CHAPTER 33 –TIME FOR THE TRUTH
Seeing the gems of different colours and sizes sparkle giving light to the small kingdom as the stars in the night sky, Ma Roo thought this was so beautiful seeing it from a far. The stone buildings stood on the hidden surface of the sea. "Ma Roo, we have to go." Rin told Ma Roo seeing he was slacking off. "Oh! I am coming." He swam faster to catch up with Rin. They swam heading for the surface which was almost empty with a few mermaids swimming.
They finally reached the main castle. "I suppose this is where your father lives." Ma Roo said. "Yes." They entered to see masculine mermen swimming back and forth protecting. "Who are those?" Ma Roo asked. "The guards." Rin answered. One of the guards saw them. "Alert! There is a human. We are under attack." The guard shouted. (In his mind obviously.) Most people didn't know how the princess looked like and didn't even know that she had gone missing except for a few. "Stop!" Rin said in a loud and clear voice. "Who are you to stop us? Traitor! You've even brought a human to our kingdom." One of the guards who had gathered together blocking the two from going any further.
"I'll only tell nicely once more. Move, I've no time to waste." Rin said with a straight cold face. Ma Roo didn't know that such a cheerful girl had a side scary as this. "Try and pass through us." The guard held their hands together. Rin didn't say anything anymore. She just waved her arm and all of them were thrown apart in different directions by a strong wave. Rin then held Ma Roo's hand and swam away. Ma Roo wasn't sure if the person he had just saw a moment ago was the same one he knew. They were now inside the rooms of the large castle roaming around.
Finally, after a few minutes, they came upon a room which had a group of mermen standing outside. Rin came to where they were. "Is the king inside?" Rin today just called him king instead of father. The mermen were surprised when they saw a human. "A human?!" They were all flabbergasted. "Just answer me!" Rin was as cold as the North Pole. The king inside heard the commotion. "She is here already. I didn't expect her this soon." He murmured to himself. Most the things in this kingdom were made of stone, fish hides, precious gems and some steel or bamboo, such as books.
"She is the princess; look she doesn't have her power brake. She'll overpower us." They whispered to themselves. The guards were scared to attack because some of these knew who the princess was. They moved out of her way slowly as she passed with Ma Roo. When she entered, she found her father seated at the stone curve chair. "My daughter, you've arrived." He gave her a warm gaze. "Dad? What am I?" She asked. "Who is that you are with?" He asked seeing that she had come with a human. "I asked you a question." She said with traces of pain in her voices. "Does he treat you well? Have you been well? Did you get sick?" He wanted to know how his daughter was over the month. He wanted to have a conversation with her.
"Dad! Please, tell me! I want to know. Who is my father?!" She was impatient but also felt hurt deep down because she had to ask him in this way. "You know the answer already. Didn't you see it yourself?" He said calmly. Ma Roo was watching the duo quietly. "You came here knowing the answer. You just wanted to make sure it was true." He added on. "I didn't get to see everything. They were just tiny bits and pieces of which seemed like their memories." She said and added on. "My real father?! Do you know where he is? Can you tell me their story? Please." Rin asked impatiently. "Me and your mother Hae In, we didn't love each other. We met on and during our period of one year. She had someone she else she loved and so did I."
Ma Roo felt like he had stood for too long and sat at a rock in the middle of the room, he grabbed onto the rock beside it in opposite direction so that he didn���t float away. "When our time was due, those we loved hadn't confessed to us that they loved us so we had to come back. When we came back, our parents forced us into marriage but your mother had come back with you. She always went on land and got chance to see that man. After our due time is over. We can go back on for only an hour everyday if wish to but one time, a few years after you had been given birth to. She still went back to see that man. She found out that he had died in an accident and ended her life intentionally. I had to raise you up alone. I loved you like my own. After that storm, I was scared that you'd hurt more people, I am sorry." He said earnestly.
When he finished, Rin's face was sad, maybe she was even crying but you couldn't tell because she was in water. "Rin, are you fine?" Ma Roo asked. "I am fine." She said suppressing her sadness. "Don't be sad my dear." The king said. "I am not sad, I am just angry that those two were selfish and didn't think about me." Rin said. "Your mother, she actually didn't kill herself. She died protecting us." He said. "But you told me…" Rin was confused now.
"I know but our former kingdom was attacked by sea creatures. She had the chance to get out of there but chose not to. Maybe life was hard for her, you can't judge her because you are not in her position. Just because you get to see her memories, you don't know how she felt making them." He explained. "Why did she choose not to? Did she even think about me? Was she in a lot of pain for the person who did not love her or me?" Rin couldn't supress it any longer and wailed with her voice unheard. Ma Roo felt pity for her, he swam to where she was and hugged her. "I am sure your mother and father loved you, so does he. You even have me, you won't be alone, don't be sad." Ma Roo tried to comfort her.
"Wait, who are you guy? Could you hear us back then?" The king was surprised. "Yes! Is something wrong?" Ma Roo asked. "We can hear you speak but you can't hear us speak unless we are speaking to you. Unless you are also like him." The king said. "Like who?" Rin asked. "Rin! I think am out of oxygen." Ma Roo said with his face turning red. "I'll come back later. Ma Roo let's go!" Rin grabbed onto his hand swam away. As they hurried to go, Ma Roo's necklace which had a ring in it had fallen from his neck floating in the room. "Ma Roo, hang on" Rin said swimming as fast as she could, pulling Ma Roo who was slowly becoming unconscious.
After a few minutes, Rin pulled Ma Roo to the shore in the sand. She also got her legs back. She looked at him with her mind trying to remember any solution for this. She pressed his chest hard as she could. After that, she leaned closer, removed his oxygen mask and put her lips on his and tried breathed air into him. After three long minutes, she finally stopped. Immediately, Ma Roo coughed violently. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Rin looking at him worriedly. "Rin! Let's go home." He forced himself up and smiled weakly. "First change those clothes." She looked at him with smile feeling happy and grateful that it was just them the two. The two felt happy and safe by each other's side. Rin forgot about everything that had happened back in the sea when she saw Ma Roo. Ma Roo had also change drastically since he had met Rin. Though it's been only a month, they felt a deep connection and some people fell in love at first sight. These two have just not realised that it was love yet.
"Rin! Look the other way. I want to get changed." Ma Roo said as he gestured to Rin. He took out the clothes out of his bag and changed, he then put on his black coat. When he turned around to see Rin, her clothes were already dry. "Is that even fair?" Ma Roo felt wronged. "What?" Rin didn't what Ma Roo was talking about. "I had to risk my pride and take off all my clothes yet you could even dry yours." Ma Roo said. "But I didn't come with any extra clothes." Rin explained herself. "You could've told me that you could dry clothes. What if someone saw me naked?" He sulked. "I am sorry but I also didn't know I could, I just thought about it and wanted to try it out." She wanted to laugh but suppressed it and played along. Ma Roo sulkily stood up/ "If you are really sorry, carry the bag."
CHAPTER 34; TRICKSTERS
At the apartment, the two had got a takeout because they were too hungry to wait or cook. Ma Roo had ordered for two bento boxes. Rin was using a fork because she hadn't learnt how to use chopsticks yet. The two were watching TV with news showing. They didn't really car what was even on the TV until the news reporter reported a news that caught Rin's attention. "Currently, a video of the boy singing in karaoke went viral. The video got more than a million like in a day." When they showed the video on TV Rin saw Ma Roo. She was really surprised to see that Ma Roo could actually sing.
"Wow, Ma Roo. You are great at singing.��� Rin said to Ma Roo. Ma Roo hadn't seen the news. He was focusing on his food. When he heard what Rin told her, he almost choked. "What is your problem? I am eating." He said. "Look. You are on TV "She showed him. He was also surprised when he saw. He didn't actually know that he was recorded that day. Even if he was recorded, why would he be on TV? After the video, Rin clapped her hands. "We did a little digging on the boy. His name is Kang Ma Roo. Many agencies wanted to recruit him but he turned them down. When dug more information, more surprisingly, we got to know he was the legal son of Mr. Kang In Guk. The owner of Dreamy Airline and one of the biggest shareholder in PR Holdings." Ma Roo turned off the TV.
After eating, they were playing Go, the board game. Ma Roo had just taught Rin the game but it seemed like she had known for a good number of years. She had beat him 26 consecutive times. "Rin, I am tired, maybe I should have brought up playing this game." He sulked. "Ok, I'll play easy on you." Rin said. "No, am tired. I've won only three times since we began playing for an hour. He organised the pieces and stood up with the board and went with it in his room. He came back with his laptop to do his work. "Ma Roo, can I have a laptop too?" She came where Ma Roo was. "what for?" He slanted a glance at her. "Huh?! Saet Byul also has one but I don't." She complained.
"What if Saet Byul has it?! You are fine without one because you don't even go to school." He said as he typed down. "But I don't think that only those who go to school need one." She protested. "Ok, fine. If you come back from getting your so called mermaid practice. I'll get you one." He resigned arguing with her. "Really?! You are the best." She hugged him tightly. "Hey! I can't breathe. Look out for my laptop." He struggled. "Ma Roo, this is day one. There are six das days left before I go. What should we do?" She was so excited. "Okay. Please give me a few minutes till I finish up my work." He sighed. "Okay!" She smiled and went quiet staring at Ma Roo. "Aren't you going to do anything else? Stop staring at me or else you might wear out my handsomeness." Ma Roo felt quite uncomfortable that she was staring at him unendingly.
"Looking at you makes me happy." She smiled cheerfully. "Will you stop flaunting your love! No one even noticed that I've been here for five minutes." Saet Byul said. "Oh! Saet Byul, you are here already." Rin smiled. "Don't you have to study, it's still noon." Ma Roo said looking at his watch. "My teacher had an urgent matter to handle." Saet Byul explained. "That's why you shouldn't be home schooled. Why are you even home-schooled?" Ma Roo thought it was so random. "Long story." She brushed away the topic. "No story is long; you just don't want to tell me." Ma Roo sneered. "If you're understand, don't bother asking." She ran to Rin and grabbed her hand. "Rin, let's go. We missed yesterday." Then the two ran off leaving Ma Roo alone in the living room. "Kids, nowadays." He chuckled and went back to what he was doing.
After an hour, the trial was in the living room watching a TV drama. "I am so bored." Saet Byul said "Saet Byul, did you see the news today?" Rin asked with an eerie smile on her lips. "I am not so much into the news if doesn't regard Hallyu or K-pop. What was it? Is there anything special?" she asked. "Look up the karaoke singing boy." Rin said proudly. "It doesn't matter. It's boring. Don't bother yourself." Ma Roo said uncomfortably. "I wasn't going to before you told me but now that you have told me not to. I am eager to know." Saet Byul snatched out her phone from the pink jacket's pocket. She did as Rin had told her. When she saw the video, she was astonished. "Rin? Am I seeing right? Is this who I think it is?2 She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Rin smiled proudly. "Ma Roo, how could you keep such a talent to yourself? I don't understand you two. Many agencies have asked you to join the but turned them down." Saet Byul shook her head sympathetically.
"I sing for you. You pay me and I can't be so acquainted with humans or else my identity might be exposed." Rin said. "You have got an understandable reason but what about jobless Ma Roo." Saet Byul was curious. "What?! Do you know am older than you? "Ma Roo felt small talking with this girl. "Oh, are you? Ok, first tell me your reason. It's not like you are so rich. You have got many things to pay for." Saet Byul said like a fully-grown person and continued. "In fact, why did you run away from home? It's all over the news now." She was confused why would a person with a working brain run away from his home when his father's worth a few billion dollars to come and live like an orphan. Is that even sensible?
"First tell me, why you are home-schooled?" He struck a deal. "Ok, I was bullied from time to time by other kids at school so my parents decided me to be home-schooled even after changing schools several times." She said everything so fast and ended with a sigh. "You don't seem like you could be bullied. Maybe, you have told me bad and you were the one bullying others instead." Ma Roo chuckled. "Whatever, tell me your reason. We made a deal." She said. "Me? I never made deal with you. I just told you to tell me. I never said I'd tell you." He said with a grim smile. "Your trickster!" Rin was just laughing the two chase each other through the room.
That day also came to its end. Saet Byul had fallen asleep from the couch. Ma Roo came and carried her back to her mom's apartment. He knocked on the door. Her mom wasn't even worried where her daughter could be, she knew she was at theirs. She came and opened the door. She was wearing black rimmed rectangular spectacles with her hair tied up in a pony-tail. "Oh, thank you!" She carried her from him and put her on her shoulders. "Mrs. Jung, I think your daughter needs you more than freedom." Ma Roo thought Saet Byul's parents were always focused on their work than their own daughter. "I don't think you can advise me about my parenting. Thank you for taking care of my daughter. If you feel burdened, I can pay you." She then slammed the door behind her. A tear rolled down Saet Byul's cheek.
As Ma Roo was entering the passcode, he saw smoke come out below of Mi Na's door. He ran quickly and knocked. He saw the lights on inside, indicating that there was a person inside. He started banging the door seeing she wasn't opening. After a few minutes, she came out drowsily. "I am sorry; I had fallen asleep. What brings you here?" She asked as she yawned and rubbed her eyes at the same time without seeing who it was. "Are you fine?" Ma Roo asked worriedly. "Yeah, By the way. Something seems to be burning." She said groggily. "God! I was right." He ran inside to fide the whole kitchen and some other rooms were all on fire. He ran out and grabbed a fire extinguisher.
Mi Na was panicking at the moment. After Ma Roo had put out the fire, he came to where she was. "What were you doing that you almost got burnt inside here?" He asked thinking it was irresponsible. "I…I…think … fell asleep when I left the soup cooking in the kitchen." She stammered. "Anyway, you can't sleep ere. Now that the house is all like this." He said seeing that she was also terrified. "But where can I go? It's not like I have many friends who could let me sleep at theirs." She said. "You can sleep at a hotel." He said but as he was going leaving her in the alley way and noticed that she was in pyjamas and slippers.