Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]
Chapter 51: Heart’s

Chapter 51: Heart’s

A soft breeze swept across the courtyard, rustling the leaves above.

The kind of quiet that settled when nothing urgent pressed in — but everything unsaid hovered like smoke.

Alex tapped a finger rhythmically on his closed laptop. Noel leaned back, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded in thought.

"You think she likes her?" Alex finally asked, voice low, almost like he hated himself for needing to know.

Noel glanced at him. "Emily?"

A nod.

Noel’s lips parted, then closed again. He didn’t want to give empty comfort. Emily had confidence — the type that barreled past hesitation.

Lina, on the other hand, had always been a little harder to read. Sweet, soft-spoken. But she noticed things, felt deeply, hid it well.

"I think..." Noel began slowly, "Lina doesn’t fall just because someone shows up bold. She’s quiet, but she’s not clueless."

Alex gave a dry laugh, looking down at his shoes. "Yeah, but sometimes being loud gets you seen first."

Noel studied him a moment, then nudged his shoulder lightly. "If you’re so scared of being second, why’d you hide in the crowd?"

Alex shrugged. "Because I liked watching her laugh more than the idea of ruining it."

That caught Noel off guard. He blinked, mouth quirking into a half-smile. "That’s either the most poetic thing I’ve ever heard you say... or the dumbest."

Alex smiled faintly, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Maybe both."

They let the words settle, letting silence stretch again.

Then Alex shifted slightly, turned to Noel. "And you? You gonna talk about why you keep checking your phone like it owes you something?"

Noel’s gaze dropped to the phone in his lap.

He didn’t answer right away.

"I just..." He exhaled slowly. "I don’t know what we are. Or if I’m just imagining something that isn’t there."

Alex tilted his head. "You mean Luca?"

Noel didn’t reply. He didn’t need to.

Alex leaned back. "Well, I haven’t seen you this quiet since the dorm electricity cut for two days and you read five books just to stay sane."

That earned him a soft chuckle from Noel. "Yeah. That was a long week."

"You’ll figure it out," Alex said simply, voice softer now. "Whatever this thing is between you two... it’ll rise to the surface eventually. Emotions don’t stay buried forever."

Noel nodded slowly, eyes drifting to the path ahead — not looking for anyone, but almost expecting something.

They sat a bit longer, side by side on the bench, the sun angling above them, shadows growing longer — just enough peace before the next wave stirred.

Elsewhere, the breeze teased the hem of Lina’s blouse. the morning bustle hummed around them — clinks of cups, students passing by, early sun warming the sidewalk. Outside the café.

The table between them was cleared now, just crumbs and empty mugs left behind. But neither of them moved.

Lina stood with her fingers curled around the strap of her bag, head tilted slightly as she studied Emily. "Okay, food’s done," she said, gently. "What did you want to say?"

Emily didn’t hesitate.

Her voice, steady. Her eyes, locked on Lina.

"I want to ask your permission to hit on you."

Lina blinked, not quite expecting the bluntness.

"I know you probably already noticed," Emily went on, softer now but still unflinching. "I like you. I have since the first day we met.

I’m not asking you to rush into anything, I’m just asking..." Her lips twitched upward, hopeful. "Let me try. Let me get to know you better."

Lina’s gaze flickered down for a second — to Emily’s shoes, to the shadow cast by a nearby tree — before lifting again.

"I’m not into girls," she said, her tone quiet, not defensive, just honest.

Emily didn’t flinch. She simply nodded, as if she expected it.

Her smile wavered for half a second—but she tucked it away just as fast.

"I figured," she murmured. Then she smiled — not the flirtatious grin she wore like armor, but a small, unguarded one. "Still gonna pursue you."

Lina’s brows lifted slightly. "Why?"

"Because," Emily said, tucking her hands into her pockets, "you didn’t say you don’t like me. You just said you’re not into girls."

She shrugged. "Maybe that stays true. Or maybe... I’m the kind of person that makes you question that."

Lina didn’t answer right away. Her face unreadable. But something in her eyes shifted — not agreement, not encouragement — but something softer. A pause that wasn’t entirely a no.

"I like people who know what they want," Lina said quietly.

Emily’s grin deepened. "Then we have something in common."

They stood there for another beat, the breeze catching the edge of Lina’s blouse, the air between them tinged with something uncertain — not tension, but possibility.

Finally, Lina turned slightly, ready to leave. "I’ll see you around."

"You will," Emily replied, watching her go, her hands still tucked in her pockets — still smiling.

Lina adjusted the strap of her tote bag as she walked, her steps unhurried despite the class ahead.

Emily matched her pace, hands in her pockets, eyes flicking sideways every few steps like she was studying a painting she hadn’t quite figured out yet.

"You walk like you’ve got everything under control," Emily said, voice light.

Lina didn’t turn. "Maybe I do."

"Even more attractive," Emily muttered, half to herself.

Lina exhaled, the corner of her lips twitching despite herself. "You’re relentless."

"I take that as encouragement."

They neared the campus green where the benches sat under the wide, lazy trees.

From a distance, Lina spotted Noel and Alex — Alex with his laptop open, Noel leaning with a book resting on one knee, the morning sun painting sharp lines across his jaw.

Emily slowed a little, then leaned in just enough for Lina to feel her breath near her ear. "If you ever feel like letting someone ruin your peace in a good way... I volunteer."

Lina stopped walking.

Emily took a step back, grin wide, hands still deep in her pockets like she hadn’t just thrown a grenade.

Lina looked at her — really looked this time. "We’re going the same direction," she said coolly. "Don’t mistake that for anything else."

"Got it," Emily replied, unfazed. "Still the highlight of my day."

As they reached the benches, Noel looked up first.

His eyes flicked from Lina to Emily, registering the proximity, the air between them.

Alex shut his laptop halfway, eyebrows twitching in surprise. He watched the two girls walk ahead, a quiet weight settling in his chest—like watching a window he hadn’t dared open.

"Wow," he said under his breath. "Double appearance?"

Emily offered a dramatic little wave. "Look at that, fate keeps putting us in the same orbit."

Alex narrowed his eyes at her as she stopped near the edge of the group. "Don’t you have class?"

"I do. And I’m late. Worth it." She turned to Lina, a final flash of her crooked grin. "See you around, design girl."

Lina shook her head. "It’s Lina."

"I know," Emily said, already walking backward, "but you’re still kind of a masterpiece."

With that, she turned and sauntered off across the lawn, drawing a few glances from students as she disappeared into the crowd.

Alex muttered, "Is she always like that?"

Noel raised a brow. "Pretty much."

Lina sighed, sitting down beside them. "And she’s not giving up."

Alex didn’t say anything. But the look in his eyes lingered a little longer than usual — not at Lina, but at the path Emily had just taken.

Noel noticed.

And said nothing.

Yet.

Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting warm, dappled patterns over the wooden bench where they sat.

A soft breeze carried the scent of cut grass and distant coffee from the student café.

Lina sat cross-legged, her tablet balanced in her lap, stylus moving with quiet intent as she sketched — brow furrowed slightly, lips pressed in focus.

Alex sat beside her, laptop open, the faint clatter of keys mingling with the murmur of passing students.

Noel, quiet between them, scrolled his phone with one thumb, absently.

Notifications passed in a blur—group chat memes, an upcoming study reminder—until one post made his thumb stop cold.

His screen blinked with an Instagram story.

Kian had posted.

A photo from the night before — hazy lighting, crowded background, unmistakable.

Luca, standing beside him.

Not just standing — laughing. The kind of unguarded laugh that touched his eyes, caught mid-motion, drink in hand. Kian had tagged him and added the caption:

"Back like the old days "

The timestamp said it was posted a few hours ago — early this morning.

Noel didn’t move. His thumb hovered like it forgot how to function.

His mind was blank for a moment — or maybe just too loud to hear clearly.

He stared a bit longer.

A small hollow opened in his chest — not anger, not betrayal. Just a quiet ache.

He remembered that same laugh—back when it was just theirs. No crowd, no spotlight, no Kian.

He locked his phone and let it rest on his thigh, gaze fixed on the distant trees.

Alex glanced up from his screen. "You good?"

Noel nodded too fast. "Yeah."

Alex studied him for another beat, like he didn’t quite buy it, then returned to typing.

Lina didn’t notice, still in her sketch — until she broke the silence. "What’s the word for when everything feels fine, but your chest’s doing this stupid heavy thing?"

Alex smirked faintly. "That’s called being a human being."

Lina tilted her head, scribbling faster. "I think it’s called being in denial."

Noel didn’t respond. Just leaned back against the bench and closed his eyes briefly — as if trying to blink away something he couldn’t name.

The sketching. The typing. The breeze.

But inside him, the picture from the screen refused to blur.

{ Alright my amazing readers }

It’s time for you to decide where the story goes next!

I’ve been torn between Emily, Lina, and Alex — and I want you to choose who gets the next spotlight, drama, or maybe even a twist

Cast your vote below:

Team Emily and Lina?

Team Alex and Lina?

Drop your choice in the comments!

And don’t forget... I always read every comment, so make your case strong