Diary of a Kpop idol

Chapter 03

August 08

The next morning, I returned home with breakfast from the Wagners. Xingyi was still asleep, so I gently woke her with a hug. After two days apart, it felt good to be close again. We enjoyed breakfast together before I started packing. Wyatt helped me, offering tips on how to stay connected, knowing we wouldn’t see each other for a while.

I carefully organized my things, new clothes and accessories in one suitcase, gifts for others in another, and all the presents I received in a third. By 5 p.m., we were on our way to the airport for our 7 p.m. flight. A long journey awaited us a 24-hour flight with two layovers.

Our first stop was Vancouver International Airport. Exhausted from the flight, I decided to take a nap. As I drifted off, memories of my childhood came flooding back.

My parents named me Yee Lee before they knew I was a girl. They had expected a boy, but I became the surprise they never anticipated. Raised by my nanny in San Francisco until I was five, my early years were a mix of joy and wonder. My parents, still university students at the time, couldn’t fully dedicate themselves to raising me. It wasn’t until my fifth birthday that I finally joined them, marking the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

From that point on, life became a whirlwind of experiences. My parents took me around the world, and every day felt like a never-ending vacation. Our first stop was Seoul, where my mother taught me my first Korean sentence; how to introduce myself. Meeting my father's family was like a dream. My grandparents treated me like a princess, showering me with love for two months.

Next, we traveled to Busan to meet my mother’s side of the family. Though they weren't as wealthy as my father’s, the warmth and love I felt with them were unmatched. I especially loved spending time with my cousins, who made those two months fly by. By the end of our stay, I could speak Korean fluently.

Our journey continued to China for a month. My mom had godparents in China, and from there, we traveled across the globe. My parents’ attention made me feel like the center of their universe, and I was happiest in their presence. In Osaka, Japan, we celebrated my sixth birthday. I can still vividly recall the cake and the wish I made: "I want to be the perfect person in the world."

After returning to Seoul, I was homeschooled and also taught martial arts. I discovered a new dream of becoming a K-pop idol. My second cousin shared the same dream, and I was determined to follow in their footsteps. Initially, my grandparents were against the idea, but they eventually supported me wholeheartedly. They enrolled me in ballet, piano, and other classes to prepare me for the idol life.

At the age of six, I auditioned for a company my grandparents recommended. I sang Justin Bieber's "Baby" and even added a rap. Somehow, I got accepted as a trainee; despite my young age, I also worked as a child model because of my mother. I stayed with my grandparents until I turned seven and, once in a while, worked as a child model, even in abroad fashion shows. But when my parents had to go abroad for work, I didn’t want to stay with them anymore. That’s when my godparents came into the picture.

My mother had met my godmother, Lee, by chance, and they became close friends. Even before I was born, Lee wanted to be my godmother. When I eventually moved in with her, I felt more comfortable than I had with my grandparents, who were a bit too traditional for my liking. My name in the family tree was even more unusual than my real name, which didn’t help either.

Before starting my training, I created a Korean name for myself, "Lee Yeim-Woon," to avoid being teased. At SM Entertainment, where I trained, I quickly became known as the youngest trainee. Despite being only six years old, people often thought I was older because of my height of 125 cm and weight of 20 kg. One of my closest friends during that time was Baekhyun, who took on a motherly role in my life.

My mom, always the social butterfly, would take me to meet her friends whenever she visited Seoul. One boy, Hyunjin, stands out in my memory. I initially mistook him for a girl because of his tomboyish haircut, but we quickly became good friends until an accident in 2013 changed everything.

I slipped and hit my head, resulting in temporary memory loss. The details were unclear, but I was told that either a trainee or staff member brought me to the hospital. Baekhyun assured me it wasn’t him, as EXO was busy with a comeback at the time. My brother, Taeyong, felt guilty for not being there, even though I had asked him to keep our relationship a secret. We had been recruited through different channels, and I didn’t want people to know we were related.

I was sent to Busan to recover, halting my training. During that time, I had frequent nightmares, but I kept them to myself, not wanting to worry anyone. I told them I stayed up late playing games or studying. My relatives gently reminded me that it wasn’t good for my health, but they didn’t press the issue.

Bored out of my mind after a month of only self-study and Taekwondo training, I asked Mother Lee to take me back to Seoul. My aunt and uncle agreed, knowing how restless I had become. Shortly after my return, my grandfather called with another audition opportunity. With Taeyong’s help, I recorded a performance of "Solo" by Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato and sent it to him. He then submitted it to both JYP and YG Entertainment, and to my surprise, I was selected by both companies.

After weighing my options, I decided that if I were chosen by both, I would join JYP. During the second audition, I performed "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore ft. Ryan Lewis and Wanz, singing the first lines in a baby voice and rapping my lyrics. Both companies seemed impressed, but I ultimately chose JYP because they offered me more creative freedom.

When I started training at JYP, I was introduced as the "future ace of the industry." It was the first time I received so many compliments in one day. For two years, I trained intensively, learning to produce music, manage a group, and more.

In 2015, I decided to take a break from training and spend more time at home. When the survival show "Sixteen" began, I cheered on my fellow trainees and visited them when I could. Later that year, I flew to China and stayed in Guangzhou, where I took Mandarin, Cantonese, and Thai lessons while being homeschooled by my mom's godparents. My guardian during that time was Mo Xuan, who, along with his sister Mo Xingyi, took great care of me.

For the next few years, we traveled the world, visiting over 20 countries. Our longest stay was in France, we volunteered to work on behalf of my mom. My mom is a part of UNICEF and UNESCO. During this time, I also embraced my religion, which brought me peace and helped me sleep better at night. Not only that, when I visit a new country, I will try learning one or a few things that are related to their culture, like I learned extreme meditation when I visited Nepal. I also learn how to dance traditional dances from their countries. I Celebrated my birthdays around the world became a tradition Seoul, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Paris, and Shanghai all hold special memories for me.

And, of course, I can’t forget the financial blessings I received. When I was born, my grandparents invested $10 million in my bank account. On my first full moon birthday, they added $5 million and $2 million, and each year until my fourth birthday, I received another $2 million. From my fifth to ninth birthdays, I was gifted $5 million each year, and from my tenth birthday onward, the amount increased to $10 million annually.

August 9

The entire day was spent aboard the airplane, continuing our journey.

August 10

We landed at Incheon International Airport around 8 a.m. After picking up the rental car, we headed straight to the hotel we had booked. Exhausted from the trip, I spent the entire day resting in my hotel room.