When Ma Roo turned around to see who called his name, he saw an unfamiliar face which he had never seen before. So, he went to her and stared at her face for a few seconds and then asked her, "I don't think I know you and I don't want to know who you are, probably a rich spoiled girl, so the better question to ask is, do you know me?" With a big smile still pasted on her face, she chuckled and said to him, "Hahahaha, seems like you are a funny guy, I like you, you know and I really mean it. Um, what about." Before she could finish what she was saying, Ma Roo interrupted her and told her in a serious tone, "Seems like you got a lot of time to waste which I don't. you also don't seem like you are to answer my simple question so get out of my way I have got other things to do and I also mean it." He emphasised the 'I also mean it' part and pushed her out of his way in a rude way and went without even checking the Children waiting section. He went murmuring to himself, "Such an unlucky day. Guess sleeping by the beach on new year is what made me meet two crazy girls and in that case the other one is crazier. Where is she now?" The unknown young lady chuckled and crossed both her hand in chest and saw Ma Roo's perfect silhouette disappear in the lobby, "I like him more now, he will be mine no matter what." Not long after both of them had gone. Rin and Saet Byul got out of the Children waiting section.
"Are you sure this is where he left you?" Saet Byul asked Rin looking at a paper with a hand drawn picture that Rin claimed it looked like Ma Roo. Saet Byul came and pulled Hye Rin's arm, "Come, lets hurry cause my mom gave me thirty minutes to go back there, we can't find him like this." She took her to the announcer's room. "Come again, who is lost on the two of you?" the fat chubby man was dumbfounded by the situation. Saet Byul for the fourth time said, "Sir, please help me. You see this noona's head isn't even that fine." Not long after Saet Byul had said that, Rin asked the announcer pointing at his Bluetooth ear piece, "Sir, what is that in your ear? Are you sick?" the announcer was more stupefied and felt pity for the 7-year-old who had come to announce the 16-year-old," You know what young girl, what did you say was her name again?" Saet Byul smiled and answered," Kim Hye Rin!" Then she whispered to Rin, "Noona you are so cool, you did that on purpose, didn't you?" Rin looked puzzled and asked her, "What did I do on purpose?" Saet Byul covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming, "OMG, Don't tell me, at your age you don't know what Bluetooth ear pieces are." Announcer," If you are the guardian of Kim Hye Rin, a 16-year-old with long curly silver hair in a navy blue winter coat and I also think her head isn't that fine." He had just sat back on his chair when Ma Roo opened while breathing heavily from running, "Where is she?" Before he could add on anything else, Rin ran up to him and hugged him tightly like he'd leave again, "I knew you wouldn't leave me." When she said that, Ma Roo remembered that by the time he heard the announcement, he was already at the exit of the mall. He then untangled her from him and told her, "How could I ever leave you!" he then pinched her cheek.
('Noona' means 'big sister' in Korean.)
Saet Byul was looking carefully at Ma Roo and the picture Rin had drawn claiming that it was Ma Roo, "I think the hair colour and style is quite the same and the clothes colour is also kind of the same," then she handed the paper to Rin. Rin said to Saet Byul with a big smile on her cheeks revealing her pretty cheek dimples, "Thank you for your help." Before she could add on anything else, Ma Roo dragged her out, "Come on, let's go." "Such an impolite brat, he didn't thank any of us for helping him find his sister, at least that crazy girl is politer than him." The announcer felt angry for the impolite gesture from Ma Roo. Saet Byul bowed to him in a grateful manner and then she also got out.
Ma Roo at his apartment was lecturing Rin in the middle of dinner, "Next time, if you are getting lost especially in places like malls, let me know earlier so that I can make refunds before sending the things home and today." Before he could finish up, Rin as usual with her unusual questions asked with a spoon in her mouth, "What is a refund?" "You know what, I no longer have the appetite. Go wash the dishes." He placed his spoon down on the empty plate and moved from the dining to the coach. She obediently carried the plates to the kitchen and came back to clean the dining. "Well done, you a quick learner, now go wash the dishes just like I taught you." Ma Roo ordered while he was seated in the couch opening his MacBook.
In the kitchen, while placing the last plate on the stand, it slipped from her hand and fell on the floor. Ma Roo also heard the sound of the breaking glass in the living room where he was. He stood up and ran up to the kitchen door, he found her squatted on the floor picking up the broken glass pieces. "Be careful! Don't pick them." Ma Roo shouted from behind scared that she's fragile since he thought that she was raised as a spoiled princess but he didn't know why he cared about her unlike other girls yet he had spent little time with him, was it because she paid him a large sum of money and he treated money like part of him. Rin was frightened when Ma Roo shouted and she squeezed the glasses she in her palms unknowingly, her purple blood started dripping on the floor. She pulled most of them out but the last one was a bit deeper. Ma Roo could only see her back and didn't know that she had cut herself. "Aww!" When he had her cry out he ran quickly to her to see what had happened to her. He came over and squatted to where she was. "Hey, are you okay?" he pulled out her palms but he was stupefied by what he saw. "What the hell is this?" He let go of her hands and said to her in a worried and surprised tone, "I really thought… you were cut but your palms are as plain as a new paper, not even a scar or a scratch but my dear plate is in pieces." He then picked up the broken glass pieces but noticed some purple stains on most of them which were also in Rin's palms. He asked her curiously, "What are those purple stains?" "Oh! This is my blood." He shook his head in pity for her because he didn't know what exactly to say to her at the moment and just went to dump the glasses.
Next morning, Ma Roo came out of his bedroom yawning dressed in his Pyjamas and was surprised to find Rin seated in the coach eating cereals while watching cartoons on the television. "Hey, are you awake now?" She asked Ma Roo with a big smile on her face. "Yeah, am awake but when did wake up and who told you to eat my cereals?" She put down her spoon and answered him confidently," I woke up when you are sleeping and I saw this on the television, so I wanted to try making it but its's awesome, am eating this for forever!" He wondered who her parents were and where she came from but he cared less since she had paid a large sum of money. "Seems like I will have to lock some channels without food ads and I have somewhere to go, do whatever you want but not in my house." "Then where can I do whatever I want if not here." She asked with her lips pouted. "Maybe, take a walk outside to see the neighbourhood and come back later in the evening. "He was afraid to leave her in his apartment alone or else he might find it burnt down to ashes.
They walked together out, "Where are you going?" She asked curiously. "Remember the MYB rule?" He pulled her ear, "Yes, Mind Your Business!" she answered. "Well, I have to say, you have a good memory but you stepping on the rule, you may head your way now. "They both took different paths from there.
Ma Roo seemed to have reached his destination, he was in front of a big building. It was a bank. He sighed and entered. On Rin's side, she was at a children playground entrance. She smiled and entered.
Ma Roo at the bank where he had gone, he entered a certain room. There was man in his early 40's who was all dressed in a suit. He was seated in the couch reading newspapers but when he saw who had entered, he put down the newspaper on a coffee table and laughed," Well, look who's here!
CHAPTER 13; REASONS BEHIND THE ACTING
Have you no manners entering without knocking." He waved his hand at the expressionless Ma Roo signalling him to sit beside him. "Knocking doors is not my style, scared that I'd find flirting with your secretary again." Ma Roo said as he sat in the couch across the man. "What brings you here? I think, your loan has exceeded a billion won already. You are left with 10 months to pay. 100 million each month," He said mockingly while he picked up a mug filled with coffee from the coffee table. After taking a sip, he continued on seeing that Ma Roo had no intention of replying." I also heard you have no tenants in your apartments because they are haunted. If you are here for another loan, sorry to break for you…" Before he could finish, Ma Roo stretched both his legs on the coffee table and threw a credit card at the table and said in a bragging manner. "There's 500 million won there, I think it'll be enough for now. The password is my 2 six times."
The man was dumbfounded by he managed to get so much money, "But how did you?" "I hate questions about my personal life the most, just do your jour." He then stood up to leave but before he could leave, the man called him out," Ma Roo" "Just say what you want to say?" He said without even turning. "Um. I got a divorce with my wife." He said in an awkward manner. "And how does that concern me?" He asked impatiently. "I was hoping I'd get her an apartment from one of your apartments but could you give me a discount. They'll be there next week." "I give you a 0.1% discount." He then opened the door and left without hearing his response. "That brat! Doesn't respect his elders." He folded his palms into fists to suppress his anger and after that he picked up his newspapers to continue reading.
At the playground where Rin was, she was so tired after trying out everything for over an hour but had no one to play with her. So, she finally decided to sit on a bench. There was a little girl also seated on the same bench but she had a hood on her head and was looking at her phone, so she couldn't see her face. After a few minutes, Rin decided to start a conversation with her, "Hi, my name is Kim Hye Rin, can you tell me yours?" When the girl heard the name, she wanted to make sure she had heard right, so she looked up. "It's you!" They both exclaimed at the same time. "What are you doing here?" Saet Byul asked Rin. "Ah, I was walking around and I found this amazing place." Rin answered with smile. "You, you call this an amazing place, children with nothing better to do are the ones that here. It's so boring!" She wondered what was the problem the girl's head to find such a place amazing. Rin then asked, "You have nothing better to do that's why you are here?" "I'd be at home right now if my mom didn't insist that I shouldn't stay at home alone and I should come here and wait for her to come from work because I don't have a baby sitter but at this age, do I really need a baby sitter?" She said everything so first that she almost lost her breathe.
After saying that, she went back on her phone continued on what she was doing. Then Rin asked her, "What are you doing?" "Am reading some news articles about K-pop here." She answered. "Can I see what you reading?" She asked again. Saet Byul didn't reject and handed to her the phone. But when Rin looked at the screen, she just opened her mouth wide. "What is this?" "You've never seen a phone before." Saet Byul was stupefied, did this girl come from the 18th century. "No, Ma Roo told me what a phone is but am asking this symbols." Now, she was more dumbfounded," You don't know Hangul? You don't know how to read?" She asked both questions which had similarity in wonder that a sixteen-year-old didn't know how to read.
"What is Hangul?" She asked after hearing an unfamiliar word. Since she came on land, she's been hearing new word now and then. "Ok, have you never seen them anywhere?" Saet Byul sighed and asked. "I saw them yesterday and the castles but they weren't so many like these ones." She answered innocently. Saet Byul shook her head in pity for this girl whose head was not only not so fine but she was also an illiterate.
They left the topic and talked about other things. Saet Byul had to go on and answer each of Rin's questions. She asked lots of questions till evening when Saet Byul's mom came and found them laughing while licking ice cream which Saet Byul had bought for them. "Hey, seems like you made yourself a friend." Her mom said. She scared them because they had not noticed that she had arrived. "Mom! You almost scared the crap out of me." Saet Byul complained. "How many times do I have to tell you not to use such words at your age?" She always felt like her daughter was doing things which were not fit for her age. "See you again Rin." Saet Byul held her bag and said farewell to Rin. Rin also decided to go home since it was getting dark.
By the time she reached Ma Roo's apartment it was already dark. She reached the door, entered the passcode but when she entered, the lights were off and didn't know where the switches were. "Ma Roo, are you there?" She was now getting scared the more the apartment was dark. "Ma Roo, am scared. I know you there. I can smell the scent of your emotions." She knew he was there but couldn't see a thing. She squatted down and started crying. Suddenly the lights went on when she started to cry, Ma Roo was sitting in the couch silently looking at her, he had switched the lights on using a remote control. "Why are you crying all of a sudden?" he stood up and came where she was. "I…I thought I had gone back where I had been confined. It was always dark and silent." She cried more by the thought of where she had been confined in the sea.
Ma Roo squatted down and patted her back. After seeing that she couldn't stop to cry, he said to her," If you are not going to stop to cry, I'll take you back in the sea." He said it in a kidding manner because she claimed that she was from the sea. When she heard that he'd take her back to the sea, she stopped crying immediately and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
"Why do your emotions this time smell more distant than usual?" Rin asked while she was eating the ram eon Ma Roo had made. Ma Roo didn't answer that question but it was true that he was quite stressed out today. "Ma Roo, why do we eat the same things every day?" Rin asked as she stared on the ram eon on her fork. "it's been only three days but you are complaining as if you've eaten the same food for over two months. You are the same person who said the food is so delicious but right now you are complaining about the food." He complained but he also was tired of eating ram eon everyday but he couldn't do anything about it because it was the only thing he could make without making any mistakes.
After washing the dishes, Ma Roo came in the living room and found when Rin had dozed off from the couch when watching television. "Doesn't she know where her room is?" he switched the television off and came and carried her. She was so light that he could barely feel her weight. He carried her into her room and covered her with a blanket. He didn't know why he felt that this girl was familiar. He had seen her before the first time he thought that they had first met," Is it really true that we have met before? But when, how and where?" these questions were streaming down his mind.
It was morning, Rin carried her towel out of her room to Ma Roo's room but to her surprise, she didn't find him there. She headed for his bathroom but wasn't aware that Ma Roo was actually also in the bathroom. She found the bathroom door lock was not locked so she just opened. Ma Roo couldn't hear that the door was being opened because of the loud pouring water. When Rin opened the door the first thing her eyes et was Ma Roo," Oh! Ma Roo you are here." Ma Roo almost fell down," Are you nuts?" he shouted as he picked his towel to cover himself immediately.
CHAPTER 14: WHAT IS WRONG WITH TELLING THE TRUTH?
"What is it? Do I look scary that is why you seem scared?" she asked because she didn��t know what was wrong. "You can't even apologise when… you've just seen me… naked without my consent. What the heck…did you want in my bathroom?!" He stammered as he said, he was so furious that he just stopped his hands from slapping her. "The water in my bathroom isn't getting hot but why are you so red, are you sure you are ok?" She asked with her lips pouted in a small voice. "Me? Getting red? When? How? You know what, forget what just happened. Ok?!" he put in his slippers and left but he felt embarrassed.
"Ma Roo!" Rin called from the bathroom. "What is it now?" he answered while he was looking for what shirt to wear in his wardrobe. "You don't have a bathtub in your bathroom and I can't stand with my fins." She complained. He laughed instead of replying. Rin came out of the bathroom with a pink towel wrapped around her. "Ma Roo, I want hot water." She frowned. "But do you have to make those stupid jokes till the year ends." Ma Roo asked as he looked for a nice shirt. "Never mind, it's not like you'll believe me. I'll make the water hot myself." She was angry because every time she told him, he never believed. Ma Roo had never seen angry since he saw her, she always had a smile on her face. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked himself and picked out a black sweater.
At breakfast, Ma Roo came with a bowl of cereals and a glass of strawberry yoghurt and put it in front of Rin. She looked at him because she was dumbfounded," Why are you like this? Saet Byul told me that if someone gives you something, they have something they want from you." She then gave a big smile to him and took the things he had brought. "Are you not angry?" Ma Roo was puzzled when she saw her smile. "If I was angry, you wouldn't have liked it. Many would have died that's why I don't like getting angry." She said as ate the cereals. Ma Roo didn't know what she meant but thought she was joking as usual and decided to play along by saying nothing.
���Ma Roo, what is Hangul?" Rin asked him after seeing an ad with the familiar letters she had seen. "You don't know Hangul?" Ma Roo put down his laptop to see her clearly. "Teach me." She said with a smile. The more he got to know this girl, the weirder she was and made him have many questions of who she exactly was. He sighed and said, "It's not like I have anything to do."
After four hours, Ma Roo gave her a paper and told her, "This the mixed Exercise of all the topics we've covered, you can bring it when you done." He stood up to go to his room. After 30 minutes, Ma Roo was scrolling down his laptop reading but then heard Rin opening the door. "What do you want?" "I've brought my exercise." She handed the paper to Ma Roo. "You had been playing with me saying that you don't know Hangul but you passed everything." He looked at her in disbelief. "I am going to meet Saet Byul, see you later!" she wet in the living room, got her white furry jacket and ran out which she added on her grey turtle neck shirt and black jeans with her brown ankle furry pair of boots.
At the park, Saet Byul was at the exact spot she was yesterday when she heard someone call out her name. Rin was a few meters away, waving her hand at her with a big smile on her face. She ran and took a seat where Saet Byul was. Saet Byul looked at without saying a word and then finally said, "Why are you happier than you usually are?" "I learnt Hangul." When she said that, her body skipped a bit with excitement. "You what?" Saet Byul couldn't believe what she had heard. "I learnt Hangul. I can read anything." She repeated. "Are you joking right now? I don't think Yesterday or today was 1st April." Saet Byul picked up her phone and searched for any news article randomly.
"Prove it by reading this." She handed her the phone. "Oh my! These letters are many than the ones I came reading on the building." She exclaimed. "Are you reading or not?" Saet Byul was impatient. ���A female flight attendant was aged 28 was found dead in her apart in Gangnam, it's believed that she committed suicide. Tap to read more."
"Wow, you are a pretty good liar that I almost believed yesterday that you couldn't actually read." Saet Byul said surprisingly thinking that she had been lied, even if it was learning to write and English, it couldn't possibly take 1 day and less. "But Ma Roo taught me to write and read today." Rin urged trying to make Saet Byul believe that she was telling her the truth. Saet Byul didn't say anything else but instead took opened her backpack and took out two lunchboxes with two strawberry yoghurt bottles. "I knew you'd come by today so I told my mom to prepare me an extra lunch box just in case." She handed the purple coloured lunchbox to Rin and remained with the blue coloured one. "Saet Byul, you are so thoughtful. I come to think of it, I left home without eating." She opened the lunchbox excitedly, she hadn't been on land for more than a week but she had learnt how to use most of the things here through watching TV and seeing people on the streets. She learnt everything real faster than human do.
After the quick delicious snack, they were both more than satisfied. "Wow, your mom makes more delicious food than Ma Roo. He makes the same food every time." She praised Saet Byul's mom as she also complained about Ma Roo at the same time. "What food do you eat?" Saet Byul asked when she saw a frown on Rin's face which she rarely saw in the little time they spent together. "Ram eon!" she answered. "Did you say Ram eon?" Saet Byul asked in disbelief and then Rin nodded. Saet Byul was stupefied, "What a great miser he is! I guess he doesn't want to spend money.!" "What does miser mean?" Rin asked unaware of the new word ringing in her ears. Saet Byul had now got used to her, so not to make things more complicated, she decided to answer, "Someone who wants to have so much when he barely pays for what he wants. From my point of view that's how I can at least explain that to you." Rin then asked, "I think that's how Ma Roo is, he took everything I came with from the sea but I feel that he is not a bad man." "From the sea? What did you actually mean?" Her attention was caught by the line 'From the sea'. "I come from the sea." She answered honestly since she knew little about mermaid and human ways of behaviour because she had spent almost ten years locked up in the dark stone castle.
"Rin, sometimes you seem just fine and other a little cuckoo. I don't seem to understand you. What exactly are you? Explain to me and I see if I get to understand you." Saet Byul said with both her hands crossed in her chest. Saet Byul listened closely and attentively to Rin's story but after half an hour of explaining, Rin finally finished up. "So, you trying to tell me, you are a mermaid and you came here on land to find love or whatever. Hahahaha, you sure are so imaginative. I never thought you'd have such a talent." Saet Byul was amused by the story was too much for her to believe. She thought he friend was playing a big prank on her. "You also don't believe me? Why can't anyone believe me." Rin complained, she didn't know why not anyone on those who she told her identity couldn't believe her. Saet Byul didn't was exactly wrong with this girl but she didn't care at least she had someone to chat with. "You know what Rin, let's leave that and enjoy our last moment together."
"Our last moment together? What do mean?" Rin asked not sure if she had heard correctly. "Oh, my bad. Sorry that I didn't tell you any sooner but my mum told me that we moving to another place and I think I might not be able to come here anymore." Saet Byul explained calmly. Rin was saddened by the news because she didn't have any other friend asides Saet Byul and Ma Roo. "So we won't be able to hang out together anymore." She asked sadly. "Don't be sad, it's not like am going in another country." Saet Byul wasn't so sad about the news since she wasn't so attached to many people.
CHAPTER 15; A STORMY DAY
After two or three hour of conversing, Saet Byul's mom came to pick her up. They had to part ways. Rin walked back with her down in the whole way, she walked effortlessly. When she entered, she found Ma Roo seated in coach staring at his MacBook's screen. "You came back late today." He looked up at her after getting no reply from her but noticed that her mood was a bit down today. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" Ma Roo asked her. "Saet Byul left and I might never get the chance to see her again," When she said that, all the tears she had been holding back for some reasons started rolling down her cheeks. "Hey, stop crying. Don't be such a baby." Ma Roo wasn't good with comforting people since he was antisocial. Suddenly, it started raining not long after she started. "I was able to hold it back in for ten years. Why can't I do so now?" She said as she rubbed the nonstop flowing tears from her eyes.
Ma Roo stood up and walked up to her but he didn't know just the way to comfort her. He raised his hand slowly to touch her but stopped himself when he had almost come in contact with her wet cheek. Rin ran into her and locked the door, she didn't know why she couldn't stop crying. Was she crying because Saet Byul had gone or was it the tears she had been holding back all this time. "Hey, Rin! Come and get some food, so that you can get more energy to cry." Ma Roo came at her door after a few minutes. "Was that a bit comforting r did I make it worse? What a fool!" He said in his heart. He waited for a few minutes but after seeing that she was not coming. He walked away and came back after a few more minutes with a tray of food and put it in front of her door. "If you feel like eating, the food is here, eat it when it's still hot. This time it's not ram eon." He then left after saying that.
In the morning, it was still raining and it was also a bit stormy with the thunder was roaring continuously. The sky was covered with dark clouds though with a little light from the sun penetrating through the clouds. Ma Roo came out of his room with his messy hair, he had come to get some water but when he passed Rin's room, the food he had left her was still untouched. He felt a bit disappointed, but nevertheless, he came and carried away the tray and took it. He went to the kitchen and got a bottle of mineral water from the fridge. When he reached at Rin's room, he stopped for a moment, he went towards the door and attempted to knock but before he could, he heard his phone from his room ringing.
When he saw the caller's name 'Jerk Jung', he picked up, "What do you want from me now?" he said in a cold tone. "Ha, I wonder when you'll change. Do you even know that am 20 years older than you?" the man from the other end of the phone said and chuckled at the end of the sentence. "Get on point, I have no time to waste." Ma Roo's tone was more cold. "Ok, my wife has already packed up. She'll come today when the rain stops." He said. "Didn't you say that she'd come next week, why now?" Ma Roo asked. "Oh, when I told her that I got her an apartment, she couldn't wait any longer to leave." The man explained. "Ok, I think she knows the address if there's nothing else am hanging up." He hung up immediately after saying that.
"Wow, it's been a bit long since I had tenants. What should I do?" He was a bit excited. He took off his shirt and got white towel to go and take a shower while he hummed a song. He had necklace around his neck with a plain looking ring in it. He took it off and placed it at the bed and entered the bathroom.
After the long bath, Ma Roo came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. He went and grabbed a yellow sweater shirt and a pair of blue tight pants. "What a shitty day! When will I go outside if it's raining nonstop and heavily." Ma Roo opened the curtain of the window in his room, only to see that it was still raining. He wanted it stop, so that the new tenants could hurry and come. He was just so excited that he couldn't bear to wait for so long. He went to the kitchen and decided to make breakfast. "Why isn't she coming out?" He mumbled to himself as he wore his plain black apron. He went to the fridge and got tomatoes and eggs.
After preparing breakfast, he laid the dining and went in front of the door to Rin's room. "Rin, I don't know why you so devastated but maybe if you tell me. I might understand. Please come out." Ma Roo said to Rin and then walked away. Rin from the bathroom where she had soaked herself in the bathtub in with her sprouted out. She flipped her fin out of the bathtub and pink fog surrounded her legs, by the moment it was gone, the fin had changed back to legs. She walked to the door and opened. When Ma Roo heard the door lock open, he was thrilled. "I knew that I couldn't get wrong advice from the internet." He mumbled to himself.
Rin walked out of the room with her head down. When Ma Roo saw her all soaked up, he was surprised, "Hey, why are you all soaked up?" He asked he worriedly as he ran towards to where she was. Her hair and dress were dripping of water. Because her face was still wet, you could not see clearly that she was crying but when he came close enough to where she was. He noticed that she was still crying. "Hey, why are you still crying?" He asked but got no reply from her. "Come, let's go get you some warm clothes and dry your hair." He held her hand and dragged her back inside the room. He took the silent Rin and made her sat at a chair facing a mirror with a large table with sorts of makeup tools especially for women but Rin had never used them. Ma Roo wrapped a white dry towel around Rin's shoulders and then opened one of the drawer on the table and picked out a black hand hair dryer. He held little patches of hair on Rin's hair and dried patch after patch followed by combing each. After a half an hour, he had finished. "Breakfast must have gotten cold, let me go reheat it. Go change into dry clothes." He then ran out after doing what he wasn't sure he had done.
Rin came out of her room changed into a knitted white sweater dress with her hair tied up to a ponytail. She came and sat at the dining which Ma Roo was re-laying the dining. Ma Roo smiled when he saw that she had come. "At least, stop crying now and tell me why you are still crying?" Ma Roo was tired of seeing her this way. "I want but I just can't stop myself from crying." Rin said as she tried to wipe the tears. "Then at least tell me, so that you can calm down." Ma Roo said as he sat down in the chair across hers. "It's not like you'd believe me." Rin said as she slightly bit her lips. Saet Byul had told her that no one would believe her stories, so she had better stop going around telling them, so she thought telling Ma Roo was just useless.
Rin held her fork to eat the fried eggs Ma Roo had made. They were slightly burnt but still good for eating. Ma Roo still wanted to persuade Rin into telling him why she was crying. After seeing that she finished eating the first few bites, he decided to ask again, "Hey, tell me maybe I'll understand." She didn't reply and kept on eating. Ma Roo thought maybe she hadn't heard and decided to ask again after a while. He ate his dinner and looked at her teary eyes, "At least you had time to change your contact lenses but what colour is that. It's like a mixture of colours." It felt awkward after receiving no reply again, so he wanted to ask for the last time, maybe she would give in, "Hey, tell me!" He said in a little voice, Rin stabbed the fork in the dining in anger, "Just leave me alone." She shouted in anger and at the same time, there was slight earthquake. Ma Roo almost jumped in fear.
CHAPTER 16: A STORMY DAY SUDDENLY TURNS BRIGHT
The frightened Ma Roo finally gathered his courage and spoke up, "Whoa, what a coincidence! It was so scary just now." Rin stood up shakenly and said, "I am sorry!" She then decided to go back to her room, Ma Roo couldn't let her lock herself in anymore. He followed her and held her hand before she could enter. "Hey, it's okay to let your emotions control you sometimes. It's not your fault." He told her and then pulled her and hugged her tightly. "Good thing this is not my favourite shirt, cry all you want." After 3-5 minutes, Ma Roo felt his hands stiff, "*cough*cough*…Rin, actually, I am getting numb." He said awkward and pulled her out of his embrace. "Oh, you've stopped crying. What the?! Rin, your eye colour, it's pink." He was surprised, at that same time, the rain stopped suddenly which turned his attention from her eye colour.
"Now my new tenant is coming." Ma Roo felt excited. "A tenant?" Rin asked as she wiped away the tears with the back of a hand. "A tenant is a person you who is sheltered after paying for it." Ma Roo explained and added on. "Seems like I'll have to get you a Korean dictionary. For your information, it's a big book with words and their meanings." After saying that, he turned round to leave, "Ma Roo, thank you." Rin said to him from behind. He smiled but didn't turn and just went in the dining room. Meanwhile, Ma Roo received a call when he was washing the dishes, he took off the pink plastic gloves he had on and reached in his side trouser pockets and took out his phone.
"Dang it, it's the nosy old man again." He picked up disappointedly, "What is it now?" he asked. "My wife is on her way. By the way, I don't know if I told you but she's not alone." The man was still adding on when he was interrupted by Ma Roo, "Mr Jung, actually, I know that she's not alone. No sensible could leave their child with you." Ma Roo mocked indirectly. "Still so smart." The man was embarrassed and impressed. "I know how smart I am no need to remind me. I'd be the most successful man if not for your sister. I know everything. Help me and reach my message to her." He said sarcastically. The man from the other side was slightly out of words but collected himself and said, "Why not tell her yourself on the memorial?"
When Ma Roo heard of the memorial next week, he had almost forgot about it because of Rin's presence. He felt as if a thorn had stung his heart when he heard of the memorial. "I won't be there. Don't dream of it." He said and hang off immediately. He then put his phone back in the pocket and continued with washing the dishes. After a few minutes, he was done with washing the dishes. He took off his plastic gloves, "For now, everything is done. I got to g job hunting." He sighed and went to the living room where he found Rin seated in the couch watching cartoons on TV.
He went to the couch where she was seated and beside her was his MacBook. He sat there and opened it, he didn't say a thing because of the what had happened earlier. He doesn't even remember the last time he had hugged a person. He opened his laptop and started scrolling the mice. Rin's attention had moved from the TV to the laptop. "Ma Roo, what are you doing?" She whispered. "I am looking for a job and I suppose you don't know what it is." He said without even looking up. She nodded her head, "I don't but what is it?" she asked again. "A job is something you do to get money and if you have money, you can buy anything, if with the right amount of money, just like you paid me jewels and I got money by selling them and bought other useful things and now I am almost out of money, I need other money." He explained everything preventing to be asked another question. "Do you still have my power brake?" Rin asked again. "What is it?" he asked. "The thing you took off my hand the other day." She said. "Oh, that bracelet decorate with expensive gems. I don't. I need to focus, now, will you let me." He put his hands together begging. "Ok!" She stood up and moved to another couch. After a few minutes, the door bell rung. Ma Roo knew who had rung the door, he stood up and pulled down his shirt trying to remove the wrinkles. He went to open the door with Rin following from behind. When he opened the door, a lady in her mid-30's was standing in front of his door. "Hi!" Ma Roo extended his hand to shake hands with her. Rin stood cautiously behind and couldn't see because she was being blocked by Ma Roo's broad and tall figure. "I smell something familiar" She thought. After shaking hands with Ma Roo, the lady looked around as if she expected someone else to come out. Ma Roo noticed and said, "Ma'am, you can come in for a cup of tea." "Jung Saet Byul, come here, I told you to greet people when you meet them." He pulled out her daughter from behind. "Mum!" she complained.
When Rin heard the familiar name, she pushed Ma Roo away to see if it was real, she pushed so hard that he fell on the floor. "Saet Byul." They both were happy because they didn't expect to see each other this soon. Saet Byul's mom knew who Rin was because she had seen her at least three times now. Even if it was once, Rin is a hard person to forget. Ma Roo was surprised, he stood up, "What a small little world!" he thought. "Can I see the landlord?" the lady asked Ma Roo. "I am right in front of you. Come in and we discuss more." Ma Roo offered.
He put a cup of tea in front the of the lady at the oval coffee table and sat in the couch across where she had sat. "Didn't your husband, I am sorry, I meant your Ex, didn't he tell you about me?" Ma Roo asked. "Oh, he told me that the landlord was quite young but I didn't expect this young." The lady said as she gracefully lifted the cup of tea."
On the other hand, Rin had took Saet Byul to her room. "Hey, your room is quite amazing." Saet Byul praised. "Ma Roo made it like this." She handed all the praise to Ma Roo. "You must really like him, you can't talk about anything and not talk about him." Saet Byul jumped onto Rin's bed which had white sheets on it. Rin just smiled and didn't say anything about Saet Byul's sentence. Rin's bed was bouncy that Saet Byul couldn't stop herself from jumping on it. "This is fun." Saet Byul said loudly. Rin almost climbed onto the bed and joined her. "It really is fun." Rin also shouted.
"Hey, not long ago, if I didn't see wrong, your eye colour was pink but now it's blue." Saet Byul said while jumping. "I think it changed." Rin answered. Saet Byul didn't want to go on with these types of weird conversations that she thought Rin always came up with. If Rin started talking her being a mermaid, Saet Byul just changed the topic. "Hey, I am getting thirsty. Take me get a drink." Saet Byul said. They stepped down and went to the kitchen. They to pass through the living room t go to the kitchen where they found Ma Roo and Saet Byul's mom.
"Rin and the little girl." Ma Roo called them when he saw them. "Saet Byul, the apartment was so dusty, so I am going to hire someone clean it. I am also -sorry, I've got to go to work." Saet Byul's mom said to her. "But you said that you took a day off today." Saet Byul seemed a bit sad. Her mom took out her purse and took out some money and put it in her hands. "I am sorry baby but this is urgent. Use this and get somewhere to hang out from" She then kissed her on the forehead, picked up her coat and left. Saet squeezed the money in her hands in anger. "500 dollars for a child?" Ma Roo wondered.
"Saet Byul, you can stay here with me." Rin said. "If not here, where else would I go?" Saet Byul smiled and held Rin's hand and left with her. Ma Roo remained alone in the living room. He sat in couch and continued on with job hunting.
"Hey, can you sing?" Saet Byul asked Rin. "Every mermaid does." Rin answered. "Oh god, can't you just tell me yes or no and not bring your mermaid topics every time." "Oh, then yes." She answered. "You know, I like proof." Saet Byul smirked and took out her phone and played Celine Dion's Power of love. "listen to it for the first time and first know how the song flows. I have no song in Korean and no accessible Wi-Fi right now." Saet Byul explained. After 5-minutes and a few more seconds, the song was finished. "Ok, now listen for the 2nd time." Saet Byul said but before she could re-play the song, Rin said, "Why re-play? I've mastered it." Saet Byul was puzzled that she didn't know what to say to her. While still looking for what to tell Rin, she began singing. She sang each and every word and note correctly and at the same as the song.
Where Ma Roo was in the living room, he also heard the singing and decided to see what the two girls were doing but when he reached at the open door, he froze in shock. He couldn't believe his ears and eyes. How come he didn't know that this psychotic girl could sing this well. After Rin had finished, Saet Byul's mouth was open wide that her lower jaw was almost going to fall off, the same thing was going on Ma Roo's side. Rin was wondering why Saet Byul was staring at her like that. "Hey, doesn't your mouth hurt?" Rin asked. She sealed her lips and Ma Roo also did the same but no one had noticed his presence.
Finally, Saet Byul mustered up the courage to speak. "Wow, what a coincidence, I didn't know that you knew the song. You so perfect at English." Saet Byul said awkwardly. "By the way before I ask what English is, what did the song mean and who sang it? Her voice is beautiful." Both Ma Roo and Saet Byul were dumbfounded. At this moment, they started to suspect that Rin was in some kind of drama. "Are you being serious right now?" Saet Byul asked angrily and continued, "You just sang that song so perfectly as if you listened to it a dozen times." She calmed herself down because she had a super deal to strike with Rin right now. ��Ok, I don't care if you know or don't know, just don't ask me any question because I barely have time for drama but here's the deal, we stream online videos of you singing and get paid, over a 50,000 dollars a month at least. Now I'll be your…" Rin just listened carefully and didn't utter a single word. When Ma Roo heard the deal, he ran from where he was to them, they were both scared because he hadn't alerted them.
"Rin, want some cereals. What do you feel like eating today? I'll let you have anything you want to eat. Can I be your manager? For your information, a manager is a person who handles something with care, love and responsibility you see I even understand you, I answer questions before you ask." He spoke non-stop that he was almost out of breath but was it even the correct definition. "Hey, that's my job. Go mind your business." Saet Byul complained. Rin was puzzled by the bickering of the two. "I live with Rin and am an adult, so I make a better manager. You just kid who is still in kindergarten." Ma Roo mocked. Saet Byul not giving up also retorted, "Rin likes me better, at least I don't bribe her. I didn't even like you when we first met." "Neither did I, impolite brat." Ma Roo backfired. "I discovered first that she could sing."
"Hey! Stop it." Rin shouted. "let Rin decide for herself." Ma Roo said confidently. "Can't both of you be my managers." Rin said. "I can't work with such a miser." Saet Byul said. "That's fine, then wont sing." "I can bear to work with this girl for you." "Yay! I have two managers."
In the evening, Saet Byul's mom came for her. "Mom, can I stay here, just for tonight." She begged the mother who couldn't accept. "What is wrong with you?!" The mother was impatient. After seeing that her mom isn't willing to accept, it was time for plan B, "Ma Roo, do you have a problem with me staying for one night." It was true that Ma Roo had a problem with it but he just couldn���t say so. "it's okay, she can stay. It's just one night." He said with a forced. "I am really sorry for the trouble but thank you." Saet Byul was apologetic and thankful. "Don't cause any trouble." She warned her daughter. "I won't, bye mom." Saet Byul was happy.