“This is your last day at this university. I hope your journey here was meaningful and that you were able to build good relationships with your classmates.”
Dillan watched the adviser while drumming his fingers on the table. He looked at his wristwatch and waited for his speech to finish. At last, his four years as a student at the University of Valeera had come to an end.
Their university was considered one of the top universities in the country, and he was fortunate enough to be granted a full scholarship. However, it was also a university where students were divided by hierarchy—the elite, the middle class, and, of course, those at the very bottom, where he belonged.
One thing Dillan liked about the university was that graduation attendance wasn't required. They could still claim their school credentials after the graduation rites, which were usually attended only by students from the upper class.
Dillan was grateful for that. Even if his parents wanted to come, his family would have a difficult time because transportation alone would already be expensive. They also had no relatives in Aurelion where they could stay, so he would have to book a hotel, which, honestly, was also beyond his budget.
According to their schedule, their graduation rites would be held on Tuesday. That meant he could take care of his school documents by Friday.
“I’ve graduated, but I still have so many problems to think about.”
Ding!
He checked his cellphone and read the text he had received.
“Please make sure to vacate your dormitory room by July 7, 2026.178Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIZ7Cmoepz
Thank you and may you have a fulfilling life after graduation!”
From: Dorm Admin
Dillan puckered his lips and put his phone face down.
Ding!
He looked at the new message he had received and stopped himself from smiling.
“Congratulations!
You are selected for a Junior Analyst Position at Nexford Technologies.178Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVNSMpL6nm
We are happy to welcome you on board.
Please visit the Human Resource Department for further details.”
He checked the other details in the message—the date and time of his appointment.
Nexford Technologies was one of the most well-known corporations in the technology industry in Valeera, and it was one of the top choices for fresh graduates, especially since they needed to build their resumes. Although he had not applied for an internship there, it was still the company he chose to apply to because the pay was fairly high, especially for entry-level employees like him.
The company where he had completed his internship had also offered him a position, but because the salary was not particularly high, he decided to check for companies with better offers.
When the bell rang, he immediately stood up and stretched his arms while waiting for his classmates to leave the room. He followed behind them, then headed back to his dorm to pack his things. When he arrived, he found his dormmate, Alexis, who was also busy organizing his belongings.
“Hello, brad,” Alexis greeted him.
“Ah, hello.”
Dillan noticed Alexis’s two suitcases placed by the side and saw that the table he used was already clean and organized. He turned to his own belongings and began packing as well. Compared to his other dormmates, however, he did not have many things.
“Are you going back to your province?”
Dillan paused slightly when he heard Alexis’s question before turning to him.
“Not yet. I need to take care of my requirements for work,” he answered.
“Already? Wait, what company are you going to?”
“Nexford Technologies.”
“Wow, some of my classmates said it’s pretty difficult to get into that company, and their recruitment process is strict.”
Dillan only smiled before answering.
“I guess it depends on the department.”
“Ayooh, I guess it also depends on whether you meet their standards. It’s Nexford, after all. Anyways, congrats!”
“Thank you,” Dillan said before changing the subject. “Are you going home first?”
“Ah, yeah. I’m going into vacation mode for now. I need to unwind too. I’ve been too focused on studying for four years.”
Dillan knew that Alexis’s family was fairly well-off and that he could afford to take a few months off before looking for a job. Sometimes, Alexis would ask him for help with assignments in his minor subjects, but he would pay him a tutorial fee. According to Alexis, it was cheaper with Dillan, and he understood Dillan’s explanations better.
“Just enjoy your vacation,” he said.
“Thanks. See you when you have time. Our other two roommates didn’t get to say goodbye. When I saw them earlier, they were already leaving the dorm and said they were going home to their families first.”
Only then did he notice that the other two bunk beds were already empty. He could not really say that he was close to them. Even though they stayed in the same dorm, they did not see each other very often because they all had different schedules.
He pulled his suitcases and walked to the door before saying goodbye to him. Dillan simply watched Alexis until the door closed behind him. He lay down on his bed and looked at the ceiling of their bunk bed. He reached for his cellphone and read the last message his mother had sent from their province.
“Son, don’t forget to eat, okay? Don’t worry about me and your father. We’re doing fine here. Congratulations on graduating. Even if we can’t be there, we’re happy for you. Always take care of yourself there, son. I love you.”
Dillan closed his eyes and covered them with his hand. He blew air from his mouth a couple of times and remained in that position for a while. He knew how much his parents had sacrificed just to send him to UV. He also knew that he had to work hard because he wanted to give his parents and his younger sibling, who was currently in Senior High, a more comfortable life.
He also read the reply he had sent to his mother.
“I’m okay, Ma. I’m sorry that I won’t be able to come home after graduation yet. I started looking for a job right away, and I have somewhere decent to stay while I’m looking. Don’t worry. Once I get my first salary, I’ll send some money to you right away.”
Dillan stared blankly at the ceiling. Just thinking about his expenses while looking for a new place to stay and taking care of his requirements for work was already giving him a headache.
He typed apartment for rent into his cellphone and checked the price range for rooms shared with others and solo spaces. He saw that bedspaces cost around V2,000–V3,000, while solo spaces ranged from V5,000–V10,000.
If he had a choice, he would rather live in a solo apartment. Aside from needing privacy, he also thought that there might come a day when he would want to bring his family to Aurelion and show them around, and he would not have to spend extra money booking a hotel.
Dillan suddenly stopped scrolling when he noticed a post and opened its details.
Wanted: Apartment Caretaker
Free accommodation for the hired caretaker. If you are interested, please send a message and we will send you the details.
He was not looking for an additional job, but his eyes stopped at the words Free accommodation in the details. He immediately sat on his bed while his eyes were still glued to the job posting. Did that mean that if he got hired, he could stay at the apartment for free? Would it conflict with his schedule at Nexford?
He checked whether anyone had applied for the job, but it showed zero applicants. There were no other details, not even the name of the apartment. Dillan checked his schedule for the entire week on his calendar and saw that he had a chance to visit the place after taking care of his job requirements.
He opened the Apply for Position button and typed a message. Afterward, he closed the application and put his cellphone down before shutting his eyes. Dillan did not realize that he had fallen asleep and dropped the cellphone he was holding on his bed.
A few minutes after Dillan fell asleep, a notification suddenly sounded on his cellphone, signaling that he had received a message.
Before the cellphone screen went dark, the subject of the email appeared on the screen:
Happy Stay Apartment Caretaker Application.
178Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYgDG4D4Fo
178Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43wMcW6aek
178Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNj58yHFf1
and then Add to home screen.