"Why are you apologizing?" Soo Jin asked, perplexed.
"I wasted your time."
Soo Jin gave him a look. "You are weird."
Ji Woo nodded in agreement, not arguing.
"Let's go."
They both walked away from the football field to the back of the school.
Two huge buildings could be seen with a big gate separating them.
"The one on the left is the girls' dormitory," Ji Woo said. "You have no business whatsoever there," he added.
Soo Jin nodded in agreement. Who would he be looking for in a girls' dormitory?
"While the one on the right is for males," Ji Woo said as he walked toward the male dormitory.
Soo Jin followed suit, his eyes examining the building.
They walked until they got to the front of the gate.
Ji Woo brought out a pass, swiping it against a black case. The device beeped and the gate slid open.
"Who is he?" A man came out from the security room. He had spotted an unfamiliar face on the monitor, and as per dormitory protocol, he had to check.
Soo Jin didn't say anything as he looked around the building, not interested in the security questions.
"He is Soo Jin, a new student," Ji Woo said, acting as Soo Jin's mouthpiece. "He wants to book a room."
The security nodded in understanding. "You can go."
"Thank you, sir," Soo Jin said.
The security just smiled. He really liked this kid; Ji Woo was known throughout the dormitory for his friendly character.
"Let's go," Ji Woo said to Soo Jin, who nodded as they walked into the building.
The receptionist's desk was the first thing they saw.
"Your ID card," the porter asked, stretching out her palm.
"He is a new student," Ji Woo explained.
"Oh," the porter nodded. "You want to book a room?" she asked.
"Yes," Ji Woo responded.
"Are you his mouthpiece?" The porter glared at Ji Woo.
Soo Jin gave the porter a look, not liking the way she spoke to Ji Woo. "You don't have to cut him off," he said bluntly.
The porter's eyes snapped open in surprise. She had never been spoken to like that before, especially by someone younger than her.
"Soo Jin," Ji Woo called.
"He didn't mean it like that," Ji Woo urgently tried to clear Soo Jin's name. It wouldn't be good if he got on the porter's bad side.
"I meant exactly what she thinks," Soo Jin added.
"Soo Jin," Ji Woo called his name, a warning edge in his tone.
Soo Jin instinctively kept his mouth shut. He wasn't used to Ji Woo using that kind of tone on him.
He didn't like the feeling at all.
"Don't bother explaining," the porter cut off Ji Woo's explanation as she handed him a paper. "Tell him to fill it up and submit."
"Okay," Ji Woo nodded. "He is sorry," he added, but the porter ignored him as she picked up her phone, focusing her attention on it.
Ji Woo sighed as he passed the form to Soo Jin.
Soo Jin took the file and filled in the information.
Name: Soo Jin
D.O.B: 31-10-2008
Age: 17
Parents' name: I don't have parents.
Guardian name: Mrs. Soo Lin
Guardian relationship: Grandmother
Guardian phone number: **********
He read through the rules of the dormitory and signed at the last page.
He passed the form back to Ji Woo, who submitted it for him.
The porter checked the form for any errors, but there were none.
"Ask him for his student ID."
Soo Jin nodded as he opened his bag, took out his student ID, and passed it to Ji Woo, who gave it to the porter.
The porter input the student ID card number into the computer. The sound of the keyboard could be heard as she typed.
She then put the ID card into a photocopy machine, which replicated the ID card, then returned it, which Soo Jin took and put back into his bag.
"Your room is room 317," the porter said, passing Ji Woo a key and a card.
Ji Woo took it and passed it to Soo Jin. "Our rooms are near each other," he said excitedly. Though he wished they were in the same room, this was okay.
"Let's go."
Soo Jin hummed, though a trace of joy appeared in his heart that Ji Woo's tone toward him was nice again, like before.
The hallway stretched ahead of them as students could be seen chatting and laughing by the rail side.
But as Soo Jin walked forward, some glanced at him at the sudden new face.
Ji Woo stepped a little closer, trying to shield Soo Jin from their gazes.
"Don't mind them," he whispered. "Everyone stares at new students."
Soo Jin's eyes swept across the corridor, cold and uninterested.
"I don't care," he said simply.
Ji Woo smiled, relieved that he wasn't bothered by their gazes.
"Our room is on the third floor," Ji Woo said, pressing the button.
The door slid open as they stepped in before it shut behind them.
---
Bonus Chapter:
In the staff private office.
Hyun stood in front of the door, nervous.
"Knock."
"Don't knock."
"Knock."
"Don't knock."
He kept whispering to himself as he weighed the two options, as if he had another one apart from knocking on the door.
"Come in," a voice was heard from inside the office.
Hyun looked shocked. "How did he know I'm here?"
"Look to your left," the voice said, as if he knew what was on his mind.
Hyun followed the voice's order, and sure enough, there was a small glass window.
But he had been here several times; how come he never noticed?
"Enter," the voice repeated.
Sigh.
With a sigh, Hyun pushed open the door and stepped in, closing the door behind him.
A young man wearing glasses came into view as he entered.
Mr. Felix.
"Uncle," Hyun called.
"Don't 'uncle' me. Have your seat," Mr. Felix said.
Hyun looked at seat, hesitation written on his face