Housemates

I wake up from a faint sound of an alarm coming from the other room and so I glance at the clock lying on the bedside table. It is only 4 in the morning. The alarm continues for 5 minutes and I think it will snooze again after 10 or 15 minutes unless she turns it off.

As I have too sensitive hearing, I wake up easily even by light sounds. Something very advantageous in my profession but is taking a toll on me sometimes. Just like this morning. And like what I have predicted, the alarm goes off again. To my annoyance, I get up and left my room. I stare sharply at the door in front of mine before going out to the kitchen to get myself a coffee.

'It would be a long month for me,' I murmur to myself.

It is already six in the morning when Yoon Ma Ri went out of her room and walks to the kitchen. She is wearing white short sleeve silk pajamas and her hair is tied lousy in a bun. I thought women like her age will prefer wearing lingerie or onesie but I guess not. Though I don't exactly know my type, aren't men get more attracted to a sexy and seductive woman? Looking at her, I definitely think I will not fall for her. I sigh in relief. An act that earns me a snapping look from her.

"Mr. Ri said he left the rice cooker and stove. So, I guess I'm free to use it, right?" She says while checking over them.

"The thermos has hot water already," I say, pointing to my right for I saw that she was holding a cup noodle.

She heads in the direction I pointed after giving me a quick glance. Her glance though short is piercing. Then after pouring her cup noodle with hot water, she walks straight to the table and sits in front of me. She does that in a way that feels like it is a normal thing to do. As if we were living together for so long.

Now that she is in front of me, I could clearly see her bare face. The over-all confusion yesterday did not give me a chance to look at her features closely. At the same time, we were both tired, confused, mad, and upset too. Looking at her closely as she gulps down her noodles, she has an innocent look that you won't get tired staring at and it somehow complimented her laidback style.

The fact that she does not care about how she looks in front of a stranger she only met last night somehow left me a good impression. But despite the gentle aura she has, her eyes are her fatal weapon. She is squinting her eyes right now and staring at me sharply.

"How old are you?" She suddenly asks me.

I am not expecting a 'Good Morning' but I hoped she did greet me first before interrogating me. I have a feeling she is testing the water already.

"Thirty-five. You?"

I hoped she is younger than me. Let's see who gets the seniority here.

"Same age."

Oh! I did not see that coming. Same age friends? But she looks much younger.

"When is your birthday?" She asks again.

"September 25. You?"

She really has to be born around October to December!

She chuckles, geez!

"I heard Korean's are very strict when it comes to seniority. So, I guess I can expect you to be more polite to me," she replies with a raised eyebrow. She was born in January.

"Technically, we still have the same age though," I rebut. Yet she ignores what I said and continues talking like she was born eight years not eight months earlier than me.

"Somehow it made me comfortable to know that I was born earlier than you."

Comfortable? She just wants to get the upper hand. My foot!

"-you can call me 'noona' if you want to-."

"I won't," I but in. Showing my firm stand which is still completely ignored.

"-and since you're younger, hmmm... shall I call you, Yoon-ie?"

"Don't do that," I utter irritatingly. Unfortunately, giving her more satisfaction.

"Will you be a good boy, Yoon-ie?" She asks teasingly with a pout.

"You wish," I replies sarcastically.

"-but of course, being the oldest, I think I should have longer patience and should treat my junior better. Don't you think?" She say, back to her normal serious self, now actually acting up as the eldest in the house.

Treat better? Well, I stop suddenly after she said that. A smile that makes her eyes form a crescent shape showed on her face. I only saw a few people whose eyes disappear when they smile, and she is one of them.

* * *

"I can't exactly figure out what you mean when you said you will treat me better," I snap behind her. Looking at the plastic of seeds she handed me over a while ago.

Ma Ri is digging on the front yard using the tools she ordered me to bring out. I even have to look for it all over the house and in the basement. Just to be brought to the realization that she is going to plant seeds.

I am completely conned.

"It is when you're already eating the tomatoes and the vegetables later on that you will realize my kindness. You will say 'Oh, she is the best!' in every bite you take."

Her change of voice makes her suddenly cute and funny that I have to suppress my chuckle and hide my smile when she glanced at me.

"I don't think so," I snap, trying to sound unconvinced while keeping a straight face.

"Why? Don't you like tomatoes? Don't you eat vegetables?"

"I don't think the seeds will grow already in just a month."

Unknown to her, I will only be staying for a month unless my task takes longer than expected. This is top secret.

She sighs sharply and turns to me. She is still squatting on the ground while I lean on my foot.

"Have you fallen in love?"

Her question catches me off guard. To think about it, I have never really experienced true love. I had two relationships before but they were short and unfounded. They were both quick romance since I'm just a man but they were never really serious for me to think that I really loved them.

Sensing my hesitance to answer. She continues:

"Well, we all know that love is not a fleeting feeling. It takes time for love to grow. From the feeling of attraction to unconditional friendship and to intense love. You may not see it but every day it works inside you."

"So what is the connection to the seeds?" I ask showing her the seeds I was holding, my brows furrows in confusion.

She sighs at my impatience and continues: "But there is a kind of love that is somehow fated and destined. They don't need too much time to grow...."

She stops, maybe wanting to see if I am already slowly getting what she means. But after finding the same confused and impatient look on my face, she goes directly to the point with her snapping sharp voice.

"These seeds grow real quick! Aish! Why are you so impatient and slow-witted!"

Then she rises and snatches the plastic of seeds in my hand, growling at me. She has a speck of dirt on her face and I suddenly have the urge to wipe it but before I can touch her cheek, we hear a ring on the doorbell. We turn our heads in the direction of the gate at the same time, then back to each other.

"Do you expect a visitor?" She asks me.

"I just got here two days ago, why would I?" I reply.

"Alangan namang ako?" She retorts. She spoke in another language so I stare at her confused. Then yells from the outside make me jerk my head back in the direction of the gate. [1]

"Ri Tae Yoon-ssi?.... ARE YOU THERE RI TAE YOON-SSI?"

I shrug. Well, I guess they are my visitors.

[1] 'Alangan namang ako' - 'It's so obvious that they are not my visitor'