Living

Chapter 4, Pivot

When Jin Hee started law school, Se Hee still had two years of high school left. And even though their father had managed to pay for Jin Hee's university tuition, he didn't have enough money to pay for her university accommodation and that meant a long commute for her on a daily basis. She studied harder and for longer hours, but she had become more and more bright with every passing day. She smiled, laughed, screamed and filled the house with life whenever she was there. The sisters continued to share the room and every night after dinner, they'd sit in their room to study but while studying they'd randomly start talking and during those talks they'd fill in each other about everything about each other's day. Through Jin Hee's experiences Se Hee also got to live the university life. 

One day while Jin Hee was telling Se Hee the story of her ending up in a classroom in a different building and almost missing a lecture, Se Hee interrupted her and said

"I don't want to go to university"

"What? Why?" Jin Hee asked

"It sounds too bothersome!"

"What?"

"Yes?"

"You are being silly. It is the most wonderful experience of my life so far and you'll enjoy it so much more than me. I know it"

"I know I will but that is not the point"

"Then what is the point"

"Look, I have not been passionate about anything in life, ever. If I am not passionate about something then going to university just for the sake of it or to have a good time....it just feels selfish"

"You should not think like that"

"If I had a dream like you do, maybe I would have gone for it, but it makes no sense"

"You could get a scholarship"

"It's not about the money. I know I can get a scholarship but I would be taking the opportunity from someone who actually wants to study. It doesn't seem right" 

Se Hee was so confident about the fact that she could get any scholarship she set her mind to. Jin Hee couldn't help but admire her younger sister for this. And this was convincing enough for her to accept that Se Hee's decision to not pursue a university degree had nothing to do with the family's financial situation. When reality was far from it. Se Hee knew if she showed any desire to go to university, her parents especially her Appa would make sure she does and she knew how difficult it had been for him to arrange Jin Hee's expenses. She had since then made up her mind that she will not be going for university education.

Later in the week, when her parents were called for consultation, Se Hee's homeroom teacher Ms Jung told them about Se Hee's thoughts. In her school future aspiration form she had written she would like to learn a life skill. This was especially disappointing to Ms Jung, who at the start of the year was extremely happy to become the homeroom teacher to the class that had the school topper in it. It meant that she will be the teacher of at least one student who would end up in a SKY (Seoul National/Korea/Yonsei) university; which is the South Korean equivalent of Ivy league. After finding out the Se Hee does not want to pursue higher education and rather wants to learn a life skill, made her worried and she prepared herself to have a fruitful conversation with Se Hee's parents regarding their daughter's future

"She is the smartest kid in the school, and her elder sister is also a law student at such a prestigious school. I don't understand why she does not want to go to university"

"This is the first we are hearing of it Ms Jung, we had no idea about this" Se Hee's mother said

"I wonder if she is worried about the change of environment or maybe she is losing confidence in herself" Ms Jung tried to make sense