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.