Treasure From The Stars

Chapter 1

I walked down a small street in the city of Seoul after a long day of school. I was just a normal 16-year old in her first year of high school. On my way home, I stopped by the mini market that my mother's friend owned.

I peeked my head into the store and called out, "Ahjumma!"

She appeared from between one of the aisles and greeted me once she recognized my face. "Oh, Yumi! Nice to see you, it's been a while."

I walked in and opened my bag to pull out an envelope. "My mom wanted me to give you this. She wanted to thank you for helping her last week."

"Aigoo, your family is so sweet." Mrs. Park walked over to the ice cream freezers and pulled one out. Handing it to me, she said, "Here eat this, it's on the house."

"Oh Ahjumma, no, it's okay."

Mrs. Park gently shoved the ice cream into my hands, "When an adult gives you something, just take it."

Gratefully, I took the ice cream and thanked her. I sat outside the small shop and ate my ice cream, reading the book I had checked out at the library the week before.

After reading through a few pages, from the corner of my eye, I saw a man dressed in formal tie and suit walk towards me. Was I supposed to find it suspicious? Maybe, maybe not. I told myself he was just headed for the store, and began reading again, only to be interrupted by the same man.

"Excuse me."

I put my book down. He was looking at me. I looked around to see if I was mistaken, but I was the only one around. "Me?"

"Yes," he pulled out a business card and handed it to me. "I am a senior A&R Manager of OceanGold Entertainment. Our entertainment is looking for new potential trainees."

I looked at the business card, front and back. I could tell this company wasn't a scam. "You want to recruit me?"

The man nodded, "You are the first person to have specifically caught my eye all week. You probably are the prettiest student I have seen so far in my whole career."

I smiled, "Thank you..." I felt bad, but I told him what I told any other recruitment agent, "But I am not interested..."

"Ah..." he seemed very disappointed. "Please think about it. I feel you would be perfect to become a singer, don't you think? Tell me, do you like singing? Dancing?"

"She's good at both of those!" Ahjumma suddenly appeared from behind.

I turned back and looked at her with surprise. She only smiled.

"See?"

I hesitated.

"How about you think about it?"

I reluctantly nodded. Was I really giving this a chance?

"Our PD-nim would love to meet you one day. Please, I will be waiting for your call. Please contact the number on the card when you have decided. Thank you." Then the casting agent left just like that.

I stared at the business card in my hand.

Would it be worth it?

✩☽☆☾✩

"I'm home," I called out as I entered the house.

"How was school?" my mom asked, cooking dinner in the kitchen.

"Fine."

I walked over to the bulletin board that hung on the wall above our dining table, and pinned the business card I received earlier. It blended in with all the other business cards I was given.

"Oh, another one?" My mother walked over to see which company was out to recruit me this time. "OceanGold Entertainment?"

"Yes–"

I was cut off by my older sister and dad who both excitedly shouted, "OceanGold Entertainment?!" They were staring at me with amazed eyes from the living room sofa.

"Yeah...?" I looked at my mom, confused.

She only shrugged.

"You got casted my OceanGold entertainment?" My sister scrambled off the couch and over to me. "They've been the top entertainment for the past five years!" My sister worked in the entertainment industry, and she began babbling about all the things she knew about the agency, which I didn't quite comprehend. My head was too busy thinking on its own. My dad also came over and joined my sister, adding additional information that wasn't entering my ears.

"Should I apply and become a trainee?".

Everyone in the room went silent. My mother, my father, my sister, all looked at me with surprised eyes. I knew why they all looked at me like that. It was never my parents that opposed the path to become a celebrity. I was always the one who rejected the idea of becoming an idol.

"Do you want to?" my dad asked.

I shrugged. "It's not like I have any dreams right now... Plus, I guess becoming an idol would save my talents from going to waste."

"Yumi, you know we're always here supporting you," my sister smiled. "It's all up to you."

"Mm." The house was quiet, waiting for me to say something. Anything. "I'll... be in my room."

I walked upstairs and opened the door to my dark blue painted room. I always loved standing at the doorway, taking a moment to just stare at the walls that me and my older siblings covered with our drawings of stars and the moon. I took a deep breath, calming myself down, before walking in. I dropped my school bag next to my desk, and laid down on my bed. The room was lit by dim lights, I liked it like that. The only bright source of light that could be found in my room was my desk lamp, which I only used when working or studying at my desk.

I pulled out my phone and began searching up some K-pop related things; concerts, vlogs, entertainments, etc. I was never really into these things, unlike the rest of my family. I often listened to K-pop, but that was it. I never looked into artists' vlives or posts, like my sister did.

I was scrolling through the internet when a notification appeared at the top of the screen.

ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ꜱᴀʏ ɴᴏ

ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ

I clicked on the notification and opened my text messages.

ᴄᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ɢᴏ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴜ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇʀᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ?

ᴍʏ ᴍᴏᴍ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ɢᴏ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀꜱᴋ ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜㅠㅠ

"A concert..." I said to myself. I smiled, finding the timing of everything funny.

ꜱᴜʀᴇ, I texted back. ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛɪᴍᴇ.