Chapter 2 - The Loud One

Kang Taehyun hated goodbyes.

Not because they were sad.

Because they were awkward.

His father stood beside the black sedan with his arms crossed, expression as unreadable as ever.

"You have everything?"

Taehyun glanced at the two enormous bags beside him.

"Obviously."

"Your documents?"

"Yes."

"Tuition receipt?"

"Yes."

"Don't lose anything."

Taehyun exhaled.

"I know."

His father looked at him for another moment.

Then came the sentence Taehyun had heard in different forms his entire life.

"University isn't a vacation."

Taehyun's jaw tightened.

"I know that too."

"Your grades matter."

"I know."

"Engineering isn't easy."

"I know."

His father's eyes hardened slightly.

"Then act like it."

There it was.

Not Good luck.

Not Take care of yourself.

Not even Call me when you arrive.

Just another reminder that whatever Taehyun did would be measured against something.

Someone.His elder brother of course.

Some expectation he had never agreed to.

Taehyun picked up his bags.

"Anything else?"

His father hesitated.

For half a second, Taehyun thought he might finally say something different.

Something real.

Instead—

"Don't embarrass the family."

Taehyun laughed.

One short, humorless sound.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

He turned before his father could see the expression on his face.

"Taehyun."

He stopped.

"Yes?"

"Your mother wanted you to call her, regularly."

Taehyun's expression softened slightly.

"I'll call her."

His father nodded.

That was it.

The car drove away.

Taehyun stood there for a moment, watching it disappear between the university buildings.

Then he muttered,

"Fantastic."

He adjusted his backpack.

"Five minutes into college and I'm already emotionally exhausted."

The campus was enormous.

Too enormous.

Taehyun had expected buildings.

He hadn't expected an entire small city.

Students were everywhere.

Some carried laptops.

Some carried instruments.

Some were already wearing department jackets.

A group of girls near the cafeteria glanced at him.

One whispered something.

The other looked.

Then both laughed.

Taehyun smirked.

He wasn't particularly surprised.

He knew what he looked like.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Strong arms.

Dark, slightly messy hair.

A face that usually looked more intimidating than he intended.

Years of basketball and gym had done the rest.

He wasn't trying to look intimidating.

Apparently his face simply had other plans.

His phone vibrated.

Jae:

Bro where are you?

Taehyun typed while walking.

Taehyun:

Campus.

Jae:

Helpful.

Taehyun:

I'm literally looking at a building.

Jae:

Which building?

Taehyun looked up.

"..."

He sent a picture.

Jae:

That's the library.

Taehyun:

I knew that.

Jae:

You asked me where the library was yesterday.

Taehyun:

Testing you.

Three dots appeared.

Then—

Jae:

You're going to fail engineering.

Taehyun laughed.

"Idiot."

A girl walking past looked at him.

Taehyun smiled politely.

She smiled back.

He continued walking.

His phone vibrated again.

Jae:

Also, how's the girlfriend situation?

Taehyun rolled his eyes.

Taehyun:

Don't start.

Jae:

So you're still together?

Taehyun:

Yes. and....a NO.

Jae:

But?

Taehyun didn't answer immediately.

There was always a but.

They fought too much.

She thought he was careless.

He thought she overthought everything.

They could spend an entire evening arguing about something neither of them remembered the next morning.

Still...

They were together.

For now.

He locked his phone.

He didn't feel like thinking about it.

Dormitory C was at the far end of campus.

By the time Taehyun reached it, one of his bags had somehow become twice as heavy.

He walked into the lobby.

A student volunteer looked at him.

"Room?"

"Four-oh-seven."

The volunteer checked the list.

"Fourth floor."

Taehyun stared at the staircase.

Then at the elevator.

Then at the staircase again.

"Is the elevator broken?"

"No."

"Then why are you looking at the stairs?"

"Because I'm trying to decide if I respect myself enough to use the elevator."

The volunteer laughed.

Taehyun picked up both bags.

"Never mind."

He took the stairs.

By the third floor, Taehyun regretted every decision he'd made that morning.

By the fourth, he had decided that whoever designed dormitories without elevators deserved prison.

He reached Room 407.

The door was closed.

Taehyun checked his phone.

Definitely.

He knocked once.

Nothing.

Again.

Still nothing.

He tried the handle.

Unlocked.

"Okay..."

He pushed the door open.

And stopped.

The room was already occupied.

Not messy.

Not chaotic.

Not even slightly lived-in in the way Taehyun expected a freshman room to look.

One side was almost unnervingly organized.

Books stacked neatly.

Sketchbooks arranged beside a laptop.

A small desk lamp.

A box of pencils.

A folded blanket.

A single plant sitting near the window.

Taehyun stared.

"Who the hell organizes pencils?"

He walked farther inside.

There was no answer.

He dropped his bags beside the empty bed.

The mattress groaned.

Taehyun looked at the other side of the room again.

His roommate had good taste.

That annoyed him for some reason.

He opened the wardrobe.

Half of it was already occupied.

"Seriously?"

He looked toward the other bed.

"Whoever you are, we need to discuss boundaries."

No response.

Taehyun pulled out his phone.

Jae:

Did you find your room?

Taehyun:

Yes.

Jae:

Roommate?

Taehyun looked around.

Taehyun:

Not here.

Jae:

Lucky him.

Taehyun smiled.

Then he noticed something on the desk.

A sketchbook.

He wasn't planning to touch it.

He wasn't.

His hand still moved toward it.

The cover was plain black.

No name.

He lifted it slightly.

"Don't."

The voice came from behind him.

Taehyun froze.

Slowly...

He turned around.

A boy stood in the doorway.

Slim.

Tall enough.

Dark hair falling slightly over his eyes.

Black shirt.

Silver chain around his neck.

A sketchbook tucked beneath one arm.

His expression was calm.

Not friendly.

Not nervous.

Just...

Flat.

His eyes moved from Taehyun's hand...

To the sketchbook...

Then back to Taehyun.

"Put it down."

Taehyun raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"The sketchbook."

Taehyun looked at it.

Then at him.

"I wasn't reading it."

"I didn't ask what you were doing."

Something about the boy's tone made Taehyun straighten.

He placed the sketchbook back on the desk.

"There."

The boy walked inside.

He took the sketchbook.

Checked the cover.

Then placed it carefully beside his books.

Taehyun watched him.

"You always talk like that?"

The boy looked at him.

"Like what?"

"Like everyone is wasting your time."

A pause.

"Only when they are."

Taehyun stared.

Then laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because he genuinely couldn't believe this guy.

"Wow."

The boy said nothing.

He walked to his side of the room and began unpacking.

Taehyun crossed his arms.

"You're my roommate, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately."

Taehyun's mouth fell open.

The boy finally looked at him.

"Arin."

"Taehyun."

"I know."

Taehyun frowned.

"How?"

Arin pointed toward the name tag attached to his luggage.

Taehyun looked down.

"...Right."

Silence.

Taehyun smiled.

Arin didn't.

And somehow, without either of them realizing it yet, Room 407 had already become the smallest battlefield on campus.

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