Between Two

Chapter 1 : The New Roommate

The train pulled into Seoul's Hangang District as dusk fell like a velvet curtain over the city skyline. Warm golden light bled through the glass windows of the apartment building, illuminating the soft interior of Room 904, a shared dorm belonging to three idols in training—each of them as different as the colors of twilight.

Harua stood at the threshold of his new room, fingers nervously clutching the strap of his duffle bag. His heart raced. New dorm. New roommates. New everything. Japan felt so far behind now.

"I guess this is it," he whispered to himself, stepping inside.

The air smelled like citrus detergent and faint cologne—an oddly comforting combination. The room was spacious, with two beds on one side and a third on the other, separated by a narrow walkway. A low table with scattered hair products and a gaming console sat at the center, a telltale sign that someone lived here with both chaos and care.

From the left, a deep voice startled him. "You're Harua, right?"

Harua turned and nearly dropped his bag.

There stood Jo, tall and sculpted, shirt slightly damp from a recent workout. His obsidian-black hair clung to his temples, his jaw sharp and sculpted like something out of a magazine. His eyes, intense but kind, studied Harua with silent curiosity.

"Yeah," Harua blinked. "Uh—yes. I am."

Jo gave a small nod and stepped forward, offering a hand. "I'm Jo. Welcome to the madness."

Harua shook his hand, feeling the warm strength in Jo's grip. He tried not to show how much that brief contact sent sparks shooting up his arm.

Before Harua could say anything else, another voice chimed in—smoother, more playful, with a teasing edge.

"Well, well, Jo beat me to the welcome speech."

From the bathroom doorway leaned Maki, dressed in a loose hoodie that dipped off one shoulder, exposing soft skin and a delicate collarbone. His silver earrings glittered under the room's dim lights, and his smirk curled like a secret.

"I'm Maki," he said, sauntering over with slow, feline grace. "Roommate. Dance partner. Occasional heartbreaker."

"Maki," Jo rolled his eyes.

"Just being honest."

Harua laughed softly, the tension in his shoulders melting a little.

It didn't take long for him to unpack, though his mind stayed cluttered. Jo helped him move his bags and hung up his jacket for him with quiet care. Maki, meanwhile, perched on the window ledge, tossing random questions like darts.

"So... what kind of guy are you into?"

"Maki," Jo snapped.

"What? It's an innocent question."

Harua blushed so hard he thought he might combust. "I—I don't really think about that."

Maki raised a brow. "Liar."

Jo shot him a glare but said nothing.

That night, Harua lay in his new bed, heart drumming against his ribs as the room darkened. Jo was asleep already, soft snores rumbling across the room. Maki was still on his phone, screen lighting up his face in occasional flickers.

Harua turned to face the ceiling.

He didn't expect to move to Korea and get two gorgeous roommates. He didn't expect to feel anything so quickly.

But when Jo had helped him hang up his jacket with those strong hands, when Maki had leaned just a little too close while asking about his type—

He felt it.

The flutters.

And something more dangerous: curiosity.

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