"Rin, it's been only a few days but I feel like you owe me something. You all I have, if he takes you, I'll be back to who I was, a loner." He sobbed. "Ma Roo, you are a good person that's why I am growing fond of you." She said. "No. no, that's so wrong of you. You can't. I am a bad person. Maybe, this is who I really am and m just blaming the past for it. My life is just a mess. You are so innocent and too good for me." He stood straight and pointed at her with the empty beer can. She's just smiled and said nothing. The elevator had reached the ground floor.
She helped him walk out. She then hailed a taxi. (NB: Ma Roo uses an alley route to come to the apartment but there's also a route which actually takes cars.) "Take us to the beach" Rin said to the taxi driver. When they reached there, she got out with him. "Why are we here?" Ma Roo was surprised. "To find you. I think you left your real you here." Rin said as she helped Ma Roo walk to the sea water. She took off her jacket and place on the sand. Ma Roo was so drunk, so he just sat down and took out his last can of beer. Rin took off her shoes too.
"Hey, Rin, don't tell me you are going to swim in the mid-winter when it is even night." Ma Roo thought she was playing a huge prank but she was really going for it. She walked and entered in the water till it had reached her waist. Pink fog seemed to take it cause underwater but still visible. She as usual turned into a mermaid. Ma Roo couldn't see properly what had happened after the pink fog but he really had to find because he at least had seen the pink fog. He walked staggeringly toward the water, he walked slowly till he reached where Rin was. He looked down in the water but he could see something glittering in the water. Since he was taller than her, the water didn't reach his waist. "Ma Roo!" She called him with a smile as always. "Hm?" he answered while staring her in the eyes. "You are the most wonderful person that I've ever met. You just don't know how to be one to everyone." She said with a smile. "You think so?" He said. She nodded her head. "Let's get out of the water or else you'll catch a cold." She came held his hand and started to walk back. When the water got lower, Rin had to swim flatly and that's when Ma Roo noticed. "Wow, you were really a mermaid." Ma Roo was surprised. When they reached the shore, her fin transformed back into legs. "Ma Roo, do you know why I brought you here?" Rin asked the dazzled Ma Roo. "No, why?" He asked as he reached for his beer can. "It's where we first met and that day, when I touched you I knew you were a good person." Ma Roo was so off topic but still just listened to her. "Damn! My beer is empty." Ma Roo threw the can away in disappointment. "Ma Roo, from my experience, I think if you like someone you tell them I love you, that's why I am telling you today that I love you." She confessed her feelings, because she was a quick learner, she had learnt quite much from reading books, watching soaps and seeing people on the streets. Ma Roo almost chocked on the air when he heard that. "Rin?!" Ma Roo didn't know what to say exactly. His heart couldn't stop beating so hard. They stared at each other's face, Rin had a smile on hers and Ma Roo was confused.
Ma Roo didn't know why but he moved his face close to hers attempting to kiss her. Rin closed her eyes but Ma Roo didn't kiss her. He stopped in the way and just let their nose touch but not their lips. "I can't do this." He said and then stood up and walked away staggeringly. They went back home. In the living room, Ma Roo turned on the TV and sat down on the floor. Rin also took off her jacket and also sat on the floor. Ma Roo crawled to where she was and put his head on her laps. She was startled by the gesture. "Rin!" Ma Roo called out to her in a gentle voice. "Hm?!" Ma Roo, "Can you please sing for me?"
-today- While Ma Roo was in the kitchen, he then remembered something. "I drank six cans of beer yesterday and took two out with me. If I really didn't go out, there will be six cans in the bin." He thought. As soon as the thought popped into his mind, he took off his gloves and went to the bin but was surprised when he opened it. There were actually four cans of beer. "What the heck? Where are the other two? Was yesterday not a dream? It possibly can't be real. There must be another explanation for this but what can it be?" He wondered if it was really real but he couldn't believe that it was real.
Ma Roo was in the living room doing his usual thing which is job hunting while Rin was in the couch across reading a comic book while secretly peeping at Ma Roo. "Why are you looking at me instead of reading your book?" Ma Roo said to Rin because he had realised long ago that she kept glancing at him. "Oh?! I…I…" Before she could explain, they heard someone entering the door passcode. "Who is that?" Ma Roo asked but before he could get an answer from Rin, the answer was right in front of his eyes. It was Saet Byul. "Who gave you the passcode to my apartment?" Ma Roo asked.
"Is that even a question? If it's not you who gave it to me, who else would? Use your head." Saet Byul said in a serious tone. Ma Roo was pissed off. "Rin, am sorry that am late, it was because my teacher just couldn't stop explaining. People are asking for another video, let's go shoot one then." Saet Byul hurried and grabbed Rin's hand to her room. Ma Roo didn't feel like job hunting anymore but instead he grabbed his jacket and got out. He took the elevator. When he reached the ground floor, he found a can of beer right outside the elevator. If he his brain didn't serve him wrong, he remembers throwing it there. "There is only one way to confirm this." Ma Roo said and walked away.
Back in Rin's room, "Saet Byul, which way do you think one can get more tenants?" Rin asked Saet Byul. "By advertising his place on social media." Saet Byul answered. "Let's do it, let's advertise Ma Roo's apartments." Rin said with a smile. "But these apartments are rumoured to be haunted." Saet Byul had also heard of the news. "We'll change it." Rin said seeming to have a plan in her head. "Ok, let's do t and then sing after it." Saet Byul said.
-next day-
Ma Roo was eating breakfast with Rin as usual. "Rin, do you have something to tell me?" He interrogated her. "No, why?" She asked. "Nothing much." He seemed to have a lot on his mind today. He ate up fast. When he finished eating, Rin told him, "I'll wash the dishes. Go to school." She smiled more warmly making him feel awkward. "Ok, thanks. Bye!" Ma Roo grabbed his bag and went out. He headed for school. He was almost knocked by a delivery bike at the building entrance because he wasn't even paying attention to where he was going. Thank goodness, the biker had saw him fast and dodged him.
He reached class just before the professor had reached in class. He made way through other students and take his seat, other students were all staring and whispering about him. When he took his seat, a few students ran up to his seat. "Ma Roo, I want an apartment. When can I move in." a girl student making Ma Roo think maybe they were bluffing. "Me too." Even a male said. "Me too. I also want." dozens of students all wanted apartments from his building. He was so confused that he couldn't speak at the moment. Luckily, the professor came in, "take your seats all of you." The professors said.
During break time, the professor called before he could get out with the other students. "Mr. Kang Ma Roo, can I have a word with you?" Ma Roo walked to the professor. "Yes, sir?!" He stood in front the professor. "We came back from the 2 week break 3 days ago but why have you just come to school today? If it was your first time, I'd have let it slide. Do you think you still a freshman?" The professor was pissed off by the boy from time to time. Ma Roo didn't say a thing and let the professor continue. "You have the potential to do entrepreneurship, what you don't have is passion. Why not go for your passion and quit this class when there is still time." The professor tried to advise.
"Thanks, professor. If that's all, I'll take my leave now. I must go for break before the next lecture." Ma Roo left the professor burning in fury. He left and went for break. When he reached in the cafeteria, most of the students came to where he was seated and started asking he had enough apartments for them. He wondered where the haunted apartments rumour had gone. He didn't even know what had changed their minds in the meantime. He cared less since he was making money.
After classes, Ma Roo was going back home and heard three boys at the gateway talking. "I can't wait to move into my new apartment and meet the silver haired girl." "I keep re-watching the video to see her face." The other one said. When Ma Roo heard this, he knew who they were talking about. He ran to them and grabbed one of his hand. "Hey, you! Which silver haired girl are you talking about? Which video are you talking about?" He asked to make sure if who he thought they are talking about is the one. "You haven't seen the video yet?!" The three d=weren't sure of what was going on but they thought this one knew since he was even the owner of the apartments. One took out his phone and played for him the video.
The girl was Rin, "Hi, everyone! My name is Kim Hye Rin. Today before I sing, I wanted to make an advertisement for a special friend of mine. His name is Kang Ma Roo, he has the most amazing apartments in this street but guess what, no one lives there because someone went on spread the rumour that these luxurious apartments were haunted. Give me a break, who even believes in in ghosts these days. Just because there were witnesses that doesn't make it real. They didn't even bring any evidence and you still believed them. I won't blame anyone but someone who made the rumours spread. Just because they wanted tenants too. They had to do everything to get. This is just like Krusty Krab and Chum bucket in SpongeBob Square pants, where plankton and Mr. Krabs do everything beyond limited heights for customers. These apartments are quite convenient since the market, shopping mall, campus, playground, kindergarten, hospital and other places are near that they don't even take a one hour walk. I hope all of you won't believe in rumours that don't have concrete evidence anymore." She then smiled and bowed. Ma Roo didn't watch the rest of the video but just ran off.
He finally reached home, he entered the passcode quickly. When he entered he found Rin seated in the couch while watching cartoons. ���Ma Roo, you are back." She stood up and ran to where he was. "Rin, why did you do it?" He asked her. "Do what?" She didn't understand what he was saying yet.