"You look like ."

Jimin simply groaned in response, her head throbbing with absolute pain as she drank some water. Regretting her decision from last night to chug down every shot glass given to her, a celebration, as everyone said. It could count as one since the year is about to start again, reminding her the amount of time she will be pressed with her laptop and papers.

"I feel like one," Jimin mumbled, taking some advil and hoping that someone could invent a medicine that could cure a hangover in 30 seconds. Well, she would've wished it was for 3 seconds but she's pushing it too much. "Why are you here?"

The girl in question, Giselle, gave Jimin a mug of coffee which was returned by a mumble of thank you from the latter. "I've heard that someone will be your dorm mate."

Jimin slightly opened her eyes, looking at Giselle through the mug, the latter simply sipping on her own as she sat on the kitchen counter. It's not exactly new information for Jimin, she already expected it. After all, her dorm is too huge for a single person, she's just simply lucky to have this dorm for her during her first year.

"Yeah, I've heard, also heard that you'll be having a new one?"

"About time, Chaeni was great to talk to but she's so messy to live with." Giselle shrugged her shoulders, the way that she already accepted the fact that her previous dorm mate was like that.

"I remember the time when your kitchen sink was full of dishes," Jimin chuckled slightly, "I was even the one who washed all of it."

"Don't remind me," Giselle rolled her eyes, "Anyway, I've heard that your new dormie is from your previous school."

Jimin looked at Giselle curiously, "How the hell did you even know that?"

"Connections."

"You mean gossip."

"Whatever floats in your boat, Ji." Giselle chuckled, "Anyway, you have a hunch on who might be your new dormie?"

Jimin just shrugged, not wanting to stress on her rumored dorm mate for this year. It's not a big deal for her, yeah sure the new girl might be from her previous school, but what does that even have to do with Jimin?

"The school's huge, you don't expect me to know every student who wants to study here or what."

"Touche."

Then the two of them just stayed in the kitchen, sipping their mug of coffee in silent. Conversations in the morning would mostly last 10-15 minutes, and that was it. She and Giselle knew that they don't have that much energy in the morning, especially after a night out. Spending a year together just lets them understand each other, and they both know that they have each other's back at all times.

Jimin didn't expect that one random late student in their morning class would be her closest friend in college, which she was thankful for. She realized this is far more different than she was in high school, because in college most people really do mind their business. Having their own to deal with, and whatnot. It's hard to find that type of friend group like in high school, and Jimin realized that having a small friend group is much better.

Giselle is her go-to person, but they have other friends as well - Ryujin and Yeji. Though those two have different courses, the four of them just coincidentally met on a general subject last year, and it went on from there.

"So, you and Jeno broke up?"

Jimin groaned again, not because of her head but because of the subject. "Yeah, as you can see."

"You good?"

"Don't know, don't care," Jimin shrugged, she could careless with her break up. It's a short relationship anyway, a month or two? It was just dragged out because they thought they could make it work, but alas, it didn't.

"Is that why you drank your 's end last night?"

"Please, that's a stretch," Jimin shakes her head, "I was just celebrating before the start of the year."

Giselle regarded her for a moment, and Jimin could feel the stare - and she knows that look. The one where the girl was studying her, if she was lying or not. So, Jimin returned the look to simply convince Giselle, which of course, worked.

She's not lying after all.

"Any reason why you guys broke up?"

"Same old, same old," Jimin said before standing up and putting her mug in the sink.

Giselle nods her head, signalling the end of the conversation. "I don't even know why you dated him."

Jimin hummed, running her hands through her hair - the question lingering on top of them, with Giselle completely clueless while as for Jimin, wanting to ignore it. "Just thought it would work."

Which obviously did not.

And then, Giselle was out of her dorm, reminding her to clean a little bit since freshmen will be arriving within the week. So, Jimin was left to her devices, taking time to clean what needs to be cleaned, though there wasn't too much cleaning needed to do. From time to time, she'd be just laying down on her bed as she spends the day alone - it's not like she and the others need to hang out everyday, they know that they'll see each other once classes start soon.

So, they just learned to enjoy their remaining freedom alone - sending updates in their group chat once in a while. As Jimin was busy reading her book, engrossed with the plot, her phone chimed that brought her back to the real world. That's when she realized that she has been reading for an hour and a half straight.

New dormie is here, she looks good - Giselle

It was Giselle, just sending an update to their group chat with a stolen picture of her new dorm mate. Jimin just shakes her head, reacting to the photo and was about to prepare her lunch when her phone chimed again - two times.

Oh, her name's Ningning. Chinese, she looks so adorable! - Giselle

Take it easy, you might scare her - Ryujin

Same thoughts - Yeji

I don't look scary at all, I'm being hospitable - Giselle

Jimin laughs at the messages, simply sending an emoji as a reply. She then looked at the other message, from Taeyeon - their landlady. The message made Jimin raise an eyebrow.

Your new dorm mate will be arriving by the end of the day - Taeyeon-unnie

Jimin looks around the dorm, checking her room, the living room, and the vacant room - everything's all good now. She just sent a message to Taeyeon that the dorm is all good, and quickly took a photo as proof. They have a good relationship with their landlady, since Taeyeon would sometimes give them food, especially during their hell week.

It was this type of camaraderie that Jimin really loves - just the right amount of people for her and to know that they have her back. It's difficult to live in a place that is too foreign for one person, after living their whole life in another. Jimin doesn't even want to go back to the day where she first moved in, the way her parents and sisters were crying - saying the promises and I miss yous to one another.

Jimin felt like a lost puppy once they went on their way, having this huge dorm and yet being all alone - a very stark contrast from their home, where everything was full of life. From the way her mother would always cook whatever she wants, to the way her father would always cheer when watching his favorite sport, and the way her sister would tell her stories about everything that happened during her day.

Jimin found it unnerving, thrilling, and confusing all at the same time - the adventure of it all. Navigating her first year of college all alone, not until she met Giselle and the others.

She wonders what her new dorm mate is feeling right now, was she scared? Intimidated? Or does she know enough people already in college that it's not that scary for her?

Somehow, Jimin has this need to help her new dorm mate to adjust, only if she needs help. She doesn't want to intrude with the girl's space, but maybe it's just Jimin knowing that she'll be older than the girl - and having this type of understanding that this is a new environment.

And so, she waited for the girl to come - hoping to welcome the girl properly and maybe help her with her things. But then, no one came and it's already 8 in the evening. She wonders if the girl will still push through, Jimin looks at the front door - her almost finished book on her lap, it's not like Taeyeon messaged her that there's a change of plans.

As soon as the clock strikes 9, with Jimin's finished book, she freshens up to prepare herself to sleep. Walking towards the front door, Jimin opened it to check outside - checking to see if there's someone using the elevator but it just stayed on the same level. Shrugging her shoulders, Jimin closed the door and locked it.

It seems like the girl won't be here today.

And Jimin was consumed with sleep after 15 minutes of laying down.

Only to be woken up with a loud continuous banging, loud enough for Jimin to hear it from her room. She groaned and wanted to sleep more, the mattress hugging her like a soft touch from a mother to her newborn child. Then Jimin heard the louding ringing of her phone, and that was it - she sat up, checking her phone only to see Giselle calling her.