Too Close ✷ Sim Jaeyun

02. I Hate It Here

Arielle didn't even bother asking who that was. "So basically what you're saying is that Heeseung ruined my only hope at salvation."

Haewon nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Can I punch him?"

"By all means. I was already planning to, anyway."

Heeseung backed away, suddenly afraid for his stomach. "Jeez, I already said I'm sorry! I'll find a way to make it up to you two, I swear."

The two girls looked at each other and smirked. "Okay, then you're paying for every shopping spree we go on for the rest of the year."

He groaned, but didn't argue.

Arielle turned back to Haewon. "I guess I just have to go back in there and deal with him, don't I?"

"I think so, yeah." Haewon put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I wish you luck."

Arielle sucked in a breath. "That doesn't sound good. What do I need to know about this guy?"

"Where do I even begin?" Haewon began listing things off her fingers. "Well, for starters, he got into Decelis with an academic scholarship, so if that tells you anything... Jake's a nice guy, but um, he's not great at housekeeping, to put it lightly? Oh, and he likes late-night gaming with Heeseung. By that I mean League of Legends co-op at 2 AM."

"...Yeah, I'm gonna die." Arielle deadpanned. "If you don't hear from me tomorrow morning, I've probably left the country."

She waved goodbye to the Lee siblings — and shot one last glare at Heeseung — before reopening the door, trying to convince herself that maybe Jake wouldn't be that bad of a roommate.

But then she saw him, still standing in the same spot with his stupid smile and stupid glasses, and knew she was fucked.

✷

"So... you're my new roommate."

Unfortunately, Arielle fought every urge to say as she brought her things into the dorm. Actually, there were a bunch of other things she wanted to say, but she'd probably get in trouble for saying so, and she didn't quite feel like having a roommate who hated her (ironic, considering how she was pretty sure she already hated him). So instead, she just nodded and tried her best not to look at his face.

"I'm Jake, by the way," he continued, as if he couldn't tell that she clearly wasn't in the mood to socialize right now.

"Mhm. Yeah. I know."

"What was your name again? Ariel?"

She couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Arielle. The 'elle' is spelled e-l-l-e."

"Oh, like the magazine. Got it."

Jesus. She hadn't even had a proper conversation with the guy, and she already felt like jumping out a window.

Well then... maybe if she just ignored him, he'd take the hint and leave her to get her life together.

Arielle nudged the door of the empty bedroom wider with her foot, dragging her suitcases in behind her. She arranged them at the entryway carefully like a barricade, a crystal-clear sign that silently screamed 'please don't come in here.'

Jake just kept following her.

"I saw you came with Heeseung and Haewon. How do you know them?" he asked, stepping over one of the cardboard boxes that she'd purposely left in front of the door.

For fuck's sake, can he please just leave me alone!

Out loud, she replied flatly: "Haewon's my best friend. We met because our parents knew each other when they were younger. I wasn't supposed to see her again recently, but shit happened and I got sent here."