“Father, father I’m talking to you here! Father!” I called him whilst shaking him.

            “What??” He asked waking up from his usual daydreaming.

            “What’s this letter about you almost getting fired??” I ask, slamming the letter we got on the table in front of him.

            “Where did you get that?” He asks casually but not looking into my eyes. I scoffed, biting my lip, clearly frustrated. I didn’t bother to answer his question. “Father we’re low on money! You can’t lose your job too!” I almost screamed. He sighs heavily. “I’m trying Ji Won. It’s not that easy.” He said.

There he goes again, being sad and depressed. It’s been three whole months since my mother passed away. We are going through a hard time, we both are. But we still need to live, and I’m trying so hard to stay strong for the both of us. But it’s hard, especially when my father looks like he lost all sense of living. My father is an undercover cop. Well respected and has a good pay. But with him acting like this, it’s clear that he’s going lose his job soon. Suddenly, I heard someone knock on our apartment door. We moved here because we lost our house, there were still boxes lying around.  I walked to the door and took a peek of who it is. “It’s me Larry. Jade?” I practiced my smile before opening the door. “Hey Larry! Come in.” I said opening the door. “Where’s your father?” He asks as I took his coat. I nod towards our balcony outside, where my father always is. Daydreaming and being depressed. “Want me to call him?” I ask Larry. Larry is a good friend and co-worker of my father, almost like an uncle to me. He always checks on me if he has time to spare, and I am more than grateful to him. He smiled to me and nod. I walk out to the balcony once again and shook my father’s shoulders. “Larry’s here.” I told him, my tone cold as ice. He stood up and walk to the living room without looking at me. I rolled my eyes and went to make them drinks.

“What brings you here Larry?” I heard my father ask as I was making the drinks. I strain my ears to listen to Larry’s answer, eavesdropping; a bad habit of mine. “I brought good and bad news John.” Larry’s tone was serious and full of concern. “What is it?” my father asks. I finished the drink and brought it to the living room. “You’re getting fired.” I almost spilled the drinks. “Woah, easy there Jade.” Said Larry, helping me. I mumbled ‘sorry’ and sat down in front of them. “So he lost it?” I ask Larry. “He gets to keep it if he succeed in a mission.” He said pulling out an envelope from his pocket. “Oh I can’t go to Korea Larry. I can’t leave.” My father said after reading the mission he got. I took the letter from him and read it myself. It wasn’t a hard mission. Just to keep an eye on a girl named Choi Jin Ri. Her brother is a suspect in a case related to drugs and the mission is to know her brother whereabouts from her, if the brother, which is Choi Siwon, isn’t found in the given time. It was simple really. She was still in high school, and her age is just like me, which is 17.

“Father this is your simplest mission you ever got.” I argued. Does he think losing his job is a joke? “I can’t leave America Ji Won.” He said, his voice strict. I bit my lip, anger flowing inside me. “John, I did my best by giving you a simple mission. You are gonna lose your job for goodness sake.” Larry tried to reason him. My father shook his head, getting angry himself. “The answer’s no Larry.” He said standing up and going outside again. I sigh heavily, my lip bleeding with all the biting I did. I didn’t realise it started to bleed until Larry gave me a tissue. “You should throw that bad habit of yours Jade.” Larry said to me in a sad tone. I took his tissue, smiling sadly to him. Until an idea came to me. I lit up and took Larry’s hand making him jump. “What?? What are you thinking?” he asks me curiously. “Can I take the mission instead?” I blurt out. Larry’s eyes widen in shock, letting go of his hand at once. “What do you mean take the mission Jade? No,no,no.” He said shaking his head vigorously. “Larry come on! It’s a simple mission. And I speak the language, no better, I’m Korean! Okay, half Korean, but still.” Larry was gonna say no again when I kept going. “I’m the same age too! I can go to the same school, maybe even the same class as this Jinri girl. If you’re scared of my safety, don’t forget about my taekwondo. I already have a black belt!” I said, saying everything that is in my head. Larry took a deep breathe, I can tell he’s thinking it over. I look at him with my pleading eyes. “Okay-” he started when I cut him off by hugging him. “Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!” I said almost jumping. “Woah, easy there. I’m not promising you anything. But I’ll try Jade, I’ll try okay?” I nod. At least there was hope. Maybe after this mission is over, my father would be able to move on. I’m giving him more time basically.

After a week of waiting, Larry came to visit again. He said everything was settled. I’d have to live with someone because I have not come of age yet. I was a little bit surprised to be honest, I was just 17 years old, hard to believe that I’m allowed to go on this mission. But I brushed the thought out of my mind. I get so save my father job, give him more time, and plus, I finally get to visit my father’s country after two whole years. I was home-schooled so it wasn’t too hard settle; I just talked to the teacher, who lives in the same building as me. She [the teacher] was my mother’s friend and since she home-school her own kids, she gladly took me in too.

My father knows nothing until the day that I’m supposed to leave. “Ji Won where are you going?” he ask me when he saw all the bags I was packing.  “Korea.” I answer him casually. At first he didn’t react, I waited until he finally swallow the fact. “Are you running away?” he asks, also casually. “Nope. I’m taking your mission so I could keep the both of us alive.” I said, waiting again for his reaction. It didn’t take long though, “What?? What do you mean by that?!” he said in Korean, too shock maybe.

“What do you think father? I’m trying to keep us alive, since YOU clearly cannot do it!” I said firing up. He fell silent, I didn’t even feel guilty. At least not yet, I’m too angry to feel guilty now. Just then, Larry came to pick me up. He helped me with my bags and left me to say goodbye to my father. “I’m leaving father. Dinner is already ready and there’s frozen ham in the fridge. Mrs. Smith (our next door neighbour) said she’ll visit. I’ll see you again father.” I said more softly. I turned my back on him and walk to the door, but before I could leave, “Take care Ji Won-ah.” He said. I don’t why but it pained me to hear his words. We haven’t spoken in his mother language since my mother passed away. I was starting to think that it was a bad idea when I heard Larry calling me. I shook the thought away and ran downstairs.

At the airport, Larry introduced me to a man named Park Jeong-su. “Jade, meet your ‘uncle’ Park Jeong-su. You will be living with him, or rather, in his house. He has a mission in China for the time being.” I bowed to him. “Anyeonghaseyo, I’m Kim Ji Won.” I said, giving him a small smile. I don’t really like meeting new people. I don’t even talk much. I guess I have to get out of my shell now. “I’ll be your so called ‘uncle’ I guess. Please, call me Leeteuk.” He said to us both. Not that fluent in English, but he passes; I was judging him already. “Well, take care of her Leeteuk. I need to get going now. Take care Jade!” Said Larry leaving already. “See ya Larry. Take care of my father for me!” I wave at him. I turned back to this Leeteuk guy, it was already awkward. “Come on Ji Won. Our flight is about to take off.” He said breaking the silence. I nod, following him.

 A/N: Soooo, how was it? I’m just using the names because I at creating names. Yes, that is actress Kim Ji Won who played Rachel in The Heirs. I don’t know, I just felt like using her name. But I add 'Jade' myself. I’m probably gonna use names mostly from SMtown. Well, you see I’m f(x) biased hehe :D So I only know about them. I also feel like using Leeteuk’s name here. So yeah, that’s it I guess. I’m soooo new to this *smile sheepishly* So if you want you can always comment, subscribe or upvote. Or maybe give me constructive comments or something like that? I’d appreciate it! (A LOT!)

Btw, the ones in BOLD are in English. The normal ones  are in Korean of course (: