper sliding into me.

“And if you’re smart, Sophie, you’ll never let Lucas Dale look at you twice.”