It is Saturday. There are no high school girls to be taught. So, earlier, I had decided to have some time of my own.
I'd like to have a good time living, even if it's for a moment.
As of right now, I am merely washing dishes since Maria asked me to. If there's anything I want to complain about this activity, it is that I hate the cup part. I don't like putting my fist in a wet hole of a cup.
Only when it comes to something like a cup, of course.
A few minutes pass… I wipe my hand around the apron.
I walk back to my room… on my way there, I stumble upon Maria sitting on the couch as she eats a cup of instant noodles. She's wearing a large white hoodie with a text saying, 'Nice Work, Nice Look.' They are a bit oversized for her. Despite that, it makes her a lot cuter.
Her eyes catch mine, "Did you do it? Or you only turn on the tap water?"
"I think I did it."
"You think?"
I nod, "I also think you should say thank you right now."
"Saturday is your turn to do the chores in this house. You weren't doing me a favor. Just your duty."
"Well, we say thank you to a veteran, don't we?"
She slurps in a long one, "No one's doing that nowadays. All the people who have seen war are dead."
So, is war obsolete in this age? Has this world achieved world peace? I doubt it. No world with a man won't have them fight each other. If not now, soon. This reminds me that I should do a little research about this world… fair warning, if it gets too boring, I'd just drop it.
Maria grabs a remote and turns the TV on. It is currently showing a news channel.
Sluuurp…
"Whai are still hefre?"
"Just watching you."
She sighs, "if your notfhing befter to dfo, toof out the thfrosh."
I walk away, not to take out the trash (I do that later if I remember), and continue to my room. It's fine, the trash won't grow legs and start to run away… I think. I only doubt myself because the current world I am in now has lizard people and a middle schooler watching the news.
In my room, I check my phone. Looks like someone has been sending me messages.
And it's none other than Sohee.
Just to let you know, it's spelled Soo-Hee in her contact. As Korean as she is. But Soo-Hee is Sohee, and she was and always will be Sohee.
Anyway, we've been chatting for a while now. I don't like it, I would rather talk to her face-to-face. She always tries to keep the chat professional. Her tone and choice of words are always trying to impress me. Does it work? Not really. I prefer the world kill over homicide.
< Sunbae, I'm on my way visiting Nelly again today >
I reply to her, saying good luck.
:)
That is what she sent me. Maybe Sohee is secretly a psychopath. Either that, or she doesn't know she can find the emoji button on her phone's keyboard. Maybe she should hang out with someone like Varrie more.
And not Nelly.
Sohee has been doing that lately, trying to help her attend my classes.
Hope she finds success in there; meanwhile, I'll focus on making a plan to get to the other girls.
I close my phone… and find myself doing nothing, being nothing, thinking nothing.
Taking out the trash can be done now. Doing that sounds more alive now.
I get out of my room and go straight to the trash bins, one near the bathroom door and the other around Maria's room. I lift the two bags and try to leave this place.
But Maria is blocking the door, in the middle of tying a pair of white sneakers on her feet.
My brain jumps.
"Pretty sure those are mine."
"I know. It's called borrowing. It's not like you're going anywhere soon."
That's true, but… "Doesn't look like they fit you."
But she appears in denial, pulling the tie harder as if to seal it.
"I'm heading out," she says as she pulls over her sports bag.
The door opened… and closed.
Only to be open again.
I have to find the place where they keep the dumpster.
When I stepped outside, I couldn't find Maria in the corridor.
I thought she went by the only elevator. But as soon as I press the button, it opens and rings.
The stairs catch my eye. Did she climb down? She's really a hard worker.
And I'm not, so I get in.
To the ground floor.
Have I mentioned this is one expensive apartment? With all these golden, shiny areas from the ground floor to the top.
The old user must have come from a rich family to rent out such a place.
Ting.
I amble out.
Shielding my eyes from the brightness, a sigh escapes. I don't like it when the sun decides to shower me.
Sweat sucks.
Is it summer? I can even hear the cricket here.
No, it is not summer. If my memory is right, this country doesn't have the classic four seasons. Only wet and dry.
Enough about that, weather talk is boring anyway. If it's raining bullets, then maybe it's a little bit interesting.
The dumpster is located outside the entrance gate of the apartment. I load in my thrashes and don't bother pinching my nose like the girl next to me.
I want to get in, too. I have a feeling it's a lot more comfortable for someone like me to be buried among the trash.
—Can you just think a little bit positively? Just live a little.
I don't want that, so that's why I always pray to die.
"Sunbae…?" An unfamiliar voice, but who wouldn't know Sohee with all the pink radiance around her?
Her eyes widen, expanding the pink pupils as if a cat finds its owner after being lost for days. I swear it's Saturday, but Sohee is wearing her school uniform. Her bag probably has textbooks in it.
She sprawls out her finger from her thin nose. Her other hand is holding onto a green plastic bag.
I need to clear this mystery, so I ask, "What are you holding?"
She looks disappointed with her shoulder dropping, "Is that what you're asking first?"
"I'm a lot more curious about that, yeah." I glance at the comfortable dumpster, "yeah."
"Well, if you have to know, it's just a can of coffee I bought on my way here," she answers.
It doesn't look as if the plastic is holding up anything, "so it's just an empty can now?"
She nods.
I wait for her to throw it in the dumpster. She never does. "This is for recycling," she explains after getting my hint of confusion.
"Is that so?" I scratch my head.
Of course, she would do 'recycle.' That's… boring.
"What kind of coffee did you have?" I ask. This is a better topic than recycling.
She sighs, "Really? Sunbae?" Then her eyes sweep around the hot and uncomfortable surroundings of the dumpster, "Can we not talk in here…the smell is suffocating me."
We moved into the Sunshine Apartment and stayed outside the glass entrance. She put her green plastic bag in her school bag.
"It's Saturday," I say, pointing at her uniform.
"I—I know," her hand is covering her body as if she's embarrassed to stand out in my eyes, "it's just more appropriate, I suppose. I come here on school business anyway."
She messaged me that she was visiting Nelly today. Is that the school's business she is mentioning now? And she's here… that means…