"I have my lunch box, snacks, a bottle of water, my documents, and everything all ready to go! Mom, you don't have to worry, okay? I have everything under control!" I said on the phone. "I'm actually pretty busy right now, Mom. I'm kinda in the middle of the road. And I'm running out of battery."
While conversing with my mom, the cars on each side of this busy street honked their horns as if an apocalypse devastated Earth. Since the sun had finally appeared in the East, those corporate people rushed towards the road. Most of them brought briefcases and wore a tight black vest that absorbed every heat coming from the sun. What kind of psychos would do that? Well, I was among the crowd. Unfortunately, I also wore a black shirt for this day.
"Honey, I'm just worried and excited for you! You'll meet a lot of people. Seoul is such a big place! And…. And…. I'm going to miss you. I don't know what I'm going to do without you. What if you meet someone there and forget about me? What if you got hurt? Do you know where the nearest hospital is? How about any first aid?" my mom said, like an uzi firing me a barrage of questions. "What if there's a robbery happening there? What if you got kidnapped? There are a lot of things happening in Seoul, especially the superhero guy. Steel. I think that's the name, honey. I don't want you to get hurt. Call the cops immediately if you think there's a problem, okay? Call anyone! Steel, if you think they could help you."
"Mom, it's okay! Nothing's going to happen. And I don't want to call a weirdo with superpowers. Besides, the school is just beside my apartment. I have all the things I need. All that's left for me to do is visit the place and live it like a normal student would, okay? And did you forget I learned my first aid kit? Oh, there go my papers," I answered, while recollecting the documents that escaped my hand.
"Okay…. I love you, Seok. Promise me you'll do your best?"
"I love you too."
After hearing the last beeping sound coming from my phone, I scurried down the streets and looked for Yong University. It was a famous school known for its educational standards and systems. But there was one thing I was aiming at. The Scholarship. When I took their entrance exam, Yong University emailed me. They claimed I had passed their standards and could study there as a student taking Mass Communication.
It was my dream come true. I always wanted to be a journalist or a reporter who only unravelled the truth. After my father died, my mom was the only one who took care of me. I didn't want to trouble her about the school's expenses, so I took the Scholarship and planned on acing my grades in school.
The scorching sun from above made me sweat as I entered the ingress of my shabby apartment. According to my GPS that the school had installed for me, this building was designed for students who had successfully attained a scholarship program. Basically, it was part of their freebies.
However, this building wasn't something that an aspiring journalist should live with. I had no idea if someone lived here, considering what they did to the place. Judging by the exterior of this place, it only had one window for each room. And the room's space could only fit a few people inside that had roughly ten floors and twenty rooms. It also had a roof filled with bird nests and white liquid marks painted on the surface. There were also no hints of any sewers connected to this apartment. I wouldn't even be surprised if ghosts actually live in this place, filled with dirt and other rusts covering the condo.
"Don't judge a book by its cover," I uttered, and steeled my heart before anything else. I got this apartment for free, so beggars can't be choosy. "It could be worse, right? Right?!"
As soon as I stepped my foot inside, a man in his forties stared at my figure. He had eyes like a dagger. That man had a newspaper in hand and browsed the latest news about the new hero saving the neighbourhood. If my memory had served me right, that superhero bent metal to his will. He was called a metal boy by kids and steel for the mass. I'd rather call him a weirdo, since he was the only one who had powers. And his "Heroicness" might have been fabricated, thanks to the internet. I'd love to believe that, but according to the news, he was real. He had been doing those shenanigans for two months as the cherry on top. Nobody could argue with that.
The thing that made him stand out was his outfit. He didn't have a cape or anything else besides a shirt and shorts, with a mask hiding his face. Sometimes he wears pants, but that was not the idea! Ironically, the cops or the FBI never caught him in action. It was as if he was immune from the CCTV cameras patrolling the area.
And the man didn't believe in it, too. He kept sighing to himself as he flipped the paper onto the next page while shaking his head, still with his eyes glued to me. It only took him a few more seconds before averting his look and glaring at the newspaper. A back-and-forth war for his eyes.
After grunting multiple times, he tossed the newspaper aside and returned his gaze to me. "What do you want?"
"Hello! My name is Seok Park, and I'm a freshman Journalism-Mass Communication at Yong University. I'm here to apply for the Scholarship Free Rent Program. I'm sorry if it's rude to ask this, but is this place haunted?"
"No. But students often hear screams during the night just before they take their exams," the man said, as he took out a logbook and browsed for my name.
"Seok. Congratulations. You just earned yourself a free room as long as you get the grades Yong University needs. Now, here's the key for your room upstairs, and try not to trip yourself on your way up," the man continued in a disinterested tone.
"Excuse me?" I tilted my head, demanding an explanation.
"By the way, the elevator ain't working. You need to take the stairs and head to the left. Straight left. Your room is imprinted on that key and will be your room until you graduate. It's right at the end of the hallway. You wouldn't miss it. And also, try not to lose the key, or else you'd be paying for another."
"There is also a library right next to this desk. If you want to use it, just log in to this logbook. School's orders," the man added.
And he never listened to me. He didn't even reply after asking him for any clarifications. It was a rude tactic, but I would give him that. The man waiting at the desk was a bit old, if I was honest.
I instinctively nodded and reached out for the rusty key on the table. But as soon as I grabbed it, the key had a number. It was just like the man had told me.
"Number ten, huh?" I heaved out a sigh and carried my baggage with me.
This morning was not my fresh start. The makeup on my head slowly faded away after all the bucket of sweat I had produced. But I had no other choice but to bear with this. There was nothing I could do but accept my defeat and carry on with my life as it was.
But before I could even climb the stairs, the man called out for my name and stopped me. I hit the brakes, turned around, and met his eyes for the umpteenth time. This cannot be good.
"Oh, and you have a roommate living with you for the rest of your journalist years. Whatever you do, try to be kind to your fellow students. I hate violent kids in this building. I kick them out if they do something funny."
'Thank god, another one who suffers from this building!' I pondered. It was an angel in disguise.
"I wouldn't dare, mister!" I answered.
"Good."
Humans need someone in order to live. We can suffer alone, but we still need someone to rely on. And that someone just appeared in my life that would make every worry inside of me vanish like a bubble popped in the air. I couldn't help but flash the old man a smile while waiting for him to finish. If I had no other choice but to live in this crappy apartment, I'd rather have someone to experience that, too!
However, that smile faded when the man finished his sentence. It was a wolf under sheep's clothing. A curse, not a blessing.
"He's a guy. It's the only room available for you to use. Students in all courses take all the rooms. And if they're seniors, those rooms are reserved as well for the new freshman once you turn into a sophomore," the man said. "Don't worry. There is a separate room for his bedroom. You might share the same comfort room, but from what I've heard, he's a nice guy. He rarely goes out to school. And he doesn't have anyone to talk to. And besides, you're not the only one who has a guy roommate. There are plenty of unfortunate individuals here who share a room with a stranger. But none of them left me a complaint. Nobody harassed no one!"
"Feel free to use the public phone if you ever get sexually assaulted by him or other students living in this dorm. But I will bet every Won I have they wouldn't even bother you. Hell, you won't even meet those zombified fools, 'cuz they're busy studying inside their caves," the old man continued. "Oh, and one last thing. Tell me if you're going to go out, especially in the middle of the night. If you could, tell me where you're going. I know you're a girl and I respect your privacy, but it's the school's orders. If something terrible happens to you, it's on me. There are a lot of robberies and people going missing near the alleys. Luckily, the students here are still alive and well. But we don't want to wait for that to happen, now, do we?"
"Got it," I replied.
"Good."
My world had turned upside down after hearing those words. I didn't know what to do, but accepted that grim reality. Did I have a choice? No. All I had was this apartment and my books provided by the school. The only saving grace I had was the man's latter words and the university waiting for me next door. Well, at least this place had a library. It was an addition.
"Okay, Seok. All you gotta do is avoid him at all costs, use your time wisely, and give him a schedule every time you use the bathroom. See? It isn't so bad, right?" I mumbled to myself as I went to the series of steps.
It took me a while before reaching the tenth floor. When I ascended the steps, the wood creaked and hinted that it would break apart. Fortunately, it didn't. My mother and I never applied for any health insurance. After a waterfall of salty sweat, I finally arrived in my dreadful room. I didn't even have the chance to check the remaining rooms, since they had the same features as the one standing before me. It was a wooden and barely built door, at the last place of this apartment.
"I have no idea why people would actually live here! How on Earth can they withstand this…. Place. Calling it a place would even be a joke in my dictionary."
I took a deep breath before opening the door. Although I had already experienced hell, there was no harm in trusting the old man's words. He told me that my roommate was an introvert. I could only hope that he wouldn't gawk or touch my body. And if he tried, I will definitely send him an article about him and his perverted actions!
As soon as I gathered my confidence, I reached out for the knob and slid open the door. "Today is the day I will finally become a journalist! Wait for me, world! I will become the top journalist ever!"
But upon entering the room, a wounded man, around my age, greeted my eyes. The guy had cuts and bruises all over his body. I didn't know why, but I got the feeling this was the roommate the old man was talking about before. He lifted his head and gazed at my figure while motioning his hand.
"OH MY GOD, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" I shouted. It was a normal eighteen-year-old girl's reaction.
"C-Close the door. Please. Don't let anyone see me," the guy pleaded, as he motioned his fingers across the door. "And please don't shout. People might hear us."
"HEAR US?!" I shouted.
By instinct, I heeded his advice and locked the door behind me. My heart raced around a million beats per minute after gawking at the man's six-pack abs. He was hot, even hotter than the pesky sun.