As Minho left the room, he found himself caught in a whirlwind of emotions. The encounter with Seungmin had been both relieving and perplexing, leaving him uncertain about the path ahead. However, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted as he turned the corner and almost collided with someone.
"Watch where you're going," Minho snapped, irritation evident in his tone. The guy, however, seemed undeterred by Minho's annoyance and flashed a cheerful smile.
"Hey, it's you again! The one with the judging face," he exclaimed, seemingly unfazed by the less-than-warm welcome. "Fancy meeting you here."
Minho looks up to see the same face where he saw this morning outside the infirmary of their school, the one who got kicked out in particular.
"Oh, it's you again. What are you doing here anyway? Still complaining about scratches from stray cats, huh?"
The guy chuckled, scratching his head. "Well, not exactly. I thought I'd explore the hospital a bit since my first day at school turned out to be a disaster. And then, bam! Ran into you again. How unlucky must I have been today."
Minho raised an eyebrow, skeptical of the guy's seemingly carefree attitude. "You seem awfully excited about this."
The guy grinned, seemingly oblivious to Minho's irritation. "Of course! Life's an adventure, right? By the way, name's Jeongin. Yang Jeongin." He smiles, showing the dimples on his cheeks.
Minho hesitated for a moment before reluctantly introducing himself, "Minho."
After the brief introduction, Minho decided to walk away, not having intention to talk more. He casually pass by Jeongin who looks confusedly at him.
"Hey!" Jeongin calls.
Minho slowed his pace but didn't turn around. "What now?"
Jeongin caught up, walking beside him. "Mind if I tag along? Walking to the dorm is more fun with company, and you seem like an interesting person, Minho."
Minho glanced at Jeongin, debating whether to dismiss him or not. "I'm not in the mood for company, especially not someone I barely know."
Undeterred, Jeongin continued, "Come on, Minho! It's better than walking around alone. Plus, I promise not to complain about any scratches this time."
Minho sighed, realizing he wouldn't easily shake off Jeongin. "Fine, but don't expect me to entertain you."
Jeongin beamed, "Deal! So, what room are you in? Oh, are we in the same years? Perhaps, maybe we are classmates? Or—"
"You kind of noisy," Minho commented as they are now outside the building, looking for a taxi. " Mind to shut up?" Minho says, indifferently without considering the feeling that could be hurted.
As they hailed a taxi, Jeongin chuckled at Minho's bluntness. "Noted, Minho. I'll keep the chatter to a minimum."
The taxi arrived, and they hopped in. Minho couldn't help but feel a mixture of annoyance and amusement at Jeongin's persistent cheerfulness. During the ride, Jeongin attempted small talk, but Minho's responses were curt, making it clear he wasn't in the mood for conversation.
Arriving at the dorms, Minho paid the fare without waiting for Jeongin to offer. "Thanks for the thrilling taxi ride," Jeongin teased, unfazed.
Minho rolled his eyes. "Don't get too excited. It's just a taxi."
They walked into the dorm building, and Minho headed toward his room. Jeongin, however, tagged along, seemingly undeterred by Minho's lack of enthusiasm.
"You know," Jeongin began as they reached Minho's door, "despite your tough exterior, I sense there's more to you. Maybe we could be friends."
Minho raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Friends? We just met, and you barely know anything about me."
Jeongin grinned. "Exactly! That's what makes it exciting. We can unravel the mystery of Minho together."
Minho sighed, realizing he might not easily get rid of Jeongin. "Fine, but don't expect too much. And stay out of my personal business."
"Deal!" Jeongin agreed, flashing his dimpled smile once again. "Now, let's see if we're roommates or neighbors, shall we?"
As Jeongin picks out a key from his pocket, he walks to a door which is just next to Minho's. Reaching there, he turns around to Minho and smiles brightly.
"It turned out that we were indeed neighbors, living in rooms right next to each other." Jeongin couldn't hide his excitement, while Minho couldn't shake off the feeling that his life just got a bit more complicated.
Little did Minho know, this chance encounter with Jeongin was about to bring unexpected twists and turns to his seemingly ordinary life at the school dorms.
