Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 195: First Day, Big Moves, Upgrade Your Sip

They lingered longer than they should have, letting the quiet morning stretch until Noel finally rose, brushing an invisible crumb from his shirt. "We’ll be late."

Luca groaned but stood anyway, grabbing his bag from the chair. "Fifteen minutes won’t kill us."

"It might," Noel said, opening the door and holding it just long enough for Luca to slip past.

The elevator hummed as it carried them down.

Neither spoke, but the silence wasn’t cold—it hummed with something alive just under the surface.

Luca leaned against the railing, hands buried in his pockets, sneaking glances at Noel’s reflection in the brushed metal wall.

Noel stood tall, a folder tucked neatly under his arm, his face a calm mask that wasn’t quite relaxed.

When the doors slid open, the morning air spilled in—cool, bright, and threaded with the sounds of traffic and hurried footsteps.

Luca shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, falling into step beside him.

"So, Mr. Serious," Luca began, tilting his head. "What’s the over-under on us surviving today?"

"You’ll embarrass yourself within the first hour."

"Wow." Luca clutched his chest dramatically. "Zero faith. None at all."

"Realistic faith," Noel corrected, eyes forward.

Luca bumped their shoulders together. "Bet you I don’t."

Noel didn’t look at him, but a faint curve tugged at the edge of his mouth. "You’ll lose."

"Confident, aren’t you?" Luca grinned. "Stakes: loser cooks dinner."

"You can’t cook."

"Details," Luca dismissed with a wave. "You’re just scared I’ll win."

Noel finally glanced sideways, steady and unimpressed. "I’m not scared."

"Then it’s settled," Luca declared, his grin widening as if he’d already won.

They walked on, weaving through cobbled sidewalks and the morning bustle.

The fifteen-minute stretch felt long, filled with sunlight slipping between buildings and the buzz of cars fading into a steady hum.

When the internship building rose into view—a sleek tower of glass catching the sky—Luca slowed.

His fingers tightened around the strap of his bag, his grin softening at the edges. "Guess this is it, huh?"

Noel stopped with him at the base of the steps, studying his face. "Don’t freeze now."

"I’m not freezing." Luca blew out a breath, rolling his shoulders as if he could shake the nerves off. "Okay. Let’s do this."

Noel reached out, his hand brushing Luca’s arm—a brief touch, grounding and steady. "Together."

Luca’s eyes flicked to his, something unspoken settling in his chest at that single word. His grin came back, smaller but truer. "Yeah. Together."

Side by side, they stepped inside.

The lobby buzzed with quiet chatter, students huddled in twos and threes, adjusting bags or thumbing through phones.

Luca and Noel slipped into the waiting room with the rest, rows of chairs lined up against glass walls.

A screen in the corner looped company highlights on mute—smiling faces, glossy campaigns, gleaming offices.

Luca leaned closer, whispering, "Feels like we’re about to audition for a drama, not an internship."

Noel’s gaze stayed steady on the screen. "Then treat it seriously."

"Always the killjoy," Luca muttered, though his grin betrayed him.

The room hushed when the door opened.

A tall man in a slate suit strode in first—Mr. Jeff, familiar from their interviews.

Beside him walked a woman in a crisp navy dress, her heels clicking like punctuation: Georgia.

"Welcome," Mr. Jeff’s voice carried easily, warm but practiced. "Congratulations again for making it here. Today marks the beginning of your real training. What you learn here goes far beyond the classroom."

Georgia’s smile was smaller, sharper. "We’ll be dividing you into departments based on your strengths. From today forward, you’re not students—you’re part of this company."

The words hung in the air, equal parts inspiring and heavy.

Luca sat up straighter, while Noel simply folded his arms, eyes steady.

One by one, names were called, teams forming.

"Business Studies students," Georgia called, her voice brisk. "You’ll be placed in Marketing and PR. Your work will involve campaigns, client communication, and idea pitching. Expect to be challenged."

Meanwhile, Mr. Jeff scanned another sheet. "International Business students—your place is in International Relations and Trade. You’ll be handling imports, exports, negotiations with foreign partners."

Then came Isabella. She dropped into the seat beside Luca without hesitation, tucking her hair behind one ear. "Isabella," she said brightly. Then, with a sly grin, "But my friends call me Bella. You can too. I’m adopting you."

Luca blinked, then laughed. "Wow, didn’t know friendship came with paperwork."

"Sign here," Bella quipped, holding out an imaginary pen.

Across the room, Noel’s name was called. "International Business, International Relations and Trade Department."

Three others joined him—Ren, tall and unreadable; Jace, who already looked like he’d rather be anywhere else; and another intern whose name Noel didn’t catch.

Their group was directed to the fourth floor.

That was when the second wave of senior staff entered to collect their new interns.

Among them was a man who stood out—not because of his age, which was perhaps early thirties, but because of the quiet confidence he carried.

His hair was swept back neatly, his suit impeccably cut. Mr. Max.

Georgia introduced him briefly. "Mr. Max will be overseeing International Relations."

Noel felt the weight of his gaze almost immediately.

It wasn’t intrusive, but it lingered.

When their eyes met, Max offered a professional smile that held just a flicker of something warmer beneath the surface.

Noel inclined his head politely, his expression unreadable.

From the other side of the room, Luca leaned toward Bella. "Great. Noel gets the polished corporate poster-boy as his manager. Just my luck."

Bella smirked. "Looks strict."

"Uh-huh. Let’s hope he stays that way," Luca muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly before he pulled back with a shrug.

The students began to split.

Georgia led her Marketing team toward the third floor, while Max and another senior guided the International Relations interns upstairs.

On the steps, Luca called low across the gap, "Third floor, right below you."

Noel glanced back, the faintest acknowledgment flickering in his eyes. "Don’t get lost."

"You either," Luca shot back, but his grin was soft.

Then they parted—Noel climbing higher, Luca descending one flight.

Different floors, different worlds waiting for them.

But the same thought echoed in both their heads as the morning pulled them apart: together, even when divided.

Georgia clapped her hands once, sharp enough to cut through the low chatter. "Alright, Marketing and PR, you’re with me. Grab your things."

Luca stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Bella fell into step beside him, grinning as if they’d been friends for years. "This is where the magic happens, huh? Selling dreams and pretending we know what we’re doing."

"Speak for yourself," Luca muttered, though the twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.

Behind them, Liam adjusted his glasses, serious and quiet, while Wei Chen and Camille walked hand in hand, their closeness so casual it felt like background noise.

Georgia led them down a bright corridor, her stride quick and her heels sharp against the tiles.

"This department moves fast," she said without looking back. "You’ll be thrown into campaign ideas, presentations, and sometimes client meetings. It’s not theory—it’s pressure. Get used to it."

"Sounds fun," Bella whispered dramatically, earning a sideways look from Luca.

They turned into a wide office space buzzing with energy.

Desks lined the walls, papers were pinned to corkboards, and screens flashed with ad mockups.

A group of employees sat huddled around a table, debating color schemes as if the fate of the world depended on it.

Georgia swept a hand toward an empty cluster of desks. "These are yours for the semester. Don’t clutter. Don’t be late. And don’t think you’re invisible—because I’ll notice."

Luca dropped into the nearest chair, letting out a low whistle as he spun halfway around. "Feels like the movies. Where’s my coffee and a stressed-out boss throwing papers at me?"

"Careful," Bella warned with mock gravity. "Say that too loud and you’ll get your wish."

Georgia glanced at them from across the room, a pen already poised over her clipboard. "Names?"

Bella straightened. "Isabella, but everyone calls me Bella."

Georgia nodded, jotting it down. "Liam?"

"Yes," he said softly, adjusting his glasses again.

"Couple?" Georgia’s eyes flicked to Wei Chen and Camille.

Camille squeezed his hand. "Yes. Camille and Wei Chen."

"Noted."

Then her gaze landed on Luca. "And you?"

"Luca," he said, leaning back in his chair as if it were a throne. "Future marketing legend."

Bella choked on a laugh.

Georgia didn’t smile. "Future latecomer, more likely." She moved on before Luca could respond, her heels clicking toward her office.

As soon as the door shut, Bella leaned over, her voice bright with amusement. "Future legend, huh?"

"Manifesting," Luca said, shameless. "You’ve got to speak it into existence."

"Or just... actually do the work." Bella smirked, flipping open her notepad.

Luca grinned, unbothered. "Details."

Georgia’s office door had barely been shut a minute before it reopened.

She strode out, a neat folder in hand. "Alright, let’s see what we’re working with. Consider this your warm-up."

Luca straightened, a grin already tugging at his lips. "Warm-up sounds easy."

"Or deceptive," Bella whispered, her eyes sparkling as she leaned toward him.

Georgia set the folder down on their shared table.

Inside were glossy sheets, a product brief, and a mockup of packaging: a sleek water bottle with the company logo stamped across it.

"Client’s launching a new eco-friendly bottle line," she said crisply. "Your task: come up with three campaign ideas. Define the target audience, the outreach strategy, and the hook. You have forty minutes."

"Forty minutes?" Luca repeated, his eyebrows shooting up. "We just got here."

"Exactly." Georgia’s gaze swept across them, firm but not unkind. "Welcome to Marketing."

She left them with the folder and walked away.

The group fell into a silence broken only by Camille’s soft laugh. "She wasn’t kidding about pressure."

Bella flipped through the pages, humming thoughtfully. "Okay, eco-friendly bottles. College students? Gym crowd? Commuters?"

Liam cleared his throat. "Parents, too. Reusable bottles save money in the long term."

"Not bad," Bella nodded.

Wei Chen leaned forward, his voice steady. "We could focus on health and responsibility. A line like, ’Better for you, better for the planet.’ Simple, easy to remember."

"Catchy," Camille said, squeezing his hand.

Luca leaned his elbows on the table, his eyes scanning the mockup. "You’re all thinking too small. People don’t just want a bottle—they want an image. Make it trendy, something influencers show off. Picture this: TikToks of people swapping their old bottles for this shiny one. Call it ’Upgrade Your Sip.’"

Bella snorted, covering her smile with her hand. "Upgrade your sip?"

Luca pointed at her, grinning. "Laugh all you want, but you’ll remember it tomorrow."

Liam adjusted his glasses, skeptical. "Virality is unpredictable."

"That’s the point," Luca said, undeterred. "It sticks."

The group traded glances, a mix of amusement and curiosity.

Bella leaned back, tapping her pen against her notebook. "Okay, future legend. Maybe you’ve got something there."

The clock ticked on, ideas slowly stacking, scribbled notes filling the page.

They weren’t polished yet, but a raw, creative energy buzzed between them.

Georgia returned just as Luca was halfway through sketching a mock logo on scrap paper.

Her sharp eyes scanned their table, taking in the chaos of notes and half-formed pitches.

She said nothing at first, merely raised a brow.

"Well?"

Bella pushed the notepad forward. "Three campaigns, as requested."

Georgia’s gaze flicked over their work, then landed briefly on Luca’s bold scrawl: Upgrade Your Sip.

She didn’t smile, but the faintest lift touched her brow before she shut the folder.

"Not bad," she said finally. "Rough, but promising. Keep that energy. You’ll need it."

When she walked away again, Luca sat back, smug. "Told you."

Bella rolled her eyes, though her grin gave her away. "Alright, alright, Future Legend. Don’t let it get to your head."

"Too late," Luca said, tapping his temple. "It’s already in there."