An Unexpected Commute
1324 Words
The harsh glare of the morning sun pierced through the curtains of the spacious master bedroom, waking Rim up. He dragged himself out of bed and rushed through his morning routine—brushing his teeth and washing his face in the modern bathroom. Ready to fuel himself for the long day ahead, he walked into his independent modular kitchen to make his breakfast. Mid-stride, reality hit him hard. He suddenly remembered that his refrigerator stood completely empty. He didn't have the ingredients for a proper meal.
With a sigh, he sadly accepted his fate. He got ready with an empty stomach, grabbed his backpack, exited his grand apartment, and locked the heavy timber door behind him.
He turned around to head toward the stairs when someone tapped his shoulder gently from behind. Because of that sudden, unexpected touch, his body got entirely surprised. Rim made a loud scream, jumping slightly in the hallway, before he quickly turned back and saw Maku standing right behind him.
"Wow! You scared me," Rim panted, trying to calm his racing heart.
Maku tilted her head with curiosity. "Umm, why are you locking your door with that gloomy face?" she asked eagerly. "Did something happened?"
"Ah, oh, my gloomy face?" Rim laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just that I didn't eat any breakfast."
Maku's eyes brightened instantly. "Oh! So you wanna eat some breakfast?" she asked.
"No, no need of that," Rim replied politely, waving his hands. "I'll go just buy something on the way. And are you also going to the university?"
"Yeah!" she said with a bright smile.
"So, y'wanna go together?" Rim offered.
"Okey," she said.
With that settled, they started going to the university together. Because Maku was completely new to the sprawling university campus, Rim took charge and started to give her some clear instructions about the various campus buildings and shortcuts on the way.
As they navigated the busy sidewalks, Maku turned her gaze toward him. "So you told me you're a third year, right?" she asked, trying to remember their conversation from the day before.
"No," Rim chuckled, shaking his head. "You're the third year, Senior. So it means you're older than me."
"Oh, right," she muttered, her cheeks flushing slightly at her mistake. She adjusted the strap of her bag and looked down hesitantly. "Well, whatever... have you made any friends yet at the university?"
"No," Maku said softly, a trace of melancholy entering her voice. "I only have... well, I haven't made any friends yet. My best friend transferred away only a few days ago."
Rim offered a sympathetic look. "Oh, so you got transferred here along with your best friend?" he asked. "Well, that's good for you, but it sucks that they had to leave right after."
Then, suddenly, while they were walking together down the bustling street near the campus gates, someone aggressively draped a heavy arm across Rim's shoulders. Rim turned behind in pure shock and saw his best friend, Mike, standing there with a massive, mischievous grin.
"Yo, bro! 'Sup!" Mike said, practically shouting into Rim's ear.
"I am good, mate!" Rim said, recovering from the initial surprise. "Oh, Mike, I thought you were quite early today."
"Well, I thought today I am gonna goof around in the university by going early," Mike explained loudly, laughing off his rare punctuality. Then, his eyes slid past Rim, catching sight of the quiet girl standing right beside them. He glanced at Maku, nudged Rim hard in the ribs, and asked with an arching eyebrow, "Bro! You made a girlfriend?"
Before Rim could even attempt to clear up his friend's massive misunderstanding, another loud voice cut through the morning air from behind them. They all glanced behind and saw a girl running directly towards them at full speed.
Without warning, the energetic newcomer grabbed Maku's hands tightly in her own. She gasped for air and shouted in a remarkably loud voice, "Maku! You bagged a hottie!!!"
Rim's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Guys!! There's been a little misunderstanding," he yelled over the sudden chaos. "Maku and I are not a couple!"
Realizing how completely out of hand the situation had gotten, Rim and Maku quickly cleared up their whole misunderstanding. They stood on the pavement and carefully told them the entire story of how they had coincidentally met the previous afternoon and found out they were living right next door to each other.
Mike crossed his arms, nodding slowly as he digested the truth. "So, you're saying that you two are just neighbors?"
Maku's energetic friend, who had finally stopped jumping up and down, grinned widely. "It seems they are neighbors!"
Then, the four of them made a proper introduction to each other, officially breaking the ice.
"Hello, I am Rim! And he's my best friend, Mike," Rim said, pointing to the loud guy beside him.
Maku offered a shy, soft smile to Mike and the other girl. "I am Maku, and she's my friend, Iris."
After the lively introductions, they all got together into a single group and started walking together toward the main university quad. It became immediately obvious that Mike and Iris belonged to the exact same loud, extroverted personality type. As they walked, the two extroverts were yelling continuously and yapping at each other about everything and nothing at all.
Rim watched them banter with an amused expression before leaning closer to Maku. "Hey, aren't those two have the same personality?" he whispered to her with a smile.
"Yeah! I think those two are gonna make a good couple too," Maku replied softly, her eyes crinkling with genuine amusement.
"Yeah, I totally agree," Rim whispered back.
As they walked past the main plaza, Rim continued giving some helpful information regarding the campus layout and university life to Maku to ensure she wouldn't get lost later.
But suddenly, the two loud yappers ahead of them turned back around and started asking some random questions. Iris pointed a dramatic finger at them and asked a question first: "When did you two met for the first time?"
Rim and Maku both told them the bizarre story of how they had met just yesterday over a lost Gundam figure.
"What a coincidental meetup!" Mike laughed loudly, shaking his head.
"And you two are neighbors, again a coincidence!" Iris cheered, thoroughly enjoying the drama of it all.
"Yeah-yeah," Rim said, laughing off their excessive enthusiasm.
A few moments later, they finally reached the main academic plaza of the university.
"Let's go, Mike," Rim said, checking his watch as the warning bell rang.
"Yup, let's go to our classes," Mike agreed, waving goodbye to the girls.
With a polite parting nod, Rim and Mike parted ways with the girls and walked through the heavy doors toward their respective second-year business classes.
[Conversation of Maku and Iris after parting ways]:
As soon as the boys disappeared around the corner of the building, Iris immediately nudged Maku's arm with a wicked grin.
"Hey Maku! Weren't those two boys handsome?" Iris asked, her voice dripping with mischief.
"Yeah, so?" Maku said, her cheeks instantly burning a bright crimson as she tried to keep her voice perfectly casual.
Iris giggled, locking her arm through Maku's as they walked toward the senior lecture halls. "I think, I am thinking that you and that Rim guy should start dating!" Iris declared boldly.
"Huh?! What are you saying!" Maku gasped, her eyes going wide as she nearly tripped over her own feet. "Have you fallen mad or somethin'? We only met each other only a day ago and you're saying start dating!"
- Writer
