The “Boy” in Room 315

Mm… no…” The lights were off in Room 315 of the boys’ dorm. In the thickening dark, a girl’s fragile, tear-laced whimper echoed through the air—soft, trembling, and helpless. “Baby… kiss me… hold me…” Under the blanket, Derek breathed low and heavy, pinching Seraphina’s cheek as he kissed her. Seraphina’s eyes had gone unfocused—like a drowning thing—her hands clawing blindly at the tense ridges of his back. Click. The door swung open. Alex strode in without a care, slapping the wall switch on as he entered. The spacious, lavish four-person dorm snapped into brightness. He didn’t notice the two figures on the upper bunk. He crossed to the speaker, tossed on a track—electronic at first—and then dropped into his chair to dig into the dinner he’d just bought. A hard-hitting rap beat replaced the room’s earlier heat, conveniently swallowing any small, suspicious sounds. Derek leaned to her ear and murmured, “It’s fine, baby. He won’t hear a thing…” Seraphina glared at him, fighting to keep herself silent. He’d stopped what he was doing now that Alex was here—but that didn’t stop him from tormenting her. “You think it’s exciting too, don’t you?” Derek’s mouth tilted into a crooked smile. Something amused and dangerous flickered in his eyes. Seraphina’s body betrayed her instincts. She wanted to kill herself—wanted even more to kill this bastard. Just as Derek seemed ready to continue, the door opened again. Their other roommate, Leo, walked in. Unlike the oblivious Alex, Leo noticed immediately that someone was on the bed. But without his glasses, he couldn’t see clearly. “You sleeping, Lucas?” he asked after only a glance, then looked away, sitting at the desk and opening his laptop. “Lucas is here?” Alex stopped chewing, pushing his chair back with a scrape and craning his neck toward the edge of the bunk. Derek “kindly” released Seraphina’s lips, letting her answer. After a month, Seraphina had gotten far better at imitating a boy’s voice. She spoke without hesitation: “Yeah. I was asleep.” Her voice came out rough and hoarse—plausibly the sound of someone who’d just woken up. “Ah, my bad, dude. Thought you weren’t in.” Alex got up, turned the music off, and added with a grin, “But whoever picked that track? Good taste.” “You flatter me.” Derek’s voice cut in. Both Alex and Leo froze for a beat—then snapped their gazes upward at the top bunk. Seraphina went rigid, eyes wide and vacant. This madman—he really did love playing with her heartbeat, every second of every day. Who else could afford to? The board chairman’s son—who also happened to know her secret: that she was a girl disguised as a boy, attending university in her brother’s place. He held that weakness in his hands. And because of it, he could toy with her—humiliate her—however he pleased… Two months earlier, on the morning of freshman move-in day. Seraphina rolled her suitcase into Room 315, swiping her student ID to unlock the door. The moment she entered, Alex and Leo both looked up at her. She wore a Korean-style fringe cut, black casual clothes, headphones draped around her neck, and a small earring glinting in her left ear. She looked under 170cm—short, slim—but with a clean, pretty face that almost made them think an idol had wandered in. “Hi. I’m Lucas. First-year, Computer Science. Please take care of me.” Seraphina pressed her voice down, steadying herself. “Whoa—pretty boy,” Alex said brightly, stepping forward. “I’m Alex. Same program.” Without waiting, he added, “And that’s Leo. He’s our classmate too.” Seraphina shifted her gaze from Alex’s rugged face to Leo’s gentler one behind black-framed glasses. Leo smiled and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.” Compared to Alex’s roughness, Seraphina found Leo easier to deal with. She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you too.” “How old are you?” Leo gave her small hand a curious squeeze. “I heard there are freshmen as young as fourteen. Don’t tell me that’s you.” Seraphina scratched her head, smiling awkwardly. “I’m not that impressive. I’m eighteen… uh—no, nineteen. Haha…” Damn it. First day and she’d almost slipped. Alex measured her height with his hand and laughed. “Then we’re about the same age. Why do you look like a middle schooler?” Seraphina hesitated, then improvised. “Uh… my parents are short, and I was picky as a kid, so…” Alex nodded, threw an arm around her neck like they were old friends. “If you need anything, just say it. We’re bros.” Seraphina jolted hard, wrenching herself free. Alex blinked, startled. She cleared her throat, forcing calm. “I… I don’t like being touched.” Alex snorted. “Got attitude, huh? Fine. Go unpack.” They dispersed. Seraphina exhaled, dragging her suitcase to the inner-left bed. Seeing an empty spot beside it, she couldn’t help asking, “Training starts tomorrow. Our other roommate hasn’t arrived yet?” Leo glanced over. “Maybe it’ll stay empty. The QUEEN BALY cut-off was high this year—fewer freshmen than before.” Seraphina only said, “Oh,” hiding her relief. One less person meant one less mouth to fool. By evening, Alex and Leo had left. With two weeks of closed training starting the next day, Alex went out partying; Leo had errands and went home. That night, Seraphina had the dorm to herself. “Freedom!” She shut the door, pulled off the wig and hair net, and let her black hair fall like a waterfall to her waist. The dorm—thanks to the school’s wealth—was far better than her old one: washer and dryer on the balcony, and a bathroom that looked like a five-star hotel. She removed her binder. Under the black T-shirt, her curves returned instantly—the hem lifting as if even the fabric had been surprised. She stepped into the shower. When the huge overhead spray turned on, she sighed in relief. Foam rose in her palms, bubbles floating through the air. The bathroom echoed with the bright, sweet laughter of a girl. That same night, at the QUEEN BALY helipad, a helicopter tore the silence open like a ghost. A tall young man stepped out, eyes languid and indifferent—until they landed on the suited middle-aged man walking toward him. “Young master, your dorm is Room 315. Would you like to eat first? We’ve prepared—” Derek closed his eyes once. “No. I’m going now.” He went in alone. No elevator—just the stairs, light and effortless, up to the third floor. At Room 315, he lifted his student ID. Click. The door opened. He entered, glanced around, and was about to leave— when he heard singing from the bathroom. “We pretend we’re fearless in the dark, but every secret knows exactly where we are.” …A sweet, unmistakably girlish voice. “How does a girl end up in the boys’ dorm?” he muttered, brows tightening. Interest sparked in his dark eyes. He tossed his bag onto a chair—someone’s chair—and strode to the bathroom. The frosted door hid details, but he could tell the figure was small, perhaps 165cm at most. For a boy, that was short. Derek tilted his head, arms crossed. He wanted to see what kind of “creature” would come out. Boy? Girl? Something in between? A slow, cruel smile tugged at his mouth. A moment later, under his unblinking stare, the door crept open—