YEJI
We still have another quiz for tomorrow, i need to study now but the next room is literally playing some soft songs and it's making me feel sleepy. When i checked the time, it's already 1:30 AM, it's very unusual, she's turning her music off when it's 12:30 AM.
I hold my earphones and get some paper, i wrote everything that i wanted to say. I stand in front of her door then i knocked on her door, i slapped myself because i forgot that she can't hear anything. I used my phone and turned on and off my flashlight, she's not opening her door.
I tried to open her window and i saw her sleeping on the floor, i get a little piece of stone and when i'm about to throw it on her, i suddenly saw a video in her T.V and it looks like her when she's still young;
"Ryujin? Come here now!"
"I don't want to ride that horse Daddy!"
"It's fun, just come here. Let your Mom carry you."
I know i shouldn't watch it, i think it's something that she's been keeping for herself. I throw the piece of stone on her then she suddenly wakes up, she stand up and opened her door, i finally saw her so close.
She opened her lights and i saw her more, she's so pretty, it looks like she's still know how to style herself, her hair color fits in her. She asked me nervously, "Why?". I showed her what i wrote in a bond paper, one by one;
"Hello! I'm Yeji. I live next to your room, ROOM 13!"
"I'm currently studying but i can hear your sound, it was so loud."
"It's not that i don't want you to listen to your favorite songs"
"It's just, your music is distracting me"
"I'm sorry for saying this but...."
"I REALLY NEED TO STUDY"
She turned off her speaker then she told me, "I'm sorry, i'm really sorry". I didn't expect that, i thought she's gonna max her volume or what but she's really kind, Ma is right.
She opened her door and asked me, "My name is 'Ryujin'. Do you want to come?" I signed "X" using my hands and it looks like we're playing charades because i acted like i'm writing something on my palm while i'm telling her, "Sorry. But i need to study now".
I gave her my earphones then i let her read my lips, "YOU. YOU. CAN. USE. THIS. INSTEAD. O—" She suddenly pushed my hands, "Yeji? Go away now. I'm just gonna turn off my music now". I walked outside her room then i get my earphones.
Her face looks so scared when i showed her my earphones, i think she experienced something that i shouldn't ask but it intrigues me. I'm just gonna ask Ma about this tomorrow after my classes.
I stayed up all night studying and i didn't notice that it was already 5:00 AM and i haven't slept a little but our class will start at 7:00 AM today. I just drink another cup of coffee and changed my clothes.
When i'm about to opened the door, Ryujin is standing there and she was about to knock on my door, i looks so surprised but she gave me a bento then she said, "I'm sorry for throwing you earphones, i didn't mean that. I'm actually happy that someone talked to me, no one tried to do that".
I guess everyone who used to rent here misunderstood her, i came blame them.
I accepted her bento box then she ran so fast inside her room then i felt like she's the opposite of what i'm thinking. I really thought she's a cold person who will not talk to you unless you begged her, Ryujin is nice.
I suddenly saw Ma and she greeted me, "Good Morning Yeji! Have you eaten your breakfast?". I showed her the bento box then i told her, "Ryujin gave this to me" She clapped her hands and she looks so proud, "Ryujin did that? Maybe you did something on her".
I told her, "I just talked to her last night to shut her music down" Ma laughed then she told me, "Wow, you're the first person who dared to do that for the two and a half years that i've been staying here. No one talked to her maybe she's grateful. She once did that to me when i tried talking to her and the fact that you're the same age as her, she must be happy".
Ryujin suddenly played a loud music again,
"YOUNGBLOOD!
SAY YOU WANT ME!
SAY YOU WANT ME!
OUT OF YOUR LIFE!"
Ma gave me something that looks like an earbuds then she said, "Congratulations! You surpassed the days to beat, you've been staying here for 10 Days now and you deserved this, we've been using that for 2 Years now and i just found that i still have a pairs of that, i don't know what it calls but it's effective."
While on my way to the University, Dad suddenly called me, "How are you my Daughter?" I answered at him, "I'm fine Dad, i'm currently walking on the way to the University and we have a quiz later" I can hear him smiling then he told me, "Oh? Really? Goodluck! I know you can do it! I wanted to give this phone to your Mom but i don't wanna see her crying, you know she's a crybaby, always remember to take care of yourself, okay?".
When i'm already inside my classroom, i went closer to my classmate who used to stay in my room, "Hey? I just found out that the Girl in the room 12 can't hear anything, that's why i don't think she's weird or sort of." She answered at me, "Wow, i never thought that but she can just use earphones".
I told her, "That's what i'm thinking too that's why i offered her my earphones but she got scared because of it."
After a while, i finally take a quiz and i got 45 out of 50. I'm not satisfied with my score because i know that i can do more, it's just while i'm answering and trying to remember what i read, i can hear Ryujin's voice talking to her Mom and Dad, she's distracting me lately.
I wrote again in the bond paper what i want to say to her and i think that maybe if i made a deal with her she will do what i say.
When it's our break time, i opened the bento box that she gave me and she literally created a smiley face on the rice balls and her eggs has a sad face, i suddenly chuckled because it was so funny that she gave me something like this, i think Ma was right, Ryujin's grateful that someone talked to her because she literally put some effort in this.
The moment that i put the egg in my mouth, i suddenly remember my Mom's foods. Ryujin is so good at cooking, i never thought she can cook like this, i'm expecting that the egg will be salty.
It was already 6:00 PM, i can finally go home now.
It was so tiring going upstairs in this tenement. I suddenly saw Ryujin carrying Ji-Won and Ji-Woo and they are sitting on the hammock in front of Ryujin's room. When Ji-Woo saw me, he said, "Ryujin Unnie's new Friend is here!".
Ji-Won ran towards me and he asked me, "How did you become her Friend?". My eyes literally went big and Ryujin is clueless because she can't hear what the Kids are saying then Ji-Woo asked me, "Yeji Unnie? She can't hear us and she told us that this is just a secret but you're Ryujin Unnie's Friend, right?".
I laughed and knocked on Ji-Woo's head, "You! Don't say that again, okay? Even if she can't hear you still shouldn't do that." Ryujin stand up then she removed the hammock. She asked me nervously, "Did you eat the food that i gave you?".
I nodded at her, she scratched her head like she's shy that i like her food. I put out the bento box on my bag then i showed it to her and she walked closer to me and she was about to get her bento box but i hold her hand the i pointed myself, "Ryujin? I. HAVE. SOMETHING. TO. TELL. YOU."
She said to me, "You don't need to slow your way speaking when you're talking to me, i can read your lips and i'm just gonna say to you if i don't get it or you can just do what you did last night, write it on a paper". I smiled at her then i went inside her room, i get the bond paper where i wrote everything, and i showed her one by one the bond paper,
"Here's the deal"
"In every Morning, you can play the songs that you like all you want"
"Even on Saturday and Sunday, it's fine"
"I'm not gonna bother you"
"Just—In every evening, just stop playing a loud music"
"You can play some but with a—"
"LOW VOLUME"
She's not moving or anything, it looks like i offended her, "I'm sorry but low volume? I can't". I asked her "Why? Why do you prefer playing a loud music even though—i'm sorry, i shouldn't have asked that".
She smiled at me, it surprised me to see her smiling and she really looks so innocent. Ryujin told me,
"I can't hear anything but i still can feel anything".
She opened her speakers and she played 'Robbers' by The 1975, it was so loud, she suddenly hold my hand and put it on the speaker then she closed her eyes, i can feel the speaker beating because of the bass.
Ryujin is singing and she's literally in sync with the music even though she can't hear it.
She turned off the speaker then she told me, "You can get it now? I can't hear anything but whenever i put my hand on the speaker, i can feel something, i can already guess what kind of song this is or sometimes when i wanted to sing, i'm just feeling the beat".
I wrote something on the bond paper then i gave it to her,
"I'm studying at exactly 9:00 PM to Morning but it's just 7:00 PM, we can still talk in my room since you're my Friend now".