CHAPTER 34: NEW ROOMMATE

No matter how much Joshua resisted, Luther and Justin bought him a set.

Luther said, "Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll fit you perfectly. After all, I’ve hugged you before!"

Justin nodded in agreement.

Joshua glanced at Luther, who was patting his chest proudly, then at the store clerk, whose eyes couldn’t hide their excitement.

Joshua: "..." He must have gone insane to agree to go out with these two!

In the end, neither Luther nor Justin understood how it happened—they each got smacked on the head once, while Joshua grabbed the clothes and stormed off ahead, completely unwilling to deal with them any longer.

When they returned to the dorm, they immediately noticed that Arthur’s belongings had been removed. All that remained was a simple bed, plain and bare, like when they first moved in.

Justin didn’t pay much attention, but Luther clicked his tongue. "Guess he’s just doing his regular cleaning, or maybe..."

Before Luther could finish his sentence, footsteps stopped behind them—accompanied by the faint rolling of suitcase wheels across the floor.

Joshua turned around and saw a young man standing there. He looked down at Joshua with thin lips, deep-set eyes, black hair, and pitch-black eyes. There were faint dark circles under them, giving him a tired, sleep-deprived look that only emphasized his cold and severe demeanor.

Joshua’s gaze lingered on the small mole beneath the man’s left eye for a moment, slightly dazed.

"I’m Henry. From now on, I’ll be your new roommate. Move aside."

The man raised his eyes and spoke coolly. Joshua could almost see a hint of bright red in his pupils—a strikingly unusual color.

Joshua realized Henry was staring directly at him. Startled, he instinctively lowered his gaze and quickly stepped aside.

Henry’s eyes lingered briefly on Joshua’s head before he slowly walked into the room.

Justin looked puzzled. "So... Arthur switched rooms?"

Hearing that, Joshua turned toward Luther. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Luther and Arthur were quite familiar with each other.

Luther immediately waved his hands. "Nah, that guy probably just packed up and left. Finally stopped putting on his little act around here, haha."

Joshua blinked in surprise, then glanced toward their new roommate and quietly asked, "Did Arthur really leave?"

Henry shot him a sidelong look, his tone calm and unhurried. "I don’t know. I just wanted to switch rooms, and they told me to come here. That’s all."

[Why do you keep holding your breath every time Henry looks at you?] Nine’s voice echoed in Joshua’s mind, puzzled.

Joshua pressed his lips together. Meeting Henry’s gaze, he gave a slight nod before casually turning to look at Luther.

"I’m not sure either. It’s just... whenever I face him, I feel this weird sense of familiarity, and a bit... guilty somehow," Joshua murmured.

Nine sounded utterly baffled: [Why would you feel guilty? You didn’t do anything wrong.]

Joshua: "...I told you, I don’t know either."

Justin was curious why Henry wanted to change rooms, but when he looked at Henry’s expressionless face, he decided he’d rather not ask.

In truth, Henry wasn’t exactly an unfamiliar face. He was the trainee who had ranked fourth during the top 60 announcement. He’d even appeared in a few TV drama projects and briefly appeared in a movie or two—though only for a few fleeting scenes.

Joshua couldn’t help but feel like he’d fallen into the "valley of giants." Everyone around him seemed to exist on a completely different level—and seriously, how were their muscles that defined?!

He glanced at Justin, who was only wearing a tank top, his shoulders broad enough to look nearly twice as wide as Joshua’s.

Noticing Joshua’s gaze, Justin scratched his head awkwardly. "What’s up, Joshua?"

Joshua answered with absolute seriousness, "I was just thinking... your muscles are amazing."

Luther, hearing that, immediately sprang up. He pulled off his T-shirt with a single motion, revealing his toned, well-defined muscles underneath.

Joshua looked at Luther’s handsome face, then down at his muscles, his jaw dropping open—his illusion of beauty was utterly shattered.

Seeing Joshua’s wide eyes and gaping mouth, Luther couldn’t help but flick him lightly on the forehead. "I knew it! You still haven’t given up your indecent little thoughts, have you?"

Joshua frowned and raised a fist. "Watch your mouth—and keep your hands to yourself!"

But Luther wasn’t about to back down. He caught Joshua’s fist with one hand, pressed it against his chest, and grinned. "Go on then—hit me here."

His chest muscles suddenly flexed as he spoke, making Joshua’s hand twitch along with the movement.

Joshua’s eyes went wide in disbelief. His face flushed bright red almost instantly, and without hesitation, he swung his other hand and slapped Luther across the face!

The hit wasn’t even that hard, yet Luther’s head turned sharply to the side. Joshua, meanwhile, yanked his hand back as if burned, clutching the "contaminated" wrist with trembling fingers, looking like he might burst into tears at any moment.

Luther, however, leaned in with a teasing pout. "If you wanted to touch my face, you could’ve just said so. Go ahead, one more time."

Joshua instinctively leaned back, his expression twisting in pure disgust.

Smack!

.

"Luther, what happened to your face?"

The next morning, filming resumed as usual.

A teammate from Luther’s previous group noticed him wearing a mask and couldn’t help but ask with concern.

Joshua lifted his chin, hands stuffed into his pockets, his expression one of feigned indifference. "If I told you, you wouldn’t believe it anyway."

"Huh?" His former teammate let out an instinctive, meaningless sound. At that moment, Luther also turned to look, his expression unreadable. "I was holding a rabbit, letting it lie on my chest... and instead of enjoying it, it kicked me!"

The teammate looked worried. Luther nodded thoughtfully, speaking as if nothing could be truer.

Joshua, standing to the side, felt he could barely listen anymore.

Just then, a familiar scent suddenly wafted near. Joshua recognized it immediately because yesterday he had been pressed almost face-first into it—nearly suffocating.

Joshua tilted his head, and Leonard was standing beside him, hands in pockets, chin raised. At that moment, Leonard slightly lowered his head, letting his gaze lock precisely with Joshua’s.

He smiled, eyes curving like a fox’s. "Guess if we’ll be on the same team again this time?"

Joshua made no effort to hide his indifference. "I don’t think so."

Leonard frowned slightly, a trace of irritation in his chest. "You don’t want to be on a team with me that badly?"

Joshua couldn’t help but laugh. "I never said that. Besides, you’re the one asking me."

Leonard pouted, and at that moment, the MC’s voice echoed:

"Dear trainees, it’s wonderful to see you all again! First, the beautiful photos from the production team have arrived. This is the moment to officially create your U-inter account—the account of a trainee from Shining Path!"

This segment was also when trainees realized how many people were paying attention to and supporting them. The number of followers on their U-inter accounts would reveal a lot.

Joshua checked his phone and saw the photo had arrived in his inbox.

It was like a school ID photo: a portrait against a white background. His hair was dark and thick, his nose high and straight, his lips curved, and the lighting made his eyes seem to hold an entire galaxy.