Chapter 9: Neighbor

Min Jung rose from the floor, panting heavily from that unusual dream. Her eyes moved to the windows, or more like the view outside, wondering why the sun is not up yet. She checked her watch, which is inside her luggage. She struggled for a while since the light was off and her eyes were a bit blurred from the sleepiness. She rubbed her eyes before turning on the light of her watch: 3:48 A.M.

She groaned a little with the little amount of sleep she just had. Well actually, it'd be better to leave now so no one would know that she stayed in the studio the whole night but her small amount of strenth just answered her as she dropped her head and closed her eyes. A sleep is all it needs for a very unlucky day.

The big carved wooden door opened in front of an eleven year old Min Jung. Her eyes squinted as the bright light covered the figures that were walking towards them.

"Who are they appa?" she tugged her father's sleeve. "These are our neighbors." he smiled at her. "We just came back from Japan and we already got new neighbors?" she rasied her eyebrows.

"Well, atleast you'll have someone to play with." he lightened up the mood. "Who?" she turned back to the strangers in front of her. There was a smiling man who seems to be in his twenties, a very gorgeous woman and lastly, Min Jung caught a little boy, holding the father's hand just behind him.

Min Jung became curious and let go of her dad's hand, actually skipping towards the young boy. The boy kept his eyes closed and when he opened his eyes a little. His heart jumped when Min Jung looked down at him and made him hugged his father tight.

"Nice to meet you, Min Jung. I'm Kim Il Bum." he offered her his hand. Min Jung stared at it for a while. "How do you know my name?" she asked straightforwardly.

"Min Jung!" her dad scolded her. "Why, we and your parents already had dinner last night and it's a pity that you were sleeping then." Il Bum explained, still having his hand reached out to her. "It was a long flight." she stated before accepting his hand.

"This is my wife, Kim Chae Young." his wife stepped closer to her and shook hands with her. "You're quite a lovely lady, Min Jung." Even though Min Jung wants to protest, she tried her best not to create a fuss to the beautiful lady in front of her. She bowed to her in respect and turned back to the young boy.

Il Bum held his son's shoulders so he could look at her. "Please forgive him, he's quite shy but when you get to know him, he is very playful." he chuckled. "Go on, introduce yourself."

Min Jung looked at him a bit before she noticed her parents whispering something to Il Bum and muttering. "He's older than her." "Yet she is quite taller than her."

She looked back at the boy who looked back at the floor in embarassment. She made 2 steps toward him and when the boy finally looked at her, Min Jung swiftly passed him and went outside. Their parents were shocked at what happened. The boy however, knew why she did that. He stood there for a while until their parents left the room and when no one was watching him, he secretly followed her outside.

He wandered around the open space. Min Jung's house was actually one of the biggest that was built in their neighborhood.

"Our parents are quite annoying, don't you think?" he heard her voice.

He couldn't find her but thought that it would be better that way. He sat on a swing as he stared at the sky. "Well, not really. I love them dearly."

Min Jung sighed. "It's hard to love them when they don't trust you enough. I can take care of myself."

"They take care of you because they love you. You are their daughter after all." he explained.

Min Jung's eyes widened. She never thought of that before. "I mean, what kind of a parent would just leave their child be?" he continued with a warm smile.

On the roof, Min Jung closed her eyes as she touched her heart. It must be selfish for her to not think about it. Her eyes twinkled when the boy started humming.

"Neowa hamke haetdeon manheun shigandeuri 

Moreugo jinaen haengbokhaetdeon sungandeuri

Ijekeot naega georeowatdeon gireul

Ulmyeo oeropge honjaseo geoddeon gireul

Neon modu dallajige mandeun geoya

Ijeseoya alge dwaesseo

Nae ape i giri itorok areumdaun iyureul~" the boy ended.

Min Jung stared at him from a far before making her way towards him from behind. The boy got shocked when her hand touched his shoulder.

"You're quite... talented." she commented, a bit impressed. The boy slowly looked up at her. "Oh.. uhm... th-..thank you.." he stuttered.

She tilted her head. "Are you okay?" she asked. "S-..Sorry.. I-.. I've never sang to anyone before besides my parents." he looked away and apologized.

"Hm? Never sang to anyone? You're so talented, why can't you show the world?" she asked. He fiddled his fingers and Min Jung got the message. "Oh I see.."

Silence covered them for a while and Min Jung actually spoke after a while. "Thanks..."

The boy abruptly turned to her. "For-.. for what?"

"Now I know how important... a family is. How... important, my parents are." She smiled genuinely.

The boy blushed. "Oh.. that? That's nothing! Hehe.." he awkwardly scratched his head.

Min Jung stood in front of him which left him avoid her gaze. "Sorry for calling you here. You were, I think, close to my age but I wasn't really sure if I could trust you or not."

He finally had the guts to look at her and chuckled slightly, "Having problems trusting people?"

"You know it." she smirked.

He smiled warmly. "Don't be sorry. That's actually a good trait."

Min Jung raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? Not trusting other people? My mother worries why I don't have any uhm, "human" friends."

"Yeah and... what do you mean about "human" friends?" he laughed slightly.

She pursed her lips as she sat on the grassy ground since the conversation might took a while than she expected. "My family are the adventurous type to go to wild places, here and there and yeah, some wild animals... we kept them, in Japan actually. We built a sanctuary for them to be tamed. Their the only friends ever since I was a kid."

"You kept wild animals?" he asked in disbelief. "Quite a softie, actually." she giggled.

The boy stared at her in amazement. "Wow, I've never met such a cool family before. How old were you when you had them?"

"I got Osamu and Yoshiro when I was five and Haru and Takeshi when I was five and a half." she explained. He tilted his head in confusion. "Sorry, you lost me there. Who were you referring to?" he asked sheepishly.

Min Jung scratched her head in embarassment. "A-.Ah! Sorry.. Osamu is my tiger, Haru is a grizzly bear, Takeshi is my pet crocodile and Yoshiro is an inland taipan."

"And.. how old are you now?" he asked in curiosity. "Eleven"

"I-.. I'm... Fifteen.." he mumbled but Min Jung heard it which made her snap her head at him.

"Huh? You.. you're older than me ?? But why are you so...?"

"Short? Yeah, I got that..." he chuckled sadly.

Even though Min Jung noticed how down she just made him, she still wanted to make fun of him. "That's not in my rule." she suddenly stated.

"Huh?"

"I will only treat you like you're older than me when you're actually taller than me. That's my rule." she smirked.

"What?? What kind of a rule is that? Hey, even though you are taller than me, I'm actually older than you Min Jung!" he protested.

"Hmph! I just crossed my heart! And I won't undo it!" she said firmly.

The boy narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine! But just you watch! When we get older, I'll be so tall, you will.. uhm.."

She turned to him and smirked evilly. "I will what?"

"You will.. get a stiff neck!" he sprouted. They stared at each other for a minute before Min Jung could laugh as hard as she ever laugh before. 

"What the heck? Stiff neck, seriously?" she wiped her tear as she laughed again. Soon enough, the boy joined her laughing heartily under that sunshine.

"That's not fair." the boy suddenly announced. "What is?" Min Jung asked.

"I know your name but you don't know mine!" he whined.

She chuckled at his hilarious face. "I don't think I even want to know." 

His eyes widened. "Eh? But why?" Min Jung faced him properly. "I will be the one to give you a name."

His jaw drops. "Huh?? What am I, your pet?" he scratched his head in disbelief.

Min Jung turned her back at him. "Fine then. I guess I have anonymous as my new friend."

The boy rubbed his face. "You're so hard-headed.. Fine then! Give me a name, master!"

Min Jung bent down to meet his level and their faces were a few centimeters apart that he had to blush.

"I'll call you..."