The President listened to keenly to her assistant, Chang’s report of the two new commoners settling in at her Seoul Leigh School of the Arts. She nodded her head at each point mentioned in the young boy’s detailed report.

“That’s it Mrs. Yang. I’m mean President Yang.” Chang said and bowed politely.

“You’ve done well Chang but you haven’t learned their names. I would like to know their names. We can’t be referring to them as the ‘older one’ and the ‘younger one’. It irritates me.” She said and began to file her nails with a filer. “Well it seems as if ‘the older one’s life is miserable and that exactly what I want. But the younger one seems to be settling in quite to easily. Maybe we need to intervene ourselves.”

“President Yang. “ Chang hesitated. “I think it’s too early for us to disrupt how they are getting along. We should wait a little more.”

She dropped the file and peered at him over the spectacles situated on the brim of her crooked nose. She leaned her head at different increments as she thought about what Chang said. President clicked her tongue which scared Chang nearly half to death.

“Fine, we’ll do it your way until I say otherwise.” She rose from her seat and he got to his feet in an instant. She took the fur coat form the rack and draped it around her shoulders. “I’m having dinner with my husband tonight while he’s in town. I leave now.” She opened the door to exit with Change following directly behind. “Don’t let me down.” And she left.

***

Yoseob

Yoseob glided his [type of car] beside his ‘mother’s’. His mind was flitting from scenes of meeting Chanhi in a few weeks ago for the first time, seeing her the night after having a fight with his dad over the phone and the special moment when he heard her singing at the basketball court. He chuckled and pulled the key out of the ignition and sighed when he brought himself back to that moment of reality. He’d have to go in and see his stepmother, the person whom he despised the most.

 As he made his way to the front entrance whilst jingling the car keys in his hand he saw his father’s vehicle.

“Dad?” he asked himself, unable to believe the sight before his eyes. “Dad’s here?”

He dropped his bag pack and rushed inside.

“Dad!!”

“Son!” His father took him in for a bear hug. Yang JiYoung, Yoseob’s father, was a man of average height and muscular build in his late fortys. He had a tanned complexion, his head was covered in scraggly black hair and his mouth was always running like a motor.

“Dad, I can’t believe you’re here. How long are you going to say?”

Hi dad released him and took a real long look at his son, who had grown up so much since he had seen him four years ago. “Look at you. You’ve changed so much: your voice is deeper, you’re taller and you’ve gotten rid of that ridiculous Blonde ‘do.”

“Thanks dad, I appreciate that.” They both laughed.

“Why don’t we discuss it all over dinner?” His father suggested as he walked into the dining room. “Now where’s my beautiful Sohyun?”

Yoseob’s smile diminished at the mention of his stepmother’s name. He drew his chair and took a seat at the dining table. Shortly he heard someone’s footstep descending the stairs, who turned out to be Sohyun. She grinned at the sight of her husband. They did not hesitate to embrace each other and exchange loving words and kisses and by this time Yoseob was sick to his stomach.

All were seated at the table and helping themselves to the food.

“So I see that you’ve been treating my son very well.”

“Yes I have.” She feigned a smile at Yoseob who rolled his eyes at her. She gulped down her retort and continued. “He’s very compliant and I think we’re starting to bond real well.”

“Really well.” Yoseob corrected. “You said we’re starting to bond real well, which is grammatically incorrect. Really well is accurate.” And he continued to chew his curried shrimp.

Sohyun ceased her chewing and looked at Yoseob in disbelief.

“Yoseob apologize to your mother.” His father instructed sternly.

“She’snot my mother!”

JiYoung sliced his meat and took a bite. “This is my first time back and I don’t want to fight…with anyone.”

Sohyun took a deep breath and resumed chewing.

“Yes, dear. Yoseob has even signed up singing for singing classes and got in.”

Yoseob dropped his fork in frustration and the clattering of the silver ware made both Sohyun and Jiyoung jump.

“I wanted to tell him that. You just have to spoil every surprise .”Son, don’t use that tone with your stepmother.” His father warned.

Yoseob rose to his feet. “ I have no stepmother. I only see this woman here as President Chang and no one else.” He turned and stomped out of the house.

***

Chanhi

“I-I  got in? “ I scanned the paper again. “I-I     got accepted!” I screamed in glee when I saw my name on the Singing class list. I checked again to see the people I would have my classes with. “Kwon Yuri, Choi Jinri, Lee Taemin, wah!”

I looked away before my eyes burned form the sight of her name. Singing classes was going to H-E-L-L. I’ve heard her sing and she was absolutely amazing but when I sang, I sounded like a dying cat. Well, Sunny was an expert singer and I was cat. Anyways, I still couldn’t believe I made the class. Yes! I guessed every dark cloud has its silver lining.

Contented with my achievement so far I turned around with the intention of treating myself to two Fish Cakes at the Cafeteria.

“You!”.Her saliva flew out of and stained my cheek and nothing could be worse than being spat on. “I thought I scraped your sorry excuse for a name off that paper.” She crossed her arms and popped her gum. And there went the saliva again.

“Sunny I-

“Hey Shut up!” she hissed. I opened my mouth to tell her not to speak to me as if she were talking to a dog but I was completely speechless. Who was this girl to be verbally abusing me?

“Shut up Chanhi because I’m just playing with you.”  She smiled and erupted in a vulgar crackle, which scared me more. “Hey silly, so how was it?”

“Unh?” that girl just did a whole 360 flip in her personality. “What are you talking about?”

She dropped her hands to her side and spat out the gum in a cup and threw it away. “How was my acting? I really wanted to nail my audition next week. I’m scheduled to play a typical mean highschooler. So what did you think?”

Were you kidding me? “Of all the time you were being mean to be you were only acting? The times you emotionally and verbally abused me and not to mention that time you almost got physical with me.”

“Well when you say it like that, you make me sound like a horrible person.”

“That’s exactly my point because you are a horrible person. You could have told me about your acting gig.” I said. I was totally pissed!

“Really? Chanhi, I’m sorry. Will you forgive?” She clasped her hands and batted her eyes.

I scoffed and took a real good look at her. When I first saw her, I thought she could be my friend because she was the only one to approach me on my first day. But once someone betrayed me I couldn’t deal with the heartbreak of enduring the risk to trust again.

“Excuse me.” I stepped aside and accidentally bumped her shoulder which I didn’t apologize for. When I reached the cafeteria service counter and requested two cakes the lady said. “Sorry kid, we just sold the last two a minute ago.”

“The last two?”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. That minute that Sunny has used to disrupt a potentially happy day for me with her stupid confession which upset me a lot and also cost me my two fish cakes.  I turned around and tried to think like an optimist. “Maybe that person wanted the fish cakes or than me. Meh, I’m not that hungry anyway.” My stomach growled at my last thought. “I hate it when the rest of my body knows what I’m thinking.” My stomach growled again and it felt like it did a somersault. “Geez! I’m sorry. I promise I’ll eat something soon.”

“Thank God for Jesus!”

If I could have spanked stomach without hurting myself in anyway, I would have done it but you see that would have been inevitable.

***

I tried to tip toe past dinner but mom ears heard everything.

“Chanhi, you’re home. Now we can all have dinner.” She said whilst setting the table. “Please go and call your sister.”

“Neh.” I ran upstairs and banged on Suji’s door.

“Yah Suji! Dinner is ready.” I rapped again but no response. I put my ears against the door and heard no shuffling around. She wasn’t even making an effort o get off her lazy bum.

“Suji!”

I banged again and a pain shot right up my wrist up to my shoulders. I examined my wrist which was reddening my by the second and slightly bruised.

“Yah Suji!”

I began to turn the knob. I didn’t care if she would shout at me for coming in her filthy room. She was the one who caused me to bust the side of my hand. I pushed the door open very slowly in case she was standing behind it ready to attack but to my surprise she wasn’t there.

“Suji?” I called when I looked over her desk and she wasn’t there.  I looked under her sheets and she wasn’t in her bed. Then I saw her closet door ajar. I made my way over there and opened it further.

“Suji!” I bent down and began patting her face like crazy. She was passed out on the floor, her face was slightly blue and she felt a bit cold.

“Suji! Wake up! Wake up you idiot!” I screamed as I pulled her out of the small space. “Suji!” I began giving -to- mouth resuscitation. Suji was unresponsive.

“Omma!!!!!!! Omma!” I screamed, tears flooding my face. “Omma where are you?!!”

“Yes, Chanhi what it is Oh my-

“She’s not waking up! Call the ambulance.” I was becoming hysterical. Mom grabbed the found on Suji’s desk and dialled an ambulance.

“Suji!!!” I compressed her chest harder. I held my index finger against her neck. She had a feints pulse.

“They’re on their way. Oh my poor baby.” Mom kneed beside me. It hurt to see my mom so distraught.

I backed away from Suj’s unconscious body until I wake up into the closet door. There was a little bag of white substance with a label on it. I picked it up and turned it over.

“Oxycotin?”