PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE, PART 1 Chapter 1: Three Neighbors
Yuhee
Moving to a new town and to a new school during your senior year in high school sucks. Everything was just unfamiliar; the place, the people, the house you're supposed to call home. Everything sucks when you're a powerless teenager whose opinions don't matter to anyone, not even your mom who decided to move to the suburban town where her own mother lives because the rent is cheaper and she's trying to reconnect with her after getting dumped by her recent ex boyfriend.
It's going to be a long year, I just knew it. I know it's clichè but I can't wait to be at a legal age just to be able to decide for my own life. Technically, I'm already legal age internationally but that doesn't really matter because I'm in Korea.
“Yuhee, take out the trash! It's getting late.” Mom yelled from the kitchen. It was almost eleven and she's just preparing dinner because she arrived home at ten and then she took an hour to rest.
I went to the kitchen without a word, organized the garbage and brought it downstairs. We're on the third floor of this four-storey building and we have two neighbors and our unit is sandwiched between theirs. In my observation in the past few days that we've been here, Neighbor Left is a girl who loves to sing and damn, she's good at it. And then there's Neighbor Right who's a guy around my age, takes out his dog (that looks like a poodle but I'm pretty sure I'm mistaken) for a walk every night.
I already think they're both cool.
Now it's weird having them both cooped up in the elevator with me. Actually, screw that. It's not weird. It's awkward.
Neighbor Left looked like a shy type; black rimmed glasses on, eyes that were glued to her phone. I wouldn't think that amazing voice was coming from her, no offense.
Neighbor Right, as usual, was with his dog. I think it looks a little taller than a poodle so I'm pretty sure now that's not a poodle.
“You must be the new tenant.” Neighbor Left said without looking at anyone or anything but her phone.
Neighbor Right and I looked at each other and he shook his head in uncertainty at me. I thought he was good looking; quite a long hair going on there, round pretty eyes, a prominent jaw line and... I should probably stop staring. It's rude.
I turned towards Neighbor Left and said, “Yes, it's nice to meet you, eonni.”
Surprisingly, Neighbor Left wasn't shy type after all. She finally looked at me and smiled. “I thought you'd be older. I'm Binna.”
“I... moved in with my mom. I'm Yuhee. Yoo Yuhee.”
“Ah, you must be the one playing those songs at midnight.” Neighbor Right suddenly said. Both I and Binna turned to him. He looked at me and said, “I'm sorry but can you turn down the music at that time? My room is right next to that wall and I hear the music pretty clearly.”
I was dumbfounded.
“Ahh, this shit hole of an apartment.” Binna said. “Did they build it with hollow blocks or paper boards?”
I turned to Neighbor Right and said, “I'm sorry. I'll turn it down.”
“Then you must hear me singing.” Binna said to me.
“Yeah...”
“I'm sorry. All these years living in this shit hole and I didn't know.” She sighed. “I'll keep it down.”
“No,” I said shaking my head. “I always hear you in daytime and... I don't mind.”
Binna smiled at me. “I like this kid.” She said before turning to Neighbor Right, “Yah, Peniel, go easy on her.”
“Noona, you know, I work at night.” Neighbor Right, slash, Peniel said.
“What kind of music do you listen to?” Binna asked me.
“...Ballad.”
She chuckled. “That's why. This guy is a game streamer at night and he hates ballad.”
“I don't hate ballad or any type of music. I just don't listen to it.” Peniel explained.
The doors finally opened.
Binna got off first. That's the only time I noticed the guitar bag hanging on her shoulder. She waved at us. “See you around. I have to make a living now.”
I wondered what she does for a living to start work at almost midnight but I didn't ask. “Fighting.” I said and she laughed at that. Maybe because I didn't say it cheerfully. I can't help if I sound like I'm dead inside.
That left me with Peniel who was pulled out by his dog. “See you around, newbie.” He said, looking at me for a while before turning his back and walking away with his dog.
“...See you around.” I said even though he's gone. Finally, I took out the trash.
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