My Roommate: The Untold Story

The Invitation

When I arrived home, I headed straight to my room without a second thought. It had become an unbroken ritual. Every day blurred into the next. Wake up at seven, eat a bland breakfast, head off to work, drag myself back home, collapse onto my bed, and drift into an empty sleep. The cycle of my existence. And I was sick to death of it.

Monotony ruled my life. The same faces greeted me in my village every day, and their conversations were as stale as the routine I couldn't seem to escape. Life, they say, is supposed to be wonderful, filled with meaning, bursting with challenges that force you to grow. "Life is beautiful," people often declare, romanticizing its unpredictability. But what's beautiful about a life you can predict to the last second? I could tell you exactly what tomorrow holds because every day is a carbon copy of the one before.

What do I need to break free? How do I inject fun into this dull existence? I crave something new, something I haven't tasted before, something that could breathe life into these numb days. I dream of leaving this house, of embarking on my own journey, but, of course, it's never that simple. The only word that fits my life is **boring**.

**RRRIIINNNG...**

The piercing sound of my phone shattered my thoughts, its shrill tone echoing through the bathroom. I wasn't expecting a call, which only fueled my curiosity. Quickly, I rinsed my hands and snatched it off the bed. It was the office. Odd. My heart gave a little flutter as I returned the call, wondering what this could be about.

"Eddy, how would you feel about staying in the dormitory again?"

The question hung in the air. I hesitated, my mind racing. Could this be the break I've been longing for? Was this the universe finally throwing me a bone? My manager's voice was casual, but I could barely contain my excitement. The dormitory meant freedom. It meant living away from my family again. I could taste the possibilities—late nights, hanging out, hitting clubs, pubs, you name it. This was the life I'd been craving. Something fresh, something unpredictable.

"I'll take it," I said, almost too quickly.

I could feel a smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. Suddenly, I felt alive again. The prospect of living without the suffocating predictability of home was exactly what I needed. I couldn't wait.

By the way, I'm Eddy. Twenty-one, single, and a professional roommate—if there even is such a thing. My job? It's unique, to say the least. Technically, I don't have a *real* job. I get paid to be a roommate for Korean students or professionals who want to practice English. That's it. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but I love it. I get paid to sleep in a comfortable room, have my laundry taken care of, eat free meals, and just *exist* alongside my roommate. In short, I'm paid to do nothing. It's like winning the lottery of laziness. And this—this dormitory gig—is exactly what I've been praying for.

Still, I wonder what kind of roommate I'll get this time. Last year, the guy I lived with was a ghost. He was never around, always off with his colleagues, leaving me alone in that dorm day after day. It was excruciatingly dull, to be honest. We never clicked. But this time... I'm hoping for someone different, someone I can actually vibe with.

As I packed my things, excitement surged through me. I knew deep down that this could be the change I'd been desperately waiting for. Life had just thrown me a curveball, and for the first time in ages, I wasn't dreading tomorrow—I was looking forward to it.