"Why do you always pick on weirdos?"
Sébastien stiffened, his body locking up before he could even turn around. The atmosphere shifted immediately, like the temperature had dropped a few degrees.
The group of girls reacted first—Emma snorted, Chloe covered a laugh with her hand, and Grace let out an exaggerated groan, her head snapping toward the source of the voice.
"Dorian, seriously?" she whined, rolling her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't get stuck. "Can you not be a menace for once?"
Sébastien, meanwhile, was still frozen. Weirdo? Was that directed at him? His brain was already doing mental gymnastics, trying to process whether this was an insult, a joke, or some bizarre form of a greeting.
His fight-or-flight instincts warred inside him before he finally turned around, cautiously, like he was about to come face-to-face with some sort of final boss.
The guy standing there was about his height, maybe a little shorter, but he had the kind of confidence that made him seem taller. Messy blonde hair, broad shoulders, arms crossed over his chest—like he owned the place. His gaze was sharp, eyes locked onto Sébastien with an unreadable expression.
Sébastien did the only thing his scrambled brain could manage.
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
Then, in true awkward fashion, he blurted out the worst possible response.
"Uh. Hi?"
A moment of silence. Then Emma and Chloe absolutely lost it, bursting into laughter, while Grace groaned again and smacked Dorian's arm.
"You scared him, dumbass," she scolded.
Dorian barely reacted, his gaze still locked onto Sébastien, studying him like some sort of puzzle he couldn't quite solve.
Sébastien, meanwhile, wanted the earth to swallow him whole. He stood there, jaw slightly slack, brain buffering like a slow-loading webpage. His attempt at salvaging the situation? A half-hearted chuckle that sounded more like he was choking on air.
"Uhh—um. Yeah. I—uh—" He stopped himself before he could make it worse. Which, honestly, was debatable at this point.
Grace and the others exchanged looks, clearly trying very hard not to laugh. Even Dorian, who had already turned away, let out a scoff that Sébastien was pretty sure was directed at him.
He wanted to disappear. Or at the very least, walk away with some dignity intact.
Nevertheless, this was enough social interaction for at least the whole week, and the girls could see it in his face. The polite smile he'd been holding onto now looked a bit strained, his shoulders slightly tense. Grace, ever perceptive, let out a small sigh and gently took his hand in hers, giving it a firm shake.
"It was nice meeting you, Seb," Grace said, her voice warm but noticeably gentler. "If that's okay to call you?"
Sébastien blinked, slightly caught off guard. He wasn't used to people asking permission for nicknames. "Uh—yeah, sure," he mumbled, shifting on his feet.
Grace smiled, but there was a hint of something else in her eyes—concern, maybe, or just quiet understanding. "Do you at least know the way back to the dorms?"
Sébastien let out a short, breathy laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not a clue. I barely know how I got here in the first place."
Grace's grin widened. "Well, lucky for you, we're basically experts at this point." She gave him a playful wink before gesturing for him to follow. "Come on, we'll make sure you don't end up in the janitor's closet or something."
Sébastien muttered a quiet "thanks" and trailed after them, trying to ignore the fact that the hallways still looked like an endless maze. Every turn felt like it led somewhere completely new, and he was pretty sure if he were alone, he'd have already circled back to the same spot three times.
But then, out of nowhere, a thought slammed into him like a freight train.
His roommate.
His roommate.
How had he managed to completely forget that he was supposed to be sharing a room with someone? What if the guy was already there? What if he'd been there for hours, wondering where the hell his roommate was? What if he was one of those overly chatty types who'd want to sit and bond immediately? Worse—what if he was an asshole?
Panic started creeping up his spine, and his feet moved a little faster, like he could outrun the sudden rush of anxiety.
By the time they reached the entrance to the male dorms, he felt like he was walking straight into his own doom.
Grace turned to him with an easy smile, clearly unaware of the internal crisis happening in his head. "Well, this is you," she said. "Try not to get lost in your own building, yeah?"
"Y-yeah," he muttered, only half-registering her words.
"Good luck, Seb!" she called over her shoulder as she and the other girls headed off, their laughter fading down the hall.
Sébastien stood there for a second, just staring at the door.
Right. No backing out now.
Sébastien made his way up to his dorm, his heart pounding with the familiar sting of anticipation. He tried to push away the nervous jitters, but they crept back in anyway, settling in his chest like a weight. His mind raced with what could go wrong—what his new roommate would be like, how the hell he was supposed to make small talk, and whether he'd even get along with this stranger who now shared his space.
He finally reached his room and unlocked the door, pushing it open with a quiet groan. The room felt colder somehow, like the air had been left untouched for far too long.
The sight that greeted him hit him like a punch to the stomach. His roommate was already there.
The guy had his things scattered around the room with casual abandon—clothes tossed across the bed like he was in a hurry, a gym bag draped over the back of the chair, and a couple of textbooks carelessly left open on the desk. The guy himself sat with his back to the door, his attention focused on something in his hands, completely unaware of his new roommate's arrival.
Sébastien stood frozen in the doorway, caught off guard by the mess, by the suddenness of the situation. He felt exposed, like he'd walked in on something he wasn't supposed to see. A rush of awkwardness flooded through him, and for a second, he didn't know whether to turn around and leave or just stand there indefinitely.
Just introduce yourself, he thought, trying to calm the storm in his chest. Get it over with.
With a hesitant step, he walked further into the room, the quiet shuffle of his sneakers sounding absurdly loud in the stillness. He cleared his throat, but the sound came out quieter than he intended. "Uh, hey," he muttered, his voice low, almost swallowed by the thick tension hanging between them. "I'm Sébastien... your new roommate."
He couldn't bring himself to look directly at the guy. Maybe it was the nerves. Maybe it was the whole we're sharing a room thing that made it feel like he had to walk on eggshells. His gaze stayed fixed on the floor as he awkwardly shuffled further into the room, feeling every inch the awkward, bumbling mess he was.
For a long moment, the guy didn't respond. The silence stretched on, and it was the kind of silence that made Sébastien wonder if he had made a mistake even coming in. The man's stillness felt like a heavy weight, and Sébastien was unsure if he was supposed to say more, or wait, or—
Then, the guy shifted in his seat, turning slightly, his posture more relaxed now, but there was something about his movement that caught Sébastien off guard. It was as if he was finally noticing him—really noticing him.
And then the guy chuckled.
It wasn't loud or mocking, just a low, casual sound. But it immediately made Sébastien stiffen, a small knot of unease forming in his stomach.
"...Sébastien?" The guy's voice had a sudden edge to it, a shift of awareness that sent a chill down Sébastien's spine.
Sébastien's head snapped up in surprise, his gaze meeting the man's. His breath caught in his throat.
There it was—the recognition, a moment of clarity that hit both of them at the same time. The guy's eyes widened a little, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face, before his expression softened, a familiar hint of surprise and something else—something buried deep within his gaze.
Sébastien stood there, frozen for a second, his mind whirring. Oh no. The unease from earlier grew into a full-blown wave of panic. He didn't just know this guy, did he? No way.
And yet, the way the man's face had shifted, the recognition in his eyes—it wasn't just a coincidence. Something about this moment felt all too familiar, like the pieces were falling into place, but Sébastien couldn't quite put them together.
Then it clicked.