Internal Noise | Haechan

t w o

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Ｉｎｔｅｒｎａｌ Ｎｏｉｓｅ
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I woke up again around 11 in the morning. I was still incredibly annoyed at not getting better sleep. It was the last weekend before school started again.

I worked as a seventh grade teacher in a small middle school. I know, that's the worst age for a kid. That's when they think they know it all, but actually know nothing.

I didn't hate my job, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. When I first graduated and got my teaching license, I expected to get a job in a prestigious high school, teaching English, leading smart kids and helping them find their passions, but I was stuck in the only place that was hiring a new, unexperienced person. I swore to myself that I would work hard and build a great portfolio I could use to get into a good high school, but that had been my second year at that middle school, and still hadn't found a better place. I hoped for a slot to magically open at Seoul International School, but it seemed like a long shot.

It wasn't all so bad though, I had finally taken over the drama club when the previous teacher retired. Even though the kids were young and hard to work with, I still enjoyed what I did.

The down side was that I had worked summer school. This only gave me two weeks of actual vacation time and the random dude from next door had just messed up my last free weekend.

Whatever. I can't let him bother me.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat by my window, it was raining again.

Damn it. What is it with this depressing weather? It's really messing up my mood.

After some more sulking I went to run my errands. I told myself this would be the last year as a middle school teacher. On my way back from the grocery store I saw a moving van parked outside my apartment building. As I went around it and towards the door I saw him again, my new neighbor.

"Hey," he waved his hand at me, to which I didn't reply, "nice to see you again."

"Wish I could say the same."

"Ouch," he palmed his chest.

I struggled to open the door to get in, grocery bags hanging from both hands while I tried holding an umbrella with my neck.

"Here, let me help you," he opened the door for me.

"Thanks, but there's no need to act all nice. No one really talks to their neighbors here," I said.

He shrugged, grabbing my still-open umbrella and closing it before handing it back to me, "you're really rude, you know," he said, "I like it," he ended his statement with a wink. I rolled my eyes and walked to the elevator.

Who does he think he is?

My bad luck had given me the worst placed apartment possible. I was on the third floor of a five-floor building, and if that wasn't enough, my unit was smacked between two others. Meaning that I was surrounded by people who constantly annoyed me with their loudness.

The couple upstairs always had something going on, continuously banging shit on the floor, were they tap dancers or something?! The lady downstairs always played loud music. It would all be good if it wasn't an everyday same-song deal. I was so tired of the Backstreet Boys! But the guy next door was the worst. He always had girls over and loved leaving his windows open so everyone could hear the ridiculously loud sex he was having. God, ew.

The only neighbor that didn't bother me was Mr. Do, but then he left... and I could already feel the irritating vibes that Haechan guy was giving me.