My Roommate is Dead | Minsung

An Old, New House

The old, wooden floorboards creaked tiredly as Jisung stepped through the front door of his new house. It wasn't actually new, but new to him anyway. When his great aunt passed away earlier in the year, she left the house in his name. He didn't know her well, but he was the only heir she had left when she moved on from this world.

Despite a few minor details, the house was in great condition. It really only needed a fresh coat of paint and new furniture to liven it up. But, Jisung was a college student with little funds. He would have to make do with the old decor for now.

No one could argue that it was clearly a home in which an old lady had lived. An off-white sofa sat in the center of the room, its fabric embroidered with a pink and yellow floral pattern, and the end tables that sat on each side were topped with white, lace doilies. The tv on the low-sitting table across from the couch was ancient looking. Jisung could barely remember a time when he'd ever seen one square-shaped.

A large rug spread out across the living room floor, its blue and purple color questionable, as it didn't seem to match any of the furniture. It was likely his aunt suffered from vision loss, he surmised, based on the old tv and rather hideous decor. But at least he had furnishings.

A few old photos of people he didn't recognize hung around the room. Most likely his aunt's family that he didn't know. It felt too awkward to have strangers constantly looking at him and he decided they would be the first to get put away. But for now, he just needed to focus on unpacking.

Jisung slowly walked up the staircase to find the bedrooms. Each step groaned as if the house was alive and upset that some stranger had come along to disturb it. But it was just something he'd have to get used to. He wasn't a carpenter, after all.

He came to the top of the stairs, ending at a somewhat long hallway. There were four doors, all closed except one. He peered down through the darkness, then quickly searched for a light switch. When he finally located it, he flipped it on and reassessed his surroundings.

There was a small, slim table with an antique lamp perched upon it and a painting of a forest hanging above. It was the only light in the narrow hallway and it just barely lit up the area. But now he could see that the room with the open door was a bathroom. Now he just needed to find a suitable bedroom.

He made his way to the end of the hallway where he figured he was likely to find the master bedroom. He turned the old, brass knob and slowly opened the door to reveal a large room. There was a queen-sized, four-post bed and a large vanity with a mirror and chair. Across from that stood a towering, wooden wardrobe.

A hair brush and hand mirror sat beside a delicate jewelry box on the vanity. The bed was made—its lacy-edged pillows adorning it like pieces of art. Everything was left in its place, undisturbed, as if the owner had just left to run an errand. But the owner had been gone for months by now. It was beautiful but unsettling.

Jisung decided he'd rather not take the bedroom that obviously belonged to his dearly departed aunt, even if it was likely the largest one in the house. There were two other doors to check, after all.

He turned around and headed back the other way, pulling his heavy luggage behind him. The next door he checked was indeed another bedroom. It was a bit smaller, but much less lived in. He figured it must have served as a guest room after his aunt's children had grown up and moved out. The other room was much the same, he just needed to pick one.

Jisung decided on the room at the complete opposite end of the hall from the master bedroom. Since it was at the end of the house, it had excellent lighting from the large windows that spread across two of its walls. And the decor was lively, with bright shades of yellow detailing the quilt, rug, and even curtains. It was definitely the cutest room in the entire house.