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The dorm always sounded alive, even when it was supposed to be quiet.
There was always something—someone laughing too loud down the hallway, Megan blasting music at a volume that definitely violated at least three unspoken roommate rules, Lara singing random harmonies while brushing her teeth, Sophia talking in her sleep, Manon scrolling endlessly and sighing like the world personally offended her.
But Daniela knew how to tune it all out.
Except for one thing.
Footsteps.
Not just any footsteps. Yoonchae’s.
It wasn’t even something Dani tried to notice. It just… happened. The rhythm, the softness, the slight hesitation before she reached a door like she was thinking about knocking and then deciding not to. Dani knew it like second nature.
Which is why when she heard them outside her door, she didn’t even look up from her phone.
“What is it, Yoonchae,” Dani said, voice flat, like she wasn’t already smiling a little.
The door creaked open anyway.
“…How did you know it was me?” Yoonchae asked, peeking in like she’d been caught doing something illegal.
Dani finally looked up, raising an eyebrow. “You literally walk like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like… you’re debating life choices every three steps.”
Yoonchae blinked. “That’s not even true.”
“It is,” Dani said, sitting up slightly. “Also you pause before knocking. You did it just now.”
Yoonchae stood there for a second, processing, then narrowed her eyes. “That’s creepy.”
“It’s observant.”
“It’s creepy.”
Dani grinned. “So what do you want?”
Yoonchae hesitated again. That same pause Dani recognized instantly.
“Can I hang out?” she asked finally. “Sophia’s on a call and she kicked me out.”
Dani snorted. “Rude.”
“Right?”
“Come in before Manon comes back and thinks I’m being social without her.”
Yoonchae slipped inside quickly, closing the door behind her like they were hiding something.
Which, okay, they kind of were. Just… not officially.
Not yet.
—
Their dorm situation was chaotic but structured in the weirdest way.
Dani and Manon shared one room.
Sophia and Yoonchae shared another.
Megan and Lara were in the third.
Which meant privacy was basically a myth.
And anything even slightly secret? Yeah. That had to be handled carefully.
Very carefully.
Because Manon noticed everything.
Sophia noticed more than she let on.
Megan noticed nothing but would accidentally expose you anyway.
And Lara? Lara would connect dots that didn’t even exist and somehow still be right.
So yeah.
Careful.
—
Yoonchae flopped onto Dani’s bed like she lived there.
“Wow,” Dani said. “No hesitation. No asking. Just vibes.”
“You said I could hang out.”
“I didn’t say take over my entire bed.”
Yoonchae turned her head, looking up at Dani with zero shame. “Your bed is more comfortable.”
“That’s because I actually make mine.”
“I make mine,” Yoonchae protested.
“Lying is a sin.”
Yoonchae threw a pillow at her.
Dani caught it easily, laughing. “You literally left a hoodie, two socks that don’t match, and a charger on your bed earlier.”
“That’s called personality.”
“That’s called chaos.”
“Same thing.”
Dani shook her head, but she was smiling.
She always was, around Yoonchae.
It was annoying, honestly.
—
They didn’t talk about it.
Whatever this was.
The lingering looks, the way Yoonchae always ended up in Dani’s space, the way Dani somehow always knew where Yoonchae was without checking.
The way their hands brushed and didn’t move away right away.
The way Dani would notice when Yoonchae got quiet.
The way Yoonchae would notice when Dani was pretending she wasn’t tired.
It wasn’t a conversation.
It was just… there.
Unspoken.
Careful.
Because walls were thin.
And roommates were everywhere.
—
“Manon’s gonna come back soon,” Dani said after a while.
Yoonchae groaned. “Don’t remind me.”
“You literally like Manon.”
“I do,” Yoonchae said quickly. “She just… stares.”
Dani laughed. “That’s just her face.”
“She looks like she knows something all the time.”
“…She probably does.”
“Exactly. That’s terrifying.”
Dani smirked. “You’re scared of Manon but not me?”
Yoonchae rolled onto her side, propping her head up. “You’re predictable.”
Dani blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You act tough but you’re actually soft.”
“That is slander.”
“You literally let me steal your blanket every time I’m here.”
“That’s because you do it anyway.”
“Exactly,” Yoonchae said, grinning. “Soft.”
Dani opened her mouth to argue, then closed it.
“…Whatever.”
Yoonchae’s grin widened.
—
Later that night, everything went quiet.
Like, actually quiet.
Megan’s music stopped.
Lara stopped singing.
Even the hallway noise died down.
Dani was half-asleep, curled up in her bed, Manon already knocked out on the other side of the room.
That’s when she heard it.
Footsteps.
Soft. Slower than usual.
Uneven.
Dani’s eyes opened immediately.
Yoonchae.
But something was off.
She sat up slightly, listening.
The steps dragged a little. Paused longer than usual. There was no hesitation like before—just… tired movement.
Then the faint sound of the kitchen door.
Dani frowned.
That didn’t sound right.
She glanced at Manon.
Still asleep.
Good.
Dani slipped out of bed quietly, grabbing her hoodie and pulling it on.
She opened the door slowly, careful not to make noise.
The hallway was dim.
The kitchen light was on.
And there she was.
Yoonchae, standing at the counter, holding onto it like she needed the support.
Dani’s chest tightened instantly.
“You okay?” she asked softly.
Yoonchae flinched slightly, turning her head. “Oh. You’re awake.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m fine,” Yoonchae said, which immediately told Dani she was not fine.
Dani walked closer, eyes scanning her.
Yoonchae looked… off.
Pale. Slightly flushed. Definitely not okay.
“You don’t sound fine,” Dani said.
“It’s just a headache.”
“You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“I’m not,” Yoonchae insisted, then winced immediately after like her head disagreed.
Dani sighed. “Okay, yeah. No. Sit.”
“I’m fine—”
“Sit,” Dani repeated, already pulling out a chair.
Yoonchae hesitated, then sat down.
Carefully.
Like even that hurt.
Dani grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and placed it in front of her.
“Drink.”
“You’re bossy,” Yoonchae muttered.
“You’re unwell.”
“Debatable.”
Dani gave her a look.
Yoonchae drank the water.
—
“You took anything?” Dani asked.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I thought it would go away.”
Dani stared at her. “You thought a headache like that would just disappear?”
“I had hope.”
“You had bad judgment.”
“Wow.”
Dani moved around the kitchen, grabbing medicine.
“Here,” she said, placing it in front of Yoonchae.
Yoonchae took it without arguing this time.
That alone told Dani how bad it was.
—
“Can you walk?” Dani asked after a moment.
Yoonchae nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
“Okay. Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“My room.”
Yoonchae blinked. “What about Manon?”
“She’s asleep.”
“And if she wakes up?”
“Then she wakes up.”
Yoonchae hesitated.
Dani noticed.
Right.
Careful.
Shared rooms.
Always careful.
“It’s fine,” Dani said quietly. “You’re not sleeping on the kitchen floor.”
“I could go back to my room.”
“And wake Sophia up? No.”
Yoonchae sighed. “…Fine.”
—
Getting back to Dani’s room was a mission.
Not because it was far.
But because every sound suddenly felt loud.
Every step mattered.
Every creak of the floor felt like a risk.
Yoonchae leaned slightly into Dani as they walked.
Not fully.
Just enough.
Enough for Dani to notice.
Enough for Dani to not say anything.
They slipped into the room quietly.
Manon didn’t move.
Thank God.
Dani helped Yoonchae sit on her bed.
“Okay. Lie down.”
“You’re really taking this seriously,” Yoonchae murmured.
“You’re really not,” Dani shot back.
Yoonchae smiled faintly but did as she was told.
Dani grabbed a spare blanket, draping it over her.
Then she sat down next to her.
“…You don’t have to stay,” Yoonchae said quietly.
Dani didn’t even hesitate.
“I know.”
She stayed anyway.
—
It was quiet again.
But not the same kind of quiet.
This one felt… closer.
Yoonchae shifted slightly, wincing.
Dani noticed immediately.
“Still bad?”
“A little.”
Dani hesitated for half a second, then gently reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from Yoonchae’s face.
“You’re warm,” she said.
“It’s probably nothing.”
“It’s not nothing.”
Yoonchae looked at her.
Really looked at her.
And something about that moment felt different.
Closer.
Like the space between them suddenly mattered more than it should.
“You’re always like this?” Yoonchae asked softly.
“Like what?”
“Taking care of people.”
Dani shrugged. “Only when they’re being stubborn.”
Yoonchae huffed a quiet laugh.
Then she closed her eyes.
“…Stay,” she murmured.
Dani’s heart did something stupid.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
—
Time passed.
Dani didn’t check how much.
She just stayed there, listening to Yoonchae’s breathing even out slightly.
At some point, Yoonchae shifted again.
Closer this time.
Her hand brushed Dani’s.
And didn’t move away.
Dani looked down.
Then back at Yoonchae.
“You’re doing that thing again,” Dani whispered.
“What thing?” Yoonchae mumbled, half-asleep.
“Pretending you don’t know what you’re doing.”
“I don’t,” Yoonchae said, but her fingers curled slightly around Dani’s.
Yeah.
Sure.
Dani smiled a little.
—
It happened slowly.
Like everything with them.
No sudden moves.
No big moment.
Just… a shift.
Yoonchae opened her eyes again.
Met Dani’s gaze.
And didn’t look away.
Dani felt it.
That quiet pull.
The same one that had been there for weeks.
Months, maybe.
Unspoken.
Careful.
But right now?
It felt louder.
“Your headache,” Dani said softly. “Better?”
“A little,” Yoonchae said.
But she didn’t look away.
Neither did Dani.
And then—
“Dani,” Yoonchae whispered.
“Yeah?”
Yoonchae hesitated.
There it was again.
That pause.
That moment before doing something.
Dani knew it.
Recognized it instantly.
“Don’t think about it too much,” Dani murmured.
Yoonchae blinked. “What?”
“You always pause when you’re overthinking.”
“I—”
“Just don’t,” Dani said softly.
And then she closed the distance.
Just a little.
Just enough.
If Yoonchae wanted to pull away, she could.
She didn’t.
Their lips met.
Soft.
Careful.
Like they were both testing something fragile.
Dani’s hand lifted slightly, resting near Yoonchae’s shoulder.
Yoonchae’s grip on her hand tightened just a little.
It wasn’t rushed.
It wasn’t dramatic.
It was quiet.
And real.
And when they pulled back, neither of them moved far.
“Okay,” Yoonchae whispered.
“Okay,” Dani echoed.
They both smiled.
—
“Wait,” Yoonchae said suddenly, eyes widening slightly.
“What?”
“Manon.”
Dani froze.
Right.
Shared room.
They both turned their heads slowly.
Manon was still asleep.
Completely.
Didn’t move.
Didn’t react.
Dani let out a breath. “We’re good.”
Yoonchae let out a quiet laugh. “That was close.”
“Very.”
They looked at each other again.
And then both started laughing softly.
Trying to keep it quiet.
Trying not to wake anyone.
Because yeah.
Careful.
Still.
—
The next morning?
Was chaos.
Not immediately.
At first, it was normal.
Too normal.
Which was suspicious.
Yoonchae had slipped back to her room before anyone woke up.
Dani acted like nothing happened.
Manon acted like… Manon.
But then—
Megan burst into the kitchen like she always did.
“Okay, who used my mug and didn’t wash it?”
“No one,” Lara said immediately.
“That’s a lie.”
“Prove it.”
“I will.”
Dani leaned against the counter, sipping her drink.
Trying to be normal.
Totally normal.
Not thinking about anything.
Definitely not thinking about last night.
“Why do you look like that,” Manon said suddenly.
Dani choked slightly. “Like what?”
“Like you didn’t sleep.”
“I didn’t.”
Manon narrowed her eyes.
Oh no.
“No reason?” Manon asked.
“No reason.”
Manon hummed.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
—
Across the kitchen, Yoonchae walked in.
And immediately made eye contact with Dani.
Oh.
Oh no.
That was a mistake.
A big mistake.
Because it lasted half a second too long.
And Sophia noticed.
Of course she did.
“Okay,” Sophia said slowly. “What’s going on.”
“Nothing,” Dani and Yoonchae said at the same time.
Too fast.
Too synced.
Everyone went quiet.
Megan blinked. “That was weird.”
Lara tilted her head. “Very weird.”
Manon crossed her arms.
Sophia smiled slightly.
Dangerous.
“So,” Sophia said. “You two want to explain?”
“No,” Dani said.
“Not really,” Yoonchae added.
“Interesting,” Manon said.
Very interesting.
—
They didn’t find out right away.
But they started noticing things.
Little things.
Like how Yoonchae kept ending up in Dani’s space even more than before.
How Dani would glance at Yoonchae without realizing it.
How they’d sit closer than necessary.
How they’d go quiet when someone walked in.
Megan noticed last.
Obviously.
But when she did—
“WAIT,” Megan said one day. “ARE YOU GUYS—”
“Shh,” Dani said immediately.
“Why are we shushing?” Lara asked.
“Oh my god,” Sophia said, laughing.
Manon just nodded slowly.
“I knew it.”
Yoonchae covered her face.
Dani sighed.
“Okay,” Dani said. “Listen—”
“No way,” Megan said. “No way. Since when?”
“Not long,” Yoonchae mumbled.
“That’s crazy.”
“That explains so much,” Lara added.
Sophia grinned. “You guys were not subtle.”
“We were trying to be,” Dani said.
Manon raised an eyebrow. “You failed.”
—
“Wait,” Megan said. “What about the room situation?”
Everyone went quiet for a second.
Because yeah.
That mattered.
A lot.
Shared rooms.
Thin walls.
Zero privacy.
Yoonchae looked at Dani.
Dani looked back.
“Carefully,” Dani said.
Yoonchae nodded. “Very carefully.”
Sophia laughed. “Good luck with that.”
Manon smirked. “I’ll pretend I don’t notice. Sometimes.”
“Thanks,” Dani said dryly.
Megan grinned. “This is so fun.”
Lara nodded. “I ship it.”
Yoonchae groaned. “Please don’t say that.”
“Too late,” Lara said.
—
Later that night, things were… different.
Not in a bad way.
Just… known now.
Out in the open.
Which somehow made it both easier and harder.
Dani sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone.
Manon glanced at her.
“You’re smiling,” Manon said.
“I always smile.”
“Not like that.”
Dani rolled her eyes. “Go to sleep.”
Manon smirked but did.
Eventually.
Dani waited.
Listened.
For footsteps.
And when she heard them—
She smiled again.
Because yeah.
She’d recognize those anywhere.
Always.