Seven Years Later

“Yes. I do have an interview with the manager at 2:00 P.M.” Dara said in an utmost confidence, flipping her hair and adjusting her big and black sunnies down to the receptionist’s name plate. It said Gong Minzy. “I already brought everything that your resort needs to know about me.” She tapped her long folder twice.

The receptionist named Gong Minzy let out an awkward chuckle as her eyes went past the folder towards the two large suitcases on the applicant’s side, one is a hot pink and the other one is neon orange. Minzy creased her forehead.

“Well?”

Minzy shook her head a bit and cleared . “Uhm. Yes, Miss-”

“Park. Sandara Park.” She gave her best smile.

“Yes, Miss Park.” She typed something on her computer and nodded back to Dara. “The manager will be meeting you at the beachfront in the Aurora’s gazebo. Just turn to your left and go straight.”

“Okay.” She smiled with delight. Dara adjusted her light yellow off-shoulder blouse paired with a white skinny jeans and white sandals. “Oh, right.” She turned to Minzy again before she could leave the reception hall. She raised her sunnies to her forehead. “Please bring my suitcases to my room. You can bring my key afterwards.”

“What?”

“Thank you.” She winked at her and put her sunglasses back.

 Minzy could only follow the bizarre lady with a confuse stare.

Dara turned to her left when she felt her phone vibrating on her pocket. “Yoboseyo?” She answered while holding the folder on her left.

“Dara?”

“Bom? Wae?”

“Is it true that you’re in Jeju right now?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Why?” Bom asked in incredulity.

Dara sighed, not really in the mood to explain about her mission. “I have an interview in a resort here.” She ignored the stares the men were giving her as she walked passed by.

“Why are you getting a job in Jeju? I told you to go to Lee Seunggi, didn’t you? He is your ticket to France. He is in Seoul, not on that island. Can’t you read a simple address? What’s wrong with you?”

“I did talk to him, okay?” Dara rolled her eyes as she arrived on the gazebo and sat on one of the white cushioned bamboo chairs. She took her sunnies off and placed it on the table. Her eyes roamed at her surroundings. It truly is a five-star resort. She thought. The gazebo seemed to shine immaculately in white as the rays of sun touched the place. She looked at the crystals sparkling from the chandelier above her, then to the foreigners who seemed to enjoy their vacation even in the busy month of October. Even the utensils were in gold, wondering if they were real, plus she loved how the whole place was adorned with shells and fresh lilies and chrysanthemums. “And I’m here in Jeju to get my ticket.” She inhaled slowly the comforting scent of sea breeze.

“What do you mean?” Bom asked. “Spill !”

Dara chuckled. She had to thank her bestfriend for introducing her to Lee Seunggi. She really is her life saver, from their high school and even up to now. Bom has been very supportive.

Park Bom graduated in Mass Communication, and is now working as an assistant to one of the directors in KBS channel. It was a decent job, but she swore she would resign one day and just travel the world. Bom always complained on how low she gets paid, how dumb and fugly the other staff and even artists who looked down on her, and also how the director was a slave-driver. Dara would just laugh at her, knowing she couldn’t do it for she had this stupid crush on the young director a.k.a. her sadistic boss. She closed her online shop a long time ago, realizing it just added to her stress in college.

Sandara Park? She never got to finish college. She was on her 2nd year in Business Administration when she stopped. Her mother died in lung cancer, and she had to support her younger brother who was studying in Japan. Thunder was the name, and he would be graduating this year as an architect. She entered all sort of job just to support him, decent ones of course. Don’t think about me. It’s time to think about yourself now. You have your dreams as well. You can now live and get the life you want. She could hear her brother spoke.

Paris, France.

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Scottsdale.

That was her only destination.

To become a famous baker.

She was six when she made that decision. She enjoyed watching people baked on lifestyle channels and would tend to throw a tantrum whenever someone would change the channel. Dara loves cakes that she’d marry one if possible. She could bake alright, but she felt that she needed that chance to learn in Paris’ baking school and be known there.

$300,000.00

That was the sum she needed for everything to get her dream. Plane ticket, school fees, apartment, ingredients, bills, transportation, food, etc. etc. etc.

Of course, she had savings on her palm-sized piggy bank inside her neon orange luggage. It had $52.00 as of the moment. Yeah. That would take you to Paris.

How far will you go for that Paris dream? She remembered Bom’s question that night on her birthday. They were in a club in Gangnam, celebrating and drinking happily.

Veeeeeerrryyy faaaarrrr, was her answer.

Really?

Really!

Enter Lee Seunggi.

Bom was actually kinda hesitant to tell her about him because the guy was a bit weird.

Why is he weird? Does he have a bad breath?

No. I’m pretty sure not.

Does he sleep with only a bonnet on?

No. I don’t know.

Does he prefer pizza with no toppings on?

What? Are you drunk or something?

Then, tell me why you think he’s weird!

Bom began telling her bestfriend about this one time when she, along with her workmates, were just chillin’ in the pantry. A friend of her named Hyoyeon told them that she had a friend named Jessica Jung who went for a job interview in the Lee Corporation. She needed not go to any HR Dept. for the interviewer would be the Executive Vice President himself. That is VP Lee Seunggi. He needed not a diploma nor years of working experience. Just one requirement.

She has to be ing beautiful.

What? That’s it? That’s weird.

I know right!

Creepy Maniac Alert.

Totally.

Then, what happened?

Jessica Jung had only uttered the words, ‘Good morning sir,’ when the Vice President took three good seconds of staring at her from head to toe and dismissed her. End of the story. Bye-bye.

Wait, what?

Yeah. Yeah.

No interview? No introduction of name or whatsoever?

None of it.

Whaaaaat?

What’s weirder is that she wasn’t the only applicant who got the same treatment. If I remember it correctly, there were sixteen ladies lined outside his office. Hyo even said that her friend recalled that five of them were top models and two were kpop idols she wouldn’t mention the names.

So, does anybody get the job?

Ha! Get this. No one passed the VP’s standards.

No one?

Yup. No freaking one.

As in no one? Why?

I don’t know. I told you, he’s weird.

W-wait. So, why are you telling me this?

Do you want to try?

What?! Are you serious now?

I am.

Bom!

It’s just a suggestion, Dara. I just remembered it. Well, you look so desperate about your baker dream.

I am, but come on. That Lee Seunggi you’re telling me is a total creep. Who knows if he’s hunting for ladies he could turn into Anastasia Steele or something. Ahuh. No way.

Well, you got a point. But like I said, I just recalled it.

Those girls were weirder though.

Wae?

I mean, why would they try the unknown position when they knew nothing about its job’s description.

Salary.

Oh, yeah. How much?

Two hundred thousand dollars.

Hmm?

Yeah. Hyo told me about it. He offers $200,000. Nice and fair.

What?

You heard that right. Two hundred thousand dollars. On cash.

SHUT. UP.

“Yah Sandara Park!” Bom shouted over the phone.

“W-wha. . . why? Yes?” Dara shook her head, and sat up straight.

“What happened to you?”

“Nothing.” She said. “I just remembered something. Where are we again?”

Bom sighed as she munched her corn. “So, what exactly is your job?”

Dara inhaled deeply as she stared at the white lily on her table and caressed its petal before giving a dangerous smirk. “My job?”

“Oh gosh. I hope I get the job! Please! Please!” The lady on her left clasped her hands together, muttering a prayer. She was really pretty though. Tall. Fair-skinned. Sharp nose and jaw. Big eyes. A model definitely. Dara looked past her and to the other eight gorgeous ladies who were fixing their hair and make up every now and then. Why do I feel like I’m auditioning for a rom-com TV series in South Korea? Dara took her mirror from her bag and looked at herself. “Perfect,” she muttered.

“Ah! ! I screwed it.”

Dara jerked as a Canadian freelance model stormed the Vice President’s office, stomping her red heels on her way out.

“Sandara Park?”

She almost threw her mirror. “Y-yes!” She shoved her mirror inside her bag immediately and walked to the door. Smile, Dara.

And smile she did.