Breaking Walls

Chapter 3

'So how's your first week? Excited to start?' Jeonghan turned to look at a soft-looking male omega who took a sit beside him. The man wore a simple sweater with a cardigan, looking comfortable instead of fashionable. Somehow, it made him stand out amongst the other freshman omegas who wore the best outfit they own as the start of their new adult life on campus. Jeonghan gave him a quick smile, noticing the other looking at him while he was evaluating his outfit. The man had a gentle look on his face.

'Owh, I know that look.' With no definite answer, the gentle male commented to which Jeonghan tried to ignore, hoping he would get the hint and leave him alone. He just wanted to be alone with his mind, judging people.

After almost a week of socializing, the literature student decided he had enough and ignored the rest of the orientation activity. It wouldn't actually affect his studies anyway so he need not pretend to enjoy it. Trying to act happy when he wasn't was exhausting.

Though fully aware of the fact that he needed to make friends, he really didn't feel like talking with the overly excited bunch. It uses too much social battery and he only had a few to begin with. Well, at least the guy sitting beside him didn't look like the giddy, cheerful type so he might be left alone after a while. In fact, the man sounded really soft, and somehow sounded as if he was just asking out of concern instead of trying to force a conversation.

It felt weird. As if the man was a parent asking his child about his first day of school. So to speak. He wouldn't know exactly how it supposed to be though, since he barely remembered his own experience when his father was alive and everything was good.

'What look?' He tried to reply. It had been a while since somebody talk like that to him. The principle at the shelter used to use that tone, along with a few ahjummas so it felt really awkward to listen to it being spoken by a young man.

'That face you're making.' Jeonghan didn't know what to do with his face at that comment. All of a sudden he became fully aware of all the muscles on his face and tried to move them so he wouldn't make 'the' face this other omega was talking about. 'Haha, I had the same expression when I came here. You're feeling out of place aren't you?'

'Are you a psychology major or something?' He replied sarcastically. Maybe this guy is a know-it-all guy who was desperate to prove his intellect to every person he met. And god, those people are annoying.

'Naah... you kinda remind me of someone.' The other looked at him and Jeonghan just stared back, trying to analyze this person. He was wondering where this conversation was going. 'Me.' The man answered without being asked, laughing by himself. His voice was so soothing to hear Jeonghan just felt like listening, even though his joke was lame.

'I didn't know anyone here. I didn't know the culture, didn't get the jokes... they didn't get mine...' he continued before pausing and Jeonghan stared at him curiously. One, because it was interesting how he kept talking about himself without sounding too self-oriented, two because he spoke as if he was a foreigner in his own country. Or, maybe he was one of those weird otaku who speaks otaku language or whatever they speak. 'I'm... from America in case you're wondering.'

'Ahh... Explains the accent.' Jeonghan finally allowed himself to laugh. Of course the guy was a foreigner! He didn't look like the weird anime-loving otaku, or whatever otaku is.