SSS Class Awakening: I Can Forge My Beast Soul Avatars
Chapter 18: Dormitory and Roommates

Chapter 18: Dormitory and Roommates

Atlas stepped inside.

The office was surprisingly comfortable, warmly decorated with dark wooden furniture, several shelves filled with books, a large window overlooking the grounds, and a small fireplace burning quietly in one corner.

Behind a wide desk sat a woman in her late twenties with long dark hair and calm eyes. She wore a neat black maid uniform with silver trim and a small bronze insignia on her collar, looking remarkably relaxed for someone responsible for an entire dormitory.

Mirelle glanced at the receptionist. "Thank you. You can return to your station."

Once the receptionist left and closed the door, Atlas was left alone with Mirelle.

Neither spoke for a moment as they observed each other, until Mirelle finally gestured toward the chair opposite her desk. "Sit."

Atlas sat, and Mirelle picked up a folder. "Name?"

"Atlas."

"Family name?"

"Don’t have one."

Her eyes lifted. "You don’t have a family name?"

"No."

"Interesting," she noted down before continuing.

"Age?"

"Sixteen."

"Year of enrollment?"

"First."

"Department?"

"Beastmaster."

"Class?"

"5E."

Mirelle’s pen stopped and she looked at him, an subtle shift in her expression that Atlas immediately noticed. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You made a face."

"I did not."

"You definitely did."

Mirelle’s lips twitched slightly. "You’re observant."

"I’ve been told."

She continued filling out the form. "Place of origin?"

"An orphanage."

"Which one?"

Atlas gave her the name, and Mirelle wrote it down.

"Parents?"

Atlas’s expression became slightly quieter. "Deceased."

Mirelle’s pen slowed. "I’m sorry."

"It’s fine."

She studied him for a moment. "Do you have any relatives currently enrolled at the academy?"

"No."

"Emergency contact?"

Atlas stared at the form. "...Can I write ’nobody’?"

Mirelle paused. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because if you fall off a mountain, someone needs to be contacted."

Atlas stared at her, and Mirelle stared back. "That’s a very specific example."

"We are located on a mountain."

"Fair point," Atlas scratched his cheek. "So what am I supposed to write?"

Mirelle leaned back slightly. "Your dormitory supervisor will be your emergency contact for academy purposes. If you have a teacher you trust, you may list them as a secondary contact."

Atlas thought for a moment. "Mr. Crosswell, I guess."

Mirelle immediately wrote his name down. "Good choice."

"You know him?"

"I know every teacher responsible for students under my dormitory supervision."

"Right."

Mirelle turned the page. "Any dietary restrictions?"

"No."

"Medical conditions?"

"No."

"Allergies?"

"Not that I know of."

"Good. Any disciplinary history?"

Atlas froze, causing Mirelle to slowly look up while Atlas looked away. "...No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Because your academy record says you’ve been enrolled for less than one day."

"Exactly."

"Then why did you hesitate?"

"I didn’t."

Mirelle’s expression remained completely neutral, prompting Atlas to sigh. "Fine. No disciplinary history."

She wrote something down and looked at him again. "You’re going to be troublesome."

Atlas blinked. "What?"

Mirelle calmly placed the pen on the desk. "You’ve been here for one day, yet you’ve already been involved in a confrontation with Class 5D, challenged a senior student to a formal duel, negotiated a class-wide wager, and somehow convinced your instructor to approve it."

Atlas stared at her. "How do you know all that?"

"I work here," Mirelle shrugged.

"That’s terrifying."

"It’s efficient."

Atlas leaned back in his chair. "To be fair, most of that wasn’t entirely my fault. They started it."

"Of course. I believe you," Mirelle offered smoothly.

Atlas narrowed his eyes. "You’re not believing me."

Mirelle smiled faintly. "I’m not saying that."

Atlas sighed as Mirelle picked up another sheet.

"Now, your dormitory placement. Your registration was submitted rather late because you only arrived today, which means most of the preferred rooms have already been occupied."

"Okay."

Mirelle scanned the document. "Golden Dormitory is full, Silver Dormitory is full, and Iron Dormitory has several rooms available."

Atlas leaned forward hopefully. "Great."

"But you’re not going there."

His face fell. "Why?"

"Your placement isn’t determined solely by academic class," Mirelle explained calmly.

"The academy’s class rankings are based on merit; dormitory rankings are not. Golden Dormitory is reserved primarily for students from prestigious families, influential households, academy-sponsored individuals, and students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement. Silver Dormitory is similar, though the requirements are less restrictive. Iron Dormitory is where the majority of academically successful ordinary students reside. And Bronze Dormitory is for everyone else."

Atlas stared at her. "That’s brutally honest."

"I find honesty saves time."

"So I’m going to Bronze because I’m an orphan?"

"Among other factors," Mirelle clarified. "You’re a first-year transfer student with no established academic record, no family recommendation, no previous academy achievements, and you arrived after the majority of students had already completed their dormitory registrations."

Atlas slowly leaned back. "When you put it like that, I sound terrible."

"You sound new."

That answer caught Atlas off guard, and Mirelle smiled. "Don’t worry about your current placement too much. Students can petition for a dormitory transfer if their circumstances change."

"So I can move up?"

"Eventually."

Atlas’s eyes brightened. "Good."

Mirelle raised an eyebrow. "You’re already thinking about moving up?"

"Why wouldn’t I?"

"Because you’ve been at the academy for approximately eight hours."

"Eight hours is plenty of time to have goals."

Mirelle stared at him before laughing quietly. "You’re definitely going to be troublesome."

Atlas smiled. "So I’ve been told."

Mirelle stamped the registration papers, then opened a drawer and retrieved a small bronze key attached to a numbered tag. "Welcome to Bronze Dormitory, Atlas. Sixth floor. Room 150."

Atlas stared at the key. "Room 150? That’s the last room?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you registered last."

Atlas’s smile disappeared. "...You’re joking."

"I’m not."

"Everyone really took the good rooms, so I got the leftovers."

Mirelle nodded. "Essentially."

Atlas stared at the ceiling. ’Of course.’

Mirelle stood and walked around the desk. "Come along. I’ll show you your room."

As they left the office, Mirelle glanced sideways at him. "You know, Atlas, you have the look of someone who will frequently be absent from his dormitory."

Atlas stopped. "What?"

"You’re observant, restless, and you’ve already demonstrated a willingness to ignore the safer option when something more interesting presents itself," she continued walking.

Atlas hurried after her. "That’s not fair. I don’t sneak out."

"You haven’t yet."

"Exactly."

Mirelle smiled. "That’s what I said."

Atlas stared at her back. "You’re judging me based on nothing."

"Perhaps," she glanced over her shoulder. "But I have been doing this job long enough to recognize the look of a student who will one day knock on my office window at three in the morning and ask me to pretend I never saw him."

Atlas stopped walking, and Mirelle paused as well. "...I would never do that."

Mirelle smiled. "Of course not."

"You’re really not going to let this go, are you?"

"No."

"Great."

Mirelle continued walking, and Atlas followed with a sigh.

The two eventually reached the sixth floor, where Atlas stepped out into the hallway.

The Bronze Dormitory was surprisingly large, the corridor stretching farther than he’d expected while lined with numbered doors, warm wall lamps, and large windows at the end that offered a magnificent view of the grounds below.

Atlas walked toward the final door — Room 150 — and Mirelle unlocked it. "Here we are."

The door opened, and Atlas stepped inside to find a room larger than he had anticipated. Four beds were arranged around the space, each paired with a small desk and storage cabinet. Three of them were already occupied.

The first occupant sat at a desk with glasses resting neatly on his nose, surrounded by books and papers as he carefully read through a thick textbook.

The second occupant was hanging completely upside down from the upper frame of his bed, hair dangling toward the floor as he stared directly at Atlas.

Atlas stared back in silence. The third boy lay flat on his bed staring motionless at the ceiling, making Atlas wonder if he was even alive.

Mirelle stepped inside. "Everyone, we have a new roommate."

The boy with glasses immediately looked up.

"Another roommate? I thought the room was already full."

"It is, Eric," Mirelle replied.

Eric adjusted his glasses, frowning. "Then why is there another person?"

"Because there are four beds."

Eric glanced at the fourth bed, then at Atlas, and finally back at Mirelle. "I see."

Atlas looked at him. ’That was... underwhelming.’

Mirelle gestured toward the eccentric boy hanging upside down. "And this is Derrick."

Derrick immediately swung himself upright and landed neatly on his feet, causing Atlas to flinch.

"Whoa!"

"Hello!" Derrick grinned.

Atlas stared. "How long were you hanging there?"

"Long enough."

"Why?"

Derrick tilted his head. "Why not?"

Atlas opened his mouth, but closed it when he realized he had no answer.

Derrick’s grin widened. "I like him."

"You don’t even know me," Atlas pointed at himself.

"I don’t need to."

"That’s concerning."

Mirelle moved toward the final bed. "And this is Claus."

Claus didn’t move or respond, even when Mirelle greeted him directly. Derrick leaned toward Atlas and whispered, "He’s depressed."

"I’m not depressed," Claus finally spoke without moving.

Eric turned a page. "You’re lying. You’ve been staring at that ceiling for two hours."

"I’m thinking."

"About what?"

Claus remained silent until Derrick raised his hand. "I know! He’s thinking about the ceiling."

Claus closed his eyes with a sigh. "I hate this room."

Atlas slowly looked around the room. ’What the hell did I just walk into?’

Mirelle seemed completely unfazed by the exchange. "Atlas, these are your roommates: Eric, Derrick, and Claus. Atlas is your new roommate, and he’ll be staying here from today onward."

Eric nodded politely. "Welcome."

"Welcome to the greatest room in Bronze Dormitory!" Derrick added enthusiastically.

Atlas glanced around the modest space. "Is it?"

"No," Derrick grinned. "But I wanted to make you feel welcome."

"Appreciated."

Atlas turned to Claus, who opened one eye to offer a simple, "Don’t bother me."

"Noted."

Mirelle handed Atlas the bronze key. "Your bed is the one beside the window, your desk is underneath it, and your storage cabinet is beside the door."

"Got it," Atlas accepted the key.

She then addressed the three boys. "And I expect everyone to behave."

Eric nodded immediately. "Of course."

Derrick raised his hand. "Define behave."

Mirelle stared at him until Derrick slowly lowered his hand. "Never mind."

"Get settled," Mirelle instructed Atlas, ignoring Derrick’s retreat. "Dinner is served in the dining hall until eight-thirty."

"Thank you, Head Maid."

Mirelle paused at the doorway, looking back at him with a subtle expression. "Oh, and Atlas? If you ever do decide to sneak out..."

Atlas froze.

Mirelle smiled and winked. "...remember that the eastern gate squeaks. Goodnight."

The door slowly swung shut behind her with a quiet click. Silence settled over the room.

Atlas stared at the closed door before turning back to his new living space. Eric was already reading again, Derrick was back to lying across his bed staring at the ceiling upside down, and Claus remained completely motionless.

The three boys stared back at him in the quiet room. Atlas shifted his academy pass, his eyes narrowing slightly as a thought crossed his mind: ’This is going to be interesting.’

Taking a breath, he broke the silence. "Hi?"

Eric adjusted his glasses, Derrick smiled, Claus sighed, and just like that, Atlas’s new life in Bronze Dormitory began.