Chapter 6: A Scare
As soon as I enter my room, I rush to open my trolleys and rummage through my things, looking for my portfolio.
I can not afford to lose it.
It is like my lifeblood. It contains my IDs, passport, documents, and most importantly my credentials for my job interview on Friday, three days from now. My goodness! What will happen to me without it?
I slump on the floor with my things scattered around me. I can't help but scream out of frustration. Something I regret later for the door bursts open abruptly that I jump on my feet startled.
"What's that scream?" Tae Yoon's head pops on the door.
"Did a burglar went into your room?" he asks. He scorns as he scans the room. I immediately hide the lingeries lying around by kicking them under the bed.
"Yah! What are you doing? Why are peeking into someone's room without permission? Don't you know how to knock?" I say in a slightly raised voice while I walk towards him.
"It was a reflex. You screamed."
'Reflex?' My eyebrows furrow.
"What if I tell you that my reflex is to throw a punch on someone invading my privacy?" Showing him a fist.
"Then I would have no choice but to tackle you down."
I bat my eyes unbelievably at him.
"Reflex," he explains. I hate his smirk.
"-by the way, I'm quite sensitive to noise, so I hope you can be a little quiet."
Then after saying that in his usual stoic manner he starts to walk to his room which is just in front of mine.
"Don't worry. I'm a very sensible person you know!" I yell over him but he was already inside.
"Tch!"
My worry over my lost portfolio is changed to annoyance. I will not let him have his way on me, I resolve. So the next morning, I establish my seniority after finding out that I am 8 months older than him. Now, after a small incident with his neighbors, I even became his instant sister-in-law.
Good start, Ma Ri!
I place the last pebble on the ground, completing the hedge on the seeds I have planted. I smile at my little feat.
"Cha! Please grow quickly! Fighting!"
I say with my fist up. It comes out like a cheer not only to the seeds I planted but also to myself. I let out a deep breath. My day has just started in Korea, but it feels like I have been living here in a lonely neighborhood for ages. This is not right. I should be living a great life here! That makes me decide to go to the airport this afternoon and get my portfolio back. I hope someone found it and submitted it on the lost and found desk.
Cross fingers!
I stand up to get ready but I almost stumbled down on the ground after seeing a head above the wall. Scaring me tons.
"What the-!"
The head moved.
My goodness!
"Eonnie! (sister)"
I squint my eyes and recognize the face. She is one of the daughters who visited us this morning. She gestures for me to come out. And although I have no idea why she's up there calling me, I come outside.
She climbs down on a small wooden ladder and hurried to greet me. She will scare the whole neighborhood with that stunt. I shake my head in disbelief.
"Eonnie! How is it? Did Tae Yoon-oppa like it?"
I scratch my head, not really knowing what to say. Did she mean the food? What was her food by the way?
"Oh, he liked it so much!" I reply while forcing a smile. We should be friendly with our neighbors, right? especially when they give you food.
Her eyes brightened, "Really? What did he say?"
"Uhm...." I try to recollect the taste of the foods I had a while ago for lunch.
"-the outer is crispy when you bite it and the inside is so juicy and tasty. Tae Yoon said he loved the spicy after taste."
It is actually my opinion. He did not even taste the foods and left me with them.
She is smiling widely while I'm speaking but she suddenly frown at my last words, "Spicy? There is no chili on my kimbap though."
Snap! I am describing the kimchi!
"Oh! I think there is chili."
In situations like this, stand by your words. Insist. So you won't appear like someone making things up. Like I did now.
"No," she insists with an innocent expression.
I laugh shortly to ease the atmosphere, "You might have forgotten. Haha. But the thing is he liked your kimbap! You could try other fruits too, how about persimmon?.... You know, the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach," then I give her a wink. I hope she'll buy it. I would love to taste a persimmon kimbap.
"Omo! Thank you eonnie!" She hugs me tightly. I admit I am surprised. So I guess we are close now.
"By the way, eonnie, you might have forgotten my name already. I'm Bo Ra and I just live there," she points to the house on the far right side. Just three houses away.
"-Just call me when you need something."
Bo Ra looks like a nice girl. Around mid-twenty's. Pretty and cheerful. A friendly neighbor wouldn't hurt, right? Although I know why she's being friendly to me.
"Oh yes, Bo Ra. Actually, I have a question, I am planning to go to the airport today. Do buses pass here? Or do I have to book a taxi?"
Booking a taxi will cost me much.
"Yes, buses pass here. You may wait right in the honesty store... But wait, eonnie, my brother is going out too. Just hitch with him."
"Oh, really? Is it okay?"
"Yes, it's my father's jeep. He's younger by the way so you can order him around."
"Oh, Bo Ra! Don't worry, I'll tell Tae Yoon about your kindness," I give her an assuring smile. She giggles.
As soon as she went home, I immediately go into my room to change clothes. I put on minimal make-up.
I glance at my watch and it is already two in the afternoon. I think I can catch the office hours. Upon hearing a honk outside the house, I rush out of my room. Tae Yoon is sitting on a reclining chair in the living room, reading a newspaper. He looks at me curiously, then he looks outside the window. Now realizing that the honk was meant for me.
"Going out?" He inquires.
"I just need to get something," I reply. I do not want him to muse over so I immediately left the house. I don't want him to know that I am currently without any identity. In case, he thought of using it against me.
Bo Ra's younger brother looks a lot like her. Nice-looking and kind. His name is Joon Hee. I am overwhelmed with his spontaneity as he opens the door of the car for me and even helping me with my seatbelt. I would love to have a sweet brother like him. I can't help but smile at him along the way, he is so talkative but not in a boring way. As I am a very chatty person as well, I feel very comfortable with him. With ease, I told him the reason why I am going back to the airport. Knowing that he even helps me. Unfortunately, we can only report about my lost portfolio since they did not receive any 'found' items.
I slouch on the passenger's seat, feeling so down and worried.
"Here. Don't worry."
Joon Hee is handing me an iced coffee. I did not even notice him buy it. I take it and thank him. Such a considerate guy.
"Anyone who'll find your portfolio will return it to you soon, they won't gain anything by keeping it," he says trying to comfort me.
I try to not worry and think of something else. So I reach for the newspaper lying in front of the windshield. I scanned over the headlines and a particular column took my interest. Joon Hee must have noticed so he shares what is on his mind.
"I hope they found the serial killer soon, it was causing a scare across the country. My parents are very worried, they won't even let noona (older sister) come outside alone."
But she just went out alone a while ago though, I say to myself.
"But... it's mentioned here that the killing was in Seoul, why are your parents scared?" I ask.
"It's not just in Seoul, Ma Ri-noona."
"Huh?" I flip the page and my mouth opened after reading the list of different cities where he had killed. A total of six cities across the country!
"There's a rumor... Jeju is his next stop."
Joon Hee's words scare a ton of me. I stare at him with horrified eyes.
"Well, it's just a rumor though," he chuckles.
I sighed in relief.
"But who knows," he says in a whisper.
My heart almost pops out when he said that. His mysterious smile freaks me out.
"Yah! Let's go home," I say. I immediately drop the newspaper and put on my seatbelt. Instinctively, I look outside the car, thinking someone might be following us.
We are already in front of my house when something disturbing pops in my head. I suddenly thought of Tae Yoon. Come to think of it, I haven't really known him that much. Though the neighborhood seems to know him, he just arrived here in Jeju a few days ago too and seems to have been away for a long time.
Plus the "reflex" word, isn't it weird he has a reflex of a man in combat? He even said he will tackle me down once I punch him.
"Joon Hee.... what did the serial killer do to his victims?"
"Hmmm...." He tilts his head and squints his eyes thinking.
"-I read that when his victims make sounds desperately, he cut their tongues and slit their throats... He really hates noise."
I freeze in my seat.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone