The Campus King's Secret

Nyra's POV The first time Kaizen Arclair ruined my life, he did it with one comment. I stared at my phone screen inside the crowded café kitchen, barely hearing the manager yell at someone behind me. “TOP SCHOLARSHIP WINNER OF BLACKTHORNE HEIGHTS UNIVERSITY.” My picture sat proudly under the headline, still unreal after several months of sleepless nights, double shifts, and surviving on instant noodles. Three thousand comments. Then one verified account sat at the top. Kaizen Arclair. Of course, Campus king of Blackthorne Heights, Rich boy, Internet favorite, Professional menace. His comment had over twenty thousand likes already. “Scholarship students always arrive acting independent until they start feeding off rich kids.” The entire kitchen suddenly felt hotter, cold sweat broke on my forehead. I reread it once. Twice. Then I laughed, not because it was funny…because boys like him always thought money made them untouchable. I wiped my hands on my apron and typed back. “Interesting opinion from someone whose biggest academic achievement is taking mirror selfies.” The cook beside me gasped loudly. “Oh, girl. You’re dead!! His dad is a big shareholder of the university, please don't ruin this opportunity by this....” Within minutes, screenshots flooded everywhere. Students picked sides instantly, some defended him while Others dragged him for filth. Then another comment appeared. Seraphina Vale, His girlfriend. “If scholarships are stressful maybe stay where you belong?” My jaw tightened, the replies exploded again. Someone reposted my response, made edits and Someone called me “The Scholarship Savage.” By midnight, my phone wouldn’t stop vibrating. And somehow Kaizen Arclair replied again. “Careful, scholarship girl. Blackthorne Heights eats people like you alive.” I should’ve ignored him. Instead, I typed: “Then maybe the campus king should worry less about me and more about passing his classes.” The internet lost its mind. I smiled for exactly three seconds before my manager snatched my phone away. “You’re late on table six.” she yelled. Reality returned immediately. The café… The exhaustion… The bills… The difference between my world and theirs suddenly felt suffocating because the truth is…..I had never belonged anywhere easily, not after my mom died. The thought still hits unexpectedly hard as my chest tightened slightly as memories surfaced. Hospital machines beeping loudly, fading smiles, warm hands growing colder every week till she gave up. This is suppose to be my fresh start , a better life and bright future. That scholarship letter had felt like oxygen after months of drowning. Blackthorne Heights university Weeks later, I dragged my suitcase through the giant university gates with aching arms and two hours of sleep. Blackthorne Heights looked less like a school and more like a place rich people built to remind others they were powerful. Luxury cars lined the entrance, Students in designer clothes laughed loudly around me. I suddenly became painfully aware of my old sneakers and one wheeled suitcase making a terrible sound of the marbled tiles… Shame engulfed me. A girl near the registration desk pointed at me. “Wait, isn't that the scholarship girl?” Whispers spread instantly, phones clicking around “I should have worn a nose mask” I cursed under my breath… This was exactly what I was avoiding. The receptionist smiled politely while checking my documents. “Miss Solenne Nyra?” I nodded. Her eyes widened slightly. “Oh you’re in the executive lodge…Westwood height lodge” I blinked. “What?” “The premium student penthouse accommodation.” She smiled proudly. “One of our best student accommodations.” There had definitely been a mistake. My stomach dropped. People like me didn’t stay in places called penthouses. She handed me a gold access card. “Suite 04.” I reached for my suitcase. Then she added casually “You’ll be sharing the lodge with Mr. Kaizen Arclair.” Everything inside me stopped. Slowly, I looked up. “You’re joking.” “This must be a mistake”... The receptionist frowned. “You two already know each other?” I felt too weak to answer, everyone online already knew about the war between I and Kaizen on campus. I collected the access card and Started walking towards the penthouse, still shaken and unable to process everything I just heard. “You'll be sharing the lodge with Mr Kaizen Arclair” still replaying in my head. Suddenly, movement near the front entrance caught everyone’s attention, shifting the atmosphere completely. Heads turned almost instantly, whispers spread across the courtyard. “Kaizen’s here.” someone said. “Who the hell was this lousy guy”? I thought to myself, immediately reality dawned. “Kaizen Arclair”, the public menace who bullied me online who's also now her Lodgemate as provided by the school. It sucks. I paused to look, feed my eyes and see for myself if he actually looks like a school bully in person. Surprisingly, a sleek black Rolls Royce rolled slowly past the gates before stopping near the main building, campus security immediately moved toward it. Then the passenger door opened, a tall guy stepped out wearing an all-black hoodie beneath an expensive dark coat. His messy dark hair fell slightly into his eyes, and despite the cold weather, his expression looked painfully exhausted. But somehow…everyone still stared at him like he owned the entire university. Girls whispered, phones lifted instantly, Even nearby conversations quieted. He looked around briefly, completely unfazed by the attention surrounding him like this happened every day. His gray eyes locked onto mine instantly, amusement flickered there, Then something darker followed. Something unreadable. He walked closer lazily, stopping directly beside me. Too close, Way too close. “You’re the scholarship girl,” he murmured. I forced my voice steady. “And you’re the attention-seeking rich boy.” Several students nearby gasped loudly, Kaizen laughed softly under his breath. Then he leaned slightly closer. “You should’ve ignored my comment online.” I lifted my chin. “You should’ve minded your business.” For one dangerous second, his eyes held mine without blinking, then his gaze dropped briefly to my surname printed on the registration file still sitting on the desk. And suddenly his smile disappeared. The shift happened so fast it unsettled me instantly. “Solenne,” he repeated quietly. Not mockingly this time but carefully. Like the name meant something. Before I could ask what his problem was, he grabbed my broken suitcase handle suddenly. “I’ll show you upstairs, I guess your scholarship earned you an accommodation in a penthouse” he taunted me mockingly. I frowned immediately. “I can carry my own things.” “I know, I'll help you and I insist!” His voice stayed calm, but bossy. But his eyes remained strangely fixed on me. “And that’s exactly why I’m worried.” “We're Lodgemates, it sucks” No reply, I followed him almost immediately, admiring his broad back from behind. “Stop staring” Kaizen arrogantly warned me like he literally could see what I was looking at. Jerk! “Well,” he muttered lightly, “welcome to Blackthorne Heights.” He turned and disappeared down another hallway before I could respond. Finally….Peace. I exhaled slowly and crouched beside my suitcase, trying to process the insanity of the last twenty-four hours. From café shifts to elite university penthouses… From online arguments to sharing a lodge with the exact boy responsible for half my current stress…. Life clearly enjoyed mocking me, Footsteps interrupted my thoughts seconds later, I looked up sharply. Kaizen walked back into the living room carrying snacks and bottled drinks in one hand. I blinked, Confused. “What’s that?” “For you.” Suspicion immediately filled my face. Kaizen noticed instantly and looked offended. “Relax,” he drawled. “They’re not poisoned.” “I didn’t say they were.” “You thought about it.” Unfortunately…he was right again. He placed the snacks on the counter carelessly before straightening. “You probably haven’t eaten properly all day.” That caught me off guard. Not the words but theee fact that he noticed. My fingers tightened slightly around my suitcase handle, Kaizen leaned against the counter lazily, watching me with an unreadable expression. Up close, his confidence felt dangerous. Like the kind of boy who naturally pulled attention without trying. The kind girls ruined themselves over. I refused to become one of them, especially not after he publicly embarrassed me online. Still…my traitorous eyes noticed things anyway…..The sharp veins along his hands and the deep tiredness hidden beneath his arrogance. Weird. “Why are you being nice?” I asked before thinking. A soft laugh escaped him. “Trust me, scholarship girl. Carrying one suitcase doesn’t make me nice.” There was that nickname again. Irksome. But somehow less insulting in person, Kaizen’s gaze drifted over me slowly for one brief second not enough to feel disrespectful, just enough to make heat creep unexpectedly beneath my skin. I suddenly became very aware of my oversized hoodie and messy curls, his eyes returned to mine. And something about the look there changed slightly, less mocking but more curious. I cleared my throat quickly. “Well… thanks.” The words sounded awkward coming out. Kaizen smirked faintly like he enjoyed seeing me uncomfortable. “You’re welcome.” Then, almost arrogantly, he pushed himself off the counter and started walking away. Halfway down the hallway, he paused briefly without turning back. “Oh,” he added casually. “The internet version of you is meaner.” I frowned immediately. “And the internet version of you is less tolerable.” A low laugh escaped him again, not fake, not forced and weirdly enough it sounded nice. Kaizen disappeared into his roo m seconds later, leaving me alone in the massive penthouse. Silence settled around me softly. I looked down at the snacks again then toward the hallway he vanished into. Confusing boy! But no matter how unexpectedly kind he acted tonight, I refused to forget the humiliation he caused me online.