I
couldn’t let him find out how I felt. Back in
the dorm, Jason was making a racket, either
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cleaning or just generally expressing his
displeasure. I kept my head down, staring at
my phone, not daring to provoke him. He
paced around, then suddenly started mopping
the floor. I glanced up at him, confused, and
met his gaze. He frowned. “What? Move your
feet!” “Why are you mopping so late? I
cleaned yesterday,” I mumbled. He scoffed.
“Like you care. I feel like it! So, how are
things going with your club president? Having
fun with all that attention?” Here we go again.
I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. He was
always looking for a reason to criticize me.
Since nothing I said would make him happy, I
stayed silent and turned to go shower. He
grabbed my arm. “What, no answer? Don’t tell
me you’re dating her now. What tricks did you
use this time? The whole ‘pretend–to–be–a-
girl‘ routine again?” “Enough!” I yanked my
arm away. Caught off guard, he stumbled
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back, bumping into the desk. “Jason, do you
have to be so sarcastic all the time?” “Me,
sarcastic? You’re the one who played me!” “|
apologized! I even gave you the money back,
but you didn’t want it. What more do you
want from me?” My voice cracked. I didn’t
want to cry, but the words came out choked
with tears. He stared at my red eyes, stunned
into silence. “Why… why are you crying? Like
I’m the one bullying you…” He ran a hand
through his hair in frustration and stalked off
to the balcony with the mop.
The cold war between Jason and me
continued. Even our roommates noticed the
tension. Liam discreetly asked if we’d fought,
suggesting we talk it out. But what was there
to talk about? Mike, wanting to break the
awkwardness, suggested a road trip for fall
break. I couldn’t face Jason’s icy demeanor.
so I made an excuse and stayed behind.
Alone in the dining hall on fall break, I ran into
Chloe. Seeing I was by myself, she offered me
a ride in her dad’s new car. Along for the ride
were Sarah, the senior who’d done my
makeup at the anime club event, and two
guys from the law school. They were all cool,
keeping the conversation lively. The drive was
fun. Chloe drove us towards a small mountain
known for its scenic views – a popular
Instagram spot. At the top, we discovered a
hot springs resort. “Whoa, this place looks
nice. Wanna check it out?” Chloe asked.
“Sure, why not? We’re here already,” Sarah
replied. We went in, picked a pool, and rented
swimsuits. On our way to the changing
rooms, we bumped into Jason, Liam, and
Mike. Of all the places… Jason’s expression
soured when he saw me and the group I was
with. “Well, this is awkward,” Liam said.
<
“Small world, huh? You guys here too?” Mike
grinned. “Ethan, you dog! Ditching us for
pretty girls, are we?” “No, it was a
coincidence…” My explanation sounded
weak. We exchanged greetings and agreed to
grab dinner together after our soak.
I changed and entered the hot spring, only to
find Jason already there, alone. After an
awkward moment of eye contact, I asked,
“Where are the others?” “Getting drinks.”
“Oh.” I took off my shirt and slowly eased into
the water. Jason’s eyes followed my every
move. My foot slipped, and I plunged
underwater, my head colliding with Jason’s
chest. As I pushed myself up, my hand
brushed against… something. He shoved me
away. “S–sorry, it’s slippery!” I stammered. He
looked away, his face tight. “Stay away from
me.” Sensing his rejection, I quickly backed
<
off. A dull ache settled in my chest. The
silence was thick with tension. Thankfully,
Liam and the others returned soon, breaking
the awkwardness. The two law students, not
knowing anyone else, chatted with me. Even
with several people between us, I could still
feel Jason’s gaze on me. Every time I glanced
at him, he’d look away. Maybe it was just my
imagination. … After the hot springs, we felt
relaxed and rejuvenated. We booked a private
room for dinner. True to form, Chloe, the
ever–organized club president, suggested a
drinking game. Loser takes a shot. Luck
wasn’t on my side. I kept messing up. After a
few rounds, I was the most drunk. One of the
law students covered for me, taking a shot in
my place. He leaned in and asked, “You okay?
Want to go back and rest?” “I’m fine,” I
insisted, not wanting to ruin the fun. Jason
glanced at me, his jaw tight. The game
continued. This time, Jason messed up. It was
his first shot of the night. In the following
rounds, either he or someone else messed up,
sparing me from any more drinks. I breathed
a sigh of relief, sneaking a glance at him. It
was a numbers game. Wasn’t he a science
major? How could he keep making mistakes?
We played late into the night before heading
back to our rooms. Stepping out, the alcohol
hit me hard. My head spun. The girls were
sharing a room, so I planned to squeeze in
with the two law students. Mike suddenly
grabbed my arm. “Hey, Jason has a room to
himself. You can share with him, save you
from cramming in.” Liam nodded
enthusiastically. I knew they were trying to
give Jason and me a chance to reconcile. I
glanced at Jason, about to refuse, when he
pulled me towards him. “Let’s go,” he
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grumbled, leading me to the elevator.
“Lightweight. Terrible at games and holding
your liquor.” “You’re the one who’s terrible!” I
retorted, emboldened by the alcohol. He
scoffed. “Oh really? Who was it chugging
down drinks even though they can’t handle it?
So eager to spend time with the club
president, obeying her every command, huh?”
“So what if I am? Does it bother you?” I
looked up at him. This wasn’t the first time
he’d brought up Chloe. He seemed unusually
irritated every time she was mentioned. “Why
would I care? I don’t care!” Jason practically
yelled. The elevator doors opened. He swiped
his key card and shoved me inside. Already
unsteady on my feet, I instinctively grabbed
his shirt. He stumbled, catching me as we
both fell onto the carpet. The room was dark.
But even in the dim light, I could feel the
intensity of his gaze. His breath was hot
clumsy.” “Then don’t worry about me,” I shot
back, slowly getting up. “Who wants to worry
about you?” he muttered, heading to the
bathroom to turn on the shower. “Go shower.”
After cleaning up, I finally collapsed onto the
bed. The alcohol surged through me, making
me feel hot all over. Jason handed me a glass
of water. I took a sip, then looked up at him.
His gaze made me blush. “Why are you
blushing?” he frowned, quickly adding, “I’m
taking care of you because you’re my
roommate. Don’t get any ideas!” His words
were like a splash of cold water, sobering me
up instantly. “I wasn’t. I wouldn’t like you
anyway,” I snapped, trying to mask the flutter
in my chest. If I liked anyone, it would be the
kind, online Jason, not this sarcastic
roommate of mine. His face darkened. He
slammed the water bottle on the table.
“Good. Because that would be disgusting.”
دو
く
I drifted off to sleep. Later, a burning
sensation in my stomach woke me. I hadn’t
drunk in so long, and my body was rebelling.
