*****

Chanyeol stared at the blue curtain in front of him. The fabric was thick and impossible to see through it. The smell of coffee lingered around accompanied by the house music. It’s not his, it’s hers.

It’s hers.

The thick and wavy fabric segregated the room into two. Maybe it was set up by the warden or someone else. He still can’t believe his eyes as he entered the room just now. It is the boy’s dorm, but yet, he met a girl inside the room. That time she was listening to the same music like now and calmly sitting on the window sill.

A girl?

Yeah

What she’s doing here?

She’s my roommate, thought.

Don’t be ridiculous!

It already is.

Chanyeol pouted and put his head on his desk. His Iphone rang again.

LOL

That’s all Kai could text.  Chanyeol didn’t reply. In the end, Kai could do nothing for him instead of ‘LOL’ing at him. His luggage left untouched. He didn’t dare to unpacked his things before he could ensure that the girl next the curtain was really his roommate. His eyelashes kissed the cheeks. To be honest, he felt very sleepy. It’s not that he thought nasty things could happened, he just found that living with a girl was quite strange.

 He heard the sound of the curtain was being pulled aside.

His eyes wide opened and he rose. No doubt, she’s there. She was already in her pajamas while Chanyeol was still in his jacket and jeans. This was very awkward and he just able to smile.

“Uhm… hi.” Chanyeol chose to start the conversation. “My name is Chanyeol.” His eyes wondered around. He didn’t know how to react in this situation. However, Chanyeol still waited for her to reply but she just smiled. A step after a step she made, she came closer to him. Their eyes never meet each other.

She put a paper on his desk. Chanyeol hesitated but yet he took it and read it.

This is the letter from the warden. -Brook

A yellow sticky note clipped with the A4 paper. He looked at her before continued reading. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Brook.” He was finally able to smile.

His digital clock snoozed as the time showed the digits 1 and 2. But, Chanyeol was still struggling with his things. His temporary roommate already slept, thought.

________________

“No way!”

“Yes way.”

“He’s sleeping with a girl?”

Baekhyun choked. The way Baekhyun said just really wrong. People would easily misunderstand. He put away his drink and shoved his face toward Kai. “Seriously?!”

“How about you asked him by yourself?” Kai rolled his eyes. It was too tiring to deal with this stupid seal. Chanyeol stopped from reading; he was completely disturbed by the noise. Furthermore, it was him that they were talking about.

“Dude!”

“Lower your voice already, Baek.”

“So it’s real? I thought your roommate was Kris hyung?”

“ Kris is staying with Kyungsoo, he decided at the last minute.”

“So?”

Chanyeol sighed, this was so embarrassing. “It’s just for two weeks. Her room was still in renovation and that was that.” Chanyeol rose from his chair and walked toward the door. Baekhyun who he left dumbfounded, developed his own imagination. He and his evil thought was just nonsense.

“Don’t you think they-“

“Stop that, Baek.” Kai warned. Even Kai could read what he was thinking about. “I’m going to the lecture room.” Kai declared, he poked Baekhyun’s head before he went out from the café.

_____

Everything was fine, but some people who didn’t know about the situation might be misunderstood. Chanyeol refused to give a thought about that. He’s fine with his roommate, he guessed. Awkwardness did not just walk away. Chanyeol noted about their personal space, especially living with a girl.  It was lucky enough to have two bathrooms in the room.

“Coffee?”

The girl put a note in front of him while he’s reading. The fragrance of the caffeine lingered around, so she thought; maybe Chanyeol would love to drink some. Guess she was right.

“Well, sounds good.” With a smile, she backed behind the curtain again.

Chanyeol rose and followed her. He stopped after a few steps, refused to go any further. For all these time, the curtain became the barrier or line between both of them. Chanyeol never crossed the line but Brook never thought about it. She was the only one who came back and forth, well that was fine for him.

“May I ask?” Chanyeol hid behind the curtain while eyeing the cute one made coffee for him. She nodded.

“Why you didn’t speak?” Chanyeol asked. “Are you…. Mute?”

 She didn’t reply until she handed him a cup of coffee. Chanyeol thought maybe he offended her, so he just kept quiet. But yet she took a paper and dragged him back to his desk. She made him sat on the chair and Chanyeol eyed her hand as she took his mechanical pencil in his pencil case.

“I’m sick for a week now. But, I’m fine. It was just I can’t speak because I have sore throat. It’s hurt.”

“ I’m sorry to hear that, Brook.”

 “  :P “

________

“Is that true that you’re sleeping with a girl?”

“It sounds very wrong and God, I hope you are the last one who asks me this.”

Chanyeol closed his locker and went into the library. Luhan laughed but then followed him with his references books.

“Tell me then.”

“ We have separate beds, different bathrooms and we even have curtain in the middle of the room, okay?” Chanyeol explained in rush and rather in lower voice. People must not hear about these things.

“Wow, okay.” Luhan shrugged and chose a seat. Kai was there. He was lazily completing his essay and watched them both talking.

“What’s up, bro?” Luhan greeted.

“Hm.”

Kai hummed. He then put his head on the table.  Luhan and Chanyeol exchanged gazes, asked what’s wrong with the latter. “What’s wrong?” Chanyeol nudged.

“I’m hungry.” Kai declared.

“Darn it! I thought you have a big problem, Kai.” Chanyeol cursed. “Well, it’s a big deal. Hungry is a very big deal for me. Today I will come to your room; I know you have a lot of food. You bought a refrigerator, isn’t?”

“It’s a small one.”

“I don’t care.” Kai frowned. Luhan could only laugh and left them alone. He went to the counter to return the references book.

“I’m sorry, dude. You can’t come.” Chanyeol shook his head.

“Why not?” Kai protested.

“It’s because of my roommate.”

“ , man! She’s not even your girlfriend. I just come for food-“

“and probably my PS4.” Chanyeol interjected.

“Well, of course.”

“Nope, you will just disturbing my roommate. We must respect her. At least for two weeks.” Chanyeol smiled. He turned around to see Luhan and traipsed to him. He wanted to renew his books.

“Respect? Kiss my .” Kai glared the latter. He was just hungry and he took Chanyeol was really mean. He sighed heavily. Before his eyes backed to the essay, a bunch of keys took his attention. They were probably Chanyeol’s. It was easy to differentiate the keys and the number 165 was written on the small blue sticker. All boys have this kind of key.

__________

The meeting was not that long, new location with more audience. This was what EXO wanted for all these time. Hiatus for 5 months were just unbearable for them but they could do nothing.

“University Street, 8pm and we start tonight! ” Luhan declared and replied by loud cheers. “But this time, there are only Baekhyun, Chanyeol,Chen, Xiumin, Yixing, and Luhan. Next Thursday, will be the rest of you.” Kris interjected. He was the one who arranged the schedule and he was the manager.“Everybody agree?” Kris asked.

“Of course! No big deal, man!” Everybody agreed.

“You guys will go straight to that place now and I’ve already prepared everything. I’ll drive and I hope you guys do a great job; you know it’s hard to get that place. We have to compete with other performers and show we are better than everyone.”

Kris always takes this thing way too serious.  They wanted to have fun by forming this band but be a famous one could increase their pocket money. Kris once said that.

In the corner, Kai was dragging Kyungsoo out of the room and headed to their dorm.

“Okay, Kai. I know you wanted to go back home but at least we don’t need to rush.”

“We NEED to rush!” Kai exclaimed. “I don’t know what Chanyeol was thinking, but he was just mean and I will just do what I want. He never like this to me! I’m his best friend anyway.” Kyungsoo knew Kai was a hot-tempered but he had no idea what he was talking about. “What do you mean?” Kai didn’t answered and just dragged him until they arrived in front of Chanyeol’s room. Kyungsoo watched as Kai opened the door with a key that he knew that it wasn’t his.

“Kai.”

“Come on, we did nothing wrong. I just want to eat something.” He entered and hesitated. A blue curtain in front of him stopped him. Brook was not there. Kai entered and looked at this and that. He touched Brook’s stuffs before he went to Chanyeol’s.

“I think that was not Chanyeol’s” Kyungsoo said.

“ Of course, silly! He wouldn’t buy pink tables and stuffs.” Kai laughed. He left to Chanyeol’s bedroom, he found the refrigerator that he talked about and opened it. There was nothing except two mineral bottles and a burger.

“I thought he had a lot of food!” Kai took the burger and bottles and showed them to Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo just shrugged. “But, why did I smell breads?” Kyungsoo asked. They looked around but found nothing until Kyungsoo tried to pull the curtain until it showed another part of the room. Some breads and a chocolate cake were on Brook’s bed.

“Why I didn’t see them just now?” Kai smiled. Kyungsoo stopped him “Don’t! They were not Chanyeol’s.”

“But they were. Who’s Brook?”

“Chanyeol’s… roommate.”

“So? That’s it!”

____________

“Again! I remind you! If you wanted to treat your friend, use your own money! Not mine!”

“I’m so sorry, Brook. It’s not-“

Brook closed the door behind her. She can’t believe what he did.

**

“Who are you?”

“ I-I’m Kyungsoo. He’s Kai.”

“You are Chanyeol’s friends?”

Kyungsoo nodded. He felt guilty but not Kai. Kai still continue playing the PS4. Brook stared at them before wrote another note.

“That’s my foods. You know that, don’t you?”

Kyungsoo was speechless and nudged the latter. Brook decided to unplug the PS4 so that they both could pay attention to her.

“Ah~ Noona! Haish! Chanyeol hyung said that we can eat want we wanted whenever we come to his room. So, I saw these and I just eat it. Well, I thought maybe you guys shared money to buy food, so it’s okay to eat them.” Kai explained. He threw ridiculous excuses and Brook was really mad.

**

Chanyeol backed late at night and Brook still waited for him. She was mad but she can’t express it well and she could just write on the paper. Chanyeol apologized but she was still mad. Furthermore, the cake was for her friend. Now, she needed to buy another one. That was not about the money, it just because his friends were intruders and she could call them as thieves for eating her food.

For the whole day, Brook and Chanyeol didn’t talk. Chanyeol went to find Kyungsoo and Kai. But, they were hiding and avoiding from meeting him. Luhan met Kai, but he only gave his key and ran away.

“It’s okay, Chanyeol. We will meet them later.” Luhan once said to him.

Brook found her kept staring on the curtain. She was actually waiting for Chanyeol to explain everything.

Kai

…

I will not mad at you, I promise. I just want to know why you do this.

…

I forgive you this time. If you have problem you can meet me, as always. I’m your hyung, isn’t?

Hyung,

Kai, are you okay?

I’m sorry.

It’s okay. But remember, don’t steal others’ food.

I’m just hungry! I told you! I lost my money.T_T

What?! Why you didn’t tell me?

You didn’t care about it!

Of course, I am! But, even though you lost your money, you can’t steal people’s things.

I’m sorry. Brook sis is mad,isn’t?

She really is. You must apologize. She mad at me too.

My fault. I’m really sorry. I want to meet her.And, don’t blame Kyungsoo. I dragged him into this.

Let’s meet, Kai. Okay?

I will come to your place and promise me! Don’t hit me…

“Brook?”

There was no answer.

“I know you hear me. I’m sorry for everything. I will pay your food and Kai is on the way here. So, I ask him to apologize. Can you forgive him?”

At other side, Brook stopped from working on her assignments. She took a paper and wrote something on it. As Chanyeol waited for Kai, he sat on the chair. He waited for Brook to answer too. Taking him by surprise, the curtain was suddenly pulled to aside. Brook didn’t look angry but she didn’t smile too. She came closer and gave the paper to him

“Honestly, I wasn’t that mad. But, you know. I was just surprise.”

“Actually, he stole my key and got into here. I don’t know about that either. He lost his money so that was why he did this. Kai is a good boy, actually. I’m sorry about this.” Chanyeol explained. Brook nodded and smiled. At least, he did because of a reason. They heard a knock after that. “Hyung!” Kai called.

___________________

The night became peaceful again. Chanyeol was able to complete his assignment and went to bed. The pillow was softer than before and the air was cold. Chanyeol was able to sleep tonight.

But, he was not in his pajamas. He was ready to go to the classes.

“Chanyeol.”

A girl called him. He turned around. Brook was standing beside his desk and he smiled. “Good morning.” Chanyeol giggled. Finally, Brook spoke. He walked toward her. “You want some sandwich? I can make it.”

_________________

Awkward.

The only word Chanyeol could describe. He really curious about her voice until it was dragged in his dream. It was ridiculous. What so important about it? There was no class for today and he was in his pajamas, and sitting on the chair. Today, he really had some sandwiches.  Brook appeared on his sight as she was about to go out.

“Hey!”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “Wa!” he exclaimed. She laughed at his expression. “Morning, Chanyeol.” She greeted.

Yeah, she greeted.

“M-morning.”