Each Silent Emotion | Complete

2. Even More

Rest, rest, rest & even more—just a few more steps.

Those were the chants that had continuously been played in Moon's head as soon as she got off work. Took the first breath of fresh air—as fresh as it could get in a such a lively city—out of the five story building, her first step towards home and as soon as she twisted her set of keys right before swinging the door open with force to her and Nia's apartment.

A day like this, a particularly dull and draining day wasn't her favourite, each day might have not been but today was rather peculiar.

Her day had been spent with her being up and down, in front of a computer since 8 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon, with of course an additional 30 minutes finalizing a bug on a junior's code. Moon had juggled four physically meetings with two requiring her to interpret, that meant she actually had to pay attention to it.

Which was difficult, today than most of the week.

Perhaps it has been because it was a Friday, she was already on the weekend and not in the office giving two f***s. Her interpretation skills were rather poor, her mind was stressing so much to perfection it relaxed and made her loose concentration, vocabulary in Korean and her train of thoughts.

The sentences got butchered, either the responses or the questions, she couldn't make out the entire aim of the project proposal nor could she interpret quicker—her brain power was extremely slow.

But she'd forgot that and actually rest as soon as her face fell flat on her bed, the warmth that she'd let herself rot into bed all weekend—she fantasised about it.

As the door swung open, a fresh aroma of coffee greeted her nostrils and made her empty—extremely hungry—stomach grumble. She'd take a mug or two of coffee right now, one because she was hungry and two—the most important reason—this aroma was too good to pass by.

Might have compared it to the scent of freshly brewed tea—rosemary, lavender, lemon or whatever she preferred that day—her mood played a big part. But that was just a different type of refreshing, the first scent of first rains hitting the soil type of refreshing.

Or spring, just that breeze in spring.

As much as she was a tea enthusiast and had a whole cabinet in the kitchen filled with her own collection of tea, she couldn't pass down Nia's freshly grounded coffee beans on occasion.

"Darling, I'm home!"

Moon shouted as she slipped her right foot out of the loafers she wore. Her bag pack slipped off her shoulder, unapologetically resting on her forearm as she slouched forward arranging her shoes of the shoe closet to her right.

If it were up to her, she'd have trampled through the two bedroom apartment with her outside shoes, she really didn't care—unless they had mud—but then again, walking around the apartment barefoot was a lot better if you didn't have to worry about soil and ungodly things people littered around the pavements.

Also, Nia implanted this behaviour in her. She, Moon, was a tea maniac as per her roommates words. While Nia, was as equally strict on removing the shoes by the door—guests included, even if it were the plumber coming to take a look at a leak.

"In the living room, darling!"

Frustrated by her back and front tag of war between her shoulder and forearm of her bag strap, Moon groaned slipping her hand out. Gripping onto it sideways, she took a sharp left turn towards Nia in the living room.

The basic layout of the apartment had been a shoe closet right by the door, then a few steps in to the left was the living room—an open area whereby standing by the entrance, to the right was the kitchen and pantry. Straight head, from the entrance again was a small corridor with doors each side—one room, hers and the other Nia's. Lastly, it had to be their laundry room that was only accessible through door on the corner in the living room.

Simple, spacious and empty for two.

Moon halted staring at the guest she hadn't didn't expect to see again, and after two whole weeks fell by. Neither did she know Nia had a friend over but by the shoes not stacked in the closet by the entrance, she should have guessed Nia wasn't alone.

Aster's mint haired was the first thing she noticed, this time not in a ponytail but a messy bun and clearly not with a forest green apron over her jeans and long sleeved shirt. The other thing were her hearing aids again and calmly yet happily she was signing at Nia.

Aster sat leg crossed on their black coloured couch, facing Nia, she couldn't missed how Nia had both her feet on the couch too hugging her left leg as the other one remained folded.

That fond smile Nia had on, was certainly something Moon couldn't miss—whatever the topic of conversation was, Nia was interested.

Moon watched as Nia let the arm around her leg go, briefly she glanced at Moon before returning her gaze on Aster. "She's not, she's extremely stubborn." Nia signed as she spoke.

Something about this conversation gave her, Moon, the impression that the topic of discussion was none other than herself—and with such a smug smile, Nia was certainly talking about her and it didn't look good as per her comment.

"She's here." Nia had signed before pointing her index finger towards Moon. Aster turned taking her gaze off Nia to the topic of discussion, who stood awkwardly still gripping onto her bag pack that she should have handled with care—she did carry around a laptop in there after all.

Her stance, straight with arms by her side and her lips pursed with eyebrows raised. Situations like these, she wished she could raise a single eyebrow—what a shame.

"Hey, again." Aster signed, with a friendly smile on her face as she greeted Moon once again but in different circumstances.

"Dumbass, that meant—"

"Hey, again." Moon spoke cutting Nia off as she signed the extra same gesture, sloppy hand movements but still readable she hoped. "I have been learning." Moon added signing her gaze briefly on Aster before turning to Nia.

"I f*****g know." Moon said with a big smirk on her face as she flipped Nia off.

Since their last encounter, at the floral shop two weeks ago. Moon picked up learning sign language, as much as she could to told a third of a conversation between two adults—there was room for improvement and if she actually good a good source to learn from.

Nia, would be a practice person now—since the girl literally knew ASl & TSl—it was literally in her profession skill as a daycare teacher and Nia said & she quotes, "It would have just been wrong to learn sign language without learning it in my mother tongue, Thai, first."

Something about Moon sign and putting effort made Aster smile delighted. "You're a fast learner." Aster signed.

Dropping her bag pack at an instant, Moon mumbled to herself. "I don't know that." before pulling her phone out of her pocket and walking towards Aster as she quickly typed into her notes app.

Holding the screen out for Aster to read, she waited on the woman to read and of course respond to her:

'what does that sign mean?'

Aster took the phone out of Moon's hand, staring down at the phone screen in her hand, a few strands of mint hair brushed against her nose—and Moon would have brushed them off if she didn't feel Nia's gaze on her.

Turning towards her friend, Moon was completely right. Nia held her mug to her lips, her lower lip brushed against the brown mug as their gaze met—not tearing her gaze away Nia took a slow, painful slow, sip.

Moon had her arms crossed. "What's with that face?" Moon asked cautiously staring her friend.

"Nothing, don't mind me." came her reply. Lowering the mug that it rest this time below her lips—that gave a clear view of the little smirk and lip twitch she was fighting back, that made Moon even more suspicious.

"You know—" cutting herself off, she turned towards the person lightly holding her forearm to grab her attention. Slouching a bit, Moon stared at the paragraph Aster wrote below her question.

'You're a fast learner. Anyway, if you want help I could teach you, I'd be a better teacher than learning by yourself.'

"You would? I'd love that." Moon commented after reading it, a smile made it's way on her lips—that mimicked Aster's bright smile.

"Yes." Moon spoke aloud as Aster signed something she knew. Her gaze fell on Nia for assistance, she she barely picked up the rest of the words after that yes.

"We could start tomorrow, I'll come over." Nia interpreted, before adding words words of her own. "You have a date."

Ignoring her words, Moon turned to Aster with a head nod she agreed then signed. "Thank you." holding out her hand for a handshake, which Aster took shaking her hand enthusiastically.