Ateez Roommates - Seongjoong

Motherly Instinct

When he opened his door, Yeosang was already sitting cross-legged on his bed.

He walked over to sit next to him, the door closing softly behind him.

"So what's up?"

"It's Jongho."

"What about him?"

"He's really mad at me. And I don't know why."

Seonghwa took a deep breath. He had thought it was pretty obvious why Jongho was so worried but evidently Yeosang was blind.

"You really don't see it?"

"See what?"

"That Jongho likes you."

Yeosang's cheeks flared bright red.

"He what!?"

"He likes you."

"That's very funny hyung. Ha ha, good one!"

Seonghwa could see that he was just trying to process this information. And struggling.

"I'm being serious. He definitely has the biggest crush on you."

"As if! Hyung, he's about as straight as a guy can get! Remember, I have known him since high school. He likes me just about as much you like Hongjoong."

Seonghwa choked on his spit at the last part but regained his composure after taking a sip of water.

"I'm saying this as your friend. You're so fucking blind. By the looks of it, I think he's liked you since before you two were roommates."

"And how could you possibly know that?"

"Because I see the way he looks at you and cares for you. That night that you fell asleep at the library? He was practically having a mental breakdown. He was going to run around campus on his own to look for you. He thought you got kidnapped or something. He's trying to downplay it so you don't see his true motives but he really cares about you and he didn't want anything to happen."

"I mean, I guess that's pretty good evidence. But I've met his parents before and they're incredibly homophobic. They used to sit with the other basketball parents at games and scream profanities at me because I was a cheerleader with the girls."

"Oh my God, Yeosang that's horrible," Seonghwa gasped, placing a hand on his leg.

"It happened enough that I just got used to blocking them out. It was hard being one of the only openly gay students but I was just glad I didn't have to hide anymore."

Seonghwa pulled him in for a hug.

"No one should have to go through that."

"That was probably one of the biggest reasons I was so excited for college. Until I found out that he would be my roommate."

Seonghwa let go and looked Yeosang over again.

"So did he bully you, too?"

"Honestly? Not really. His friends did a lot but he mostly stood by or left. Well actually—there was one time he even stood up for me."

Seonghwa sighed a breath of relief. He was glad Jongho still tried to be kind in high school when everyone else wasn't.

"I think that says a lot about him. You understand he must be under immense pressure from his parents to hold homophobic beliefs—as well as from his peers—but he fought so hard not to let them get to him. Maybe it was just for you, or maybe he's just a really good person. Either way, he's a special boy, Yeosang. He's determined and good at heart."