Chapter Text
MARCH - Beginning of Spring Semester
Kim Dokja wasn’t sure how he found himself in this position. Namely, he was stuck rooming with a younger student—some asshole named Yoo Joonghyuk who’d already claimed the good side of the room without the window and AC unit. He’d claimed it over text, of all things, telling Kim Dokja that he was dead meat if he tried to take his side.
Kim Dokja was already embarrassed enough to have to use the dorms instead of the campus apartments or an apartment off campus, so rooming with a rude sophomore was a major blow to his ego. He had an allowance from the University that let him afford a dorm which was usually not permitted for juniors and above. Being older than almost everyone else in the building besides individuals who joined the military or who took gap years, Kim Dokja felt like an outsider.
He was used to that by now, but still… He’d hoped the university would be a fresh start. It wasn’t the top school by any means, but it also wasn’t awful, and maybe it’d give him a chance at a better job than what he’d originally been set on. Working as a temp time after time with the hope of becoming salaried was a fate he wished upon no one.
Kim Dokja set his meager belongings by the bed. There were two suitcases, one large and one small, with an additional small bag for items that he needed immediately, like toiletries. He then began unpacking, methodically putting clothes up in the closet (which Yoo Joonghyuk had also already claimed the better half of, as it wasn’t obstructed by the desk near the window). He put his shower items in a caddy, his toiletries in a clear plastic bag, and tucked his shower shoes by the door because he was not about to contract some foot disease from the gross-ass men in the building. Organizing his desk and setting up his old laptop that desperately needed a new battery because it couldn’t hold a charge, Kim Dokja was done.
He went to shower, after. He’d worked up a sweat carrying all his things to University, the rideshare he’d chosen accidentally dropping him off at the wrong dorm. Kim Dokja had been too tired to correct him and now regretted it, so he took the time while he still had the energy to clean up.
The showers, bless the stars above, were clean… at least at that moment. Kim Dokja predicted that they’d get messier as the semester progressed. However, for now, he enjoyed the smell of disinfectant mingling with his body wash.
Walking back to his room after thoroughly drying and dressing, Kim Dokja let out a deep sigh that echoed down the long hall. He was the only one in the building as he was also permitted early entry due to his financial situation. It turned out that having a low income, absent/dead parents, and grades just good enough for the university was a killer combo. Kim Dokja grimaced after having that thought. The true killer combo was having wealth and stability, but whatever. That wasn’t the hand he was dealt.
Either way, it meant that there was no one else around. It was just him and himself. Kim Dokja whistled as he approached the dorm room, lackadaisically enjoying the peace that was being totally and entirely alone.
#
When Kim Dokja woke up the next day, he came to a realization. Who was some punk like Yoo Joonghyuk to boss him around, his senior? Now, Kim Dokja didn’t put too much weight on things like age, but he believed in basic human respect. Was Yoo Joonghyuk a sunfish who would die if he didn’t get exactly what he wanted? Did he have to get his way? Whatever happened to first come, first serve?
Feeling irritated, Kim Dokja spent his first full morning on campus rearranging his room. He moved all his stuff to what would’ve been Yoo Joonghyuk’s side with a satisfied smirk on his face.
That’ll show him…
#
When the introductory week began, Kim Dokja was woefully unprepared for the intense personality that was Yoo Joonghyuk. He was expecting someone who was all bark, no bite because people were often bolder over text than in person, but the younger man felt even more oppressive in person.
Kim Dokja grimaced when the first words out of Yoo Joonghyuk’s mouth were, “You took my side.”
“I didn’t know they assigned sides,” Kim Dokja responded quickly. Compared to his high-school self, he’d grown a lot bolder during his time in college. He wouldn’t be a doormat anymore. The older man’s eyebrow twitched up as he added, “Do you have a problem with that?”
“What do you think?” Yoo Joonghyuk replied, voice deep and drenched in disdain.
“I think it’s a free country,” Kim Dokja said with a smile. He leaned back on his bed, giving the younger man a look that said, “Try me, I dare you.”
Yoo Joonghyuk approached the bed. Kim Dokja expected him to say something frightening, but instead, he found himself being picked up by the armpits and dragged onto the floor. His ass hit the ground painfully, causing him to grunt in pain, and then he was lifted and tossed on the other bed.
“I’ll get the RA,” Kim Dokja said as his last line of defense.
Yoo Joonghyuk raised an eyebrow.
“Move your shit,” Yoo Joonghyuk said, and then he opened a bag and began removing Kim Dokja’s sheets from the other bed before replacing them with his own. Kim Dokja gaped, mouth open like he was trying to catch flies, and stared with wide eyes.
My roommate is a bitch!
He knew this already, of course, but the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk had the balls to be just as much of a dick in person as he was over text astounded Kim Dokja.
Kim Dokja stood. He grabbed a pillow and smacked the back of the younger man’s head as hard as he could. Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes widened.
“Kim Dokja—”
“That’s hyung to you, you brat.”
Yoo Joonghyuk ignored him. “I’m not arguing with you. We determined this prior. Move your shit.”
“No,” Kim Dokja said, standing his ground.
Yoo Joonghyuk continued changing the sheets. Kim Dokja tried to think of what to do (besides physical violence) and came up short. Now, while he had threatened earlier to grab the RA, that was more of a bluff than an actual path he could pursue. However, there was one alternative.
“You get the crappy side of the closet,” Kim Dokja said.
“Or what? You’ll hit me with a pillow again?”
Kim Dokja sighed. “Can’t we try to move on in relative peace? This is more than a fair offer. You’re getting the better deal.”
“I don’t care about fairness,” Yoo Joonghyuk answered. Kim Dokja prepared to hit him again, but then the younger man continued. “Fine. Take the lefthand side, if it’ll get you to stop bitching.”
I’m gonna fucking kill this guy.
Kim Dokja smiled pleasantly. “I’m glad you’ve seen reason.”
Yoo Joonghyuk let out an exhale that almost sounded like a short laugh. Other than that, Kim Dokja got no response. So, he took the sheets that the younger man stripped from the old bed and put them on his new bed. It was right by the AC, which meant his feet would get cold at night… ugh.
Hopefully, this was the worst of Yoo Joonghyuk. Kim Dokja planned on avoiding him most of the time, anyway.
#
Their first meeting was not the worst of Yoo Joonghyuk. The man was meticulous, a neat freak, a controlling nightmare, a dreadful night owl whose gaming audio was audible from across the room, and overall, the worst person to live with when trying to maintain grades in your final year of university.
Kim Dokja learned a lot of things about him quickly. He was a professional gamer who streamed nightly and attended national competitions, had a younger sister who he acted as a guardian for, and was attending university not because he had to, but because he wanted insurance for if his gaming career ever fell flat. He was extremely smart, calculating, and to top it off, very athletic. Kim Dokja watched through the window as the man jogged around campus. He barely broke a sweat.
Now, Kim Dokja wasn’t totally out of shape. Just mostly. He went on the occasional jog, did calisthenics, and ate decently enough to not die of malnutrition. Having a pass for the dining hall helped, of course, and he had been able to eat a bit more than in the past because of it. Yoo Joonghyuk was on another level, entirely, though. He had a fucking sword in the closet for some reason, too, which Kim Dokja didn’t bother asking about because he knew the bastard wouldn’t answer.
Feeling inadequate compared to Yoo Joonghyuk due to the man’s athleticism, Kim Dokja decided to go to the gym as well. He downloaded an audiobook, put in his earbuds, and walked in the cold to the gymnasium. He put his hands in his pockets and began jogging when the cold started to get to him. Maybe he should invest in a better jacket but ehhhhhhhhhh, that was a lot of money.
Entering the gym, a rush of warm air greeted him. It was warm enough to feel good, but not too hot to make him worry about sweating his balls off. He skipped the locker room, already wearing the sweatpants and loose t-shirt he intended to exercise in, and checked in at the counter with his student ID. Kim Dokja then walked to the main area, looked around, and felt overwhelmed.
How do you even use most of these machines…?
Eyes scanning the room, Kim Dokja looked for anything familiar. He saw a treadmill and then something that looked like a personal escalator. That looked fun, he thought to himself. It’d make him feel taller, and Kim Dokja liked feeling that way.
Trying it out, Kim Dokja gave up after three minutes. He stumbled off the machine, putting his hands on his knees as he panted. His hair stuck to his forehead, sweaty as hell, and everything started to look blurry. Was he really that out of shape?
“Pathetic.”
Kim Dokja’s head snapped up to glare at the owner of that familiar voice. Yoo Joonghyuk stood near him, turning on the Stairmaster next to him. If Kim Dokja had the breath, he would’ve said something, but he felt dizzy. Yoo Joonghyuk gave him a look that could almost be considered concerned.
Kim Dokja scoffed once he finally caught his breath, the younger man already marching away on the machine. He watched as Yoo Joonghyuk climbed, his beefed-up thighs showing off their strength with every step. Kim Dokja rolled his eyes.
“Not all of us can be Greek gods,” Kim Dokja scoffed.
“So I’m a god to you?”
Kim Dokja’s cheeks reddened. He hoped the flush from the exercise covered his embarrassment. “You know what I mean.”
“Mhm,” Yoo Joonghyuk hummed.
The dismissal pissed Kim Dokja off, but he didn’t want to make a scene in public. Instead, Kim Dokja grabbed his bag and went with Plan B: swimming. He headed to the pool locker room and changed into swim shorts. Swimming was much easier on his knees and just as tiring if done over a long duration. He fucked around for a bit, floating on his back while staring at the ceiling.
Stupid Yoo Joonghyuk…
Sighing, Kim Dokja started swimming laps in a lane. He did breaststroke as best he could, eventually getting in the rhythm of it. Turning over in the water, he pushed off the wall and enjoyed the flow of cool liquid over his muscles. It was calming.
Of course, when he finished, his calmness was shattered by Yoo Joonghyuk again.
“Why are you here?” Kim Dokja said when he caught sight of Yoo Joonghyuk.
“Swimming, why else? Dumbass,” Yoo Joonghyuk answered.
He looked Kim Dokja up and down, eyes widening just a fraction. Kim Dokja prepared a witty remark but was cut short when Yoo Joonghyuk pushed him abruptly into the pool. Kim Dokja’s arms wheeled around in the air as he fell with a splash. He yelped, suddenly underwater, and swam up to the surface. A lifeguard was blowing their whistle and yelling at Yoo Joonghyuk when Kim Dokja finally popped up for air.
“What the fuck, man?!” Kim Dokja yelled out.
The lifeguard shouted, “No pushing!” which was as good as a slap on the wrist.
Yoo Joonghyuk ignored both of them. A few minutes later, he came back out and dived into the pool on the opposite end from Kim Dokja. The older man glared before opting to leave the situation before it got worse, marching to the locker room to shower and change.
When he arrived back at the dorm, he was still pissed.
Neither of them talked to each other for the next 24 hours.
#
It was late at night on their fourth day living together when Kim Dokja finally blew his lid concerning the visual nightmare that was Yoo Joonghyuk’s gaming habit.
“You need to get a screen or something,” Kim Dokja said when Yoo Joonghyuk stopped streaming for the night. “Something to dim it from other angles.”
Yoo Joonghyuk ignored him. He pulled his shirt over his head (yes, he slept without one) and got into bed. Kim Dokja sat up, reached for his desk, and turned on his lamp. Yoo Joonghyuk glared at him from where he was burying his face into his pillow.
“Sorry, am I interrupting something?” Kim Dokja asked pointedly. “Like your precious sleep? The thing that everyone needs?”
“A screen protector,” Yoo Joonghyuk stated plainly. “You can’t sleep facing the wall?”
“I prefer sleeping on my left side,” Kim Dokja answered honestly. He raised an eyebrow. “You sleep on your right. I can’t help but notice that this wouldn’t be a problem if we’d never swapped sides.”
“Turn the light off.”
“Why is it so hard to get a screen protector?” Kim Dokja asked. “You’ll still see the screen, and I won’t have to deal with all the flashing. And, while you’re at it, turn down the volume. You’re going to get tinnitus.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s lip quirked. “Worried about me, hyung?”
“You…” Kim Dokja put his head in his hands with a groan. “Calling me hyung just to be a dick about it… You’re really special, huh?”
Yoo Joonghyuk turned over to the other side. “Turn off the light and go to sleep.”
Kim Dokja glared, and just to spite him, laid down without turning the lamp off. Five minutes passed before Kim Dokja heard Yoo Joonghyuk get up to turn off the light. When he did, Kim Dokja’s breathing quieted down as the younger man lingered at his bedside. Then, a sharp pain flared against the back of Kim Dokja’s head. The bitch had flicked him.
“Oh, you’re in for it…!” Kim Dokja grumbled, grabbing Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand before he could pull away. He yanked his arm as he stood, but failing to orient himself in the dark, sent the two of them crashing to the floor. Kim Dokja ended up on top of the younger man straddling his waist. Then, Yoo Joonghyuk twisted his arm and Kim Dokja cried out in pain, collapsing forward. He caught himself with his other arm even as his back arched from the angle Yoo Joonghyuk was pulling him.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Kim Dokja cursed. “Let me go!”
“Behave.”
“Oh, suck my dick,” Kim Dokja shot back. Not knowing what to do, Kim Dokja leaned down and bit the first thing he could get his mouth on: Yoo Joonghyuk’s bare shoulder. He latched on, teeth digging in hard enough to bruise but not break the skin. Abruptly, his arm was let go and Kim Dokja was tossed away like a hot potato.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked. Kim Dokja couldn’t see him in the dark.
“Plenty of things…” Kim Dokja grumbled. “Let's just go to sleep.”
“Fine!”
“Fine!” Kim Dokja shot back.
They both got back in their beds with a huff. Little did Kim Dokja know, Yoo Joonghyuk kept poking at the bruise forming on his shoulder, his ears red and warm while he remembered Kim Dokja’s teeth sinking into him. It was hard for Yoo Joonghyuk to sleep that night.
#
When the semester began, Kim Dokja was relieved. He was no longer subjected to Yoo Joonghyuk for most of his time, but rather, just in the morning and late at night. Kim Dokja’s classes started later in the day so he adjusted to a night owl schedule, matching the sophomore’s. He studied late at the library, returned to the dorms after Yoo Joonghyuk stopped streaming (yes, he checked his live status), and went to bed. It was serene. It was almost ideal.
Still, Kim Dokja wasn’t an extreme night owl like his roommate, but the adjustment wasn’t too hard. The real difficulty was the mornings. That was the worst part of his day.
Yoo Joonghyuk woke up before him every morning without fail, and he wasn’t quiet about it. He shuffled around the room, opened the closet loudly, moved things around, scraped his desk chair… you know, the works. The small sounds might as well have been a full orchestra tuning their instruments for all Kim Dokja cared. It was loud!
“Be quiet,” Kim Dokja grumbled around a week into the semester. “Please.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s response to that was to open the blinds. Light streamed in through the window and Kim Dokja groaned.
“You’re so mean,” he murmured.
“Just wake up and deal with it.”
Kim Dokja rolled over in bed, throwing the blanket off of himself as he stood. His sleep shorts had ridden up, showing off the length of his soft thighs. His shirt had gotten stuck underneath one armpit, too, leading to half of his stomach being exposed. He adjusted himself as he said, “I go to sleep an hour later to accommodate for your streaming. Be grateful.”
When Kim Dokja looked up, the door to their room was slamming shut. He startled.
“Damn, waking up everyone else now, too…”
#
A couple of weeks into the semester, Kim Dokja became sick of sitting alone. He, much to his chagrin, would rather have some company rather than none, even if the company came in the form of Yoo Joonghyuk. So, when Joonghyuk left for the dining hall one evening, Kim Dokja followed.
“What are you doing?”
Kim Dokja answered easily, hiding his shame, “Going to eat.”
After a moment, Kim Dokja tacked on, “What about you?”
“... Same,” Yoo Joonghyuk said as if it pained him.
“Do you want to sit together?” Kim Dokja asked.
Yoo Joonghyuk gave him a pinched look. Kim Dokja held up his hands. “Hey, I just noticed you’re always alone! I don’t want people to think you’re a loser. I’m watching out for my hoobae.”
“Don’t call me that,” Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed. “You’re always alone, too.”
Kim Dokja’s ears reddened. “I don’t make friends easily. I’m sure you noticed by now.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s expression became even more pinched, as though the idea of Kim Dokja having trouble making friends was a surprise. It flattered the older man—just a little. He wasn’t delusional.
The younger man spoke. “You just don’t want to look like a loser, yourself.”
“Oh, no, you caught me!” Kim Dokja said sarcastically. “What if I said the real reason is because I adore your company, huh? What then?”
“I’d say ‘you’re nuts.’”
Kim Dokja nodded solemnly. “Good thing I’m not nuts because enjoying your company would be a total lie.”
Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed. He let Kim Dokja sit with him, anyway, though. When they got to the dining hall, Kim Dokja sat down beside him with his tray. They ate in near-silence, but it made Kim Dokja feel a little less alone. In the back of his mind, he knew he liked Yoo Joonghyuk’s company just a little. Their bickering kept him on his toes.
“You need to eat more vegetables,” Yoo Joonghyuk commented. He passed a portion of his to Kim Dokja.
Kim Dokja stared at him before he realized what the guy was doing. “You just want to get rid of yours.”
Yoo Joonghyuk copied his words from earlier but in a dry, flat tone. “Oh, no, you caught me.”
“Shut the fuck up…” Kim Dokja said, voice trailing off at the end.
He ate the vegetables anyway, not catching the pleased expression on Yoo Joonghyuk’s face.
#
Kim Dokja liked his shower routine. He didn’t have money for expensive products, but he did hunt down the cheapest but best-smelling things he could find. They were musky, a little citrusy, and overall, made him smell great. Kim Dokja was big on scents overall, so this habit of seeking delectable smells extended to shampoo, fabric detergent, and air fresheners. It also meant he, regretfully, loved how Yoo Joonghyuk smelled.
Unable to pinpoint the exact source of the scent (he’d never seen the man dabbing on cologne), Kim Dokja assumed it was his body wash or shampoo. It was musky like Kim Dokja’s, a traditionally masculine scent, but it smelled a bit like sandalwood, vanilla, and a few other notes Kim Dokja couldn’t identify.
He caught the smell on Yoo Joonghyuk when he passed by him. They lived in close quarters, so Kim Dokja also smelled it in general upon entering their room. Their chosen scent profiles matched well, and he enjoyed the blend, the smell for some reason making him a bit dizzy if he thought about it too long.
One day, Kim Dokja went as far as sniffing Yoo Joonghyuk’s singular, flat pillow. The man slept like he was in military barracks, Kim Dokja thought to himself. The scent seemed stronger on the sheets, however, so he realized it was likely his body wash. Snooping through Yoo Joonghyuk’s toiletries, Kim Dokja cracked open the expensive bottle of body wash and sniffed.
Yep. This is the culprit.
Then, something else caught his eye. Hidden behind his toiletries was a bottle of lube. Kim Dokja’s eyes widened.
He got up and closed the closet.
#
When Kim Dokja went to shower later that week, he realized he’d never gone out to buy more of his body wash and shampoo, which were both running low. He frowned as he poked through his caddy. He’d already done the thing where you fill them part of the way with water to stretch the product out, so if he did it again, it’d do nothing. Kim Dokja glanced at Yoo Joonghyuk’s stuff.
Popping the caps off his bottles, he squirted a little of Yoo Joonghyuk’s shampoo and body wash into his. Kim Dokja just took a tiny bit, which he would then stretch with water until he could go shopping on Friday evening or Saturday morning. Then, he quickly put Yoo Joonghyuk’s toiletries back, like nothing had ever happened.
Hopefully, because they shared a room, the younger man wouldn’t be able to tell. Kim Dokja felt sneaky doing this, and for some reason, it made his cheeks flush red as he washed himself in Yoo Joonghyuk’s scent. It felt weirdly intimate, but Kim Dokja reminded himself he didn’t like the guy very much. Who cared if the man had good taste? It didn’t make up for being a dick. Kim Dokja was probably just embarrassed about having to steal from his roommate.
He did this for three days. Friday rolled around and Kim Dokja decided to study instead, promising himself he’d go out in the morning to shop. Currently, he was bent over his desk eagerly taking notes as he watched a recorded lecture. It was his studying portion as dictated by the Pomodoro timer that had him alternating between reading webcomics and hitting the books.
Yoo Joonghyuk entered the room. Kim Dokja’s back was to him, and he paid him no mind as he listened to the lecture through his earbuds. Curled up in his chair, Kim Dokja was a ball of limbs. His foot slipped off the chair when he felt Yoo Joonghyuk touch his shoulder, startled.
Kim Dokja pulled out his earbuds and paused the lecture before reaching up, ripping Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand off him, and twisting around in his chair to glare at the younger man.
“Paws off,” Kim Dokja said. “What do you want?”
“You’ve been using my shit. Stop.”
Kim Dokja paled. So he noticed? Why didn’t he say something earlier?
Deny, deny, deny!
“Are you sure you’re not slathering yourself in it and now everything smells like you?” Kim Dokja smirked. “You’re like a teenage boy who pours on cologne.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyebrow twitched, face still stamped with that perpetual frown.
“You’re bad at lying,” Yoo Joonghyuk said. He leaned down and sniffed the crown of Kim Dokja’s head, and when the older man tried to push him away, Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed his hair and held him in place. Kim Dokja took a sharp breath as the brute’s face then sniffed the junction of his neck and shoulder, breathing in. Yoo Joonghyuk let out a hum of affirmation. “You used the shampoo and the body wash. Do you not have your own?”
Kim Dokja’s ears turned red. He batted away the hand in his hair and held back a wince when it resulted in his hair being yanked. Yoo Joonghyuk let go, luckily, and stood up straight to give Kim Dokja room. Still, it was embarrassing having to look up at him after being caught.
“I ran out,” Kim Dokja said, overcoming his shame. “I was going to buy some tomorrow morning, and borrowed some of yours because I’d already stretched mine too far with water.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s frown deepened slightly. “You should have asked.”
“Would you have said yes?” Kim Dokja asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Probably not.”
Kim Dokja gave him his best smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Asking for forgiveness rather than permission is so much easier.”
“Don’t forget to buy it tomorrow,” Yoo Joonghyuk said, ignoring Kim Dokja’s words. He turned away from the older man. Kim Dokja watched as the guy opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out the type of earbuds that wrapped around the ears. He realized Yoo Joonghyuk was about to go exercise at the gym or go on a jog.
“I won’t,” Kim Dokja responded, ears still red. He felt so warm. “Stop nagging.”
“If I want to keep your grimy hands away from my stuff, clearly, you need to be told what to do.”
Kim Dokja threw a pen at Yoo Joonghyuk who dodged it easily. He threw two more pens, the third one finally nailing the man in the pec. It bounced off pathetically.
He argued, “My hands aren’t grimy!”
Yoo Joonghyuk raised an eyebrow, opened a desk drawer, and pulled out a bottle of air freshener. He proceeded to walk over and mist Kim Dokja with it. The older man closed his eyes, coughed, and fanned the spray away. He could taste it on his fucking tongue!
Batting the bottle of air freshener out of Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand, the can went flying across the room, hitting the wall. The top broke off and the can started spraying its contents everywhere, spinning in circles on the floor like a fucking smoke grenade.
“Shit!” Kim Dokja shouted. Panicking, he flapped his arms around briefly before realizing he needed to contain the spray. Grabbing Yoo Joonghyuk’s blanket off his bed, he tossed it over the errant can, suppressing the spewing of air freshener. Kim Dokja could feel the menacing aura of Yoo Joonghyuk’s anger emanating from behind him.
Kim Dokja doubled down. “If you hadn’t sprayed me, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyebrow twitched. His lip curled into a scowl.
“Wash and dry the blanket or I’m stealing yours,” Yoo Joonghyuk said, and then promptly put his earbuds in as he exited the room. Kim Dokja, guiltily, realized it was best if he obeyed.
The dorm’s laundry unit was his best friend that night. He was studying in there with his laptop plugged into the hall outlet while he waited for the blanket to dry. When the dryer dinged, he went back to their dorm with the blanket and laptop heaped in his arms. He’d used his detergent, so now Yoo Joonghyuk’s blanket smelled like him.
Laying it out on Yoo Joonghyuk’s bed, Kim Dokja finally allowed himself to sleep. That damn bitch better be grateful that he felt guilty enough to do his laundry despite not being the one in the wrong…
APRIL - Spring Midterms
Leading up to the midterms, Kim Dokja spent most of his time at the library. He was studying his ass off so he could graduate and at least maintain his 3.2 GPA. He was proud of it, damn it! Kim Dokja refused to let it drop, but two of his classes were still in the 70-79% range. Just a little more studying, a little more content review, a little more of this, a little more of…
Kim Dokja fell asleep in the library. In a remote corner, no one woke him.
He jerked awake when his phone rang. Who was calling him? He had no idea. No one ever called Kim Dokja. Friendless, partnerless, and family-free, his contact list was dreadfully short beside his favorite take-out places. Picking up the phone, he answered without checking caller ID.
“Hello?” He asked, his voice rough from sleep.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice was on the other side. “Where the fuck are you?”
“Um,” Kim Dokja uttered, looking around himself to try to gain some insight. “The library.”
“I’ll be there in five.”
“What? No, I’m—” Kim Dokja spoke up a little too loudly. Someone shushed him from a few rows over. Frowning, Kim Dokja sat back in his chair, ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. “I’m fine…”
Luckily, the library was open 24/7, so he wouldn’t be locked in. Heading out at a run, Kim Dokja was shocked to see Yoo Joonghyuk actually waiting for him. More accurately, he was scaling the steps looking down at his feet, oblivious to his roommate in front of the library doors. Kim Dokja paused his run, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs.
“You didn’t have to come get me,” Kim Dokja said, jogging down to meet Yoo Joonghyuk. Standing two steps above the man, Kim Dokja was looking down upon him for once instead of the other way around. He flicked Yoo Joonghyuk’s forehead. “The call was enough.”
“A thank you would suffice,” Yoo Joonghyuk responded. It set Kim Dokja on edge.
The older man raised an eyebrow. “Why are you being so nice?”
Yoo Joonghyuk cuffed his ear, but it wasn’t as hard as his hits usually were. He and Kim Dokja didn’t hold back around each other, scrapping regularly (Yoo Joonghyuk winning 2/3rds of the time). He looked Kim Dokja in the eye as he said, “It would be a shame if my roommate was dead in a ditch. I don’t want to bother training a new one.”
Kim Dokja blinked before he let out a laugh of disbelief. “Train? You think you trained me? I trained you! Look at you, you’re…” He waved his hand up and down Yoo Joonghyuk’s body, “... You’re practically a housepet at this point.”
“Quit the theatrics,” Yoo Joonghyuk said, grabbing Kim Dokja by the forearm. He pulled him down the stairs toward the dorm building. “You need to sleep.”
“Always nagging…” Kim Dokja sighed. “Careful, I’ll think you care.”
Yoo Joonghyuk sent him a scathing look. Kim Dokja would’ve shriveled up if he wasn’t used to the guy by now, not to mention hardened by his university experience. His roommates in the first three years were far worse compared to the man dragging him at the moment. Speaking of…
“You can let go, now.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s grip tightened.
“Hey! Asshole!”
Yoo Joonghyuk sent him another look. The man was very done with Kim Dokja at the moment, it seemed.
Kim Dokja tried to pull his arm away and failed. Yoo Joonghyuk gripped tighter and tighter until it genuinely hurt. Kim Dokja cried out in pain, fearing a bruise would form, and Yoo Joonghyuk finally let go. The younger man tucked his hands in his pockets.
“Bitch…”
Yoo Joonghyuk kept walking. “I’ll lock you out if you don’t catch up,” he said, dangling Kim Dokja’s keys on his finger. Kim Dokja patted down his pockets. When had he taken them?!
He took off after Yoo Joonghyuk, catching up quickly. He bumped his hip into the younger man’s.
“You know, you’re not so bad,” Kim Dokja smiled, “even if you’re an asshole by nature.”
Ignoring him, Yoo Joonghyuk pressed the button for their floor on the elevator panel. They waited in silence. By the time they got back to their room, exhaustion was hitting him again. Kim Dokja took off his shoes, put his bag down by his desk, stripped off his jacket, and briefly contemplated getting into pajamas before he vetoed that due to the energy cost. Instead, he took off his shirt and stripped down to his boxers. Of course, because the world hated him, the AC decided to kick on.
He crossed his arms over his chest, running away from the cold air. His nipples pebbled and he rubbed his hands up his arms, trying to generate warmth. Across the room, Yoo Joonghyuk stared blankly. His eyes almost looked glassed over.
“Tired?” Kim Dokja asked as he got in bed. He put his phone on the charger and checked the time. “It’s almost 3 AM. You should go to sleep, or are you going to play games?”
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't answer. He simply turned around, grabbed his towel, and left to go take a shower. Then, after a second, he popped back in to grab his shower shoes. Kim Dokja watched as he left, perplexed.
“He left his shower caddy…” Kim Dokja muttered to himself. “Oh well.”
#
Getting off when you have a roommate who spends so much of his time in your dorm was extremely difficult. Kim Dokja, innocuously, asked Yoo Joonghyuk for his midterm schedule so he could know what to expect for quiet hours. His real reason for asking, however, was because Kim Dokja really, truly needed a good wank. The morning wood was becoming a bit killer if you know what he meant.
“Why do you need my schedule?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked.
Kim Dokja said easily, “So I know when to not bother you.”
“You never bother me.”
Kim Dokja smirked. “I know, but now I especially don’t feel like getting on your bad side this week, so if something comes up, I won’t text until after your last exam.”
“Why can’t I just tell you my last exam time, then?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked.
He frowned, becoming slightly irritated. “What if an emergency comes up?”
“Then you should text regardless.”
Kim Dokja wanted to rip out his hair. “Just send me your damn schedule, and I’ll send mine.”
For some reason, Kim Dokja’s offer to send his schedule to Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to be the closer. Yoo Joonghyuk promptly sent the information over and raised an eyebrow at Kim Dokja, prompting him to do the same. Checking when Yoo Joonghyuk would be tied up for exams, he sighed in happiness.
“Perfect. Thank you.”
“Whatever,” Yoo Joonghyuk responded. Kim Dokja rolled his eyes.
Now he could reacquaint himself with his right hand.
#
Kim Dokja, much to his relief and pleasure, was able to get off plenty of times that week. It helped that Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t stream for that week, either, instead taking the time to study, so Kim Dokja had good sleep as well without the faint glowy flashes from his screen. Yoo Joonghyuk had ended up buying the screen protector (thank fuck), but still, it took Kim Dokja less time to pass out with the ideal combo of coming all over his fist and pure darkness.
It also had the added advantage of helping him study, believe it or not! Being so relaxed made him efficient, his time spent getting good sleep led to even better test performance. He was proud of his essays, didn’t question himself on exams, and was confident in his answers. Kim Dokja, all around, felt like a new man.
He just didn’t think it’d raise suspicion.
While they both sat at their desks that Saturday, Yoo Joonghyuk asked Kim Dokja a question: “Are you dating someone or something?”
Kim Dokja blinked. “What? No?”
“You’re so happy all the time, now…” Yoo Joonghyuk said, announcing his observation in a tone that betrayed pure confusion and a touch of distaste.
Kim Dokja’s cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. “I’m just happy because I think I did well on exams.”
Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes, turning around in his chair. Kim Dokja turned around too, laying his chin on the back of his chair to look at the guy with wide eyes. He willed his blush to go away.
“I doubt that.”
“You doubt that I did well on exams?”
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t answer his question. “It’s something else.”
“Yeah?” Kim Dokja said in a dry tone, raising an eyebrow. Then, he watched as Yoo Joonghyuk’s ears turned red. Kim Dokja would’ve smirked, but the line of conversation led him to believe that Yoo Joonghyuk had figured him out. An awkward silence hung between them.
They both turned back to their desks. Kim Dokja tried to read his web novel, his cheeks aflame, but the words slid right off his brain.
MAY to EARLY JUNE - The Remaining Spring Semester
Yoo Joonghyuk was not a soft man. Kim Dokja knew that. He treated everyone the same: women, men, and in between, uncaring of what made someone who they were as long as they didn’t impede him. Kim Dokja, however, had to be the biggest thorn in his side. So why did Yoo Joonghyuk treat him better than everyone else?
Kim Dokja chalked it up to them living together. Perhaps Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t want Kim Dokja to become a menace, as he’d proved himself to be when wronged, so the younger man did his best to keep the peace. It was odd because Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t bother keeping the peace elsewhere. He was notorious for it. People feared him around campus.
It was funny. Being the sole exception made Kim Dokja feel special, but at the same time, he kept reminding himself it was because he was Yoo Joonghyuk’s roommate. The minute they didn’t live together anymore, Kim Dokja knew he’d be treated the same as everyone else.
He wished he knew why that thought made his heart rate spike, or why it made him feel sick to his stomach. At the same time, Kim Dokja didn’t want to know at all. Some things should be left in the dark, and his stupid feelings were one of them.
The odd feelings came back in a rush, however, when Yoo Joonghyuk approached him with a steaming bowl of stir-fried noodles, chicken, and vegetables. Kim Dokja blinked at the bowl, not taking it as he processed what Yoo Joonghyuk was doing. When Kim Dokja took too long, Yoo Joonghyuk set the bowl down on Kim Dokja’s desk and walked away.
It smelled pretty damn good—savory, spiced, and a little sweet. It didn’t look like takeout.
Kim Dokja blinked again. Huh?
“What’s this for?”
“I made too much stir fry,” Yoo Joonghyuk explained. “I’m heading out tomorrow morning to check on Mia. You’re my garbage disposal.”
Kim Dokja let out a loud laugh. “Garbage disposal?!”
“I don’t like wasting food.”
“Hm,” Kim Dokja said, “I respect that. This looks too good to call garbage, though.”
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t respond. Kim Dokja listened to him eat for a second before he grabbed his utensils and tried a bite, swirling the noodles. When it hit his tongue, he let out a noise of surprise.
“This is so good,” he said around the noodles.
“Don’t speak with your mouth full.”
Kim Dokja finished chewing, ignoring Yoo Joonghyuk’s words but obeying them anyway. “Thank you.”
Yoo Joonghyuk was quiet for a second too long. His voice was quiet when he responded with, “You’re welcome. We both know you need to eat better, anyway.”
Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. “Okay, Dad.”
Yoo Joonghyuk choked.
“You okay?” Kim Dokja asked as he listened to Yoo Joonghyuk cough. He turned around in his chair and watched him, eating from his bowl the whole time. It didn’t occur to him that it was a full bowl as if Yoo Joonghyuk had accidentally made two full servings—no more, no less.
The younger man held his thumb upwards. Kim Dokja chuckled. He said, “Chew before you swallow,” smugly.
“Be quiet,” Yoo Joonghyuk managed to croak out.
“Mhm,” Kim Dokja hummed.
They lapsed into silence. Finishing their respective portions, Yoo Joonghyuk gave his empty bowl to Kim Dokja.
“You’re doing the dishes.”
Kim Dokja didn’t mind. “Sure. Thanks for the food, again.”
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded and turned away, putting on his jacket. Kim Dokja perked up.
“Where ya going?”
Yoo Joonghyuk answered gruffly. “Out.”
Kim Dokja, for some bewildering mystery reason, felt a bit sad. He was hoping to pester the younger man some more.
“See you later,” Kim Dokja said. He took the bowls to the dorm kitchen, watching as Yoo Joonghyuk walked the opposite way to the elevator. He pursed his lips.
“Oh, well…” Kim Dokja sighed. “I’ll see him when he comes back to stream, anyway.”
#
Throughout the semester, Kim Dokja made sure not to get in the frame of Yoo Joonghyuk’s streaming. Whenever he came home while the guy was streaming, Kim Dokja army crawled to make sure he was out of sight. He didn’t want to be on camera, first of all, and second of all, Yoo Joonghyuk had yelled at him towards the beginning of the semester to not, “Show his sorry ass on camera.”
Kim Dokja could agree with that. However, one night right before finals week began, Kim Dokja was dead tired. He slept in early the night prior to his first day of exams, therefore being in bed before the beginning of Yoo Joonghyuk’s stream. The man was confident enough in his grades to not bother skipping streams. It made Kim Dokja jealous.
But Kim Dokja desperately needed to pee, and in his rush, forgot that Yoo Joonghyuk was streaming. He got up and shuffled towards the door, pausing when he saw Yoo Joonghyuk on his computer. Ironically, Kim Dokja did not compute what was happening. Shirtless from sleeping in the summer heat, he approached Yoo Joonghyuk to flick the back of his head, possessed by a wild impulse.
“Joonghyuk-ah,” Kim Dokja whined, voice scratchy from sleep. “You need to rest. Finals start tomorrow.”
Yoo Joonghyuk went eerily still. Kim Dokja frowned. “Hey, did you hear m—”
Joonghyuk clicked a few buttons rapidly. His computer went dark. He spun around in his desk chair and glared up at Kim Dokja. The older man could barely make out the expression in the dark, but it was familiar enough to know by now.
Kim Dokja suddenly felt very awake when Yoo Joonghyuk said darkly, “I’m going to kill you.”
His feet moved before he could process what he was doing. Kim Dokja ran into the hallway, letting out a reverberating yell down the corridor as he booked it away from Yoo Joonghyuk. The younger man was pursuing him at a frightening pace, his indoor slide shoes smacking into the tile in a way that would’ve been comedic if it wasn’t terrifying. Kim Dokja knew he couldn’t outrun him, but he could try! If he got to the bathroom, he could lock himself in a stall and beg for forgiveness.
“I’m sorry!” Kim Dokja shouted, slapping a hand over his mouth when he realized it was quiet hours. It was too late—he’d definitely woken people up. Probably multiple.
Shoulder grabbed by a large hand, Kim Dokja was spun around and shoved into a cinderblock wall. All the air was knocked out of his lungs. He gasped, breathing in deeply when his body recovered. Eyes wide, he looked up at Yoo Joonghyuk’s menacing expression. The man’s pupils were dilated like Kim Dokja was nothing but prey.
“100,000 people just saw you shirtless.”
A devastating blow! Kim Dokja cringed violently.
“Ah!” His expression spoke volumes of regret. “This is so embarrassing…”
The wall was cold against Kim Dokja’s back. So close to Yoo Joonghyuk’s warm body, Kim Dokja wanted to lean into him to escape the cold. Unconsciously, he did so. He only registered what he was doing when their chests connected, and then Yoo Joonghyuk did something unexpected: he leaned in closer. His body pasted Kim Dokja against the wall and the older man let out a displeased grunt.
“Cold, cold, cold…” Kim Dokja hissed.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t move. He looked down at Kim Dokja, still as a statue. He couldn’t tell what the younger man was thinking. Maybe, he was thinking of ways to chop Kim Dokja up to be a part of his next meal.
A wolf whistle pierced the air. Kim Dokja’s eyes widened. Both he and Yoo Joonghyuk turned towards the source of the whistling. Much to their horror, multiple students were peering down the hallway to catch a glimpse of the action.
“Get it!” Someone yelled. People laughed. Kim Dokja wished Yoo Joonghyuk had killed him.
The RA stepped further out into the hallway, looking at the two of them with raised eyebrows.
“I didn’t know you had a relationship like that,” the RA said. “Please keep this confined to the four walls of your room. Some of us are trying to sleep.”
“It’s not—”
“We’re not—”
Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja looked at each other before Yoo Joonghyuk shoved himself back and walked back to their room as if nothing had happened. Ashamed, Kim Dokja fled to the bathroom, quickly pissing before he scampered back to his dorm. Getting back in bed, the older man thanked the stars above that Yoo Joonghyuk chose to go to sleep before Kim Dokja had returned. He was probably still awake, but…
Kim Dokja shoved his face into his pillow. He groaned.
“I can’t believe he thought we were, um, that we, uh…” Kim Dokja stuttered.
“Trying to fuck in the hallway?”
Kim Dokja let out a long, frustrated string of noises. “They were just teasing. Right? They don’t actually think that of us…”
Yoo Joonghyuk was quiet. Kim Dokja worried his bottom lip before groaning again and beating his pillow.
“Were 100,000 people really tuned into your stream?”
“... Yes.”
Kim Dokja moaned in despair into his hands. “Oh, fuck me.”
Yoo Joonghyuk sighed. “Yeah. Fuck you.”
“I said I was sorry!” Kim Dokja said a little too loudly. “I just gave a free show. Please don’t keep the recording of that stream up.”
“I can already guarantee this moment will end up in YouTube compilations.”
“I’m going to jump off the campus clock tower.”
Yoo Joonghyuk stood up. He walked over to Kim Dokja’s bed. He smacked him with a pillow with the force of 1,000 pro-wrestlers.
“Shut the hell up.”
Kim Dokja frowned. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
“I can and I will,” Yoo Joonghyuk said. “Don’t… worry about it.”
The younger man sounded pained as he added: “They thought you were hot.”
Kim Dokja’s eyebrows shot upwards. “They did? I’ve never been described that way in my life.”
Silence. Kim Dokja, for some inane reason, desperately wanted to know what Yoo Joonghyuk’s opinion was.
“How would you describe me?” He asked.
Yoo Joonghyuk grunted and answered quickly. “You’re a stickbug.”
Kim Dokja huffed. “I don’t know what I expected. Not all of us can be perfect.”
“Hm,” Yoo Joonghyuk hummed. “I don’t like being put on a pedestal.”
“Okay, and?” Kim Dokja said. “Doesn’t change the fact that you’re pretty close to immaculate.”
“Please, stop.”
“What, are you allergic to compliments?” Kim Dokja asked.
Yoo Joonghyuk huffed. “Yes.”
“Deal with it…” Kim Dokja said. He sighed. “I can’t believe they thought I was hot. Are you sure you didn’t misread?”
Yoo Joonghyuk went back to his bed. Kim Dokja listened as he got into it, the sheets rustling as the man lay down.
“I’m sure.”
They lapsed into silence. Kim Dokja, curious, waited until Yoo Joonghyuk was fast asleep. His heart pounded as he opened the recorded stream. Scrubbing to the end, he saw himself in all his glory: bedhead, shirtless, sweatpants low on his hips. He rewound, watching as he entered the frame, flicked the back of Yoo Joonghyuk’s head, and called out “Joonghyuk-ah,” in a teasingly affectionate manner.
He watched until the recording ended, rewound, and repeated.
“Fuck,” Kim Dokja cringed. His face was bright red and hot in the darkness of their room. He looked so… ugh. Meanwhile, Yoo Joonghyuk’s face was blank like he couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. The tips of his ears were red, likely in fury. His eyebrows pinched, and then the clip ended. Kim Dokja rewound again, checking the timestamped comments.
“Who is that???”
“What’s up with the shirtless guy…”
“Is that Yoo Joonghyuk’s roommate?”
“Nah, boyfriend! Pretty sure. True and factual.”
“Stfu no way, ur a liar”
“Omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg!”
“Why is he hot tho.”
“Look at that bedhead. Man looks RUMPLED.”
“HAHAH Yoo Joonghyuk looks so shocked”
“Is he blushing??????????? Wtf”
“Seggsy man at 10 O’clock”
“HOLY SHIT!”
“Why the wild twink?”
“Guys stop harassing him!”
“if he’s really his boyfriend, you people need to stfu and let them have privacy, freaks”
Kim Dokja turned off his phone. Eyes wide in the darkness, he tried to get sleep. He had finals tomorrow, he needed to focus, he couldn’t think about how people thought he was Yoo Joonghyuk’s boyfriend.
Boyfriend—The word echoed in his head. Kim Dokja swallowed and rolled around in bed, unable to fall asleep until he was so exhausted his body made him black out. The next thing Kim Dokja knew, he was being startled awake by his phone alarm.
Opening his phone, he realized he’d forgotten to charge it and left the video up, so at 6 AM, he was greeted with the image of his exposed nipples behind Yoo Joonghyuk’s beautiful face.
“Kill me,” he grumbled as he came to terms with what happened. “Today is going to suck.”
LATE JUNE to JULY - Summer Sessions
Predictably, the final exams for the spring semester sucked ass. Kim Dokja recovered somewhat by the middle of the week, but Monday and Tuesday were brutal. He was wrung out like a wet dishrag by his academic endeavors and left to dry in the sweltering sun. It didn’t help that Yoo Joonghyuk seemed colder than usual, following the incident. Kim Dokja didn’t have time to dwell on that, though, because he needed to graduate.
When the semester ended, summer break came along. Kim Dokja stayed for the summer sessions, but Yoo Joonghyuk returned home to stay with Yoo Mia. He seemed excited—as much as the man could look excited—and Kim Dokja was happy for him, really.
He just wished he wasn’t left with a hole in his chest upon seeing him leave. They were going to live together the next semester as assigned, yes, but seeing Yoo Joonghyuk pack up a majority of his belongings was surprisingly painful. Kim Dokja didn’t realize how used to not being alone he’d gotten.
It sucked. He wished he’d never gotten used to having company because, without it, he felt empty.
Kim Dokja didn’t lift a finger to help Yoo Joonghyuk pack. He was too sad.
“What?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked after an hour of stifled silence.
“What do you mean, ‘what?’” Kim Dokja asked, impassive.
“Why are you moping,” Yoo Joonghyuk said in a way that was so flat, it didn’t even sound like a question.
Kim Dokja spun around on his desk chair. “I’m not moping.”
Yoo Joonghyuk gave him a look. “I’ll be back in two and a half months.”
Having the duration laid out like that gave Kim Dokja pause. Two and a half months without Yoo Joonghyuk would’ve been a blessing to him at the beginning of the semester, but he knew he’d miss him. It pained him to admit that to himself.
“What, you think I’ll miss you?” Kim Dokja asked.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s lip curled into a minuscule smile. It made Kim Dokja sick to his stomach. Never in their time together has Yoo Joonghyuk smiled for any reason other than his little sister.
“We’ll see.”