A man lays in his bed, the room around him steeped in darkness. The only light came from the soft glow of his phone, casting a dim halo on his tired face. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway, growing louder as they approached the door. The man's head turned slightly, his ears catching the jingle of keys, followed by an exasperated "ugh" from the other side of the door.

"Why is he back already?" he mumbled, sitting up and letting his feet dangle off the edge of the bed. Moments later, the door swung open. Standing in the doorway was a tall, fit young man. Though his hair was gray, his youthful face suggested he was no older than 21. He wore a white short-sleeved button-up shirt paired with beige shorts. Without a word, he grabbed the suitcase beside him and tossed it aside with a grunt.

"Hey, Benji, everything okay?" a man's voice asked as the light from the hallway illuminated him, casting deep shadows before the door slammed shut, plunging the room back into darkness.

"Does everything fucking seem okay, Peter?" Benji snapped, flicking on the light switch. The sudden brightness made Peter squint, his eyes struggling to adjust.

The room, a small dorm with two beds, each perched above desks with office chairs beneath, was suddenly revealed. Peter's side was neat and orderly, with a minimalist design. A PC sat beneath his desk, and a small Korean flag hung above it behind his monitors. A bike rested beside his bed, completing the tidy look. Benji's side, however, was a stark contrast. His desk was cluttered with a computer, books, and manga scattered across every available surface. Manga posters adorned the walls, and anime plushies crowded his bed. For all his tough demeanor, Benji was unmistakably a nerd. Peter's side was organized, but there was a certain controlled messiness about it, while Benji's side was a whirlwind of chaos.

"I'll take that as a no. What happened? You were only gone two days," Peter asked calmly, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, just two days, but that was all it took for my ignorant, selfish, piece-of-shit father to start his crap again," Benji ranted, pacing back and forth. "He can't understand that I don't want to inherit the family company. I don't give a fuck about it! I want to write, not spend my life wearing a fake smile for two-faced narcissists who only care about themselves. I'm not like him, and I never will be. Why can't he just fucking accept that? It's so exhausting. Every day, I have to take his shit, and I'm done. I just want to live my life. Is that so hard to ask for?"Peter remained silent, watching as Benji's anger boiled over.

Benji let out a frustrated sigh, "I just wanted to come home, see my family, take a break from studying and all the stress, and just enjoy being with my sister and mom, but the first thing that came out of his mouth wasn't 'How are you, son?' or 'How's everything going?' No, it's fucking 'I see you're doing well in school, but your grades in Business are falling behind. You need to stay on top of that if you're going to take over the company,'" Benji fumed, his voice tinged with bitterness.

"Like Jesus fucking Christ, can you stop thinking like a fucking CEO for two seconds and be a father for once in your life, you inconsiderate asshole? I don't get it—why can't he just accept that I don't want to?" The frustration that had been simmering beneath the surface finally boiled over. Benji slammed his fist into the wall, the loud thud reverberating through the room and making Peter flinch.

"Okay, let's not do that," Peter said with a nervous chuckle, quickly jumping down from his bed. He grabbed Benji's arm and gently guided him away from the wall, easing him down into the desk chair.

Peter, though calm, was clearly concerned. Physically, he was different from Benji. Asian, with black hair and a more muscular build, though he stood a few inches shorter than Benji. He was dressed simply in a plain white tee and black shorts, his laid-back demeanor contrasting with Benji's current state of agitation.

"Are you done?" Peter asked gently, careful not to provoke him further.

"Yeah," Benji replied, though the anger still simmered beneath the surface, the adrenaline still coursing through him.

"Look, I'm sorry you're going through this. I can't do much about your father, but if you don't want to take over the company, why don't you just refuse?"

"Because every time I even hint at it, he turns it into a lecture about how writing won't get me anywhere and how I need to focus on my future instead of some 'silly passion.' It always ends in an argument until he threatens something I care about. I'm so tired of it, Peter. I really don't have the energy anymore," Benji sighed, wincing as the pain from punching the wall set in.

"I know, I know. Just breathe. Sleep on it and deal with it tomorrow. You look exhausted," Peter said, pointing to the dark circles under Benji's eyes.

"Fine, Imma go out for a run first  I need to clear my mind," Benji said getting up and making his way to the door. He opened it calmer than he first did and exited the room, shutting it behind him.

Peter sighed moving Benji's suitcase to his side of the room. "What am I gonna do with you Benji," Peter thought out loud sitting in his chair.

Benji, still lost in thought, walked down the hall, his mind racing. As he turned a corner, he accidentally bumped into a short Asian man with brown hair. The man, dressed in jeans and a white polo shirt, was holding a drink that spilled all over his shirt.

"Hey dude, watch where you're going. This shirt cost me about $30," the man said, clearly annoyed.

"Sorry," Benji muttered, barely acknowledging the guy as he tried to walk past him.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. You can't just inconvenience me and then act like I don't exist, asshole," the man snapped, grabbing Benji by the arm.

Annoyed, Benji turned around sharply. "Look, I'm not in the best mood right now. Sorry about your shirt. If I gave you $100, would you leave me alone? Thanks," Benji said, irritation clear in his voice.

The man, more than pleased with the offer, silently held out his hand. Benji took out his wallet, placed a $100 bill in the man's hand, and walked away without another word. The man, content with his easy profit, also walked away, pleased with the $70 he made from the encounter.

"You really just gonna let him buy you?" one of the man's friends asked.

"Shitttttt, $100 is $100. I would have added a 'yes sir' in there if he asked," the man laughed.

An hour later, Benji returned from his run, sweat glistening on his forehead. He went straight to the shower, then headed back to the room and collapsed onto his bed. Peter was still awake, his phone in hand, texting someone named Ren.

"So, Hyunjin, wanna come to Tokyo this upcoming winter break?" Ren texted.

"Wait, really? What's the occasion?" Peter responded, his excitement visible.

"Well, it's been a while since I've seen you, and I thought, what better time than Christmas?" Ren replied.

"I mean, yeah, if you're offering a place to stay. Money doesn't grow on trees—at least not in America," Peter joked, adding a laughing emoji.

"Fair. I'll find you a place to sleep, lol. Just get your butt over here. I miss you," Ren texted back, adding a puppy-eyes emoji.

Peter smiled, then glanced over at Benji, who was lying in bed. "Feeling better?" he asked.

Benji gave him a thumbs up, though his body language still showed signs of lingering frustration.

Peter, still concerned, got an idea. "Yes, yes, I will," Peter replied to Ren before adding, "But question, do you mind if I bring a friend along with me?"

Ren took a moment to respond. "Sure, but I'm not getting him a room. Only you have those privileges," Ren teased, adding a kissy-face emoji.

"Alright, that's fine, lol. He's more than capable of paying for himself," Peter replied.

"Benji," Peter called out, turning his attention back to his friend.

"Hmm?" Benji responded, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"I have an idea of how to cheer you up," Peter said, his tone filled with anticipation.

"And that is?" Benji asked, rolling over to look at Peter.

"How would you like to go to Japan this winter? Since it doesn't seem like you'll be going home for the break after today?" Peter suggested a hopeful smile on his face.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------End of Prologue

Yes An abrupt end, a cliffhanger D: HOW BLASPHEMOUS!

Don't worry, if you read the description I'm sure you'll know what happens next :P.

I Hope you Enjoyed it!

If you didn't read my introduction I'm new to this so bear with me on certain things I'm open to any feedback through comments or if you have any questions, comments, or concerns you want to voice directly, you can through my Instagram and X (Twitter). [I Prefer Insta but Twitter works well too <3]

Chapter 1 Will be out Saturday 8/24/24 See you then :D