Seo Joo Hyun

The day started out as plain as I am. From my plain blouse, plain skirt, plain shoes, plain bag to my plain face. Attended a meeting in the morning, translated a few documents from French to English, and some from English to Italian for my boss and his clients. Had lunch and went back to the hotel to pack and get on to another plane for our next destination. Hi. My name is Seo Joo Hyun. Yep, even my name sounds so plain that I introduce myself as Seohyun, just to make it a little interesting.

 

Sighhh...

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. As a translator and an Engineer, I get to go places with my boss, Cho Kyu Hyun, and his executive assistant, Lee Jung Shin, and talk to people who I might have never met if I hadn’t gotten my heart broken and worked my off to study different languages just to forget painful words by learning new ones.

 

Like now, I'm back again in the country where my parents were born, South Korea, whereas me and my siblings were all born in the Philippines where my parents migrated. They went for a vacation there once and fell in love with the people and the place and decided to come back and stay for good. A year after, Mi Young Eonni was born. She was followed by Yu Ri Eonni who was born the next year. Two years after her, Yoo Na Eonni was next, and four years later, my fraternal twin, Min Hyuk, and I was born 5 minutes apart, respectively. But even though our parents migrated in the Philippines, they would always talk to me and my siblings in Korean and taught us the Korean culture, while all 7 of us (my parents and the 5 of us) learn the Filipino language and way of life.

 

The thing that’s bothering me the most was not my job, but my personality. Sometimes I think I have a super power, invisibility, because even though I’m taller than the average Filipina, could speak so many different languages (I lost count), and therefore, able to understand people of different ethnicities, I still feel invisible.

 

I guess growing up with a twin brother made me sort of tomboyish, as I have always wanted him to be proud of me and let me play with him and his friends. In high school, I started emulating my feminine Eonnis and breaking away from acting like a tomboy. Unfortunately, my twin brother also decided to grow a heart and be over-protective of me. He would befriend all the guys who remotely shows any kind of attention to me, so when they finally get the courage to confess, my brother would play the that’s-my-twin-sister-dude-she’s-off-limits card and they would eventually back off. And those that don’t, are still eternally in the friend zone with me.

 

Sighhh..

 

When college came, even before a guy shows any interest in me and even if my brother has backed off (being busy with his own love life), I already see him as a friend and nothing more. Five years ago, I almost had something I was hopeful, could eventually turn into a relationship, but it turns out, at the last minute, all I had were FALSE HOPES. That’s when I experienced my first heart break.

 

And I didn’t even get to call him my first boyfriend..

 

I turned 30 this year (ACK!), so I think it’s about time to stand up to my full height and try not to blend with the background, which I usually tend to do.

 

Hmmm.. What's the first thing to do..? Get a make-over! Then buy new clothes and it would be nice if I could break out of my shell and get a new attitude.. Do they sell a big enough hammer for my stupid shell?! – Oh please, Seo Joo Hyun, break out of your shell.. It's time.. You've been living for 30 years, crushes for 20 years that got you nowhere, and got rejected 5 years ago, it’s time to move on.. FALSE HOPES remember? No sense in waiting for someone who already told you that what you had were FALSE HOPES.. He's never going to change.. – But I could.. And I would! I'll make this my year! Fighting!

 

It's Saturday tomorrow, so I was sure I'll get a day off. I've been here for almost a week and I've yet to explore Seoul. I've always wanted to come back here and stay for, at least, a month so I can visit the whole country and not just a few places or so. My parents would tell me and my siblings such amazing stories about their homeland. Not to mention the Korean dramas we—my Mom, my Eonnis, and I—love to watch. It’s an indulgence my Dad tolerates because, of course, he misses Korea, too. The only place I've been to so far was the Hotel restaurant downstairs and some fleeting glances of Seoul on our way to meet a client before my boss hands me the phone and asks me to translate whatever the other person on the line was saying.

 

So much for sight-seeing.. Sighhh..

 

I was on my way back to my hotel room after 8 hours of non-stop talking from English to Korean, Japanese, Chinese and even French and vice versa. I decided to just order room service and ask Jung Shin if he wants to join me when he hands me the itinerary for next week. I was hoping our boss wouldn’t be with him when he does. I had enough of his cold shoulder to last me a life time.

 

Knock! Knock!

 

“Seohyun-ie..?”, I heard Jung Shin’s muffled voice from the corridor of the hotel.

 

“Coming..”, I called out, as I made my way towards the door.

 

Please let him be alone.. Please let him be alone..

 

I open the door to find Jung Shin alone. As I open my mouth to ask if he wants to have dinner via room service together, I heard a deep voice calling Jung Shin from behind. I grabbed the paper he was holding and told him I’m running a bath and going to sleep after because I was too tired. He started to protest, saying something about explaining something important and eating dinner first before I go to sleep, but I pushed him out and shut the door behind him after catching a glimpse of our boss, aka the Ice King—our secret nickname for him—Cho Kyu Hyun.

 

Phew! Dodged a bullet there.. Sorry, Jung Shin-ie..

 

Half an hour later, I get a text from Jung Shin :

Yahhh! You slammed the door on my face and almost got my foot! Do you really dislike him that much? I know, I know! It’s not my business! Aishhh! Anyway, you owe me, as usual! I had to make up an excuse so he’d leave you alone.. Again! I hope you ate dinner first before you sleep.. Did you?! If not, I’m sending HIM right there now! Got it?

 

I texted him back :

Hehehe! Sorry Jung Shin-ie! ♥♥♥ But I know you’d know what I was up to since you know me so well! And thank you for covering for me.. I can always count on you.. Just add this to all the things I owe you.. Lol! And yes I ate dinner.. I had to give a password to the room service guy.. So I’d know it’s legit.. He did that once before, you know.. Tricked me.. :/

 

 Jung Shin’s response :

I know.. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to warn you that time, Seohyun-ie.. But you know, he was just concerned about you.. Anyway, have you seen your itinerary yet? Good news and bad news..

 

That’s just it, “concerned about me”.. Another false hope, Jung Shin-ie.. If you only knew..

 

Texted him back with :

Uh-oh! Good AND bad news?! Haven’t had the chance to see it yet! What now?! Grahhh! I'll check it in a few! For now, good night, Jung Shin Chingu!

 

I grabbed the sheet of paper Jung Shin gave me earlier and started reading. I have tomorrow off (YAY!), but only till 7pm (BOOO!). Our clients invited us to a night out. They figured we all needed a break after the very hectic meetings-after-meetings in Seoul. I was supposed to fly home Friday night, but was being forced to join because the clients insisted. I only said yes because I knew I had a week off (I was promised!), and another day to finally see what Seoul had to offer (Something I'd really like to do..).

 

But now I have to go to Jeju with them for a week?!!!!!!!!!! WHY???????! I thought I go home first thing Sunday since they’ll have a local to translate for them i