Chapter 3 (Adaptation)

"MOVE ASIDE!"

Some group of guys talking immediately turned after hearing the unfriendly voice coming behind them.

They instantly knew who it was and without hesitation they moved aside so he can walk past.

"What is wrong with him?," Guy 1 said rolling his eyes at the young Asian guy who wasn't smiling as he walked away slowly.

His hands in his neatly ironed trousers, without looking at any of them he headed to his room.

"He is so weird, he acts cold to everyone" Guy 2 whispered to others.

"Why is he acting that way though? Is he feeling himself because he looks good?" Guy 3 said and scoffed, “Who does he think he is?”.

Guy 4 who seemed to know a little bit about him turned to his friends and said, "I heard he had a rough childhood that's why he has been acting so cold, he doesn't talk to most people. I heard he only talk to two people and they are his childhood friends".

"What a weirdo... Whatever, what were you saying about PS5, is it out yet!!!".

He leaned on the wall of the passage that led to his room, listening to everything they have been saying about him, he shook his head and finally entered his room.

"Where have you been Hyung?".

Without looking at his roommate or responding, he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled off his shoe, leaving his socks.

"Hyung?"

"Stop calling me that," He said as he plugged in his ear pods and lay on his bed shutting his eyes

"Okay Hyung! No, I mean Ha Joon Hyung!", the guy corrected himself with a smile on his innocent face.

He immediately heard the beat of the song Ha Joon was listening to, he knew he had increased the volume, the boy smiled as he continued watching TikTok.

Kim Ho Jun is a new undergraduate student that moved into Baek Ha Joon's room, even though it wasn't easy for Ho Jun at first, he got used to his roommate.

"My second year in school is going to be so noisy," Ha Joon had said when Kim Ho Jun moved in.

He was used to staying all alone and doesn't want anyone to live with him, every student that had lived with Ha Joon complained about him being too strict and couldn't tolerate his silence and cockiness.

"HE IS A DEVIL"

"HE IS TOO COCKY! AND JUDGES YOU EVEN WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING".

Ha Joon had gotten used to these words from his ex-roommates, but for some reason, Ho Jun is handling it well, no matter how many times he tried provoking the boy, it doesn't work.

Ho Jun removed his glasses and yawned as he lay on the bed. He brought out his earpods and was about to ask Ha Joon if he had eaten yet but Ha Joon's eyes were still shut.

"Right! He needs his space" Kim Ho Jun reminded himself.

He was about to close his eyes when he saw Ha Joon walking in the direction of the window.

The evening cool breeze brushed against his skin and black hair, he closed his eyes for a second opened them.

The corner of his eyes caught some flocks of birds flying towards his window, he turned his head and watched them aim for the big tree near his window.

His eyes followed them, the baby bird flying while looking down at the grass caught his attention, he saw the tree branch ahead of the bird and knew it was about to knock over it.

"Whoa! whoa!" Ha Joon perturbedly said.

"WATCH OUT!!!"

Ha Joon heard the voice, he looked down and saw Alexandra running as fast as she could to catch the baby bird that had hit the tree and was falling.

"Whoa!", Alexandra said as she jumped and catch the bird, her knee brushed against the floor, leaving a sharp intense pain.

"Oh shit!" She groaned out and sat up, still holding the bird in her hand.

Ha Joon who has been watching, folded his arms as he stared down at her.

"Is she crazy? She hurt herself that bad to save a bird?" Ha Joon said to himself, he knew he would do the same but was concerned because she was a girl.

He knows most girls don’t enjoy having bruises on their body because they all wear short skirts.

"Hey! are you okay...?" Alexandra said looking at the bird and ignoring the profused blood on her knees, she carefully touched the bird to make sure it wasn't dead, and fortunately, it moved.

"Thank God, all this pain would have been in vain", she whispered and smiled.

She blew air to the bird and watched it try getting up, carefully stretching her wing and each foot.

"I'm sure it hurt, you weren't looking,"

Alexandra put the bird gently on a fallen leaf, she watched the bird get up and flapped its wing.

She chuckled excitedly, "there you go, you are all good now".

After a short while, the baby bird flew away.

"Phew!" She said and smiled as the tried to stand, her knee stung but she managed to stand on her foot.

"It was worth it, at least that little thing didn't die...I should be a bird lifeguard". she said and immediately hear a titter.

Alexandra raised her head and saw Ha Joon who had stopped laughing.

She gave him an unimpressed look and instantly he walked away from the window.

"What was that?.... So annoying, I'm sure there are more annoying things I'm yet to see in this school, ugh scary”.

Alexandra complained as she limped away slowly

Ha Joon took a sneak peek at Alexandra.

"BIRD LIFEGUARD? Who even says that?" Ha Joon said as he snorted

"Hyung? Are you okay?"

Ha Joon heard his roommate's voice close to his ear, he turned and saw Ho Jun close to his face.

"Oh my!!!, what are you doing!", he nagged and walked to his bed.

"I just wanted to see what you were laughing at," Ho Jun said as he also walked to his bed, he heard no response from Ha Joon who had plugged in ear pods.

"That was weird, what was he laughing at? That's like the first time I will ever see him laugh" Kim Ho Jun said before plugging back in his earpods.

TWO DAYS AFTER.

Eun Kyung had fulfilled her promise by showing Alexandra around school even though it was forceful.

Alexandra had her class that morning, she got to class early and sat on the third roll.

"Studying social science is going to be so intense" Alexandra had said, but for some reason, she believed in herself.

After an hour of receiving lectures, Alexandra enjoyed the professor's explanation, she put her books in her tote bag and walked out of the hall.

Getting outside, she felt her phone vibrating against her skin, she stopped walking and looked into her bag to reach for it.

"Watch out!!!!!!!!!!!!".

Alexandra who was about to bring out her phone looked up sharply and saw a running bicycle coming towards her, she was startled and could not move as it was about to hit her, the boy riding the bicycle turned the handlebar, making him fall on the ground near Alexandra

"Oh my God! Are you okay?" Alex said running to meet him.

Kim Ho Jun saw the girl coming toward him, and he groaned out. "my ankle, my ankle is broken," Ho Jun complained.

Alexandra's jaw dropped on hearing this, she dropped her bag and helped him up to his feet.

"What do we do! We should go to the school clinic" She worriedly said.

"She ought to be angry at me for almost hitting her, why is she getting worried over this," Ho Jun thought and continued faking the pain while grabbing his ankle.

"Wait wait...hold on," Ho Jun said looking at Alexandra. "I think I am about to faint," Ho Jun said falling to the ground.

"Whoah!! Whoah!!! Whoah!!!", Alex panicked as she almost fall along with him.

She looked at Kim Ho Jun and noticed him laughing. "What the?". She stood straight and stared at the boy who kept laughing, "why are you laughing?". Alexandra asked.

Ho Jun stood up and adjusted his glasses, "I have never seen anyone as gullible as you are Missy and it is cute" he said smiling at Alexandra.

Alexandra gasped out, "You have been faking the pain?" she said in an angry tone. "How dare you!". She picked up her bag angrily, "you are super annoying" she nagged and walked away from him.

"I should be angry at you for almost knocking me out and not showing concern, I should have hit your head with my bag instead of helping you up", Alexandra muttered as she kept walking.

"Wait, Hold on!".

Kim Ho Jun said as he picked up his bicycle and made it lean on a tree, he hurried to catch up with her.

"Hey look! I'm sorry okay?". Ho Jun apologized.

Alexandra turned and looked at him angrily.

Ho Jun flinched, "whoa! You look like Thanos right now! You know him right, the infinity war demon" Ho Jun said almost smiling.

Alexandra almost laughed, she controlled herself and kept walking. "Go away weirdo," she said.

"Hey hey! You were about to laugh... Just now, I almost see your teeth" Ho Jun said poking her with his finger.

Alex smiled this time.

"I am Ho Jun, a new student from Macau, Hong Kong," he said now standing in front of Alexandra, hindering her from walking.

"I see..."

"And before you say anything, I know you are also new, and probably don't know places, there is this nice coffee place, you should taste it..." Ho Jun said looking into her eyes, "Let me use that to say sorry for acting silly huh".

Alexandra looked away and sigh, "okay fine crazy Ho Jun, that is because I have nothing to do at the moment," she responded and kept walking with him.

"Your bike?", she reminded him.

"My bike is going to be fine, she will understand I found a pretty girl" Ho Jun replied.

Alexandra smiled and shook her head.

"Maybe things are not so annoying after all".