ˣ 004

@○ ⁞ seokwoo k 。 what-
/it’s so terribly unexpected that the words seem to get stuck on their way out, and i know that it’s got to be as much of an emotional whiplash for you as it was for me, considering my emotions were also yours to experience
/but it’s mostly laced with surprise and confusion, a little reluctant when i circle your waist with my arm, returning your hug with my eyes still blown wide, snorting when you allegedly ruin what could have been such a sweet moment
yah, you’ve gotten ridiculously tall what the ?
ah that’s annoying
/mutters, although the corners of my lips lift up into a smile, patting your arm before stepping back, hugging the clothes to my chest while i look at you, up and down, and it’s a little weird seeing you this grown up, such a stark contrast from the little kid i so often reminisced about
/there’s gotta be something of you in my own DNA and it probably codes for all my best features, i only have to think about our childhood days to steal your smile and feel your warmth spreading through my weary heart
would you like to grab a coffee or something?
hold on, let me put some shoes on
/leaving the door open for you follow inside should you want to, i place the folded clothes on the foot of my bed, it’s pretty obvious which corner of the room belongs to me, upon a first glance almost painfully tidy and spotless, but there’s the traces of me all over the place
/most apparent my large collection of books, multiple stacks of them on my desk and beside the bed, dried flowers put in a vase, scented candles, potted plants, a mud clay incense burning bowl sat on my nightstand, it’s all to create the illusion of inner calm
mhm, i’ve been here for a few years already
when the nomads felt they couldn’t do much more, they sent me here
/shrugs my shoulders a bit, slipping my bare feet into a pair of black slippers, an odd match to my otherwise so put together and proper outfit, looking back at you over my shoulder
it’s been like what, ten years or something?
/we’d never even gotten a chance to say goodbye back then, and the last time that i saw you i’d been at what was probably my lowest point, before the nomads had ripped me away from you and everything else that had ever really mattered to me
let’s chat, i know the perfect place
/hums, grabbing my phone and wallet before motioning for you to follow, leaving my dorm together as i lead the way through campus and towards that one rooftop cafe that i liked to visit from time to time

@○ ⁞ joongi l 。 @ᴄ ⁞ yeosang k 。 welcome to your dorm. take some time to get to know your roommates; keep in mind, the better you know each other, the better teamwork you will have for later events ԅ(‾⌣‾ԅ)

@○ ⁞ sehun o 。 hi there
/greets comfortably as i finally meet your gaze, finding myself looking down though that's not all that surprising since i think i'm the tallest person on campus anyway
/i don't expect you to look at me like you do though, and i'm wondering if i've overstepped doing your laundry for you but that doesn't seem to be the issue here either
uh, yes?
/answers when you say my nickname suddenly, only close friends say it and i haven't got many of those around considering i moved here not that long ago
/a closer inspection though and i begin to recognise those features, the high cheekbones, strong nose, full lips and small chin, granted there's less softness touching on those lines that make you you, but its still oh sehun
hyung?
/there's no frown on my own face, none at all, only a bright smile as i look at you with the utmost happiness, reuniting with quite honestly, my childhood best friend
hyung its been so long!
/uncaring of our surroundings i hold your laundry in one hand, the other wrapping around your shoulders as i lean in and hug you close to me, my cheek pressing against the side of your head since i'm the taller one now
oh wait-
/releases you to give you back your laundry, reluctant to leave though as i hover by the door, your emotions are as strong as ever and i feel them sinking into my own skin
you shrunk since last time i saw you
/comments as i look at you, laughing gently to myself before i glance down the hall and then back at you, my head tilting to the side while i give you that same sunshine-like smile that's not diminished over the years
you're enrolled here too?
how long?
i joined just recently. you have to tell me what you've been up to. can we chat if you're not busy?
/i'm like a bit of a puppy with how excited i am just to talk to you, wondering what you've been doing ever since you were taken away, there's not been a day i didn't miss you, especially since we were close for so many years

@○ ⁞ seokwoo k 。 /the book in my hands was several hundred white pages, each gentle to the fingertips, upon them was the wisdom of my soul; those feelings of self reflection channelled through great knowledge and a lifetime of meditative contemplation
/in that humble ink, always red, was the liveliness of my brain, trying to sort through the jungle that was my thoughts, having learned a long time ago the importance of journaling and how such a seemingly simple task could help a person grow so much and learn things about themselves
/a knock on the door interrupts the comfortable silence of the room, my roommates out doing whatever, and slowly i raise my head, spinning the pencil between my fingers and i shift my gaze towards the door
oh?
/the clothes had been long forgotten about, and with a soft sigh i turn the book over so it lays face down on the desk, letting the pencil slip out of my grip before raising to my feet and stepping over to the door
/i’m barefoot and the carpet feels soft against the soles of my feet, wearing a button-up shirt tucked into grey pants, dark hair swept away from my face in order to reveal those handsome features of mine, sun having kissed freckles upon my nose and cheeks
/upon opening the door i look down at the folded items in your hands, indeed recognizing them as my own, the ones i’ve forgotten about, parting my lips as i direct my gaze to your face, frowning a little in annoyance when i actually have to tip my head back a little
thank you, i must have forgotten
hey-
/there’s something oddly familiar about the guy standing before me, my perfectly shaped brows drawing together, the corners of my lips dropping in contemplation, drawing a sharp inhale of air as something in my head clicks, visual images and memories slotting together
ro- rowoon?

@○ ⁞ sehun o 。 /carrying my basket of laundry with me down to one of the utility rooms, i bow my head to those i pass, offering up a kindly smile as i do so, narrowly avoiding a couple of younger students chasing one another down the hall as well
/checking the washing machines, i notice how they all seem to be in the middle of a cycle except for one, one that's finished upon further inspection but seemingly been forgotten about
/without much thought i take out the laundry and put it in the dryer, placing my own in the washing machine when i'm done and setting it on a quick cycle
/when the dryer is finished with the clothes i put in i fold them neatly, its not like i'm doing a woman's laundry so i don't think much about how this is a stranger's clothing i'm touching - i mean, its cleaned so
oh, jaeyoon. do you know who this belongs to?
/asks one of my classmates as they come in to retrieve their own washing, the man recognising a few pieces and he nods, directing me to the dorm number and which student
/the name sehun is a familiar one to me, with many memories latched onto it, though i highly doubt this sehun is the sehun i knew from my childhood and early teen years
/stopping outside the boys dorm room, number four, i lightly knock the back of my knuckles against the hardwood, loud enough to be heard though
excuse me?
i have sehun's laundry here. i think he forgot it
/as the door is being opened i'm looking down at the folded clothes in my hands still, slowly looking up as i finish explaining with a small smile
i hope you don't mind. i just needed to use the machine and it was the only one finished so...
but i dried and folded everything! here you go

today's day in class has been rather draining for youngjae. class had somewhat gotten... philosophical, as the new students had started to reflect themselves. youngjae being quite selfㅡaware, he couldn't say that it was a hard task for him to come up with something for his homework assignment ㅡ until he actually sat down by his desk. his mind went black.

"when you look into the mirror... what do you see?", he reads out his task silently, a low groan resonating through the room shortly after.
after a few moments of contemplating, he decides to actually get a mirror and write down whatever comes to his mind as he looks at himself. only moments later, he reached over to a small shelf to grab the small make-up mirror he had on there, placing it in front of himself. "this will do", he mumbles to himself, then he cracks his knuckles and begins to write.

ㅡ When I look at the mirror
The first thing I see is a boy. No man, no. A boy. The concept of adulthood is something so complex and serious that I truly do not feel like I could see an adult in me. As much as I would like to, I cannot see the mature protective figure I'd like to be in myself just yet. What I see is a mere boy who likes to dream big. One who likes to think about what ifs, about the little, and the great things in life. In the future. What I see is potential. Potential to change for the better. Maybe improve would be a better word for that. My current self is nothing I need to be ashamed of, but my future self should never forget where I have come from, how vulnerable I used to be, and probably still will be in the future. I see struggles that need to be overcome, and I also see a fear of approaching them. I see insecurity. A fear of harming others, but also a desire to use this power for doing good in the world. I see warmth, I see home. I see both war on the inside and peace on the outside. I see cold raindrops running down window panes like hot tears do on roseate cheeks; elegance, misery and hope. I see opportunities. Opportunities that come with the fear of choosing the wrong path, of getting caught up. Of running in circles, of reaching the limit, just like a flower reaching the peak of its beauty before eventually withering away. I see a desire to be free, to be bold, to go crazy. But oh, I am a slave to my own fears, and when i try to jump, they chain me to the ground. Maybe one day, I'll be strong enough to break free from these chains. Maybe one day, I'll look at the mirror and see nothing but a smile on my face ㅡ one that comes from the bottom of my heart, from the pride I feel when I see myself. one day, I want to look at myself and see just that. Right now? I see myself climbing up this hill. I see hailstorms and snowstorms trying to push me off the cliff, but oh, one day I'll reach the top of this mountain and admire the view with a smile on my face.

@○ ⁞ youngjae s 。 @○ ⁞ wonwoo j 。 @○ ⁞ sehun o 。 welcome to your dorm. take some time to get to know your roommates; keep in mind, the better you know each other, the better teamwork you will have for later events ԅ(‾⌣‾ԅ)