The next morning came like an impatient maiden.
Ayo stirred before his alarm went off. The early campus quiet was comforting. Birds chirped, faint generator hums in the distance, and someone dragging a bucket across the corridor floor.
Annoying.
No shouting, since there were no lectures yet — just the mundane sounds of a school waking up.
Femi was already up, sitting on his bed with his back against the wall. Earphones in, legs stretched, typing something on his phone like his life depended on it.
"Morning," Ayo said, with a stifled yawn.
Femi looked up, grinned. "Ah. You're awake."
Ayo sat up and rubbed his face. "Barely."
"You wan bathe first?" Femi asked.
Ayo shook his head. "You go ahead."
"Bet." He stood, grabbed his towel, and disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of running water followed almost immediately.
Ayo sat there for a while, looking around the room. His side was already in order — bedsheet smooth, clothes folded, charger neatly wound. Femi's side… not so much. A nylon bag from Mr. Biggs sat beside a half-zipped backpack. A jumbled pile of shirts lay on the lower part of his bed like they were taking a nap.
The guy was clearly used to being messy. But not dirty. There was a difference.
Ayo got up, stretched, then checked his phone.
8:06AM.
A message from his dad had come in at 6:23:
Dad:We're proud of you. Remember who you are. Keep your head down, stay smart.
He smiled, his mood improving ever so slightly. His dad always sounded like a principal. Even in messages.
Femi came out of the bathroom shirtless, drying his hair with the towel.
"Omo, that water get pride oh. You go beg am before e touch your body," he said, grinning.
Ayo chuckled. "Cold like that?"
"Almost like it's imported from Canada."
He tossed the towel onto his bed, grabbed lotion and deodorant, then paused, "Man I'm hungry. You down to go to the cafeteria later?"
Ayo nodded. "Maybe. Just toast bread or something for now."
Femi raised a brow. "You have a toaster?"
"Yeah."
"You bring half of Shoprite come campus, abi?"
Ayo just shrugged, laughing it off.
They settled into a harmonious atmosphere. It was unspoken, but both of them knew how to stay out of each other's way.
When Ayo cooked, Femi cleaned. When Femi blasted music, Ayo put in his earphones. It was calm, the kind of peaceful arrangement most hostel roommates could only dream of.
By late afternoon, they decided to head out together and explore.
Ayo wore some faded jeans and a white T-shirt, while Femi wore khaki shorts... also with a white T-shirt.
The sun was high, and the road to the faculty buildings was full of people — freshers, mostly. Some were following their parents around, others just loitered, reading building signs like they were holy scripture, taking a thousand and one photos, and annoying the few seniors around with increasingly stupid questions.
Ayo and Femi joined the line outside the school ID registration center, a few documents in hand. The queue was long, of course. Everything was long in UNILAG, and most Nigerian Universities — lines, processes, registration.
Frustrating, but there was nothing one could do about it, so Ayo could only sigh and move on.
Femi scanned the crowd. "See that guy there? Third guy from the left?"
Ayo followed his gaze. A dark-skinned boy with gold-tinted glasses and an iced out chain that didn't look fake. He was laughing at something on his phone, and his drip matched his above average height, though still not as tall as Ayo.
"Yeah, what about him?"
"That's Derin. His dad is some big shot in LASUU. He's a second year, but e still dey scope freshers. Guy no get shame."
Ayo smiled faintly. "You know everybody?"
"Guy, it's a survival skill. You go know who to avoid, who can help you, and who dey carry jazz."
"Jazz? You mean juju, black magic?"
Femi lowered his voice a little. "A rumor. I heard some people, especially cult guys, do… extras."
Ayo looked at him speechlessly. "You believe that?"
"I don't have a choice. When you hear some gist, you go know say no be lie."
The line inched forward.
A few ladies gave Ayo second looks cause of his height and above average looks, but there was no face-slapping like in the novels.
After the initial registration was complete, they toured around a bit more, met a few people - courtesy of Femi - and made a few acquaintances.
Later, back at the hostel, Femi scrolled through his phone while Ayo sliced bread onto a plate.
"So, why Cybersecurity?" Femi asked out of the blue.
Ayo paused. "Hm?"
"Your course. Why Cybersecurity?"
Ayo thought for a moment. "Dunno. I like systems, the idea of hacking, just the internet's security as a whole. You?"
"Mechanical Engineering." Femi grinned.
"Because I no get sense."
They both laughed. Femi really was a funny guy.
That night, Femi dozed off with his phone still in his hand, TikTok videos still playing at low volume. Ayo lay awake a little longer, staring at the ceiling fan as it spun with a soft, hum, which was of course marred by a mildly annoying, reoccurring creak.
Outside, crickets chirped. Distant voices echoed from the hostel quad. Somewhere upstairs, someone was playing Seyi Vibes. Again.
A bad music taste in Ayo's opinion.
But all Ayo could think about was that guy from the other day — the one with the plastic bottle. The one who made it land upright a hundred times in a row, without fail.
There was something about it.
'Impressive.'
It had looked like a trick, but felt like something more. Ayo had always had an eye for odd things. Details people missed.
And believe me, people miss a lot of details. Too much in fact.
Same flick. Same arc. Same result.
He eventually dismissed it.
'Femi's to be blamed for putting this juju stuff into my head. A man can't even have skills now.' He thought with a bitter smile.
A few minutes later, he drifted off sleep, unaware of the bountiful surprises the future held.