"Michael! Michael Fletcher get up this instant!"
Harvey couldn't control himself when he rushed to Michael's dorm at night, carelessly knocking over about half a dozen students on his way back, but seeing the look on his face, no one wanted to anger Harvey further.
"What?" A very tired Michael opened the door.
"Let me in!"
"Let me put on clothes!"
"Christ how shameless-" Harvey stumbled forward when Michael pulled the door, and the younger fell face first on Michael's feet, crushing beneath him stray parchment and books.
"You were saying what?" Michael narrowed his eyes as he looked down.
"Were you sleeping?" Harvey pulled himself up, dusting his knees and elbows.
"Not at all, dear brother-in-law! I was closing my eyes and pretending to be dead." Michael snortled, walking back to his bed and lighting on his lamp. A couple of human bones (none which Harvey could identity) lay scattered on his desk, along with some more gruesome images.
Harvey turned his face away, to not gag.
"Harvey you see, I am a very busy man." Michael began, utter annoyance dripping from his tone, while the roommate began to stir up from sleep. "And I have to attend a lecture tomorrow, so I need to study."
"No but listen to me first," Harvey straightened up. "You said you knew Ansel Dawson, didn't you?"
"Yes I did," Michael rolled his eyes, "and for the tenth time Harvey, I simply paid him to write for me- you can see how... just keep it a secret, will you?"
"That's not my query," Harvey was distracted by the now fully awake roommate, whom Harvey didn't remember at all, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"Then what?"
"What do you know about Ansel?"
Michael narrowed his eyes, while the roommate stretched his legs and pulled himself out of bed, squinting sleepily at Harvey.
"... what do you want to know?"
"About him; Michael. I saw him at a tavern today- he, he was so friendly with..."
"Harvey why are you so interested in him? Let that person live his life. He can do whatever he wants, be wherever he wants, why do you care?" Michael rubbed his temple.
"But you know something, don't you?"
"He doesn't, I do." The roommate, the monolid eyed oriental man, began, in very fluent english.
"And you are?"
"Five years your senior, boy. In my land, we wouldn't have dared talk to a senior like that."
"We are not in your land now, are we?" Harvey chuckled dryly, "if it's so great, then go back. Why are you even here?"
Michael's eyes widened, while roommate Jeong spoke, "You seem to have a knack for disrespecting people who'd help you."
"I asked my brother-in-law. I didn't ask you." Harvey spoke through gritted teeth.
"Then again, who am I to you. Why should I even tell anything to you, go rot in hell for all I care." Yoo Jeong huffed, pulling his covers back, shuffling back on his bed.
"Where were we?" Harvey turned his face at Michael, who had disbelief painted all over him.
"Harvey did you just-"
"Yes what?" The younger man snapped irritably.
"Leave. Just leave, please." Michael got up and walked to the door, holding it out open. "And come back again when you've cleared your mind. Or else, don't even bother."
"Michael you're being ridiculous-"
"You're the one being ridiculous, Harvey! I just paid him to write a stupid letter, get it inside your head! Not everything revolves around you..." Michael huffed, staring angrily at Harvey.
"I am in love with him."
"Eh?"
"You heard me Michael, I love Ansel."
"Oh well-" Michael pressed his lips in a thin line, before looking up, "Come in then."
Harvey stepped in again, and lowered his face while room mate Jeong woke up, utterly disgracing his own royalty by how shabby he looked.
"You again, eh?" His grin was so infective.
"What do you know about Ansel?"
"There's nothing to really know about that boy," Jeong's english was so perfect, "except that he will write for you very nicely. And yes, he's a bit expensive."
"...that's what I know." Harvey sighed, "Do tell me something that I don't know."
"Well, I am not sure if we should or not tell you that," Michael bit the inside of his cheek, "Ansel had unrequited feelings for someone before."
"Who?" Harvey's eyes might have popped out of his sockets.
"A senior of ours, he was well..."
"Name's William. Will Bentley. Ansel was like a puppy for him, following on his heels everywhere that man went- did whatever he said, and just..." Jong sighed, continuing, "then one day this bastard Will comes up to Ansel and says, 'Hey I like this girl and I want to tell her I love her," something about that."
Despite feeling how heartbroken Ansel would have felt, Harvey still felt uplifted.
That Ansel's feelings weren't reciprocated. That Ansel was as lonely as Harvey was and-
And that, Harvey still had a chance.
"Then?"
"Then what," Michael rolled his eyes, "That idiot Will began to tell Ansel to write to that girl, on his behalf and Ansel being Ansel, agreed without hesitation."
"To think, that writing each letter must have killed him from the inside." Jeong added, eyes cast disdainfully.
"Ansel was the best man at Will's wedding."
"Huh? That man-" Harvey felt an extreme amount of hatred for that man... how could have he ever overlooked someone like Ansel, but somewhere deep down, Harvey was thankful.
Thankful that whatever his name was, that buffoon left Ansel alone.
No matter how painful it was for Ansel, Harvey couldn't deny how grateful he was.
"But what about," Harvey furrowed his brows, "I saw Ansel at... in the Marketplace that..."
Jeong laughed. "That? Don't be judgemental, boy. Ansel's poor. We all know that. And he writes romance. It sells very well, you know."
"So... he has written books?"
"Ever read Midnight Escapade?" Michael suggested.
"I saw Agrippina reading that once- wait, Ansel wrote that?" Harvey's eyes widened in disbelief, "That's... that's Drusilla's favourite book."
Michael looked down, suddenly seeming to bury himself at the mention of his fiance and Ansel together.
"Ansel's an orphan. The woman who raised him up was, well..." Jeong chuckled, "you know who she is. He worked at a book binder shop before he got a scholarship here. After that, he's been living here."
Harvey nodded, slowly taking in all of the information about Ansel. But what really mattered to him was that, "Does that Will or whatever, still in contact with Ansel?"
"Daebak*... is this all you think?"
"What else should I think about then," Harvey muttered, scratching his neck and looking away. "I am result oriented."
"I see," Michael scoffed. "What now?"
Harvey had these huge, puppy eyes turned to his brother-in-law, "Ansel rejected me."
"Looking at you, bound to happen."
"Say Michael..." Harvey's voice was barely a whisper, "Am I that bad a person?"
Michael sighed deeply before answering. "No you are not. But sometimes, I really wish to smack your head."
Harvey lips dropped down further and Michael hurriedly added, "I mean not smack you hard, but still... smack you. Because you are so rigid sometimes."
"Can I change, then?" Never had Harvey thought low of himself in his life. But Ansel? That boy made him rethink every decision Harvey ever made.
"You can. I believe so. Now get out, we have to sleep and get up early tomorrow."
"Really?" Harvey's mood lifted up, even by the slightest.
"Yes. Sick people await me next morning, please go away now."
"Michael," Harvey stood up and walked to the door, "thank you."
With lighter footsteps and a heavier heart, Harvey walked away.
This story will soon end, just a few chapters more. :)
How was this chapter, I felt it was a bit longer than the rest.