One college student didn’t know what to make of her roommate’s habits, which quickly turned her dorm room into an unlivable mess. Left to navigate this unusual living situation, she found herself tiptoeing around a shared space that had become a health hazard.
The ordeal began with a different kind of mess. The roommate, who had made waves before for changing pads in their small living quarters, seemed oblivious to her own chaos. Now, Buldak sauce—the kind that’s notoriously pungent—had started to cover the shared sink. Bright orange stains seeped into the porcelain, while bits of noodles floated around, a vivid reminder of the lack of care in keeping common areas tidy.
For those unfamiliar with Buldak sauce, it’s intensely flavored and sticks around longer than expected. To add to the overwhelming scent, the student’s roommate refused to open her side of the window, opting to avoid the sounds of buzzing flies instead. The irony didn’t escape the student: the flies were probably attracted to the unkempt surroundings. The roommate’s natural odor combined with the sauce’s pungency made the air in the room hard to breathe.
It didn’t stop there. When the sink got clogged, a deeper horror awaited. The student discovered that bits of rotting noodles had made themselves at home in the plumbing. Despite the alarming state of the bathroom—and a few conversations aimed at addressing it—the roommate continued to ignore any maintenance of her side. Instead, she turned the discussion around with quips that dismissed the student’s frustrations. “You have agility problems then?” she remarked at one point, brushing off any responsibility.
The atmosphere reached a boiling point when the smell of tar-based shampoo from the roommate’s eczema treatment began to permeate. While the student understood the need for medical solutions, it seemed the roommate wasn’t rinsing properly. After a shower, the room filled with a suffocating aroma that lingered longer than expected. So unpleasant was the scent that the student had to adjust her shower schedule just to avoid gagging.
With dirty underwear strewn about, the path to the sink became a challenge. Refusing to acknowledge the mess, the roommate continued her usual habits, despite the student’s many attempts to address the cleanliness. Note after note, even bright yellow post-its pointing directly to the stains, elicited no change in behavior. The student felt trapped, only spending minimal time in the room to escape from the chaos.
To make matters worse, the roommate had a knack for getting sick. Each cold resulted in an odd call to her father, whose advice seemed questionable. The student learned that leftover antibiotics—unprescribed and popped at her father’s encouragement—were the go-to remedy. Conversations about how dangerous this could be were met with indifference. Sometimes, it felt like there was a lurking health risk to both of them in that tiny room.
People had very different reactions when reading about this situation on Reddit. Some sympathized with the student, suggesting she should take matters into her own hands before a more serious issue arose. Others pointed out that university living was often fraught with challenges, and a messy roommate was par for the course. A few users couldn’t help but express disbelief at how someone could be so disengaged from their surroundings, questioning the roommate’s judgment.
Despite the outpouring of empathy online, the student remained in a tough spot. With exams approaching, there wasn’t much time left to enjoy her living space without the constant dread of finding a new mess. As the countdown to her move-out date began, she pondered how the experience would impact any future living arrangements. Would she ever find a roommate who respected shared spaces, or was this just part of the college experience?
It seemed the only solution was to count down the days until the student could reclaim her space and breathe easier. Still, lingering questions remained: What would the roommate think when the student finally left? Would she notice the mess? Or was she simply too wrapped up in her own world to care?
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