#8
Finally, Taeseong let out a deep sigh and picked up the broom he had pushed into the corner of the room. He had tried to make Kim Bonoh run away first by making the dirty room unbearable, but he was the only one who couldn’t stand it. Taeseong swept the floor with the broom, half out of his mind. The pushed-out dust and crumbs gathered in one place.
“Ah, it’s still bearable. I’ll do it tomorrow…”
Bonoh, who was sitting on his bed, said listlessly. Strength entered Taeseong’s hands. He was annoyed, but it wasn’t even worth responding to. Taeseong just ignored him and continued sweeping. Then Bonoh got up.
“Then I’ll do it together too, I guess.”
Then he took out wet wipes and started wiping here and there. He rubbed the desk handles and even the window frame roughly. Bonoh moved his hands busily with a very proud face. It seemed like he thought he was cleaning even though he was just lazily rubbing without putting proper strength into it.
“Wow, it’ll get clean quickly, right?”
Bonoh said cheerfully while rubbing here and there. Taeseong’s fingertips trembled slightly as he watched that sight.
He was fooled again. All the allergic reactions he had endured so far, and the time he had endured in the dusty room, all went to waste. That fact rang loudly in Taeseong’s head. He had underestimated Kim Bonoh too much. This guy even enjoys listening to heavy metal.
“Fuck, I must be crazy.”
Taeseong muttered weakly and finished sweeping the floor. Every time dust rose, a sneeze burst out.
***
Taeseong was already lying straight on his bed in pajamas. It was a pajama set made of smooth, luxurious material with delicate tailoring that stood out. Every time he lay down wearing these pajamas, which had even the lining treated softly to maximize comfort, Taeseong could feel a sense of stability.
It would have been the same this time too. If the bed next to him hadn’t been empty. Even though the dormitory curfew time was approaching, Kim Bonoh still hadn’t come in. It would be nice if he was staying out overnight altogether. Taeseong thought quietly while breathing evenly with his eyes closed.
Since Bonoh came in just barely making the curfew time so often, there was a high probability it would be the same today. Please don’t come in, at least just for today. Covered with the neatly arranged blanket, Taeseong prayed inwardly.
However, Taeseong’s prayer didn’t work. The door opened with a click. As the sensor light in the entrance turned on, Bonoh staggered into the room. Bonoh’s face was red and flushed enough to be clearly visible even under the yellow light.
There even seemed to be a faint smell of alcohol. Taeseong’s brow furrowed automatically. He hoped Bonoh would at least wash up quickly. Contrary to Taeseong’s wish, Bonoh’s steps were heading toward Taeseong’s bed.
It looked like a lump of germs walking over. Taeseong, who had closed his eyes, considered pretending to sleep, but the staggering presence was getting closer and closer. Finally, Taeseong opened his eyes wide and raised his upper body. His gaze sharply directed toward Bonoh.
“If you don’t like your bed, there are benches outside instead of here.”
Taeseong said coldly, but Bonoh didn’t care and waved his hands while giggling.
“Hey, that’s a bit… cold.”
Bonoh approached Taeseong’s bed without being able to maintain his balance properly.
“You don’t tell me… where are you trying to sit right now?”
Instead of answering, Bonoh tried to sit on the bed. Bonoh’s butt was just one step away from touching Taeseong’s bed.
“Are you crazy? Get that dirty ass away from here right now!”
Taeseong’s voice burst out urgently. Bonoh hesitated with a startled expression, then staggered and sat down on the floor again.
“Ah. Sorry, sorry.”
Although Bonoh didn’t touch the bed, Taeseong checked whether the bed had gotten even a little dirty. Fortunately, it was still clean.
Bonoh started rummaging through his pockets. Taeseong watched his movements without letting down his guard. In case he made a mistake while drunk. If he showed any signs of dry heaving, he planned to shove him into the bathroom immediately without hesitation.
After rummaging for a while, Bonoh took out something wrapped in a plastic bag. A faint smell of oil wafted over. Taeseong’s voice sank coldly.
“What’s that?”
“Chicken! It was delicious, so I brought it for you to try too.”
Bonoh grinned and shook the bag. Taeseong’s eyes froze coldly.
“I’m not a dog… why would I eat that?”
Did he even have any concept of hygiene? The oil stains on the plastic bag and the roughly wrapped packaging looked dirty at first glance.
“This is delicious though. I felt sorry for eating something delicious by myself and coming in late.”
“If you’re sorry, you shouldn’t have come in at all?”
Taeseong let out a hollow laugh as if incredulous.
“Don’t be like that and just try one bite.”
Bonoh held out the plastic bag toward Taeseong.
“Get that away from me. Just try dropping it on my bed.”
Bonoh hesitated for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and put down the plastic bag.
“Can’t help it…”
Bonoh’s eyelids began to slowly droop as he sat there blankly for a while. His head slowly tilted forward.
“You’re not thinking of sleeping here, are you?”
Bonoh seemed not to have heard those words. His body slowly tilted, then flinched and raised his head again.
“What the hell. Hey, Kim Bonoh.”
“Mmm…”
Bonoh flinched slightly. But even that was only for a moment. He dropped his head again with a thud. Taeseong sighed and tapped Bonoh’s leg with his toe.
“Go to your place and sleep. Why are you acting up here when you have your own bed…”
However, Bonoh didn’t move at all. Only even breathing sounds could be heard quietly. Taeseong looked down at him with an annoyed expression. Leaving him like this made him nervous that Kim Bonoh might lean against his bed while sleeping.
“Really, why do I have to do this…”
Finally, Taeseong ran his hand through his hair and got up from his seat. Looking down at Bonoh, who had fallen asleep sitting on the floor, he grabbed his arm and lifted him up. Seeing that Bonoh still didn’t open his eyes, Taeseong firmly pulled his arm to lift him up.
Bonoh’s limp body was easily lifted by Taeseong’s hands. Although reluctant, Taeseong put his arm over his own shoulder. With his other hand, he supported Bonoh’s waist.
The smell of alcohol wafted over strongly. Taeseong grimaced and turned his head away.
“How much did you drink…”
Supporting Bonoh’s swaying body, Taeseong moved his steps. When they reached the bed, Taeseong unhesitatingly threw Bonoh down onto the bed.
With a thud, the mattress shook lightly. Bonoh stretched out on the bed with a very peaceful face. He was still breathing evenly, deeply asleep.
“Hah…”
Taeseong let out a short sigh and rubbed his forehead. When he turned his head, the plastic bag left on the floor caught his eye. The smell of oil seemed to be spreading faintly. Taeseong grabbed the plastic bag as if snatching it.
“Why bring something like this… disgusting.”
With an annoyed mutter, Taeseong walked briskly toward the refrigerator. He roughly opened the refrigerator door and shoved the plastic bag inside. When the door closed, the smell of oil was blocked.
Taeseong shook his head and immediately headed to the bathroom. He couldn’t stand the sticky sensation remaining on his fingertips. When he turned on the faucet, cold water poured out. Taeseong rubbed his fingers to wash off the grease. Then he squeezed out plenty of hand wash and thoroughly cleaned between his fingers.
After rinsing sufficiently with water, he picked up a towel. There was no more grease left on his fingertips, but somehow the sticky feeling still remained.
Taeseong looked at his reflection in the mirror. His face, which was deeply frowning, looked a bit tired. His gaze went down. His pajamas, which should have been smoothly arranged, were wrinkled on one side from putting Bonoh down on the bed earlier.
“…I’ll have to change my pajamas too.”
Taeseong muttered briefly and hung the towel back in its place.
***
The next day, Bonoh, who had frantically gotten up again and barely managed to wash his face and brush his teeth before running to the lecture hall, could only face Taeseong in the afternoon. Perhaps because he had slept restlessly, Taeseong’s expression was more irritable than usual. It seemed like his face was saying he’d kill you if you talked to him.
“I was too noisy yesterday, wasn’t I? Hehe, sorry. I guess I got too drunk since it’s been a while since I drank.”
“……”
Bonoh apologized while stroking the back of his neck, but Taeseong’s expression only became more menacing without any response.
“Ah, right. Give me your number.”
Bonoh held out his phone to Taeseong.
“Why should I.”
After coldly refusing, Taeseong gathered his towel and change of clothes and went into the bathroom. When the sound of water had been going for 30 minutes, Taeseong came out of the bathroom.
“Um…”
Just as Bonoh, who had been sitting on his bed, got up to talk to him again, Taeseong turned on the hair dryer. Bonoh waited in an awkward position for Taeseong to turn off the hair dryer. When the whirring noise of the hair dryer disappeared, Bonoh quickly said,
“I wanted your number so I could contact you in advance if I’m going to come in late like yesterday.”
“Just because you tell me in advance doesn’t make the noise any quieter…”
Even while irritably running his hand through his hair, Taeseong took Bonoh’s phone and entered 11 digits. Bonoh wrote ‘Roommate’ in the contact name field, then erased it and wrote ‘Political Science Joo Taeseong.’
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
