Chapter 268: Roommates for Sale
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 268: Roommates for Sale
The news of the move was delivered out of the blue while everyone was eating.
"A move?"
As I asked back, dazed, Manager Chan-yeong nodded with a delighted expression.
"We’re moving to a building located right between the company and the broadcasting station, so travel time will be significantly reduced. Plus, there’s one more room than we have here!"
When Jeong Seong-bin asked if there was a general hospital nearby, I stayed quiet and minded my own business. To put it simply, we were moving to a place with much better security and a far superior location than our current dorm.
"So, decide which furniture you're going to throw away in advance. If there's anything you need, tell Dae-yeon beforehand."
As soon as Manager Chan-yeong finished speaking, Manager Dae-yeon pulled out a notebook. He was truly reliable.
"I have a question! Can we change our beds?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon shot his arm up and stood from his seat.
"My feet keep sticking out past the end of the bed!"
"He’s right. It’s actually a bit scary to see when I wake up in the middle of the night."
At my comment, bursts of laughter erupted from all over the practice room.
I wondered if he was the only one living in a bean sprout steamer, because Lee Cheong-hyeon was growing taller by the day. As a result, the unfortunate incident of his feet dangling off the bed happened more often than not.
"Oh, you can assume all the bunk beds are being tossed."
"What?"
"I told you there’s an extra room. Wouldn't it be better to have two people per room? I think it’d be better to put in larger beds, too."
This was like rain during a drought. I was starting to feel guilty about stuffing Lee Cheong-hyeon into a top bunk.
Besides, everyone was so big that the single beds meant for small rooms looked a bit strained under them.
"I looked into it, and they say if you're over 180cm, it's better to get custom-made beds. So, I’m thinking of ordering six single-level beds."
"Then Kang Gyeon, can't you just take the one you're using now?"
"You think I'm the only one who should take mine? It's the same for Seong-bin Hyung."
Kang Gi-yeon started pestering Jeong Seong-bin. Seong-bin gave a bitter smile. Still, the discussion ended with everyone getting a brand-new, large, and spacious bed.
That left the matter of roommates.
"I guess we have to pick new roommates, too..."
Park Ju-woo muttered, sounding a bit regretful. He must have really enjoyed the days when the three of them lived together in a cramped space.
Well, I’m not regretful at all. I’m finally going to escape from the cold-hearted Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon.
"Actually, the Planning Team wants to film the next self-produced content with that theme, so they asked you guys to fill these out in advance."
"We’re moving next year, but we’re filming the content already?"
"It’s not that far until next year. And since the beds are custom-made and will be moved in before you guys arrive, they said we need to decide on the rooms and the headcount early."
As soon as he finished speaking, Manager Chan-yeong handed us two sheets of paper each.
The title written on the paper was 'Introducing My Old Roommate.'
I stared intently at the subtitle written below the main title.
[Introducing my roommate ( ), the person I’m putting up for sale.]
I know this. This is a scheme to firmly cement my image as a 'Polite Ruffian.'
My arms still tremble when I think of the humiliation I suffered in the past. I never imagined that brat Kang Gi-yeon would betray me like that.
But currently, I can't even touch a hair on Kang Gi-yeon's head. The only ones I’m allowed to deal with are those two, Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon.
Once again, I felt envious of Kang Gi-yeon, whose roommates were Jeong Seong-bin and Park Ju-woo. You damn System, how could you even assign the rooms like this?
First, I wrote down the name of Lee Cheong-hyeon, who lives on the bunk above me. I proceeded to fill in the large boxes for pros and cons one by one.
[Introducing my roommate (Cheong-hyeon), the person I’m putting up for sale.]
Pros:
• Tolerant of his roommate's noise.
• Greets members warmly when they return home.
• The mood maker of the room.
• Makes the room look beautiful.
Cons:
• He makes a lot of noise himself. (Roughly the level of a standard office.)
• He comes home late.
• Sometimes his feet stick out of the frame, which is scary. (This is expected to improve once everyone uses single-level beds.)
"Hmm."
It was a perfect roommate introduction. Not a single flaw.
With a satisfied expression, I picked up the next sheet.
[Introducing my roommate (Choi Je-ho), the person I’m putting up for sale.]
This one... just looking at it makes me sigh.
To be honest, Choi Je-ho isn't a bad type to live with. He’s quiet and just minds his own business.
However, thinking back to when Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon were roommates and Mr. Choi’s younger sister had to be called in as a translator, I felt I had to be careful with how I wrote this. I couldn't have his sister making the trip from Gwangju again.
After racking my brain, this is what Choi Je-ho’s introduction table looked like:
Pros:
• Tolerant of his roommate's noise.
• Never nags his roommate.
• Sleeps when it's time to sleep and wakes up when it's time to wake up.
Cons:
• Occasionally lets out a sharp "Ugh!" in the middle of the night. (Presumed to be from bumping into the corner of the bed. The decibel level isn't high.)
• Usually has earphones in, so he requires a lot of effort to get his attention. (You have to call him twice or wave your hand in front of his face for him to look at you.)
• The way he looks at his roommate isn't exactly soft. (There is no malice intended.)
I had more I wanted to say, but I held back for the sake of Choi Je-ho’s idol image. I had to protect the dignity of the Center Emperor.
While some guys were filling out their papers without hesitation, others spent a long time agonizing, writing and erasing repeatedly.
How many more minutes passed like that?
After many twists and turns, we were finally able to enter the meeting room with our roommate introduction forms in hand.
A floor plan was posted on the whiteboard. On the wall hung a flashy placard that read: 'Congratulations ☆ Spark’s First Move ☆ Success.' If they had spent the money used for that on the 'Idol Dynasty Annals' instead... No, what’s the point of bringing up the past?
'Still, I'm glad the floor plan isn't the actual floor plan of the dorm.'
If they had brought a real floor plan that allowed people to deduce the building or the square footage, they would have been roasted for advertising Spark's location to sasaengs. Thank you for the meticulous handling of the matter.
Jeong Seong-bin, who had received the roommate introduction forms along with the script, opened the proceedings with practiced ease.
"...And so, as you can see, we are going to decide on roommates before moving into the new dorm!"
"I have a question! Is the room size the same as in the drawing?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon asked. There was one large room, and the other two rooms were similar in size.
"That's what I heard. Cheong-hyeon, are you eyeing the big room?"
"Of course. I'm a maximalist, you know."
Lee Cheong-hyeon spoke confidently. It seemed the battle for room assignments wouldn't be easy.
We decided to read the roommate introductions starting from the youngest. Kang Gi-yeon cleared his throat with a dry cough and read Jeong Seong-bin’s introduction.
"Introducing my roommate, Seong-bin Hyung. Seong-bin Hyung’s greatest strength is his consideration for others. Even if a conflict were to arise, if Seong-bin Hyung is your roommate, you’ll be able to resolve it amicably."
You called me a polite ruffian. Isn't the gap between these descriptions a bit too wide?
"Seong-bin Hyung also has very upright lifestyle habits. I’ve learned a lot from him."
You told me I had an uncompromising personality because I ate chewy cold noodles for a month straight. You said I was an incomprehensible guy who didn't even know what 'uniqueness' was.
"The con was really hard to think of... but since cell phone use was permitted, he occasionally raises his voice during phone calls. Hyung rushes out to the balcony, but honestly, I can hear everything. Seong-jun Hyung, please don't upset Seong-bin Hyung too much!"
Kang Gi-yeon moved next to Jeong Seong-bin and made a makeshift heart with one arm. A dazed Jeong Seong-bin completed the heart with him.
For Park Ju-woo, the pro was creating a clean environment, and the con was the pressure of feeling like he had to live cleanly as well. Since Kang Gi-yeon was also quite tidy, it didn't really seem like a con.
"Is it my turn next?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon opened his paper with great bravado. Choi Je-ho rested his chin on his hand and stared at him.
"First, my first roommate! Introducing Je-ho Hyung!"
His voice was energetic. I could feel his excitement from where I sat.
"His strength is that he’s easygoing. You all know how quiet Je-ho Hyung is when he’s alone, right?"
If he were loud even when he was alone, would that be normal?
"I wrote 'no interest in his roommate' as a con, but this can also be a pro. No matter who becomes his roommate! No matter what you do in the room! Je-ho Hyung won't even look at you!"
"But still, if someone started breakdancing in the room, wouldn't he at least look...?"
Park Ju-woo asked with a worried face. I don't know why he’s asking that. Does Ju-woo breakdance in his room or something?
"Je-ho Hyung has another pro. You can borrow clothes from him anytime."
"Can't you just borrow clothes from the other members?"
Kang Gi-yeon asked. But Lee Cheong-hyeon shook his head firmly.
"For us, Je-ho Hyung’s zip-up hoodies are perfect! They have that beautiful oversized fit."
"Is that why you're always asking to borrow my hoodies?"
Choi Je-ho asked with an incredulous expression. Lee Cheong-hyeon shot back, asking if that wasn't obvious.
"And for the con~ there’s the interest issue I mentioned earlier! Our Je-ho Hyung wouldn't even know if I didn't come home."
"You just need to come back to the dorm on time."
"Cheong-hyeon is a busy guy."
Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had actually been busy until the day before yesterday, spoke as if spitting blood. Choi Je-ho, who wasn't unaware of this fact, quietly shut his mouth this time.
"But well, as the person who has shared a room with Je-ho Hyung the longest among us, I guarantee he’s a good roommate! Trust me!"
Lee Cheong-hyeon thumped his chest with his palm. We responded with mechanical applause.
"Next, I’m going to introduce my second roommate, I-wol Hyung!"
Lee Cheong-hyeon swapped the order of his papers.
"Pro number one! He is generous toward his roommate's mistakes! He has a gentlemanly side where he’ll just quietly pick up and put back items I occasionally drop on his bed without saying a word!"
"Ooh."
"Pro number two! He has a lot of interest in his roommate! That’s the complete opposite of Je-ho Hyung, right?"
Inadvertently, my eyes met Choi Je-ho’s in mid-air. We are... opposite types. In terms of personality.
"And that’s it for the pros."
"The pros have been kind of short since a while ago, haven't they?"
Kang Gi-yeon hit the nail on the head. But Lee Cheong-hyeon didn't care.
"If you wanted to hear more pros, you Hyungs should have treated Cheong-hyeon better, right?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon said with a glint in his eyes. A plea to just skip my cons rose all the way to the tip of my tongue.