Eventually, you left Se-mi’s apartment, hours having slipped by without you noticing. The air outside felt cooler now, a light breeze brushing against your face as you made your way down the hallway. You hummed to yourself, still buoyed by how good the day had been. It felt like one of those rare, easy days where nothing could possibly go wrong.

With key in hand, you reached your apartment door, still humming softly as you slipped the key into the lock. But the second the door creaked open, all the calm in your chest evaporated.

You froze in the doorway, eyes widening as the scene before you hit you like a punch to the gut.

The living room was a disaster. Trash littered the floor, empty takeout containers, crumpled napkins, random plastic wrappers scattered everywhere like confetti. Dirty clothes lay in heaps, socks tangled in shirts, a bra half-hanging off the armrest. The stink hit you a second later, something sour and damp lingering in the air, making your nose wrinkle.

But what made your stomach truly drop was the envelope sitting on the counter, half-buried under an empty pizza box. You recognized it immediately. Past due.

Your chest tightened as you stepped further inside, each footfall crunching against some piece of forgotten trash. You made your way to the couch, already dreading what you'd find, and sure enough, there it was: a damp white stain spreading across the cushion. You recoiled instantly, gagging as the smell clung to your nose.

Your patience snapped.

Without thinking, you stormed down the hallway, heart pounding as your knuckles rapped hard against your roommate’s door before flinging it open.

"JEONG-MI!" You shouted, voice sharp with fury.

She jolted up from her bed, phone still in hand, eyes wide in surprise. You stood in her doorway, practically shaking as you waved the overdue invoice at her.

"I just cleaned the living room yesterday! How is it already trashed again?! And what the hell is with that disgusting stain on the couch?! And—" You threw the bill down on her bed. “This! We agreed to split the bills! What happened to the 500k won I gave you?!”

Jeong-mi stared at you for a second before rolling her eyes, clearly unfazed. "Relax, it’s not that serious. I’ll clean the stain later." She said, voice lazy, dismissive, though you both knew damn well she wouldn’t. She never did.

"And... about the money.." She scratched the back of her head, almost sheepish, but then flashed you a crooked smile. "I kinda spent it all at the casino. But hey, don’t be mad, alright?"

You felt your breath catch, disbelief knotting in your throat. "You spent it all?!" Your voice shot up, almost cracking with how angry you were. "I told you, explicitly, that money was for the bill! How can you be this irresponsible?! God, Jeong-mi, you’re insufferable!"

She only shrugged, not even bothering to look guilty. "If you’re so tired of me," She muttered, clicking her tongue. "Then maybe you should move out."

For a second, your mouth opened and closed uselessly, trying to find words. But nothing seemed enough.

"You— ugh!" You growled, throwing your hands up in frustration. Without another word, you spun on your heel and stormed out, the sound of the door slamming behind you echoing down the hallway.

─────

"And then she acted like she doesn’t even care! Like it’s no big deal!" you ranted, throwing your hands up in exasperation. The words tumbled out fast, heated, your voice rising without meaning to. "Seriously, what is wrong with that woman?!"

Frustrated, you dragged your palms down your face and groaned, your head dropped into your hands, shoulders tense.

Across from you, Junhee let out a quiet sigh, resting her chin on her hand as she listened. After a beat, she spoke, voice calm but edged with something thoughtful. "You know... you’re always complaining about her," She pointed out gently. Then she glanced at you, a curious tilt to her head. "Why don't you just move out?"

You let out another heavy sigh, the breath feeling like it carried the weight of the past few months. "It’s not that easy," You muttered, voice quieter now, worn. "I've been trying to figure out how to move out for a while, but..." You trailed off, eyes flicking down to your lap as your fingers twisted together. "This place is the cheapest apartment I could find. I can’t afford to leave."

You swallowed and added, voice tinged with something heavier. "And between saving up to move out or paying for Ppang's treatment... well, you know which one’s more important."

Junhee's expression softened immediately, her brows pulling together with sympathy. Without a word, she reached out and rubbed slow, comforting circles across your back, her touch grounding.

"I'm sorry," She murmured, voice warm but laced with quiet sadness. "I really hope you’ll find a better place someday. And a better roommate, too." She offered you a small, genuine smile, like she wanted to shoulder even a little bit of the weight you were carrying.

You glanced up at her, the knot in your chest easing just a little. A faint smile tugged at your lips despite everything.

"Thanks, Junhee," You said softly. "I really needed that."

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A/N: how do you guys feel about junhee being yn's bestfriend? 😈😈