He tried to prank roommate but her kindness left him irritated: ‘Never pay…’

A man set out to play a harmless prank on his roommate by pretending he couldn’t afford the mortgage — a format that’s been trending across social media. However, the moment he brought it up, she immediately offered to help, stopping the joke before it even began. The video, posted by Conzo on his Instagram @conzo031, captured a reaction that viewers labeled as too kind to prank.

As the video begins, the man calls out to his roommate and tells her he might be having trouble paying the mortgage this month. He adds, "I might need just a little bit of help if that's okay." Shelby responds without hesitation, offering reassurance and attempting to help. She tells him she only has cash but could go to the bank tomorrow before heading to the gym, already thinking of how to make it work. Stunned by her response, Conzo takes a pause before saying, "This isn’t a funny trend. Why are people doing this?" When she answers with a simple "What?" he continues, "Well, you like to record yourself… how do people get funny things? You're just helpful."

He then strictly instructs her, "Don't pay the mortgage if I can't pay the mortgage. You pay rent." Shelby returns to her original concern, saying, "I know, but I can help pay it back." This is particularly touching because he owns the house and she's only a tenant, which means it was never her responsibility to think of mortgage payments. Before she tries to reason through the logic, Conzo cuts off the conversation with, "No, I don’t want to talk about it anymore." He walks away, shaking his head, in complete disbelief over his roommate's unassuming kindness. He writes in the caption, "She ruined it by being so nice." Her unfiltered kindness and his visible discomfort at having to drop the joke show what kind of relationship they have as roommates. Research supports just how meaningful roommate dynamics can be.

A 2022 study from the University of California, Irvine, found that poor roommate relationships among college students were linked to higher stress, anxiety, sleep disruptions, and even reduced academic performance. The same research showed that many students used avoidance behaviors or stayed away from their own rooms when tensions rose. In contrast, supportive and cooperative roommate relationships contribute directly to emotional well-being and a stronger sense of home, especially in shared living situations. The clip has since circulated widely, with comments pouring in from people praising Shelby’s response.

@trinityrva commented, "Shelby must be protected at all costs. She’s a treasure for this response." @jessicastarr1031 wrote, "The way his face dropped when she jumped to help lol." @emherself added, "Awww, Shelby. Her roommate was sweet too — he couldn’t even keep up the ruse because she was too nice." @christinameana said, "'Don't pay the mortgage if I can’t pay the mortgage… you pay rent.'" @kbensonhines wrote, "So, this should be called 'When your friend is an absolute real one!'" @stravablitz shared, "That's like with my roommates. Everything is based on income percentage, and if they're having a hard time, there's no problem being understanding." @james_simons_415 suggested, "You have a dope tenant, maybe don’t do that again unless you have to." @curlysuewhoo chimed in, "Your reaction back to her was awesome... 'Don’t pay the mortgage if I can’t.'"

You can follow Conzo (@conzo0311) on Instagram for more daily-life content.