Chapter 4

          As the sun broke the horizon, prompt loud uproars coming from the neighborhood disturb my deep slumber. I heard simultaneous flamboyant complaints and rants about the disrupting noises from a construction site nearby in our street. Not only by that, but I also listen to the never-ending dispute of one of my neighbors toward her husband. I can overhear her scandalous screams in my room, uncontrollably shouting how dare her husband cheated on her and other serious topics that I shouldn't reveal anymore. These people wouldn't bother to take any consideration to their other neighbors who were trying to have a peaceful sleep.

          I spin around my bed and pick a pillow beside me. I immediately wrap it to my head so I can stop hearing those irritating voices but still, nothing works. Tag along all the deafening clanking, pounding, and grinding of pipes and metals from the construction site made me yield in reclaiming the momentum I lost.

          I just hiss in annoyance and let out a heavy sigh.

          The first thing that captures my attention in this room is the white ceiling filled with stickers of glow-in-the-dark moon and stars. I put those stickers when I was younger. I loved stargazing: staring at the sky to see the beauty of the starry night as the moon's heartfelt moonlight was shining through my face. I remember how my mom used to tell me some stories while we lay down on the floor. How I wish I could bring back those good days. If only my room had a clear glass ceiling to gaze at, I'll probably be so glad but we can't afford it so I used my creativity to improvise one.

          I look beside my bed, hoping that I don't see again those scattered messy crumpled papers on my study table. But then again, they were still there. I always told myself that I'll clean my room, like for about one consecutive week and yet I never did. My clothes weren't organized like it should be. It were placed everywhere. On top of that fact, I haven't swept all my room's unquantifiable dusts and webs. No doubt this is my chaotic and jungle-like chamber.

          "What just happened? How on earth did I get here?"

          I can't recall much about last night. I am quite weary and consumed today, and my head awfully aches. Then, I notice some adhesive bandages from both of my knees and elbows, and my legs and thighs cramp like crazy as if I did hundreds of squats and had participate on a 50km marathon race after. That stimulus triggers my hippocampus to gradually remember everything. I certainly stumbled down a pile of my own kind during the turbulent chase. It truly bolted my heart like it would throw out to my rib cage at that moment. Who'd ever want to be followed by someone you don't even know.

          I tried to get on my feet despite of enduring the throbbing legs. It hurts but I need to see my dad. I didn't have a chance yesterday since I got fainted due to that intensifying dash. I still need to prepare some food for us and clean my room, at least. Whoever carries me in my room, I have to say sorry for witnessing this disastrous room of mine.

          Heading to my dad's room, I suddenly took notice of a crunchy sound in the kitchen. I am not informed we have guests at this early in the morning. No one visits us nor cooks for us for a very long time. My suspicion urges me to sneakily trudge there and slowly pick a scissor in the drawer.

          "Who are you?" I came out while pointing the sharp thing. "Why are you in my house?"

          Upon my unexpected entrance, I spotted a beautiful slender lady chopping various vegetables from our old kitchen. She averts her attention and glance over my location. At that point, I was quickly stunned to her goddess-like beauty. I never saw this face in this neighborhood before. She has a long black hair, a very white fine skin tone, and a natural gentle radiant look. Instead of making her intimidated or scared in any rate, I was the one who felt that way. Regardless of that, I thought that she might be one of those delicate public figures in Seoul.

          She's probably a clothing brand model.

          "Is it your first time to intimidate someone?" she continued chopping.

          "Answer my question beautiful lady or... or I'll stab you with this."

          She suddenly pierced the knife on the chopping board and then she sent me a malevolent glare. More likely, it came from a psychopath. She pulled off the handle and went toward my direction. I warned her not to take another step or otherwise I am going to make what I had said. But unfortunately, it ended up futile because she continued and that amplified my terror.

          She firmly stood before me and moved forward her head to mine and pointed that knife on my neck, "What if we stab each other until one of us is dead?" she spoke. "That'll be more exciting to do, don't you think?" then she smiled so sinisterly.

          I got a hard time to gulp once she said that. I didn't assume she will take my bluffing as a grim matter. She might do it without further ado. Sweats from my forehead begin to trickle down to my temples as I sustained this kind of uneasy composure.

          She went nearer and whispered something, "Looks like the brave girl becomes chicken all of a sudden."

          I also aimed my scissor to her neck, "Cowardice isn't in my vocabulary."

          "She's not in her—whoa, whoa, whoa!" a guy appeared and hurriedly interfered in the middle. "Does both of you are out of your minds? Pointing sharp things upon each other's necks? Are you serious?"

          "It's just a friendly introduction, dear," she retorted. "...and I like her."

          He quickly grabs our tools and simply put it on a safer place. His frustration seems inevitable but we haven't broken this intense stare with one another. I can see the spark of tension between us, even if she said she likes me but I don't feel the same way. To be honest, my first impression doesn't match what she was exhibiting as of this time. She might belong as one of those craziest and weirdest rich people I ever met from work or just maybe a new lunatic in this neighborhood.

          "All right, both of you should chill, okay? C'mon," he dragged me on the living area.

          I gaze at him very uncomfortably while figuring an answer why there is another unwanted guest in our house. As I observe his appearance, he is a tall good-looking guy with a sharp nose and jawline. Unlike those usual Koreans I mostly saw, he has round eyes which I found it extremely charming. I remembered this face—he was the one I called for help last night.

          "Mind explaining why both of you can easily come and go in our house? We never permit anyone so technically this is trespassing. And who the heck are you and that insane lady?"

          "I heard that!"

          He tried to answer my questions one by one. I am expecting he'll tell me every detail I should know. He told that my dad heard my hysterical screams outside and he saw me fell on the pavement. So he decided to let them in, and this guy brought me to my room and shortly this somewhat wacko woman treated my wounds and cleansed me from the horrible smell.

          We continue our chatting as we're eating black bean noodle and bulgogi that he ordered. It's been a long time I ate like these kind of food but he can't trick me with these. There is still a feeling of uncertainty that keeps bugging my mind. Whatever it is, I must fathom it no matter what.

          "I heard your dad has a blood cancer," he said. "Who bought his medications or—"

          "Paying these pile of debts from different 'loan shark banks'?" she abruptly tossed those mails on the table. "It all named to you... Lee Ae-ra."

          I hurriedly pick those mails and check what they contain. I realize it was not a bill statement but otherwise various blackmails and death threats. I read some written threats at the back of those letters and that weakened me on my chair. I accumulated twenty million won debt in just five months? I never had an agreement with someone like that before. All I can remember was, I went to a mini bank to have a loan, and then a guy lent me thousands of money without any hesitation. I desperately need it that time because my dad needs to be discharged from the hospital. He even told me I can repay it at whatever time I want, not just to forget the smaller amount of interest he enforced. I am so dumb that I didn't get the point upon his ironic amount of interest (which it will be this huge). That's totally absurd.

          How come they know my address and my name? I didn't sign any contract at all. Perhaps that guy last night was hired to follow and harass me as an indication that I should repay my debts as soon as possible. This is the first time I got involved into a more troublesome problem.

          "Have you registered the guy's face or feature or something? We could call the police to find him straightaway."

          "It's not a wise decision to do. To think that guy never harassed nor used threat of violence toward Aeries. He just quietly followed her way not until she panicked and ran away," she has a point. I was the one who's so stupidly overreact at that kind of situation. Who will never be?

          "So, what should I do now?" I spoke up to the discussion. "Just please don't tell anyone I engaged at this kind of recklessness, especially my dad."

         "You must pay them back or else you know the price," that sounds so encouraging. Thanks a lot.

          "We will help you to pay it," he widely smiled, "...and my wife here could take care of your dad if you permit her to do so."

          I am dumbfounded upon his sudden offer and revelation. I can't believe he got married with this woman. Besides, are they even serious? Because I don't yearn for a false hope since I am starting to develop trust issues. Their deal made me think that the world still has mercy. His wife also stated that she will open-handedly pay all of my dad's treatments and our other monthly expenses. Even though we've just met today, I am very grateful for what they grant to us. Taking care of my father was truly enough for me, but helping us to get out through this life was merely overwhelming too. They didn't require any source of exchange for paying his pricy medications. Their generosity and kindness couldn't be described nor be thanked of because it can't be. I am loss of words to their absolute genuineness. It was all pure as gold and sincere as mere.

          Tears of joy leak down to my eyes as I thanked them. I know I shouldn't trust them very much but it seems they are trustworthy. I can sense they are rich yet they have kindliness from within. This could change my opinion toward rich people; that not all of them are arrogant and heartless as I thought them in the first place.

          "Just to make things clear in my head: are you a genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist like Tony Stark and is this lady a deadly, double agent and assassin like Black Widow who might try to kill me and my father while we're sleeping?"

          "What?" they both lost and confused.

          "Never mind. Philanthropist will do."

          I stood up to visit my dad and bring his meal in his room. Once I entered, I spotted him deeply sleeping on his bed. As I viewed him here, his skin was pale as a white paper, his pure black hair gradually turned into bald, and his face apparently came out like a grumpy old man because of the wrinkles upon his forehead.

          I couldn't forget those beautiful times we had before his disease arises.

          My memory about his physique wasn't like that. He was healthy and lively, he had a glowing skin, and he was still stern enough even if he was in his early middle age. Dad was famous in our place because of his pure compassion and congeniality trait. He had done many deeds from everyone in this neighborhood, especially to the elderly and some teens with several personal problems. By doing all of those unobligated endeavors, he didn't miss to fulfill his fatherly duties to me in spite of being too busy. Through ups and downs, he didn't hesitate to help those people from solving their problems. He was the main reason why some people admired and emulated his virtuous acts.

          But as time goes by, he surprisingly become feeble and prone to illness. He was always sick; he can't leave his room for once. I thought it was only a sign of his overworking but I was wrong. I wouldn't know he had a serious disease if I didn't hear a loud cry of pain in his room. He kept whining that his back was terribly aching that he couldn't move it.

          Gossipmongers were abuzz on the bizarre state of my dad. They spread out tons of rumors about him, revealing that my dad had an atypical ailment—forsooth, the rumor was true. The oddity news caught a lot of attention. But the saddest truth about this, no one visited nor at least encouraged him to never lose hope. All those people who admired him just vanished and nowhere to be seen. Many of them believed on other alleged rumors that my dad's disease was transmittable (it was a hoax).

         Every time I am hearing those things, I couldn't do anything to defend him. I had to stifle to express my anger about their false claims. But with God's pity over us, He granted me two angels in disguise. Good thing, I didn't get to the point that I'd sell my mother's dream house. That was the only remaining of herself to us so I couldn't allow myself either. Yet, I screwed up once I opened up this topic to my dad and we had a grave argument, last week.

          I encouraged him to take another therapy since the doctor required it but he refused to. That time, I accidentally asked him how the house will cost if I sold it. He instantly got mad at me because of that ridiculous idea. He even expressed that I wasn't considering his feelings and I was too insensitive. I didn't mean to sell the house just for the sake of therapy, and yet that was the thing he comprehended. He bluntly opted that he rather died that day than selling our house. If fate will give him a chance to change his life, he hoped that I shouldn't be born in this world. That word utterly shattered my heart into million pieces. I tried to hold back my stream of tears but I knew I couldn't. I just left him in his room without any word.

          After that misunderstanding, my father had barely eaten his meals. Water was the only thing he ingesting. He always had loss his appetite and his weight drastically loss, too. If he continued this habit, sooner or later he will die, and I made him that way.

          It was my entire fault.

          I felt badly for my dad's odd condition to the point I wished I should have that instead of him. Every night, I am always crying and blaming myself for existing like this. I am buried in a twenty million debt because of my carelessness and got involved into a loan shark who might threat our security any time soon. Maybe my father was right. I shouldn't be born in this world.

          A sudden tear fell down.

          I just put his meal on the table before I wake him up. I approach my lips toward his forehead and kissed it. I know he's still mad at me. I want to settle it with him, but I knew it was never easy to coax some forgiveness at him. I should let him rest before any worse scenario ensued.

          "We're one call away if you need us. We need to sort things out in our new house. You know, it's very filthy."

          "Sure. Thank you for all you had done," I expressed my gratitude.

          We both give our remarks, but before they could completely go back inside their house, I gathered enough courage to ask their names. I've been waiting for them to tell me their names because they never introduce themselves properly. Well, for the record, I haven't introduced my name to them as it should be since they already knew it.

          "What are your names?"

          "Choi Minho and Choi Sulli," then they both gave their wide beams.

To be continued...

I STAN LEGENDS!