Nae Chingu (My Friends) Chapter Five

Nae Chingu (My Friends)

Chapter Five

Three Years Earlier...

Today was the day I joined the regular classrooms. If I was being honest with myself, I was terrified. Jong Hwa assured me I would be ok but lets be serious, what did he know? I was the only American at this school; being an outsider wasn't new to me. I had been to three other countries before Korea and I was always the odd one out but never had I stood out so...so...ethnically! With my naturally tan skin, which I inherited from my  mother's Native American side, I hadn't stood out too much in Spain. In fact, most Spaniards took me for being Spanish which resulted in many awkward conversations where I had to explain that I didn't actually speak Spanish. Even in Germany, my darker tone never really took anyone by surprise because there was a fair amount of people with darker complexions already there. Of course, Korea had their tourists of every shape and color but most Korean high school students didn't encounter other ethnicities within their walls very often--ok, almost never--so I would stick out like a sore thumb against their naturally pale skin. Even though I had already spent six months within their walls, I had been with other students that were new to Korea, mostly Chinese or Japanese which made me the only American but as a whole, we never mingled with the Korean students. It was like we were kept separate on purpose until we were ready.

I made my way through the halls until I reached room A-2136. I was late to class, I mean it was still the homeroom hour but the main office had me wait so the homeroom teacher could prepare the class for my arrival--like I was a disease they needed to be "prepared" for. This meant I would walk into class and all the students would have an opportunity to stare and speculate about me while the teacher introduced me. If I'd had a choice in the matter, I would have snuck into class before anyone got there and quietly sat in the back and prayed no one took any notice of me. But as my crappy luck would have it, I got to stand front and center, gah, just kill me now!

Because I had found my classroom faster than I wanted, I took another minute to myself to compose my stoic face before opening the door. Like anticipated, every head turned towards the door and stared at me. Choosing to ignore their curious looks, I faced the teacher and bowled while giving her my late slip from the office. Prior to merging with the rest of the school, I had met with the homeroom teacher and she was extremely nice. She had warned me, however, that she wouldn't treat me any different than the other students just because I was new--new, she had said. New, not foreign, which instantly made me like her because we both knew the truth of the situation

    "Annyeonghaseyo, Seonsaengnim," I bowed as a sign of respect.

    "Ah, our new student has arrived, " she wrapped her arm around my shoulders and gestured to the class. "Everyone, say hi to Ril-Li," She chirped. I had grown used to people pronouncing my name this way and I kind of liked the ring of it so I didn't bother correcting her.

There were a lot of "hello"s of varying enthusiasm that echoed around the room. I bowed to them as well and looked at no one in particular--mostly just the back of the room. God, was I sweating? I felt like I was sweating...

    "Why don't you tell us a little about yourself, I'm sure everyone is curious," she said, still smiling.

Yeah, I'm sure everyone was, I thought to myself. "Well, um, I moved to Korean eight months ago," I looked at the teacher to see if that was sufficient. Clearly it wasn't because she nodded and gestured for more. Crap... "My Korean isn't perfect so-so please don't take offense," I stopped talking abruptly. Maybe that would excuse me from having to say more.

    "We will help you as much as we can, won't we class?" The teacher said in what was suppose to be a reassuring tone but only made me feel more stupid. Again, there were various "ne"s from around the room before the class fell silent again. "Ok, why don't you go sit in the empty chair next to our class president and we'll get started. Class president, could you please stand up?"

I didn't really need the class president to stand up, I mean there was only one open chair and obviously it was mine, but as dutiful as a class president should be, he stood up. I nearly stumbled over a backpack in surprise as Jong Hwa stood up next to the empty desk. Before I could catch myself I said, "Jong Hwa-ya?" My surprise must have been what he was looking for because he laughed and nodded.

It was then that I finally took a deep breath and felt like maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. At best, I figured I'd be able to see Jong Hwa during lunch time but to be in his actual classroom was nothing short of a miracle.

It turned out Jong Hwa's mother was on the school board and he insisted repeatedly that she should give me a spot in his class when I finally transitioned into the regular classes. When he told me that I realized that me getting into his classroom wasn't the miracle but that Jong Hwa himself was my miracle.

***

Present Day

I spent the weekend studying for the entrance exams for the program but considering I wasn't given any idea of what to expect, I didn't know what I should be studying for in particular. I did a little bit of everything; between practicing my math, writing--in hangeul and English--I went over economics and statistics as well, but only briefly. The night before I was to take the exams, my father brought up the subject of our move.

    "Hey, Lily, good news," he called down the hall while I made dinner in the kitchen. I had gone shopping with Mal Nyeon earlier that day and was fully stocked on food.

    "Yeah, Dad?" I answered as I checked the chicken in the oven.

    "You might want to start packing up your stuff, it looks like we'll be moving by the end of next week," he shouted happily.

I dropped the tongs I had been using to turn the chicken and clutched at my abdomen. I shouldn't have been surprised, I mean I knew it was coming but it just seemed so quick--again, it always did, I thought. I took a few deep breaths and reminded myself that I was going to get into the program and I wouldn't have to leave--at least I hoped I did.

    "Hey, you ok?" My father poked his head into the kitchen, he must have heard the clang of the tongs hitting the stove.

    "Oh  yeah, I just--ah--burned myself," I grabbed the tongs out of the stove and turned towards the sink so my father couldn't see my face.

    "You know, Lily,"he said quietly. "I know you don't want to leave here but it is truly for the best."

I knew at this point I had two options: I could state my opinion on how much his last statement was complete bull or I could just simply agree and avoid an argument altogether. I took a deep breath and went with option two.

    "If you say so," Ok so I said it with a little attitude but knowing my father, he wouldn't rise to the bait. As expected, he only sighed and left the room.

My father no longer knew what was best for me and it was about time I did what I wanted to do. I strengthened my resolve and took another deep breath. Tomorrow I would take my tests and see where I stood. I was getting into that program!

***

The day dragged on and only added to my anxiety over the exams. Mae Ri had tried to cheer me up over lunch but nothing really helped. Our usual routine was to meet Ji Soo outisde of the school and go to the convenient store--our usual hangout spot--but today I said my goodbyes right after class.

    "I'll see you guys later, I gotta head to the ESE," I said as I slipped my winter hat on my head.

    "Are you sure you don't want us to come with you, we could wait," Mae Ri said sympathetically. Jong Hwa nodded readily in agreement.

    "No, I think it would just make me nervous," I smiled at her. "Besides, I don't know how long it'll take and I don't want you guys wasting your time."

Mae Ri let it go at that and I promised to call her afterwards. It took another twenty minutes before I reached the ESE and by then my anxiety was ready to consume me. The time had come and after checking in at the front desk, it wasn't long before Chan Min came and ushered to me his cubicle. He handed me a pencil, answer sheet and a booklet. He told me there would be two tests: math and literacy.

    "Only two? I'm surprised," I said but I felt somewhat relieved.

    "Different countries teach different things and although you were mostly schooled here, we're giving you the standardized test which is primarily used for people schooled outside of Korea," He informed me.

    "Ah," I nodded, I guess that made sense. "So I just take the two tests and I'm done?"

    "No, there is an essay portion," he grabbed three more sheets of paper and handed them over to me. "You're required to write two pages but no more than three, so write efficiently."

    "Jinjja? Why didn't you tell me there was an essay portion before?" Suddenly, any relieved feelings I'd had at finding out there were only two tests was gone. I hated writing spontaneous essays, I was way to OCD about my writing to submit something without a long review process.

    "We don't tell any of the incoming candidates, we want to see what you come up with in the spur of the moment." He told me this with a reassuring smile that wasn't very reassuring. Again, I couldn't dispute the reasoning behind the abrupt essay requirement but I still didn't have to like it.

    "Does it have to be in Korean or can I write it in English," I asked. If I could write it in English, it would go a long way to sounding more professional.

    "Of course, however--" he trailed off, subtly rearranging papers on his desk.

    "However?"

    "It would put you above the rest of the candidates if you showed you already understood the basics of Korean, rather than us having to put you in a separate program to learn it like we do with most of our incoming students," he told me truthfully.

    "Ok, Korean it is," I smiled at him. I could tell he liked me, not in a romantic way, but in a platonic "I want to help you" way and I could definitely use all the help I could get. "What happens after the essay? Any more tests?"

    "After the essay is the interview," he said and I had to suppress a groan. I figured there would be an interview but I had hoped there wouldn't be. "But that won't be set up until after we've reviewed your tests scores and the essay. If you prove to be a strong candidate, we'll set up the interview which is normally done by phone but since you're already here in Korea, our Director agreed to meet with you in person."

    "Wonderful," I said. I attempted to sound cheerful but I think I failed because Chan Min chuckled.

    "Our Director is nice, I think you'll do fine but priority one is to pass the tests so take a deep breath and lets get you into a room," he clapped my shoulder reassuringly and brought me to a small soundproof room.

It took about an hour and a half to complete both tests. The literacy wasn't all that difficult but the math gave me a little worry. Math was never my strong suit but I always maintained decent grades, even at SFLHS. The essay wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be. The question we had to answer was why we deserved to be accepted into the program. It wasn't hard for me to come up with two pages worth of reasons but stopping on the third page was the most difficult. I read and re-read the essay multiple times to check for spelling errors in my hangeul and after determining that it was acceptable, I stepped out of the room and returned the documents to Chan Min.

Chan Min checked the test scantron to make sure I had answered all the questions and quickly scanned my essay but didn't say anything in particular about it other than to say "it looked good." He scooted me out of his office shortly thereafter and assured me that he would call me in the next few days to let me know the results. "I'm sure you did fine, I'll make you priority number one, ok?" He nodded and walked me to the door that would lead me to the lobby.

    "Soo Chan Min-ssi?"

    "Ye*?" He turned around and faced me.

    "Kamsahamnida," I thanked him. I could feel my throat close up a bit but I forced the tears back. "For everything, even if I don't make it in, I appreciate everything you've done for me."

    "I'll call you in a couple of days," he nodded and disappeared around the corner.

Because I was too busy digging through my backpack for my iPod, I didn't even notice that my three best friends were sitting in the lobby waiting for me until they were in my face asking me question after question.

    "What--how?" I stared at my friends with an open mouth.

    "We're here for moral support, of course! We wouldn't leave you alone to take the tests by yourself, how did they go?" Mae Ri said into my face, she was the closest and quite honestly her sudden nearness made me feel slightly claustrophobic. Almost as close to me to my right was Ji Soo. I felt very crowded but resisted the urge to tell them to back off because their intentions were pure.  Mae Ri must have misinterpreted my sudden silence because she pushed Ji Soo back and said "Ji Soo, back up, you're crowding her!"

    "I'm crowding her?  You're closer to her than I am! You back up," Ji soo pushed Mae Ri lightly which only fueled her irritation and soon they were fighting amongst themselves which earned a dirty look from the receptionist--a different receptionist from my previous visit. Eventually Jong Hwa hit both of them on the back of the heads to shut them up and got evil glares from both for his efforts.

    "Seriously, you two--" he shook his head in exasperation. "How did it go, Lily?"

    "I think it went ok," I told them about the tests as we walked out of the building towards the bus stop. "What I'm really worried about is the essay, you know written hangeul still gives me a bit of trouble."

    "Well I'm sure you did fine besides, they'll know Korean isn't your first language and they'll be impressed by your efforts," he told me. The other two were still batting at each other in annoyance to really take part in the conversation and I had to hide my grin. Jong Hwa looked in their direction and rolled his eyes. "I wish they would start dating already and be done with it," he whispered to me.

I could only stare in shock. First, I completely agreed and thought they should start dating as well but I was more surprised because I had always thought Jong Hwa had a thing for Mae Ri himself. I mean, she was beautiful, smart and she stood out in everyone's eyes. She could be kind of a handful sometimes but that was what made her so charming.

    "What?" He asked after I failed to say anything and only stared.

    "I agree, that's all," I covered up my shock by averting my gaze and looking at the other two. Mae Ri had her finger in Ji Soo's face and was saying something in Japanese while Ji Soo was saying something to Mae Ri in French. I looked back at Jong Hwa and our eyes met for a split second before we were lost in the hilarity of the situation before us.

I resigned myself to understanding that I had done my best and that what will happen will happen at this point. I pushed away any depressing thoughts and focused on what came next and what came next was homework and stalling my father until my results came back. It wouldn't be too hard, right?

***

Wrong. It was hard. For the next two days, my father kept pushing me to start packing and I finally gave in for two reasons: firstly, if I was accepted into the program, I would need to be ready to move into the dormitory the program provided for their students. Secondly, if I didn't get accepted into the program, I would need to be ready to move any how. Not to move back to the States but hopefully to move in with Mae Ri, who was suppose to be asking her parents tonight if I could possibly live with them temporarily. I assured her that it would only be for a little bit but she said not to worry. Knowing Mae Ri, she would threaten to run away if her father didn't agree to let me stay. I just hoped her father didn't stroke out at the news, I honestly adored her parents.

Jong Hwa had told me not to worry because even if Mae Ri's parents were against the idea of me moving in temporarily, he would figure something out which made me feel unexpectedly uncomfortable. I needed to stop depending on Jong Hwa for help and begin helping myself so I told him I had a plan B but I don't think I was convincing. The truth was, I had no plan B or at least no plan B that he would agree too anyway. My plan B consisted of checking out relatively cheap hostels and by relatively cheap, I meant cockroach-infested cheap but I would deal with it if it was my only option. I prayed Mae Ri's parents let me move in because honestly, my plan B sucked. I still had this weeks allowance and next week's allowance which would easily cover a two week stay at a hostel but it wouldn't leave much for food. Although it wasn't like I hadn't dealt with worse, I thought. I would go to school for as long as the school let me, maybe they would take pity on me and let me pay them back for the last quarter tuition after I graduated. Maybe...? I made a mental note to check the next morning.

I was in the process of figuring out how to broach the subject with the school administration when my phone pinged indicating I had a message. It was from Jong Hwa, "Any news yet?"

    "Not yet," I replied.

    "You'll call me first, right?" He asked a few minutes later.

    "Sure," I typed and added a smiley emoticon.

It wouldn't be until Thursday night when Chan Min would finally call me back with my results...

To Be Continued...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Ye: Informal "yes" usually used in question form such as "Yes?"