It really felt like the world was against Sana. Everything was going in the wrong direction and she didn’t know how to react. From seeing Nayeon again, to rooming with her and now being in the same course – what was only left for them was the joining of the two for an assignment. If that happened, Sana would definitely be convinced that nothing was going to go right in her college life. Why was it that when she didn’t want to see the girl, she saw more of her?

Sana grumbled throughout the entire lesson, barely listening in on the introductory lesson since it had started. It didn’t help that Nayeon was in her direct line of sight, allowing her to see every movement she made. The girl was paying attention and taking notes, unlike herself – distracted by the person she shouldn’t even be looking at.

Before she even had a chance to get into notetaking, the class was dismissed, leaving Sana flabbergasted as she rushed to pack all of her belongings. Had she really spent the entire hour ogling at Nayeon? What in god’s name was wrong with her?

No! It wasn’t ogling.

Sana was just observing and seeing if she could find a reason to get Nayeon out of her room quicker.

Yes.

And… she’d ended up with nothing. There was no doubt that Nayeon was as studious as she was in high school, meaning that Sana had competition in college, just like in the past.

She basically stomped all the way to their dorm, anger peaking as she realised Nayeon was in the room before she was. Slamming her bag on the foot of her bed, Sana mumbled under her breath as she grabbed something to eat from the fridge – only to find it empty.

God, she could almost burst into tears at the day she was having. Why must the world hate her and treat her like this? Sana groaned, slamming the door shut and glaring at the white appliance.

“What did the fridge do to you?” Nayeon snickered as she popped up behind Sana.

She received no answer and Nayeon was tempted to poke Sana to get an answer from her.

Sana turned around, glaring at Nayeon before pointing at her feet. “Get off my side of the dorm. Stop crowding me.”

Nayeon raised her eyebrows but inched her toe back, taking a bite into her apple as she watched Sana with curiosity.

“Move back.” Sana growled.

“I’m on my side of the line.” Nayeon shrugged, smirking as she could see Sana turn red.

“Argh! Why are you so infuriating!? First you’re in this room with me, then you’re in my classes, then you’re crossing over my line and eating an apple in front of my face when I have no food!” Sana shouted in annoyance, catching Nayeon off guard.

“You don’t have food?” Nayeon worriedly asked.

“Do you see me eating?” Sana rolled her eyes.

“Here, take this.” Nayeon pulled out a brown paper bag from beside her desk, handing it over to Sana.

“What is this?” Sana looked at it with disgust.

“Melon bread. I swear, it’s really tasty.” Nayeon advised.

“Why would I eat anything you bought?” Sana grimaced, placing the bag back on their counter.

Nayeon’s shoulders sagged as she saw Sana’s actions. She was really trying her best to be civil but Sana wasn’t helping. All she wanted to was help out her roommate but why was she being such a brat?

“Fine. Then starve.” Nayeon muttered, walking away from Sana and grabbing her books and leaving the room.

Sana remained rooted in her spot, guiltiness eating at her for her behaviour towards Nayeon. Okay, maybe it was a little too much. She eyed the bag again, feeling her stomach grumble in protest.

She should just throw it out.

Stepping on the pedal of their rubbish bin, Sana held the bag over it, biting her lip as she contemplated whether to throw it out or leave it in.

Her stomach grumbled one more time and Sana decided against it, opening the bag to take a bite of the delicious treat. Just as she swallowed the first bite, the door opened again, making Sana panic and turn around, refusing to make eye contact with Nayeon. She tried to be discreet about the fact that she just ate what she said she wasn’t going to.

But, she could hear the light chuckle from her lips and heat creeped up Sana’s neck in embarrassment. So much for discreet – she was a hundred percent sure that Nayeon had picked up on the missing treat on their counter.

Whatever, she wasn’t going to think about it again. She was glad for the baked good but she wasn’t going to dwell on it… she wasn’t.

---

Out of the four classes for the semester, Sana was with Nayeon for three of them. THREE of them. And adding to the encounter earlier, she didn’t have the courage to even face her roommate. Thank god she escaped during lunch time with Mina or else she would’ve gone mad. Actually, towards the end – Sana did think she was already mad because she kept hearing Nayeon’s laughter echo in her ears while she left the cafeteria.

Unadmittedly, Sana had frozen on her spot upon seeing Nayeon laugh, head tilted back as she slapped the shoulder of her friend next to her. She didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that she thought it was actually cute.

Beside her, Mina was trying to keep in her laughter at Sana’s frozen state. She said she hated Nayeon, but clearly, things were changing already if Sana was staring at Nayeon like a piece of meat.

“See anything interesting?” Mina teased, breaking Sana out of her daze.

“Of course.” Sana proudly stated, speed walking away from the cafeteria.

Mina shook her head at her friend’s denial but remained silent, already receiving her answer. Though, she wouldn’t dare to say it – Nayeon was already growing on Sana.

“Oh, right. You didn’t eat breakfast this morning, right? At least nothing proper?” Mina questioned, moving to dig something out of her bag.

“No, I ate something.” Sana answered, shrugging her shoulders.

“What? You told me you didn’t find anything.” Mina asked in confusion.

“Well, I ate something small. That’s why I’m trying to find a good place to eat now.” Sana said, trying to end their conversation.

Mina didn’t push on further but something was very fishy with how Sana had been acting all morning up until now.

“It has nothing to do with Nayeon, right?” Mina questioned as Sana drank water, making her choke on the liquid.

Okay, so it was related to Nayeon.

“Wow, it really is about her.” Mina chuckled, making Sana blush.

“I’m annoyed and frustrated because of her, okay! She’s even in all of my classes.” Sana groaned.

“Is that what they call it these days? Annoyed and frustrated?” Mina mocked, earning a shove from Sana.

“Be quiet.” Sana muttered, walking ahead of Mina.

Mina shook her head and laughed, catching up to her friend and linking her arm with hers. She’d totally all about it later.

---

“So, Sana was totally looking at you in the cafeteria.” Momo wiggled her eyebrows.

“Yeah, probably plotting how to kill me.” Nayeon scoffed.

“It definitely didn’t look like a death stare. More like a curious stare.” Momo explained.

Nayeon tuned Momo out, not willing to listen to her irrational ideas and assumptions. There would be no way that Sana would stare at her if it wasn’t to think of killing her or maiming her – which she was sure was on her mind. She didn’t even say thank you for the melon bread. And, she ignored her in all of the classes today.

“Yo, are you even listening to me?” Momo slapped Nayeon’s back, immediately regretting it as she received a threatening glare.

“What is it?” Nayeon crossed her arms.

“Why don’t you try and get to know her more? Maybe you guys will find that you don’t have so much that’s different from each other.”

“You think I’m not trying? It’s hard to even hold a proper conversation with her – how do you expect me to do that?”

“You’ll find a way – it shouldn’t be that hard.”

Nayeon contemplated Momo’s words, thinking deeply about what she could do that would get Sana to talk to her without glaring at her or making her move away. Surely, Sana eating the food she handed to her was a start, right? Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad?

She nervously bit on her nails as she thought about it. Nayeon wanted the two of them to be at least civil with each other. To have one conversation at least that didn’t relate to hating her. And on that same note, she also had to figure out why Sana hated her so much. She’d have to contact her school cohort and she really wasn’t in the mood to do that yet when Nayeon just started college.

Her curiosity would have to be kept aside for now.

There were more important things to work on.

Momo was going off about something she’d heard in class when Nayeon overheard a conversation from someone nearby. She only got bits and pieces of it, but it was enough for her to get an idea of what she could do.

‘Too close’, ‘crossing boundaries’, ‘being infuriating’

Nayeon clapped loudly and stood up all of a sudden, making Momo scream next to her from fright.

“What the hell?” Momo gasped, breathing heavily.

“I have the perfect plan!” Nayeon squealed, jumping up and down.

“For what?” Momo questioned.

“Getting Sana to talk. Or say anything. But it would be very costly to my ears and possible items I use.” Nayeon contemplated.

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to be pranking her or similar things like that.”

“It’s not really pranking. I don’t think I’d be able to think of anything if I were to participate in that.”

“Well, go on – I’m listening.”

“Sana values her space a lot, right? She always tells me to stay on my side and make sure that I’m not crossing the line. It would infuriate her, wouldn’t it? To see that an item of mine would be across the red tape – where it shouldn’t be.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Momo, listen. The red tape. Remember that Sana lined our dorm room with it? I could use it to my advantage. Use it to put Sana on edge – that would definitely make her talk to me.” Nayeon explained.

“But how would that make her talk to you? Wouldn’t it make her hate you even more?” Momo frowned.

“It is a possibility. I guess.”

“Why are you so adamant on changing her view of you?”

“Because I hate that she hates me. I hate that I don’t know why. I don’t remember doing anything.”

“So, doing this would be the only way? Your only solution?”

“If you have any other ideas, I’m all ears.”

“No, actually, I think it’s actually one of your best ideas.”

“What?”

“Yeah. You actually have a good idea – for once.”

“I’m not that bad at ideas!” Nayeon huffed.

“Mhmm. Sure thing.” Momo laughed, as the duo reached Nayeon’s dorm.

“… Stop being mean.” Nayeon whined, pinching Momo.

“Alright, alright. Good luck for your plan – let me know how it goes.” Momo shook her head, hugging Nayeon before moving to leave.

Nayeon nodded, waving goodbye to her best friend as she entered the room. Glad to see the absence of her roommate, she smirked as she thought of her plan rolling into motion. There was so much she could do and so much she wanted to do. By the time Sana would be back, the red tape would be useless. Rules would be abandoned and Nayeon would wait for Sana’s response to the chaos that would ensue.

This was the start of something new.

It was the war of the red tape.