Jason’s dorm was small and cozy, but extremely cluttered. There was a tiny kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom. The bedroom had two small beds, both beds pushed together in one corner so that they make one large bed.

“I wasn’t expecting visitors tonight,” Jason explained, “sorry about the mess.”

JR nodded, following Jason in inside, sidestepping the random empty alcohol bottles and empty cans and plates and clothes and wires that were scattered across the floor.

As JR walked inside, he saw numerous pictures hanging on the wall of Jason and another boy, recognizing him as Leo, Jason’s former bandmate when Jason was part of JL.

Jason made his way to a chair and removed the pile of clothes stacked on it, throwing them the carelessly on the ground. “Sit,” Jason instructed, pointing at the chair. JR sat down nodding his head in gratitude.

“I’ll go turn on the hot water for the shower,” Jason said, walking over to the bathroom. JR took that time to inspect some of the photos in picture frames. There were pictures of his, but most of them seemed to be with his former bandmate Leo. When Jason was back from the bathroom, he saw JR inspecting a photo of him and Leo.

“The water will be heated in fifteen minutes,” Jason said, sitting on one of the beds with his legs crossed.

“You used to dorm here with Leo?” JR asked, looking curiously at Jason. Jason’s face fell suddenly upon hearing Leo’s name. The light in his eyes died and JR could see that something made Jason uncomfortable at the mention of Leo.

“Yes, I used to,” Jason said, “but not anymore.”

“Do you miss him?”

Jason shrugged. He obviously did not want to talk about it, and so JR decided to stop asking.

Still, JR genuinely wondered what about Leo made Jason so sad. He knew that JL disbanded and Leo quit being an idol, but as far as JR knew, Leo was still in China. Jason could still see Leo…

“Recite your rap to me,” Jason asked and JR nodded as he closed his eyes and recited it.

It was a lot easier in front of Jason then it was in front of the manager. He didn’t feel like he was under pressure, and it didn’t feel like Jason was judging him. He recited it effortlessly, without a single stutter. When he was done, Jason applauded excitedly.

“You obviously know your rap,” Jason said, flashing JR a bright smile. “You were just nervous in front of that awful manager of yours. No offense but your manager’s an .”

JR nodded in agreement.

Jason suddenly looked like he had and idea, “hey, you have your manager’s number, right?”

JR nodded.

“Let’s give him a prank call and humiliate him like he humiliated you. That . We’ll get back at him.”

“I don’t know… I don’t think that…” JR was never one for pranking people. He thought it was mean and JR can never find it in himself to be mean, even towards his terrible manager.

“Look, he will never find out. He doesn’t have my number and I’ll never give it to him. Come on, it’ll be hilarious!”

“But we’ll get in so much trouble if he does find out.”

“Please,” Jason begged with a pout.

JR found it amusing that his much older sunbae was begging him so childishly. He couldn’t help but smile despite being in the most dismal mood. He nodded as he took out his phone to get the number.

Jason clapped in ecstasy, taking out his own phone and copying it down onto his as JR called out the number to him. Jason then the voice-changing app and called the manager.

After a couple of rings, the manager picked up.

“Hello,” Jason said in a high-pitched, female-like voice.

“Who is this?” came the voice of the manager through the speaker.

“I am an employee at the Xianran Concert Hall. You are the manager of the Korean boys, right?”

“Yes, how may I help you?”

“It makes extremely shy to say this darling, but you are extremely y!” Jason said. JR tried his best to keep from laughing.

“Umm…”

“I love Korean men. They are so manly. Darling, I want you.”

“I’m sorry but…”

“Would you meet me, darling? I will give you the night of your life. Please darling. I need you.”

“What’s you name?” the manager asked.

“Shouyin,” Jason said without hesitation.

“Pretty name.”

“Indeed it is. It means ‘pleasure,’” Jason continued. “So would you meet me tonight?”

“Where can I see you?”

“Tell a taxi driver to go to Xiaru district, Street 13 and knock on apartment 259. I will be waiting for you my darling!”

“I’ll be there. Xiaru district, Street 13 and knock on apartment 259…” the manager mumbled as the sound of writing came for the other end of the phone.

The manager hung up and Jason and JR burst out laughing. It felt nice to laugh so hard after crying and feeling so down for the past few hours.

“Where on earth did you send him?” JR said when his laughter subsided.

“To my mom’s house. He’ll say that he’s looking for ‘Shouyin,’ which means ‘ion’ in Mandarin by the way. My mom will beat him up with a broom and it’ll be Karma for what he did to you!”

JR smiled. He did feel a little better after this prank. He hated to admit it, but the fact that their manager was going to be humiliated just as JR was when the manager reprimanded him made his heart feel a little better. Plus, it’s been so long since he’s laughed so hard.

“You should go shower now,” Jason suggested, “the water’s heated. Please take a long time. I want to clean up a little around here.”

JR did take his time in the shower, and he used that time to think. Usually, making a mistake would mean he would think about it everyday for the next week and it would bother him for a very long time. He didn’t feel so bothered anymore. Jason genuinely made him feel better.

He really liked Jason.

When he was done, he put on the clothes that Jason had out and prepared for him, which was just a pair of boxers and a sweater. He left the bathroom too see that all of the junk of the room was pushed into a corner, so the room looked a lot cleaner. Jason was in the little kitchen, cooking noodles.

When Jason turned around to see JR, he froze in place and stared at JR for a moment. It was a strange reaction from Jason, JR thought.

“Do I look weird?” JR asked when Jason’s tranquil eyes wouldn’t leave him.

“No,” Jason said. “It’s just that these are Leo’s clothes and seeing you in them reminded me of him.”

JR was tempted to ask more, but he recognized that Jason did not want to talk about it.

“Let’s eat!” Jason said as he brought the pot of noodles to the dining table before bringing two plates and pairs of chopsticks.

Having not eaten for a long time because of concerts and fanmeetings, they were starving. They ate without a word, being too invested into the food to talk about anything.

At one point, Jason finished and sat back to watch JR finish his plate. He just sat there and watched. It made JR uncomfortable and self-conscious, so much so he put down his chopsticks even though he hadn’t finished his plate.

“Hey, finish your plate. Don’t mind me, I’m just recalling memories.”

JR felt like he might have reminded Jason of Leo again. He didn’t question it though, and carried on eating with Jason’s eyes fixed on him.

When JR was finally done he looked up to see Jason still staring at him. An awkward moment ensued when Jason averted his eyes and JR shifted uncomfortably.

That awkwardness was interrupted when Jason’s telephone rang.

“Oh it’s your manager!” Jason said when he saw the number. “I’m not going to answer it,” Jason laughed as he turned off his phone and put it to the side. “Anyways, I’m going to go shower now. I’ll take ten minutes. You can go to sleep in whichever bed you want.”

JR chose a random bed of the two and made himself comfortable. Sleep came to him way too quickly. As he was half-conscious, he heard Jason shuffle around the dorm, turning off the lights and finally climbing into the other bed that was right beside the one JR was in. Jason moved in closer to JR, and JR felt an arm around his waist bringing him closer to Jason’s body.

I guess Jason is like Baekho; he needs to hug things when he sleeps, JR thought as he was still half asleep. He then felt Jason’s breath on his neck, causing JR to stiffen. Jason then buried his face into JR’s sweater. It then hit JR that this wasn’t his own sweater. It was Leo’s.