Before The Shadow: White Chrysanthemum Flowers

Chapter 1: Taekwondo

Unfortunately, more rain has been scheduled for the end of this week. It will be getting heavier as next week approaches, we're still in the rainy season despite the past couple of sunny days we have had.

Our first song for our morning broadcast is one of our most popular hits this week, Wonderwall by Oasis. They have been charting the top 10 for two weeks now.

The time is currently 9 AM.

"Oh shit, I'm late!" I quickly grab my bag and swing it over my shoulder and make my way out of my apartment and onto the busy street. I run down the road in the direction of my family's Dojang.

I was 18 when tragedy struck me. I was competing in the semi-finals of the city's Taekwondo tournament. This was going to be our first trophy for the Dojang, my dad even bought a fancy trophy case just to display it. Sure I had won medals before but never a trophy. It was my parent's dream to take our team to compete in tournaments, they were going to make a name for themselves. The Dojang was my whole life growing up, I'd train there, help out there and we'd even sometimes eat there.

On the day of the tournament, I decided I wanted to be there early to prep so I caught the bus and left the house ahead of my parents. I waited and waited but I didn't see them, I won the trophy and they still never showed. It was afterwards that I was told what had happened by the police, a truck had lost control on the road and crashed into my parent's car. They died instantly from the impact and never got to see my win, my trophy. I'm an only child and suddenly having no parents around made me feel so alone and isolated. It was only when a solicitor came to the door to tell me I had been left the Dojang that I was able to get a grip on reality again. I decided I was going to continue my parent's dream.

That was five years ago, I'm a different person now compared to who I was back then. For one I'm now a 3rd Dan blackbelt who's working towards their 4th. I've been running the Dojang in my parent's place, conducting lessons and such. We haven't won any competitions yet but I know we'll get there eventually, this is my life now.

I unlock the doors to the Dojang and flick the lights on as I step inside, something about this place always makes me feel full and content. I walk to the locker room and changed into my Dobok. I tie my belt in place and head back out into the training hall.

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A Few Hours Later

I always notice that my morning classes tend to go by quicker than my afternoon ones and now I find myself in the lull between the two. The lull usually lasts a couple of hours and typically I  try to kill the time by doing some paperwork or checking our equipment and so forth. This is also typically the time when some of the guys would show up to hang out with me, using the excuse that they're 'bored'. Sometimes they don't bother and I don't see them for a while but generally one or two of them will come over a few days a week.

Today's guests are Hoseok or as he likes to be called Hobi and Jimin, they are friends of my boyfriend. Hobi is tall and lean and towers over me, his hair is jet black and curls slightly around his head. Hobi's features are smooth and symmetrical giving him the perfect smile. Jimin is the complete opposite of Hobi, Jimin's hair is vanilla blonde in colour and it sways itself on his head. His face is rounder than Hobi's but I've always thought that's because he is younger than him, Jimin is tall too but not as tall as Hobi. At least with Jimin, I don't feel like someone is always looking at the top of my head.

Both of them act like my brothers and they love to endlessly tease me but alas they are fun to hang out with and I'm not one to say no to having some company. I spend enough time on my own.