Two guys from the entrance came over and took my luggage with them. On the way, they introduced themselves as Alex and Kevin. Alex was a second-year student majoring in mechanical engineering. Kevin was a fresher just like me, a computer science student.
It was my first proper conversation with people like this after a long time. As we walked, I showed them my room. They waited outside while I opened the door. I turned around, about to say, "I'll take care of the rest," when Alex suddenly asked,
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Oh, it's Zayn Walker. I'm also a computer science major," I replied.
Kevin said excitedly, "Then we're in the same batch!"
Alex let out a sigh of relief. "Then, Kevin, from now on, don't bother me. Keep him company."
Kevin looked grumpy and said mockingly, "Yes, Mr. Senior."
I laughed a little, watching them argue. After a moment of hesitation, I asked, "How do you guys know each other?"
Alex smiled. "I'm his uncle."
I looked confused. "How?"
Kevin said excitedly, "He's my grandmother's son."
"And he's my sister's son," Alex added, making an annoyed face.
After that, I said goodbye to them and took my luggage inside. There were two beds in the room. I chose the one near the window. I unpacked my bags, arranged my clothes neatly, made my bed, and decided to rest for a while.
Suddenly, the door opened.
My new roommate had arrived. He looked like a bodybuilder, with strong forearms, a clean jawline, and stood around six feet tall. I watched him as he walked toward me.
"I'm Ryan. What's your name?" he asked.
"I'm Zayn."
"What's your major?"
"Computer science."
He smiled excitedly. "Me too, buddy," and gave me a fist bump.
He started talking about himself and how he got into the college. We talked for a while, and then the bell rang. It was time for lunch. Ryan asked me to wait so we could go together. As we walked, he talked about many things—mostly about himself—and out of nowhere, he asked,
"Why did you choose this campus?"
I hesitated for a moment. "I don't know."
"It's okay," he said. After a brief pause, he added, "Even I don't know why I chose this campus."
On the way to the cafeteria, we ran into Alex and Kevin again.
Kevin came running over and shook my hand. "Who's this guy?" he asked.
Ryan stepped forward and introduced himself. The two of them clicked almost instantly. I found it a bit hard to blend into the group and felt left out. I walked slightly behind the three of them, but Ryan looked back, pulled me closer, and casually placed his arm around my shoulder.
That small gesture made my already rough day feel lighter.
I smiled quietly as the three of them talked and joked. Being acknowledged and included was enough for me.
Lunch was simple and nothing special, but eating together made it feel better than it should have.
Ryan asked Alex if there were any part-time jobs near the campus.
"Why do you need a job right now?" Alex asked.
"I don't want to keep asking my parents for money," Ryan said.
Alex nodded and looked at the rest of us. "What about you guys?"
"I'll look for a part-time job too," I said.
"Same here," Kevin added.
Alex took out his phone, showed us an app, and said, "You can find jobs using this."
We all reached for our phones to download it, but I didn't have any data left. I asked if there was Wi-Fi available.
"Just log in through the portal. Your ID and password should be in your email," Alex said.
"Thanks," I replied.
After lunch, Alex asked if we wanted to hang out with him. I was about to politely refuse, but Ryan and Kevin immediately agreed. They both looked at me, and I had no real choice but to nod along.