Finding the Right Words

Chapter 12- Oh My Dear, How I Have Missed You

"Ummm... Hello?" I peeked through the door nervously. This is where I'd been told to go so I could set up my school stuff. It was an office deep within the SM building, and I had no idea who I was going to be talking to, other than that it was somebody official.

"Come in."

I did, trying to look as humble as possible. I raised my eyes to see where I was going, and saw a middle-aged man sitting behind a desk.

"Sit."

He had a heavy accent, I could tell that already. Especially because the Korean accent made the "Si" syllable sound like "shi", so the command to "sit" didn't sound all that appealing. I did as I was told, however.

"Melissa, You?'

"Yes, that's my name." That was what I assumed he was asking, at least.

"School, name Choi Min Sung. Understand?" I could tell he was struggling to get the English out, considering that the sentence structure was totally wacko.

"Are you saying that I'm going to go by a Korean name while I'm in school?"

He nodded. "Company pick two school advise you go. Work best for SM. You pick. Den (Then), you choose class."

I was getting a headache trying to translate this. I supposed it was the same feeling that Spanish speakers got when Spanish-language students spoke to them in Spanish.

"What two schools?"

"One arts school. One school for foreign students." He picked up a folder and held it out to me. Gingerly, I took it with both hands, as is polite in Korea, and opened it. Sure enough, one was an art school, which would be good for being a trainee, but I kind of wanted an intellectual education. So I picked the foreign school. I could see why that was one they wanted. It wasn't too far from SM, so it would work with my schedule.

"This one." I held the envelope out to him.

"Kure. Dis is form for registration. Go home. Pick class. Come back tomorrow, we register."

He gave me a form with a booklet, and then said, "You can go now, Minsung."

"Nae... Kamsahamnida..."

I bowed a little and left.

"So you're going to that foreign school?" Min Hee asked.

"Yeah. I'm picking classes now."

"You know that's the same place that SuJu filmed 'No Other', right?"

"Chincha?! It's THAT foreign school?!"

"Yes, Mel."

"Woah!" I grabbed the booklet and leafed through the campus pictures. "Omo, it really is!"

Min Hee laughed. "Have fun. Pick good classes."

"Don't you have to pick a school?"

"No, I graduated school early when I found out I'd be coming here. I have to get a job, since my family isn't supporting me."

"They're not?" My parents didn't really have the money to help me out, either, but I knew they would if they could. So I supposed that I had better get a job, too. 

"No, they've disapproved of me being a singer for as long as I can remember. They're always 'be more like your brother. Do what your brother does. We're so proud of Jay.'"

"Oooohhh, so you have to live up to your parents' expectations set by your brother. What's he like?'

"He's one of those people who got perfect grades in high school, went to college to become a businessman, and now makes a ton of money. We're both really hard workers, when it's towards something we want. It's a trait we both have. It's just... what we want is different."