A Gloomy April

Chapter 1: Expectations

I always have high expectations and I am always disappointed. I can still remember waiting for my mother to come to Open House. (For those unfamiliar with Open House, it is the day when parents are invited to come to school and see what their children are learning at school.) It was going to be the day that I would impress my mother with my artwork and she would smile at me with that beautiful smile of hers. My mother was always my world...

I bring myself back from those dark thoughts, but I am still in the dark and I do not mind. This is the economy section of the airplane and almost all the lights have been turned off so that the passengers can get some rest. It is rather calming. I tried multiple times to get some rest during the fourteen hour flight, but my mind has been racing with thoughts. In a few more hours, I will be ushered off the plane and brought to one of the biggest Korean entertainment companies. I will begin working right away and I will have a very tight schedule. My whole entire life has changed because I am now a celebrity.

After I meditated and relaxed for a few hours, the plane finally landed at Incheon Airport in Seoul and I had to be on high alert. I quickly went through customs and got my luggage. As soon as I stepped out into the airport, I noticed a sign with my name on it. Tina was written in big, black print. Behind the sign was an average looking Korean guy; there was really no other way to describe him. Average height, average hair, and average face; absolutely nothing stood out about him. He could blend in perfectly in any Korean crowd. The only exception was that his voice was below average. When I first heard him call my name, I almost burst out laughing. It was exactly like the annoying high-pitched manager voices you hear in dramas. But instead, I stayed composed, smiled at him, and politely greeted him in Korean.

"Hello. It's so nice to meet you. I am Tina. And you are?"

"Hi Tina, I'm your manager, Lee Chungoo."

He pulled out his card as proof and then asked me to follow him to our car. He also provided me with sunglasses in case there were any reporters snooping around and they recognized him because he had helped out at most of the company's big events in the past.

"It's a good habit to bring sunglasses with you everywhere you go since you're a star now."

"네~."

I am not too good with cars so I am not sure, but I think it was a Hyundai. It was black and the interior was impeccably clean; so clean that I probably could have eaten off the floor. When we arrived at the company, I was surprised when all the staff greeted me by bowing and I bowed back out of respect, but Lee Manager said that was unnecessary. He ushered me up to the top floor to speak with the company's president. I bowed my head until he told me it was okay not to and then I sat across from him in a comfy leather seat while Lee Manager stood.

"Ah Tina. It's great to see you. I'm so glad that you've signed up to be with our company for the next seven years. You're only 16 (15 in the United States) and yet we're paying you 70,000,000 won in addition to housing you at our dorms and providing you with all your basic necessities. In the month since you signed the contract and have been wrapping things up in America, we have gotten you a small supporting role in an upcoming drama. It is paying about 5,000,000 won. You will see 10% of this money and the company will get 90% to cover your contract costs. I wish you could get some rest after your long flight, but filming starts tonight at seven so you have to leave soon."

"Thank you so much." I was honestly very grateful that the President explained everything so clearly and he was a kind man. I had often heard stories of girls never knowing where any of their money went and their company claiming to have been paying for their contract while it really went into someone else's pockets. The amount of money I was receiving was not high compared to American standards, but it was more than what I needed in my situation so I was elated.

"Thankfully you already have your Alien Registration Card so I just deposited all the money into your account. I'll see you later. Good luck." (This card enables you to open a bank account, get a phone and do other important activities in Korea. You need to visit the Korean Immigration office with your passport, employment agreement, passport photo, and 10,000 won to get this card.)

I thanked the President again and said goodbye. My goal was to save all my money until I decided I wanted to really buy something important because my expenses were currently all being paid for. I also knew that after seven years, my career might be over so I would have to find another job or do something else and my savings could hold me over in the meantime. I know many celebrities often go bankrupt from trying to keep up a lavish lifestyle, but I would play it smart.

Lee Manager drove us to Suwon, which is about 20 miles south of Seoul, to go to KBS Studios. While he drove, I studied the script. I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of lines I had, but I repeated them over and over at least a hundred times to memorize them completely. It only took about half an hour because traffic was surprisingly not too bad. By that time, it was five o'clock and I needed to get my makeup done. The ladies were very cordial towards me, but they gossiped a little too much about how so-and-so got another nose job and how this person was fighting with that person. My makeup was perfect and by six o'clock I also had my outfit on. I had to be a first year high school student. It was a little strange that I was chosen because usually older actors and actresses are chosen to act as high school students.

While I practiced my lines in an empty room, someone came in and I immediately stood up to bow since I was a newcomer. It turned out to be none other than Nam Woohyun! Nam Woohyun from Infinite! He looked one hundred times better in person and he smiled back at me. He then lifted his hand to greet me. This was turning out to be a magnificent day; much better than I expected.