Prologue

“Isn’t this amazing, Soo?”

“It’s quite…”

Jongin whipped his head in his best friend’s direction. Kyungsoo was looking around with slightly furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips, hands clutching the handle of his suitcase, while hesitant eyes were taking in everything from the front of the student campus.

“Alright. It’s quite alright.” He finished lastly, leaving his younger friend with a dissatisfied pout.

It’s not like Kyungsoo wasn’t excited to be in college. It’s just that Jongin was ecstatic about it.

“What do you mean, it’s alright? It’s so much more than that, Kyungsoo…it is…it is just awesome!”

“It’s school.”

“So what? The important thing is that we’re staying together! Can you even begin to imagine all the possibilities?!”

And finally, finally, the shorter one cracked a smile, Jongin’s enthusiasm too radiant to not get to him.

They’ve been friends ever since he could remember himself – going to the playground together when they were little kids, sharing the same desk in elementary school, writing homework together in middle school, staying up late at night outside while in high school, graduating together and now, finally, after all these years moving away from their hometown to go to college together.

They were different majors, so Jongin had known that even if they were in the same university they wouldn’t be able to meet up as often as he’d like. In the late days of July that resulted in him bothering the Student Admission Office almost every day until, after almost one entire month of pestering, they finally agreed to let the two boys room together.

So now, side by side, with tons of luggage surrounding them, the two of them were standing in front of the student dormitory, Jongin’s hands eagerly clutching the keys for their room, while Kyungsoo was too busy inspecting the plaque at the front.

“This was built in 1918.”

“So?”

“It’s ancient.”

“It’s a dorm! Who cares?” Jongin rolled his eyes, picking up his suitcase again. “Come on, let’s go!”

It took them quite some time to drag themselves and all the luggage up to the sixth floor, where their room was, down the east corridor. And by the time they were already standing in front of room 443, the room just after the one at the corner, they were both panting heavily, bangs of messy hair falling in front of their eyes.

And eventually, Kyungsoo looked up to Jongin to see the younger one grinning lightly at the old looking door. He couldn’t help but feel somehow bubbly when seeing his best friend that excited.

“Well?” he raised his eyebrows, nudging Jongin in the ribs lightly. “What are you waiting for?”

The small smile grew to a wide, gum showing grin, as the younger one lunged forward and unlocked the door. When he pushed it open, there was a silent creek and cold, old air immediately hit them in the faces. Kyungsoo squinted his eyes lightly when the room was finally revealed in front of them – the place was definitely old. Old and very small. Big enough to fit two beds, two small wardrobes, two desks, one mirror. The only light coming in the room was from the tiny window positioned in the middle of the opposite wall, just between the two desks.

And it all seemed old, kind of run down, definitely not a place Kyungsoo would want to stay in, but he was trying to look at it positively – he was here with Jongin. He was in college, he was going to have the time of his life!

“Well, it’s definitely kind of dull,” Jongin noted, setting his suitcase aside and looking around the tiny space of their room. “Kind of lifeless, but we’re going to change that.”

Kyungsoo watched him as he walked over to the miniature window, as he pulled strongly to open the piece, as fresh air intruded the room and Kyungsoo sighed out, before cracking a smile.

“Yes. We’ll do that.”

There was a victorious smile on Jongin’s face, as he turned to Kyungsoo.

“Damn right we will! But not before we eat something. Come on, I’m starving!”

And Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, a smile evident on his lips, as he helped Jongin drag all their stuff inside and then followed him out, trying to keep up with his enthusiasm, locking the door after them.

They didn’t let themselves stay long in the student cafeteria for lunch – they still had their stuff to unpack and it was Kyungsoo’s demand to clean everything before that, which Jongin had tried to reason against. However, all it took was one sharp look from the older one to quiet him and for him to agree to eat his pasta faster, as they had to go back in the dorm and fix everything. Make it feel a little less like it came out of a museum and turn it into their new home.

“Look,” Kyungsoo nudged Jongin as they were walking towards their building and the younger one followed his gaze towards the windows on their floor. “Look, they’re like prison windows.”

“Not that one.” Jongin jugged his chin at the corner of the old building. And Kyungsoo had to agree – the windows were huge, they were also open, and they were on both sides of the walls. Which made him think that the room on the corner had nothing to do with theirs. At least in terms of size. “It looks impressive.”

“It does. But it isn’t ours, so it doesn’t matter.”

Jongin dismissed the conversation with a shrug of his shoulders and they continued walking forward, the conversation drifting to the campus, to the class buildings, to the activity clubs, to everything else, until they were once again inside and they were climbing up the round stairs.

“Damn it,” it was Jongin who grumbled first. “Why isn’t there an elevator?”

“What do you expect from a hundred year old building?”

“Well the people a hundred years ago definitely must have been fit. Damn. I don’t think I’d have to work out if I need to climb these stairs every day.”

“You don’t work out anyway.” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, fishing the keys out of his pocket. “Come on, you’ll get used to it.”

The next hour the boys spent cleaning everything, Kyungsoo not letting Jongin do a half assed job because ‘if we’re going to live together we need to compromise’ and because ‘just cause we’re friends it doesn’t mean I will tolerate your mess Kim Jongin!’. So the younger one didn’t really have a choice but to join his best friend with a mop and a very disgruntled expression gracing his usually cheerful features.

But after they finished with the annoying part, Jongin enthusiastically pranced over to his bags, and Kyungsoo watched as he pulled out a very solid roll of posters. At the sight, Kyungsoo rolled his eyes.

“We talked about it, Jongin. No Chelsea posters. And no dogs.”

“Oh, come on! You ca-“

“Jongin…I do not wish to wake up to the sight of a sweaty football team every day.”

“Fine. I won’t put up the Chelsea one, but you’re not allowed to put up Jo InSung either!”

“But-“

“You can only do that if I get to put up the posters of the dogs.”

And Kyungsoo stood in his place, hesitating for a few seconds, before rolling his eyes and slumping down on his bed.

“Fine. But only one!”

“Three. And no Chelsea.”

“Two.”

“Deal.”

He could only shake his head when Jongin shone him a smile, then caught the tape between his teeth and dedicated himself to decorating the wall above his bed.

Kyungsoo concentrated on his own half of the room, taking out his fresh bedsheets, making sure to smooth out everything, leaving it the way he liked it – neat and tidy. Only vaguely was he wondering if there was any point in doing that since he was living with Jongin now, meaning that after about two hours his bed would be covered in the younger’s stuff. And somehow, he didn’t seem to mind at all.

Jongin had just finished putting up the posters on the wall, a satisfied smirk on his face as he was watching the product – the dirty white walls were now almost not visible from beneath the photos of cute dogs, of groups, of motivational quotes and photos of him, Kyungsoo and some of their other friends.

And he was already arranging stuff on his desk, engaged in a conversation with Kyungsoo on how they’d spend the following day in the campus, when there was a loud knock on their door and before any of them could react someone was already barging in.

Jongin took in the sight of the short guy who had confidently walked in, as if he owned the place, silver hair sticking in every direction, a very friendly smile stretching his lips.

“Hello, guys, I’m Byun Baekhyun.” The bubbly looking peer introduced himself and Jongin threw a look towards Kyungsoo to only see him raising his eyebrow. “I will be your resident advisor this year. “

“Hello,” Jongin lowered his books on the desk to shake the hand that the other boy was offering. Kyungsoo didn’t bother standing up. “Nice to meet you.”

“So…” the silver haired boy started, looking around, eyes lingering on the posters Jongin had just hung on the wall. He raised his eyebrows lightly. “You guys are very fast. First day in and you’re already almost ready with decorating.”

“There’s not much to decorate.” Kyungsoo noted from the side and the RA only nodded vaguely.

“Our dormitory isn’t exactly new. It’s not modern and new like the southern wing, but we surely have a lot of history here. The rooms are awfully small, I know, but one gets used to it.”

There were a few moments of awkward silence, before Jongin blinked a few times.

“Not the room next door, though. It’s definitely not as small as this one.”

“Hm?”

“The room next door. At the corner. 442, I think, it looks quite big, so maybe….if nobody is assigned to it we could probably…”

“Room 442, you say…” Baekhyun scratched his nape thoughtfully, his smile fading down to only a mysterious, knowing smirk. “I wouldn’t want to go in that room. There were a couple suicides in there, so they’re not assigning anybody to live there. It’s used as a storage room.”

And Jongin felt his jaw slowly dropping, while silver haired dude only grinned at them again.

“Anyway, I’m here to remind that this is a boys only dorm, girls aren’t allowed here after ten, no noise after eleven. The rest of the things you need to know are on the flier you have received from the Enrollment Office. I need to go now, I have other freshmen to meet, so if you have any further questions, you can find me on the fifth floor, room 372. It was nice meeting you, boys! See you around!”

And as fast as he’d arrived, he was out of sight, Byun Baekhyun, and Jongin was only blinking at the door he’d just closed behind himself.

He was only brought back to reality when he heard Kyungsoo snorting from the side.

“What a moron.”

“Did you ing hear that?”

“I’m going to call him Byun Baekbye.”

“Kyungsoo, I’m serious. Did you hear the ing bomb that he dropped?”

“I don’t like him.”

“Kyungsoo! A couple suicides…”

“So what? It’s not like it’s even the same room.”

“But-“

“Jongin, relax!” Kyungsoo ended up rolling his eyes and moving over to his best friend. “There are always a few suicides in every college, it’s not the end of the world. Besides, this building is older than my great-grandparents. It could have happened years ago, it doesn’t matter.”

“But it’s in the room next door…” Jongin frowned, looking towards the wall next to Kyungsoo’s bed, before sighing out. “Anyway, whatever. Did you finish unpacking?”

“Almost.” The older one smiled slightly, happy that they’d abandoned the topic, turning towards his desk. “I still have to arrange my clothes and then-…ugh, we still need to hang the curtains, Jongin!...well, it’s not like there’s much to hang a curtain for, but-“

“If you don’t like it,” the younger one cheekily grinned. “You can move in the suicide room. The windows there are big. And on every wall.”

He didn’t expect the pillow flying in his direction.

“Shut up.”

“See?! I knew it! You’re creeped out, too!”

“That’s not true.” Kyungsoo shot back, a small smile forming on his face because he knew just how silly Jongin could be and how silly he could get when he was with Jongin. “If anything, Byun Baekbye was probably lying!”

“Oh, really?”

“Really. You know, trying to scare the crap out of the freshmen, every college has their own creepy campus stories, and 99% of the time, they are totally made up. And so are the suicides in room 442.”

“Whatever.” Jongin shrugged, turning back to the pile of clothes that was still waiting for him. He didn’t want to think about that anymore. He only knew that he wanted to get over with this so he could watch some movie with Kyungsoo, probably pig out on the cookies his mum had made before they left.

It was a long day, a very tiring one, and the evening seemed too long – they barely made it to the end of the movie, they were both yawning so much, but they felt somehow delighted. And as soon as it finished, they went to their respective beds, Jongin feeling a certain joy he’d never felt before. It was one thing to have sleepovers with Kyungsoo, but now they were living together. It was totally different, and he knew he loved it.

But not as much as he loved teasing him.

“Say, Soo, hypothetically, if there really had been suicides-“

“Shut up, Jongin…”

“-how do you think these people killed themselves?”

There were a few seconds of absolute silence, before Jongin saw Kyungsoo turning around in his own bed, back facing him, before a mumble reached his ears.

“I’m going to request a room change tomorrow.”

Jongin laughed cheerfully, ignoring the small ‘I hate you’ that reached his ears from the opposite side of the room.

Because he knew Kyungsoo wasn’t going anywhere. Because he knew what his friend would consider a joke and what he wouldn’t. Because he knew that messing around like that wouldn’t be reason enough for Kyungsoo to leave him.

He only laughed louder, looking forward to them living together more with every passing second. 

Sooooo, there we go, prologue....

This is something new I will be trying with this fic, I have never written horror stories before, so I hope this will turn out to be good! ^^ 

Yup, it is romance, as well, Kaisoo, this is what I'm good at haha...

Anyway, please let me know what you think so far, so that I can have at least a little clue what to do next! Thank you! ^^