Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 271: Back to the Rhythm

Sunday morning felt different from Saturday—still relaxed, but with the awareness of preparation needed, of Monday looming just hours away.

Luca woke to find Noel already at their small desk, laptop open, frowning at the screen.

"What are you doing?" Luca asked, voice still rough with sleep.

"Checking the timetable. Spring semester schedule just posted."

"It’s Sunday morning."

"I know. But we need to see what classes we have, when they are, if we overlap at all."

Luca dragged himself out of bed, moving to stand behind Noel, arms wrapping around his shoulders. "Show me."

Noel pulled up the schedule a color-coded grid that was very typically Noel, organized by day and time.

"I have International Trade Law Monday and Wednesday mornings," Noel said, pointing. "Cross-Cultural Management Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. My capstone seminar is Friday mornings."

"Sounds intense."

"It’s final semester. Everything’s intense." Noel switched tabs. "What about you?"

Luca pulled up his own schedule on his phone, leaning over Noel’s shoulder. "Strategic Management Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Operations Tuesday mornings. My capstone is Thursday afternoons, and I have an elective on International Business Practices Friday afternoons."

"Wait." Noel clicked something. "International Business Practices?"

"Yeah, it’s cross-listed. Counts for both programs."

"I’m in that class."

"Really?"

"Friday afternoons. Professor Williams."

"That’s the one." Luca smiled. "So we have at least one class together."

"And possibly others. A lot of upper-level business courses are shared between programs."

They spent the next hour comparing schedules, mapping out their weeks, realizing they’d see each other more than expected—shared classes, overlapping breaks, the campus not far from their apartment making everything more accessible.

"This might actually work," Noel said, looking at their combined schedule.

"Of course it’ll work. We’re good at making things work."

After breakfast—Noel’s insistence on actual food, Luca’s preference for something quick they spent the morning organizing for school.

Supplies arranged. Backpacks packed. The student IDs they hadn’t needed for months located and ready.

"Feels weird," Luca said,"Going back after so long."

"We were only gone for internship. Six months."

"Six months of real-world experience. Campus is going to feel different."

"Maybe. Or maybe it’ll feel exactly the same."

They spent the afternoon doing nothing important—cleaning the apartment because it needed it, running laundry, meal prepping simple things for the busy week ahead.

Normal Sunday tasks, made meaningful by doing them together.

Around five, they ordered Thai food and ate on the couch, the TV playing a documentary Noel actually wanted to watch for once.

"Nervous about tomorrow?" Luca asked.

"A little. You?"

"Yeah. New classes, final semester pressure, seeing everyone again."

"Emily’s going to be insufferable."

"She’s always insufferable. That’s her charm."

"If you say so."

They went to bed early—not because they were tired, but because morning would come quickly and they both wanted to be ready.

In the darkness, Noel said, "Last semester."

"Last semester," Luca confirmed.

"Then we’re done. Really done."

"Then we start the rest of our lives."

"That’s terrifying."

"That’s exciting."

"Both," Noel decided. "Both things at once."

"Yeah. Both."

Monday morning arrived with its usual lack of mercy, the alarm shattering sleep at 7 AM.

Luca groaned, reaching to silence it. "I hate school already."

"We haven’t even left yet."

"Preemptive hatred."

But they got up, moved through their routine—shower, coffee, actual breakfast because Noel insisted they needed energy for the day.

They dressed in clothes they hadn’t worn in months casual but presentable, the campus uniform of students who cared but not too much.

"Ready?" Noel asked, shouldering his backpack.

"No."

"Me neither."

"Let’s go anyway."

The walk to campus was familiar despite the time away fifteen minutes through their neighborhood, crossing into the university district where everything was geared toward students.

The campus appeared ahead, sprawling and busy, everyone converging for the first day of spring semester.

"Here we go," Luca said.

"Here we go."

They entered through the main gates, immediately absorbed into the flow of students heading to various buildings.

"I’ll see you at lunch?" Noel asked as they reached the split where their paths diverged.

"Yeah. Text me when you’re free."

Noel leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to Luca’s cheek—brief, easy, not caring who saw.

"Good luck."

"You too."

They separated, Luca heading toward the Business Studies building while Noel went toward International Business.

Luca’s first class was Strategic Management, a large lecture hall already filling with students.

He found a seat near the middle, pulling out his new notebook, feeling simultaneously like he’d never left and like he’d been gone forever.

"Luca!"

He turned to find Emily practically bouncing down the aisle, bright smile, energy that could power a small city.

"Emily, hey!" He stood, accepting her enthusiastic hug.

"Oh my god, it’s been forever! Well, not forever—we saw each other at Noel’s birthday but still! How are you? How was internship? Tell me everything!"

She settled into the seat beside him, questions coming rapid-fire, barely pausing for answers.

"Internship was good," Luca said when she finally took a breath. "Long but good. Learned a lot."

"Same! I was at BizNexus, you know, they worked me to death but the experience was incredible." She pulled out her own supplies, still talking. "George will be back tomorrow, by the way. He texted this morning. Something about jet lag and needing an extra day."

"How was China?"

"He loved it apparently. Won’t shut up about it in the group chat. How’s Noel?"

"Good. We both are."

"You guys are disgustingly cute, you know that?"

"We’re normal."

"You’re disgustingly cute normal people."

The professor entered before Luca could respond, and the class settled into first-day routines syllabus review, expectations, the looming specter of the capstone project that would dominate their semester.

After class, Emily linked her arm through Luca’s as they left. "Where to next?"

"I have a break until one. You?"

"Same! Let’s grab coffee. I need to tell you about my disastrous holiday."

They walked across campus toward the café, Emily narrating her winter break family drama, bad dates, the usual chaos that followed her everywhere.

Luca listened, made appropriate responses, but couldn’t help noticing something different about Emily.

"What about you?" Emily asked as they got their coffees. "How was your holiday?"

"Good. Quiet. Spent it with Noel mostly."

"Domestic bliss?"

"Something like that."

They found a table outside despite the cold, both of them bundled in jackets, the winter sun bright and sharp.

Around noon, Luca’s phone buzzed.

Noel: meeting up with Alex at the student center. Lina’s joining. Want to come?

Luca: yeah. Emily’s with me, we’ll head over

"Noel’s meeting Alex," Luca told Emily. "Want to join?"

"Sure! Haven’t seen Alex in forever."

They made their way to the student center, a large building at the heart of campus with study spaces, food options, and areas for students to congregate.

Noel was at a table near the windows, already deep in conversation with Alex, both of them with laptops open.

"Hey," Luca said, approaching.

Noel looked up, expression softening slightly. "Hey. How was class?"

"Overwhelming. Yours?"

"Same."

Alex stood, pulling Luca into a quick hug. "Good to see you, man. How’ve you been?"

"Good. You?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Busy. Art portfolio is consuming my life."

"That sounds terrible."

"It is terrible. But also kind of exciting?"

They settled around the table Luca beside Noel, Emily across from them, Alex at the end—everyone pulling out assignments and laptops in that universal student gesture of pretending to be productive while actually just socializing.

"Lina said she’s coming," Alex mentioned, checking his phone. "She got held up after class."

"How is she?" Emily asked, tone carefully casual.

"Good. Stressed about her senior collection but good."

Ten minutes later, Lina appeared—Design student aesthetic in full effect, always somehow looking both effortlessly cool and slightly chaotic.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, dropping into the chair beside Alex. "Professor wouldn’t stop talking."

"Classic," Alex said.

Luca watched the dynamic, Emily’s posture becoming slightly more rigid, Lina not immediately gravitating toward her like she used to.

They greeted each other politely, but there was distance there that hadn’t existed before.

Interesting.

But Luca didn’t ask. Not his business. Not yet, anyway.

The conversation flowed easily after that everyone catching up, complaining about syllabi, discussing the looming threat of finals and graduation.

"Can’t believe this is it," Alex said. "Last semester. Then we’re real adults."

"Terrifying," Noel agreed.

"I’m not ready," Lina said, sketching absently in her notebook. "Like, mentally prepared to graduate? No. Not happening."

"We don’t have a choice," Emily pointed out. "Time keeps moving whether we’re ready or not."

They studied or attempted to for another hour, the table becoming a mess of papers and laptops and coffee cups.

Around two-thirty, Alex stood. "I need to hit the library. Actual research for this portfolio."

"I’ll come," Noel said, packing up his laptop. "I have reading to do."

"Me too," Lina added, gathering her things.

Emily and Luca stayed seated, both having afternoon lectures starting at three.

"We should head to class," Emily said after the others left.

They walked together toward the Business Studies building, Emily chattering about something a professor had said, Luca only half-listening.

"You okay?" he asked when she paused.

"Yeah, why?"

"You seem... I don’t know. Different."

"Different how?"

"I don’t know. Just different."

Emily was quiet for a moment, unusual for her. "Just adjusting to being back, I guess. Internship changed things."

"Yeah. It did."

They reached their lecture hall, finding seats, the professor already setting up.

Luca didn’t push.

After class, he texted Noel.

Luca: heading home. you still at library?

Noel: yeah. probably another hour. need to finish this reading

Luca: want me to bring you food?

Noel: already ate. but thanks

Luca: okay. see you tonight

Luca: don’t overwork

Noel: I won’t

Noel: probably

Luca: Noel.

Noel: I’ll be home by 6. promise

The walk home was quiet, the campus slowly emptying as afternoon turned to evening.

Back at the apartment, cat greeted him with the usual dramatic complaint about abandonment.

"Hey," Luca said, feeding him. "New schedule. You’ll get used to it."

He changed into comfortable clothes, started on reading for tomorrow’s class, checked the time repeatedly.

Noel walked through the door at 6:15—slightly late but not terribly—looking tired but satisfied.

"Good first day?" Luca asked.

"Exhausting but good." Noel dropped his bag, moving immediately to the couch where he collapsed. "Yours?"

"Same. Saw everyone. Emily’s being weird."

"Weird how?"

"Don’t know yet"

"Mm."

Luca joined him on the couch, pulling Noel’s legs across his lap. "We survived day one."

"We did."

"Only a whole semester to go."

"Thanks for that reminder."

"Anytime."

They ordered dinner falling into patterns already and spent the evening preparing for tomorrow, both of them adjusting back to student life.

In bed, exhausted from the day, Luca said, "Tomorrow George is back."

"Should be interesting."

"Yeah."

"Sleep. Tomorrow comes early."

"Always does."

They drifted off, first day of final semester complete, the future stretching ahead—uncertain but possible.

Together.

Perfect.