Chapter Text
It’s a Friday. I hate myself.
“I should have been more careful,” is my first thought when I finally manage to stumble into the apartment where I’ve been living for the past 2 years with my roomie, Seungmin. We get along great, and I can honestly say he’s my best friend. But I don’t know how I’m going to tell him about this. I mean I really f*cked up.
No, actually, it wasn’t me. It was Him. I hate Him. God, I don’t even want to mention his name. My stupid boyfriend (ex now..?) refused to wear a condom, and now that I’m… well… with child, he’s nowhere to be f*cking found. It was stupid. We were stupid. IT SUCKS. I can’t stand the idea of getting rid of this… life?? It is so weird to think about but I think my only option is to endure. Like- maybe if I’m a really good mother I can make up for this mistake?? But this is going to be the worst nine months of my life… and I’ve heard so many horror stories. I can get through it though… I think?
All this and more is racing through my mind, when suddenly, I hear the turning of a key in the apartment door. Seungmin? I almost forgot someone else lives here!
“Mirae-rae?? Are you here? I got boba! 75% sweet, just how I know you like.” I don’t answer.
“Mimi-rae I’m pretty sure you’re here, and ignoring me. That’s rude, and it would be such a shame if I poured this drink right into the sink-”
“WAIT! I’m sorry,” I exclaim through the door. He chuckles. Then swings the door open, a wide smile on his face- that is, until he sees the disheveled state I’m in.
“Mirae- what’s wrong?! You… uhh, look kinda awful.” That comment does not help me in any way to feel better, but how can he know that? So I choose to forgive him.
“Hey- um. I got some news. Not sure how to tell you.”
“... Good news?”
“You just said I ‘look kinda awful,’ how can the news possibly be good?”
“Right, I’m sorry. What happened? Can I hug you?” I hesitate for a moment, then nod, and he gently sits on my bed next to me, and wraps his arms around me. I inhale his light, flowery scent, just like clean laundry, and 2% of my worries wash away. I have to tell him.
“Well… I guess you could say we’re getting a new roommate,” I say, trying to ease my way into the topic.
“What?? It’s not your boyfriend is it? I won’t allow it. You shouldn’t even be with him. I don’t like him, Mirae. You know that.” This is a sentiment Seungmin has expressed plenty of times in the past, and I always brushed it off as him being overprotective. We’ve known each other for a long time, since primary school, so I don’t always take his warnings seriously. I should have believed him. I really should have.
“Um, no. It’s not,” I start–he breathes a sigh of relief–and I continue: “I think I’m actually done with him. But that’s- not the real news. The roommate? They’ll arrive in… nine months.”
“Huh? Nine- you don’t mean..? Please tell me you made some crazy arrangement with a pen-pal who is arriving in that amount of time because of prior engagements.??” This idea makes me giggle for a second. I wish I could tell him what he wants to hear, but it’s not the truth.
“No, that’s not what’s going on,” I start to break, tears welling up in my eyes.
“Mimi, you’re pregnant? But… He’s gone, you said? This is… a lot. A lot to take in, for sure,” he says, pulling out of the embrace to look me in the eyes. He gingerly places a hand on my knee. “It’s going to be okay, you know that right? Nothing you can say will make me abandon you. And you know what? Good riddance. That guy didn’t deserve you, and he deserves to die a million deaths for his actions. I hope we never see him again.” This sudden display of loyalty from him only makes me want to cry more, and with nothing more to hide, I allow myself to fall back into his embrace. We talk until ten, when says we should sleep, claiming it’s been a long day. I guess it has been, but for those few hours, I felt like myself again, and I don’t want him to leave my side.
“Hey- Minnie… what if… we had a sleepover?” I say, making his face change into that same smile I had seen right before I told him the news. Good, so I haven’t broken him.
“Rae-rae, you know I can never turn down a sleepover! I’ll get more blankets, you make some popcorn, and we’ll both meet back here in 10 minutes in pj’s, okay?” I roll my eyes at him. We’ve had this same routine for 10 years, the idea that I need it explained is a tad silly. But it feels nice not to think. So I say, “Yeah. That sounds great,” and head to the kitchen.
Minutes later, I’m standing in front of the microwave, mindlessly watching the popcorn kernels transform, when Seungmin calls from his room: “Hey! What are we gonna watch? Are you thinking a classic, or something new? Because I heard of this really awesome new indie film-”
“Classic, definitely. I can’t handle the unknown right now.”
“Ah, okay, I get it. Your choice then!”
“How about… Castle in the Sky?”
“Sounds… perfect, Mimi,” he says.
Although it’s one we’ve seen practically hundreds of times, it’s still just as enjoyable. We laugh, we cry, it’s great. When the movie’s over, he’s fallen asleep, so I just turn it off and slink further under the covers. I’ve had such a rollercoaster of emotions today, that I realize I didn’t ask Seungmin a single question about his day. He must have danced an awful lot today, I know even on a tour break his schedule is hectic. I try to imagine what it must be like to be him: in a famous kpop group, extremely talented at singing and dancing. Obviously, I know it can’t all be sunshine and rainbows, but I can’t help thinking how lucky he is, and how lucky I am to have him as a friend. Soon, I drift asleep, dreaming of a vague future that includes a bassinet.
