I’m tired being shifted from one family member to another. I feel like I’m caught in an everlasting tennis tournament, going back and forth and back and forth. It makes me dizzy. Ever since my parents disappeared and my grandparents passed, I was abandoned. Eventually, my relatives took charge of my life. Last week I was with Aunt Crystal, and the week before that I was with Uncle Joon. I lasted longer there, about three weeks, and that’s with food and my own room. Uncle Joon had three daughters who liked hiding their bottles of beers in my microscopic luggage bag. That is how I survived there.

 

Though, I’m not poor. I don’t live in a third world country. In fact, now I live in the big metropolis known as The Red Apple. New York. With its foggy polluted air, loud honks of yellow and black taxis, busy grumpy people bumping into each other without apologizing. My new home for another week. Maybe more, I silently hope. I will be  living with Uncle Kim. He is a funny average Asian with a great sense of humour. I don’t think it will be that bad living with him, the only thing that worries me is that he is a traveler. By traveler, I mean that he is currently the manager of some famous Korean pop band.

 

As you would have already guessed, I am not a social butterfly nor am I a complete recluse. I’ve encountered so many different relatives; some mean, some old, some mean and old. Most of the time, I was the raisins in their bread. When I was at Uncle Joon’s house, his eldest daughter was getting high in the backyard. Before Uncle Joon could come home, she stuck the sachet of under my pillow. His wife found it when she was collecting my laundry. Just like that, I was kicked out. He said I was setting a bad example to his daughters. If anything, I’d say it was otherwise.

 

“Hello, I’m looking for Mr. Kim Boram” I asked politely to the robotic Botox Barbie working at the check-in counter of this posh hotel. She gave me the who-do-you-think-you-are-kid look. I smiled.

“Sorry, he is unavailable at the moment.”

“But you didn’t even check”

She glared at me as she reached for the fancy phone on her desk. In that moment, a group of people entered the extravagant hotel. They looked as if they were forming a circle around something even bigger. By bigger I mean important. Similar to how the president is surrounded by twenty secret service men. 

 

From the group of men, I noticed someone within the circle. Blue.

His oceanic blue hair was glowing lighter in the afternoon sun. A wave. We made a five second eye contact, where his eyes were so sharp, so deadly yet so alone. I immediately looked away, and noticed a familiar face. Not that familiar. Uncle Kim headed towards me and smiled at the receptionist.

“Good afternoon, Sir.” The blond doll greeted. He nods and looks at me.

 

Uncle Kim dives in for a hug and holds me for a rather long time. At least, for me. I don’t do hugs or any physical contact whatsoever.

“Nomnom!” he exclaims. I guess he didn’t forget the embarrassing nickname he gave me when I was ten. The year after that, my parents left me to pursue the entertainment business. I don’t hate them for that. I don’t like them for that either.

 

“Hey Uncle Kim” I said in a sulking manner. I tend to sulk often these days.

“Oh,” he looked at me with concern and confusion, “where did my lovely cute niece go?”

I gave him an awkward smile and watched the circle of people flow into the gold elevators.

“Don’t you have work, Unc-“

“Uncky Kwim” he corrects me.

“No way on Earth am I calling you that again”

My uncle pouted as he was approached by a tall man in a black suit. Probably one of the men in the circle.

“Hyung, the team is upstairs. The luggage is sent also” said the tall man. From the very little Korean I know, Hyung is what guys call older guys as a form of respect. Translation: brother.

 

“Alright, lets get my niece checked in and then we can order some food. The boys must be starving.”

Uncle Kim asked the ‘nice lady’ to check me in and called the bellboy to pick up my bag.

“Did you forget your luggage at Crystal’s house?”

“No, Uncle Kim. That’s that”

He looked at me with a sad expression and suddenly smiled.

“Oh, I get it! You’re going to be a woman soon, and want to shop for your own things. I see. Well then, good for you Kim Nao Pak. Do you want me to call you Nowie?” asked Uncle Kim as he chuckled.

This is will be a tiresome stay, I guarantee it.

 

-------

I was escorted to my lavish room. By lavish, I mean extremely expensive and roomy. I bet at least thirty people can sleep here. The walls were opaque beige with beautiful eccentric embroideries in every corner of the walls. There was a grand queen size bed with its own velvet curtains and wooden finishing. I felt like Cinderella, but looked like a mess I thought, as I stared in the bathroom mirror. I need a shower.

“Alright Naoo, I’ll let you freshen up, then you can join me and the boys for some lunch in the room next door. It’s my room”

“Thank you” I bowed, as a form of respect and farewell.

 

I shuffled through my tattered Adidas bag to look for clothing to wear. I found a white shirt with the words ‘Freedumb’ written on it with blue and red ink. I also found another pair of faded jeans and decided to get in the shower.

 

The shower was one of those stand-up showers with foggy glass to hide your self. On the right of this unusually large bathroom was a circular tub carved into the ground. I would take a bath tonight, it looks relaxing.

 

When I finished my shower, I put on my clothes and towel-wrapped my black hair. They tend to get wavy if they’re not dried. Not that I care. After my hair dried, I brushed through them again. Which room was it?

 

I exited my room and knocked on the room to my left. It seemed that the door was left open. Was it for me? There is only one way to find out. I entered the room, it was identical to mine except the bed was a bit closer to the TV set, bigger too, and the windows were open to a majestic view of busy New York City. There was a stuffed animal on the bed and a neat Transformers car on the desk near the lamp. Where was everybody, I thought as I approached the toys. I started to play with the car to transform it into the robots you see on TV, Bumblebee, was it?

“Who are you?!” I heard a deep voice yell. I look up to see the blue hair guy in a white towel around his waist. He noticed me looking and grabbed his shirt from the side table.

I automatically covered my eyes and started heading blindly towards the door. I accidentally bumped into the wall. A warm wall. Oh no.

I opened my eyes to see his glistening chest on my face. My eyes grew wide in horror after realizing that I’ve been staring. I dropped the Transformer and ran towards the exit, almost tripping over on my own feet. This is bad, I thought, really bad. If Uncle Kim found out I was in a guy’s room (not to mention he was shirtless) alone, he would send me away too. I guess this trip is going to be short-lived as well.

 

I rushed into my own room and ran into the washroom. I glanced at the mirror to find myself completely pink in the face and sweaty. Maybe I can take that bath right now, I thought.

Knock knock

I heard the door and my heart skipped a beat. What if it was the blue guy? What if he went to my uncle and both of them are waiting outside my door to kick me out in front of everyone?

I hesitantly reached towards the door and gulped.

It was the tall gentleman who was talking to my uncle in the lobby. I caught my breath as he talked.

“Your uncle wanted me to tell you to come for lunch in his room”

“Thank you” I bowed. There’s no way I can dodge this one. I calmed my self and exited the room.

 

I entered the room to my right, where I was initially invited to. I walk into a large room; it was not like my room or the other room. Instead of a bed, there was a couch and a table similar to a family living room. The bedroom was probably branched in through the hallways. I saw six people sitting on the luxuriant couches; a blond haired guy with cheerful eyes who was talking to a well built person with spiky hair, a guy with black Spock-like hair eating some noodles with my uncle and an animated guy with a wool hat and a black haired fringe. Lastly, I noticed the blue haired guy and immediately remembered what had happened. It seemed calm, so I guess he didn’t tell anyone yet. Hopefully. I accidentally made eye contact with him again, and my heart sank. What if he’s going to tell during our lunch? This scared me. Maybe I can make an excuse and head to my room for that bath, I feel like I really need it.