the roommate ；xu minghao

twenty

She continued to repeat that name while only looking at him, their eye-contact was the only thing that isolated them two in this whole situation. Those unspoken words were screaming more than her voice, more than the loud grunts of the maids as they tried to get the baby.

Those unsaid words were enough to make Seojun's heart ache. "I'm the father". Was all that was playing in his head, like a broken record.

He didn't notice the maids just storming off coldly, leaving the poor woman and the baby alone.

What was this pain he was suddenly feeling? Was it regret? Was it sadness? Maybe anxiety? What if this would have gotten out suddenly under their noses and the whole world would chase them two and the baby, people calling her an unfaithful and disrespectful woman in the streets, since the Xu Company is well known around? What about Minghao?

His vision seemed to blur for a moment, his legs shaking from happiness and pain. When he regained his normal sight, Meihui seemed of not wanting to let go the little Minghao, the baby whose name was so dear to Seojun.

"Mister?". Another female voice snapped him out of his trance. A blond nurse was standing in front of him holding out a paper. "I filled everything with all the datas of the baby, please take it immediately to Mr. Xu.".

Seojun slowly looked at her face before scanning briefly the document, her low-pitched voice that came through the mask covering her mouth seemed so distant to his ears.

"Oh...". He finally grabbed it. "Yes, I'll go immediately.". Seojun said weakly. He turned for one last time to the bed before exiting the room.

His feet seemed so heavy in the hallway which he walked through almost every day, carrying on on his duties as a butler. His shoes were like concrete blocks, almost blocking his every movement.

He wanted to rip the paper in his hand, rewrite it again with his surname, with his name beside Meihui's one. Why did it turn out this way? Didn't they have to write the real father's full name there on the form? Then why...?

The paintings hanging on the walls of the villa made him so anxious, like all the people and all the scenes pictured on them were preventing him from escaping his cruel destiny: always being in the shades, always staying silent.  Everything in that mansion was piercing his skin, the flowers arranged in bouquets made his stomach turn, the beautifully decorated carpets made his head spin as if he was falling into a bottomless void.

He managed to get to the third floor, were Master Xu's office was.

His hand crumbled the bottom part of the document while the other one was covering his eyes, wiping away the tears forming on their edges.

He hesitated before entering the office of his boss. Seojun simply stood there looking at the dark door with golden handles.

He tried his best to regain his classical body features, but his heart was beating so fast in his chest that he hoped the man on the other side of the door wouldn't notice it.

After 5 minutes, he knocked three times at which a "Come in". responded.

Were those doors always so stiff to open?

"Seojun, why are you here?". He asked as if he didn't even know a baby was born.

"Your...". Seojun didn't want to state it. "Your second son is born, Sir.". He managed to get out in the best way possibly.