Slow Down - Jaywon

1: 'Exchange student'

"I didn't think that they'd make you room with me too," Jay murmured, his hand awkwardly on the back of his neck while the other boy looked at him expectantly. Suddenly the air conditioning was too cold, and enough to make him uncomfortable with the situation at hand.

But Jay just forced a rigid smile on his lips, hoping that it'd make his words come off like he wasn't complaining. "The dean didn't tell me that. So, this is kind of abrupt for you to arrive." It makes sense, but Jay didn't want to give up the extra space in his dorm for someone he didn't know.

"You can follow me," he said, and he averted his gaze elsewhere to avoid how palpable the atmosphere was and soon noticed–or re-noticed–the bags peddling behind the stranger.

"Do you need help with your bags? I can help you, so you don't have to take multiple trips. Jungwon, that was your name, right? I didn't really get the chance to look over the exchange file, but I think I heard your name a couple of times."

And Jungwon nodded, then put his hand on the handle of his luggage. "Yes, but I can take it myself. I am not incompetent," he flatly responded, his voice a bit cutthroat like he was angered. He looked away from Jay and at his luggage, his eyelashes resting against the high of his cheeks like a doll.

"You said to follow you," he stated monotonously, his grip on the handle tightening, his patience running thin.

"Right. But I didn't think you were incompetent, I just thought you would rather spend less time getting situated," Jay chimed, a little too fast. He wasn't exactly expecting that remark when he looked at Jungwon, awaiting a response.

But one should never judge a book by its cover is how the saying goes. Jungwon's sharp gaze was painfully boring into him. "I'll take you to your room, it's not far from mine actually."

Jungwon was aware that Jay was trying to make conversation with him, but he kept silent after Jay spoke. It was not awkward for him, but for Jay it was obvious that it was. His eyes were just stuck on the other boy, waiting for Jay to move so that he could follow.

Jay turned around in one taut step, then began to walk further into the dorm and Jungwon trailed behind him while the wheels of his bulky suitcases hummed a steady rhythm against the carpet.

"The university isn't bad. I think you will like it here," Jay said.

Jungwon sighed at his attempt. It was either Jay gets a response out of him, or he'd be left talking to himself for who knows how long. Unfortunately, neither of those options were in Jungwon's category of interest, but he was a victim to Jay's prattling.

"People say that about every school, yet they all end up being the same," Jungwon mumbled as they passed a few doors on the way to his room.

"Fair." Jay smiled. He was getting somewhere. "I'm not a school pride connoisseur myself. But that was just a way to get you to talk," he explained, the rhythm in his tone full of satisfaction. All because he got Jungwon to talk to him.

What a loser.

"You sound smug, but I think if you had to attempt multiple times to get someone to talk to you then maybe it meant they did not want to talk to you in the first place. You should have stopped trying after the second time, Park," Jungwon commented, an undertone of snark within his curt and witty comeback; his tone stayed the same, like it was only normal for him to snap like that. "I am not here to make friends. We are just roommates, that is it."

Right.

Jay slipped his hands into his sweatpants pockets, feigning nonchalance despite the spawn of irritation raging in his chest. It was fair, Jungwon just simply didn't want to talk; but he could have worded it nicely. He cleared his throat; Jay didn't know what to say towards a comment like that just yet.