ROOMMATES - CH2

EIRYIA and KWUINTESSENCE (JinYoon FF)

Kim Jinwoo is not used to feeling like this, not at all. Something definitely feels odd, it has been since ‘that day’ and he just can't seem to figure out why. He shakes his head a little to clear his thoughts, not that it helps all that much. Even now when he closes his eyes, Jinwoo still sees plump cherry red lips curling lightly before parting into the cutest smile he had ever seen.

He remembers ‘that day’ clearly. He was just about to bite into his apple when he tripped over nothing and it fell out of his hand and went rolling down the hill.

Perfect. Just perfect.

He chased after it but luck wasn’t on his side. So when he saw someone standing around a few feet away from his runaway apple, Jinwoo did what any normal citizen would do in such a situation and yelled for help. It was mere seconds after that when he found himself literally falling.

Hearing a tiny groan come from below, Jinwoo shifted a little and raised his head. That’s when he found a strikingly attractive young man lying under him. Jinwoo literally forgets how to breathe, thoughts of his apple completely gone from his mind.

Who’s that? Jinwoo wondered as he got closer to his apartment complex, noticing a tall young man with his back to him holding a duffel bag. There were two boxes on the ground and from there Jinwoo could tell that this guy most definitely needed his help. There was no way he would be able to carry both boxes along with that bag.

“Need help with those?” Jinwoo asked, already moving towards the box closest to him.  The reply doesn’t come quickly but the moment it does, a peculiar beating starts up in Jinwoo’s chest.

“Sure. That’s the last one.”

They ended up getting on the elevator together, Jinwoo pushes the button for his floor and waits for the other guy to say something but he doesn’t. This prompts Jinwoo to ask and when he doesn’t get an answer, he turns back to him and asks again.

“So, what floor?”

The contents of the young man’s box clatters loudly in response and Jinwoo was worried for a split second that it would fall to the floor. Thankfully, the stranger manages to get a better hold of the box and Jinwoo breathes a sigh of relief.

“Hey, are you okay?”

The young man had his eyes closed but there was something distinctly familiar about him that Jinwoo just couldn’t quite place. He observes him quietly, finding that the more he looked at him, the faster the beating of his heart got.

“I’m okay.” The stranger assures him, biting his lip. “I’m going to the sixth floor.”

Managing to finally get a good look at the stranger’s face, Jinwoo couldn’t help but beam at him, delighted.

“Oh. I’m going to the sixth floor too.”

The contents of the young man’s box clatters loudly once again. In some strange twist of fate, there he was with the very owner of the smile that never really left his mind. A part of him was elated to see him again but another part of him was deeply curious if the handsome young man behind him even recalls seeing him before.

“Thanks again.” Jinwoo begins uneasily, “For the apple.”

Jinwoo isn’t sure why he had not grasped it right away when he had seen someone moving boxes. He knew that his new roommate would be moving in this week, but per usual he had been too occupied with his whirlwind of thoughts to think too much of it.

“I take it you already saw the rooms.” he said peeking over his shoulder at the guy he had just learned was named Seungyoon. Kang Seungyoon.

Judging by first impressions, he’d have to say that he got really lucky. Kang Seungyoon spoke politely, didn’t seem loud or obnoxious, and he was also very good looking - not to mention that Jinwoo already had a very tender spot for his smile. A bit skinny maybe, but the thin frame betrayed him as he had just proven that he was more than strong enough by carrying most of the heap of bags and boxes from outside the hall and into their apartment.

“Have you checked out the balcony? It’s got quite a good view of the city.” he watched Seungyoon walk over to it and take a quick look.

“It could do with some chairs and maybe a table, don’t you think?” Seungyoon said turning back to face him, one of his sugary smiles plastered on his too good looking face.

Jinwoo could agree with that, but so far he had only recently gotten around to decorating his own room in just the way he liked, along with bringing in a few furniture pieces that he thought would be suitable for their shared living space. He moved in more than a month ago but because of work he didn’t have much time to go out shopping and do much of anything else. Figuring he would get a roommate soon enough anyway, he had just let it be so that they could make decisions together.

“I need to go out and buy stuff later but I’ll be sleeping here from tonight on.” Seungyoon smiled at him again as he said it, bending down to pick up something from the floor.

The longer he stayed there talking with Seungyoon, the more curious about him Jinwoo got. They seemed to be on the same wavelength on about every subject that came up while shuffling stuff around. He also noticed that Seungyoon brought a guitar with him and in the back of his mind he had been wondering from the moment he caught sight of it if he was any good.

While helping his new roommate move his final box to the kitchen, Jinwoo’s phone started ringing from his back pocket. Seungyoon nodded at him and he grinned at him softly as he took the call, watching him place some of his things into the kitchen cupboards.

“Sure. I don’t mind. I’ll be there.” Jinwoo hangs up and wistfully stares at his phone.

“You look like you’re thinking really hard about something.” Seungyoon tells him.

Jinwoo shrugs and runs his hand through his hair. Although they’ve only just met, being with Seungyoon like this made him forget about the passage of time. A couple of hours had already gone by but to Jinwoo it felt as if only minutes have passed.

“Someone called in and said they’ll be running late for work. They asked if I could come in early.”

Seungyoon stopped what he was doing and just looked at him, kept looking at him. Jinwoo felt tingling heat creeping up his cheeks so he decides to pretend to be highly engrossed in some flyers he left lying on the counter a couple days ago.

“Hey, do you like pasta?” Jinwoo asks carefully, watching his new roommate from the corner of his eyes.

“Why?” Seungyoon tilts his head, lips curving into a handsome smirk. “Are you going to ask me out?”

Jinwoo’s face falls and suddenly his mouth is feeling very dry, his face quickly heating up in mortification.

“I work as a waiter at an Italian restaurant!” He protests, looking at anything his eyes could possibly land on, anything but Kang Seungyoon.

“Dinner. Later. I could — ” Jinwoo pauses, cheeks burning. He’s too flustered to string together a coherent sentence. “I’m sorry, I didn’t — this is...”

There was a moment of silence and then Seungyoon suddenly broke into laughter, Jinwoo just stood there quietly watching him, turning even redder.

“I was just kidding.” Seungyoon beams at him as he said it, mirth dancing in his eyes.

“I should have been clearer about it.” Jinwoo mumbles, fanning his heated face.

Seungyoon waved his hand and came closer, “Pasta sounds great.”

“For moving in.” Jinwoo paused, worrying his lips. “And for catching me. That day.”

Seungyoon took a sudden step forward, too close. Startled, Jinwoo took a tentative step back, his hips softly hitting the edge of the counter.

“Is this your way of trying to make it up to me?” Seungyoon grinned at him, inching even closer. “You don’t have to. I wanted to help you that day so I did.”

“Even so.” Jinwoo insisted, not knowing where to go. “I want to.”

“You know, you make me so curious. I’d really like to know more about you.”

Jinwoo’s eyes widened a little at his revelation. He doesn't quite know what to make of it.

“Um...” Jinwoo hesitates,. “I’m not interesting at all, you might get disappointed.”

“The first time we met, you almost knocked me unconscious.”

Feeling embarrassed about it and immensely self-conscious, Jinwoo bit down on his lip and gazed downwards.

“I’m sorry about that. I should have…”

“Your hair was pink. Like cotton candy.” Seungyoon interrupts, taking some of Jinwoo’s hair gently between his fingers. “You seemed so sweet.”

Jinwoo lifted his head up slowly, meeting his gaze. Seungyoon doesn’t lower his hand and Jinwoo can’t breathe, can’t seem to inhale. They were so close and he was getting nervous for reasons he doesn’t even understand himself. They shift a little against each other but not enough to break contact. It feels awkward, weird, yet somehow Jinwoo couldn’t pull away from him - the feeling itself was addicting.

“I found you to be very interesting the first time I saw you.” Seungyoon’s fingers moved slowly, spreading warmth as they brushed lightly against his skin. “Seeing you again today…I haven’t changed my mind.”

Seungyoon had been left to himself after Jinwoo had gone off to work. He just learned that his new roommate worked as a waiter at an Italian restaurant on the other side of the river. On top of that he had promised to bring back dinner for them tonight. This roommate ordeal seemed even more and more ideal to him. His roommate was not only highly attractive, he also brought back food.

Pasta is nice but to him Jinwoo’s blushing face was way nicer. Seungyoon found him to be extremely adorable when flustered, and that time Jinwoo lowered his gaze and bit his lip - Seungyoon almost kissed him right then and there.

He knew then that he had to stop watching him and let his heart calm down a little. But it’s very hard, even more when he’s never met anyone as captivating and heart racing as his new roommate, Kim Jinwoo.

Seungyoon already has a name for the fluttering in his stomach, same goes for the erratic beating of his heart - but is it really okay to want to badly kiss someone he just met? Even more if it’s his new roommate?

He steps out into the balcony, catching sight of Jinwoo making his way down the hill, disappearing behind blossoming plum trees that lined the road. Seungyoon suppresses a laugh. He feels really good about this whole thing. Feels even better with a lovely roommate like Kim Jinwoo in the equation.

There’s just this feeling. About them. A really good one.

While Jinwoo was out working, Seungyoon started unpacking a few things from one of his duffel bags, like his favorite coffee mug and put it on the kitchen counter. He then sat out on the balcony again, enjoying the breeze while making a shopping list. He needed something to sleep on and something to store his clothes in. There was an IKEA on the other side of town where he could get furniture later on, but for now he would pick up stuff locally. Also, he had promised to stop by at the cafe where his friend Seunghoon worked in the afternoon and so his day was more or less planned out already.

His first stop was at a store that sold all kinds of beds. There Seungyoon got himself a bed frame, a mattress and some bedsheets, along with some pillows. They were to be delivered later that same day and so he hurried on to get a clothing rack along with some other essentials.

The delivery truck was already waiting outside the apartment complex when he got there. He had some help with the bedframe but he struggled on his own to get the mattress up there even if it was rolled tightly together. Exhausted after unrolling and dressing it, he opened his bedroom window before dropping down on his newly made bed. It was while laying there enjoying the soft smooth feeling of his new bed sheets that he realized it.

“Curtains!” he exclaimed loudly into what he thought was an empty apartment. Instead he got a reply, causing him to sit up straight on his bed.

There by his foot was a black and white ball of ness, with huge glaring eyes and pointy ears. Rolling over he decided to take a closer look.

“Hello there.” he mumbled while stretching out a caut