I looked on either side of me. There were two people to my right and three to my left.

I was in a group interview at Star Electronics for a field similar to the one I've been working in previously. The career my father chose for me while I worked for him before I decided to go out and get a job on my own. To my family I could do something for myself. We were in a large room, where meetings were probably held for the most part.

In front of us were three interviewers. They looked at us with expressionless faces, observing us and writing in their portfolios before anyone could speak.

Finally, the eldest of the men, sitting at the right end of the table, spoke:

"Thank you all for coming. We have a few questions for you all. I'm Mr. Han."

He looked to the man next to him, who introduced himself as Mr. Kim, and the last man intoduced himself as Mr. Choi.

Mr. Han started with the questions, asking us all for our names. When it came to me, I told him. "I'm Miss Sung Hyun Moon."

The three men looked at me curiously.

"Sung Hyun Mun?" Mr Choi smiled. "I believe I know your father. Owner of Sung Computer and Electric?"

I shifted in my chair. "Yes, sir."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sung."

I nodded. I was embarrassed. Already, everything would go downhill. I already knew they would soon have high expectations of me. Expectations I could not reach. So when the interview started, I had no hope.

Mr. Kim started by talking to the man to my left, a man by the name of Park. "It says on your resume that you went to Tokyo Universtity to study law. So why is it that you would come here to work as a web designer?"

Confidently, the man smiled. "I have always been interested in computers, and despite my major, I always wished to pursue a field related to it. Although I lack experience, I hope to gain some by working at this company."

Mr. Kim nodded. "I see... but this job does require some level of experience."

Park fidgeted. "Yes sir... I thought maybe my interest in computers would be enough, since I have been working with them from a young age..."

Mr. Kim nodded, but the look on his face was disapproving as he wrote in his portfolio.

It went on like this. They seemed to try picking on the best candidates and shoot them down. Process of elimination? I think so. It seemed more of a test on who could take the pressure than to see who could fit the actual job. They seemed to be criticizing us rather than interview...

After a few questions, Mr. Choi picked out a woman by the name of Jeong.  "According to your resume, you took quite a few English courses in college. Knowledge in the English language is required for this job."

There was a sound of fear, the sound of people shifting in their chairs. Not everyone was confident in their language skills.

"Would you mind telling me about yourself in English?"

Ms. Jeong smiled with a nod before starting. "I am striving for a job in the field of computers because I want to make a change in the Earth. Because it is the twenty-first century, everyone is looking to be fast paced and connected to everyone. If I am able to work in this field, I can be able to change how people interact with each other and so that we can get more work done. I am very motivated and will work very hard in order to do well here. Thank you." She bowed.

Mr. Choi wrote a few notes. "It's nice that you want to change the world, Ms. Jeong, but here we are only looking for people willing to do as we say."

There was the sound of giggles from the others, but I looked at the woman in pity seeing she was embarrassed. This isn't a competition... I thought. Well actually, it is.

"Also, it seems that you may need to brush up a bit on your English vocabulary." He cleared his throat then looked at me. His face turned from a stern one to a smile.

Well, damn, I'm doomed.

"Ms. Sung. Knowing your father, I would assume that you have quite a bit of experience in this field."

"Yes sir," I said. "I worked alongside him during high school, and worked for him right after."

He nodded, then raised his eyebrows. "But you're only nineteen."

I nodded. "Yes sir... I graduated at an early age. I lived in America for three years, and during that time they put me up two grades."

The three men looked at each other in astonishment. "Why is that?"

"I took a test, and they thought I was smart enough..."

The truth is, I was smart enough at that particular school. I returned to South Korea my first year of high school, but there was a difference in expectations, and I sturggled to succeed. It was my lack of intelligence that my father put me straight into the workforce: I failed the college entrance exams.

That is what I was afraid to tell. But it seemed that no interviewer I met that spring would shy away from the question...

"Why is it that you didn't go to college, Ms. Sung? You were obviously smart enough to skip two grades!"

I looked down, and again the sound of giggles came from the people sitting next to me.

"I... failed..."

"You what?" Mr. Choi leaned forward. As if I needed to be tortured with it again, as if it weren't enough when it happened, when my family shamed me for it, and when I had to suffer through admitting it at every single interview...

"I failed! I failed the entrance exam..."

No one held back this time. They all laughed at me. How could I be looking for such a job when I'm not even worthy of a position two levels lower? Now even Mr. Park next to me has more of an advatange than I do.

I hoped that my father's relationship with Mr. Choi would help. I became desperate, as could be heard when I tried to raise my voice over the sounds of laughter. "I am a very hard working, though. I've been doing web design since junior high! I've even helped design my father's site..."

Mr. Choi held up his hand. "I've heard enough, Ms. Sung."

And so the room was once again quiet, and the questions went on.

 

---

 

"Dammit!"

I threw my jacket onto my bed and kicked the bedroom door before I sighed heavily and sank into my chair.

"I can say goodbye to that job..."

I turned around to face my desk and glared at the ad sitting there. A woman had given it to me a few days before while I was grocery shopping.

"You have a wonderful body," she told me, catching me by surprise. One eye closed, she measured my proportions with her fingers. It made me uncomfortable.

"Thanks..." My face grew hot, and I turned in an attempt to quickly walk away from the situation. But she wouldn't let me.

"Have you ever considered modeling, ma'am?"

Modeling. I never considered modeling. It seemed about the dumbest job to me. Wearing clothes, walking, dieting... it seemed the perfect job for an idiot, and that was the last thing I wanted to be labled as, considering my past with education.

The woman didn't wait for an answer. "We are looking for fresh faces. I hope you will consider coming one day. We can give you an overview of the work you will do. In fact, we are looking for people like you. It'd be a pleasure if you could come in." She smiled and handed me the ad before leaving me to continue shopping.

Looking at the ad, I don't know why she would lie to me like that.

I lied to myself too.

Considering the possiblity of maybe working for them, I looked the company up. It was called E.co. And what had she lied about? My 'wonderful' body.

Looking at the models for the brand rather than the expensive clothes, I compared myself to them, and it made me feel horrible. Compared to the beautiful woman, I had short hair, monolids, and a stick of a body. No curves at all, nowhere close to an S-line.

When I began looking at swimwear, I started to consider dieting...

"Nope!" I shut my laptop. No need to diet if I wasn't going to become a model.

I looked at the ad again. The woman... she was really nice though. And she offered me a job, something I've been looking for all month...

I sighed. Get over yourself, Moon. I picked up the phone and called.

"Hello?"

"Hello, my name is Sung Hyun Moon, and I am looking for a job in modeling."

"Sorry ma'am, but we're not looking for anymore models. If you're interested in cleaning, however-"

"But I was given an ad by someone a few days ago. She gave it to me saying she wanted me to model for them."

There was a pause. "Oh, was it at the grocery store?"

"Ye- yes." I said, taken aback by the exactness of the assumption.

"So it's you!" she laughed. "I'm sorry, I should have given you my business card. My name is Kang BoRam."

"Ok..." I didn't know how to respond. "Um, Ms. Kang, I was wondering if I could come in for an interview, and when-"

"An interview isn't necessary." I could hear her smile through the phone. "You just need to come into to learn about the work. If you think you can do it, you can start work today! That is, if you can come in today."

"To- today?" I jumped up.

"Well, only if you can, but you do need to come in before the end of May-"

"I'll be on my way! I should be there..." I looked at the address. "I should be there in an hour. Is that okay?"

"It's perfect! You will have a chance to see a photo shoot. I'll see you then."

"Thank you so much!" I bowed. After I hung up, I grabbed a snack and went on my way.