**Chapter 1: The Morning After a Chaotic Night**

It was 11:30 pm, and Ray, Rakai, Ray's roommate Tota, plus a few other students, were chilling in the community space in Ray and Tota's dorm, laughing and chatting about their day. The dimly lit room was filled with the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional giggle. Ray, with his short, curly black hair and beautiful brown eyes, was sitting on a couch, his legs crossed, and his eyes fixed on Rakai, who was playfully teasing him. Tota, who couldn't speak much English, was smiling and nodding along, enjoying the company. Suddenly, the door burst open, and a random guy, who Ray had never seen before, stormed in. "You, Tota! You ding dong ditched at my room!" he exclaimed, his voice loud and accusatory. The room fell silent, and everyone turned to look at Tota, who shook his head, confused. Ray, sensing his roommate's distress, stood up, his stutter becoming more pronounced. "N-no, no, no, he didn't. He was with me all day. I-I can vouch for him." The random guy sneered, his face twisted in anger. "Mind your own business, Asian kid." Ray's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward, his voice rising. "I-I am minding my own business. I'm just saying, Tota didn't do what you're saying he did." The argument escalated, with the random guy becoming more aggressive, and Ray refusing to back down. The others in the room tried to intervene, but it was no use. The situation spilled out into the hallway, with the noise level increasing. Tylil, who was walking down the hall, heard the commotion and made his way over to try and de-escalate the situation. However, instead of calming things down, he seemed to take sides with the random guy, which only made things worse. Ray, feeling frustrated and helpless, tried to explain himself, but Tylil wouldn't listen. "Dude, just chill out, okay?" Tylil said, his voice calm, but his words infuriating Ray. The situation continued to spiral out of control, with Rakai eventually intervening, trying to protect Ray. "Yo, let's just take this back to our rooms, guys," he said, his voice firm. With some effort, Rakai managed to drag Ray and Tota back into their room, shutting the door behind them. "Let's just go to sleep, guys," Rakai said, his voice soft. Ray and Tota collapsed onto their beds, exhausted, while Rakai bid them goodnight and headed back to his own dorm with his roommate Jamal. The next morning, Ray woke up feeling sore and stiff. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the fatigue. As he got out of bed, he noticed that Tota was still fast asleep, looking pale. "Dude, you okay?" Ray asked, concern etched on his face. Tota groggily opened his eyes, then closed them again, shaking his head. "N-not feeling good, Ray." Ray nodded, then headed down to the breakfast hall with Rakai, who was waiting for him. As they entered the hall, Ray was immediately struck by the sight of Tylil and the random guy from the night before, who were now standing by the food table, their eyes fixed on Ray and Rakai. Without warning, they charged towards them, swinging their fists. Ray tried to defend himself, but he was no match for the two of them. The blows rained down on him, his lip bursting open, and his body aching all over. Rakai tried to intervene, but he was quickly knocked to the ground. Just as it seemed like things were going to get even worse, a security guard burst into the hall, shouting and waving his arms. "That's enough! You're all coming with me!" The guard dragged the four of them to the dean's office, with Ray stumbling along, his body throbbing in pain. As they stood outside the office door, the guard knocked, announcing their presence. "Send them in," a voice replied, smooth and authoritative. The guard opened the door, and they all filed in, Ray's eyes scanning the room, his heart sinking as he saw who was sitting behind the desk. Kai, the dean of Streamer University, and Ray's secret boyfriend, looked up, his eyes widening in shock and anger as he took in Ray's battered state.