Arcane

ONE

The apartment is small, but not cramped, has a cute balcony great for raising succulents, a big kitchen, wall-paneled windows, no leaky faucets, and is within walking distance of a 24/7 convenience store. If this sounds unrealistic already, that all is simply the cherry on top; the rent is only five hundred thousand won!

"Your bar is what we call tragically low," says Renjun. "But that price seriously sounds too good to be true."

"We're gen z. That bar is already insurmountably high."

"I don't know. Are you sure there isn't some kind of deadly mold in the walls, or something? Did you sign already?"

No, but Jisung has no reason not to. It's going for an excellent price. It's close to the radio station at which he somehow secured an internship post-grad, after Mark had pulled a few strings here and there and gotten him the position even though he knew full well there were probably more qualified candidates for the job (god bless based Mark, hyung of hyungs, sorry Jeno). There's also the aforementioned corner store, and Jisung won't pretend for a second he doesn't get ramen cravings like no one's business in the middle of the night, even though that could probably be solved by just going to sleep instead of staying up to play ranked games on Overwatch until three AM. It's important. He's trying to get diamond and Widowmaker's golden gun.

"Aren't realtors supposed to tell you about anything you need to know about a place you're looking at by law or something?" Jisung yawns, not even bothering to cover his mouth, as Renjun hands him a sample of roast duck. He eats it.

"I guess," says Renjun. He doesn't sound entirely convinced, with his eyes darting around the place as if something was to pop out at any given moment. "I guess if they've been trying to sell a property for a while, they start skimping on any unsavory details."

The glance Jisung gives Renjun is bloodshot. Reason number four to move out of Renjun and Jaemin's apartment, he stayed up last night till three AM playing Overwatch to no fault of his lack of self-control, but because he just wasn't that interested in listening to them having sex. Really a testament of love to be having sex at three AM. Jesus Christ. Just go to sleep. Dick is of abundance in the morning.

"What, so you're suggesting someone's died in there? You read too many CreepyPastas."

"I'm just saying you should weigh all your options."

"The next best thing is living in an apartment full of TESOL expats, Renjun, Mark hyung is enough English in my life. I can't."

"Fair enough. Just don't do anything stupid."

Stupid? Please. As someone who immediately deepthroats any phallic object he sees (party hats, karaoke mics, his brother's girlfriend's Carat Bong, and bananas, just to piss Jaemin off), Jisung has Never Done Anything Stupid in his life. Besides, his second best option is almost twice as much and twice as far. Consider it nope'd.

______________________________

"My credit check went through," Jisung says, smushed snugly between a businessman muttering into his Bluetooth and a girl who somehow has mastered the art of applying lipstick in a sardine-packed, moving subway. "I signed."

"Congratulations, punk." Jaemin's voice is punctuated with the sound of shouting in the background. He'd probably slinked out of the kitchen mid-dinner rush to talk. "It's a shame to see you go."

"I'm not moving overseas, hyung, just to the next district."

"Whoever will help me clean my crystals collection now?"

"Your boyfriend, duh."

"I never get anything done around the house if Jaemin is also there," Jaemin says without an ounce of shame.