Star University

I pace up and down the airport waiting area, hoping that the days that lay ahead of me were that of fairy tales and not the nightmarish dream I’d been living in for the past month. The airport in Seoul was different to the one back home. I tried anything to keep my mind off things, looking at the small specks of sparkly marble in the pale flooring anything to keep my head away from trouble or even people. The weather was better in Korea, long winters and short hot summers, this reminded me of my childhood. I lived here until I was 10 and my sisters were born, they've never been here and do not know the language as well as I did. Umma did teach us plenty of languages whilst we were in England. I am fluent in eight languages including Korean, English and Japanese. My sisters, EunJi and MinJi were both only 8 now, but could speak English and Korean and they were on their way to become amazing linguistics and interpreters.

I worried about them, I worried about our future and what it had in store. What school would they attend? What University would I attend? Would we make friends? Would I get a job? Will I fit it? Eventually I headed back down to the windows where my sisters were sitting happily with our ‘nanny’ or ‘babysitter’. Back in the UK umma was a nurse and had to work weird shifts and was called in most of the time at unexpected hours in the night, so she hired someone to be with us the majority of the time, he was okay I guess, Minji and Eunji got on really well with him, but they have had no idea on who our dad really was so this was the only male role model in their lives. Until now.

We came from England to move in with our appa, who I haven’t seen in over eight years, not since my sisters were born. Umma and appa got a divorce 4 months into her pregnancy and umma moved to the UK with us. I have only seen him once since then and so have my sisters.
It was slowly approaching 12 o’clock and he’d be here soon, Junsoo, our babysitter, offered to buy us some ice-cream, but we were all too nervous to eat. He was generous and he was only 10 years older than me, but umma split her life savings between the four of us, Junsoo, Minji, Eunji and me, but I am in control of the twins’ money until they come of age and gave to her only son, my older brother. It reached twelve and I grabbed mine and EunJis suitcase and held her hand as we made our way to the pickup area where he should be waiting. Junsoo carried MinJi on his back whilst pulling both their suitcases, he was going to stay with us. Our dad was a professor at a university, so he was a very busy man and needed a ‘nanny’ to stay at the house, although I’m pretty much capable enough to look after them myself.

As we slowly approached the gathering of people awaiting their families and business partners to show Eunji pulled my hand ‘’Unnie, Which one is appa?’’

I glanced around the room and didn’t see him, but there was one familiar face I did recognise. JiYong. He always wore these silly disguises when we were little before our sisters were born and we played all the time, we were so close, and I did Skype him whilst he was here and I was the other side of the planet. I rushed over to give Oppa a hug to which he responded by opening his arms being careful not to ruin his disguise. He hugged tightly and I did back. I missed my big brother and it was for him I agreed to come to Seoul. He pulled back.

‘You’ve grown Hwang JiEun, I guess you’re too old for this,’’ he pulled out a doll from his bag, and stated he had another for her twin, and handed it to EunJi, who just said ‘’noogoosaeyo?’’ I briefly explained to Eunji that this was her big brother Jiyong and that it was okay to call him ‘oppa’.

We got into the chauffeurs car, Appa was busy preparing for his last term exams for his students so would not be able to make it, but his money was no joke. I sometimes envied the fact he didn’t spend it on coming to see us on our birthdays or on holidays or even presents but the only thing that made up for that is that he was willing to let us stay in his house, even if he was our appa I wasn’t sure if he would or not.

‘‘Ya JiEun,’’ Oppa called from the front of the car, to which I moved round the limousine to be closer ‘’Would you like to hear the new songs, the ones that will be released in September in three months, I bought them especially for you’’ I nodded I was excited that oppas voice was so well known in Korea, and his group members were so popular and famous, as a child, I was very close with the members of BigBang, especially with YoungBae oppa.

I listened to the music JiYong put on for me. He was only two years older than me, but had more success than anyone I knew.

We soon arrived to the house where we’d be staying for the rest of our lives. It was larger than I can remember but then again I was only allowed in part of the house. It wasn’t a traditional Hanok or an apartment like most people lived in, it was a fully westernised-modernised mansion with at least three floors and a huge garden and tall white spiral gates with pearly white fountains and a rosy glow setting around the pavements and garden features. There were a few out houses too, one was the room into the great underground cellar, and another, only just attached to the house by a balcony was the fully fitted studio, with dance room and music room and everything for anything like that. Appa lets famous people record albums here, that is why JiYong oppa has released so many albums and has a recording contract with JM Entertainment. I know very little about the entertainments in South Korea, but one thing I do know. JM Entertainment Empire was the largest and most popular in all of Asia, even debuting artists in America. There were few who could compete with JMEE even in the western world.

That was all I knew about Entertainment companies.

I strolled into the gardens, walking around remembering everything from my younger days explaining in as much detail as I could to EunJi, who was still grabbing hold of my hand feeling shy with the new change. She gradually smiled and we walked back to the front of the house. MinJi was still fast asleep, she and MinJun were the only ones who did not sleep on the plane here, and MinJun still has not slept due to carrying her around.

We walked in through the great big marble archway onto the pale white porch, JiYong with his arms around me and EunJi.

‘’It’s beautiful isn’t it?’’ JiYong oppa asked politely. It was a relief he had picked us up from the airport I felt comfortable with him, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel with appa. The rosy glow around the garden and on the porch was beautiful and although it was only two o’clock, the glow made it feel a lot later and prettier.

‘’Yeah really beautiful.’’ I replied my eyes widening as I look over all the acres of land and buildings that were mine to explore and use as I wish. We took a step into the palace and I recalled instantly a lot of memories through these halls and rooms. I wondered how much all the neat furniture would change now with two children and me here, I wondered what rules would be laid out in front of us and how my little sisters were going to cope.

‘’You can place MinJi here if you want before we met appa.’’ JiYong told Junsoo so he lay her on the cream leather chair and propped her head with a satin cushion making sure she was as comfortable as possible. He was the best babysitter ever, no wonder my umma hired him. He was so kind and so caring there was not a bad word to say about him at all. We all turned to the left down another hall and at the end was a big door, which JiYong knocked.

‘’Appa, they have arrived, may we enter?’’

‘’Yeah, come in’’ a warm but worn out tone came from the other side of the door, and we proceeded to follow oppa.

A man, who looked very tired and old and worn out sat at a large pale desk with a saddened expression on his face. I bowed my head as did EunJi and Junsoo and the old man returned getting to his feet. I worried he might stumble and fall to the ground.

‘’Where is MinJi?’’ He asked. I replied ‘’She fell asleep in the airport, Junsoo helped carry her and she’s resting on the chair outside.’’ I told him in a very polite respectful manner.

‘’That’s fine, as long as my youngest is okay.’’ He turned to Junsoo, ‘’you have done well my friend’’ and they shook hands and Junsoo bowed his head and thanked the man. The old man went and sat on a sofa that was very cushioned and soft, then he called me and EunJi over.

We sat next to him, I really wasn’t sure of what to expect, but he grabbed our hands and said ‘’I am very grateful you have come to live with me, even if it is under these circumstances and I have missed you all greatly and I will continue to miss your umma for the rest of my life. I hope we can all become close again like it was nine years ago. I have things to explain and give to you, we shall wait for MinJi to awaken and be aware of where she is, but for now please feel free to explore the house you have so long forgotten.’’

EunJi and I went off with JiYong to explore whilst Junsoo waited for MinJi to awaken. We firstly went out into the grounds to the fence on the far left. I gasped in excitement. “I knew appa was rich, but not this rich!” as I saw the sign for ‘Hwang JiMan’s horse stables.’

“You know, I have my own horse in there, he’ll probably eventually get you one, he said all sophisticated chaebols own horses and ride regularly.’’ Jiyong oppa stated as we continued around the grounds looking for other exciting new things I had not seen before.

Time had passed before Junsoo arrived with MinJi who had just woken up from her long flight. We followed JiYong oppa back into the office where JiMan formally greeted us all, we sat around the small table on the extravagant sofas and he then explained everything we needed to know. “I know I have not been there for you for eight years, but please forgive me as it was for the best, for all of us. I hope we can move on from this and become better people, and even under these circumstances I believe we can become a real family and learn to have faith in one another.’’ He paused, my appa looked inspirational and tired, and although he was still only young he looked old for his age. “I am going to give you, JiEun a set of keys to the house, and to your car, I assume you can drive now, you can rely on the chauffeur, but in case any of the three chauffeurs are too busy running errands please feel free to use this car I’m sure JiYong will show you later.

As for where you are sleeping I have had four bedrooms made up each one to your specific needs, but if you two girls,’’ he was looking at MinJi and EunJi now “feel too frightened on your own for the first couple of nights there is more than enough space to sleep in your sisters room or in Junsoo's room depending on how you are feeling. I also have some small welcoming gifts that may be of use to you, in the future. You realise you have been placed into an extremely wealthy family, don’t you?” We all nod, well it was kind of hard not to realise it, this place was bigger and more extravagant than Buckingham palace back in London and my guesses were that everyone else was thinking the same thing. “In your room, you’ll find gifts that make up for lost birthdays and Christmas’ and also you’ll find more suitable chaebol accessories and other things you may enjoy, and yes, I realise that you two are only eight, but you will have a use for these things one day, you too Mr?” he paused looking at Junsoo, who had not explained his full name.

“Oh, ne, Jwehsonghamnida, je ireum-eun Kwon Junsoo,” he said politely in an awkward korean, he wasn't fluent properly but he still knew the etiquette, so he then bowed.

“Gwenchanha, Mr.Kwon, you too will also find gifts, and things that may help you in the future, I want your lives here to be as easy as possible. I also understand you must be wondering where you will be attending school?’’ He looked at us, I nodded in agreement, this was the one thing I was dreading, whilst in the UK I had always kept up with Korean dramas and K-Pop, but Korean dramas always showed the bad parts of the schools. Even though attending school would not be until September which was exactly two weeks away I was still worried whether I’d fit in. “JiEun, I have got you into Seoul University and School of the Arts, here you will learn languages, and music, dance and all your general studies which will help you become one of the most respected women in all of Korea,” I smiled but then realised what he means. That is the school JiYong oppa goes to, from ages 15 – 30 students who want to debut with J.M.Entertainment Empire all attend there, if they get a place, there are auditions every year, and around 100 people get selected to attend, to get a place there is extremely unlikely.

“I’ll explain to you more nearer the time, as for you two, you will both be starting at Cheongdam Elementary School, you must attend 5 days a week and after a month or two if you have any specific subjects you need extra help in, I will hire a tutor or find help some way or another. That goes for you too JiEun, I would also like it if you got experience within the work place somewhere, I have written numerous places that are looking to hire, but please get comfortable before going into any job just yet, it’s not for the money, it is so you can have as much life experience as your mother did. Anyway, you all must be hungry, let’s go eat and if you have questions feel free to ask, I am not one of these horrible Chaebols that you see in the dramas on TV all the time.”

I already liked my dad from the way he spoke, it was kind and gentle with a warm tone to his voice, it was just a tiring voice the one that could make you fall asleep when you are little. That was comforting, he has put a lot of effort into trying to make us comfortable and make us relate to him. I was worried he’d be like some monstrous evil man who would try to ruin our lives as soon as we stepped back on Korean soil. I ate in silence, unlike EunJi and MinJi who was really warming up to the new lifestyle already, wondering how on earth I got into that school. The thought mind boggled me for some time, I ate an extra side of dried seaweed and kimchi, and after appa and excused himself I decided to go and explore my new room. Me, EunJi and MinJi followed JiYong, who still hadn’t stopped talking about everything and he showed us where we were going to be sleeping for the foreseeable future. MinJi was second door, EunJi the third door and I was the fifth door all on the same second floor, Junsoo was still talking to appa about his role and if there was anything for him to do to help out, he was generally a very calm and quiet person which made him rather sensitive to his surroundings.

I walked into my room, not knowing whether to expect a small shoe sized room with barely enough room for a bed. I was pleasantly surprised, there was everything in this room, it was like a whole apartment, besides a kitchen, there was a large ensuite bathroom, a sitting area with TV systems and all the electronics that come with it and a huge double bed made with the softest kind of foam and duck feather pillows and duvets. I leapt onto my bed smiling so happily, I felt something underneath my arm so I picked it up. A remote control? What is this for? I pressed the button that had open written in English on it. A door to the left of my bed opened up revealing a secret passage way, I step in to realise a fully equipped walk-in wardrobe, this one is bigger that the whole of my room back in England put together. ‘’Oh shit,’’ I whisper to myself.

Not only were the clothes exceptionally beautiful, the colour scheme of the whole room was perfect and matched me perfectly. Very pastel and cute, the main colour was white, with white furniture everywhere and dressing it up with pale pinks, hot pinks and baby pinks very cute. I went back to lying on my bed after the awe of the dresses and clothes and the at least 100 pairs of shoes I was seriously taken aback. Did appa treat umma like this too? I then remembered the gifts he told me to open. I looked over to the corner on the room near the huge glass windows which over looked the beautiful gardens and pools and sure enough there was a pile of unopened presents and mysterious gifts waiting for me. I felt greedy and spoilt I never wanted to be spoilt, but it kind of makes up for the lost time spent with my dad, I proceed to open them.

The first was a card, he had included some inspirational words and a credit card, I have no use for this, not really, and I wondered if this was one of the chaebol-like things he was giving to my sisters too, even though they’d definitely have no use for it just yet. I continued to open, a phone, a polaroid camera and photo albums, a purse, and a set of school textbooks, about twenty notebooks and a lot of stationary. There was one last box for me to open, I was already overwhelmed by everything after this I was going to go downstairs and thank him, I pulled open the lid and inside was photo albums, and a jewellery box. I took a look in the jewellery box first, and I saw my mothers necklace, the one she wore on her wedding day and other jewellery she had worn that day. I looked through the photo album and sure enough it was pictures of my umma, and my appa with all of us, EunJi, MinJi, JiYong and me, but there was another girl around my age, with us who I do not remember at all. “Noogoosaeyo?” I whispered to myself.

Notes

Okay, so I decided to start editing the story better so you can all enjoy it more (or again if you re-read it)

Thank you!! I Hope all my readers come back and read this story again!