Chapter 4: The First Friend

The large orientation crowd began to fracture, streaming towards different parts of the campus based on their colleges. Woori, clutching her orientation packet, felt a thrill of purpose. This was it.

"Ah, you're in Business too, Park Hoseok-ssi?" she asked, spotting the "Business Administration" schedule in his hand.

He responded with nothing but a low grunt, his eyes doing that thing again—constantly scanning the area as if he were looking for a lost contact lens and not a lecture hall. Woori sighed inwardly. He was so focused, it was almost endearing. He must be really nervous about fitting in.

As they merged with the Business School group, Woori's eyes landed on a girl standing slightly apart from the other chattering clusters. She had kind eyes behind a pair of neat glasses and was fidgeting with the strap of her backpack. Seeing a kindred spirit, Woori offered her a small, encouraging smile.

The girl, emboldened, shuffled closer. "H-hello," she said softly. "It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it?"

Woori's face brightened. This was her chance! A real, genuine attempt at a friend! "It really is! I'm Ha Woori. This is my... neighbour, Park Hoseok."

Hoseok cut a sharp side-eyed glance at her. "Don't drop my name to someone random like that," he muttered under his breath, his voice a low growl.

Woori waved a dismissive hand, leaning toward the new girl conspiratorially. "Don't worry about him. He's a grumpy man." Then, she dropped her voice to a whisper that was deliberately audible. "But he's actually sweet."

The girl's eyes widened slightly, flicking between Woori's beaming face and Hoseok's stony scowl. She offered a timid nod. "I'm Park Minji. Nice to meet you both."

"Wow! You and this friend of mine have the same surname! Park Hoseok and Park Minji!" Woori exclaimed, delighted by the coincidence. It felt like a sign.

Hoseok let out a short, exasperated breath but, notably, didn't correct her use of the word "friend."

Their sunbae, a cheerful third-year student, called for their group's attention and began leading the tour. Seizing the moment, Woori immediately linked her arm with Minji's, falling into step beside her.

"Where are you from, Minji-ssi? Is your dorm nearby? What classes are you taking?" The questions spilled out of Woori with an eager, uncontainable energy.

As the two girls began to chat, a tentative friendship blossoming with every step, Woori was acutely aware of a solid presence behind them. She glanced back.

Park Hoseok was following them.

He didn't walk with them, exactly. He walked behind them, a half-step back and to the side, like a grumpy, handsome shadow. His arms were crossed, his gaze seemingly fixed on some distant, irritating point, but he was there. He wasn't trying to join their conversation, but he wasn't wandering off on his own, either.

A small, private smile touched Woori's lips. He's sticking close. He was too socially awkward to insert himself into their girly chatter, but too... what? Shy? Conscientious? ...Invested? Yes, that was it. He was invested enough not to leave her alone. His actions, as gruff as they were, spoke of a person who didn't want to abandon his neighbor. Her theory of the secret softie was holding strong.

With Minji chatting happily beside her and her grumpy, tsundere neighbor following loyally behind, Woori felt a bubble of pure joy. She had done it. She had made a friend. And she had another one, even if he expressed it through scowls and sarcasm.

For the first time since she'd left her old life behind, Ha Woori felt like a real college student. And she was having fun.

-----

Time passed in a happy blur as the campus tour continued. Woori grew closer with every step with her first female friend, Minji, their chatter flowing easily. By the time their sunbae announced the evening's "Moojoo" gathering, Woori was practically vibrating with excitement. This was the real university experience!

The restaurant was loud, packed, and buzzing with energy. Plates of sizzling meat covered their table, and bottles of soju and beer appeared as if by magic. Woori soaked it all in, laughing and talking with her new classmates.

Hoseok, however, was... well, he was Hoseok. He sat stiffly on the floor cushion beside her, a permanent scowl etched on his face. He wasn't talking to anyone, his sharp eyes occasionally scanning the room as if he found the entire concept of socializing personally offensive. He really is not a people person, Woori thought with a touch of fondness.

"Hey, how about we make a game?" one of the sunbaes announced, holding up a bottle of soju. "The loser has to drink a shot from this... special leaf!" He held up a large, flat sesame leaf with a mischievous grin.

Everyone cheered. Woori, caught up in the excitement, joined in.

The game, a fast-paced word chain, began. And Woori was terrible at it. On her first turn, her mind went blank.

"Ah, I lose!" she said with a laugh, picking up the leaf. The soju smelled sharp and medicinal. She took a hesitant sip and immediately grimaced, a fiery trail burning down her throat. Ugh... She really wasn't meant for alcohol.

Before she could be forced to finish it, a hand shot out. Snatch.

"Tch. Look at her, she's already tipsy," Hoseok grumbled, his voice laced with pure irritation. He glared at the shot on the leaf, then downed it in one go, his face contorting in a grimace as if he'd just swallowed poison.

The sunbae who proposed the game laughed. "Wow, protective! Are you her boyfriend? Her best friend?"

Hoseok answered with a glare so intense it could freeze fire.

"Whoa, calm down, man. Just asking!"

Minji, ever the peacemaker, squeaked from Woori's other side, "Erm... he's her neighbour."

Woori nodded vigorously, touched by his gruff intervention. "Yeah! He's just... a good neighbour."

Another round, another swift defeat for Woori. "Wow... I'm really bad at this," she giggled, already feeling a little lightheaded.

And like clockwork, Hoseok's hand darted out again, taking the leaf and the shot with a long-suffering sigh, draining it with the same pained expression.

Woori stared at him, her heart swelling with gratitude. He was enduring this awful-tasting drink, twice, just to save her. He was scowling and complaining, but his actions were so... noble.

He's really good at this mission of being a good neighbour! she thought, her smile softening. Her grumpy, secretly sweet neighbour was the best.

----

Woori, to her own embarrassment, kept losing. And like a grumpy, predictable machine, Hoseok's hand kept snatching the leaf from her fingertips, downing each shot with a grimace that grew progressively more pained. The initial sharp glare in his eyes was fading, replaced by a somewhat dazed and unfocused quality.

Minji, who had been watching the entire exchange with wide, worried eyes, gently tugged on Woori's sleeve. "...Woori-ssi," she whispered, leaning close. "I think it's time to give up... because Park Hoseok-ssi is..." She trailed off, nervously eyeing the now-pale and swaying young man beside them.

Woori followed her gaze. Oh. He really didn't look well. His usual sharp, hawk-like intensity had completely melted away, leaving behind a shell of a man who seemed one wrong move from face-planting into the plate of grilled samgyeopsal. A wave of guilt washed over her. He was suffering this for her.

She turned to the sunbae with a bright, apologetic smile. "Sunbae! This game is so fun, but can we get out and just enjoy it as an audience from now on?"

The sunbae, who had also noticed Hoseok's deteriorating condition, laughed good-naturedly. "Sure, of course! No forcing. This game is for fun! No hard feelings."

Relieved, Woori turned back to Hoseok. He was just sitting there, staring blankly at the wall, his posture slumped.

A moment later, Hoseok pushed himself up weakly, swaying on his feet. "I... want take freesh... air.." he slurred, his words blending together before he stumbled towards the restaurant's exit, leaving the noisy gathering behind.

Woori and Minji watched him go.

"Ah," Woori sighed, a mix of guilt and fondness in her voice. "I hope he's okay."

She looked at the empty space beside her. Her grumpy, secretly sweet neighbour had sacrificed his dignity and his sobriety for her. It was the most dramatic act of friendship she'd ever seen.

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