MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Chapter 03: I have my world. He has his world. We are just bedtime chat friends.
‘Wind Chime’
I sat down to search for what was making the delightful ringing noise from the next-door balcony. When I saw what it looked like, I couldn’t help but smile. It was made of thin, clear glass, painted with various patterns, with a bell-shaped glass piece that had an opening at the bottom and a glass rod attached to a long string holding a flat piece of paper. When the wind blew, it made a clear, refreshing sound rather than an annoying one.
So the creature next door knows about these things too.
I closed the glass door, checked my reflection in the mirror, grabbed my bag, and left my room. Today was no different; a bag of strawberryflavored Pocky with a pink Post-it that read:
‘I woke up earlier today, but I’m still half-asleep, let’s meet at ten at the balcony.’
He woke up early? He was up later than me last night.
His casual way of talking makes us seem closer even though we’ve just talked for a few days. It’s probably because he’s good at socializing and easy to talk to, unlike me who’s good at cutting conversations short.
Given the choice between being locked up with someone in an abandoned house or with a turtle, I’d choose the turtle.
I looked down at my hand where I had crumpled his note, but then I unfolded it. I ran my fingers over the pink Post-it, instead of throwing it away, I put it in my bag, thinking about what he said:
‘You don’t have to reply to my Post-its, but could you not shut the door in my face?’
A guy with tons of friends like him, why would he care about a neighbor who complains about his noise?
I took the elevator downstairs and got into a taxi straight to the university, staring out at the passing scenery as usual. Today the sky was overcast from early morning, but there was no sign of rain.
Class started at eight. I didn’t do much except spend half the day buried in the lab. I consider myself lucky to have chosen this major in this faculty, because in science, there are fewer than twenty students, and in the chemistry department, there are only eight of us. The large lab allows us to come and go all day. That’s why I like coming in early to work on unfinished tasks here.
In the morning, I focused on chemistry. In the afternoon, I turned my attention to calculus. My mother used to scold me often, asking why I was smart but didn’t care to socialize, why I liked being a black sheep, but when I got into one of the top universities in the country, she stopped scolding me.
After that, I started learning on my own that no matter how people saw me as a strange black sheep, as long as I didn’t bother anyone, I wouldn’t care.
After classes, I stopped by the library, borrowed a few more books, and then went back to my room as usual.
My life proceeded like this every day. Even though others might say it’s boring, believe me, attending classes for half a day was enough to tire me out. Exhausted, my body felt like a dried-up zombie. I didn’t want to tire myself out further; I just wanted to go back to my room, lie down, read, play on my phone, and talk to YoungMaster.
Including the new hobby that has emerged:
Talking to the creature next door.
I sat reading the summary for my exams until ten at night. Then I went out to the balcony with YoungMaster to catch some air. At ten past ten, the loud shouting started at the door, along with the sound of keys from the room next door. I heard his friends yelling, turning on the TV loudly.
Again…?
He said he wouldn’t do it anymore.
Click
The sound of the glass door opening came with the chime ringing from next door. I didn’t respond, even though I thought he was a good person, thought he would adjust, but someone like him, he can’t stand loneliness.
“Diew.”
He called my name like that three or four times, then turned and yelled at someone.
“Wan, turn off the TV!” And the television went silent. I let out a soft sigh, making sure he didn’t know I was sitting here.
“Diew, I know you’re sitting there.”
“You’re being loud again.”
“Sorry, Wan will go back to his dorm room to sleep soon.”
“Uh-huh.”
I looked at the Young Master who was nodding off, placed him on my lap, staring out into the balcony, taking a deep breath, and once again, I caught the scent of cologne from the creature next door.
“Why do you like being alone?” His question was not difficult to answer at all.
“I’m happy being alone.”
“Aren’t you lonely?”
“You’ve asked me that before. I’m not lonely.”
“Then why do you come out to talk to me?”
I pressed my lips together tightly. I couldn’t answer that question either.
“I don’t know.” I just feel like you’re easy to talk to, a friend who never asks for anything, even if you are a bit noisy.
The creature next door went quiet, only the sound of the wind chimes could be heard.
“Diew, you know I have a lot of friends, right?”
I know. I know you can’t do without friends, that’s why on the days you’re alone, you come to talk to me.
“Uh-huh, and you know I don’t have friends, right?”
“Kind of guessed that.”
“So, what do you think, do you find me strange?”
“No, people need their moments of solitude too.”
“Actually, I’m not really alone.”
“Oh?” He sounded surprised, “Then who do you live with?”
“A turtle, named YoungMaster.” I really wanted to show him YoungMaster, my smart Japanese turtle. Whenever I place YoungMaster down, he walks towards me, not anywhere else like other turtles. Even if it takes a while, YoungMaster will make his way to me.
“What? A turtle named Young Master?”
“Turtle!”
The cool breeze on the tenth floor was blowing before I could hear the next-door creature starting to banter with his friend.
“Talking to who?”
“Shut up.”
“Hey, you look like you’re having a conversation all by yourself.”
“Go back to bed, you bamboo-chewing panda, and close the door. I need some privacy.”
“You need privacy, yet you even invite us to go sit and smoke shit together… Hey!”
“My image is ruined, close the door!”
And then I heard the door close.
“Actually, I’m not like that.” Ha, I think that’s exactly what you are.
He’s a creature who can’t be alone. I know this type of creature well; it’s my own mother. My mom likes to socialize, have lots of friends; the moment she’s alone, she feels lost and needs someone to talk to. Sometimes, I’ve seen her having full conversations with the carp, complaining about this and that as if they were housewives stuck at home.
“If you’re lonely and want to bring friends over, that’s up to you.”
“But it’s loud.”
“Can’t you tell your friends to be quiet?”
“No, they can be quiet for about five minutes, then they get loud again.”
“Then it’s up to you.” I cut him off. What he does from here on is his business.
“And if I’m lonely, can I come out and talk to you?”
His words made me accidentally bite my lip. I shifted again when I realized I was sliding off the big cushion nearly onto the balcony floor. I sat up straight once more.
“Sure.”
“Talking to you is fun.”
“How is it fun?” I’m not good at talking, and I’m good at cutting conversations short, so how is it fun? I wanted to know.
“It’s like playing a game, guessing what Diew will say next that isn’t
‘uh-huh,’ ‘yeah,’ or ‘yes.’”
“Uh-huh.”
“See, another ‘uh-huh.’”
“I just don’t know what to say.”
“Then at ten every night, I’ll come talk to you.” I furrowed my brows looking at the wall on the other side, then down at YoungMaster. Actually, I didn’t think I’d have to talk to him every day. People need their personal time, but if we really have to talk every day, I wouldn’t want anything to go beyond just friendly conversation.
“If you want to talk, we have to make an agreement.”
“What agreement? An agreement to be bedtime chat friends?”
A bedtime chat friend agreement… that’s not bad, because talking to him before bed is quite pleasant.
“Yes.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“No waiting for me, no meeting face-to-face, no thinking beyond friendship.”
“If you can do that, I’ll talk to you every night.”
“So I’ll be stuck in the friend zone forever?”
“Yes, or would you prefer the brother zone?”
“Are you into brother complexes?”
“No.”
“You’re really cruel.”
Then we both sat in silence once again.
I knew my three conditions were torturous for an extrovert like Phii Godt, especially for someone as chatty as him. To do all three would probably break his heart and make him stop talking to me entirely.
“No waiting for me, no meeting face-to-face, no thinking beyond friendship.”
“Yes.”
“And if I can’t manage that…”
“Then I won’t talk to you anymore.”
“Actually, I don’t need to talk to you.”
“I know.” Because he has plenty of friends, admirers, he’s very much a social butterfly.
“But I’ll give it a try.” I was taken aback; I thought someone like him would say something like, “I won’t do it,” or “That’s ridiculous,” but instead, he said he’d try. It shows he really enjoys talking with a socially awkward person like me.
“Be prepared for this.”
Um… can I take back all the nice things I said about you and throw them down the drain right now?
“Why don’t you want to meet in person? Is it okay to talk without seeing each other’s faces?”
“It’s okay for me. I’m willing to talk to you because I don’t see your face.”
“Are you afraid I’m not handsome?” What does that have to do with anything?
“No. I just don’t like talking face-to-face. It’s more comfortable when
I don’t see your expressions and eyes.”
“That’s good, it’s like playing an online game, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then, I can scold you, and you won’t get mad at me.”
“…”
“Wait…fuck.” [1] Diew can sound like Diew which means wait a minute or just wait
“Phii Godt!”
“Oops, got bitten by an ant.” He chuckled softly, there was a slight movement sound from the creature next door along with the sound of the glass door opening. He was silent for a while, and since I couldn’t see what he was doing, I only heard the sounds.
I gently stroked Young Master’s head and slowly retreated back into my room. Until I heard the chime, I peeked out a little.
“Diew.”
“Yes?”
“Play a game.”
“What game? On the phone?”
When it comes to games, I don’t play them often, but I do play occasionally, and usually, I prefer playing alone. During my free time, I went through the list of games on my phone for the creature next door to listen to.
“Want to play some shooting game with me?”
“Sure.”
In the end, we ended up playing a mobile game together on the balcony, chatting loudly. Even though we couldn’t see each other’s faces, it was quite enjoyable, and I forgot when was the last time I had such an interaction with someone.
Doing something like this is quite fun too.
The alarm clock rang, startling me out of bed. Last night, I ended up playing games with the creature next door until late, even though I thought it would just be one game, it turned into 3 a.m.! Even though our conversation revolved mostly around the game, I must admit it’s getting easier to talk to him because we share a common interest.
I adjusted my tie, checked my appearance to make sure nothing was missing before opening the door. The pink Post-it on my door was becoming a daily sight, along with the strawberry-flavored Pocky.
But today’s message on the Post-it gave me a headache.
“Today friends are coming over, it might get a bit noisy, little turtle.” Little turtle? So he’s starting to give me nicknames now.
My neighbor is so lonely, he can’t be alone for more than half an hour. After that, he’d grab his phone to chat with someone to kill the loneliness or open his balcony door to talk to me, the neighbor who only responds with “uh-huh,” “hmm,” “yes,” but that’s enough to make him feel less lonely.
Sigh, I have to study today too, because tomorrow there’s a quiz. I’ll come back a bit later then.
I was about to crumple the Post-it, but I changed my mind, pulled out a pen from my pocket, and carefully wrote a message at the bottom:
‘Don’t be too loud.’
Before sticking it back on the door next door and leaving quietly.
I opened the Pocky box and started eating them while on the way to university. My eyes, which usually gazed out the window, now focused on the white sheet on my lap. The sweet, slightly milky taste of the strawberries was one I liked, and it made me think of the person who said he liked pink.
A pink Godzilla? Imagining Godzilla in a big, frilly pink dress made me smile.
That’s kind of funny.
I like strawberries, but not the color pink. I prefer black and white, so the items around me are black and white, my bag is black, my shirts in the room are black and white. I’m a very bland person, even blander than plain water.
But young master adds some color to my life, bringing a bit of green into it.
Ding
The taxi stopped in front of the faculty building just as my phone notification sounded. I glanced at the screen to see a game app notification saying someone had sent me an item. I furrowed my brows, as I usually play alone, not particularly close or playing with anyone in the game.
Ding
Then the notification sound rang out again, consecutively.
This time, the name displayed on the screen clearly showed who had sent the gift.
Godzilla
The name he had just freshly created when Wan signed up for a new ID to play with me.
Phii Godt…
Why does he send gifts? I hardly play that game anymore. I only played it with him last night before bed, plus I’m not very good at teamwork-oriented games.
I silenced my phone, switched it to vibrate, and stuffed it back into my pocket. I waited for the elevator for a bit when the phone vibrated again, then again, and again until I reached the lab.
I took a deep breath, chanting “Buddho” in my heart.
Vibrate
Vibrate
Vibrate
Ugh, annoying.
I turned off the vibrate setting and threw the phone into my bag, out of patience. The creature next door is a pest, not just any pest. Whenever there’s an opening, he invades my personal space.
Damn Godzilla!
Today’s lab session was easygoing, allowing students to ask questions about things they didn’t understand. I didn’t ask anything, but I listened intently to what others asked and how the professor answered, noting it all down meticulously on paper.
Even though I don’t have close friends, I do have some friends, especially seniors and peers in the science department where we see each other daily in the small square room, bumping into each other like billiard balls on a pool table. Plus, there are a few people in the department who are similar to me – they don’t talk much but prefer working alone quietly in their own world. That’s why I fit right in when I’m in my major.
I can talk to people normally. I just talk less and avoid eye contact, mostly discussing academic topics. But for conversations outside of studies, I don’t contribute much, preferring to be a good listener. This has never caused any issues with my classmates or colleagues in the department.
However, they often call me by the nickname “Lonely Junior” because I like eating alone, not joining friends for post-class hangouts. Everyone in the department knows I’m not good at socializing, so no one bothers me. Instead, they actually like that I’m quiet and not disruptive, which means when we work together, tasks get done quickly and I usually get good grades as well.
After class, I prepared to go back to my room, but today I accidentally ran into my senior rival from the fourth year in the elevator. I made room for the group of seniors from different majors to enter the small elevator, squeezing myself against the wall.
Then, one of the senior girls spoke up.
“It’s a shame, he’s good-looking. He shouldn’t be so arrogant.”
“Why?”
“He’s one of the juniors. He wouldn’t help review a product. He wouldn’t even post a picture on Instagram.”
“He might have his reasons, you know.”
“He’s just selfish.”
The elevator doors opened, and they all stepped out, leaving me to take a deep breath and sigh loudly.
People can be so selfish, even when trying to sell things, they end up bothering others.
The senior girl had once asked me to review a bag, with the condition that I post it on Instagram with my face included, which I didn’t like because I hate taking photos. So I turned her down. Ever since, whenever we met anywhere in the building, she would always take a jab at me.
Not satisfied with depending on others for their livelihood, they also bite the hand that doesn’t help them.
I don’t understand it.
I stopped by the university’s main library to study late because I also needed to gather information for a project. I returned to my dorm in a not-so-great mood, having encountered my rival, then got cut off by someone for a taxi, and now I couldn’t find my keys in my bag. Why was it so hard to find them? By the time I grabbed the keys, I had been fumbling in front of my door for minutes. I unlocked the door, pushed it open, threw my bag one way, my tie another, and flopped down on my bed.
“When the wind sways, it brings such joy.”
The sound of singing and the clinking of liquor bottles came from next door. I immediately stuffed my ears with pillows.
Can we not have this song?
“Golden flower…”
Enough!
I grabbed my phone and room key, opened the door, and slammed it shut with a loud “bang,” which was probably loud enough for the person next door to notice.
Even though the creature next door is someone I feel comfortable talking to, our worlds are different.
My world is one of silence.
His world is one filled with noise.
“Diew!”
I heard the shout chasing after me while I was running down the fire escape stairs, the deep voice that I recognized well.
Godzilla
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