Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]
Chapter 57: Patience is a Kind of Love

Chapter 57: Patience is a Kind of Love

The lecture carried on, words echoing from the projector screen while the professor paced slowly across the front stage, pointer in hand.

Noel leaned forward slightly, eyes on the board, pen flying across his notebook. His handwriting was neat, tight, organized.

Beside him, Luca tapped his pen once... twice... then sighed.

He glanced sideways at Noel’s notes — immaculate.

With a grin, he leaned closer again. "What’s that word?" he whispered, pointing toward Noel’s writing. "’Behavioral’? Or are you writing in secret code again?"

Noel didn’t even look up. "If you paid attention, you’d know."

"Ouch." Luca leaned back, smirking. "I deserve that."

One seat over, Emily had long given up on pretending to listen. Her phone rested on her lap under the desk, thumbs flying.

Her expression shifted every few seconds — smiling, smirking, eyes glittering with mischief.

Luca noticed and leaned toward her. "You look like someone plotting a takeover."

"I’m flirting," Emily said without missing a beat, eyes still on her screen.

"With?"

"Who else?" she said casually. "Lina."

Luca blinked. "You’re shameless."

"I’m confident," she corrected. "Also, she replied with a heart. Two hearts actually. Things are going well."

Noel didn’t mean to listen, but he heard.

His eyes flickered sideways, just briefly, toward Emily, then back to the screen.

Emily nudged Luca. "Should I send this selfie? Or is it too much?"

Luca tilted his head. "Too much? You? Never."

Noel exhaled through his nose, visibly irritated.

"Some people are actually trying to pay attention," he muttered under his breath.

Emily grinned. "You should try flirting sometime, Noel. Loosen up."

He kept writing, ignoring her.

But Luca was still looking at him.

And when Noel’s pen faltered again, Luca leaned just a little closer — not enough to distract, just enough to be felt.

The clock above the whiteboard ticked toward the hour, painfully slow.

The professor was knee-deep in case studies now, his voice steady as he read through slides Noel had already memorized.

Still, Noel kept writing — as if keeping his hands busy would keep his mind from wandering.

Luca, on the other hand, was half-listening at best. Every few minutes he would glance toward the board... then toward Noel.

Then toward Emily’s screen, where hearts and flirty emojis now blinked brightly.

"Is this lecture ever going to end?" Luca mumbled.

Noel replied without looking. "It would feel faster if you were actually learning something."

"I am learning," Luca said, nodding. "Like how your jaw clenches every time Emily laughs at her phone."

That earned him a sharp look. "Do you want to copy my notes or not?"

Luca smirked but said nothing.

Emily let out a soft giggle again — Lina had just replied with a selfie of her sketchpad and a tiny smile.

"God, she’s cute," Emily whispered, more to herself. "If I don’t make her fall for me by the end of this semester, I’m changing my major to regret."

Luca laughed under his breath. "That’s one way to commit."

Just then, the professor’s voice rose slightly. "Alright, that’s where we’ll stop for today."

The words were freedom.

Chairs creaked. Notebooks shut. Students stretched and stood, some already halfway out the door before the projector even dimmed.

Noel slipped his notebook into his bag with practiced ease. He moved like a routine — zip, check, stand.

Luca stood a beat later, and for a moment, just watched him. The way Noel’s fingers brushed his hair back. The way his expression shifted when he thought no one was looking.

Emily was already texting as she walked toward the exit, throwing a wink at Luca on her way out. "I have a date with destiny," she said. "Or at least a girl with really nice hands."

Noel shook his head. "She’s going to crash and burn."

"She’s going to make it interesting," Luca said, falling in step beside him.

Noel didn’t reply — but his lips twitched, just a little.

The hallway buzzed with students pouring out of lecture halls, the low hum of chatter rising around them.

Luca walked beside Noel, matching his pace. "So... what’s next? Back to the dorm? Library? Secret meeting with Alex?"

Noel adjusted his bag. "Alex has practice. And I don’t have any secret meetings."

Luca raised an eyebrow. "Sure. And Emily just wants to borrow Lina’s notes."

Noel gave him a sideways look but didn’t respond. His silence wasn’t annoyance—it was that soft, calm indifference that made Luca want to keep poking until it cracked.

They stepped out into the afternoon air. The sky had begun to shift—faint streaks of orange blending into blue.

Luca stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Hey," he said, more casual than necessary. "Thanks... for dragging me to class today. I mean, not that I learned anything, but you know—presence."

"You’re welcome," Noel said, not looking at him. Then added, "I actually thought you were going to skip."

"Honestly, so did I." Luca smiled. "But someone stocked the fridge with guilt and vegetables, and I couldn’t let it go to waste."

Noel gave a soft scoff that might’ve been a laugh. "Maybe next time I’ll just leave a sticky note."

"You already live in my head rent-free, might as well decorate it."

Noel stopped walking. "You’re insufferable."

"I know," Luca said, grinning as he leaned a bit closer, "but you waited for me now. So I must be doing something right."

Noel blinked, caught off guard. "Don’t overthink it. I didn’t want you to skip."

"And now you sound like a concerned parent."

Noel kept walking. "And you sound like a child."

They crossed through the courtyard, students scattered on benches, grass, and concrete. A soft breeze tugged at their clothes.

As they neared the dorm building, Luca tilted his head. "Movie later?"

Noel hesitated. "Maybe. If I finish my paper."

Luca gave him a wink. "I’ll bribe you with popcorn."

"I’m not that easy."

"I’m counting on it."

They reached the dorm entrance, and for a moment, neither moved. The door stood ahead, but the air between them felt strangely still.

Then Noel opened it. "Come on, you’ve got dishes to do."

"Now you sound like a spouse."

"And now you’re imagining things."

But he was smiling.

Luca followed him inside, and the door clicked softly shut behind them.

Meanwhile, across campus, in a quieter corner by the art block, another kind of tension hummed beneath the surface.

They sat beneath the tree just outside the art block, away from the noise of the campus paths.

Lina had her sketchpad open but hadn’t drawn in the last ten minutes. Emily sat cross-legged beside her, chin resting in her palm, eyes fixed not on the sketch but on Lina.

The breeze tugged lightly at Lina’s hair.

She finally broke the silence, "I thought... you’d give up. The moment I said I wasn’t into girls."

Emily smiled, soft but sure. "Yeah. Most people do."

Lina looked up, surprised at how easily she said it.

Emily shrugged. "But I’m not most people. And I didn’t say I’d pressure you or cross your boundaries. I said I liked you. And I meant it."

Lina blinked, her fingers gently pressing into the edge of her page. "Even now?"

"Especially now," Emily said, leaning back on her hands, eyes still on Lina. "You didn’t push me away. You didn’t laugh or get weird. You stayed kind. You still let me hang around."

Lina looked down at her knees, thinking.

"I like the way you think," Emily continued. "How you get lost in your sketches.

The way you squint at people when they talk, like you’re painting their words in your head. I like you, Lina. Not because you’re easy to like—but because you’re you."

Silence again.

Then Lina let out a breath, barely a whisper. "Alex... likes me."

Emily didn’t flinch. "I figured."

"You’re not jealous?"

Emily grinned a little. "No. I’m patient."

Lina’s head turned to her. "What if nothing ever changes?"

"Then I’ll still be glad I met you." Emily met her eyes, sincere. "This isn’t a game to me. I’m not chasing you to win. I just want you to see me—really see me—and decide for yourself. That’s all."

Lina didn’t say anything for a long time.

But she didn’t move away either.

And that was enough for now.

Lina’s eyes returned to the page in front of her.

She still hadn’t drawn anything.

But her fingers moved, tracing soft lines that didn’t really form a shape. Just motion. Just something to do while her mind wandered.

Emily leaned closer without crowding her, just enough for their arms to almost brush.

Lina glanced sideways. "Do you always talk like that?"

"Like what?" Emily asked, amused.

"Like... you’re quoting poetry. But you’re not trying to be deep. It’s just... honest."

Emily laughed, short and real. "Only with people who matter."

That made Lina look away fast.

A blush crept onto her cheeks before she could stop it.

Emily saw it, but didn’t mention it.

Instead, she asked, "What are you sketching?"

"Nothing yet." Lina hesitated. Then, slowly, she tilted the pad so Emily could see the faint beginnings of two figures.

One was clearer—sitting relaxed, arms folded behind her head. The other, more unfinished, like the lines didn’t know where to go yet.

Emily blinked. "Is that... me?"

Lina shrugged. "Maybe."

A smile pulled at Emily’s lips. "You made me look calm."

"You are," Lina said, her voice low. She glanced at Emily, then away again. "You make me feel calm." Her fingers curled tighter around the edge of the sketchpad, as if holding something fragile.

Emily didn’t speak for a moment. Just looked at her, steady and quiet. Then, softly, "That means a lot coming from you."

Lina nodded, eyes back on her sketch. She wasn’t sure what she was doing. She wasn’t even sure what she was feeling.

But she didn’t want this moment to end.

And that said more than words ever could.

Emily stretched her arms above her head, then looked over with a half-smile. "I’ll walk you home."

Lina hesitated only a second before she nodded. "Okay."

She stood, brushing invisible dust from her skirt. The sky outside the library windows had deepened into soft gold—early evening settling in gently.

They walked side by side, not touching, not speaking right away, just matching steps in quiet comfort.

A few minutes passed before Emily said, "You know... I didn’t expect you to agree."

"To let you walk me home?"

"No," Emily glanced at her. "To not push me away."

Lina gave a small breath, almost a laugh. "I thought I would too."

Emily smiled. "But you didn’t."

Lina stopped walking. They were close to the dorm now, the path quieter.

She looked at Emily then, a little furrow between her brows. "I don’t know what this is yet."

"You don’t have to," Emily said quickly. "I’m not asking for anything you can’t give."

Lina’s expression softened. "But you’re still hoping I will."

Emily tilted her head, smiling without pressure. "Yeah. I am."

Lina didn’t say anything. Just lowered her gaze and resumed walking, slowly. But she didn’t walk ahead. She didn’t create distance.

And that — to Emily — was enough for now.

When they reached the dorm entrance, Lina paused again. "Thanks... for the walk."

Emily smiled. "Anytime."

And as Lina stepped inside, she turned for one last look.

Emily hadn’t moved. She just stood there, her silhouette framed by the dorm lights, eyes steady like she had all the time in the world. Waiting — not for a promise, just for a maybe.

{ 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

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