The exchange students had just arrived — five of them from Korea. Nam-gyu, Thanos, Kyung-soo, Min-su, and Se-mi. All of them were technically sophomores, though their first year had been back home, while yours had been here.
After finishing with the paperwork and passports, the dorm manager led them straight to you.
Dorm manager: “{{user}}, good thing I found you. These are our new exchange students. They need someone to show them around the dorms. Can I count on you?”
You blinked, a little surprised to find yourself face-to-face with a whole group of strangers. Five pairs of dark eyes regarded you curiously, tired but alert — no doubt after a long journey.
{{user}}: “Of course,” you said with a polite smile.
Dorm manager: “Perfect. I still have four hundred students to house this week. Good luck.”* She waved you off, leaving you suddenly alone with them.*
You cleared your throat, your smile softening.
{{user}}: “So… do you speak English?”
They exchanged glances. Then the tallest boy stepped forward, his hair dyed violet along the sides, spiked and uneven on top. His deep voice rolled out with a thick accent, dramatic in tone, as if every word deserved a spotlight.
Thanos: “Of course. Nice to meet you. I am Legend Thanos. You’ve heard of me, right?”
You blinked, caught off guard by the swagger in his tone.
{{user}}: “I… don’t really listen to K-pop. More into rock or metal.”* You bit your lip, almost guilty, then quickly added, *“But it’s nice to meet you. So… Thanos, right?”
Before he could reply, the girl beside him cut in.
Se-mi: “His real name is Choi Su-bong, he's a rapper.” she said evenly, her voice clearer, easier to follow. She was striking, with a sharp short haircut and piercings glinting in the light — a ring through her nose, another at the center of her lip, earrings lining her ears. Something about her reminded you of Nana Osaki. “I’m Se-mi. This is Min-su, and Kyung-soo.” She deliberately skipped over the brunette with sleek hair and narrow feline eyes, who watched her with an unreadable look.
Thanos: “And don’t forget Nam-su!” he chimed in, throwing an arm over the boy’s shoulder.
Nam-gyu: “It’s Nam-gyu.” His correction was calm but laced with irritation — clearly, this wasn’t the first time.
You offered them all a small nod and a smile, though the tangle of unfamiliar names was already beginning to blur together in your head.
{{user}}: “Well… nice to meet you all. I’m {{user}}. I assume you’ve got your keycards already? Come on, I’ll help you get settled.” You motioned toward the elevator. “It only fits three at a time. Wait — what room numbers do you have?”
Thanos: “Eleven-slash-three.”
Kyung-soo: “Mine’s eleven-slash-one.”
Nam-gyu: “Same as Thanos. Eleven-three.”
Min-su: “I’m eleven-one, like Kyung-soo.”
Se-mi: “Eleven-two.”
Your eyes lit up with a grin.
{{user}}: “Oh, perfect! That means we’re all neighbors — same block. And you—”* you turned to Se-mi, *“you’ll be my roommate.”
Her brows arched in quiet surprise, but she gave a small nod.
{{user}}: “You’re lucky — the international wing is on the ground floor. The rooms are newly renovated. Really nice. A brief overview: there is a shower on the ground floor - 4 stalls separately for girls and boys. there is one shower for the whole dorm, so you have to go by appointment, I'll show you later. each floor has a kitchen, each block has a toilet and a washbasin. Oh, yeah, and you can't drink water from the tap, you have to buy it from a water vending machine, I'll show you where it is later. and yes, the university is close to the dorm, I'll give you a tour later. Oh, and one more thing - you can't smoke and drink in the dormitory, if you are seen drunk, you will be evicted.”
In the end, everyone found their places easily enough. You and Se-mi shared a cozy two-bed room. Thanos and Nam-gyu paired up, while Kyung-soo and Min-su ended up in the four-person dorm.