Chapter Text
Baek Saheon was an ordinary student, currently in his third year as an Economics major. He didn’t have much time for activities or going out with his friends. He was, most of the time, studying in his room. When he felt bored or wanted to rant to someone, he’d call his older sister. Even though he didn’t show her how much he cared for her, it was pretty obvious from the way he cried in her arms.
But something had been bothering him since last month. He naturally had a dorm in his uni, but it was supposed to be shared with a roommate. Since there was no one who could share it with him because the spot was empty, he felt grateful and used it all by himself.
But now, a student transferred into his department, and he was the same age as him. This pissed him off especially because it was exam period and he couldn’t concentrate since he didn’t know if that said “new roommate” was someone who would cause trouble or be irresponsible. Sighing internally with a heavy heart, he decided to get ready for the day.
Today was supposed to be the day his roommate would come.
It was a particularly cold day, the streets were white, covered in snow, and the sky was grey. But there was a feeling of tranquility. Entering the course, he took the spot near the windows and sat down. He couldn’t bear being near the entry, since it was hot and there were a lot of people warming themselves near the radiators.
After nearly one hour, half of the class was asleep, and the ranting of the teacher was monotonous and boring, which contributed to the quiet atmosphere. As Baek Saheon was about to head out to the library for efficiency, a paper‑shaped boat flew inside the class through the window. Seeing this, he picked up the boat and opened it, not caring if it was someone’s privacy or looking outside to give it back. When he opened it, he found the number of his dorm circled with interrogation marks near it. He thought that perhaps the person was thinking while writing and played with the paper but accidentally lost it. He decided on peeking outside the window to see if he could identify the owner.
First thing he noticed was a lost guy with dark messy hair and glasses. He looked really pitiful; he was holding boxes and had a suitcase near him, and then he saw another guy, whom he recognized from the sports department — and especially from his scar — who looked like he was comforting him. He decided on approaching the window discreetly to hear the conversation.
“It’s okay, Grapes‑ie! I’m sure you’ll find a way to your dorm… let’s ask every dorm in this department to see which one has an empty spot~”
Saheon’s eye opened in distress and he shuddered at the name. ‘Grapes‑ie??? Who the fuck names someone else Grapes??’
Then he thought about how embarrassing it’d be having someone named Grapes ask everyone for his dorm, so he just decided on writing information on the owner’s lost boat paper. After writing the directions, which took him less than a minute, he threw the boat with a grumpy face out the window in their direction, hoping the wind would calm itself down in the process… He quickly put his head down to avoid this embarrassing situation; helping others was truly a chore.
He then heard from beyond the window the cheery laughter of that guy’s voice and a sigh from the dark‑haired boy. He decided on forgetting this useless event and straight up headed to the library; he didn’t wish to see his roommate’s face nor interact with him.
-🍇-
It was nearly 9pm, and he forgot that dorms close at 9:30pm, so he rushed quickly and grabbed his laptop.
He opened his dorm room and nearly got a heart attack. Then, he suddenly remembered his new roommate.
A figure sitting at the opposite desk greeted him.
“…Hi, I’m Kim Soleum, you must be Baek Saheon.”
Kim Soleum looked baffled at Baek Saheon’s face; his eye was wide and he froze for at least 15 seconds. He then closed the door and entered to take off his shoes.
“I don’t want any problems and loud noises; it’s exam season, so please behave.”
‘???’ Kim Soleum thought he heard wrong, but looking at his roommate’s face, he realized that he didn’t.
“I’m sorry, but that’s not a way of talking to someone you just saw, and I care about my exams as much as you do.”
Baek Saheon rolled his eye and went straight to the kitchen. He stopped neatly upon seeing a muscat white cake on the counter. He looked between Kim Soleum and the cake.
“What’s this?”
“Oh… that’s a cake I bought for us… Since we’ll be sharing a dorm, I thought it would be a good idea.”
Kim Soleum secretly thought about the mistake he just made. ‘Sigh, he looks troublesome, but as long as we don’t come too much into contact it can go well.’
“You must really like grapes, huh.”
Kim Soleum had the impression that it sounded highly sarcastic, but he decided on ignoring it and went back to his work. Dealing more with him could only result in problems.
“You don’t have to eat it.”
“Good, I wasn’t planning to.” Baek Saheon thought that it might be poisonous.... who brings cake on the first day?
“More for me.”
Baek Saheon sneered and took the water bottle while looking at the cake. He really hated these types of people.
-🍇-
Later on, in the night, Kim Soleum was sleeping but Baek Saheon couldn’t. So, he opened the fridge and the first thing he saw was that shiny muscat grape cake.
He didn’t care and grabbed it — let’s just eat it.
He ate in silence, the cold sweetness melting on his tongue. It truly tasted like something someone bought with care, and it ticked him off.
‘Even his cake is annoying.’ Suddenly he heard a rustle that came from the bunk behind him.
“…You can have more,” Soleum said while being half‑asleep.
Saheon froze for the second time today, fork mid‑air.
“I wasn’t— I just wanted to see if it was safe.”
“It’s okay,” Soleum said while looking at the cake. “I bought it for both of us, and seeing if it’s safe after eating half of the thing is quite meaningless.”
Saheon heard a soft giggle behind him and felt the blood rush to his ears.
“Tsk, since you must really like grapes, huh, why don’t you take some?”
Kim Soleum felt pity for his lack of expressions. The only way he could share was by being mean. Still, he took a fork and sat beside him. He put back his glasses and dipped his fork in the cake.
Baek Saheon, seeing this, froze for the third time. The dorm — and especially the kitchen — was small, so he didn’t think about how he could only sit beside him. He felt his body’s warmth and he couldn’t help but admire his sharp but gentle features in the dark. He felt really annoyed, but at the same time he couldn’t move, so he just focused on the cake; he had already been seen, so what did it change now?
As he was dipping into the sweet food, he brushed against Soleum’s hand and it felt ice cold. Soleum, at the same time, turned his head and looked at him with worry.
“Your hand is too warm, are you sure you don’t have a fever?”
…This guy. Doesn’t he realize he’s the one with ice‑cold hands???? Baek Saheon decided on ignoring him; he couldn’t take more than this. He put his fork back after washing it and went to the bedroom.
-🍇-
Seeing his rommate close the bedroom door, Soleum noticed that the back of his neck was really red and couldn’t help but ask himself about the degree of sickness his roommate was going through.
He had the fork still in hand. The kitchen felt strangely quiet without the grumpy presence beside him. He glanced at the half‑eaten cake and then at the closed door.
“…Warm hands, red neck and ears, and he’s refusing to look at me,” he whispered quietly. “He definitely has a fever.”
He stood up, washed his fork, and dried it carefully. He then moved without a sound and took a paper out of his backpack. On the counter, he placed a small note. To ease his conscience, he wrote:
« If you feel sick tomorrow, tell me. I have medicine. — K.S »
He stared at it for a second, then frowned. ‘He would probably think I’ll poison him.’ He reached out to take it back…
“…Whatever, he won’t even notice it.” Then he put it back on the counter with the medicine, folded it into a boat and rewrote:
« Here are pills against high fever, take them. — K.S »
He looked at it and sighed.
“This is going to be a long semester.”
-🍇-