It is a well-known fact that Im Nayeon is the sole heiress of ImTech, which is one of the, if not the largest technology providers in South Korea, and the biggest private partner of the government.
However, it is also a well-known fact that despite her name's popularity penetrating the different
social classes, not many have seen her personally. Rumours are spreading that the influential Im couple does not have an heiress in the first place, and having a daughter is just a hoax to ward off
other competitors that might take interest in acquiring the company in the future.
As for the crust in society who were blessed to have witnessed the young Im daughter during
exclusive gatherings, majority have offered arranging marriage with their sons, some even willing to wait for Im Nayeon to bloom into a lady, ready for courtship. Though her parents did not refuse these offers explicitly, these cries for marriage fell into deaf ears. (Maybe the Im couple were blinded by naiveté and joy of having a firstborn that is why they don't entertain these strategic moves yet. Maybe in the near future, these prominent families will try proposing this idea again.)
For the meantime, what the Ims thought would be best, was to send their young daughter abroad to
study in an exclusive boarding school, known for admitting students from prominent families
around the globe. Their precious princess would be far away from the prying eyes of the public,
and far away from proposals of mediocre boys.
This was a pivotal decision, as it shaped and moulded the person of Im Nayeon.
She vividly recounts one of her last encounters with her parents while she was still in Korea. Her
hair was braided into twin tails, her cheeks were plump and red, she was wearing a pink dress -
exactly what a rich Im daughter would look like.
"You promise me that you will be a good girl in LA?" Her father kneels to meet her eyes.
"Yes, Abeoji. I'll be good." The young Nayeon smiles brightly, exposing her cute bunny teeth.
"Promise your mother the same thing." Her dad pulls her for a tight hug before releasing the little
girl for her mother's turn to dote.
"I promise I'll be a good girl, Eomma." Little Nayeon says before offering her pinky finger for a promise. Her mother takes her little pinky and seals the promise.
Making a little girl promise to be good is kind of worrying and problematic to a certain extent.
What does good even mean? Who will teach her what is good or not?
Nayeon promised to be a good girl. And the hell did she become one. No, actually, she became the
best.
Being physically away from her parents gave her the independence and freedom not most
daughters of chaebols have. It was liberating and lonely at the same time though.
Nayeon excelled in her academics. She had no choice but to perform well, as it was expected of
her. But of course, she had this (self-imposed) burden, on top of the pressure coming from her
parents. An Im doesn't just give in to the game. An Im is a playmaker.
Despite this natural pull of an Im to dominate, competing with the cream of the crop was never
Nayeon's dream. She never had the ambition to study abroad so she can take over family business.
It just...happened. In fact, as a kid, she just wanted to be a mascot, recounting how much happiness
(bear) mascots gave to people.
Nayeon just didn't want the drama of family business. If given the chance, she would've stayed in Korea with her parents. She's their only child, for crying out loud! She would've chosen to take a
different major, probably theatre arts or something in the humanities. She would've wanted to be spoiled by them every minute. She craved their attention. But being far away from home can only make her resort to other remedies.
