Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 296: Manageable

Friday morning, Luca woke to an email.

He checked his phone while still in bed, Noel’s arm draped across his waist, and there it was—Dr. Kim’s feedback. Attached PDF, subject line: "Defense Revisions - Due Monday."

He opened it.

Three pages of notes. Not bad, considering.

Most of it was literature review—citations that needed updating, two sources that required better context, one section where his argument jumped too quickly between theories without proper transition.

Manageable.

"What are you reading?" Noel mumbled, face still pressed into the pillow.

"Revision notes from Kim."

"How bad?"

"Not bad. Lit review stuff mostly. Due Monday."

"That’s fast."

"They want everything submitted before finals week starts." Luca scrolled through the notes again. "I can knock this out over the weekend."

Noel shifted, propping himself up on one elbow. "Need help?"

"Nah. You’ve got your own revisions."

"Mine are minimal. Bibliography formatting and one methodology clarification. I can do that in an afternoon."

"Show off."

"Efficient." Noel kissed his shoulder. "Coffee?"

"Please."

They moved through the morning slowly—coffee, breakfast, the cat demanding attention.

Luca set up his laptop at the kitchen table, pulled up his thesis document alongside Kim’s notes.

First note: "Page 23 - Chen (2019) needs fuller context. Why is this source relevant to your argument about digital consumer behavior? Connect it more explicitly to your theoretical framework."

Luca navigated to page 23, found the citation.

Chen’s work on market segmentation in e-commerce.

He’d referenced it briefly but hadn’t explained why it mattered.

He added two sentences, clarifying how Chen’s segmentation model informed his own approach to categorizing consumer types.

Better.

Second note: "Page 31 - Gap between Sullivan (2020) and Park (2021). You jump from traditional retail loyalty models to digital-first frameworks without addressing the transition period. Consider adding Martinez (2018) or Williams (2019) to bridge this gap."

Luca pulled up his research folder, found Martinez’s paper on hybrid retail models.

Skimmed it, found the relevant section about how traditional loyalty programs adapted—or failed to adapt—to digital platforms.

Perfect bridge.

He inserted three paragraphs, weaving Martinez’s findings into his existing argument, showing how the transition period revealed the weaknesses in applying old models to new markets.

"How’s it going?" Noel asked, refilling his coffee.

"Good. Kim was right about these gaps. They’re small but they were there."

"That’s what revisions are for."

"I know. Just annoying I didn’t catch them myself."

"You were too close to it. Fresh eyes help."

Luca saved his changes, moved to the next note.

Third note: "Page 45 - Your discussion of social media influence on brand loyalty would benefit from more recent data. Thompson (2023) and Lee (2024) both published relevant work post-COVID that addresses shifts in online consumer trust. Worth incorporating."

He didn’t have those sources.

Luca opened a new tab, searched the university library database.

Found Thompson’s paper—a study on pandemic-era changes to e-commerce loyalty patterns. Downloaded it, skimmed the abstract and conclusion.

Exactly what he needed.

Lee’s work took longer to find—newer publication, only available through certain databases. He finally located it, downloaded the PDF.

Both papers reinforced his argument while adding nuance about how global events shifted consumer behavior online.

He integrated key findings into his discussion section, adding proper citations.

By noon, he’d worked through all of Kim’s notes.

The literature review felt tighter now, more cohesive.

Arguments flowed better, sources connected more clearly.

He saved the document, backed it up to three different locations.

"Done already?" Noel asked from the couch, where he was marking up his own bibliography.

"With the revisions, yeah. Now I need to proofread the whole thing one more time before I resubmit."

"Smart."

"I’ll do that tomorrow. Give my brain a break first."

Luca closed his laptop, stretched. His shoulders ached from hunching over the keyboard.

His phone buzzed group chat. Emily: Got my revision notes. Crying. Why is academic writing like this.

George replied: What’d they want you to fix?

Emily: Everything. My entire theoretical framework apparently "lacks sufficient grounding in contemporary literature." I have 47 citations. How many more do they WANT.

Luca typed: What’s the due date?

Emily: Monday.

George: Same here. Anyone want to suffer together tomorrow? Library study session?

Luca glanced at Noel, who was watching him. "Emily and George want to do a study session tomorrow. You in?"

"What time?"

Luca typed: What time?

Emily: 10am? Third floor?

"Ten," Luca said.

Noel nodded. "I can do that. I’ll bring my stuff too."

Luca: We’re in. See you tomorrow.

Saturday morning, the library was already busy when they arrived.

Finals were two weeks away, and students had claimed every available table.

They found Emily and George on the third floor, spread across their usual spot by the windows. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Emily looked exhausted, laptop open with approximately fifteen tabs visible, printed notes scattered everywhere.

"You look terrible," Luca said, dropping his bag.

"Thank you so much." Emily didn’t look up from her screen. "I’ve been here since eight."

"It’s ten."

"I know what time it is."

George slid over, making room. "She’s been spiraling about her theoretical framework since yesterday. I’ve learned to just let it happen."

"I’m not spiraling, I’m fixing a legitimate problem with my argument structure."

"You’re spiraling."

"George—"

"Both things can be true," Noel interjected diplomatically, settling into a chair. "What’s the actual issue?"

Emily sighed, rubbing her face. "They want me to connect my case studies more explicitly to broader theoretical models. I used Porter’s Five Forces but apparently I didn’t explain why that framework applies to tech startups specifically."

"So explain it," Luca said.

"I’m trying. But every time I add explanation, it sounds like I’m over-explaining something obvious."

"Let me see."

Emily turned her laptop toward him. Luca read through her section, following her argument about competitive forces in startup ecosystems.

"Here," he said, pointing. "You jump straight from Porter’s framework to your case study without showing why this framework works better than alternatives. Add a paragraph comparing it to, I don’t know, resource-based view or something. Show you considered other options and chose Porter deliberately."

Emily stared at the screen. "Oh."

"That help?"

"Yeah. Actually, yeah." She pulled the laptop back, started typing immediately.

George looked at Noel. "What are you working on?"

"Bibliography formatting. Thrilling stuff."

"Better than rewriting your entire theoretical foundation."

"Marginally."

They settled into comfortable work rhythm—typing, occasional questions, the quiet focus of people who’d spent four years studying together.

Around eleven thirty, Luca finished proofreading his thesis, found two typos Kim hadn’t caught, fixed them.

"Done," he announced.

"Already?" Emily looked up.

"I only had lit review revisions. Yours sound more intensive."

"Don’t remind me." But she was smiling slightly. "I’m getting there though. This is actually helping."

"Good."

Noel closed his laptop. "I’m done too. Bibliography’s formatted correctly now."

"So you’re both just going to sit there while George and I suffer?" Emily asked.

"We can leave if you want," Luca offered.

"No. Stay. Moral support."

They stayed.

Luca pulled out his phone, scrolled mindlessly while Emily and George worked.

Noel read something on his tablet, occasionally glancing up to check on the others.

Around one, George pushed back from the table. "I need food. Anyone else?"

"Please," Emily said.

They went to the student center, grabbed sandwiches, brought them back to the library.

Ate while continuing to work, Emily still muttering about theoretical frameworks, George wrestling with his data presentation.

By three, Emily finally closed her laptop. "Okay. I think it’s fixed."

"You think?" George asked.

"I’m like seventy percent sure."

"That’s better than this morning’s fifty percent."

"Progress." Emily gathered her things. "I’m going home before I start second-guessing myself again."

"Smart," Noel said.

They packed up together, left the library as a group.

Outside, the afternoon was cool and clear, students everywhere enjoying the weekend before finals chaos began.

"Thanks for this," Emily said. "I would’ve spiraled alone all day if you hadn’t been there."

"That’s what we’re here for," Luca said.

George nodded. "Same time tomorrow if anyone needs it?"

"I’m good," Luca said. "Submitting mine tonight."

"Me too," Noel added.

"Then just me and you," George said to Emily.

"I’ll be here. With coffee. So much coffee."

They parted ways—Emily and George heading toward campus housing, Luca and Noel walking home.

"You really submitting tonight?" Noel asked.

"Yeah. No point waiting. It’s done."

"Me too, then."

At home, Luca logged into the university submission portal, uploaded his revised thesis, filled out the required forms. Hit submit.

A confirmation email arrived immediately: "Thesis Submitted Successfully - Final Approval Pending."

Done.

Actually, completely done.

"Submitted," he called to Noel, who was in the bedroom doing the same thing.

"Same," Noel called back.

They met in the kitchen. Noel pulled him into a hug, tight and warm.

"We’re done," Noel said.

"We’re done."

"Finals next week, but the hard part’s over."

Luca pulled back to look at him. "You think finals are the easy part?"

"Easier than defending a thesis."

"Fair point."

They ordered dinner, ate on the couch with the cat claiming the space between them.

Outside, the sun set slowly, painting the sky orange and pink.

Two weeks until graduation.

The countdown had begun.