Minghao was aware of the helpful tip to not room with someone you like. 

He knows that. 

Obviously he does. 

However, he did not expect he'd actually like his roommate in a romantic sense, nor did Minghao expect that he'd wish he should've packed up his emotions and left it in China.

Because his main goal was to study in a foreign land and see how life goes, not to get too smitten at a handsome boy who opened the door which Minghao was leaning at and almost fell face flat on the floor.

This sweet roommate of his who greeted him with a shy smile and unrelenting chatter and offered him to help unpack and buy him a cake as a celebration for being his new roommate three years ago. And that thought alone made Minghao smile as he got swept into dreamland. 

Wen Junhui, his roommate, who’s clearly a charming lad that makes Minghao want to become one with his creaking bed whenever they banter is the person he’d like to date.

Why did the world even align him to meet Jun? Was he lucky? Yes and no. Side effects may vary when it comes to him having a serious crush, especially when he can’t even deny how much his heart swells with joy whenever he’s beside Junhui.

So where was Minghao going with his ‘I’m regretting sharing a room with my crush.’ that he was talking about in the beginning?

Well, it was obvious to many that Minghao should be happy that the person he was attached to was stuck in the confines of the four walls of their sacred room everyday. Which was definitely understandable since you would have expected that small room, bigger feelings equals to confessions because of their overwhelming tension that causes the room to overfill with their love.

But Minghao did not receive that simple ‘roommates to lovers’ type of trope. He got the ‘roommates to friends that becomes attached to each other and share the same circle of friends that both have high regard to their pride so they won’t admit their feelings but will try to hint that they do but it prolongs their agony and maybe they’re just thrill loving idiots ’ trope.

Minghao knows the latter part was true since it has been ingrained ever since the day they started this mindgame of who confesses first. It was not like it was blatantly stated and signed by a contract for them to do it, but their pride was the one in charge instead of their brain that caused them to have an unspoken challenge to flirt in any way possible.

It was simple: proceed to the beginning of a pre-couple stage where they try to dance around each other, step by step until someone steps on the other’s feet and do it continuously until someone gets too frustrated and voice out their feelings. The two of them are continuously stepping at each other’s feelings, constantly flirting to come to a closer conclusion of where they are in their relationship. Jun would playfully tell him sweet compliments while Minghao would touch him delicately and stare at him with a fond smile. 

It is getting to a point that Minghao anticipates Jun’s new pick-up line and hugs before they go their separate ways to different buildings and it’s making him distressed. Because what if Jun gets tired of him and he’d stop this game of theirs and leave him wanting for more? Minghao knows he won’t, but would Jun too?

He doesn’t want to see Junhui with another person clinging to him, he doesn’t want to see his roommate be infatuated with someone else and he doesn’t like the endgame of them just being friends. Minghao wants them to resolve whatever they are doing as of the moment and frolic in the school field while holding hands. But he can’t do that if Jun wouldn’t confess and spill out his undying love for him.

Maybe you're wondering why Minghao would not lower his pride and confess if he’s too scared of this becoming an unrequited love?

Obviously, he doesn’t want to. He’s Xu Minghao and he’s a fighter, if Junhui won’t do it he won’t either. Pride was not the only thing that ran through their veins it was also competitiveness. 

If Junhui gives him a hug he’d hug him tighter and if he tells Minghao he’s in love with him he’d tell him he loves him more. His childhood taught him competitiveness was an important factor of who he was and Jun deserves everything but to a higher degree. 

But never will Xu Minghao be the first to say he’s hopelessly in love with Jun.

Or will he?

“Good morning Hao, my sleeping beauty, wake up, wake up!” 

Minghao felt a weight pressing onto his body, and the only thing he could think of was that it’s too early for this, but it’s a welcomed annoyance that makes his ears heat up. “Not a fine morning, are you attempting on murdering me by burying me alive with your heavy body?” 

It’s too early but he has a class at 7 and for someone who slept at 12 am he’s grateful someone woke him up. They both have an hour before they’d need to get out. 

“Not my intention. You do know I’d die for you though.” Junhui takes the boy’s hands and pulls him to sit up straight.

Okay, the flirting has commenced. Starting early and adding another damage to one’s heart capacity he respects Jun’s strategy but he’d have to do more for Minghao to become a flustered mess.

Minghao moves to the side for Junhui to sit on, patting the bed for the latter to do so.

Instinctively, Minghao relaxes his body and hugs Junhui’s waist and mutters, voice still raspy from sleep. “Okay, yeah me too babe”

Junhui visibly stiffens as Minghao fiddles with Jun’s sweater with a tell tale smile on his lips. The older boy is weak when it comes to sweet endearments. Minghao gently places his head on Jun’s shoulder, happy that he was able to succeed this time of day and the close proximity they have as of the moment.

“Honey? hey babe? Are you okay?” Minghao nuzzles on Jun’s neck while his friend’s heart was running miles a minute.

“Hm nothing babe.” Junhui’s voice shakes a little, he holds his hand, playing with the younger man’s slender fingers. “I bought us breakfast.” 

“Oh. Thank you, you know you didn’t have to.” Minghao replies.

Almost everyday, Jun would buy him food and even though Minghao kept badgering him to stop, he’d still do so. It still sends Minghao a comforting feeling of bliss. He hates it but he also loves it. He hates how anything Junhui does for him is utterly sweet that causes him to love him more, to want to kiss him as a thank you for being such a kind person.

“I insist. I want to eat with you.” Junhui said with happiness lacing his voice. Without even looking at him Minghao knows Jun is smiling in such an endearing way.

He knows this wasn’t a part of their game, this was just Jun being Jun and it’s always a raw feeling that makes Minghao’s heart flutter. It’s this part where Junhui doesn’t even try at all as he’s conquering his friend’s heart with just a simple action tempting Minghao to admit his defeat and tell him how he loves him so much. 

Minghao doesn’t want to let go, he just wants to stay here inside their room and relax in each other’s arms.

“Can we stand up now?” Minghao said, he begins to let go of his embrace.

Junhui humms, and pats Minghao’s head. “Do you want to?”

He begins to tighten his hold again and press his head on the man’s back. “...no” 

Minghao feels the shake of Junhui’s body as he laughs gently. The weight of their bodies melting in the sheets with the sound of the bed creaking inside their space. 

Minghao comes out of the bathroom, hair dripping wet with a towel hung on his shoulders. “We need to go to the store this weekend and buy shampoo.” 

He looks at Junhui who was mindlessly scrolling through his phone. “Yeah we should, my ramen stash is depleting.” Junhui places his phone to the side and gestures Minghao to come closer.

Minghao sits on the edge of the bed with Junhui behind him. His roommate takes the towel and dries his hair, careful enough not to feel like his hair was getting pulled out of his scalp.

“I can do it myself.” Minghao says, even though he willingly sat behind his friend and knew what his intention was. 

Even though Minghao can do it by himself he always likes getting cared for by Jun, he likes how gentle the man was when it comes to him. The towel feels softer and his hair is fluffier when someone else dries his hair. Well, when Junhui dries it. 

Minghao feels like a child again who just got home from a rainy day with his hair tended to as Junhui continuously dries it. “It’s cold outside. You’d get sick if you don’t dry your hair enough.” Junhui said sincerely and laughs again with a hint of humor in his tone. “And of course my lovely Haohao deserves all the care in the world!”

Minghao grunts, his cheeks beginning to flush. He timidly grabs the towel. “Yeah okay now let me go, I don’t want to miss morning class.”

Junhui doesn’t stand up and so does Minghao for some odd reason. The room was silent, the only thing being heard is the thud of footsteps upstairs. 

“How about my kiss?” Junhui said with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Minghao flushes to a