Rin and Saet Byul laid on her bed staring at the ceiling, they were all full after eating a large sized pizza just the two of them. "Saet Byul, how do you think I can get to know more about people from here and what they do?" Rin asked Saet Byul. "By reading books and watching TV I guess." Saet Byul also answered unsure of her answer. "But I read books and watch TV yet I still know little." Rin said. "The books you've read are only comic books. Mary Sue and Naruto and you only watch cartoons most of the time. How do you expect to learn? You've got to read and watch things of different genres. Why not go to the library where there are a lot of books and read them all." Saet Byul was like a professor explaining a long math equation.
"Wow, Saet Byul, you are a genius. I'll go to the library now. Where is one?" Rin stood up with enthusiasm. Actually, abut going to the library Saet Byul was just kidding. She thought Rin couldn't do possibly do it since it was tiring. "Rin, are you really going now? If you are going, am sorry but am not going with you." Saet Byul said and took out a few bills from her jacket and handed it to Rin. "Reading is not for free. Use this. You'll find a library at the building three blocks away." Rin smiled. "Ok, thank you for your help." She then grabbed a grey furry jacket with a matching coloured scarf and went.
She finally found the library, it was in the late afternoon. When she entered, she saw many books all lined up in shelves. She had never seen so many books before. "Welcome to our library. Can I know which type of book you are looking for?" A lady at the entrance welcomed her warmly. "I want a book about human and how they behave and what they do and how they live." Rin said politely to the lady in her late 20's. "Come and I recommend for you some books." The lady offered. Rin was given where to sit with a pile of books she had asked to read.
At Ma Roo's, he had got out of his room and didn't find Rin. He thought that maybe she was hanging out at Saet Byul's but 3 hours after dinner, he hadn't seen any of them come around. He went next door at Saet Byul's and rang the doorbell. Not long after, Saet Byul's mother opened the door. "I am sorry for the trouble but I wanted to know if Rin is there." Ma Roo asked. "No, I found Saet Byul home alone when I came back from work." The lady answered. "Can I talk with Saet Byul?" He asked. "I am sorry but she is asleep. I'll go wake her up. Would you please wait?" the lady went to her daughter's room.
Saet Byul came with her mother feeling sleepy, "Why would Ma Roo choose to come when am sleeping?" She said sleepily without even noticing they had already reached at the door where Ma Roo was. "Saet Byul, where did Rin go?" Ma Roo was straightforward, he couldn't be any patient. After hearing that Rin wasn't back, Saet Byul was fully awake now. "What?! Wait. Rin isn't back yet. She left in the afternoon. I knew it, I should have gone with her." Saet Byul panicked. "Saet Byul, where did she go?" Ma Roo asked. At the end of the alley, Mi Na was just coming back when she saw Ma Roo standing at the Saet Byul's doorway. She picked out a makeup kit from her bag and put on some more powder and lipstick. She then tried to fix her hair.
"Which library is she at?" Ma Roo asked. "The one three blocks away." Saet Byul directed. Mi Na accidentally also heard that Rin was missing. Before she could reach where Ma Roo was, he dashed over and just ignored her. He went and ran down the stairs. Song Mi Na went to take an elevator to catch up with him. "Why is he looking for a grown up?" She felt annoyed. She found him outside the building. "I'll help you look for her. I know where the library is since I've been there before." She offered help. Ma Roo couldn't decline because he didn't know where the library was exactly. "Ok, thanks." He said.
In the library, Rin was still reading, she had finished reading a few stacks of books now. Most people had left since it was getting late. A lady in her 40's came to where she was seated. "Young girl, better head back in the sea now." The lady warned. Rin was startled by the warning from the woman she didn't even know. "How did you know?" Rin looked up at the lady. "It's dangerous at night to be out. You don't know what season it is, do you? It'll be most dangerous to you since your scent is strong. Run back when you still can." The lady then walked away. Rin didn't understand what the lady was talking about but what she wondered about most was how she know she was from the sea. Was she also a mermaid?" She continued on with reading her second last book.
Ma Roo came running through the library looking for where Rin was. He finally saw her seated alone on a desk where she was reading a book. Ma Roo ran to where she was with Mi Na coming from behind. "Rin! Why did you have to live without telling me?" He ran to where she was feeling relieved and happy forgetting about the argument he had with her. Mi Na also came and told her, "Rin, it's so good that we found you here or else we don't know where we'd find you. Better tell Ma Roo when you are going out again." Mi Na said to please Ma Roo. "Yes, it's good you weren't somewhere else." Ma Roo also agreed with her.
"Rin, let's go home it's late already." Ma Roo took her hand. "No, Ma Roo, I can't go now because am left with one other book. You can go, I'll come back home after it" Rin refused to go when she had not finished her last book. "ok, I'll buy the two books for you. Come let's go." Ma Roo couldn't let her be outside alone. "Are you really going to buy them?" Rin was excited and she immediately covered the book she was reading and also picked up the remaining unread book.
"Yes!" Ma Roo then stood up and checked in his pant pockets but couldn't find his wallet. "The wallet was in my coat and I didn't wear it. I am sorry Rin but you still have got to go home because it'll be midnight soon." He said worriedly. "I'll pay for them." Song Mi Na said. "Oh, it's okay." Rin said. "Let her, I'll pay her when we get home." Ma Roo said. "But…" Rin seemed to have something to say but was interrupted by Song Mi Na. "Let's go guys. Leave the chit chatting. It's cold outside, let's go grab something to eat after here." Mi Na said.
After the three got out of the library and went at a nearby Chinese restaurant and ordered for hotpot. Rin ate in silence since she didn't have much to say. "Ma Roo, I heard you are back at school. I also go to the same school. What's your major?" Mi Na asked. "Entrepreneurship." Ma Roo said. "Oh, me, I majored in music. I thought you also did." She said with a smile. "Oh, it's fine. I think that's because of my good looks." Ma Roo said. "Oh, you really funny." She chuckled. "I hear that a lot." Ma Roo said braggingly. Rin said nothing much since they came out of the library and Mi Na was happy about it because she could get to chat with Ma Roo finally. Outside the restaurant, there were dark smoke floating in the sky, they almost formed human figure. There were many of them in the sky and if you were not observant, you could mistake them for clouds since it was night and they were black.
They finally finished eating, when they got out. Mi Na took her coat off and gave it Ma Roo. "Put on this so that you don't get a cold." Mi Na offered. "No, it's fine." Ma Roo rejected. "You've been outside without a coat for so long. Take it." She insisted. "Ok, thanks a lot for everything today." Ma Roo was grateful. "It's nothing much." She blushed. "He took the coat and put it on. The dark shadow like clouds kept on following them. Rin was walking while reading her book. "Rin, be patient. We'll be home in a few minutes and you'll get to read your books all you want." Ma Roo told her. "Ok." She covered her book. The dark shadow came down and passed through Mi Na who was on busy with her phone but it seemed like she couldn't see them. As if they were invisible. When they came to pass through Ma Roo so that they could reach Rin who in front of them., they all 6 disappeared. He also didn't see them since they came from behind. They finally reached. "Thanks for your coat since we are already home, take it." Ma Roo took off her coat. "Oh, okay." She said with a smile. "Wait here and I go get my wallet." He said. "No, about that. You can just not pay." She said shyly. "Ok, as you wish." He then held Rin's hand and entered. He forgot to say good night, since he wasn't even used to associating with people. Mi Na also entered her apartment just after them.
Ma Roo had just taken a seat when he heard the doorbell ring. "Who is it in the middle of the night?" He mumbled in anger. When he opened the door, it was a delivery man wearing a mask with a cap. "You've got your delivery sir. Could you please sign here?" The delivery man said and put his left hand behind pretending to get a signature book but actually, he had a knife instead. Right before he could just remove his knife, he felt stuck. "Ma Roo, what is it?" Rin came. "are you the one the one that ordered for a delivery?" Ma Roo asked Rin. "No, I didn't." She said. "Am sorry sir. I think you came at the wrong place." Ma Roo.
The man was struggling to get the knife but his hand was like someone had held it. "Ok." Then Ma Roo closed the door. As soon as Ma Roo closed the door, the man's hand then was released. "What the heck happened just now?" The man asked himself. Actually, Rin had heard him from the house saying that he had to kill Ma Roo when he was still a few floors away. "Rin, I am tired today, I have to go to school tomorrow. I'll go sleep, if you're finished reading. Switch off the light and go sleep." Ma Roo said as he yawned. "Ok." She said with a smile, happy that Ma Roo was actually worried about her.
"Boss, I failed to complete the mission but I have got some useful news for you." The man said on the phone. "What is it?" Ma Suk asked from a night club where he was seated with three girls in the VIP section. "The girl you told me to find where she lives." Ma Suk was excited that he grabbed his coat to go meet her. "Where is she? I want to meet her right away." "Actually, boss, you can't meet her because I think she lives with your brother." The man said. "What?" Ma Suk was a bit disappointed and sat back down. "Oh, if that's so. Ok, bye." He then hung up. "I think I'll have to get help from my dear uncle." He then smirked.
-Next morning-
Ma Roo an Rin were eating breakfast, "Hey Rin. About that day." Ma Roo said awkwardly. "What is wrong?" Rin said without looking at him. "About that day… I actually…. I wanted to tell you…" He stammered because it was just too hard for him to say sorry. "I am sorry. I've got to hurry go to school. Am going be late. Bye" He grabbed his bag and ran out in embarrassment because it was his first time to apologise in years. Rin smiled in happiness and kept on eating but suddenly her bright smile disappeared. "Boss, your brother is out going to school. Shall I finish him now?" The man from the yesterday had not given up. "Kill him this time. Don't let him go away. No one messes with Ma Suk." Ma Suk from the other end of the phone ordered. Rin had heard all their conversation. "Ok, boss." The man then hung up. Before the man could sit on his bike to go follow, this is what he heard in his head and surprisingly it was a feminine voice. "If you dare touch a strand of hair on his body. I'll cut you your whole body piece by piece with a blunt knife." "What the heck is wrong with me? Am I scared to kill one kid? As if he's my first person." The man thought he had gone nuts that he even heard voices in his head, not to mention female voices. "Sir who I don't know what his name is, I don't want you to bring me to act because if I do so you won't like it, you won't be the first one I send in afterlife." Rin threatened the man. The man was scare that he drove his bike in opposite the direction Ma Roo had used to go to school. Again, Rin saved Ma Roo's life.
CHAPTER 24; RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.
Rin sighed and went in Ma Roo's room and pulled one pink sticky note from the ones he had and scribbled on words and stuck it on Ma Roo's MacBook. She then went in the living room and grabbed her white jacket and a pink scarf. After putting them on her white sweater and grey pants, she went out. She went to the library where she was last time but this time it didn't seem like she had come to read books, she seemed to be looking for someone. Finally, at the corner, she saw the lady who was wearing luxury clothes from famous brands, reading a book. Rin smiled because she knew she would find her here. She then made her to go meet the lady.
"Hi, ma'am. Do you remember me from yesterday?" Rin sat on the lady's bench. "Oh, I've been waiting for you but you have finally came." The lady closed her book. She knew Rin would come looking for her. "Oh wow. You knew that I would come. I have a few questions to ask and I think you know what I want to ask about, don't you?" Rin said to the lady. "I know want you ask about but I don't know what you want to begin with." The lady said. "Huh, first, I wanted to know how you knew I was a mermaid." Rin said. "Because I am a mermaid too myself and before coming to land we were taught special skills and one of them was recognising fellow mermaids." The lady explained.
"Oh, then. Yesterday, what did you mean by what you told me?" Rin asked quickly after the lady had answered. "Don't you think we are going too fast? We haven't even introduced ourselves to each other." The lady said. "Oh, I am sorry. My name is Kim Hye Rin but you can call me Rin." Rin introduced herself. "Oh, Rin's meaning sure suits you. Clear water. You are so innocent. Mine is Hong Ga Ya. It's nice to meet you." The lady gave a warm smile to Rin. "Oh, I didn't know that my name meant that. Can we continue now?" Rin said impatiently.
"Ok, what I meant yesterday was that the mermaid soul suckers, the mermaids who varnished become those demons who live by sucking on to other mermaids' souls." The lady explained. "I have herd of that thing of one year whatever once in the sea from the guards who were guarding me but I didn't get to understand it in details." Rin asked another question indirectly. "One year on land to find love? You don't know it? I wonder which kind of mermaid doesn't know that. Anyway, let me tell you. We mermaids were able to go to land for as long we liked till a few centuries ago when the supreme mermaid's heart was broken by the man she loved for one year but the man never even said 'I love you' to her even if he didn't mean it, she bared with it all but the man kept on going out with other girls and in the end he also married another woman. She was so heartbroken that she created a spell on all other mermaids. We could only go on land for once in our life for one year and find the one we love and get him/her tell us that they love us from the bottom of their hearts in that period and if they don't we have not succeeded in that, we have to go back to the sea a day before a year or else we varnish out of existence and become those lurking demons." The lady told her the whole story.
"Wow, I feel sad for the supreme mermaid. Is there a way to break the spell?" Rin said. "There is one but no one knows because the supreme mermaid herself failed to do it and died after creating the spell." The lady said to Rin. "Oh, I see but I don't understand why those mermaids wouldn't go back in the sea if their time had come." Rin was confused. "If you go through the same situation you will understand how hard it is." The lady told Rin. "It doesn't seem so had, if someone doesn't love you, why don't you let them go?" Rin still couldn't understand. "Maybe, it seems so easy for you because you don't love anyone yet or do you even know what love is." The lady sneered at her. "Once, I thought I did love someone but I don't think I really did. He's my best friend." Rin smiled to hide what she was feeling.
"Anyway, it seems like the one you loved confessed to you. You must be happy with him now." Rin added on to prevent the lady from asking her more about her love life. "Oh, he died a three years ago." The lady became sad after saying that. "I am sorry." Rin felt guilty for asking the question. "It's okay, it's not like you knew or meant it." The lady forced on a smile to show Rin she was really fine. "What do those demons look like?" Rin asked. "They are shadows. They can't be seen normal humans. You must be really lucky to have a special human around you." The lady explained. "Then how can you that person is special?" Rin was getting confused.
"Actually, I don't know how, I just happened to hear about it too nut during this time. Mermaid go to areas that there is barely any water because those demons are always near water bodies. They come in the dark where it's hard it's hard to recognise them, you cannot even know that they are sucking your soul. So you have to be on a high alert every night and switch on lights every time. Avoid the dark or go back to the sea for the time being until spring when they are dried out of the energy they had." The lady explained every detail he knew. "Wow, that's scary." Rin felt goose bumps all over her body. "let me go get a drink, what do you want to do drink? Do you want anything to eat?" the lady asked Rin. "Anything is fine with me." Rin smiled. "Ok, I'll be back in ten." The lady stood up and went to buy them drinks.
Mrs. Hong Ga Ya came back in exactly ten minutes as she had promised with soft drinks, milk, yogurt and water with tinned instant noodles and crisps of different types with a coffee. "I didn't know what you liked, so I brought what I thought you'd like." The lady explained to the puzzled Rin. "Oh, thanks." Rin didn't have anything more to say more than that. "Where were we?" The lady asked to pull out herself of the awkwardness. "Oh, why don't you also go back in the sea if there are mermaid soul suckers?" Rin then asked randomly. "If you succeed in getting a person to tell you they love you. You become almost human and your mermaid sense disappears." She explained.
"Oh, I asked that randomly, I didn't actually know that it was so useful." She was surprised. "Anyways, I think the better choice for you now is to go back to the sea." The lady said. "I am fine. I will just avoid the dark." She declined the offer. "It's up to you. I have told you everything about me. Now, can you tell me more about you." The lady said. "My story is boring. I don't think y=that you will like it." Rin wanted to change the topic. "No story is boring. Only the listener decides how it is." The lady prevented her from changing the topic. "Oh, ok. If you don't mind. I'll start now." Rin said. "Ok, tell me everything." Mrs. Hong Ga Ya said. "Oh, my father is the king of all mermaids. He abruptly locked me up in a dark castle down in the sea with a power brake on my hand so I couldn't escape but just recently I managed to escape and meet Ma Roo who was so kind to give me shelter after I gave him only a bag full of a few sea stones and my power brake, I heard the guard once say that those stones were so useful here on land. So, I brought a few with me. I don't think any person is as kind as Ma Roo, don't you think so." Rin smiled without knowing as she spoke about Ma Roo.
"I must say you were scammed of your sea stones. You could get a permanent home with those and money that could last you at least one and a half year. I thought you seemed innocent but you really innocent." The lady pitied her. "I don't care, they were just a few stones and it's not like I gave them to a stranger. I have many of those in the sea." Rin said happily as if she had fulfilled all her life dreams. "Where is your bracelet? Does he still have it?" The lady was more worried about the bracelet. "Oh, he told me he sold everything." She said as she closed the empty tin of noodles. "Oh, is that it?" The lady seemed disappointed. "Anyway, how did you know it was a bracelet? I hadn't told you." Rin asked. "It's one of a kind in the seven seas given to the descendants' of supreme mermaid to prevent them to cause. "Wait, what? I am a descendant of the supreme mermaid that's why I do things other mermaids can't" Rin almost choked on her milk.