Chapter Text
The fall semester started off insignificantly enough as it always did for Jinsoul. Same routine as the last 3 years; moving in, syllabus week, going to the bookstore, checking bank account, then crying. By senior year, Jinsoul came to expect that university life was mundane.
She has had the same roommate since sophomore year; an ecology major named Haseul. She was a nice girl, on the shorter side, and definitely more outgoing than Jinsoul. The two got along pretty well, only really getting into disagreements about petty things. But it’s been a breeze for the most part, and she’s eternally grateful for that. Life was easy; predictable.
Haseul came back to their room that Thursday afternoon, more chipper than usual. Her bag landed with a thud by her desk, making Jinsoul look up from her book.
With a cheesy grin plastered on her face, Haseul asked,
“Do you have any plans tonight?”
“Depends on what you’re going to ask me to do,” she slotted a bookmark between the pages and shut it. She leaned back in her chair and waited for the incoming question.
Haseul knew she never had plans during the week; she saved the partying for the weekends. She wouldn’t have asked unless she needed something.
“ViVi isn’t on the bowling team anymore since she graduated.”
“Good for her. What does that have to do with me?” Jinsoul said flatly.
“We need another player. We need a few, actually, so we’re trying to recruit people.”
“I’m not joining your bowling cult,” she scoffed. Jinsoul didn’t like team sports normally, but unofficial team sports were somehow worse.
Haseul had joined a student-run bowling club last spring. It’s an amateur league full of college kids so no one really takes it seriously. But it was good for Haseul to expand her social circle a bit, seeing as Jinsoul wasn't. Unfortunately, a good third of the members graduated last spring. Now the club barely had enough people to rent out two lanes.
Haseul has tried to recruit Jinsoul before, and she politely declined. Number one, she wasn’t a big fan of bowling. And number two, she wasn’t big fan of people.
She wasn’t antisocial or anything like that, she just didn’t see the point of trying to make friends her senior year. Jinsoul had a pretty small circle, only a few people she’d call her friends. Everyone else was just passing by. Even her dear roommate was just a temporary person, no matter how much Haseul denied it.
The truth about college is that once you graduate, you start to fade from their mind. Everyone moves on to bigger and better things; growing into a full functioning adult. Things like friends and bowling clubs become less and less important when you’re faced with crippling student debt and a 9-5 job. If it won’t matter in five years, then why bother participating in it?
Haseul rolled her eyes. She put her hands on her hips and stood her ground.
“It’ll just be for one night. Unless you come to your senses and realize it’s really fun and cool and want to join the team. You’re a size medium, right?”
Jinsoul threatened to chuck the book at her, but didn’t want to lose her spot.
“Okay, okay! It’ll just be a one time thing. I’ll never ask you to do it again!”
“I suck at bowling. And I don’t know anyone on your team, it’ll just be weird,” she mumbled.
“No it won’t! They’re super friendly, they’ll love you,” Haseul assured.
Jinsoul raised her eyebrows. It’s not that she doubted they were nice people, it’s just…The bowling league is adjacent to theater kids on the Weird Kid Spectrum. Jinsoul has only met a few of them before when they’d come over to visit Haseul, and Jinsoul could tell she was the normal one.
“Please,” she drew out the syllables. Her eyes turned into big saucers, reflecting the light from her desk lamp. It was a stark contrast from the headstrong woman who she was just talking to a few minutes ago. Haseul was good at using theatrics to get her way; honestly, she’s better off joining the drama club.
Jinsoul winced. “Fuck no.”
Haseul got on her knees and rubbed her hands together. “You only have to go this once and then I’ll never ask you for anything ever again.”
Jinsoul groaned, shaking her head. She was really ramping up the theatrics for this one thing, she thought. She knew Haseul liked bowling, but she didn’t think she cared that much about it. But Haseul only asks for a favor once in a blue moon, so she feels like she owes it to her. It would just be one time.
“Fine. But I’m playing with the guard rails up.”
Haseul jumped to her feet, repeating thank you over and over again. Jinsoul swatted her off with her book.
With Jinsoul filling in for ViVi, there was enough people for at least one round, four players on each team. Haseul made a comment about how another teammate recruited some sophomores, but she tuned her out. She was too preoccupied with the impending doom of wearing worn-down bowling shoes. The feeling made her skin crawl; she never got used to the way they slid against the floor.
They arrived at the lanes a little after 8:00, the sun still holding out long enough to paint a sunset. The lighting in the bowling alley was starkly different, both girls having to walk slowly until their eyesight adjusted to the low light. When Haseul could finally see, she spotted her teammate and started waving and running towards her. Jinsoul felt secondhand embarrassment, but at least she was happy.
Jinsoul caught up with her and her friends all welcomed her. She walked awkwardly, cursing the stupid clown shoes.
“So you’re Jinsoul! I’m Sooyoung," The girl stuck out her hand and she hesitantly shook it.
“Hi.” Jinsoul felt her face burn. She’d have to do this again and again for every person she met…Just the thought of it was exhausting. Still, she forced herself to smile and be cordial.
She exchanged names with a few more people, most of whom she forgot immediately. All she knew is that Haseul’s team consisted of Sooyoung and Jiwoo— and herself, temporarily.
Then the two sophomores came in, and Jinsoul dreaded having to introduce herself again.
“You actually showed up! Wow!” Jiwoo clapped.
The two girls stood close to each other, one standing slightly behind the other, hidden in the shadows.
“I’m Heejin,” the girl in front said. “Jiwoo is in my Theater Appreciation class.”
And that’s when Jinsoul tuned out for the second time. Jiwoo started telling a funny story about their professor, but Jinsoul couldn’t focus. All of her words jumbled together into white noise, becoming indecipherable. She had mastered the art of pretend listening by this point in her academic career; a nod and a hum can fool anybody.
She only snapped out of it when she noticed movement. It must’ve been time to start actually playing, she figured as she followed them to the lanes. Her body was on autopilot, just mirroring whatever Haseul was doing. She tried to copy her form, but the ball still hit the bumpers every time.
After unceremoniously rolling the ball down the lane, she turned and walked back towards the bench and sat down without even looking back. She heard the clattering of pins, and Haseul’s shriek.
“Jinsoul, you got 3 points!”
She looked up at the girl sitting across from her. “You hear that? I’m catching up.”
The girl let out a laugh, eyes crinkling. Jinsoul was relieved that her joke landed— most of the time they don’t. The feeling was fleeting though, because she realized she hadn’t gotten her name. It might have come up earlier in conversation, but she wasn’t paying attention.
“I’m sorry, I’m terrible with names. What did you say your name was again?”
The girl’s round eyes widened, and Jinsoul was afraid she had offended her. But a shy smile grew across her face. Her teeth were really white, she noted.
“Hyunjin.”
“Hyunjin. Hyunjin, Hyunjin, Hyunjin. Got it.” Jinsoul tapped her temple.
She giggled, tucking her black hair behind one ear.
“Hyunjin, it’s your turn,” Heejin tapped her in. She got up, nodding to Jinsoul before going down to the lane.
After hitting a homerun in the social interaction department (see: making a pretty girl laugh) Jinsoul felt like she did enough participation for the night. Unfortunately, Heejin wanted to engage in small talk. Not wanting to be the grumpy senior, she indulged her.
“What’s your major?”
Classic. An easy question.
“Biology,” Jinsoul answered. “You?”
“Fine Art.”
“Cool.”
Jinsoul wanted the conversation to end there, but Heejin was very talkative apparently.
“So how long have you been roommates with Haseul?”
“Since sophomore year. My randomly assigned roommate from freshman year ended up transferring schools so I got placed with Haseul.”
Heejin nodded. She looked over her shoulder at said girl and watched her take her turn in an unnecessarily wide stance.
“She seems fun.”
Jinsoul hummed in agreement. They heard the clatter of pins, meaning that whatever goofy pose Haseul was doing had worked somehow.
“This might seem like a weird question but,” Heejin hesitated. She glanced over at Hyunjin, who was getting in line to take her shot. “How long did it take for you guys to… you know, click?”
“Well…not long, really. It probably helps that Haseul is an extrovert. I just got lucky I guess.”
Heejin nodded, eyes drifting back towards Hyunjin.
“But roommates don’t really have to “click” you know? You just need to find someone you can tolerate for four years.”
Heejin didn’t seem enthused about that idea, but she still nodded.
“Why? Are you and Hyunjin not getting along?” Jinsoul prodded. She was curious now, although she would be humiliated to admit it. She liked when people, especially complete strangers, opened up to her.
“No, it’s just…” Heejin sighed. She looked up while forming her thoughts. “She’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but her vibe is….off.”
Jinsoul had to keep herself from laughing, biting her inner cheek. That was until Heejin herself laughed, shaking her head as she put them in her hands.
“It sounds stupid, I know. She hasn’t done anything, but I just feel like I’m going to wake up with my eyebrows shaved off.”
Jinsoul chuckled as Heejin sat back up, leaning back against the bench.
“I sound insane, I know.”
“No, I think you’re just a little paranoid. She just seems really shy.”
Heejin let out a sigh, slumping down.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s been a year, though. I thought she would’ve warmed up to me by now.”
Now Jinsoul was the one who looked over at the girl. But when she did it, Hyunjin was already staring at her. And not in an awkward, unintentional kind of eye contact way; it felt like she was trying to see through her. Her eyes were fixed on Jinsoul for some reason, and she didn’t look away even after being caught. Instead she just gave a small smile, before turning around to take her turn.
Jinsoul watched her as she picked up a yellow marbled ball and threw it down. It knocked down seven pins, putting her team in the lead.
Dammit. Maybe I need to get better at this bowling thing.