Chapter Text
‘Looking for a roommate. Must pay $500 in rent. Single room apartment.’
No.
‘Looking for roommates. No guests, no pets, no plants… No plants?’
Not even a damn plant? No.
‘Looking for roommates. Shared chores, guests allowed, pets allowed, must share everything in the apartment..’
Fuck that, it was so good up until that.
Roommate hunting had been absolutely hopeless. You knew finding a place would be a hassle, but fuck, you were beginning to get desperate. Your best friend/roommate, Sooyoung, would be leaving soon for her job relocation, and so far nothing was meeting your minimum requirements. Your boyfriend, bless his heart, brought up moving in together at his current place, but he lived in a shoebox, with his best friend, and their shared dogs. You got along with said best friend, and adored the dogs, but…no.
Respectfully.
It was too soon in the relationship to live together. Jungwoo would frequently bring up that they could make room, somewhere in the apartment. You refused every time, determined to keep your independence. The disagreements on when to call it quits on the roommate hunt became more frequent. “Quit being stubborn,” he’d say, “Sooyoung is leaving soon, what are you going to do if you don’t find a place by the time she’s gone?” “I’ll figure it out,” you’d answer.
You would figure it out, a few of your friends had offered their homes while you looked for a new place and you even had enough money to last a couple months of rent, if it really came to it. You groaned in frustration, at times like this you wished your grandmother lived closer, but alas she was having the time of her life at her retirement commune down by the coast. Currently you were wishing for a lot of things, and a decent place to live was at the top of it. You shut your laptop in defeat, dragging yourself from your desk to your bed. You groaned into your pillows, enveloping yourself in your duvet, dreading the thought of having to repeat this cycle another day. You tried to think of anything that could prevent you having to search the depths of craigslist, or moving in with Soo’s previous roommate despite living on the other side of the city, or moping so severely Sooyoung would have no choice, but to stay. You were truly desperate.
You
How much would I have to bribe you to stay?
Sooyoung
Uh, enough to support my online shopping habit.
You
…
I have limited funds..
Sooyoung
Darn, well, nice knowing you. :)
You
mean :(
Sooyoung
Apartment hunting not going too well?
You
No!
Anytime I think the place is going to be decent, something ruins it!!!.
At this rate I’m going to crash out at the thought of living with Jungwoo and Mark in their tiny apartment!
I’m not ready for that kind of commitment!
Sooyoung
Yeah, no.
But!! I do have some good news!!
I was asking around and Sunni told me that a friend of her cousin overheard her neighbor talking to another neighbor, about looking for another roommate.
Apparently that particular neighbor owns the biggest house in the cul-de-sac, and she has a room available!
You
I don’t how reliable that is Soo..
Sooyoung
Hon, it’s a bus ride away from your job, it’s spacious, and from what the cousin’s friend says, they’ve never been problematic.
Also, they said it’s plant and pet friendly too!
The house has plants everywhere on the outside, I’m assuming inside too, and they have a huge dog they’re always chasing after.
It’s perfect!
You
Idk Soo
It sounds too good to be true
Also…
Last time I listened to Sunni, I got bangs, and we all know how that went.
Sooyoung
In Sunni’s defense she meant for you to go to a hairstylist and not perform a self-cut bang job.
You
Woooow
And suddenly I am illiterate
Sooyoung
Seriously hon, I think you should reach out.
This is the best prospect you’ve had.
You sighed at your screen knowing Sooyoung was right. Would there really be anything better than this?
Y ou
Can I have the neighbor’s number?
Sooyoung
xxx-xxx-xxxx
Sunni’s cousin said the neighbor’s name is Yoonji
-
You spend the next half hour avoiding reaching out. It all seemed too good to be true.
Your minimum requirements were met. You wouldn’t mind rowdy roommates, as long as they were courteous. You were extremely excited at the possibility of living with a pet. While you were nervous at the possibility of living with multiple roommates, the high possibility of paying a third of your current rent was extremely appealing.
After purposely procrastinating for far too long, you decide to suck it up, and contact Yoonji.
You
Hi, is this Yoonji?
Unknown
Who wants to know?
Is this you Jinyoung?
You
Oh, um, I don’t know a Jinyoung.
My name is ___.
My friend Sunni told me you were looking for a roommate?
Unknown
How do I know this isn’t Jinyoung or someone he sent to get info on me?
You
Look, I don’t know who this Jinyoung person is.
I’m only interested in the available room you have.
But, if you’re worried that I’m this person, I could send a picture of my ID.
If you’d like.
Unknown
You could easily google an ID picture.
Send a picture holding a fork
You
Ew lol
I haven’t been asked that since kik was a thing.
Unknown
Your kik comment was enough to let me know you’re not Jinyoung.
Yes, this is Yoonji. Yes, I am looking for a roommate.
Currently, I live with one and a half roommates.
You
Oh, do you count your dog as half?
Unknown
Dog?
You
Yeah, my friend said you have a dog?
Or is he not yours?
Unknown
Oh yeah
He’s actually my friend’s dog.
If I could, I’d count him as a whole roommate
He eats my food like one.
It’s mostly me, and Jimin 75% of the time.
I count my friend Jin as a partial roomie, since he’s never here, but still has a room.
You
Oh.
Does that mean there’s no available rooms?
Unknown
The house is bigger than what it looks.
It’s a five bedroom, four bathroom home.
If you’re still interested, I can send you the address and we can discuss the logistics of the accommodations.
You
I’m free tomorrow afternoon.
-
‘1703… 1705… 1707… 1709… 1711.’ You were riddled with anxiety the closer your Uber got to Yoonji’s home. Getting to know new people is always awkward, and you were second guessing your refusal of Sooyoung’s offer to accompany you when the vehicle came to a stop. As you exchanged pleasantries with the driver, you wondered if living with Jungwoo would really be that terrible.
As you walked up the long driveway, you began to feel like you might be wrong for second guessing your current luck. So, so wrong. The house was huge. It gave an Addams family vibe, but less rundown. Vines hugged the right side of the home that extended all the way to the front porch. Neatly trimmed bushes lined the sides, sporadic spots of flowers and herbs were nestled between them. Multiple sun catchers were hung, and gleamed in the late afternoon sun. It had a charm to it, and maybe you could see yourself living there. You were able to see an ample amount of smaller plant pots that were behind the porch’s wooden railing, as you climbed up the steps. Cute Halloween decorations littered the outdoor furniture, and if you focused enough, you were able to see the Pothos hanging over the window. Aesthetically, it was perfect.
You knocked twice, and then once loudly, hoping that was enough to grab the attention of whomever was home. After a few moments, your anxiety began to gnaw at you. You wondered if sending Yoonji a text to signal your arrival would be too much. Maybe you remembered the meet-up time and came too early? You wondered if you should’ve brought along a treat to show your enthusiasm to live there, even if you did have prior reservation. Most of all, you hoped that it would be just a conversation between you and Yoonji. While meeting all current roommates would be ideal, the thought of meeting so many people at once felt overwhelming.
After another moment, you decided to knock once more, if no one answered you’d just go home. Who knew maybe you’d even treat yourself to a meltdown, and cry a little at the thought of having to share a tiny apartment with Jungwoo, and his roommate becoming a bigger possibility.
Right when you decided to curse Sooyoung for encouraging you, the prettiest man you had ever laid your eyes on opened the door. Now, you have seen some beautiful people in your day to day life, in your opinion every single one of your close friends were gorgeous. Hell, even a few of your regulars were cute, but this man was a mix of handsome, pretty, and every adjective applicable. He was above average in height, honeyed skin, sparkling eyes that disappeared into his cheeks when he smiled at you. You hoped he was one of Yoonji’s friends that was visiting, and not one of the roommates, but the universe seemed to have other plans.
“Hi, you must be ___? I’m Jimin. I live here with Yoonji, and Seokjin”, he said, reaching his hand out towards you.
You nodded, automatically extending your hand to greet him, “I.. uh yeah that’s me. Is Yoonji home?”
“Yeah, she’s just waking up from a nap,” he explained.
“Oh, shit I’m being rude. Come in, and we can wait for her together,” Jimin stepped away from the door frame, motioning for you to come into their home. From the outside a couple of Pothos could be seen hanging above the window sill, but it did not do justice to the absolute jungle that was their home. Hanged dried herbs, and flowers decorated an entire wall of their dining room. Every plant you laid your eyes on was lush and lively, you could not even begin to imagine how many hours it took to water them, let alone the proper maintenance each one needed.
“You guys have so many plants,” you said aloud. “How do you keep up with them?”
Jimin let out an amused huff,” It’s definitely a labor of love, each one has their watering, and maintenance schedule. I try to do similar plants at the same time, or do a little every other day to not be overwhelmed.”
“Is every plant yours?”
He nodded proudly, motioning for you to sit on their comfortable looking couch,” Yup. This isn’t even all of them, I have pots outside, a few between the shrubs, and a greenhouse that is my pride and joy. I do freelance, so I’m able to focus on taking care of them and work on my commissions.” You avidly looked around, giddy excitement simmering under your skin. A small hope that your small collection of succulents, and mediocre home grown herbs would be at home here. Maybe Jimin would take pity on you, and help with keeping your babies healthy. “Are any of the plants Seokjin’s or Yoonji’s?” you asked. Jimin struggled to keep in his amused giggles,” Stars no. Seokjin, and Yoonji can barely keep themselves alive. Yoonji loves plants, but they don’t like her, she can never seem to keep one alive for more than a week.”
“Oh, well we have that in common then,” you joked, “I accidentally killed a few of my succulents my grandma gave me recently. I followed the instructions on the pot, but somehow they still didn’t make it.” Jimin attempted, and failed to contain his giggles, “Succulents are meant to be easy to take care of, but can be finicky, even overwatering them a bit can cause the plant to die. Don’t feel bad about it.”
Just as you were going to thank Jimin for soothing your worries, a loud voice interrupted you “I’m not reading your crap Jin!”
“It’s not crap! It is a masterpiece! Appreciate the effort I put into it!” a male retorted. Their footsteps heavy on the floor above them. Doors opened, and slammed as the voices became louder.
“Your Harry Styles fanfic isn’t a masterpiece! It’s fucking trash!” the female voice yelled.
“You take that back! It’s a New York bestseller, Yoonji!”
“Everything is a best seller Jin!”
“But it got a movie, you’re telling me that doesn’t show it was good,” he gloated.
Jimin winced with every heavy footstep, and snarky comeback, “I swear they’re not always like this.”
“Like hell it was! You dragged me to the premiere, and I fell asleep a quarter into the movie.”
“He wrote a Harry Styles fanfic?” you mumbled. Jimin nodded glumly,” He dragged Yoonji, and a couple of our other friends to it. Seokjin likes to say it was a win because they got to meet the main actors, but none of them knew who they were. Our friends said it was an okay time and the food was good, but they almost got kicked out because Yoonji got in a fight with the lead actress.”
“For the last time Jimin, she tried to pull the ‘Don’t you know who I am? Meh meh meh.’ bullshit. I was trying to enjoy the free booze!” the female voice hissed behind you.
You turned to see who the voices belonged to; now wishing that you’d dressed up a bit more for this meeing. If you thought Jimin was gorgeous, Seokjin was the most ethereal man you had ever seen. He was all plump lips, playful eyes, and broad shoulders. He was taller than Jimin, his long legs accentuated by his tight jeans, and heeled boots. Seokjin quickly realized someone new was in their midst, and did a double take. “Jimin, you didn’t tell us you had a guest,” he chided. ”Forgive me, if I’d have known we were having guests I’d have worn my best garments.”
He smiled radiantly at you, his large hand extending itself to greet you, ”Hello, my name is Kim Seokjin, and what would be your name my dear?” You sat stunned for a moment, your hand extending itself into his, “My name is ___, nice to meet you.”
You felt your face warm with embarrassment as Seokjin brought your hand up to his pink lips, placing the daintiest kiss to your knuckles, “A beautiful name for a beautiful lady.”
“Okay, Jin cut it out. She’s here as a potential roommate, quit being a creep.” said who you assumed was Yoonji. She was by far the shortest out of all of them, but you were sure she could kill with her stare alone. She had a neat, dark bob. No hair appeared to be out of place, despite Jimin mentioning she’d just woken up from a nap. Her eyes were sharp and cat-like with beautiful lashes. She had a small pink mouth, cute beauty marks decorated her cheek and nose. If your grandmother could see you, she’d scold you for staring, ‘Honey close your mouth, you’re gonna catch flies’.
“See now you freaked her out,” Yoonji exclaimed, “I’m sorry about him, I swear I locked him up.”
“How many times do I have to tell you, those chains don’t work!” Jin answered. “Maybe they would if you weren’t so fucking greasy.” Yoonji quipped. “Guys please,” Jimin whined, “this is why people reject the roommate offers.”
“I’m not creeped out,” you mumbled.
“See Yoonji, she’s fine,” he smugly responded. “My darling I do apologize, Yoonji has such a potty mouth doesn’t she? I’ve been telling her to clean it up for years.”
“I actually don’t have a problem with her cursing,” you whispered.
The three roommates turned their attention towards you. “I like her,” Yoonji announced as she took the seat across from you. “Now, officially, me and Jimin are the primary residents in the house.”
“Hey,” Seokjin cried indignantly.
Yoonji continued, ignoring Jin’s complaint, “We have about 5 bedrooms, and 4 bathrooms. Jimin and Seokjin share a bathroom that connects their bedrooms upstairs. I’m in the master bedroom with the en-suite bath. There’s a bath down the hall of the two first floor rooms, and another by the mud room. Rent is $350 a month.“
“$350! I pay $450!” Jin exclaimed.
“You’re not here most of the time, you mostly use your room for storage, Jin,” Yoonji answered.
“I refuse to take my belongings to that house Yoonji! Choi is a sneaky bitch, with good taste I must admit.”
“Jin, the outfit he stole was ugly as fuck, I’ve been telling you that since you got it,” she quipped.
“You’re just jealous it didn’t look good on you,” Seokjin responded snootily.
“And I’ve never been more thankful,” Yoonji said. “Anyways, we don’t have many rules: clean up after yourself, guests are allowed just give us a heads up, same with pets, if you decide on getting one. Label anything you don’t want to share.” Yoonji looked towards her friends, waiting for them to add any rules of their own.
“Don’t go into the greenhouse,” Jimin added, “There’s lots of fauna in there you’re probably not familiar with. I wouldn’t want you to have an allergic reaction to anything.”
“I have nothing to add. Well…,” Jin paused, “If you make food to share, don’t add too much garlic. I have a mild allergy.”
“Why would you eat it, if you have an allergy?” You asked apprehensively.
“Same reason lactose intolerant people eat things with lactose, it’s too good.” He shrugged.
Seokjin rose from his spot on the couch arm, and picked up what looked to be a very expensive satchel, “Well I’ll have to take my leave. If I don’t arrive at the house soon I’ll get a nagging crow.” The black haired male blew a kiss in your direction, leaving you nothing short of confused, “I hope to see you soon darling.”
“So, do we have an agreement?” Yoonji asked.