Newport Beach, California | 08.24.15 | 11:27am

 

“What?!  No!  No way!”  Krystal couldn’t believe the news from her parents.  There was a month left of her summer, a month left before the start of her last year in high school.  She wasn’t mentally nor emotionally prepared for the news that was just delivered by her parents.

 

“Krystal, it’s not like we really have a choice,” Krystal’s mother calmly explained.  “Your father is being repositioned in the company as it’s going through a lot of changes—”

 

“That’s fine!  I get it.  But you can’t possibly think that I will willingly go to Korea with you.  There’s no way!”

 

The Jung family, minus the eldest daughter, has lived the relaxed yet luxurious lifestyle in Newport Beach, California for the past ten years.  Krystal practically lived most of her teenage years in California.  A top student with a popular reputation and a very bright Ivy League projection, Krystal was beyond devastated to hear the news of this sudden move and change.  She already mapped out how she wanted to spend her last year of high school.  She had her last “summer hurrah” plans before the school year starts with her friends long before the news came bursting in to crush the joy of her 17-year old existence.

 

As the tears started to build in her tear ducts, she contended, “Mom.  Dad.  Please…my whole life is here at Harbor, here at Newport—all my friends, all the plans I had for my senior year.”

 

Her dad walked over and placed his hands on her shoulder, guiding her to calm down and to sit down.  With his fatherly voice and soft tone, he attempts to pacify his daughter’s concern, “I’m really sorry Soojung but there’s nothing I can do.  I know all your friends are here.  I know how excited you are for your last year at Harbor but I’m afraid it’s a change that I have no control over.”

 

“Then let me stay,” Krystal stubbornly insists.

 

Rubbing the top of his head as he shakes it, he calmly attempts the second time, “Soojung, we can’t just leave you here.”

 

“Why not?!  You let Jessica stay in Korea!”

 

Her mother interjected, “That’s different.  We have our family there and uncle James and the Hwangs are there to take care of her.  We can’t just leave you alone here in California by yourself.  You’re only seventeen years old—”

 

“But it’s not fair!”

 

“Enough!”  Krystal’s father piped up.  Flashing his warm smile as he checks his poise, he tenderly placed his hand on his daughter’s.  “I’m sorry Soojung.  The decision is final.  Now…I know you have plans in attending Harvard so if you get accepted after you graduate then I won’t stop you.  But for now…it’s been decided.  We’re moving back to Seoul.”

 

Still paralyzed by disbelief, it is becoming more apparent by the second how real this was and her powerlessness in changing the situation.  She whispers in astonishment, “I can’t believe this is happening.”

 

Her parents could only hug her at this point as she sat at the edge of her bed frozen by the thought of having to completely change her entire world.  She could cry at any moment but even her tears seemed to dry up in astonishment of the situation.  If that wasn’t enough to make the shocking impact, her mother places a large envelope next to her as she delivered another sobering blow, “We leave in two weeks…”

 

Two weeks?! She screamed quietly in her head.  Closing her eyes, frustration was beginning to hit the ceiling, yet she manages to remain relatively calm and utters, “Mom…”

 

“I know, Soojung…it’s because your new school starts in three weeks.  You’ll need to time to settle and adjust,” her mother calmly responds.

 

Her father added, “Harbor is one of the most prestigious private high schools here in California but as you’ve probably heard from your sister and others…JL Academy is in another league of its own; therefore, you can’t afford to miss school, especially as a senior.  I suggest you look through that folder and get well-acquainted with your new school right away.”

 

Once again, both father and mother scoots close to their youngest daughter to provide any sort of assurance at this point.  As disappointed as their daughter was, these were two parents managing to do their best at what they do while taking care of their own.  For that reason, with an apologetic tone, Krystal’s mother combs the back of her head as she endearingly tells her, “We’re sorry hon, we really are.  But I hope you can also think about this in a positive light… When you graduate from JL Academy, you’ll have a higher chance in getting into any of the Ivy League schools you have always wanted to go to.  Plus, you’ll get to see and spend more time with your sister.”

 

Krystal’s father added, “With your aptitude and your talent, I’m confident that you’ll adjust quickly…”

 

Her parents rambled on as an attempt to appease and pacify the circumstance.  Krystal on the other hand, remained profoundly dumbfounded by this whole thing.  She didn’t anticipate this curve ball.  Clearly this is not part of her five-year plan.  Although Krystal’s father is right in that Krystal can adapt and adjust to any situation no matter the challenge...at the end of the day, Krystal is still a seventeen-year-old teenage girl.  This life-stage often themed by the volatile waves and winds of puberty, a dramatic change was the last thing she needed.

---

 

Seoul, Korea | 08.31.16 | 1:28pm

 

The quiet hallways of Korea’s finest educational institution rest peacefully on this atypical summer Monday afternoon.  Only the ticking hand of the clock of the legendary needle monument that stood toweringly at the epicenter of the campus could be heard reverberating through the walls of the empty hallways.  And inside the walls of the Senior Wing, through the pristine and spotless glass that insulated all noise and all activity inside the classroom, could the class of 2016 be found vigorously scribbling away on their test sheets.  Well…all except one.

 

The long hand struck six and the worn and the weary, still stuck-in-summer-mode, elite high school seniors of JL Academy invaded the peaceful hallways of the wing.  Murmurs and complaints of how annoying it was that they had to take the mandatory Preliminary CSAT Test on this lovely summer afternoon occupied the theme of their conversations.  Well…all except for one.

 

“There she is,” the tall, built, good-looking young man by the name of Joohyuk pointed across from him towards the end of the hall.

 

Irene, the elegant girl with the classiest smile that cannot be missed within a mile’s radius and Kai, the tanned-skinned, heartthrob, princely boy next to her, exchanged chuckles and light cynical scoffs as they spotted their best friend propped at one of the couches of the student lounge at the end of the hallway.

 

The three friends made their way towards the handsome, sleeping tomboy who is lying peacefully and calmly with her arms crossed behind her head and an earphone stuck in one ear.

 

Irene smirked as she bent down to gently poke the sleeping beauty on the cheek.  She partnered it with a soft whisper, “Am...”

 

The handsome girl slowly opened her eyes followed by a series of blinks.  As full consciousness set in, the first words out of was, “What took you guys so long?”

 

As Kai extends his hands to help her up, he counters mockingly, “Well excuse us normal people.  Unlike you Amber, we actually need the full six hours to finish the prelims.”

 

“Yah, stop bragging!  We already know we’re not as smart as you,” Joohyuk playfully added.

 

“Come on,” Irene followed, as she hooks her hands around Amber’s arm, “Since we did keep you waiting for an hour, I’ll buy you a snack.”

 

Amber perks a small smile as Kai and Joohyuk grumbled a warranted complaint, “Irene, what about us?”
 

On the other end of the hallway, four particular students dragged their feet as they exited the classroom.

 

“Sulli-ah, I feel like bashing my head against the wall!”  The shorter, tan-skinned girl by the name of Luna exhaustedly droned as she rested her head on Sulli’s shoulder.

 

“Brutal.  Absolutely brutal.” Key, the fashion forward one of the bunch, echoed the opinion.

 

Slinging his arm around Key, Jonghyun, grumbled, “This makes me not excited about school starting in a week!”

 

Key, Sulli, Luna and Jonghyun dragged their feet through the hall.  As they were nearing the end, Sulli halts and takes particular notice of the other four classmates in front of them.  She sighs and grouse, “How can the prettiest people of this school also be the smartest people of this school?  This life is unfair.”

 

Key adds, “I don’t understand how they’re just smiling and laughing right now.  Are you sure we all took the same test?”

 

Of course they were referring to none other than the Top Elite, the top four of JL Academy’s senior class, as deemed by paper and reputation.  The Elites, as their fellow classmates have gotten acquainted in calling them, walked towards Sulli and her friends.  As they walked passed them, the gloom in Key and Jonghyun’s face was replaced with bright grins as Irene flashed them her angelic smile.  Sulli and Luna perked at the kind and candid hello from Kai and Joohyuk.

 

Kai, Joohyuk and Irene bowed and smiled as they passed while saying hi to the other average students of JL Academy.  The always noticeably disinterested Amber Liu, known for her stoic and cold exterior, kept her neutral demeanor unchanged over the summer.

 

One could say, it was business-as-usual here at JL Academy as far as the Elites and the rest of the not-so-Elite class population.

 

Sulli and her friends couldn’t help but stare.  Luna shakes her head and adds, “Pretty.  Handsome.  Smart.  And kind.  Can they get any more perfect?”

 

Sulli affirms, “Yep.  Life is not fair."

---

 

Seoul, Korea | 09.07.15 | 4:47pm

 

Krystal’s POV

 

Life is so not fair.

 

Moving here to Seoul feels like a punishment more than an opportunity.  Mom keeps talking about how it’ll be a “great opportunity” for me to challenge myself, encounter new things, discover my roots, meet new friends, and experience this new environment but I see nothing great about this “opportunity”.  I miss the beach, I miss the California sun, I miss my friends, I miss my old life.   And the worst part about all of this is that I’m going to miss out on the best year of my life at Harbor.

 

Senior year meant royalty at Harbor.  Senior year meant going to prom when it actually mattered.  Senior year meant the excitement of waiting for our letters of admissions from our top choice universities in the mail.  Senior year meant enjoying your last year of being a kid and relishing all the hard work that you’ve put it in the past few years.  Senior year meant skipping classes, weeknight bonfires and weekend warriors while getting by with a 91% grade on your AP Calculus test.  Senior year meant freedom.  Senior year meant fun…at least that is how we have defined it at Harbor.

 

Now come to think of it, I guess that’s not the worst part.  The worst part is finding out that I’m attending JL Academy, the most highly competitive, pretentious, elitist institution reputed in Korea.  Senior year here meant tests and more tests.  All work and no fun.  Do or die.  Make or break.  And did I mention more tests?

 

What was suppose to be fun a year that would let me cruise into my future at Harvard has now turned into a rigorous uphill battle towards it.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m confident that I won’t fail or fall into the lower tier of academic standings.  I was projected to be the Valedictorian at Harbor after all.  But like my dad said, JL Academy is a completely different ball game with higher caliber players.  And to add to my drudgery, I’m the new kid in school.  I only know of one person, my childhood friend, who goes to the same school.  Other than that, I’m but a small fry thrown into a big tank for big fishes.  To conclude this rant, my last year of high school doesn’t seem all that exciting and fun as I had originally planned and hoped for it to be.

 

Ugh.

---

 

Seoul, Korea | 4:52pm

 

Dressed in her janitorial clad, blue pants and white polo, with hands in pockets, Amber approaches the old lady who was vigorously mopping away the vast lobby floor of JL Group’s state-of-the-art Seoul headquarters.

 

“Omoni, I got this,” she gently takes the mop from the old lady who was dressed in similar fashion, “You go ahead and go home.  I’ll finish the rest of this.”

 

“That’s okay, Amber, I still have eight minutes left for my shift,” the old lady pats her shoulder as she tries to retrieve the mop back.

 

Smiling tenderly, Amber holds the mop behind her and insist, “Omoni, don’t worry about it.  I’d be much happier if you could leave a little early so you can get rest earlier.”

 

Receiving an affection head rub as response, the old lady adds, “Aigoo, my Amber.  Thank you.  You are too sweet sometimes.”

 

Chuckling at the old lady’s sweet gestures, Amber smiles and shoos her off endearingly.

 

Amber has been working incognito in JL Group’s custodial team for the past two years and one thing she hasn’t failed to do yet is take care of the sweet old ladies and kind uncles who have treated her as their own.  Hyesun omoni is one who particularly treats her as though she is her real granddaughter.  She always leaves small treats and snacks in Amber’s locker during long shifts, therefore, she has a very soft spot whenever she catches her at the end of the shift working tirelessly at a physically labored task.

 

Uncle James Hwang, Amber’s adoptive father, and also the current interim CEO and Chairman of the Board, was the one who suggested to his daughters to gain experience and bottom level exposure to the world of JL Group through this part-time job.  Uncle James’ compelling reasoning comes down to this, “Amber, seeing the people who works in hours when you would sleep comfortably at nights will help you remember that the throne you will eventually sit on rests upon the shoulders of many unsung heroes who also poured their blood and sweat into this company.  I never want you to forget that.”   Amber, of course, sees the merit and value of this experience.  In years time, she will be on that chair.  She will eventually find herself at the top of this tower.  Until then, she still has a lot to learn.

 

Amber takes out an earphone and slips it in one ear.  She submerges the head of the mop into the soap bucket then begins the task.  She hums away with ease and content one after the other.

---

 

Seoul Korea | 6:03pm

 

Krystal POV

 

I guess one really good thing about this sudden move, and to be honest I could only think one, is the fact that I will get to see my sister more often.  After stopping by a nearby smoothie shop to grab me and my sister’s favorite drinks, I hopped out of the car I was chauffeured around all day and made my way towards the company’s headquarters.  My sister, Jessica, is five years older than I am and now works for the company—JL Group.  As expected, my sister was JL Group bound since my father is the president of the entire R&D sector.  My father persist in pushing me towards the same direction but honestly, I’m not all that interested.  Although JL Group is one of the biggest leading industry giants in the 21^st century; I’d rather not get entangled in the complexity of this conglomerate.  I’d rather venture off on my own and make a name for myself than live in the shadow of my family’s legacy in this company.

 

But enough about that topic, I’m here for my sister because we agreed to meet up and catch up after her work.  I walked inside the lobby and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.  It must be Jessica.  I reached for my phone while I held the two smoothies with finesse with my other hand.  I looked down at the screen and I was right.

 

“Hello?”  I answered.

 

“Soojung-ah, where are you?  I’m too excited to see you!”

 

I couldn’t help but smile for the first time in two weeks after hearing my sister’s voice.  It’s been nine months since I last saw her and I, too, am very excited to get to hang out with her again.  “Unnie I’m at the lobby!  What floor should I go to?”

 

“Really?!  Okay I’ll be waiting for you.  My office is on 15^th floor.”

 

“Okay!  I’m on my way, I’ll be ther—”

 

I found myself off-balanced as my foot suddenly slid on something slippery.  The next few seconds felt like one of those moments in the movies where everything suddenly went into slow motion.

 

As I’m skating to keep my balance, I had a millisecond to make a crucial decision.  I held my iPhone 6+ with my left hand and held two smoothies (one mango, one strawberry to be more precise) with the other.  I weighed out my options in my head: save my $800 phone or save the $10 blended fruits and milk in a cup.  In this split second decision there was no salvaging both.  I did what any logical human being would have done; I saved my phone and sent the smoothies flying in gravity’s fate.  And just like that it’s like time slowed down even more.  As I’m gaining to find my balance by the millisecond, I watched as the smoothies burst open and made their waterfall destination on this guy that was standing maybe five feet from me.  Gasps and shock were exchanged in the entire lobby.

 

Let me say this, I was shocked at two things:  (1) I was very impressed by my surprising ability to stay standing this whole time and (2) in awe of how artistic, yet remorseful the combination of yellow and red liquid was on a person.

 

After some dreadfully quiet seconds, my soul entered back into my body.  “Oh…my…god…I am so sorry.”

 

The guy in front of me slowly wiped traces of milk first from his eyes, then from his lips, and from his face while he combed his hair back.  Okay.  I felt awful.

 

I quickly rummaged through my purse and grabbed my travel pack tissues and made my way towards him.  As I begin to reach forward, he suddenly yelled, “Yah!  Can you not read the sign?!”
 

Okay…  I get it.  He has a right to be mad but—

 

“Who ignores a massive yellow sign that says ‘WET FLOOR’ in capital letters?!”

 

I calmly tried to say, “I’m really sorry.  I was on the phone and I must have—”

 

“Are you completely careless or clueless?  Or are you just stupid?”

 

STUPID?!  Okay.  I can’t take this.  “Yah!  I said I was sorry.  You don’t have to be rude about it!”

 

“And you think saying sorry can clean up this mess on the floor that people have tirelessly worked to keep clean?  You think saying sorry can fix and undo a stupid and careless mistake that people like you make?”

 

Why is this jerk so sensitive?  “Yah!  Who the hell do you think you are?!  It’s an accident!  And accidents happen!  I said I was sorry so you don’t have be such an assh—”

 

“Is there something wrong here?”  A security guard rushed towards us.

 

“Amber-ssi…”  He scanned the guy in front of me.  Amber?  Isn’t that a girl’s name?

 

“Is there a problem miss?”  The security guard now focused his attention on me, “Is she bothering you?”

 

She?  This guy is a girl?  Huh.  I would have never have guessed that.  The “Amber” girl scoffed as she bit her lower lip in aggravated restraint.  Because this person was just a total right now, I could totally make the complaint to get back at her.  But because I’m still a human being and have a level of empathy and care for people around me, contrary to her opinion, I won’t do that.  Besides, I admit, I’ve caused enough trouble for her today anyways.

 

“No, there’s no problem, except maybe for the drink that I spilled on her and on the floor,” I nodded at the guard.  “This was my fault.  I slipped because I wasn’t paying attention to the sign.  I apologize.”

 

The security guard quickly bowed and replied, “Accidents happen miss.  I apologize for our custodian’s actions.  It won’t happen again.”  The guard then sent a reprimanding glance at the "Amber" girl while signing her to apologize.  I could tell she was trying so hard to bridle her tongue.  By her scoff and by that distasteful expression on her face, I could tell she wanted to say more, which only made my blood boil.

 

How many times do I have to apologize like this?  Hmpf.

 

I didn’t get her into any more trouble but I sure hell am going to wait for this apology and I’m going to relish in it.  With a small smirk I could no longer contain, I crossed my arms and waited.

 

She whispered cynically, “I can’t believe this…”  The security guard sent daggers of stares towards her and a chastising nudge.  Scoffing one more time, she finally faced me.

 

I know, I know, I know.  I’m an awful person for enjoying this a little too much.  But come on…  She was also unnecessarily rude about it so I am wholeheartedly going to anticipate this moment. 

 

She tips her head rather than bowing, and with the added snarl in her hollow apology, forced the five-letter word through her teeth, “Sorry.”  She then immediately walked away.

 

Psh.  What a jerk.

 

---

 

Author's Note

This is probably gonna be one of those cliché, rich kids, romance, highschool story.  But let's just have fun with it and see where it goes.

- Z