out of the blue ⟡ hwang hyunjin ✓

VII

The news hit the school like a bombshell.

At the morning assembly, the principal, Mrs. Kang, stood at the podium with an unusually serious expression. Behind her, a banner announced:

SOPA Boarding Transition Plan 2017

Whispers rippled through the crowd of students like a wave.

"What's going on?" Haewon leaned over to Minjun, her eyes wide.

"No idea," Minjun whispered back.

"Quiet down, everyone," Mrs. Kang said, her voice echoing through the auditorium. "Starting next week, SOPA will officially transition into a boarding school. All students will be required to stay in on-campus dormitories during the school week. This decision has been made to provide a more immersive educational environment and foster stronger community bonds to get you guys ready for your idol routine."

The auditorium erupted.

"Boarding school?!"

"What about our homes?!"

"This can't be real!"

Minjun felt her stomach drop. "They're kidding, right? This has to be a joke."

"It's not," Sullyoon muttered, her face pale.

"This is going to be chaos," Haewon said, shaking her head.

As the students shuffled back to class, the conversation was dominated by the announcement.

"This is ridiculous," Minjun fumed, slamming her notebook onto her desk.

"Yeah, well, we don't have a choice," Felix said, shrugging. "At least it'll be interesting."

"Interesting?" she repeated, glaring at him. "How is losing our freedom interesting?"

"Calm down, Jun," Seungmin said. "It's not the end of the world."

"Easy for you to say," Minjun snapped. "You love rules and structure."

Seungmin smirked. "And you're allergic to them."

"Exactly!"

Before she could spiral further, Hyunjin sauntered into the classroom, looking more smug than usual.

"Let me guess," he said, addressing Minjun, "you're freaking out about this whole dorm thing."

"Of course I'm freaking out!" she snapped. "Why aren't you?"

"Because," he said, dropping into the seat next to her, "I can actually handle change. Unlike you."

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "You're just as dramatic as I am. Remember last week when your favorite juice wasn't in the vending machine?"

"That was different," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Sure it was," Minjun muttered, rolling her eyes.

The following week, students arrived on campus with suitcases in tow. The dormitories were divided by grade level, with boys and girls assigned to separate wings.

Minjun stood in the lobby of the girls' dorm, staring at the chaos. Students were scrambling to claim the best bunks, hauling furniture, and arguing over who got the top or bottom bed.

"This is a nightmare," Minjun muttered.

"Not if you pick your roommate wisely," Sullyoon said, already staking a claim on a corner bed.

"Obviously, I'm rooming with you," Minjun said, dropping her bag beside Sullyoon's.

Across campus in the boys' dorm, Felix and Hyunjin were having their own battle.

"I'm not sharing a room with you," Felix declared, dragging his suitcase to the opposite side of the room.

"Gosh Lix please!," Hyunjin shot back. "I swear i'll deal with your sleep-talking anyway."

"I do not sleep-talk!" Felix protested.

"Yeah, you do," Seungmin chimed in, walking past with his bag. "It's creepy."

"Fuck," Mumbled Minjun looking at the paper on the campus's builtin board. "it's gotta be 4 in every room starting tomorrow but today it should be any number." 

That evening, the school held a welcome dinner to celebrate the new dorm setup.

Minjun sat at a table with her friends, poking at her food. "I give this whole boarding school thing a week before it implodes."

"You're so dramatic," Seungmin said, laughing.

"She's not wrong," Haewon said. "The cafeteria is already running out of food, and it's only the first day."

Hyunjin passed by their table, overhearing the conversation. "Still whining, Minjun?"

She glared at him. "Still existing, Hyunjin?"

"Try to make it through the week without starting a war," he said, smirking.

"Try to make it through the week without annoying the entire school," she shot back.

"Too late for that," Felix muttered under his breath, earning a laugh from Jisung.

Later that night, as the dorms quieted down, Minjun was jolted awake by a loud banging sound.

"What was that?" Sullyoon mumbled groggily.

"No idea," Minjun said, slipping out of bed. She peeked into the hallway and saw Hyunjin standing there, holding a broom and glaring at a large spider on the wall.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice dripping with disbelief.

"Trying to deal with this monster," he said, gesturing to the spider.

She crossed her arms. "Seriously? You're scared of a spider?"

"I'm not scared," he said defensively. "I just don't want it near me."

Minjun smirked. "Want me to get it for you?"

"No," he said quickly.

"Too late." She grabbed the broom, effortlessly knocking the spider to the floor before scooping it up and tossing it out the window.

"There," she said, handing the broom back. "Crisis averted."

Hyunjin muttered something under his breath and stalked back to his room, leaving Minjun grinning in triumph.

Over the next few days, the students began to settle into dorm life—though not without its fair share of chaos.

Minjun and Hyunjin continued to clash at every turn, their arguments becoming the talk of the school. But amidst the fights and teasing, a strange new dynamic began to form between them—one that neither was willing to admit.