Chapter 2.1

It took me moments before I finally had the courage to took a step outside and check on my neighbor. The disturbing noise is just unbearable and I couldn’t concentrate on what I was doing.

But the moment I was at his doorstep, something came to my mind that made me pull myself away from knocking on his door.

For a week of living in this building, I don’t remember having a guy neighbor. Mama made sure that I am in a safe environment which made her convince the landlord to give me a room beside two lady tenants. This room, as far as I could recall, is Sally’s room– a lady in her twenties who used to work at the café across the building – and she live alone.

Was it her boyfriend? Does she have one though?

Having a mess inside my mind made me decide to head back inside my apartment and ignore everything that I have heard. I couldn’t just knock on someone’s door and include myself on the commotion going on. It’s suicide.

With the help of my headphones and the jack-hammering rock music on play, I was able to focus on doing my thing even though I couldn’t contain myself from vibing and sing along with it that I lost track of time. But I was able to write a ten-thousand-word update until 3 o’ clock in the morning.

I was awakened at the sound of the loud clashing of kitchen wares from my sink. I thought it was just Foomi running around the apartment again, but when I saw the time on my bedside table, I almost jumped out of my bed and rushed towards the kitchen realizing how late it was already. 

Upon reaching my kitchen, Foomi was already at the top of my pan lying on the floor, meowing like a boss reprimanding me for waking up at 4 ‘o clock in the afternoon and not feeding him on time.  

“Geez! You don’t have to break my kitchen wares,” I hissed and picked the pan he probably flipped with his paws. “This is why I didn’t like Mama spoiling you. You ended up being a gangster.”

He just meowed at me and stepped quietly to his bowl. He stared at me and without breaking the eye contact, he flipped his bowl the same way he did on my pan before walking out like a bad bitch.

Surprised of how my cat burned me with his disrespectful act, I let out a nervous laugh and brushed my fingers through my messy bedhead. I was left dumbfounded that I wondered where he did learn such thing.

After I finally gotten back to myself, I decided to clean the mess Foomi made. I was in the middle of cleaning the living room when something caught my attention. Right beside the shoe rack at the back of my door, was the same plastic ware that has been mysteriously appearing inside my apartment.

I couldn’t utter a word when I realized how it looks like the same pink bowl I disposed last night and the thought of someone entering my apartment and leaving his track with a stupid pink bowl brought the shit out of me.

I dropped the broom I was holding, took the lighter in my cabinet and stormed outside the building with the bowl in my hand. With the other hand clutching my banging chest, I burned the pink bowl immediately at the back of the building and went back inside as soon as it dispersed.

Heavy breaths, my heart palpitating, my eyes wandered around looking for Foomi. For two consecutive days, creepy shits have been happening to me. Just as I think about the voice behind my wall and the bowl inside my apartment, I couldn’t help but to tremble in fear.

I am alone in the city of nowhere, who would I call for help?

With the adrenaline rushing through my veins, I strode to the landlord’s unit. This is just too much for me to handle that I would prefer traveling miles away from my school than living alone in an unsecured place.

The landlord accommodated me as I asked for the whereabouts of the person behind the mysterious bowl inside my apartment. Good thing there was a CCTV camera on our floor that he’s able to provide footages for me. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see someone sneaking in to my apartment within the time frame which brought me to total disappointment.

 However, Mr. Jang, the landlord, was good enough to offer me a new set of locks in case my door is broken and needs to be fixed. He even let his son fix it himself for free which I gladly accepted. For now, this is the only thing I could do other than moving out and finding a new place to stay.

“Mr. Jang,” I called when I was about to head out of his office. “My neighbor, Sally… I think she’s not okay. I heard someone from her unit last night. Wasn’t she on a night shift?”

Mr. Jang forehead creased, he replied giggling, “Sally moved out two days ago. That's the new tenant. You don't have to worry about that.”

"Ah," I replied and faked a smile. I should have known.

I didn't know Sally is gone. How would I know? We never really had a conversation. I've only known her through the landlord when he introduced us to each other the day I moved here.

I thanked Mr. Jang before walking out. That's a bummer; I didn't have a chance to gain something that could point me to the one giving Foomi his food. But at least I wouldn’t worry about my safety since my lock is going to be replaced with a new one. Mr. Jang is such a nice old man.

It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon, the sunset and the maple sky surrounding it made the rays bearable. The alluring afternoon sky is illuminating the city, like a breath-taking backdrop of the towering city infrastructures.

It's my first week alone in the city, and I kind of getting used to the environment. The cashier at the convenience store seems to get used to me being at her store every day that she I often see her staring at me.

"Hi," she greeted the moment I entered the store. I smiled in return and went straight to the aisle where the noodles and instant meals at.

I picked a cup of instant pancit canton and a slice of frozen sandwich. After that, I went to her counter again to pay for my food.

She awkwardly smiled at me while she punches every item. But when I looked at her, she immediately looked away. My brows furrowed by the way she acted until I decided to just keep my thoughts in mind.

I went to the table and prepared the pack. My mother would definitely kill me if she finds out that my meals do always come at instant. Or maybe not because she doesn't have any time to check on what I've been doing. However, I'm too old for that and I understand why I need to do things on my own. She's too busy making money for the both of us.

My eyes surfaced the road across the glass wall beside me, as my mind wandered with the reality I needed to face this day onwards. I'll be entering college in a few days. And I'm not sure if I will be able to make it through, knowing that I don't have much acquaintance that I could ask for help when I have to. I just wish that my brother is still here so I don't have to live like a lone wolf.

"Excuse me." I blinked when someone tapped the table I'm sitting. Standing there was the cashier earlier, holding a black tray where a newly heated sandwich is placed. The scent of the food has been poking my nostrils that made my stomach cry for hunger.

"Oh! Right, I'm sorry I forgot about this," I replied and immediately stood, thanking her for bringing the food to me even if she could just call me from the counter and I could get it myself. She placed the tray while a wide and sweet smile was plastered on her face, bringing confusion about why she’s looking at me with so much enthusiasm.

My brows furrowed when I realized she didn’t move an inch. She remained standing in front of me like a solid rock that made me got disturbed from munching my food.

“Do you need anything?" I asked when I couldn't bear the awkward feeling illuminating the space between us.

She awkwardly smiled and scratched the back of her head, before she look at me again with the same intensity as earlier.

"I have read your story... I'm a fan actually," she answered.

My eyes widened, my jaw dropped, and my food almost spilled from my plastic spork. Her smile became wider, as if my reaction amused her the way she wanted.