10th March 2005

“Please help me.” Seonghee whines at Emily clinging onto her arm. Seonghee has been Emily's best friend ever since she moved up a couple of year groups last year. She was very bubbly and didn't care much for the fact that Emily didn't like to be touched or be around loud noices.

“Pass.”

“WAA! WAE?”

“Because,” She moved her arm out of Seonghee's grasp, “Your idea of 'helping' involves me 'doing' you work for you.”

“Please?”

“Nope. Go back to your seat and pair up with Sundae. You know I don't partake in English lessons.” Emily usually works from a set of English work books during the Korean English lessons. The teachers thought it important for Emily not to lose the English she already knew, thus had invested in a set of books, sent over from the school Emily would have went to if not for the adoption.

“Meanie.” Seonghee pouts at her friend before sluggishly dragging her feet to her seat.

“That kid.” Emily sighs giggling at her best friends childish behavior.

“Hey respect your Unni.” Seonghee shouts back from across the room, only making them both laugh that much more.

“Um hi.” Emily looks up to find a boy standing in front of her desk. “I'm new. The Teacher told me to sit here.”

“Whats your name?”

“Dongho.” He smiles one of them smiles that makes you want to smile back.

“Annyeong Dongho Oppa. I am Emily.”

“You don't need to call me Oppa we're the same age.”

“No we're not.” Dongho looks at her confused.

“I'm only 9. I skipped a few years.”

“Really? Woa you must be real smart. Are you American? Your Korean is real good.”

“Nope. I'm from England. I moved here three years ago. What about you?”

“I'm Korean but I lived in China for a bit. I just moved back.”

The rest of their conversation was at a stand still as the lesson had begun. Emily fishes out her work books. The teacher was at the front of the room explaining Introductions in English, making the class repeat everything she said.

“Emily.” Dongho lays his head down on Emily's workbook and looked up into her eyes with a devilish smile.

“Um.. Dongho your head is on my conjunction sentences.”

“I know, but the class was just told to get into pairs and as you can see it's an even number.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yep.”

“Fine what do we have to do?”

“Introduce our selves aloud, then write down the conversation. Hmm lets see... I aym Dongho. I aym twe-le-de ye-ars –owld. I li-de in Seoul.” Emily couldn't help but laugh at his adorable failed attempt at English. “Don't laugh it's mean.” He pouts at her making her laugh even more.

“Fine Fine. Just you only use Korean age in Korea. So you have to use the international age when talking to someone in another language. Secondly try to pronounce a 'v'”

The rest of the group time was spent by Emily trying to get Dongho to pronounce a 'v' it was quite a funny sight. She would say it first then he would attempt to copy her. After a lot of hard work and laughter he had finally got the 'v' down.

“TRAITOR!” Seonghee pouts at Emily once the lesson was over. “You said you couldn't work with me.” she stuck her tongue out at Dongho.

“I know I am.” She smiles at her Unnie and pats her on the head patronizingly. “Come on Dongho you can eat with us.”

The three of them make their way to the tree where they usually eat. Bae and Hana where already sitting waiting for them to arrive.

“Who's this?” Hana asks Emily motioning to Dongho.

“He's new in my class. He's called Dongho.”

“Oh Hi Dongho. I am Hana and this is Bae. I am Emily's Unnie.”

“But you're Korean.” Dongho was a little confused.

“I'm adopted stupid.” Emily lightly slaps Dongho across the head laughing. “And... I've forgot my lunch .... again.” Emily was looking in her school bag hoping her lunch box would magically appear which of course it did not.

“Looking for this?” She turned around to find Soohyun standing not far behind holding up her lunch box.

“Oppa!” She runs towards him and jumps up and wraps her legs around him, luckily he had good reflexes so managed to catch her just in time.

“Nice to see you too.” He laughs. Emily's behavior has certainly changed these past 3 years for the better he thought to himself. It was strange how Emily didn't like being close to anyone, but when Soohyun was involved she seemed to forget. She liked him, he reminded her of her dad. He put Emily down and gives her the lunch box.

“So how many times have you forgot it this week hm?”

“I believe this is the 3^rd time.”

“Three out of five. I suppose it's better than last week. Sometimes I think you purposely forget it just so I'd eat lunch with you.”

“What brings you to that conclusion Oppa?”

“I wonder.” He sits down next to Hana and Bae suddenly noticing a new face. “Are you new?”

“Yes. I'm Dongho.”

“Anyeong Dongho. I'm Hana's and Emily's Oppa, Soohyun.”

“Oh I almost forgot Oppa.” Emily digs into her bag and pulls out an application form.

“Another one?” He takes the form out of her hands. Good Entertainment, one he had not yet auditioned for.

“Don't worry I haven't gone crazy with the auditions again. See this one isn't for another two months.”

“What you auditioning for?” Dongho asks Soohyun with chopstick still in his mouth making him looks some what like a walrus.

“Singing.”

“Really? I want to be a Idol when I'm older too.”

“Have you auditioned before?”

“Nope My mum says I have to be a little older before I can. How many have you done?”

“A lot. They all say I have a good voice but I don't look the part.”

“I think we have been forgotten.” Hana whispers to Emily in the mist of the boys Idol conversation.

“I know.” Emily pouts shoving more rice into with her chop sticks. 

It was the end of school and everyone was heading home. Soohyun was waiting at the gates of the elementary department for his little sisters to come out.

“Oppa we're going shopping today. Go home without us.” Hana says to Soohyun and walks off before he could say any form of reply.

“And don't follow us.” Emily continues also walking past Soohyun.

“Guys wait for me.” Bae comes running out with his backpack half way of his shoulder.

“Bae why are the girls running off?” Soohyun catches Bae's shoulder before he could run off aswell.

“Um... well... um they told me not to say.”

“And I told you to tell me, so spill.”

“They're getting your birthday gift at the mall. Please don't tell them I told you.” He says hurriedly. As soon as Soohyun lets go of his shoulder he makes a run for it slightly scared of his hyung.

“Them kids.” He sighs. He gets out his mobile and dials Eun Ae's number.

“Annyeong?”

“Annyeong. It's your one a only brother here.”

“Argh! What do you want?”

“Love you to Noona.”

“I love you too. Just you only phone when you need something.”

“I don't, but um... could you do me a favor?”

“Ha told you. Tell me what it is first.”

“The girls just run off without me, to the mall. They wouldn't tell me why they where going but I managed to get out of Bae that it was for my birthday.”

“You haven't been beating up little kids have you?”

“No. I'm not that mean.”

“You think that.”

“Anyways, I can't leave a two nine and a ten year olds in the city by themselves.”

“So you want me to find them?”

“Yes please.”

“I'm working.”

“I'll pay you.”

“Deal.”

“And another thing. Pretend it's by coincidence. I'd feel bad for poor Bae if the girls found out he told me.”

“Okay okay. Bye bye.”

“What are you going to get him?” Bae wasn't one for shopping for hours on end. He had enough of that with his mother, but as his only friends were female he was in for a treat.

“Don't know yet. We'll just look round the shops and see.” That indeed was the answer Bae did NOT want to hear coming out of Hana's mouth. He sighs suddenly regretting joining them on their little shopping trip.

“Clothes shops?” Hana points towards a mens clothes shop debating if they should go in.

“Do you know his size?”

“Nope.”

“Then we can't silly.” Emily sighs dragging them instead to a cutesy shop instead.

“WAA! It's so cute in here.” Hana starts jumping up and down until she notices some one standing in front of them, “What are you doing here? Did Soohyun send you? BAE!”

“NO! he didn't I just got left of work early and saw you guys here.”

“Liar.” Hana pouts up at her Unnie. The one person in their family who couldn't keep a secret, especially when it comes down to presents.

“Well since I'm here, and I need to get our lovely brother a present too, I'll come with you.”

“Promise you wont tell Oppa?” Emily holds her pinkie finger out to her oldest Unnie who joins her pinkie as well sealing the promise.

“Emily... she'll tell.” Hana whines, but Emily just ignores her and continues to look around the shop.

“Waa! Why are boy so hard to buy for.” They had been looking for almost two hours and not found a single thing they thought Soohyun would like.

“I'm fed up of looking.” Eun Ae was tired, she had been working all day and all she wanted was to go home. “Argh. Thats it, I'm just going to spend a fortune and get him an Ipod.”

“Well thats most of my daily pay gone.” She hold up the Ipod's bag and sighed. Suddenly, she remembers that Soohyun was paying her to look after the girls. When she looked around her smile dropped. “Um... Where are the girls?” Eun Ae couldn't even remember the last time the girls were with her. Was it before she went into the shop?”

meanwhile...

“Quickly run.” Bae shouts. The girls had run so that they could buy Soohyun a present without Eun Ae knowing what it was.

“Lets go to the 'build a bear' first.” Pants Emily holding onto Hana's hand. She had roughly known what she wanted to do for Soohyun but didn't want Eun Ae to know. When they got in they looked around at all the cute flat teddies. She smiles when she spots something that would be perfect. Kermit the frog.

“I wonder if he still remembers the conversation we had.” She says to herself picking up a flat Kermit and taking it to the Stuffing man in the middle of the shop.

“Um Emily?” Bae holds her back from going any further. “You did know they make you do embarrassing stuff right?”

“I know, but it's for Oppa.”

“Annyeong.” Emily says to the stuffing man.

“Oh hello.” He says back in English assuming Emily didn't speak Korean. “What type do you want.” He points to a sign that said soft, cuddly, firm and hard.

“Cuddly please.”

He starts the machine and starts to pump fur into the frog.

“Pick a heart.” He says once the teddy was full. Emily picked a heart from the box that was full of different types of cloth hearts. “Hold it to your heart, close your eyes.” Emily did as she was told. It may have been embarrassing but after all it was for her brother and he had done so much for her. “Shout out 'I love my bear'.”

“But it's for my Oppa.”

“The say 'I love my Oppa.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Do it or the wish wont work.” She closed her eyes again, she needed the wish to work, she had to do it.

“I LOVE MY OPPA!” By now she was really red. Hana and Bae where standing in a corner secretly laughing at her.

“Now make a wish and give the heart a kiss to seal the deal.” She made her wish and opened her eyes. “And in it goes.” She puts the heart into the hole in the back of the bear and watched amazed as the hole was sealed shut just by the stuffing man pulling on the lose ends. “All done. Go to that lady there to do the birth certificate.”

In the end th birth certificate read...

Name: Shin Kermit

D.O.B: 10^th march 2005

Owner: Shin Soohyun

From: Shin Emily

Message: Happy birthday Oppa. This Kermit reminded me of you. I put a special wish in him so he should be super lucky. I love you Oppa.

“I found you!” Eun Ae catches everyone coming out of a gaming store already with their presents. “Why did you run of?”

“We don't trust you.” Emily says giving her a quick hug.

“Fine! Just don't tell Soohyun I lost you. If you do he wont pay me.”

“Ha I knew it.” Hana turns to Bae making him suddenly very scared. “I will get you when you are least expecting it.”