Pairing: Onkey (Eunsook x Gwi)
Rating: PG
Word count: ~1200 words
Summary: Eunsook & Gwi are floormates in the same dorm freshman year and meet due to an unforeseen circumstance. They get to know each other and Gwi learns about one of Eunsook’s hobbies, knitting.
A/N: I knit and there is such a negative perception of women who do handicrafts, which I hate terribly much and that’s how I ended up writing this fic. I actually wrote this last July (wow), but never got around to posting it because I wanted it to be part of something bigger. It does exist in the same universe as my Ontae childhood fic (Scrapbooking) and my het!Onho fics (Anything You Want Could Not Be Wrong Oneshot series and Before Eunsook, there was Sookie).

Eunsook comes back to her dorm after a late night of studying in the library. Classes had started just a few weeks ago, but she already had a midterm in a couple of weeks, so she wanted to get a head-start. Even if that meant studying by herself in the library on a Friday night. It was an exciting life she was leading.

She walks out of the elevator onto her dorm floor, seeing a girl she hadn’t met yet, but had seen around, staring at a door. She knew the girl was named Gwiboon, from the name placard that their RA made for each of their rooms. She had explored the corridor one night, just looking at all the placards, trying commit the names to memory.

Gwiboon upon hearing Eunsook’s footsteps, turns her head to look at her, “Hey, you’re Eunsook, right?”

Eunsook nods as she makes her way to her front door, just one door diagonal of where Gwiboon currently stands. She points to her name placard.

Gwiboon nods, pointing to her own. “Given name Gwiboon, but literally, everyone calls me Gwi. Eve-ry-one.”

Eunsook nods again. “Hi Gwi!”

“Hello!” Gwi gives a jaunty little wave. “So, my roommate has some guy in there. Can I hang out in your room until they’re done?”

A loud moan comes from Gwi’s dorm. Gwi rolls her eyes and bangs on the door.

“Keep it down!”

Eunsook blushes red, “Um, sure.”

She’s flustered as she fumbles with her key, opening her door. Her own roommate was gone, choosing to go home every weekend since they had moved in during Welcome week rather than stay in the dorms.

“Wow, your room is really clean.” Gwi says as she walks in.

Eunsook looks around. Phew, thankfully, it did look relatively clean for once.

“Thank you.”

“Is this your family?” Gwiboon looked at the photos on Eunsook had spent all last weekend putting up on her wall.

Eunsook nods.

“You’re an only child?” Gwi looks back at Eunsook. Eunsook nods. “Me too!” Gwi replies.

“Who’s this? You guys look close. Wink Wink.” she points to a picture of her and Taemin, taken by his parents on his last birthday.

“No, t-that’s… that’s just Taemin.”

“Just Taemin. I like it. It has a nice ring to it.” Gwiboon turned around and sits on Eunsook’s bed.

“So, what do you do for fun?”

“Fun?”

“Yea, fun.” Gwi looks at Eunsook pointedly. “You can’t possibly be studying all the time.” she continues.

“Uh, right, of course… I don’t study all the time. I like to read and I… knit.” Eunsook says, looking away at the end. This is when people usually replied.

“Oh, that’s sooo cute. I thought only little old ladies did that” or “You must have a lot of time on your hands.”

But Gwi said none of those things.

“Really, you knit?! I’ve always wanted to learn. Do you have anything you’ve made here?”

Is she joking or serious? Eunsook looks at Gwi cautiously before she replies. Gwi’s expression does not change.

“Um, yea. I have some scarves that I’m waiting to give to some people.” Eunsook gets up and opens her closet and takes out a scarf she’s finished that she was waiting to give to her mother when she went home during break.

She holds the scarf in her hand, pausing, while unknowingly holding her breath.

“Wow, it’s so nice and looks really warm.” Gwi takes the scarf from Eunsook’s hand. “Did it take a long time to make?”

“Thanks!” Eunsook smiles, feeling less tense. “Yea, cables take a long time, but they’ll keep your really warm, since they keep air from getting in.” Eunsook pointed to a cable to show Gwiboon the overlap in the fabric. “I worry about my Umma walking to the market during winter.

“As for time?” Eunsook continues. “Knitting is one of those things where if you want to make something for someone, it doesn’t matter how much time it takes. You’re giving someone your time and love. If I was just giving someone a scarf, then I would just buy it.”

Gwi listens intently. “Do you have any more?”

Is she for real? Eunsook is waiting for the punchline of Gwi’s joke, which she still braces herself for.

Eunsook pauses, eyebrows raised, as she thinks and reaches into her closet and pulls another scarf she’s made.

“Whoa! This one is so pretty. And it’s SOOOO soft. Is it cashmere?” Gwi rubs her cheek against it rather aggressively.

Eunsook laughs.

“No, it’s actually Alpaca. Alpaca can be as soft as cashmere, but it’s hypoallergenic. I made this for my friend, Taemin. He has sensitive skin.”

“Just Taemin?” Gwiboon pointed back at the photo.

“Yea, Just Taemin.” Eunsook nods enthusiastically.

“Lucky.” Gwi still fondles the scarf in her hands, just feeling the softness with the back of her hand.

She looks back up to Eunsook.

“Hey, you know a lot about fibers.” Gwi says as she hands Eunsook back both scarves.

Eunsook takes both of the scarves and starts turning around to put them back in her closet.

“Yea, you learn a lot when you knit.” Eunsook laughs from inside her closet.

She finishes putting them away and closes the closet doors.

“Can I ask you opinion about something?” Gwi asks.

“Sure, go ahead.” Eunsook looks at her questioningly, eyes wide.

“I have this project for my fashion design class and I thought I wanted the sweater to be made of cashmere, but it’s super cool that alpaca is hypoallergenic. Do you think I could make the switch easily?

“Yea, for sure. It just depends on what type of yarn you use.”

“If I show you some samples, could you—would you help me?”

“Definitely.” Eunsook smiles broadly.

“It’s late, I should probably go back now. They have to be done by now.”

Eunsook nods as Gwi gets up to leave.

“It was nice meeting you, Eunsook. Can I come by tomorrow? Around 10AM maybe?”

“Yea, sure. Just knock on the door. I’ll be here, I need to do some review.”

When Gwi leaves, Eunsook closes the door.

Gwi wasn’t anything like Eunsook had expected her to be, she thinks as she starts changing into her pajamas for bed.

Knock, knock.

“Just a second.” Eunsook yells as she pulls a shirt on over her head.

She opens the door. It’s Gwi again.

“So… they are in fact not done.” Gwi says sheepishly. “Do you want to watch a movie?”

Eunsook laughs. “Sure.”

Gwi ends up sleeping over. Eunsook gives her some pajamas to wear and both girls falls asleep in Eunsook’s twin bed watching the “Princess Bride” on Eunsook’s laptop.

The semester passes. Little by little, Gwi ends up spending more and more time hanging out in Eunsook’s dorm room since she gets displaced from her own room so often. Eunsook is initially a bit shy, but she realizes that she enjoys Gwi’s company a great deal. As for Gwi, Eunsook’s good study habits rub off on her and Eunsook’s close proximity gives her plenty of opportunity to ask Eunsook for help on her fashion project.

The next semester, Eunsook’s roommate decides to move back home and commute to school instead. Gwi applies for a room transfer and she becomes Eunsook’s roommate.

“Hello, roomie!” Gwi announces with a flourish of her arms as she makes a grand entrance to which Eunsook smiles broadly in return.