19 | minsung

7

it was another morning, and minho just wanted to sleep in. he released an irritated groan and kicked his feet, throwing a little tantrum as he dreaded going to class for some reason. after a while of kicking his feet and rolling around in his bed, he took off the covers and stood up from his bed, lazily stepping out of his room.

as he did so, his eyes started to light up at the thought of his roommate. when he stepped out of his room, he looked around their dorm for any sign of his roommate, silently hoping that he hadn't left yet.

suddenly, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted him. minho made his way to the kitchen, and there stood jisung, sipping his cup of coffee while he read a book in his hand, dressed in his usual formal attire with his glasses resting perfectly on his face.

minho found the view ethereal. the morning sun shone through the kitchen window, adding a background effect for jisung that complemented and enhanced his features as he stood by the kitchen counter. jisung seemingly did not notice minho's presence as he continued to read his book.

minho continued forward, almost tripping in the process as he was too focused on the person in front of him. at that moment, jisung took notice of minho's presence in the room. he shifted his gaze from his book to minho, who was embarrassingly rubbing the back of his neck.

"hey," minho greeted awkwardly.

jisung greeted him with a warm smile, reminiscent of the sun breaking through the window and painting the room in a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues. "good morning, hyung. coffee?" he asked, inclining his head towards the coffee maker, still holding some fresh brew.

minho nodded and approached the coffee maker, where jisung had already prepared a mug for him. as he poured his coffee, he turned to jisung and asked, "what's the book about?"

jisung allowed his slender finger to rest momentarily on a particular page, using it as a makeshift bookmark to hold his place. he replied to minho with a smile, "it's a book given to me by someone special." before continuing, his enthusiasm for the book was palpable.

"the story centers around a boy named tenji, who becomes a fallen angel in the so-called 'heaven of life,' a place filled with all things positive and bright," he added, his passion evident as he spoke about the book.

"in the story, tenji's struggles are depicted as he seeks to reach the highest part of a building, the penthouse. the only way to get there is for the 'elevator of new beginnings' to open, also known as the 'hellevator.' this elevator will transport him from 'hell' to 'heaven' and only opens once tenji overcomes all the obstacles in his life, ultimately bringing him to the penthouse," jisung continued, with minho showing an interested expression despite not fully comprehending the narrative.

"so... what's the title?" minho asked, not wanting jisung to delve into more detail about the book.

"it's called 'hellevator,' symbolizing the hope we all cling to in times of darkness," jisung replied, extending the book toward minho for a glimpse of the title on the cover. while minho may not have been particularly interested in the book, he appreciated the opportunity to engage in conversation with his roommate.

minho nodded, thinking to himself, 'is he a law student or a literature student?' he joked in his head, which made him chuckle, causing jisung to turn his attention to him.

"you okay?" the younger asked, growing anxious and thinking that minho was laughing at him.

"yeah, yeah, sorry," minho waved his hands. "just my thoughts," he added.

he then took a sip of his steaming coffee, with jisung returning to reading his book.

"you seem to like that book a lot," minho commented as he studied jisung's serious posture.