The Boys & I

Chapter 26: It's Time To Let Go

I was on entertainment headlines in Korea. SM Entertainment was shocked of the news that my plane crashed in Hollywood. The founder, Lee Soo-man and the CEO, Kim Young-min called the airline and confirmed that the plane I was riding crashed. No confirmation yet but the talent management was taking an investigation. Weeks after, SM Entertainment released an official statement:

“Few weeks ago, news reported that one of our talents died because of the plane crash located at the valley of Hollywood. Few people from search and rescue operation in Korea went to Hollywood to help the American team. A necklace found on a burned person. Choi Siwon from Super Junior noticed the necklace and it’s from Jung Eunkyo. And it’s confirmed that Miss Jung Eunkyo of the group Girls’ Generation or Maria Christina Kitana Gosiengfiao in real life is dead. We are deeply saddened with this news. We spread condolences to her fans especially to her family in the Philippines. Let us pray for her soul to rest in peace.”

Talents and employers of SM Entertainment together with K-Pop fans prayed in silence. Wu Chun and Fahrenheit members, Jiro Wang, Aaron Yan, and Calvin Chen with his mom arrived from Taipei to pay respect. My dad and Yaya Lia also arrived in Seoul from Manila, holding the jar came from Hollywood which the burned person cremated with the necklace on it. They are all wearing black with a pink ribbon.

The neurological service started. It was difficult for Leeteuk to MC this different occasion but he thought that this is for me. He introduced each people who will give a short speech in this order: Fahrenheit’s Calvin Chen, CNBlue’s Yonghwa, BoA, Super Junior’s Siwon, SM Entertainment’s CEO Mr. Kim Young-min, Girls’ Generation’s Jessica, my dad, and SHINee’s Jonghyun. All of them cried while they were giving their speeches about their memories with me. Calvin talked about my few-day stay in Taipei, even his mother’s gift to me which is the necklace. Yonghwa reminisced the night which we had a duet during my few months in the SM Academy plus our friendship during the shooting of the drama ‘Maid Sama’. BoA told the people how close we were from the first shooting day of the drama ‘Parfait Love’ to our project unit. Siwon shared his experience having a date with me before my debut. Sir Kim Young-min revealed how he met me and how I became a trainee and member of Girls’ Generation. Jessica recalled our conversations plus considering me like a sister (though we have same surname which is Jung). My dad informed the fans on how I’m a good daughter before I became a famous Kpop star and behind the camera. Lastly, Jonghyun expressed how he fell in love with his girlfriend for more than 3 years and he hoped that I would be his partner forever. But he was very lonely and cried so hard when he heard the news that I was gone.

The fans in Korea gave their own handwritten letters and bouquet of flowers in the MTV studio where I was working as a host, in the lobby of SM Entertainment, and outside the house of Jessica and Krystal where I stayed for almost 4 years. On the other hand, the fans overseas posted a picture in their own social networking accounts saying “We will miss you. RIP Jung Eunkyo of Girls’ Generation.” In Twitter, 4 out of 10 topics were trending: RIP Eunkyo, Jung Eunkyo, girlfriend of Jonghyun, and #WewillmissyouEunkyo.

The day finally came. Tears from every fan who idolized me and every celebrity who met me flowed away. After the jar had placed in the hole and put back soil on it, heavy rain fell down. It signed that the sky was crying for the loss of Eunkyo.

My dad and Yaya Lia went back in Manila while Chun and the members of Fahrenheit returned to Brunei and Taiwan respectively. It was also the comeback performance of SHINee in K-Chart shows. They encouraged themselves that they can do it but the other members comforted the sad Jonghyun. They dedicated their performance to me and promised that they will give their best. Then when they won #1 in K-Chart, Jonghyun cried, “Our #1 spot this week is for my girlfriend, Eunkyo. Wherever you are, I love you.”