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Mingyu considered himself a simple guy, Disente ang mga grades, stable ang part-time job sa isang sikat na kapehan, and ang kakayahan niyang mabuhay sa delata at ramen pati na rin sa pag order ng pagkain sa labas. So, when he finally found a roommate na mukha naman mabait, maginoo, at hindi mamatay tao at advance magbayad sa renta, he thought, Nice. A win.
Wonwoo was quiet, reserved, and borderline nocturnal. He mostly kept to himself, always on his PC with noise-canceling headphones. Hindi sila gaano nagkikita since may klase si Mingyu sa umaga at may duty siya sa kapehan sa gabi. Occasionally, Mingyu would hear soft murmurs coming from his room—probably voice chats with friends
It was alright naman for the past months that Mingyu and Wonwoo lived together. Wala naman silang masyadong interactions at ganaps dahil sa kanikanilang schedule. Everything was smooth sails until one night—
Kakatapos lang ni Mingyu mag luto ng hapunan. Isang lata ng corned beef at dalawang pritong itlog dahil petsa de piligro at di pa siya nakapagsahod, sanay na siya na hindi masyado sumasabay sakanya si Wonwoo kumain kahit weekends kaya’t hindi na siya nag abala na yayain ito. Masyado na rin namang late dahil 10 na siya nakauwi from taking extra shifts. Malapit na rin kasi ang prelims kaya kailangan niya kumayod pang dag-dag sa tuition.
After, washing all the dishes and leaving a note sa may lamesa na may tirang pagkain sa ref, pabalik na si Mingyu sa kanyang kwarto hawak ang tsaa na tinimpla niya nung napatigil siya sa may pintuan ng kanyang roomate.
That voice.
Deep, smooth, and laced with the kind of confidence that made people shiver in very specific ways. The kind of voice that whispered filth into his headphones on lonely nights. The kind of voice that belonged to Phantom, the faceless R18 streamer Mingyu had been devotedly following for months.
Mingyu froze, gripping his glass of tea like it was a lifeline. His brain short-circuited, then rebooted at twice the speed. Tila parang nag screenshot ang kanyang buong katawan.
Hindi, imposible. Coincidence lang ‘to. Ang daming malalim ang boses sa
But then he heard it again—this time, the exact tone and phrasing from Phantom’s latest audio.
His soul left his body.
He booked it to his room, slammed the door shut, and wheezed.
Putangina. My roommate is Phantom.
Mingyu tried to act normal. Really, he did.
But every time Wonwoo spoke, his brain supplied unwanted memories.
“Masarap ba?” Wonwoo asked one morning, referring to the breakfast Mingyu had cooked.
Mingyu choked on his rice. HINDI NGAYON, DEMONYO.
Another time, Wonwoo yawned, voice gravelly from sleep, and Mingyu had to physically grip the table to keep himself from combusting.
Then there were the nights.
Now that Mingyu knew, he couldn’t unhear things. He wasn’t trying to eavesdrop—okay, maybe a little—but his room was right next to Wonwoo’s, and sometimes the walls were thin.
Late at night, past 2 AM, the murmuring would start. Then, the telltale shift in Wonwoo’s voice—deeper, sultrier, a tone Mingyu had heard way too many times through his headphones.
“Hmm… gusto mo ba ‘yan?”
Mingyu face-planted into his pillow, screaming internally. I KNEW IT. I KNEW IT.
This went on for a week and even though the two barely had any interactions, napansin parin ni Wonwoo na para bang umiba yung hangin sa pagitan nilang dalawa
“Uh, may ginawa ba akong masama?” Wonwoo asked, watching Mingyu practically jump whenever he entered the room.
“N-Nothing!” Mingyu squeaked, avoiding eye contact.
Wonwoo narrowed his eyes. “Alam kong may tinatago ka.”
Mingyu panicked. Na tila bang hindi niya na alam kung ano ang kanyang gagawin ay napa sabi nalang na
“Ikaw si Phantom, ‘di
Silence.
Wonwoo’s expression didn’t change, but Mingyu saw the way his fingers curled slightly, the way his jaw tensed.
“…Ano?” Wonwoo’s voice was careful.
Mingyu inhaled sharply. “Ikaw si Phantom. Yung streamer.”
Wonwoo blinked. “Hindi ko alam kung ano yung sinasabi mo.”
Mingyu squinted. “Talaga?”
“Talaga.”
“I mean,” Mingyu hesitated, before lowering his voice, “I have proof.”
Wonwoo didn’t even flinch. “Wala kang proof.”
Mingyu pulled out his phone. Opened Twitter. Searched for Phantom’s latest clip. And played it—right in front of Wonwoo’s face.
The voice and words that came out of his phone speakers was identical to the one Wonwoo used just last night.
Wonwoo sighed, defeated. “Putangina.”
Mingyu smirked. “I KNEW IT.”
“Okay, fine,” Wonwoo admitted. “Ako si Phantom. So what?”
“So what?!” Mingyu gaped. “Dude, I’ve been—” He cut himself off before he could say something embarrassing.
Wonwoo raised a brow. “You’ve been…?”
“Never mind,” Mingyu muttered. “Pero, grabe. Akala ko nerd ka lang.”
Wonwoo smirked. “Nerd ako. Pero may rent akong kailangang bayaran.”
Mingyu was too aware of how smug Wonwoo looked. “Tangina, so lahat ng naririnig ko sa content mo, ikaw talaga ‘yun? Like, ikaw mismo?”
Wonwoo tilted his head. “What do you think?”
Mingyu’s brain short-circuited again. The way Wonwoo said it—low, teasing—was way too close to how he sounded in his streams.
Mingyu swallowed hard. “You’re doing it on purpose.”
“Doing what on purpose?”
“Speaking like that.”
Wonwoo just smirked. “Kung gusto mong marinig nang live, sabihin mo lang.”
Mingyu swore he stopped breathing.
He was so fucked.
Mingyu tried to move on. Act like nothing happened.
But now that he knew, he was hyper-aware of every single thing Wonwoo did.
The way he casually licked his lips. The way he stretched in the morning, shirt riding up just enough to expose a sliver of skin. The way his voice dipped when he was teasing.
And it was driving him insane.
One night, after a long shift at work, Mingyu came home to find Wonwoo on the couch, glasses perched on his nose, scrolling through his phone.
“Late ka ngayon,” Wonwoo remarked.
“Yeah,” Mingyu sighed, tossing his bag aside. “Antok na antok na ‘ko.”
Wonwoo hummed. “Baka gusto mong… may marinig bago matulog?”
Mingyu’s brain went blank. “Ano.”
Wonwoo set his phone down, eyes gleaming with something dangerous. “Sabi mo, fan ka, ‘di ba?”
Mingyu’s throat went dry.
Wonwoo leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a familiar register. Phantom’s register.
“Pumikit ka, Mingyu. Pakinggan mo lang ako.”
Mingyu nearly short-circuited. “Tangina mo.”
Wonwoo chuckled. “Nahuli ka na nga, eh. Might as well give you a live performance.”
Mingyu’s brain: does not compute.
His body?
Shivering.
This was going to be a long night.