Ma Roo knew who had called him but he just held Rin's and headed for the door. "Hey, bro. you such coward." The man in his 20's said. After hearing that Ma Roo turned around with the bouquet of white chrysanthemums he had bought on his way here. He walked to where the photo of his late mother was, in front was a man who was in his early fifties with a few other companions in the same age gap as him, he had a younger lady holding onto him, he and Ma Roo stared at each other with mixed emotions, Ma Roo put there the bouquet and turned to go silently. He didn't greet any of the people there. He went and held Rin's hand to leave when the man who called came and also grabbed Rin's hand.
"Ma Suk, I have no time for sick games." Ma Roo spoke in a small voice not to cause a commotion. "Who is this pretty girl you came with? Don't be so petty and introduce me to her." Ma Suk said with a creepy smile on his face. "Ma Roo, let's go. I hate this weird looking man." Rin provoked the man unintentionally. "Wow, your girl is so blunt." Ma Suk chuckled. "Ma Suk, I am only keeping myself from hitting you into a pulp so that I don't cause a commotion." Ma Roo warned. "I'd love to know this beauty's name." Ma Suk asked with his smile just extending further.
Ma Roo folded his fists, he hated him to the roots and couldn't hold it in any longer. "ouch." Ma Suk howled and let go of Rin's hand. "What stung me?" He looked at his hand which had not even a bruise. He felt like he was electrified in his hand but wasn't sure of what just happened. Rin dragged Ma Roo out of the place. When they reached outside, Ma Roo pulled himself from her. "Hey, dragging is my thing." He complained. "Okay, sorry." She smiled. "You think this is funny." He acted to be angry.
They walked slowly to the bus station and sat there. "How did they know that I come in the morning before them?" he always went to his mother's memorial ceremony before his family and made sure to leave before they came but he doesn't think that today was a coincidence. While he was thinking deep, he didn't even know that Rin was talking to him until she pinched his cheek. "Rin, I think you are in bad company with Saet Byul. She even taught you not to respect me." Ma Roo complained as he playfully pinched Rin's face as she giggled.
Across the road, there was a red Mazda 6 inside of it sat the young lady from the mall who was watching the dual play around. She had two other girls in the car, one sitting in the front passenger seat while the other was seated in the behind seat, "Mi Na, we've been following them for two hours but still didn't get to know where he lives." One complained. "They seem close with that high schooler, are they dating by any chance?" The other asked. "Stop bluffing you two." Mi Na was tired of hearing the two. Finally, the bus came and two got on.
The car followed the bus to where Ma Roo got off from. The two held hand and walked to an alley. "The car doesn't fit there. Do we have to walk in that dirt?" The girl in the front passenger seat said in a disgusted tone. The other one also seemed not to be okay with the idea of walking. "You two can stay if you don't want to go with me but you'll regret it." She threatened them leaving them no option but to follow her. They followed the two to the building where Ma Roo lied. "I heard that those apartments are haunted. No one lives there." One of the girls said. "I am sorry Mi Na but I'll have to wait from here." The other girl said. "Ok, see you then." He didn't argue with them and entered the two.
"Ma Roo, do you know her?" Rin asked Ma Roo. "That girl who is on the stairs that are below these. Ma Roo took a peek and saw her too. "Wait here." He whispered and went to meet the lady.
"Miss, are you here to rent an apartment.?" Ma Roo asked bluntly. "Uh?" the girl was dumbfounded by the question. "Are you going to answer?" Ma Roo asked after seeing that the lady wasn't answering his question. "Um, yes, am here to rent an apartment." Mi Na answered after seeing that she was in a tight spot. "Oh then, I hope you don't go with the rumours saying that my apartments are haunted like some blockheads." He tried to scare her. "Ghosts aren't real but I wanted to ask something." She wanted to make sure if he really didn't remember her. "What is it that you want to ask? Don't worry anything. My apartments are of the best quality expect for the rootless flowing rumours. Come tour around." He answered her. She didn't have to ask because he obviously didn't remember her.
She followed him without a choice. When they reached the stairs where Rin was waiting from. "Ma Roo! Let's hurry and go." Rin was excited when she saw Ma Roo but her smile decreased by half when she saw the girl coming behind from Ma Roo. "Rin, this lady is here to rent an apartment and since the other floors are empty she'll have to live on the same floor as us." Ma Roo told Rin the news quickly like an excited child couldn't wait to tell his parents about his success. "I am sure that in the research I made, he didn't have a sister." She thought carefully after seeing the two.
Finally, she had chosen the room on the right after Ma Roo's apartment. She didn't get a chance to talk properly to Ma Roo since Rin couldn't stop asking questions to Ma Roo and he answered all the questions completely ignoring her. "How much do I pay for rent?" Mi Na asked. "oh, since you are you. It'll be 900,000 dollars a year." Ma Roo answered. "um, I wanted…" before she could say anything Rin came to Ma Roo, "Ma Roo, help me tie my hair up. This hair wasn't tight so it let go." Rin came. "Sorry, ma'am! See you when your room is ready." He held the Rin's hand, "Come, let's go and I tie it up from inside." Ma Roo said to Rin completely ignoring Mi Na.
She felt angry and went to the elevator. When it opened she entered and took out her phone from her purse. "Hello, Secretary Min…I want you to do a background research on someone. I'll send you her photo." She then hung up. When she got out of the building, she found her friends sweaty from standing in the sun for so long. "Song Mi Na, it took you forever to find your crush's apartment." One of the girls complained. "Not only did I find but I also had to rent an apartment there. Anyway, I'll you guys all details but I need to go grab something to eat."
In Ma Roo's apartment, he was chopping carrots while Rin was helping Rin to stirring the eggs. "Rin!" Ma Roo suddenly called her. "Hm?" She looked at him with her purple eyes. "Can you manage staying at home alone?" he asked. "I can but I won't, why?" She asked. "I have ditched school for a few days now. I think I'll have to go back." He answered as he got the tomatoes and started cutting them too. "can't I go with you to school?" She asked desperately. "16 is the age fit to be in high school." He answered. "But am not 16, I'll be 18 in a few months from now." She tried to convince him. "It's still the same age bracket." He explained.
"Still, even if you come to college, you have no experience from high school, not even elementary school. I can't manage to even pay your tuition. I am out of money after I paid all the bills." He added on trying to convince her out of it. "Then what will I do without you." She asked. "It's not like I'll stay there for forever, I'll come back at night every day." He then pinched her nose. "Ah!" Saet Byul came screaming all the way from the living room to the kitchen. "What?!" Ma Roo remembers well to close the door. "Rin, the video we posted yesterday has got 100 thousand views." Ma Roo didn't know what Saet Byul was talking about. "Look, the video is going viral." She came to where they were to show them the video of Rin singing. Saet Byul didn't let them finish, "Guys, am sorry but I think my teacher is back now. You'll finish the video later." She ran out. Ma Roo still hadn't understood what was happening.
CHAPTER 20: GROWING FOND OF YOU
At a certain café, the three girl were seated eating sea food for lunch while conversing. "So you are saying, he lives with a girl he's not related to." One of the girl wondered. "Is that even possible?" the other asked. "Do Ra and Cho Rae, let me eat in peace. I am trying to think. If you want to talk, text yourselves." Mi Na ordered her two friends after seeing they were discussing the same things repeatedly. The girls quickly took out their phones and started texting each other.
Back at Ma Roo's apartment, Ma Roo and Rin were having a simple western meal. "Rin you did awesome." Ma Roo gave her a thumbs up. Rin smiled at him. Suddenly remembered something. "Rin, I noticed something today. You didn't ask me where we were, who were the people there or why I went there. It's so not you." Ma Roo wondered if she was just putting on the good girl act. "You didn't seem to be on good terms with them. I saw the photo of the lady which is the same lady with you in the photo when you are young in your room, so it must be your mother and from the looks of it, her story is just like my mother's. if I asked about it, am not so sure that you'd be happy about my questions though I really wanted to know." Rin explained and reasoned calmly.
"Wow, Rin! a moment ago, were you possessed. You are very observant and your reasoning was just so cool just now." Ma Roo was more impressed by the girl from time to time. Rin ate up her last piece of the egg and drank her grapes flavoured juice. "Wow, I am finished. Ma Roo, I also want to have some alcohol, it seems like an interesting drink." Rin said. When Ma Roo heard this, he almost choked on his food. "Are you nut? It's advisable to have alcohol when you 18 and above." Ma Roo spoke in a lecturing tone. "Ok, when I am eighteen, can I drink then?" She asked innocently. "Not ever in my watch will take a single ounce of it." Ma Roo refused. "Then I'll drink when not in your watch." She taunted at him.
"Why do you even want to drink?" Ma Roo asked seeing that she won't give up. "I had never seen you let yourself so free since I came here." She said. Ma Roo didn't actually quite remember so much about yesterday from when he got home. "Rin, could you tell me what happened yesterday, please." Ma Roo wanted to know wanted to know what had really happened yesterday.
-Yesterday night as Rin told Ma Roo the story-
Ma Roo and Rin sat down on the floor while Ma Roo was drinking beer and Rin eating up Her ice cream. "Rin, can I tell you something." Ma Roo said to Rin. "Oh, yes." She quickly accepted. "Today, at first I thought it was my lucky day but seems like it reminded me of the past and I hate that." He paused and then added on, "my past made me who I wasn't and my present gave my new self a definition. Do you know what that is?" Ma Roo crawled slowly to where Rin was. "a good person." Rin tried to guess. "No, you are wrong. Someone who keeps on running away from themselves. I am afraid to meet me." He said in a hoarse voice and gulped onto his beer.
"Ma Roo, you are a good person that's I am growing fond of you." Rin said with a warm smile. "No, no, no. that's so wrong of you. I am a bad person. I even forgot who I was, maybe this is who I really am and I just keep on blaming my life. Rin, don't let me ever grow fond of you because I don't like having any attachments to people." Ma Roo spoke as he sobbed like a little baby. Rin put her spoon down in the ice cream tin and went where Ma Roo was and gave him a hug. "You helped me calm to calm down this way, I hope this works for you too." She whispered to him. "I wish my apartments were all full. Rin, could you sing for me a song?" Ma Roo asked. "OK" she extended her and let him lay his head on her laps.
"you are so warm.�� Ma Roo said feeling comfortable and safe. "I've spent ages in these dark walls. oh, with no one, not even my shadow. at first I trembled in fear. But now am used to being alone in the dark, mm mmm mm. Sing to myself with whispering sound of water accompanying my singing. Tried to break out but each attempt was all in vain... I don't know if I'll ever get out. Will I find the world as I left it or will it be changed so much? Will I even get a chance to see it? Have nothing lose, because I don't even see a thing in this darkness. I sometimes wish, I at least was created as water so that I could be anywhere at any time...oh, see every place with no one stopping me. But those dreams are just all useless. At least, some light makes way in these walls small holes. Through those small holes, I got to thank god. At least I see light shadows.
This castles with doors that I can't open. No one there to support me. Not even the ones that I loved. I don't know why I am locked up. What did I ever do so wrong for you to lock me up. At least, can't I know. Let me out, I promise I'd behave. Please, anyone, come for my aid." when Rin saw that Ma Roo was already sleeping, she stopped singing. She put both her palms on his back and they glowed orange. (she left out that magic part because of Saet Byul's warning.)
"That's what happened." Rin finished the story. Ma Roo felt awkward but then remembered something. "Is that all? That's why you shouldn't drink alcohol. It makes you do things you shouldn't actually do." He scratched the back of his head from awkwardness. "But, you spoke everything from your heart." She said with a smile "Rin, it was so cold yesterday, you didn't use anything to cover me but I didn't feel cold at all. How come?" He asked after remembering that he woke up without any sheet covering him yet it was winter. "I used my fire…*cough*cough* I don't know." She had almost spilled the beans. She wanted to say that she had used her fire powers to make him hot but Saet Byul's words rang in her ears.
"Rin, I'll go wash the dishes and go look for a job." Ma Roo said. "Ma Roo, am sorry, I didn't tell the truth but if I did, it'd be more complicated." Rin thought in her head. "Thank goodness, what I remembered was all because I was drunk." Ma Roo thought because he was calmed down by what Rin had just told her. What he remembered didn't make any sense to him at all but what after what Rin told him, it at least was sensible. He went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
-what actually happened yesterday night-
"Rin! Can I tell you something?" Ma Roo asked Rin while he drank his second beer can. "Oh, yes." She replied with a spoon in her mouth. Ma Roo took a large sip and sighed, @You see, today I thought it was quite a lucky day but I think I was wrong. It somehow brought my past up and I hate it." He paused and drank some more and then added on. "I am just a coward who keeps running away from me. My past made me who I am and my present gave a definition to who I am. Do you what that is?" He forced on a smile while saying that. "You are good person." Rin answered. "No, you' re wrong. It made me in to a person who doesn't even buy the cheapest thing without bargaining, a person who's scared of my past. I keep running away, I am scared to meet you." He chuckled.
Rin put down her spoon and put it in the ice cream tin. She went and held Ma Roo's hand made him stand up. "Ma Roo, I'll show you something. She held his hand. "Wait am taking these last two with me." He bent down staggeringly and picked up the last two cans of beer. Rin helped him walk, she grabbed two jackets from the couch and then they got out of the apartment. "Where are we going?" Ma Roo asked Rin. "You'll see after we reach there." She opened the elevator, when they got inside, she helped Ma Roo put on his jacket and then also put on her jacket. Ma Roo put his head on her shoulder as he drank his beer. "Rin, I don't think you running away from home was a good idea. See, how I turned out. My stepmother keeps meddling into my life. My father is just like a dummy who follows her orders. My step-brother takes everything I own. I can't let him take you away."