“Is it a computer?”
“Yeah.”
In response to Gomtaengi’s confused question, I nodded firmly.
The computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. No matter how much I searched, I couldn’t help but keep these items at home, even if I was reborn as a female elementary school student, with the mindset of a strong Korean young man.
But I had never equipped them at home until now. Why?
Because even if I had them, I couldn’t do anything with them.
Even before transferring any game accounts, any website required various verifications.
If you were under 14, you would be turned away, one-sided rejection.
Why is this stupid world only realistic in such places?
“I should at least be able to play a video.”
It’s a real comedy that any website obsessed with money allows for payment as a non-member.
Should I call it fortunate or amusing?
Since I could watch videos on my smart phone without any specific verification, it would probably be a similar situation if I bought a computer.
Once the thought was decided, payment was completed in an instant.
An amount large enough to order gimbap in units of a hundred vanished at once, and along with that, an internet LAN cable, wires to connect the monitor and computer, etc.
After completing the payments one by one, I solemnly collected my thoughts looking at the overflowing payment completion screens.
The loud noises could even be seen as a melody that would sweeten my revenge.
Let’s just look forward to the day of retribution; their laughter will soon turn into screams.
“Ahem—”
It was the day that made me hum a tune unconsciously.
“Hey, Kim Mari!”
“Yeah, yeah, it would taste good if you dipped it in tteokbokki.”
A day when I could laugh off the teasing of my name that usually happens at school.
“Mary, there’s a monster….”
After the third period ended, even amidst the vague break, I heard a monster alarm ringing.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s handle it quickly.”
Less than an hour later, even during the fourth-period class, I heard that a monster had appeared.
But today, with a big smile on my face, I could accept everything.
Countless payment screens marked as ‘delivered’ made me more joyful than resentful toward the world.
“Ho ho….”
‘What kind of music shall I play for the upstairs neighbors?’
Along with a laugh that couldn’t be thought of as belonging to a magical girl, my mind was filled with thoughts wrapped in malice.
Some aggressive rock music mixed with swearing?
Metal music characterized by booming vibrations?
A malicious video filled with the sound of a drill that incessantly rings for 8 hours?
In fact, I didn’t care about either.
Sounds from the other floor that come at unwanted times are just that.
Even if it’s a sweet piano performance or a majestic orchestra, it’s merely noise.
“Wow, what’s all this?”
Shiyeon, who returned home holding hands with me, gasped upon seeing the stacked boxes.
Monitor and speakers, keyboard, mouse, various wires and components.
It was only natural for the entrance to be filled with packages since everything had been delivered.
It was hard work for her small body to bring all of that into the house.
If we were adults, we could have finished it after four trips, but it felt like Shiyeon and I went back and forth at least seven times.
Still, I didn’t feel that the process was troublesome or unnecessary.
After finishing the assembly with various hurdles.
The computer powered on, the speaker sound came through properly.
The internet was well connected, and the monitor shined brightly.
“Done!”
“Now we can use the computer just like the teacher?”
“Yeah, we can.”
After answering a visibly excited Shiyeon, I immediately opened the internet window.
I entered the familiar link directly into the address bar and opened the page filled with videos.
As soon as I typed ‘inter-floor noise’ in the search bar, there was no need to search for anything; ‘inter-floor noise revenge’ automatically completed at the top.
Sounds of footsteps, the ringing of a gong, simply hammering nails.
Those videos set before me looked like a feast, making my mouth water.
Of course, I bought speakers that could be attached to the ceiling.
Since no one could see it while inside the house anyway, I abused the power of a magical girl to extend the wires so that the speakers faced upward.
“Shiyeon.”
Before playing the video, I looked at the speakers stuck to the ceiling, recalling a great country’s law, and quietly called Shiyeon’s name.
“Yes?”
“Have you heard of the Code of Hammurabi?”
The Code of Hammurabi.
I tasted that great name on my lips.
“No…?”
“He who kills a man shall be put to death. He who breaks another’s arm shall have his arm broken. He who blinds another person’s eye shall have that eye gouged out.”
What a beautiful resonance that is.
Those who torment others with inter-floor noise shall feel the same pain.
With a click signaling the start of the video, the revenge began.
Ah, just in case, I eliminated the ads with a two-month premium trial.
“It’s time to pay the price for sin.”
“Mary is using difficult words again….”
From the moment I began to hear running footsteps, an hour passed.
I only intended to play that kind of daily noise video for a short while.
But, maybe about 20 minutes passed?
I heard a sound of banging on the apartment’s iron door!
The reaction came immediately.
‘The performance is solid.’
The first teaching from my ancestors.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
The old saying couldn’t be more correct.
“Excuse me! Can you open the door!”
Even to just hear that irritated voice, my annoyance surged.
The latch on the front door is quite high.
As soon as the door opened, I used a stick to prop up the latch, using my short height to keep it stuck.
“Who is it—?”
With a voice that sounded innocent, I opened the door.
Looking down from my wrinkled face facing forward.
Before I could speak with an irritable voice, I quickly greeted her first.
“Hello!”
“Oh, uh… hi? Are your parents home?”
The teaching from my ancestors, number two.
You can’t spit on a smiling face.
If it’s an innocent child, even more so.
No matter how shameless a brat is, they’ll think more when dealing with someone their own age.
“No! They went out because they were busy!”
“Ha… then can I come in for a moment?”
“Um….”
I let out a long groan as the crowning moment, prepared to throw the words that a child should naturally say to chase the lady away.
“Dad said not to open the door to strangers!”
“Ha.”
The lady let out a short sigh, seemingly exasperated.
What could she possibly achieve by talking to an elementary school girl?
In the end, while seeming somewhat frustrated, she just stamped her feet and left with a few parting words.
“If your parents come back, let them know I came by because it was noisy upstairs.”
“Okay, I’ll let them know!”
The sound of the door closing with a click felt so good.
Facing the door that now blocked my view of everything.
I raised my right arm firmly, lifted my palm, and, with my left hand, clapped it to make a sound.
‘Eat this.’
Through the slightly opened gap in the door, the scene inside showed the computer stuck tightly to the wall, and the speaker on the ceiling was hidden from view.
Having completed a perfect complaint as a downstairs neighbor, I paused the video screen and savored the refreshment of downing a can of soda.
“It’ll be quiet for a while now.”
“Really?”
At the mention of the reduced footsteps, a smile appeared on Shiyeon’s face.
While she might not notice it when sleeping, hearing the constant thuds from above during daily life was quite stressful.
Because even the children dislike inter-floor noise.
‘Let’s see.’
I briefly thought while looking at the boxes scattered around the room.
Things like the computer or monitor and speakers that I had somehow connected through intuition.
I collected the manuals that had been lying in the boxes one by one and kept them organized.
Then, I accidentally came across the explanation about the speakers…
[Feel free to play your favorite music. No matter how good the music is, if someone else is playing it, it is all noise.]
[To avoid intentionality, use daily sounds that can come from any house.]
‘…Huh?’
There was something… that should not be written as ordinary speaker usage.
It seemed to describe a revenge method for inter-floor noise that pierced through my current situation.
[How to respond in disputes]
[If someone comes, talk through the intercom or with the latch on the door secured, you can communicate through a slightly opened gap.]
[If someone from the security office comes]
[Say you’ve been listening to music loudly to drown out the noise from the upstairs. If it’s quiet above, you won’t have to do that. Tell them to make the upstairs quiet first.]
[In case police come]
[There are times when someone from upstairs calls the police. You can respond like this.]
[Do not treat the police as enemies. There’s no need to make the police your enemies.]
[If they ask if they can come in, just say no.]
[The police cannot enter without the landlord’s permission.]
[There are no legal issues, so there’s no problem if they come in to check, but there’s no need to deliberately show them.]
[The police know even better that there’s nothing legally they can do.]
[In case the upstairs neighbor calls the inter-floor noise neighbor center]
[It has no legal binding. There’s no need to respond.]
“Oh ho….”
I unexpectedly received useful information from an unlikely place.
So that’s how it is.
