Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stitch by stitch, the garment was coming together.

Lu Guang adjusted the fabric beneath the sewing machine’s presser foot, his fingers expertly guiding the material forward. The quiet hum of the machine filled the otherwise silent dorm, punctuated only by the occasional snip of his scissors as he trimmed away excess thread.

He nodded to himself in satisfaction. It had already taken three months of meticulous work—planning, designing, sketching, sourcing materials, and sewing—to make this cosplay, all while juggling his assignments. And now it was finally nearing completion.

He ran his fingers over the nearly finished piece, smoothing out a wrinkle. The satin fabric felt cool under his touch, and a quick once-over reassured him that this was quality work.

After all, Lu Guang didn’t do things halfway.

He leaned back in his chair, involuntarily letting out a big yawn. A quick glance at his watch made his brows furrow.

2:56 A.M.

Shit.

He had an 8:30 morning lecture the next day. His professor was the strict kind, the type who locked the doors the second class began. If he overslept, he wouldn’t be getting in. And if there’s anyone who refuses to miss class no matter what, it’s Lu Guang. It’s just good etiquette.

Lu Guang let out a quiet sigh, removing his glasses and rubbing his temple before reluctantly turning off the sewing machine. He packed everything away with careful efficiency, placing the almost-finished garment in its designated storage bag and tossing it onto the vacant bottom bunk bed before climbing up to his own. 

Though most students had roommates, Lu Guang had been lucky enough to not get placed with one. This dorm had been solely his for the past year he’d been at Guidu College of Art and Design, and he’d grown accustomed to the solitude. He saw it as a blessing: he had no one to bother him, no one to interrogate him about his hobby, and he could set his own schedule and work at his own pace.

His body was stiff from hours of sitting at the sewing machine, and his eyes were sore from being under the artificial light. He drifted off to sleep almost instantly.

———

To Lu Guang’s relief, he woke up on time to make it to the morning lecture. His day was going smoothly. In fact, his day was going amazingly. 

He arrived to his class on time, grabbed lunch at his favorite campus cafe (which also happened to be hosting a free-drink-with-any-purchase promotion), got his score back from a quiz he took last week with full marks, and got dismissed from his afternoon class early with no homework. And if things couldn’t get any better, he received an email from the IT department that his school email account would be returning to functionality shortly.

He had to do an emergency password reset after his account got hacked, so he hadn’t been able to access the account all week long, posing a major inconvenience to his studies. On the brighter side, though, the hacker hadn’t even done anything. Lu Guang didn’t understand why someone felt the need to hack an art uni student’s school email account. Like, what was the goal here? 

Whatever. He wouldn’t let negative thoughts ruin his good mood. 

Back at his dorm, he got straight to work on his ongoing cosplay project. He just needed to sew a couple more pieces together; he would for sure be able to costest it today. That would leave him enough time to make any necessary adjustments before the convention he was invited to this coming weekend, where he would debut this cosplay.

He felt his muscles relax as he got to work at his sewing machine. It was comfortable. It was familiar. He liked having constants in his life, things to routinely dedicate his time to. Cosplay being one of them. 

Soon, the steady whir of the machine slowed to a stop. The last seam was in place. He smiled, stretching and flexing his fingers as he relished in the moment. It was done! Finally done. Yesssss.

He then carefully laid out each finished piece on the empty bed, getting his makeup and already-styled wig ready as well. 

Now it was finally time for the costest. The most tedious part, but also the most fun. (Occasionally also the most infuriating, if things didn’t go right.) Lu Guang got straight to work, covering his hair with a wig cap and slipping on each part of the costume. This was a female character, so he added extra padding in the chest area. 

Lu Guang didn’t cosplay female characters often, but he took it just as seriously as he takes his male character cosplays. After all, he wanted to respect the original creators. He was glad to have an androgynous figure that could pull off characters of both sexes. 

He would be minimal with the makeup for now. Though the afternoon sun’s rays still shone bright through the blinds, the sun would set soon, and Lu Guang wanted to have some natural lighting to take a few selfies.

He applied a light base, contoured his features, dabbed on some blush, broadly swept eyeshadow across his eyelids, precisely lined his eyes, applied false lashes with an expert hand, and finally, slathered on some lip gloss. He then put on the wig, clipping the detachable pigtails in place. After putting on the accessories and making some minor last-minute adjustments, Lu Guang finally stepped confidently in front of the mirror. 

Staring back at him in the mirror was a blue-haired snow princess in a multi-layered gown.

Brimming with very well-concealed excitement, he immediately got to work snapping photos—selfies, mirror selfies, full-body phone timer photos with his tripod—making use of the last streaks of daylight. 

It was as he was adjusting his tripod to another angle that he heard a commotion outside his door. Someone was trying to swipe in with their ID card. And…evidently struggling. 

First, utter confusion and shock. Did he hear wrong? This was his dorm. Who could possibly be at the door? Was it maintenance staff? But nothing in his dorm needed fixing. An impromptu one-on-one RA meeting, then? Did he do something wrong? Was he in trouble? Was he in a horror movie and about to become the first victim?

Next, panic. He couldn’t be seen like this. Not only fully decked out in cosplay, but also as a girl. He internally cringed just thinking about how he’d have to explain this to whichever poor unfortunate soul was at the door right now.

Then, finally, anger. Poor unfortunate soul? No, no. Lu Guang was the poor unfortunate soul here. He was the one being walked in on during his free time while he was working on his nerdy hobby. And this idiot didn’t even think to knock? Not that it would’ve made much of a difference, but he would’ve appreciated some semblance of manners.

“Ugh…c’mon…stupid card-! Just work- already-” came the voice at the door through a barrage of failed card swipe beeps. 

Lu Guang remained rooted in place, frozen in fear. He briefly considered trying to quickly take off the entire costume while the intruder was still stalled by failed card swipes like he was a shitty crewmate in Among Us. 

Before he could make a decision, though, the idiot seemed to have finally figured out how to use the card reader, because the door flew open with a whoosh! and in stumbled a brown-haired boy.

“OMG FINALLY HI NICE TO MEET YOU I’M-” he trailed off as he locked eyes with Lu Guang.

Oh.

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

This was so embarrassing. What the heck. What the heck.

Lu Guang desperately prayed he could just melt into the floor and disappear. (His prayers were, predictably, unanswered.)

The boy standing opposite him looked completely taken aback. His messy dark brown hair was pulled into a tiny ponytail that stuck out from the back of his head like a sore thumb. He was clad in an oversized T-shirt and sweats, carrying two giant suitcases with a guitar case slung over his shoulder. 

After what felt like an eternity of mutually stunned-to-silence stalemate, the brunette boy’s face lit up with a welcoming grin, taking a step toward Lu Guang, who instinctively took a step back. Ignoring the retreat, the boy stuck out his hand for a handshake.

“Uhm…hi! Nice to meet you, I’m Cheng Xiaoshi. I’m a photography major that transferred in late due to ‘technical difficulties.’” He rolled his eyes and mimed air quotes. “My apologies for the rude entrance, and- for staring, um- I was just. Expecting a different roommate…?” He looked away sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

Lu Guang opened his mouth but couldn’t form any words. What roommate? Lu Guang didn’t have a roommate. What was he talking about?

The boy- Cheng Xiaoshi took his silence as an invitation to keep rambling. “They told me my roommate would be a guy named Lu Guang? And at first I thought I had the wrong room, but- I double-triple checked that this was the right one! This is 913, right? Oh and by the way, love the costume! Did you make it yourself?”

Finding his voice again, Lu Guang finally spoke up. “Uhm. Yeah, that’s me. I’m Lu Guang. And, yes. I made- this.” He gestured to the dress he was wearing.

Cheng Xiaoshi flinched, evidently not anticipating Lu Guang’s deep voice. “Oh, good. Oh my god, I thought I’d have to room with a girl! Not that that’s a bad thing, it’d just be really awkward!” he breathed out, sounding as relieved as he was surprised. “Hey, it’s like, totally cool that you do this whole cosplay thing, though. You look really good!”

Lu Guang snapped out of the trance-like state he was in, coming to his senses. Wait, what? What did he say about a roommate again?

“Wait, wait. I’m sorry, why are you in my room?” he asked, a defensive edge creeping into his voice.

Cheng Xiaoshi’s smile faltered, confusion written on his face. “Huh? Because I’m your new roommate? Didn’t they email you to let you know I was coming?”

Oh, right. Lu Guang’s email account was still hacked. He silently cursed the admin team for choosing the worst possible timing and the IT department for not working faster.

He felt his heart sink. “New…roommate?” he parroted lamely.

“Yeah, I hope we’ll get along! Let me know if you have any dorm rules you want me to uphold. I’m pretty flexible!” The smile was back on Cheng Xiaoshi’s overenthusiastic face, beaming at full force.

On the other hand, Lu Guang was barely processing a word of this. He didn’t like this. He did not want a new roommate. 

He’d only had this ‘new roommate’ for five minutes and he’d already started to miss the peace and quiet and freedom to work on his own schedule. The freedom to do costests in his room, use the bottom bunk as a storage unit, and walk around the dorm naked when he forgot to get his clothes before showering.

Lu Guang internally sighed and kissed those sweet liberties goodbye.

Worst of all, he’d have to live with someone who’d just seen him in a wig and dress. Not that he was ashamed of showing his feminine side or whatever, but literally no one in his current personal life knew about his cosplaying hobby. He felt like a superhero who’d just gotten their secret identity exposed. Except he wasn’t a superhero, just a cosplaying niche internet microcelebrity. It was humiliating nonetheless.

Cheng Xiaoshi must’ve noticed Lu Guang silently spiraling, because he stepped closer, looking worried. “Hey, uh. You okay there, man?”

Lu Guang feebly nodded his head. “I’m fine,” he choked out. “I’ll…be fine.”

Cheng Xiaoshi blinked, seeming unconvinced. “Uhhh…ooookay. I’ll be unpacking my stuff, then. Holler if you need anything!”

Shouldn’t Lu Guang be the one saying that? Not that he was in much of a state to be helping his–-ugh—new roommate move in. Moving robotically, he marched toward the bottom bunk and cleared off all his stuff—his costume storage bag, his rolls of fabric, his manual sewing kit, his styrofoam wig head, and many other miscellaneous pieces of equipment. 

Just great. Where would he even store these things now? Too tired to figure it out at the moment, he opted to shove them all in his closet until he had time to think up a more optimal configuration.

As he rubbed off his eye makeup with a cotton pad, still refusing to believe his new reality, his new roommate was already humming cheerfully to himself, unpacking like a one-man hurricane. Every loud thunk and thud made Lu Guang flinch. 

A rustling noise came from one corner of the room. He froze, cotton pad lowered halfway from his face, turning around to watch in disbelief as Cheng Xiaoshi pulled out bag after bag of snacks from god-knows-where and set them on the floor like a ceremonial offering. “Hope you like-” —he picked up a package and studied it— “Shrimp crackers. Spicy takoyaki flavor. Ooh, I’ve never tried this one before. Sounds yummy,” he chirped, oblivious to the fact that Lu Guang’s entire life had just been turned upside down.

He then proceeded to pull out a plastic bag with two steamed buns in it, face lighting up. He chomped into one before offering the other to Lu Guang, talking through a mouthful of food. “Wammff one? Meat bunsh. M’ mom packed ‘em. Mad’em ‘ershelf.” He chewed thoughtfully for a bit before swallowing.

“She told me to share with my roommate. After all, the key to a man’s heart is through his stomach! And we’re roommates now, so we have to take care of each other.”

Lu Guang appreciated the sentiment, but this whole new rooming arrangement really killed his mood. And his appetite. 

“Thanks, but I’m not hungry,” he answered truthfully.

“Suit yourself.” Cheng Xiaoshi shrugged, happily demolishing the second bun himself. “More for me. You don’t know what you’re missing, though—these are legendary.”

Lu Guang just stared nonplussed as his new roommate licked his fingers and immediately launched into rummaging through another bag. 

He turned back to face his desk and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror—pigtails unclipped from his wig, costume slightly disheveled, the stubborn remains of his eye makeup smudged—and scowled. 

Hours later, Lu Guang lay stiffly in his bunk, his glare boring holes into the ceiling. His costume was stored away, his desk cleared, the lights turned off—but sleep was nowhere near.

Not with the steady, rattling snore coming from the bunk beneath him.

Lu Guang shut his eyes tighter, pillow pressed over his head. This was going to be a long, long semester.

Chapter Text

Lu Guang’s a simple guy—he likes eating, sleeping, and being good at the things he does. 

He dresses plainly, because practicality and comfort are more important than style…or so he’d say if you asked him. 

If you saw him showing up to class at Guidu College of Art and Design, where the hallway fashion scene could rival a runway, you’d think he was a lost CS major who accidentally wandered in from the STEM school down the street.

 Yeah, Lu Guang isn’t the type of guy you’d expect to be into cosplaying. But he is.

He’d begun cosplaying back in high school. Or, well, more so forced into it. He’d been roped into joining the anime club when he’d accidentally acted a little too invested listening to the club president ramble on at the club fair (shit, he’d just wanted to take a piece of candy from their bribery stash.)

The first cosplay he’d ever worn was a pre-made costume from the club’s supply. A fellow club member shoved it into his hands, practically begging him to try it on. 

He’d refused, naturally. He hadn’t even watched the anime the character was from, so what was the point? (“I told you it’s a character from a video game, not an anime! Stop getting it mixed up!”)

Their insistence eventually wore him down. "Just try it, Lu Guang! It’ll suit you really well, trust me!"

Admittedly, Lu Guang is not very good at saying no. 

And so, moments later, he found himself seated in one of the rickety classroom desks as his fellow club members scurried around him, dolling him up.

Every time Lu Guang tried to reach for his phone to entertain himself while waiting, he was quickly shut down by the club president.

“Hey! Stop that, your makeup will get messed up!” 

Forget the phone. He couldn’t even so much as lift a finger in its direction.

After an agonizing hour or so of sitting pretty, the cosplay crew finally stepped back. “Okay, done! You can look now!” a nearby girl said as she shoved a mirror into Lu Guang’s hands. 

Lu Guang blinked. Bright amber eyes framed by long false lashes blinked back at him.

Woah. Woah. 

Lu Guang suddenly didn’t know what to think. 

He was clad in an intricate dark brown suit, a much more extravagant outfit than he’d ever dared to wear before, and sporting completely new hair and eye colors. His face looked just barely recognizable under the heavy makeup.

Lu Guang had never put too much thought into his appearance. He’d always considered himself ordinary. Not unattractive, but not particularly remarkable either.

Yet, the moment he saw himself in the mirror, something shifted. 

It was a strange, unfamiliar feeling—one part fascination, one part discomfort. He felt like someone else. And yet, underneath the wig, costume, and heavy makeup, he was still himself.

He hadn’t expected to kind of…like it.

For the first time, he genuinely felt pretty.

From then on, he had become less resistant to the anime club’s constant requests for him to model for their cosplay photoshoots. He’d even begun attending their anime watch parties to actually learn about the characters he was dressing as.

He had started experimenting on his own time. His mother was a seamstress, so she’d taught him the basics of sewing. He’d applied his experience with cuffing jeans and patching holes to creating his own cosplay garments. He had also learned to style wigs and to do makeup that changed the structure of his features. He immersed himself in learning about cosplay, because if he was going to do something, he was going to do it right.

When he’d presented his first entirely self-made cosplay to the anime club, he was a nervous wreck, red-faced and stumbling over his words. The costume wasn’t perfect—it was too long and too short in the wrong parts, with a few loose threads sticking out—but the club nonetheless showered him with enthusiastic praise.

At first, he had planned to keep cosplaying entirely a private, personal hobby. He had no plans to post his cosplay photos online at all. Cosplay was just a hobby, not something he needed attention for.

He’d barely even taken pictures of his cosplays, other than a few process pics and quick selfies for the sake of documentation. He wasn’t much of a photography guy.

The only times he did get photos properly taken were the low budget cosplay photoshoots hosted by the anime club. He remembered watching the club seniors edit his photos, erasing flyaway strands of hair, adjusting facial and body proportions, replacing their green screen with fantasy backgrounds. Lu Guang was amazed at all the effort that went into cosplay photos.

Those photos were posted only on the anime club’s school blog, accessible to students only, so they didn’t exactly reach vast audiences.

But then, on a club outing to a local cosplay convention, someone had approached Lu Guang, complimenting his cosplay and asking for his socials. Lu Guang had apologetically explained that he didn’t have any, but soon another convention-goer had approached him asking the same question. 

Then another. And another.

By the end of the event, he’d lost count of how many people had wanted to follow him—only to be met with his awkward response of, “Uh… I don’t really have one.”

“Dude, you should seriously make an account,” one of his clubmates had urged later that evening. “I don’t know how you did it, but everyone was just swarming you today. People would love to see more of your work. Just don’t forget us when you’re famous…”

Although Lu Guang was hesitant at first, the clubmate’s words stuck with him. He had to admit, the recognition felt…good. It was nice to be able to share his passion with others and receive praise for his work. 

And so, he made an account, choosing the username @LG_cos. 

(Look, he’s good with cosplay, not with making up creative usernames, okay?)

He posted work-in-progress shots, finished cosplays, tutorials for props and wig styling…but absolutely refused to post about his personal life. He would keep it separate from his online persona. 

It was just about the work.

And it worked.

His following grew steadily. First, it was just local convention-goers, then international fans, then even professional cosplayers and brands. He started getting paid cosplay requests, collaborations with wig and costume companies, and invitations to events.

By the time he entered university, Lu Guang was no longer the shy boy who accidentally joined the anime club.

He was an established name in the cosplay scene.

And as long as no one in real life found out, he preferred to keep it that way.

Well, that was going really well up until last night. 

Now, Lu Guang was hiding out in the library, typing away at one of his assignments while fuming. His too-late-in-the-day-to-be-advisable coffee had gone cold, and his stomach grumbled hungrily. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and it was now nearing 7 PM. 

He could go back to his dorm and cook, but when he last stopped at his dorm to drop off something, Cheng Xiaoshi was loudly facetiming some girl he called Qiao Ling-jie. She couldn’t have been his actual sister; they don’t even have the same surname. His girlfriend, then?

Whatever. Lu Guang shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Why would he care?

Regardless, he was not getting used to this new source of noise pollution in his dorm anytime soon. 

Deciding to wrap up his work for the day, he stretched his limbs and packed up his laptop. Tonight’s dinner would just be dining hall food. He didn’t feel like cooking. He sent a quick mental prayer for a decent menu rotation; the food could be very hit or miss.

—-

Watery tomato fried egg, unseasoned broccoli, stale spring rolls…yeah, looks like tonight’s menu was a square miss. Just his luck.

But it was the only option he had at the moment, and Lu Guang wasn’t much of a picky eater. It would just have to do.

As he carried his sad little tray around the dining hall, looking for a quiet, inconspicuous corner he could sit in, he heard someone call his name.

“Lu Guang! Over here!”

Dread seeped into Lu Guang’s very existence. Steeling his gut, he slowly pivoted around to see Cheng Xiaoshi smiling brightly and waving from a few tables down.

“Oh. Hey.” He mustered up a weak grin in return. He honestly did not want to sit with him. At all.

“What are you standing around for? Come sit with us!” 

Wait- who’s “us”? 

Lu Guang noticed a girl sitting beside Cheng Xiaoshi, waving politely. 

Oh god. Please don’t let this be his girlfriend. The last thing Lu Guang wanted was to third-wheel a lovey-dovey couple on their cafeteria dinner date.

Reluctantly, he trudged his way over to their table and took a seat across from the pair. After all, he had no real reason to decline, and he figured he should probably at least try to get along with the guy he would be living with indefinitely.

“Lu Guang, this is my friend Qiao Ling. She’s basically like my older sister,” Cheng Xiaoshi introduced her enthusiastically.

Phew. Not his girlfriend.

Lu Guang nodded politely, keeping his expression carefully neutral. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She smiled, and something in her expression resembled Cheng Xiaoshi’s. “It’s nice to meet you, too! He was just telling me all about you.”

Lu Guang nearly choked on his food. Did that include the part where Cheng Xiaoshi walked in on him cosplaying?

(Well, he didn’t exactly tell him to keep it a secret, he supposed. Shit.)

“Sorry you had to get stuck with Cheng Xiaoshi as a roommate. He can be a bit of a handful,” she laughed.

Oh didn’t he know it.

“Hey!” Cheng Xiaoshi protested.

“So, what are you majoring in?” she pressed on, ignoring him.

“Oh, right, I didn’t even get to ask you that yesterday! Whoopsie,” Cheng Xiaoshi piped up again.

“I’m a fashion design major,” Lu Guang responded, keeping his gaze focused on Qiao Ling, heart still hammering in his chest. Please don’t let her know about me cosplaying.

“Oh, cool! I’d love to see some of your work sometime. I’m a graphic design major.”

Lu Guang really hoped she was referring to his fashion sketches and not his cosplay photos. (Okay, was he being a little too paranoid?)

Suddenly, some Kpop song he didn’t recognize started blaring. All three pairs of eyes landed on Qiao Ling’s phone. 

“Oops, that should be Xu Shanshan,” said Qiao Ling, looking sheepish. “We planned on going to the bookstore together to pick up some supplies, but I totally forgot.” She picked up the call, slotting the phone between her ear and shoulder and she packed up her stuff. “Hello? Give me a min, I’ll be right there—”

She picked up her now fully-packed bag and cafeteria tray, making a hurried exit. “Bye, Lu Guang! Let’s hang out again another time!”

Lu Guang waved back awkwardly, hoping his smile looked genuine. She didn’t seem half bad, but if she and his roommate came as a set, he would rather sit this one out.

“Wowwww. I don’t get a farewell?” Cheng Xiaoshi joke-scoffed. 

Turning to Lu Guang, he flashed a soft smile. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her about your cosplay thing, if that was what you’re worried about. You looked a little anxious.”

Lu Guang almost jumped at that. How had he read his mind? Was he really being that obvious? He felt exposed. A strange sensation twisted in his chest, and he felt an embarrassed flush crawl up his neck.

How irritating.

“Thank you,” he replied simply, averting his gaze.

“Yup. Just figured it wasn’t my place to tell.”

They sat in silence for a bit, Lu Guang finishing up his dinner and Cheng Xiaoshi scrolling on his phone. 

“Are you done eating?” Lu Guang asked, breaking the silence. It was a dumb question—with a glance, he found the other’s tray to be completely empty, save for a few grains of rice. He mentally facepalmed at his own stupidity.

Cheng Xiaoshi seemed to be zoning out, but he jolted up at the sound of his voice.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m done.”

“Then…why are you still sitting here?”

“Because I’m waiting for you?” he answered like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“What? Why?” Lu Guang was genuinely confused. And a little annoyed. He didn’t like how his roommate was just sitting there with that wide-eyed, waiting expression, like a lost puppy. 

“Hmm…I don’t know. Maybe ‘cause we’re roommates now, so we have to take care of each other. Remember what I said yesterday?” He cracked another grin. (Does this guy just have an unlimited supply of smiles to give?)

“I don’t remember agreeing to that,” Lu Guang quipped coldly. 

Rather than looking discouraged, he just smiled wider. “Well, too bad! It’s a contract that you automatically signed the second we were assigned roommates.”

“Idiot, that’s not how contracts work.”

Cheng Xiaoshi ignored him. “Sure, grumpypants. Just let me know when you’re done eating. I’m gonna take a nap.” He then promptly crossed his arms on the table and dropped his head into them.

Lu Guang immediately began plotting to sneak out without waking him up. 

Silently scarfing down the rest of his food, he made a move to stand up as slow as possible, quietly pushing back the chair—

The chair scraped against the cafeteria floor with a loud screech!

(Welp, so much for that plan.)

Cheng Xiaoshi immediately stood up at the noise, flashing (yet another!) toothy grin. “Ready to go?”

Lu Guang didn’t answer. He picked up his tray and dumped the remains of his dinner into the trash, ignoring the faint bounce in Cheng Xiaoshi’s step as he followed him out of the cafeteria.

The walk back to the dorm was mercifully short. Cheng Xiaoshi filled the silence with idle chatter about his first day of classes, the terrible cafeteria food, and how he was convinced one of the vending machines was haunted because he tried three times and it still gave him the wrong snack. Lu Guang only half-listened and responded only when absolutely necessary in grunts and single-word answers.

When they reached their room, Cheng Xiaoshi immediately kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto his bed with a groan. “Ugh, what a day. I feel like I could sleep for a week straight.” He unlocked his phone, the screen lighting his face as he scrolled, humming tunelessly under his breath.

I wish you would, thought Lu Guang, who methodically unpacked his bag and set his laptop on his desk, about to go through his usual night routine. 

He glanced over at the other and sighed. “Are you seriously going to wear your outside clothes on the bed?” he asked, full of contempt and disbelief. 

“Man, you sound like my mom.” Cheng Xiaoshi twisted his face into an exaggerated pout but made to stand up anyway. “But fine, I’ll go shower, I guess.” 

Lu Guang was still getting used to having a roommate—he missed the silence and order he used to have in the dorm, when it was still a space that belonged only to him. Now, every corner of the room felt invaded—by noise, by movement, by the strange warmth of someone else’s presence.

When he lay awake in his bed that night, listening to Cheng Xiaoshi’s soft, steady snores, Lu Guang found himself staring at the ceiling again, restless.

That makes two nights in a row of insomnia. He briefly wondered if he could sue for emotional damages or something. 

And the worst part was, he didn’t even know why exactly he was so irritated.

Sure, Cheng Xiaoshi had suddenly barged into his life one day and threw his peace and established routines out the window. He was too talkative, too spontaneous, and too quick to act like they were already friends in a way that felt vaguely insulting. Not to mention the way he’d smiled at him in the cafeteria—like he could see right through him.

And, worst of all, he knew about his cosplaying hobby and found out in the most humiliating way possible. The memory of being in a dress, the door bursting open, and Cheng Xiaoshi’s stunned expression tried to replay itself in his head—

Nope. Absolutely not. He was not reliving that.

But despite everything, Lu Guang knew it wasn’t his fault. Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t ask to be his roommate. Neither of them had control over this situation. 

A small part of him felt guilty for being so annoyed. Cheng Xiaoshi hadn’t done anything truly awful—if anything, he’d gone out of his way to be kind. Still, Lu Guang couldn’t help the annoyance that came with losing his privacy and control.

He rolled over, tugging the blanket tighter around his shoulders. In the bunk beneath his, Cheng Xiaoshi snored on, unbothered.

Lu Guang shut his eyes, wishing he could do the same.