Night-1

Dawon wakes up from her sleep because of the loud thunder and glances at the clock.

 2:55 A.M.

She sighs sleepily and yawns, glad that the thunder did not make the building go blackout. Deciding to go to the kitchen for a plain water to relieve her sore throat and suddenly feeling thirsty, she opens the door slowly. Her eyebrows knit as soon as she sees a small figure sitting on the couch in the living room, staring into a black screen television and contemplating whether she should accost her or not. 

They are not close and barely talk to each other since the girl moved into this dorm to replace her old housemate. 

Dawon clears before walking towards her new housemate. 

“Why aren't you sleeping, yet? You..okay?” 

Hence Dawon’s slow voice, Luda screams and surprises, quickly looking at Dawon’s direction with a very pale face and a bit trembling. 

“Hey, I don’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry.” Dawon approaches the shock girl. Her sore throat and thirst were immediately forgotten after seeing her housemate’s condition. 

“I-” Dawon’s voice was cut by another loud thunder and flinches a little. 

“Arhh!” Luda, who hasn’t recovered from being surprised by Dawon just now, screams again and immediately throws herself into Dawon’s arms. “I’m scared”. She’s trembling.

Dawon wraps her hands around the small body as soon as she hears Luda’s shaking voice and can feel her trembling body. Gently, she calms the girl in her embrace by soothing the girl’s back up and down. She hears a soft sobbing on her shoulder.

“It’s fine. I’m here.”

The thunder keeps rumbling and cracking after lightning that keeps flashing through the windows although it was covered by a curtain. It does not help Dawon in calming Luda as she can feel the hug tighten. 

They are strangers. Barely have a chance to talk to each other although Luda has been moving in since a month ago. But now, she is hugging the crying girl and calming her because of the stormy night. 

“I’ll accompany you tonight. Let’s try to get some sleep.” 

Dawon coaxes her after she feels Luda is calmer and has stopped crying, contemplates where she should go and decides to go to the couch, holding the smaller hand. 

 

Dawon does not realize how and when they fell asleep on the couch, but the next morning she awakes, lying on the couch with her housemate clinging on her and she supports the girl by wrapping her arm around her torso, preventing her from falling. She peeks on the girl’s face which is just a few inches from her and finds her so cute and adorable. 

A soft sound is coming from Dawon’s room and she knows that it is her alarm to get ready for classes. She gets up as gently as she can to try not to wake up the sleeping girl, and comes back with a blanket on her hand, covering the girl’s body to keep her warm. 

 

Luda is having breakfast while scrolling her cellphone when she heard Dawon’s bedroom door is opening. She looks up. The taller girl is ready to go out with a casual attire and backpack on her shoulder. 

Their eyes meet.

“Good morning.” Dawon greets first.

“Good morning to you too.” Luda looks at Dawon and last night flashes in her mind. “Thank you for last night.” She breaks eye contact, embarrassed by what happened last night. 

Dawon smiles softly seeing the red face. “Glad I can help.”

 

Night-2

 

Dawon comes back to their dorm late after having a group discussion for a project their class is planning and working on and grateful Juyeon offers to give her a ride or otherwise she will not arrive yet at this time. 

It is almost midnight and she is a bit surprised seeing her housemate is still in the living room because as what she notices her housemate’s routine is that her housemate will stay in her bedroom early, though she doesn't know if she is the type to sleep early or she is a nerd who loves to study in her room. It has been four days since that stormy night and their communication pace is still the same as before. 

Her memory of the other night makes Dawon realize what is going on with her housemate, because it is raining heavily outside with a brisk lightning and thunder. Nonetheless, it was not as bad as the other night. ‘She must be really scared of thunder.’

“Luda?”  She calls to get her attention when she seems like she hasn’t noticed her existence at the front door.

The smaller girl looks at her with round eyes and a little pout. ”You’re back.” She exclaims in relief but tries to appear nonchalant, masking her excitement at seeing her housemate.  

“Yeah, you alright?” Dawon sees the worry reflected on the girl’s eyes despite her smile on her lips. She lifts her eyebrows when her housemate opens to say something but keeps silent. Knowing what’s going on in the other girl’s head, she advances to her and patting her arm lightly.

“I’ll take a shower first then I’ll come back here and stay with you.”

Luda stares at the girl’s back, forwarding to her room without waiting for her input in this matter, as if she was obliged to keep her company and console her when they barely know each other. 

 

Dawon comes back to the living room again as she said, looking fresh in her comfortable clothes as if she is ready to go to sleep. Indeed, she brings her laptop with her, sets it on the coffee table near the couch, goes to the kitchen and returns with a mug and sits next to Luda. 

“You don't have to accompany me. You should do your work in your room. Don’t mind me.” Luda says when she sees Dawon is opening a few folders and browsers after turning on her laptop.

Dawon stares at her and studies her face with an unreadable expression made Luda blushes a little and lowers her face. She smiles again. 

 

“Do you really mean it?” Dawon asks in a serious tone, knowing that her housemate didn’t see her smile.

“I don’t-” Luda quickly looks at Dawon but stops when she sees her grin. Her face turns redder after she realizes that the taller girl is teasing her.

Dawon chuckles lightly at the sight. “It’s fine. I can do my work here, and you can continue the drama or whatever show you’re watching right now.”

“But-”

Dawon cuts her off before she can finish her sentence. “No but. I need to focus on this, I just have to finish a little more before I submit it.” She says it without looking at the girl beside her.

Luda huffs in protest but she is also pleased that Dawon insists on staying because the thunder is still rumbling once in a while. With Dawon next to her, she can’t deny that she feels safe and sound. She’s trying not to peek at the working girl who is very focused on reading and typing on her laptop, looking very attractive. 

Luda’s thought scatters when suddenly the thunder rumbles loud, and hugging Dawon’s arm in reflex. 

The taller girl does not say anything but her hand on her arm tenderly, scooting closer to her. After a few minutes that she is convinced Luda has relaxed, she continues working on her assignment. 

Half an hour later, Dawon feels her thigh is numb and realizes that Luda has fallen asleep using her thigh as her pillow, sleeping soundly with a steady breathing. She speedily completes the assignment and emails it to her groupmate for them to compile all the group works and submit it to the professor before the date line. 

At the moment, she turns off the laptop, she doesn’t have the guts to wake Luda from her sleep and resolve to sleep just as she is sitting on the couch now. She knows her back will get hurt by the next morning, but she ignores the thought. 

 

Night-3

 

Two weeks have passed since then but all they have talked about is only greeting each other in the morning, if they ran to each other for breakfast or exchanged looks and smiles before passing each other. It’s not that they are feeling awkward with each other, but none of them initiate to converse or to approach to be closer. It was as if the two nights they had spent before had not affected them at all. 

It continues like that until one night, Dawon hears a soft sobbing when she passes through Luda’s room to go to the balcony. She’s planning to take some fresh air after brainstorming for ideas for her upcoming assignment, but she worries if something bad happens to her housemate. Here, she’s standing in front of Luda’s door and knocking softly. 

“Luda? Are you okay?” She waits for the response but none.

“If you don’t mind, can I come in?” She waits again.

“Luda, I’m worried. Is something bad happening?” No replies.

No response from inside the room except a soft sobbing makes Dawon really worry and decides to enter the room without waiting for permission. It might look rude but she couldn't care about it just yet. The only thing in her mind is to see Luda and make sure she’s fine. 

Dawon turns the door knob and finds Luda is hugging her knees on her bed, with red eyes and nose. She quickens her steps and sits on her side, pulling the girl into her arms, the girl’s head which leans on her shoulder chest.

Feeling like a dejavu, Dawon comforts Luda without saying or asking anything until Luda has control oneself, and lifts her head to look at Dawon.

Dawon looks at Luda warmly and asks her. “Do you want to talk about it?” Using her thumb, Dawon Luda’s cheek to wipe her tears from falling. “I’m here if you want to share anything.”

Hearing that, Luda’s tears fall harder, and hug her housemate again. 

“He’s gone. My mom called just now that he died.” Luda tells in between sobs. “I love Milo so much. We have taken care of him since he was a baby and we spent time together a lot until recently I moved here. He is such a great puppy and friend to me.”

“He must love you too as you took care of him very well.” A soft caress followed on Luda’s head. “He rests in peace now. I know he will always remember you and so do you.” Dawon feels a nod on her shoulder. 

“You should rest, you’ve cried so much.” Dawon breaks the hug. Throwing out her hesitation, she places a soft kiss on the girl’s forehead. “Wait here, I’ll take a glass of water for you.” Dawon leaves to the kitchen and returns before Luda could digest what happened just now.

“Here, your throat must feel dry after crying for a long time.” She hands in a glass of water. 

Luda eases with the water and puts the glass on the table beside her bed. Feeling much better, now she is aware that Dawon is in her room for the first time but she doesn’t feel uncomfortable from the invaded privacy. 

“Do you want to have time alone or do you want me to stay with you?”

Dawon’s voice breaks her thought. She looks into Dawon’s eyes and sees a sincerity, gentleness and something unfamiliar. 

“Luda?”

Dawon calls her again because of the lack of response.

“I’ll stay, okay?”

Luda nods and scoots over to make a room for Dawon on her bed. To be frank, Luda doesn't know what pushes her to let a stranger be in her room, let alone to be on her bed. Even though Dawon is not a total stranger, but they are not close or even call themselves a friend. However, she needs a reassurance that Dawon could and always give to her when she really needs it. So here, Dawon is sitting on her bed with her back slants at the headboard, an arm around her shoulder, and Luda herself leans on Dawon’s shoulder chest. 

Hesitantly, Luda shifts to angle her body into Dawon and engulf her waist, but she self-assures that she can continue when she feels Dawon tighten her hold on her shoulder and completely relax in her embrace. 

Soon, she hears Dawon humming a soft melody that sedates her to sleep.

 

Luda awakes with warmth embraces her body and feels a weight on her waist, and takes a few seconds to realize that she also is clinging on someone, tucks comfortably under that person’s chin. Luda tries to remember how they end up cuddling like this, but the only memory flashes on her mind is that she feels comfy and secure with Dawon’s strong arms around her and falls asleep immediately. 

She looks up to see the sleeping girl’s face because this is the first time she wakes up first and to get to see her in this very close distance, she finds out her heartbeat is faster than usual. ‘She’s so pretty.’ Luda’s eyes trace from Dawon’s perfectly shaped forehead, to her beautifully carved eyebrows and her eyes, which she knows that she really has beautiful eyes that always send her a soft gaze, to her fine sculptured nose with her exquisite bow-shaped lips. Luda figures that she is not only beautiful and gorgeous but also has a very handsome face that could attract anyone that she wants.

Suddenly, she wonders if her housemate has someone special or not.

Dawon shifts and tightens her hold in half-consciousness, breaking Luda’s provoking-thought. Slowly, she opens her eyes when she remembers that she is not sleeping in her own room and is holding someone tightly that might give discomfort to that person. But, the moment her eyes meet the other’s, she pulls away just enough to get a better sight of the small girl. 

“Good morning.” Her voice is sore.

“Morning.. It’s still early, go back to sleep.” Luda replies.

Dawon hums in response. “Feels better now?”

“Yeah, thank you.” Luda feels like she should break the contact. They are not having relationships let alone friendship. Dawon might be doing this because of sympathy and she might have someone that she loves. She shouldn’t take advantages from Dawon’s kindness.

“It’s fine. We can stay like this,” Dawon pauses for a moment. “If you want to.”

Hearing that, Luda relaxes and snuggles deeply. Keeping her thoughts to herself, this is not the right time to talk about it yet, whether it is appropriate for them to cuddle like this. 

Both of them fall asleep again in each other’s embrace. 

 

Dawon wakes up an hour later, with heavy feelings lingering in her heart upon seeing the cute girl who is in deep sleep. Her body feels a bit sore since they stay in the same position for a quiet time. ‘What are we now? We are not even friends to be called friends with benefits although the benefits are not to that extent.'  She sighs.

Gradually, Dawon lifts the small hand that wraps her waist, gets up and replaces a plushie that she finds at the side bed to replace her. 

She the girl’s head tenderly before leaving the room.

 

Night-4

 

Tomorrow is saturday which means she doesn’t have a class, which means she can stay overnight, which means she can binge watch movies, which means she can also satisfy her gamer inner self that she has been holding in after she was very busy finishing all assignments and assessment before the mid term. 

That’s what Luda thinks and plans to do for tonight. But, when she sees her housemate come home in training pants and muscle tee, she’s distracted. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Dawon asks Luda when she seems lost looking at her.

“Uh? I err yeah I just ordered chickens. Planning to watch a movie.” Luda quickly recovers and pulls her senses to not be so obvious that she is captivated by her own housemate. “Do you wanna join?” 

Luda thinks this might be their chance to spend time together like normal housemates. Not just when she needs her when she is scared or sad. They might be good friends for each other too. 

Dawon's laughter made Luda confused.

“Are you seriously asking someone who has just come back from the gym to eat chicken this late at night?” 

Luda is flustered. She just wants to offer her but she doesn’t think further about it, especially after she was distracted by her hot housemate. She really wants to smack her head right now. 

“I.. uh.. Like if you..” Luda doesn’t know what to say. Her face feels burning as well as she starts to fiddle her fingers. 

Dawon laughs harder. 

“So cute.” 

Luda’s eyes turn round at the sudden compliment.

“I would be the worst person if I turned down free food from this adorable girl, right? I’ll take a shower first and join you later.” She winks before heading to her room, leaving Luda flabbergasted. 

 

“So what course are you studying actually?” Dawon breaks the silence when she sees Luda has lost interest in the middle of the movie.

“Technical biology.”

“Woah. I did not expect that, though I kind of see that you’re the type of very smart student.” 

“Smart student, your . I feel like I wanna die.” Luda mumbles. 

Dawon laughed when she caught what Luda said.

“And you?”

“Me? Try to guess it.” She pulls a smug face.

Luda scoffs.

“You are studying music, aren't you?”

“What?! How did you know that?” 

It's Luda's turn to smirk. 

“Our faculties are beside each other. I saw you a few times on campus.” Luda explains.

“W-what? But, how come I never see you.” Dawon looks irritated by it but smug after a second. “Are you stalking me? Why? Is it because I’m pretty? Do you like me?”

“What? NOOO!!” Luda denies it in a split second although she knows her face is red like a tomato. “I mean like.. who doesn’t know THE Nam Dawon. You were always chased by all the men and women there. Everyone knows about your golden voice.”

“I’m that famous? I didn't realize that.” Her voice sounds innocent and thinking for a second. “Or I think it is because you’re small. It’s hard to notice you in that big place.” She teases her again.

“YAAA!!!!!” A slap lands on Dawon’s arm. 

“Ouch! That hurts, Luda.” Dawon her arm to ease the pain, being sulky at the violence.

“That’s for you for calling me small.” Luda grumbles.

“You can’t deny that you’re small. But that makes you cute.”

Luda rolls her eyes and she couldn’t care how much she is blushing right now because she is tired with her own inconsistent rapid heartbeat that she feels like she might get a heart attack at any moment. “Can you stop flirting?”

“Am I?” 

“You’re kind of annoying as I get to know more about you.” She tries to sound irritated to hide her actual feelings.

“I'm just being annoying to a cute girl.” Dawon leans closer to the annoyed girl, away a few inches from her face. “Especially when she becomes cuter and adorable when she is mad and her face is very red.” She whispers in a low voice, locks Luda’s eyes on her. She notices Luda has really pretty almond-shaped brown eyes.

It is silent for a few moments before Dawon lifts her eyebrows playfully with her smug face. 

Luda clears and pulls away from Dawon. “You’re lucky that you’re handsome Nam Dawon.” She mutters under her breath.

“What did you say? I couldn’t hear you.”

“Nothing.” Luda shifts her body to the front, crosses her arms and pretends to focus on the movie displaying on the television. 

“Hey, I really couldn't catch what’d you say.”

Dawon gets ignored by Luda. 

“Fine! You win, sweetie.” Dawon gives up before following Luda’s actions.

 

-

 

“So, you and your housemate are finally talking? Like, like normal housemates usually do?” Juyeon asks after Dawon told her everything that happened last night, except that she’s being flirty with that girl, and also they had cuddles a few nights before. Not that she's being secretive but she doesn't want her friend to .

“Kind of.” She replies nonchalantly, sipping an iced americano.

They are now in a cafe, spending the weekend by wasting their time, drinking coffee and observing people come and go, gossiping about their friends and lecturers. On the other hand, Dawon agreed to meet Juyeon today because she wants to get out of her dorm to have a space to think about her housemate, thus at least she can help her friend’s family business by buying their coffee. Albeit, they always get some free food from their friend. 

A bell is ringing, a sign of customers walking in and out of the cafe. But, the sound of a familiar cheery voice makes Dawon look up from her focus on cellphone. 

“Hi, unnie!”

“Ya, Luda-ya! I haven’t seen you for so long. I thought you’d hate coming here.” Soobin mocks her guest after she's not stopped at her cafe for weeks.

“Hehe.. I've been so busy lately, unnie. I’m so sorry. But now I’m here. Don’t be a big baby, unnie.” She sounds cheerful. “Where is Hyunjung unnie?” She asks when she doesn't see Soobin's soon-to-be-girlfriend. Hyunjung is such a coward that she hasn't asked her out yet despite the times they have been spending together and everyone knows they are crazy in love with each other. But Soobin once said, she will not ask first, she will just wait until Hyunjung asks because she wants to say the word 'yes'. 

“She has things to do.” Simply reply. “Like usual?” 

“Omo unnie! You still remember my favorite? Although I didn’t come here for weeks?” Luda flashes her round puppy eyes. “Aww, I was so touched.”

“Don’t be over dramatic Lee Luda.” Soobin rolls her eyes and goes to do Luda’s usual order which is hazelnut latte.

Luda laughs and waits for Soobin, looks around the cafe and is surprised to see a face that she knows and makes eye contact with her.

“Dawon?” Luda walks to her table.

“Never thought I could see you here.” Luda says as soon as she arrives in front of Dawon, and looks at the other girl with her housemate. “Juyeonie?” She’s more surprised.

“Luda unnie?” Juyeon is not expecting her. 

“You know her?” Dawon and Luda say simultaneously make Juyeon cackles. 

“She’s my housemate.” They say the same at once again. 

Juyeon cracks up harder. “Jinxed. You both are really a match made from heaven. Unnie, do you wanna sit with us?” She offers, prompts Luda to sit beside Dawon. 

"You said you've seen me at the campus, but you never see me with Juyeon?" 

Luda shakes her head. "It's not like I'm really stalking you."

"Or maybe you're blinded by my handsome face." A grins flashes playfully.

Dawon's remarks make Luda snort and Juyeon chokes on her coffee. Luda quickly hands her tissues to wipe . Juyeon looks incredibly stunt by her friend.

"Oh God, Dawon! Since when are you becoming like this? Did you learn something from EBS or what?" Soobin who overheard everything also couldn't  believe what she heard just now. Approaching them and putting a cup of coffee in front of Luda. 

"So you all know each other? Even EBS too? Why have we never crossed paths with each other until now?" Luda is confused because all her friends, Juyeon, Soobin, Hyunjung, Jiyeon, and Sojung are also friends with her housemate, but they never meet or know about each other until recently.

Dawon nods her head as if she understands everything. "God wants us to have a meaningful encounter, I guess." 

It makes Soobin and Juyeon almost fall from their chairs, laughing so hard that they were out of breath. 

"Unnie, please stop. This is so not you." Juyeon pleads in between laughs. Couldn't  believe what comes out from Dawon' s mouth because she's not the type to flirt openly with someone. Dawon that she usually sees is the one who always rejects men and women who offer or flirt nicely without crossing the line.

"Are you serious? Because she's been like this since last night." Luda asks without looking at Dawon.

"Juyeon-ah, EBS unnies will never trust us if we told them what Dawon just said. I should've recorded it and shown it to them." 

"Y’all never see it because no one is worth it until I meet her." Dawon mumbles. This is why she didn't tell Juyeon about her being flirty last night, because her friends will make fun of it.

"Oh, she's so serious now." Soobin starts to cheer, supported by Juyeon. "Look! Luda unnie is very much blushing. Unnie, you should see yourself in the mirror." They both continue to laugh when her friend, Luda, who always has things to talk back to, just keeps quiet and blushes redly.

 

---

 

Since the day they’ve met at Soobin’s cafe, they become closer and talk on a daily basis, random and share what’s going on in their days. Sometimes, Dawon will join Luda, play games, or cuddle while watching movies, having breakfast and dinner together whenever they can. It's been like this for over a month but they never talk about it, but enjoy each other's company. 

Luda drops a stylus pen lazily next to an ipad, lets out a sigh loudly and stretches her tense muscles and joints. Feeling stressed and bored to continue studying, she then contemplates finding her housemate in the next room. ‘Let’s get some fresh air.’ Luda sorts out all the notes, books and stationery on her tables then leaves her room.

Luda knocks softly, waits for the girl’s response.

“Yeah, come in.”

Luda opens the door and sees the girl is lying on her bed with her back against the headboard and a laptop on her lap. She hesitates to disturb.

“Why? Do you need anything?” Dawon asks when her housemate is standing at the door without saying anything.

‘I need a cuddle.’ Luda keeps it in her mind. She looks at Dawon who is still waiting for her to speak. 

"Come here." Dawon opens her left arm, inviting Luda to lay by her side. 

"Nam Dawon." Luda utters in a slow voice, she is lying by Dawon's left arm, observing the girl working on her thesis.

"Hm?" Dawon's eyes fixed on the laptop's screen.

"Dawon," She says again.

"Yes, Ludi. What is it?"

"Dawonie,"

"Say it sweetheart, I'm listening."

"What are we?"

Luda’s question made Dawon’s fingers stop running on the keyboard. 

Dawon meets Luda’s eyes who is looking at her with genuine and honest reflected in her eyes. She saved all her work and shut down the laptop, put it on the table beside her bed. She shifted to have a better look at Luda.

“What are we, Dawon-ah? What am I to you? A housemate? Friend? Or someone that you feel obligated to give comfort and to keep your company?” There’s an uncertainty in her voice. 

“Someone special.”

“Huh?”

“I want to be with you during your ups and downs. I want to ride or die with you. I want to be always by your side.” 

“I..I don’t get it.”

Dawon reaches for Luda’s hands and holds it tightly. “Luda, I like you. I like you very much that I want to punch all the men that have been trying to ask you out.”

Dawon’s remarks made Luda chortle despite her shock at the confession given. 

“Yaa! I’m serious!!” Dawon waits for a moment and looks at Luda in a way that Luda never felt before.

“I like you, Luda, I would feel suffocated if I didn’t see you a day. And I want to get to know more about you, to spend more time with you and-”

Chup!

Dawon’s eyes turn round at the sudden peck on her lips. It was very brief and soft that she didn't have time to respond to it. 

“I like you too, Dawon.”

Dawon leans closer as soon as Luda finishes her sentence and experiments with the taste of Luda’s lips. 

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” Dawon asks while catching her breath, same as Luda. 

“I thought we already are.” Luda smiles and captures Dawon’s lips again.