NIGHTINGALE TRIO: LATE-NIGHT CONVERSATION

“Wait…what’s your dorm number again?” Jinwoon asked as they strolled out of the classroom, the trio still didn't stop talking about the earlier math drama.

Lekir scratched his nape sheepishly. “Uh, Room N115, Nightingale Dormitory House . North Wing.” He then continue sipping his strawberry milk.

There was a beat of silence.

“…You’re kidding,” Jinwoon blinked. “That's our room.”

Hoshi stopped mid-step. “What.”

“No way.” Lekir blinked at both of them. “Are you guys serious?”

Jinwoon clutched his heart like he'd just received the best news of the decade. “Fate!! This is what fate looks like!!”

Fate...Maybe it is.

Hoshi, on the other hand, groaned. “This school really put me with a sunshine addict and a new guy with sad eyes and a fake smile. I’m doomed.”

“Sad eyes? Am I really look like that?” Lekir repeated, half-laughing, half-panicking. I mean--what Hoshi said is true after all...

“Fake smile?” Jinwoon added with a dramatic gasp. “How dare you insult my jagiya.” The pink haired guy is ready to throw hands at Hoshi.

“I’m not your anything,” Lekir muttered under his breath, cheeks pinking slightly. He quickly walk away from them.

Jinwoon just grinned. Hoshi only deadpans.

____________________________________________

The trio stood in front of the room as Jinwoon unlocked it with a dramatic flair, flinging the door open like it was a hotel suite.

“Ta-dah! Welcome to Room 115, home of chaos and questionable ramen habits.”

Hoshi kicked a box of instant noodles near the coffee table. “Speak for yourself.”

Lekir stood frozen at the doorway, suitcase in hand, his eyes widening as he took in the sight before him.

“…Is this really the dorm?” he asked, voice laced with disbelief.

The entrance opened into a grand common area, more akin to a luxury apartment suite than a high school dorm room. Soft recessed lighting bathed the room in a warm glow. The polished wooden floors gleamed, reflecting the sunlight streaming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end, where beige curtains billowed slightly with the breeze.

The spacious room was tastefully furnished with a sleek, L-shaped leather sofa facing a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. A glass coffee table sat in the center, books, game controllers, and a decorative bonsai tree, which belongs to Hoshi placed neatly on top. To the left was a full kitchenette with a marble counter, stocked with a built-in stove, fridge, and even a coffee machine. The fridge alone looked like it could store enough food for an army.

Three doors branched off from the living space—each one leading to a separate bedroom.

That makes Lekir's jaw dropped.

“I thought—” Lekir blinked in surprised. “I thought the dorm rooms were small. Like bunk beds, shared desks, zero privacy.”

Jinwoon grinned, dragging Lekir's suitcase in behind him. “Welcome to Class A privilege, baby. This school doesn’t play around when it comes to spoiling rich kids.”

“You better enjoy it before you graduate and enter the suffering adult world.” Hoshi added dryly from the sofa, where he sat cross-legged flipping through a magazine.

Lekir stepped further inside, trailing his fingers along the wall as he passed. “This is...insane.”

“Wait until you see the bathrooms,” Jinwoon chimed, bouncing toward one of the doors. “You get your own sink and cabinet space, there’s a rainfall showerhead, and the toilet has like…five buttons. Still not sure what the ‘vortex massage’ one does.”

Hoshi sighed. “Don’t press random buttons on the toilet again. I had to mop the whole floor after the last incident.”

“Not my fault it shot water at me!”

Lekir let out a soft laugh, still visibly stunned as he peeked into the room that would be his. It was no less impressive. A single bed with plush pillows and a thick duvet, a study desk beneath a wide window, built-in bookshelves, a closet with sliding glass doors. It felt more like a guest room at a high-end hotel.

“…Is it okay if I stay here?” he murmured quietly, not looking at them.

Jinwoon stopped goofing around and gave him a gentle smile. “You’re one of us now. Of course you can.”

“Yeah,” Hoshi said without glancing up from his magazine, “just don’t snore.”

Lekir felt warmth pool in his chest, a quiet sense of belonging settling in. After everything he’d gone through lately—after all the silence and loneliness—this little bit of comfort felt overwhelming.

He placed his bag beside the bed and turned back to them.

“Thanks. For letting me in.” Lekir smiles.

“You’re part of the chaos now,” Jinwoon said proudly. “No turning back.”

“Oh, and dinner’s on you,” Hoshi added lazily. “House tradition for the new guy.”

“What?! You can't be serious!”

“Hoshi’s lying,” Jinwoon laughed. “He’s just lazy. But we are ordering takeout tonight to celebrate. You like curry?”

Lekir nodded slowly, a small smile forming on his lips as he took in the moment. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad here after all.

They helped Lekir carry his other two bags and one suitcase inside his room. Jinwoon took over carrying most of it, despite Lekir’s protests. “Bro, you look like a gust of wind could knock you out. Let me handle this.”

As Jinwoon dropped one of the bags beside Lekir’s new bed, the zipper slightly slid open. A small amber bottle tumbled out and rolled across the wooden floor.

“Oh—wait, I got it—” Lekir froze as Jinwoon scooped the bottle up first.

“Huh?” Jinwoon turned it in his hand, reading the label. “This looks like some strong stuff. Are you sick or something?” He then look at Lekir, feeling curious.

Lekir’s heart thudded painfully against his ribs. Shit.

He reached out quickly, forcing a soft laugh. “Oh, that? It’s nothing serious. Just some, uh...vitamin supplements. Doctor’s orders. For stamina. I’ve been really tired lately.”

There was a brief moment of hesitation on Jinwoon’s face. He looked at the bottle again, then shrugged, handing it back. “Makes sense. You’re skinny and ghost-pale. Eat more, will you?”

"WHO WANTS RAMEN?" Jinwoon shouted as he was skipping into the kitchen.

Lekir smiled and shoved the bottle back into the bag, relief washing over him. Unbeknownst to Lekir, Hoshi had seen the interaction from across the room, eyeing him thoughtfully, but said nothing.

Later that evening...

They were lounging around in their spacious room, the sun already dipping beyond the windows, casting an orange glow across the room. Jinwoon was flipping through a manga, a bucket of popcorn beside him. Hoshi was organizing his perfectly lined-up books like a true neat freak. Lekir sat on the sofa, quietly watching Finding Nemo on the TV.

“Hey,” Hoshi said suddenly, “Have you picked a club yet?”

Lekir glanced up. “Uh, not yet. I haven’t really looked at the list.”

“You should. Clubs are mandatory here unless you have a medical exemption or special approval,” Hoshi explained, eyes narrowing slightly. “You…don’t have one of those, do you?”

“Eh?” Lekir blinked. “No, no. I’m just…taking my time.”

“Well, don’t take too long. You don’t want the faculty breathing down your neck,” Hoshi muttered, closing a textbook.

“ORRRRR,” Jinwoon popped his head out from behind above Lekir’s, a hopeful grin plastered on his face, “You could just join our club.”

“Basketball?” Lekir tilted his head. “But I’m not really athletic—”

“You don’t have to play! We need a manager. You look like the kind who’s organized and responsible and has neat handwriting,” Jinwoon grinned.

“I have bad handwriting,” Lekir deadpanned. Seriously, why me again?

“Even better. You’re unique,” Jinwoon smirked. “Come onnn, it'll be fun! Plus you get to hang out with me more. That’s a huge bonus~”

“I see that as more of a threat,” Hoshi grumbled from his corner.

Jinwoon gasped. “How dare you! I’m delightful!”

“I’ll…think about it,” Lekir said, laughing quietly.

____________________________________________

Lekir looked around the room—warm light, two idiots who somehow dragged him into their world without hesitation—and felt something settle quietly in his chest. It wasn’t peace. Not yet. But it was a start.

'11:53 PM', Lekir stared at his phone.

The room had settled into a soft hum of night sounds—the gentle rhythm of Jinwoon flipping a manga page, Hoshi quietly complaining(judging) about the book he just read and the distant chatter from the TV shows.

Lekir now sitting crossed-leg on the fluff carpet, arms folded behind his head as he stared at the dim ceiling. The ceiling lights cast warm shadows, making the room feel almost...safe. Jinwoon, predictably, dangled halfway upside down from the leather sofa, his hair a mess and a pen tucked behind one ear like he was a reporter on a mission.

“Alright, new roomie,” Jinwoon said in his most serious tone, holding up a notebook that suspiciously looked like math homework, “It’s time for your Midnight Roommate Interview!”

Lekir raised a brow, stifling a laugh. “This feels illegal.”

“Don’t worry, it is,” Hoshi murmured without looking up from his book.

“First question!” Jinwoon cleared his throat dramatically. “Do you believe in love at first sight, or do I need to walk past again?”

Lekir laughed properly this time, covering his face with his arm. “Next question, please. I’m emotionally unstable for that kind of flirting.”

“Noted!” Jinwoon scribbled something that looked more like a doodle. “Okay, okay. Real question: I heard you're Lekiu Iskandar's twin. Is it true?”

Lekir hesitated. His smile faltered, just for a second, before he nodded. “Yeah…I am.”

“Interesting!” Jinwoon perked up. “What is he to you? A good brother? Tsundere? Brocon? Also dying of charm like you?”

Lekir raised an eyebrow. “...Why are you asking like you’re writing a dating profile?”

“Well, I might have some heard rumors,” Jinwoon hummed. “About a delinquent, your twin obviously. Rude, rough, bit of a lone wolf, constantly arguing with teachers, wears his uniform like he’s starring in some gangster drama. That wouldn’t be your brother, would it?”

Lekir pursed his lips, looking a little uncomfortable. “Sounds about right.”

“Oh,” Jinwoon blinked. “So you are twins? That’s insane. You two are, like, the total opposite. You’re like—angel energy, and he’s all ‘I’ll shank you in an alley’ vibes.”

“I—what?” Lekir couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image. “You’re exaggerating.”

“You’d be surprised,” Hoshi muttered from his side of the room, voice colder now. He closed his book with a soft snap and leaned forward. “Lekiu Dean, your twin. Second-year. Hot-headed. Got into at least four fights last semester. Punched a senior. Twice.”

Lekir flinched slightly at the name spoken aloud.

“Wait, you know him?” he asked as he turned towards Hoshi.

“I wish I didn’t,” Hoshi scoffed, sitting up straighter now. “He insulted my art, saying it looked like a 5 year old painting in front of everyone. And I almost punched him in the face. Luckily, I'm a gentleman so I bribed the judges and I won off course."

Lekir doesn't know whether he should laugh or pity the Hoshi dude...but he cheated...

Jinwoon nodded. “Okay, that explains the tension. So wait, are you two close?”

Lekir hesitated again. His smile dropped this time. “...We used to be.”

"Is that why you came here? To this school?" Hoshi ask, arms crossed and his eyes scanning Lekir's expression.

Lekir let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah. To apologize."

There was a silence. Not awkward—just heavy.

Jinwoon shifted from his perch, slowly lowering himself to the edge of Lekir’s side. “What happened?”

“I guess…” Lekir’s voice was soft, like the weight of the words made them hard to push out. “Growing up, we were always compared. Always...expected to be the same. He hated it. I guess he started pulling away after that. We fought a lot. He said I made him feel invisible.”

“Is that why he turned…y’know. Rough?” Jinwoon asked gently.

“I don’t know,” Lekir admitted. “Maybe it’s because I didn’t try hard enough to understand him. Or maybe I was too scared to.”

Another pause. Hoshi’s face softened—just a flicker—but it was enough to reveal he was paying more attention than he let on.

“I don’t like him,” Hoshi said bluntly, “But...I guess if you’re his brother, he can’t be entirely trash.”

“I’m touched,” Lekir smiled faintly, sarcasm gently lacing his tone.

“Well, you should be,” Jinwoon nodded. “That’s the closest thing to affection Hoshi will ever show anyone.”

“Lies,” Hoshi yawned. “I once gave you half of my tempura shrimp.”

“...That’s true,” Jinwoon muttered with a look of fond betrayal. “I cried that night.”

Lekir chuckled, feeling the warmth between them spread like a soft blanket across his weary heart. For the first time in a long while, even if just for a moment, the ache inside his chest quieted.

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