Josephine Swan never imagined that her stay in South Korea would lead her into K-Pop's glittering and challenging world. Each day, she encounters new hurdles and adventures that fate has in store for her and her four team members. Between gruelling...
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I waited patiently in the arrivals area of Incheon Airport.
Only peripherally did I realise that almost three months had passed since my arrival in South Korea. At the time, my biggest concerns were school, language and settling into a foreign culture. More recently, K-pop music, idols and a potentially life-changing offer had been added to the mix. Things that could prolong my stay in this country indefinitely. And left my future indeterminate.
"It must be exciting to see your father again. You must have missed Him a lot." Kim Donghae snapped me out of my thoughts. After my father agreed to visit, I asked the Korean driver for help.
"Indeed." I breathed and continued to look out for my father's familiar dark hair. More passengers approached us and gathered in the arrival hall of the terminal.
"Darling." I heard a familiar male voice say and my eyes automatically shot in his direction. A broad smile formed on my lips as I recognised my father's tall stature. He towered over most of the other passengers who followed the barriers into the hall. His grey eyes gleamed at me as he approached us with his small suitcase in his hand. The next moment I was in his arms, breathing in the familiar smell of his aftershave. His slowly greying hair tickled my nose and face. My father stroked my back soothingly and I felt tears welling up and forced them to hold back. My head tilted closer to him as I wrapped my arms tighter around him.
"I missed you," I said softly and I felt his lips tighten into a smile against my cheek.
"I missed you too, my little princess," he replied and I smiled because of the familiar nickname.
"Although...based on your call, I'd lean more towards 'my little songbird'." He whispered in my ear and I slowly began to break the hug. My father seemed to notice that I was still uncomfortable with this topic. Our phone call dated back only a few days, in which I had shared my plans with him and our family. My two roommates stood by me as I informed my parents and grandfather of the offer. Their astonishment, as well as their concern about my unclear whereabouts in South Korea, was reflected in their faces. In the end, however, we were able to convince them of my attempt.
"When are the meetings scheduled for?" he quickly changed the subject and looked at me attentively.
"To this afternoon, around 4 p.m," I replied and my father nodded. Meanwhile, Kim Donghae stepped to my side and bowed to my father. My father followed suit.
"Welcome to South Korea, sir. I will take your luggage and escort you both to the car," he explained in English and my father nodded before handing the Korean his suitcase with a smile. Slowly we followed our driver through the crowd of arrivals from all over the world and after ten minutes we were standing in front of the shiny black tinted car. Kim Donghae went ahead and loaded my father's luggage before holding the door of the car open for my father and me. I slid behind the driver's seat while my father took a seat next to me. The car door closed and a little later Kim Donghae got in.
The engine roared and set the car in motion.
"I have consulted a lawyer for this afternoon. He was recommended to me by one of my business partners and will accompany us to the meeting." my father said after a while of silence.
"All right," replied I, looking out of the window. Beside me, my father sighed softly. The next moment I felt his warm hand on mine and looked at him. My father's grey eyes showed uncertainty and concern.
"Dear...you know your grandfather, your mother and I support your every move, but...you have to understand...this offer...comes as quite a surprise to us. We were expecting you to be back in England this time next year preparing for university. Now we may have to adjust to not seeing you for several years," my father explained forcefully. I reached for my father's hand.
"I know you are worried. I would be lying if I didn't feel the same. It wasn't easy for me to make this decision either. I was suddenly...confronted with what I saw as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And all of a sudden...this opportunity developed into bigger and bigger ones. It cost me a lot to choose this uncertain path into the future. But...I would like to try," I said softly to him. His grey eyes looked at me thoughtfully before he finally nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed his hand. My eyes wandered forward and looked at the busy road. My expression became more serious again.
"Assuming... Yang Hyun-suk doesn't withdraw his offer," I muttered, feeling my father's gaze on me.
"Why would he want to withdraw his offer? Didn't you mean he made it to you personally?" he hacked in confusion and I bit my lip.
"He...he knows nothing of our family. He doesn't know that I belong to a noble family." I finally said and looked back at my father. He looked at me thoughtfully before placing his other hand on top of ours.
"I know you haven't exactly struggled a little with this circumstance, Josie. Those titles are both a blessing and a curse, but in your case...you never used them to give yourself an advantage over others. You owe what you have achieved in your life so far to your own merits and not to any title. So also in this case...this CEO approached you because he thinks you have talent. That he doesn't know you are noble...speaks for your talent alone." he said forcefully to me and my serious expression softened.
"I just think...he should know. He should know what he's getting into with me." I explained quietly and my father nodded.
