§Kim Jaejoong's House http://www.luxuryhomesimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/luxury-mansions.jpg

I smelled fresh chamomile, rose and orchids. I sniffed my nose. It smells rich and expensive Oakwood, freshly trimmed leather and fragrance that not an ordinary Lysol spray could produce. I blinked my eyes open; the sheets are a supple white floral comforter. The bed was soft and bouncy and so are the pillows. I yawned and stretched my arms. I got up the bed half-asleep.

            My feet skidded to something small and hard and I slipped back down to the floor. The floor was unusually glossy and smooth; I looked around me and felt my jaw dropped.

            “This is not my room.” I muttered under my breath.

            The room was wide, really wide and spacious. The wallpaper were white floral of lavender, and paintings plastered against it. It was matched by a white curtain, blistering under the sun. There was a chandelier above the bed; which is big enough for one person. The room doesn’t only have a bed or a closet; it has a sofa set, sound system and flat screen television, a wardrobe and massive bookshelves, with tall flower vases around.

            I stood up, regaining my balance. Is this a dream? I slapped my face, it hurt. No, this isn’t a dream. It was a footstool that I slipped unto. I walked shaking and stumbled with my back on a door. I turned to grab it and took a last glimpse, expecting the room would vanish. I opened it and found a bathroom about the size of my room, or bigger.

            The bathroom was shinning gold, gold gigantic bathtub, gold toilet, an enormous mirror with gold edges. As I walk for the bathtub barefoot, the marble floor was cold. The bathroom was walled with smooth brine stones. I touched the bathtub, seemingly real enough; I went for the sink and turned the shining gold faucet to wash my face. I tore a tissue paper from its dispenser and wiped my face dry.

            I touched the mirror, it was cold too. I watch my reflection wearing pajamas and wondered panicky how I end up wearing it. I staggered out the room and to the other door, a bigger wood door. When I got out, I yelled. “Dad, what happened to my room?” I wasn’t really hoping this was untrue, it was real enough though.

            There were maids dressed in their uniform who stopped cleaning to look at me. The hall outside was not my house, it was wide and sparkling, everything I see is sparkling clean. An old man with white hair and mustache and wearing formal attire walked towards me.

            “Good morning, Madame.” He said. I stared at him.

            “You are in Young Master Kim Jaejoong’s house.” He continued when I didn’t spoke. “I am his butler, Butler Seo.”

            “In Jaejoong’s house?” I repeated. I notice the maids were gawking at me.

            “Yes Madame.” He confirmed again. I wonder how big it is; evaluating the room that I just saw, and slept unto, no doubt it’s big.

            “Ne, please don’t call me ‘Madame’.” I said and blinked. “Call me So Eun.”

            “You are our Young Master’s guest; we shall all call you ‘Madame’.” He insists. I didn’t argue further.

            “How did I get here?” I couldn’t remember how I got here. But I remembered the bar…

            “Young Master brought you here while you were… er—not feeling well.” You mean drunk, I thought and was embarrassed at myself. “The maids took care of you last night, cleaning after your vomit.” I blushed. “My apology if the guest room wasn’t subtle enough, it wasn’t quite clean. But it’s the only one available.”

            I thought about how shiny the floor was and thought hard if anything could be cleaner, even my own room couldn’t reach that cleanliness. “Wait, that’s only a guess room?” It looks like three fourth of our first floor at home, and startlingly not the master’s bedroom yet.

            “Yes.” He replied bluntly. He was more formal than any regular chauffer in Seoul Elite High. He has standard and class.

            “Where’s Jaejoong?” I asked with a beat of trepidation and impatience.

            “He is at school.” He said this factually. “But he brought your uniform here, just in case you decide to catch up for school.”

            “May I ask what time is it?”

            “It’s already twelve o’clock, Madame. Your lunch is about here.” He glances at his wrist watch.  I wouldn’t be able to catch up for class with that. He seems to read my expression.

            “Oh, okay. Has anyone informed my Dad?” I checked my pocket for my cell phone and thought maybe it was at my jeans.

            “Yes, Young Master had already taken care of everything before hand.” He said grimly. I relaxed a little.

 A cart with a tall slim man clothed in formal suit wheeled a cart of food. “Bon appétit Madame.” He opened the door for me, I went back in, gradually resolved now, and the cart was wheeled inside. The tall man gracefully placed the food at the table near the wide window.

            “Feel free to tour the house; may I leave you now, Madame?” Butler Seo asked formally. I only nod in response. They both left, the cart wheeled back out.

            English food was served at the table, bacon, potato mash with gravy, vegetable salad, grapes, cheesecake and tea. I picked up a grape to eat. Hesitating, I sat down the royal-looking chair. There was a note neatly tucked at the tray, I took it.

            Kim So Eun,

                        You got drunk last night and started vomiting at my car. I couldn’t drive it today to school because of you. How could you drink vodka as if it’s a mouthwash? I told Jessica to tell your father whatever excuse, but if you want to catch class, your uniform is at the closet. If you wouldn’t want to, feel free to roam my house. You have it all for yourself. Wait for me to come home.

                                                                                                                         Kim Jaejoong.

            I could hear Jaejoong’s musical voice from his letter, neatly scribbled by his outstanding penmanship. I smiled to myself, embarrassed by the trouble I made him suffer. Jaejoong took care of my needs; I feel an urge to see him now. But why does he want me to wait for him? Although I need to go home now, I feel like I want to talk to him too, and say sorry as well.

            I ate my lunch, eating everything and leaving the plates clean. I couldn’t remember the things I’ve said to Jaejoong last night, or the things I’ve done, I panicked. It seems like I got drunk easily and quickly.

            Curiously, I opened the wardrobe. It smells like lavender. It was half empty except for my uniform, my gym clothes last night, and a new dress, hanged inside. I slip my hand to my jeans, and took out my cell phone.  I dialed Jessica’s number.

            “So Eun,” She greeted actively. “What happened to you and Jaejoong last night? Why did you spend the night there? I never thought, for thirteen years that we have been best friends could you do this to me? You didn’t tell me nor inform me?” She babbled dramatically.

            “Jess hold up.” I cut her off. “Nothing happened to us you green girl; we only went out on a bar. I just wanted to try a drink but then I get out of hand and got drunk. I fell fast asleep.”

            “Wait, nothing happened?” She asked unbelievably, not caring how shocked I am with my bizarre environment.

            “Nothing.” I confirmed indignantly to what she’s thinking.

            “That’s Kim Jaejoong right?” I could feel her skeptical. “Rumors had it that he wouldn’t let pass a night with a girl without doing anything.” She yelled.

            “I don’t care about rumors— don’t believe them green girl!” I yelled back.

            She was laughing incredulously. “Whatever you say, I believe you.” I sigh in relief. “Its lunch time here and I’m with Yuchun again.” She sang whimsically.

            “What did you tell my dad?” I sidetracked.

            “I told him that you slept late because of a chick flick, and I gave you the credit to sleep some more. He didn’t seem troubled though. But it’s unusual of you to do such a bad thing.” She sang again.

            “How did Jaejoong brought here my uniform?”

            “He bought a new one, asking me about your size in the middle of— two am in the morning!” She yelled again.

             “Where could he possibly get a uniform out of the blue?” I ignored her.

            “I dunno, he’s Kim Jaejoong anyway.” She exaggerates.

            “Thanks, Jess.”

            “You sure nothing happened?” She hummed mockingly.

            “Nothing!” I yelled and hung up.

            I’ve decided to bathe in the gold bathtub, bringing the hanged dress and a towel. The bathtub was wide enough for five, filling it up takes a lot of time from the gold modern faucet. It frees warm soothing water. I filled the tub with bubbles and unwind to relax my joints.

            I wore the fresh clean dress, it looks expensive enough for the soft cotton texture, and the French tags labeled it classy and brand new.

            I decided to take a trip around the house like what Jaejoong said, but barefoot. My chucks don’t look appropriate for my dress. The maids were gawking at me every so often.  

            The house is confirmed to be really huge; it took me half an hour to navigate out of the guess rooms. The guest rooms are very much alike, and the sizes were really big. I entered each room to check everything out. The bathrooms are exactly widely the same, overflowing with gold. I walked out to a vast living room; it was decorated with expensive furnishings and chandeliers. Their was two kitchen in the massive house, one was at the modern kitchen across the vast living room, and the other one was a Victorian-like. It excludes the professional dirty kitchen wherein I saw American and Korean cooks are proficiently cooking.

            At the west wing of the second floor was a roomful of walk in closet with expensive brands of things like Channel, Prada and the masculine Salvatore Ferragamo. I didn’t want to look at more of the brands, it hurt my eyes. The rooms are separated according to the things it contain, there are rooms full of clothes, bags, accessories, shoes, entertainments like Play Stations and Wii, a massive library and a home cinema that I thought could only be real in Hollywood or in movies. Each door I open, an exciting and shocking revelation presents itself.   

            Jaejoong is rich, indeed, richer than Richie Rich. Maybe that’s why when he throws a party; everyone in school would die to be invited. This just proves what Jess and Mina had told me before, even showing a magazine about Jaejoong’s family being in Forbes riches family in the world. I was only too stubborn to believe.

            From time to time, I see Principal Kim Joanne’s portraits hanged in the wall. They look beautifully made by an artist. When I saw Jaejoong’s big portrait at the top of the stairs, I touched it. He looks unbearably handsome.

            Only Principal Kim Joanne’s room is closed for sight seeing. It was a two door and elegant enough of its exterior.

            When I reach the east wing of the second floor, which already tires me than strolling at the mall, I opened a two-door room. It was a vast room, three times bigger than the guest room. It smells oceanic and salt, mint and salty asphalt. Its wall is glass, and everything was blue. The room has its own blue kitchen, a sofa set, an entertainment set, a walk-in closet, a blue chandelier and a centralized air conditioner. I closed the doors behind me and wander around. I saw a gigantic telescope near a study table. I touched its metallic coat and the big lens it upholds. I jumped to the big blue bed. It was soft, like my bed in the guest room. I fixed the sheet later.

            I smelled the room again, it’s somehow familiar: it’s Jaejoong’s natural scent. I smelled it in his car, and when he held my hand at the mall, and also when we were so close in his umbrella.

I went out contented. I travelled the rest of the house. I saw the art room at the attic; the materials are all unused, at its greatest shape and all professional kits of an expert. Unthinkingly, I painted the bay again, taking my time. It resulted exactly alike my painting at home, but the paint in this room is much better. It’s imported from Paris, France.  I signed the canvass and left it.

            I hurried down the stairs and out the grand door. My jaw fell from the sight of the massive mansion that I had just travelled. I walked at the very far sight from the house and turned to take a picture of it with my phone.

            A blue car wheeled near me, I was almost hit. I yank away and search the driver. Kim Jaejoong got out the car with an elegant poise and stared at me with his melted bronze eyes. He smiled dangerously at me.