Rain was dripping from his soaked brown hair and his eyes darted through the night, landing on Jisung's face. Time seemed to stand still and the rain was falling in slow motion as he kept staring at the boy he once loved more than anything in this w...
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His new roommate was a brown-haired, puppy-eyed guy who kept quiet most of the time; at least, so far. Good for Minho, who didn’t want to talk to anyone anyway. The silence was a welcome buffer between him and the world, a way to keep his thoughts from spilling over the edges. “I’m Seungmin”, his new roommate introduced himself, breaking the silence. Minho watched him fiddle nervously with the strings of his hoodie, his fingers tying and untying the knots as if searching for something to anchor him. “Minho”, he responded curtly, his voice almost indifferent, as he continued to observe Seungmin from the safe distance of his bed. There was something oddly reassuring about keeping people at arm's length, about watching them without really engaging. Seungmin, visibly uneasy under Minho’s unwavering gaze, began unpacking his belongings. His movements were slow and deliberate, as if he was trying to make as little noise as possible. Minho’s eyes followed him, following the way Seungmin carefully placed each item in the shared closet. It was almost methodical, and for a moment, Minho wondered what kind of person this quiet, unassuming guy really was. “Let’s not make this weirder than it already is”, Seungmin suddenly said, his voice breaking the tension in the room. The unexpected comment made Minho chuckle under his breath. There was a bluntness to Seungmin’s words that Minho found oddly refreshing, maybe even a little amusing. “Charming”, Minho mumbled more to himself, finally taking his eyes off Seungmin’s back. He reached for a book on his nightstand, pretending to immerse himself in a poorly written love story. The words on the page blurred together as his mind wandered, and he couldn’t resist the urge to glance over the edge of the book every now and then, watching Seungmin’s unpacking. “Am I really that interesting to you?”, Seungmin’s voice broke through the silence again, catching Minho off guard. Embarrassed, Minho quickly hid behind the book, his cheeks flushing with heat. He felt movement on his own mattress and lowered the book just enough to see Seungmin now sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at him with that same, unreadable expression. “So?”, Seungmin asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly, challenging him. “What?”, Minho asked back, blinking rapidly in confusion. The closeness of Seungmin’s presence was disarming, his easygoing attitude clashing with Minho’s attempts to stay distant.
“Am I really that interesting?”, Seungmin repeated, not letting him off the hook so easily. Minho laughed awkwardly, the sound coming out more nervous than he intended, and shook his head. “Why are you staring then?”, Seungmin pressed, his voice filled with curiosity rather than annoyance. There was something about his tone that made Minho feel like this guy wasn’t easily pushed away. Minho took a deep breath, searching for the right words. “I got along quite well with my previous roommate”, he admitted, the words feeling heavier than he had expected, making him feel vulnerable. He bit down on the inside of his cheek, hoping to stop the flood of emotions that threatened to overcome him. It still hurt to think about Felix, about the bond they had formed and how quickly it had been ripped away. Guilt twisted in his stomach at the thought of possibly getting attached to someone else so soon. “So you’ve been checking my vibe”, Seungmin stated matter-of-factly, making Minho chuckle quietly. Seungmin was quick witted, that was for sure. He hadn’t even been here a full day, and he already seemed to understand Minho more than most people did, looking right through him. Minho didn’t reply, but Seungmin didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he stood up from the bed, stretching his arms lazily before returning to his suitcase, as if their conversation had been the most natural thing in the world. “I don’t mind having a friend in here”, Seungmin said casually, tossing the words over his shoulder as he continued to unpack. The simplicity of the statement caught Minho off guard. It was a gesture of openness, of willingness to connect, and it made Minho’s heart twist in ways he wasn’t prepared for. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for another friendship, especially after how much he had depended on Felix, but something about Seungmin made him feel like maybe he wouldn’t have to face the rest of his time in the hospital completely alone.
