Where should I start this thing? Hmmm...
It was the moving in day, you know, when freshmen moves in to their dorm rooms before actual classes start. My Mom dropped me off in front of the dorm and helped me unload my bags. My concentration was stolen by a sudden bark of a dog behind me, I turn and saw a girl holding a little black dog, (I'm not good at identifying the breeds). She was wearing sunglasses and very fashionable clothes. Her 5 bodyguards unload tons of branded luggages while she waits, keeping herself busy while stroking her dog's head. She seems familiar... then it hit me.
Her name is Jennie Kim, one of the daughters of the 4 founding families. I heard she just came back from New Zealand. She's radiating a Queen Bee attitude with her poker face. You know the feeling when you sense that someone is staring at you? I think she felt that because she turns to look at me, I thought it was the end of me. But instead, she did something I never anticipated, she smiled at me. Before I could react or realize what happened, she's off to follow her guards inside the dorm.
I shookt my head out of my daze and continued my task. Not much bags, just 2 luggages and a backpack.
"This is it, Ellie." My Mom smiled warmly at me and hugged me tight. "You be good and study well."
"Thanks Mom, I will." I said.
"Okay, I won't keep you for long. Bye now. I love you, sweetie." She places a gentle kiss on my forehead.
"I love you too. Bye."
**********
By the time I got to the lobby, I was already exhausted. Who knew 3 bags are already handful. So I took a quick visit to the cafeteria for snacks. I just picked some brownies and water then head towards the cashier. On my way there, I was distracted by a girl with dark blonde hair in front of the menu list. Her brows furrowed, chin resting on her gentle knuckles and expression full of concentration. As I passed by, I heard her whisper, "Ramen or Bibimbab?"
Oh what a crisis! I can't leave this poor girl on her own with that heavy decision weighing her down. So I took a few steps backward and said, "Bibimbab."
Her face lit up instabtly and her fingers snapped. "Excellent!" She faced me and smiled. "Thank you..." She raised her eyebrows at me.
"Ellie." I said.
"Thank you Ellie! I'm Park Chaeyoung. You can call me Chae or Rosie or Rosie." She extended her hands at me and I shook it.
**********
Room 365, I opened the door and immediately someone jumped at me and hugged me.
"ELLIE!" The unmistakable voice of Jisoo bombards my eardrums. She pulled away and helps me with my luggage.
The room was already half full with Jisoo stuff. Her bed was littered with Pickachus and beside that is my bare bed. There's a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. It's like a house already. In the living room, I saw the TV and PS4, the game paused.
"I see that you're already having fun with my games." I said.
"That's our deal! I bring your other stuff in exchange of using it while you weren't here." She said playfully.
"You know I still would let you play even if you didn't bring my stuff."
"I know." She smiles at me and my eyes strained from the brightest smile I've ever seen. I almost shielded my face from it.
**********
After 2 hours, I already unpacked my things, Jisoo and I engulfed in playing a video game when someone knocked on the door. Dalgom stood up from Jisoo's lap and faced the door.
"Who?" Jisoo asked.
I shrugged and said, "Trick or treat?"
A knock came in again and Jisoo was the one to open it wirh me close behind her. The door made creaking sound like the one in horror movies. Then a face with the widest smile smile popped out.
"Welcome neighbors! My name is Lisa Manoban, please accept this gift!" Her smile still plastered on her face, light blonde hair with full bangs covering her forehead, and hands outstretched offering a plastic bag with macaroons.
Lisa looked at Jisoo, her smile replaced with awe. Her mouth open for insect would reclaim it as their home. I'm fairly sure that she didn't even realize that I was standing behind Jisoo.
While Lisa was awestrucked by Jisoo, the latter drools over the macaroons. Jisoo quickly snatched it from the blonde's hands, "Thank you." then she closed the door on her face.
"Jisoo!" I told her.
"What?" This brunette staring at me, already munching on a macaroon, like she wasn't rude just then. I sternly look at her until she rolls her eyes at me. "Ugh, fine."
She opened the door, and the blonde girl is still smiling like she hadn't move a muscle since the door-slamming incident.
"I'm Jisoo, that's Ellie." She points to me. "Nice meeting you, Lisa. Bye." The brunette smiles and slams the door again.
I did everything in my power not to facepalm.
**********
"What do you want for dinner?" I asked Jisoo who was playing Pokémon on her phone.
"Chicken!" She shouted from her bed.
I let the cold air from the fridge escape as I look at its contents. What kind of dish? Fried Chicken? Chicken fillet? Chicken with random veggies mixed in? Then I heard a knock at the door, saving me from my misery and torture.
I opened the door, it's Lisa again, with some company. I hope it's not her back up.
"Hey Lisa." I said.
"Hi Ellie! This is Jennie and Chaeyoung." She points to the two girls behind her, maybe not her back up.
Having already met Chae, we smile warmly at each other. Then I turn to Jennie, contemplating if she'd acknowledge me, that poker face is intimidating my anxiety. But as soon as she looked at me, she smiled the same as she did earlier that day.
"What's up?" I asked.
"You guys want to join us for dinner? We're having it on the rooftop." She smiled hopeful at me.
Although she was talking to me, I noticed that her eyes searches the room behind me, for someone... maybe? I smirked internally at my silent conclusion.
"Uhm..." I let it hang as I look at Jisoo if she wants to. The Pokémon gamer looks at me, clearly she was listening. She didn't shake her head 'no' but the look in her eyes said that she'd rather not. "We'd love to." And with that answer, Lisa's mood lightens up more as I feel Jisoo's eyes shoots bullets at me. This will be fun. "Let me just cook some food---"
I was cut off by Jennie. "No need. We ordered Pizza." She said sweetly, I didn't know she had it in her to be a sweetheart.
"And Fried Chicken!" Chae smiled as if imagining the food the same way she imagines the love of her life.
But with those three words, Jisoo is out of the door faster than I could say 'bribed'
"Let's go, Ellie. You're so slow." Jisoo said.
**********
The night sky was littered with stars, but non of them outshined the full moon that night. The wind was chilly, thing I brought my hoodie with me. Jisoo however, was so excited about the chicken that she forgot to bring a jacket and now she was visibly shaking.
"Ellie, let's go get my jacket." Jisoo said in between hypothermia.
I looked at her with my mouth full of greasy pizza, I was about to speak when Lisa raised her hand, "I'll come with you!" She smiles from ear to ear. And I can't help but notice the way Chae and Jennie looked at each other and pretended to be busy eating when Lisa volunteered.
"Let Lisa come with you." I said, voice muffled by the food in my mouth. She shoots death glares, and I replied with a knowing smirk. It's not that Jisoo hates Lisa... I think, but ut's just that Jisoo is awkward with new company. Especially with Lisa's clingy nature.
But seeing as she has no other choice, Jisoo let Lisa accompany her to our room. They walked towards the stairwell with a little awkwardness, like the typical I-just-met-you vibes.
When they were gone, I asked the two accomplices, "So... Lisa likes Jisoo?"
Chaeng coughed, maybe she choked on a chicken or something. I offered a water bottle which she drank immediately.
"Ugh. I told you it's so obvious." Jennie said as she pats Chaeng's back.
The latter takes her time to recovwr before si said, "Well, Lisa didn't really say but she was all heart eyes when she came back in our room and only talks about the girl who, I quote, 'Took the macaroons along with my heart'. It is more than obvious."
"Is that why you invited us?" I asked.
"Straight to the point, I like that." Jennie said. "But no. Chaeyoung here is a big fan of welcoming parties. And since we're the only ones who occupy the 3rd floor, she insisted we spend the first night together, as floormates."
"Me? A big fan of welcoming parties? You're the one who insisted we bake macaroons as---" Chaeng was cut off when a pizza was, I'm not exaggerating, shoved to her mouth by none other than Jennie.
Jennie faked a laugh, "You're so funny, Chae."
I smiled and kept myself from laughing. "Wait, there are only 2 rooms in 3rd floor? And 3 of you in one room?" I asked. Sure the swimming pool occupies half of the 3rd floor but only two rooms?
"Three rooms." Chae said barely audible beacause of the pizza in her mouth.
"Three dorm rooms. I'm solo, I don't do roommates." Jennie said. The paused for a while and decided to add another statement. "It's not that I have something against roommates, it's just that I like to be alone in my own space."
"That's cool." I said, and we continued to eat with occasional conversations in between munches.
A few minutes later and the two of them emerged back and I almost choked on my soda trying to conceal a laugh. Jisoo is all bundled up in her oversized sweatshirt while the taller girl is clinging onto her arm. They're a perfect contrast; tall and short, smilley and grumpy, blonde and brunette... the list goes on.
The Yin and Yang sat on their seats. And happily ate some more food.
"What are you doing?" Jennie asked Chae. I looked at the latter and she was picking something off of her pizza.
"I don't like olives."
"I love olives!"
"You want some?" Chae offered her olives to Jennie, the brunette opens her mouth and the blonde feeds her the evil olives.
Lisa looks at the sweet pair while Jisoo remains unbothered in her chicken world. Then the Thai girl looks at Jisoo.
"Jisso Unnie." Lisa called her attetion but only managed to get a 'Mmm' in response. "If there's a food you don't eat, you can feed me it." She smiled brightly.
"I eat everything." Jisoo said without even looking up from her favorite food.
"So cool." Lisa contemplates for a while. "Here, have my pepperoni." She plucks one round red meat and extends it to her Unnie.
"Yah, you already touched it. Why would I eat it?"
"But Chae and Jennie is doing it." Lisa pouts like a little kid.
"Then feed it to them." Jisoo can be so dense.
"I want you to eat it."
"Why me?"
Their bickering lasts for a few minutes more.
Yup, that is where it all started. A peaceful night. The calm before the storm, or should I say, storms.