Room 407
791 Words
The room felt different in daylight, less intimidating and more real.
Mina stood in the middle of Room 407 with her hands on her hips, slowly turning in a circle as if she were inspecting a stage before a performance.
Sofia lay upside down on her bed, her curly hair cascading dramatically toward the floor.
"So," Sofia said, swinging one leg lazily. "After today’s heroic classroom speech, I think we need to redesign this entire room. It doesn’t match your main character energy."
Mina laughed softly, "I am not a main character."
"You literally shut down ignorance in Korea on your first day."
"…I was defending my continent."
“Exactly," Sofia rolled over and sat up suddenly.
"Okay. We need sections, Creative section. Relax section, Crying section."
"Crying section?" Mina raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. For when assignments destroy our self-esteem."
"That feels realistic,"They both laughed.
For the first time since landing, Mina didn’t feel like she was pretending to be brave.
The dorm room wasn’t large with two single beds, two desks, and two wardrobes. A shared window overlooking the campus courtyard but it held potential.
Sofia had already decorated her side with postcards from Spain, fairy lights, and printed K-drama posters while Mina’s side was still plain, suitcase half-open, neatly folded Ankara fabric tucked carefully inside and a framed photo of her family she hadn’t unpacked yet.
Sofia noticed it immediately, “Is that your family?”
Mina nodded and picked it up.
Her parents stood close together in the photo, her mother smiling widely, her father trying to look serious but failing while Mina stood between them, holding a certificate from her scholarship ceremony.
"They cried at the airport," Mina said quietly. " Even though they tried not to."
Sofia softened, "My abuela cried too. She said Korea is too far for dramatic phone calls."
Mina smiled, "It is far."
The reality of it pressed gently against her chest.
Different time zone, Different language, Different expectations.
She placed the frame carefully on her desk right where she could see it every morning and so they began reorganizing properly.
Sofia insisted on moving Mina’s desk closer to the window.
“Creative people need light.”
“I just need electricity, No. Light.”
Sofia dragged the desk dramatically across the floor anyway.
By the time they finished, the room looked less like temporary housing and more like something lived in.
Mina arranged her sketchbooks in a neat stack, she unfolded one piece of Ankara fabric and pinned it gently above her desk.
The bright patterns immediately changed the atmosphere of the space.
Sofia gasped,“That is beautiful.”
"It’s traditional fabric from home," Mina explained. "Every pattern has meaning."
"What does that one mean?"
Mina studied it,"Strength in transition."
Sofia blinked,"That sounds like your whole personality."
Mina stared at the fabric for a moment longer than necessary, Strength in transition, She hadn’t chosen it randomly.
Maybe she had known all along she would need that reminder.
Later that evening, Sofia sprawled across the floor with snacks.
"Okay," she announced, We need rules.
“Rules?”
"Yes, Roommate survival rules."
Mina raised an eyebrow but sat opposite her with her legs crossed.
"Rule one", Sofia said, We hype each other before presentations.
“Agreed.”
"Rule two," If one of us gets rejected romantically, we pretend he never existed.
Mina laughed, "I don’t think that will be a problem."
Sofia narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Everyone says that."
“Rule three?” Mina asked.
Sofia grinned, “We never shrink ourselves.”
The words hung in the air.
Not playful, not dramatic but Serious.
Mina thought about the classroom earlier.
The whispers, the assumptions, the moment she chose to speak.
She nodded slowly.
"Yes. That one stays."
They shook hands like business partners sealing a contract.
Night settled over campus, from the window, Mina could see students walking in small groups, laughter drifting upward faintly.
She leaned slightly against the glass,Back home, evenings were slower and warmer
Here, everything felt sharper, faster.
Sofia climbed into bed and turned off the main light, leaving only the fairy lights glowing softly around her side.
“Mina?”
“Yes?”
“You were really brave today.”
Mina hesitated, "I was anxious."
"That’s what makes it brave."
Silence followed, comfortable silence.
Mina lay back on her pillow and stared at the ceiling.
Maybe bravery wasn’t about not being afraid, maybe it was about choosing not to disappear.
Her gaze shifted to the Ankara fabric pinned above her desk.
Strength in transition, she exhaled slowly.
Room 407 didn’t feel temporary anymore, It felt like the beginning of something.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges.
But tonight, she allowed herself to feel a sense of belonging.
- Writer
