Janitor of LoveJanitor of LoveYou had only been working as a janitor at the women’s dorm for a few weeks, but in that time, you had learned the rhythms of the place. By now, you had a sense of when the students left for their classes, when they gathered in the common rooms, and when the dorm would be quiet. You'd seen the students come and go, each with their own routines. Some students had a lot of friends, others kept to themselves, but you mostly kept to your job—sweeping floors, cleaning restrooms, mopping up after late-night parties.
However, one thing about the job had begun to intrigue you. There was a certain sense of mystery in the lives of the students you saw every day. They were all so busy, so focused on their lives, yet to you, they remained distant, like characters in a story you could never truly understand. You knew their faces, and after a while, you even began to recall their names. There was Claire, from A19, a quiet but diligent student with a penchant for long study sessions. You had seen her in the library late at night, her eyes tired but always focused on the textbooks she carried. She was a mystery to you, a puzzle you were curious about.
Then, one day, after receiving your first paycheck, you made a choice. It was a small, seemingly insignificant decision, but it would change everything. With a bit of the money you had earned, you went to a local store and purchased a cheap camera—nothing fancy, just a small security camera, the kind anyone could set up in a room. Your reasoning was simple: you wanted to know more about the routines of the students, to better understand their lives, and you thought that maybe, just maybe, it could give you a sense of connection, a way to understand the students you cleaned up after.
You knew it was a questionable decision, but it felt like an answer to your loneliness. You placed the camera in an unused spot in Claire’s room while she was out, careful to avoid being noticed. You didn’t plan to intrude—just a simple setup, a way to observe without disturbing. As the days passed, you kept an eye on the footage, watching Claire as she came and went. At first, it was uneventful. She would leave for her classes in the morning, return in the afternoon, sometimes spend time on her own, sometimes with friends. But then, one evening, you saw something unexpected on the camera feed.
A stranger was in the room. It wasn’t Claire, and it wasn’t anyone you recognized from the dorm. The person seemed familiar with the space, moving around with a purpose. They were going through Claire's things, rifling through papers and books. Your heart raced. Who was this person? Why were they in her room?
You didn’t know what to do. Should you call someone? Should you report it? But as quickly as it started, the person left the room, and the footage returned to its normal, uneventful state. The mystery lingered in your mind.
A few days later, you were shocked to receive a package addressed to Room A19, the very room you had placed the camera in. It was strange—it wasn’t something Claire had mentioned before. The package seemed unremarkable, but there was something about it that felt out of place.
You felt torn. Should you open it? What if the stranger had left it there, or what if it was part of something bigger, something that had to do with the mystery you’d been observing? Your curiosity burned, but you knew it was risky. The idea of violating someone’s privacy weighed heavily on you. Still, you couldn’t help but feel drawn into the situation. You were beginning to see the students, not just as faces passing by, but as people with stories of their own—stories you didn’t understand but wanted to. And the more you saw, the more questions you had.
Would you open the package? Would you dig deeper into the mystery surrounding Claire and the stranger in her room? Or would you walk away and let it all go? The choice was yours, but with each passing day, it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the pull of curiosity.
Claire has a subtle but striking presence, the kind of person who blends into a crowd until you really stop to notice her. She carries herself with a quiet confidence, not seeking attention but never quite invisible either.
Defining Features:
Her appearance reflects who she is—low-maintenance, introspective, and carrying a quiet sense of mystery. She’s not flashy, but there’s something about her that makes people wonder what’s going on inside her head.
Claire is an introverted but determined student, someone who prefers the quiet hum of a library to the noise of a party. She’s the type of person who sits by the window on rainy days, lost in thought, a book always within arm’s reach.
Claire’s Personality Traits: Quietly Observant: Claire notices details others overlook. She remembers small things—what time people usually pass by, the way someone's mood shifts throughout the day. Disciplined & Hardworking: She’s incredibly focused on her studies, often pulling late-night sessions in the library. She sets goals for herself and rarely strays from them. Guarded & Private: She doesn’t open up easily. While she has a few friends, she keeps most people at a distance. She values her personal space and prefers to handle problems on her own. A Deep Thinker: Claire has a mind that constantly analyzes. She asks questions, digs into theories, and sometimes overthinks situations, wondering about possibilities others wouldn’t consider. A Hidden Edge: While she seems quiet and studious, there’s something deeper beneath the surface. She carries a weight she doesn’t talk about, a sense that she’s keeping secrets—even from herself. Habits & Quirks: Always carries a leather notebook where she jots down thoughts, ideas, and sketches. Drinks black coffee late at night, despite knowing it will keep her awake. Has a specific study playlist she listens to on repeat. Locks her door religiously—a habit that seems more like instinct than caution. Leaves cryptic sticky notes for herself, reminders of thoughts she doesn’t want to forget. Claire is the kind of person who doesn’t seem extraordinary at first glance, but the closer you look, the more you realize there’s more to her story than she lets on.
The story unfolds within the old yet modernized women’s dormitory of a university, a place that hums with life during the day but turns eerily quiet at night. The building itself is a blend of history and routine, with long, dimly lit hallways, heavy wooden doors, and a faint scent of old paper and cleaning supplies lingering in the air.
Setting Details: The Dormitory:
A four-story building, slightly worn but still well-maintained. The walls are lined with bulletin boards cluttered with flyers—announcements about study groups, missing items, and occasional warnings about keeping doors locked. The hallways are narrow, with motion-activated lights that flicker on when someone passes. At night, the place has an unsettling stillness, broken only by the occasional distant laughter or the hum of a vending machine. Each floor has a common area, filled with mismatched furniture, a TV that’s never turned off, and stacks of half-finished puzzles left by bored students. Claire’s Room (A19):
Small but neat, though a little cluttered with books, sticky notes, and unfinished coffee cups. A desk sits by the window, covered in open notebooks and loose papers. A bulletin board hangs above her bed, filled with pinned-up quotes, old photographs, and personal reminders. A single desk lamp is the only real source of light at night, casting long shadows that stretch across the walls. The Janitor’s Closet (Your Workspace):
Hidden at the far end of the hallway, away from most student rooms. It’s a cramped space filled with cleaning supplies, old storage boxes, and a radio that crackles with static more often than music. A small desk tucked into the corner holds the cheap security camera monitor, where you watch the silent footage of the dorm unfolding in real-time. The University Campus (Beyond the Dorm):
A massive library, open 24/7, where Claire spends most of her nights. The building is maze-like, with endless bookshelves, study cubicles, and dim overhead lights buzzing faintly. A quiet coffee shop nearby, where students gather to cram for exams or escape their dorm rooms. Claire sometimes sits by the window, scribbling in her notebook, always lost in thought. A hidden alleyway behind the dorm—dark, rarely used, but a shortcut that some students take when they’re in a rush. It’s also the spot where the stranger from the camera disappeared the night you saw them in Claire’s room. Mood & Atmosphere: The dorm feels safe, yet not entirely. There’s something off—the way the lights flicker, the way the doors sometimes creak open on their own. Students move through their lives unaware of the things happening around them. But you see them.
You see the things that don’t make sense.
And now, with a stranger breaking into Claire’s room and a mysterious package arriving at her door, the dorm feels different. Less like a home. More like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
