Chapter 1

My roommate, Nathan White, says he practices extreme mindfulness and can't kill any living creatures.

On the very first day of college, he grabs my electric mosquito swatter and stops me. "Mosquitoes are living creatures too. How can you kill them?"

That night, he opens every window in our dorm, saying he wants to leave the door open for any little lives that have lost their way.

I get bitten so badly that I develop a high fever and an allergic reaction. My eyelids swell so much that I can barely open my eyes.

When I put up a mosquito net, he tears it down with tears in his eyes. "How can you be so selfish? If you cover yourself up, what's going to happen to them?"

In my previous life, those words marked the beginning of my condemnation by everyone in my dorm, my entire class, and even the campus confession page. They say I'm cold-blooded and that Nathan is simply too kindhearted and criticize me for being unable to tolerate just a few mosquitoes.

In the end, my high fever leads to an infection, and I go into anaphylactic shock and end up in the ICU. Meanwhile, Nathan faces the camera with an aggrieved expression and claims that my hostility is what provoked the mosquitoes to attack me.

When I open my eyes again, I'm back on the first day of college.

Nathan is holding down my electric mosquito swatter and looking at me expectantly. "You won't hurt them, right?"

I pick up my phone and head straight to the office of the faculty member in charge. "Ms. Zimmer, I'd like to apply for permission to live off campus."

Whoever wants to turn the dorm into a wildlife sanctuary can do as they please. I want no part in it.

Chapter 1

The faculty member in charge of the dormitory, Hallie Zimmer, was only halfway through the freshman registration list in her hands when she looked up at me.

She asked, "Aiden Shaw? You just arrived, and you already want to live off campus?"

I placed my admission letter, a photocopy of my ID, a medical certificate documenting my severe allergic reactions, and my application to live off campus on her desk.

"Ms. Zimmer, I have a history of severe allergic reactions to mosquito bites. My roommate, Nathan White, won't let us kill mosquitoes or put up mosquito nets," I explained.

The office fell silent for a moment.

The resident advisor, who was sorting through some paperwork beside Hallie, failed to hold back a laugh. "He won't let you kill mosquitoes?"

Hallie frowned and said, "Aiden, conflicts with roommates can be resolved through communication first. An application to live off campus can't be approved the same day."

Suddenly, a soft, aggrieved voice came from the doorway. "It's not a conflict."

Nathan stood by the door, holding my electric mosquito swatter in his arms. He wore a white shirt, and his eyes were so red that anyone would have thought he had been bawling his eyes out because someone had bullied him.

"Ms. Zimmer, he wants to kill living creatures," he said.

The smile on the resident advisor's face froze.

Hallie looked at the object in his arms. "Why are you holding someone else's electric mosquito swatter?"

Nathan immediately hugged it tighter. "This thing is terrifying. I just wanted to keep it away from him for now. All living things have souls. They feel pain too."

As he spoke, his eyes reddened. "I know everyone thinks I'm weird and a little effeminate, but I just wish the world weren't so cruel."

Several freshmen had gathered outside the office by then.

Someone whispered, "He's so kind."

Others shot looks at me, and their expressions began to shift.

That familiar suffocating feeling pressed down on my chest.

It had been the same in my previous life. All Nathan had to do was tear up, and everyone would automatically fill in the rest of the story in their heads and assume he had been wronged.

When I said I was allergic, they said I was exaggerating.

When I said he wouldn't let us close the windows, they said it was perfectly normal to keep the room ventilated in summer.

When I said he had torn down my mosquito net, they said he'd just gotten too emotional.

In the end, I lay in a hospital bed, unable even to speak, while they were still discussing whether I was being too heartless.

This time, I didn't explain myself.

I simply looked at Hallie and made my stance clear. "Ms. Zimmer, I'm not judging his beliefs. I'm only asking not to live with him."

Nathan looked deeply hurt. When he raised his head, tears clung to his eyelashes.

He asked, "Do you really hate me that much?"

I said, "I'm allergic to mosquitoes."

He took half a step back as if I'd wounded him deeply. "But they just want to live."

I rolled up my sleeve. Several swollen welts had formed on my arm. The surrounding skin was red.

"So do I," I stated firmly.

The office went completely silent again.

Hallie lowered her gaze to my medical certificate, and her frown gradually deepened.

She said, "An application to live off campus requires parental consent, as well as approval from the college and the dormitory administration."

Nathan immediately sniffled. "Ms. Zimmer, there's no need to go through all that trouble. I'll do my best to help Aiden appreciate how precious life is."

I looked at him and countered, "I don't need to appreciate mosquitoes, and I don't need you to try."

Chapter 2

My application to live off campus wasn't approved on the spot.

Hallie said she needed to contact my parents, the dormitory administration, and the college to confirm the procedure.

When Nathan heard that she planned to contact my parents, he looked ready to burst into tears.

He pleaded, "Don't tell my mom. She'll think that I've caused trouble for someone again."

Someone at the door felt sorry for Nathan and spoke up for him. "Ms. Zimmer, why don't you let them go back and talk it out first? Letting a student live off campus right after college starts may cause some speculation and gossip. They're guys. They can just talk things through."

Hallie looked at me. From her eyes, I could tell she wouldn't readily take my side. She was caught in a difficult position.

College procedures moved slowly, but emotional outbursts happened quickly.

Nathan understood that all too well.

Clutching the electric mosquito swatter, he spoke just softly enough for everyone to hear. "Aiden, I just wish you weren't so hostile. Mosquitoes are so tiny. They can't even fight back. If none of us protect them, what are they supposed to do?"

In my previous life, those words had made me back down. I'd thought that since it was the first day of college, I shouldn't ruin our relationship right away. So, I'd followed him back to the dorm.

That night, he'd opened the windows and turned off the fan. He'd claimed the wind was too strong and would make the little creatures lose their way.

Mosquitoes had bitten me until 4:00 am, and that was when my throat started tightening. I'd gone to get my medicine, but he'd said with reddened eyes that the smell would drive the mosquitoes away.

Later, I'd knelt on the floor gasping for breath. I'd dug my fingers into the edge of the bed as my vision repeatedly went black.

This time, I placed my phone on the desk and pressed the recording button.

I said, "Ms. Zimmer, I'm willing to undergo the required procedure. But until my application to live off campus is approved, I won't stay in my original dorm room. If the college can't temporarily assign me another bed, please give me a written statement about the reason.

"It should state that I submitted documentation of my allergy and that someone in the dorm is currently deliberately obstructing normal mosquito protection measures."

The office fell silent once more.

Nathan no longer looked aggrieved. The way he looked at me turned unfamiliar.

After a few seconds of silence, Hallie picked up the phone and called the dormitory supervisor's office.

"Could you send someone over to take a look at Room 503 of Sycamore Block 2? A student reported that they're not allowed to kill mosquitoes or put up mosquito nets in the room."

The person on the other end said something.

A complicated look crossed Hallie's face. "Yes, I'm not joking."

Nathan rushed over to me all of a sudden. "Why do you have to make such a big deal out of this?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for the people outside to hear.

"We could've taken our time and learned to understand each other," he stressed.

Phones were raised to record us again.

I took a step back. "Don't touch me."

Nathan bit his lip and immediately looked aggrieved again. "I didn't touch you. Why are you so afraid of me?"

The electric mosquito swatter in his arms suddenly made a sound. He must have accidentally pressed on the switch. The bluish-purple grid crackled with electricity.

Nathan screamed and flung the swatter away. It struck a male student's suitcase by the door, leaving a white crack across the plastic shell.

The guy's face went pale. "That's my suitcase!"

Nathan hurriedly crouched down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

The guy trembled with anger. "Just because you didn't mean to do it doesn't mean you don't have to pay for it!"

Nathan looked at me, his eyes reddening again. "Aiden, you scared me just now."

Everyone's eyes turned to me again.

I looked at the cracked suitcase and suddenly found it funny because it had been the same every time in my previous life.

When he'd poured out my mosquito repellent, it had been my fault for leaving something that killed living creatures on the desk.

When he'd torn down my mosquito net, it had been my fault for provoking him.

When I'd gone to the campus clinic with a high fever, they'd said I was simply too weak. They had all said that Nathan shouldn't be blamed for being kind.

Hallie spoke in a lowered voice. "Nathan, we'll document the damaged property first. You'll compensate him for it."

Nathan's aggrieved protests caught in his throat. "Ms. Zimmer, I really didn't mean to do it."

The guy whose suitcase had been damaged lost his temper. "Are you going to pay for it or not?"

Hallie closed her eyes for a moment, then said, "Let's go to the dorm first."

Chapter 3

A sizable crowd had already gathered downstairs outside Sycamore Block 2.

The security guards and the maintenance staff were standing in a row, along with the dorm supervisor, Sharon Bettany. None of them looked particularly pleased.

As soon as the door to Room 503 opened, a damp, sour smell hit us.

The windows were wide open. Half a cup of honey water, several pieces of rotten peach, and an open garbage bag sat on the windowsill. There was even a basin of standing water in the corner of the balcony.

Mosquitoes circled the light fixture, while a whole swarm buzzed in the corners.

Sharon's face turned ashen instantly. "Who did this?"

Nathan stood in the middle of the room as though everyone had misunderstood him. "They get hungry too. It doesn't matter if the fruit goes bad. The little creatures will eat it."

The maintenance worker tried his best to hold back his irritation. "Young man, this is a student dorm, not an insect observation room. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and rotting fruit attracts bugs too."

Nathan pouted and argued, "Sir, you're being so harsh. They'll get scared if they hear you."

Someone in the crowd laughed, while others spoke up for him.

"Isn't he being too much of a sissy? I get that some people practice mindfulness, but they don't take it this far."

"Maybe don't provoke him."

"There's nothing wrong with not killing living creatures, though."

The next moment, a mosquito landed on Sharon's arm. She lifted her other hand and smacked, killing it swiftly.

Nathan let out a scream. "You killed it!"

The entire floor went silent.

Sharon looked at the tiny smear of blood on her palm, her expression darkening. "Worry about yourself first."

Just then, my other two roommates from Room 503 came up the stairs. One was Oscar Clark, and the other was Zeke Murray.

Oscar's arms were covered in mosquito bites, and he was holding a torn mosquito net. "This is mine."

Zeke held his washbasin with a grim expression. "He wouldn't let us dump out that basin of water on the balcony. He said there might be insect eggs in it."

When Nathan saw them, he looked as though his rescuers had arrived. "Oscar, Zeke, please speak up for me."

Oscar hesitated.

Zeke glanced at me and lowered his voice. "Actually, Nathan's pretty pitiful. He's just too kind."

There it was again—Nathan was just too kind.

Every disaster started with those words.

Nathan's eyes immediately reddened. "Aiden, I really didn't know your reaction was this serious."

I exposed the rash on my arm. It had already spread from my wrist to my forearm, covering my skin densely.

Oscar got a fright as he asked in surprise, "You're really allergic?"

Nathan immediately choked up. "I thought you just didn't like that they were dirty."

The atmosphere instantly grew tense.

I stared at him and stated, "Being allergic isn't the same as thinking they're dirty."

Nathan shrank back, and his eyes held just the right amount of redness. "I was wrong, okay? You don't have to be so mean to me."

Zeke sighed and said, "Aiden, he already apologized."

Before I could say anything, a mosquito flew down from beside the light and landed on Nathan's neck. A security guard nearby instinctively raised his hand.

Nathan jerked backward and shouted, "Don't touch it!"

He crashed into the shoe rack behind the door. Dozens of pairs of shoes tumbled onto the floor. A white sneaker happened to fall straight into the basin of standing water.

The owner of the shoe immediately lost it. "Nathan!"

Chapter 4

In the end, the dorm room didn't immediately return to normal.

Maintenance said they needed to arrange pest control. However, Nathan blocked the doorway and refused to let them in, saying extermination was a massacre.

Sharon ordered him to clean up the rotten fruit and standing water first.

Nathan clutched the bag of rotten peaches as though he were holding the last bit of tenderness left in the world.

"They're still eating," he said softly.

Someone handed him a tissue.

Meanwhile, one of the other students recorded a video, while another made a post on the campus confession page.

The title of the post spread rapidly on the internet.

It read, "Kindhearted Freshman Protects Tiny Lives, Reduced to Tears by Cold-Blooded Roommate."

In the photo, Nathan was clutching the rotten peaches with reddened eyes while I stood beside him. My rolled-up sleeve made it look like I was pointing at him accusingly.

The comments section was boiling over.

"That roommate looks so aggressive."

"Not letting anyone kill mosquitoes is definitely ridiculous. Still, his heart's in the right place, isn't it?"

"Does having an allergy mean you don't need to have any empathy?"

"They're just a few mosquitoes. Why can't he be a little more tolerant?"

When Oscar handed me his phone, he had an awkward look on his face. "Aiden, do you want to explain yourself?"

As I stared at the photo, I felt a heavy weight pressing on my chest.

In my previous life, I had explained. I'd posted photos of the rashes covering my hands, my medical records from the campus clinic, as well as the honey water and rotten fruit Nathan had left on the windowsill.

No one had cared. All they had remembered was how pitiful Nathan looked.

Hallie arranged for me to stay in the college conference room temporarily.

She said, "You'll have to make do here tonight. I'll push them to approve your application to live off campus first thing tomorrow morning."

There was no bed in the conference room. I pushed two chairs together and slept on them, but they were so hard that my back ached.

Outside the window, Nathan was still downstairs outside the dorm building, looking aggrieved. Zeke draped a jacket over his shoulders, while Oscar brought him some hot water.

A while later, someone downstairs shouted my name. "Aiden!"

I walked over to the window.

Nathan looked up at me, his tears glistening under the streetlights. "I'm willing to take care of them with you. Please don't be angry anymore, okay?"

The crowd downstairs immediately started egging me on.

"He's giving you a way out. Just come down."

"He's already gone this far, and you're still acting all high and mighty?"

"Don't be so heartless to your classmates."

I closed the window.

My phone kept vibrating nonstop. Someone had posted a screenshot of the confession page in the class group chat.

Hallie told everyone not to share it, and several sarcastic messages immediately followed.

"Some people sure know how to run to the teacher the second they start college."

"We're all going to be in the same class. We'll be seeing each other every day."

"Is respecting life wrong now?"

I saved screenshots of the group chat.

At 1:00 am, someone knocked on the conference room door.

Oscar stood outside, his face a little pale. "Aiden, Nathan said the mosquitoes keep flying around the dorm, and he can't sleep either."

I looked at him. "So?"

Oscar bit his lip and went on, "He said if you go back, we can all sit down and talk things through. Otherwise, he won't be able to rest easy tonight."

"Why should I care if he can rest easy or not?" I questioned.

Oscar froze. "He just wants to make peace with you."

"I don't accept it," I said firmly.

Suddenly, Nathan came running down the hall. He was holding a glass jar filled with pale yellow honey water.

"Aiden, smell this!" he urged.

The cloyingly sweet scent hit my nose. I immediately backed away.

Nathan held up the jar, his eyes reddening again. "This is the food I prepared for them. If you smell it, you'll understand how much they really need us."

My throat started to itch.

Oscar panicked and said, "Nathan, don't get too close to him."

Nathan took another step forward like he hadn't heard him at all. The mouth of the jar was almost pressed against my chest.

"I'm begging you. Please accept them."

I shoved his wrist away.

The glass jar crashed to the floor. Honey water splashed all over the hallway.

Nathan fell to the floor, and his scream rang out through the entire floor. "You knocked over their food!"

He held up a finger cut by a shard of glass and exclaimed dramatically, "He's trying to kill me! Help!"