"Jiwoo." She calls my name angrily as I enter the orphanage. "Your teachers called. You missed four classes?" She asks raising an eyebrow.
"I got sick and had to go to the nurse, and her phone wasn't working so she couldn't call you. But, I think it was just a quick stomach bug because it went away eventually, I promise, it'll never happen again." I lie, bowing respectfully.
Ms.Lee raises her eyebrow again, skimming me up and down as if she doesn't believe me. Giving up, she lets out a sigh.
"I trust your word. Now, go downstairs and wash the dishes, they're filthy." Ms.Lee groans as she walks away.
I let out a sigh of relief once she's gone, though I know that I'll have to tell her.
+×+×+×+×+×+×+×+×+×+×+
"You, what!?" Ms.Lee shouts, shocked that I went behind her back and auditioned.
"I-I auditioned for a k-pop company and I was... accepted...." I mumble, kind of ashamed of myself while I was feeling proud of me a few minutes ago.
"Jiwoo-yah" Ms.Lee groans frustratingly as she rubs her forehead. She stops and looks over at me, her brows furrowing furiously.
"Do you really wish to go?" She asks me, making sure I'm certain.
"Yes, I'm 100% sure." I exclaim.
"Here, I'll give you a set of chores to do daily and errands you have to run me in order to prove that you truly want to go."
"Easy."
"But, it'll be double- not triple the amount of chores and errands you have to do already."
"Okay... I'm willing."
"You have a week. And if everything isn't finished, then you're not going. And I'd like to see your dancing, the translator said that you were talented especially in dancing."
"Okay then!" I exclaim as she hands me the list of things.
I run to the room downstairs where there are piles and piles of dirty plates on the tables just waiting to be washed. It's seven in the morning and everyone doesn't wake up until nine.
I let out a sigh and grab the sponge and immediately start washing the plates quickly, like the speed of lighting.
In an hour I finally finish and I move onto the next set of chores- folding the clothes.
I'm not exactly bad when it comes the folding clothes, if anything, I'm quick. Just, it gets boring quick.
I decide to put in some music on a low volume so I don't wake up the others and I start to fold all the clothed from many- at least five- baskets.
Afterwards, it was like 9:30. That's when I decided to buy the blueberry muffins for Ms.Lee at the bakery right down the street.
Once I buy the muffins I also run a few more errands for Ms.Lee while I'm already out. I buy food for everyone, some books for the kids learning to read, and some other things.
Once I get back it's already one in the afternoon. I let out a sigh and plop onto a chair, starting to cross off things I have to do from the long list.
After resting for a few minutes I stand back up to start working again. I make everyone's beds and then I brush my teeth, without eating again.
I then rush to sweep the attic where all the spiders, cobwebs, and bugs are. I grab the broom and march up the stairs, and I open the door to the dusty attic.
I cough as I enter the room, swatting the flies away from my face. I quickly starts sweeping so I don't have to be in there as long.
+×+×+×+×+×+×+×+
It's been one week, and I finished the last thing yesterday.
Ms.Lee asks to see my dancing first so I nod my head. I then stretch real quick before I start dancing after playing music on a low-ish volume so it doesn't make anyone else mad.
+×+××+×+×+×+×+×+×+×+
The day came where it was time for me to leave. I could tell everyone was getting emotional, and honestly, so was I.
I haven't cried in front of people in years, but today, I felt like I just had to.
I held each and every child in my arms tightly as I told them goodbye.
I'll miss them. Lia, the calm, quiet, nice girl that loves it when I braid her hair. Yi-joon, the trouble maker that loves to pull pranks and always gets in trouble. Yuri, the girl who refused to be adopted so she could stay with us.
And most importantly- Ms.Lee. Ms.Lee has always been somewhat unkind to me, but I know that inside she deeply cares. If she didn't, she'd never let me become a trainee in the first place.
Once I finish hugging the last kid, I stand up from my knees I was sitting on to reach their height, and I look Ms.Lee in the eye.
Ms.Lee sticks out her hand for me to shake. "Good luck."
I then take her hand and pull her into a tight hug, tears streaming down my face. I could feel her tears soak through the clothing on my shoulder but I didn't mind it.
"I'll really miss you." I sob as I embrace her in a long, warm hug.
"I'll miss you too kiddo," Ms.Lee responds, her voice cracking. "Do good out there and don't give up. Call us whenever you can!"
I end the hug and look at her, my face all red from crying. "I will, I'll try to call you every week and if not then at least once a month. I'll miss all of you, and I hope you all end up in loving families!"
Then I load into the taxi where he starts the car and starts to drive off. I look out the window after buckling in to see Ms.Lee and the other kids at the entrance waving at me.
I then stick my hand out the window and wave them bye back, before rolling it up once they're out of sight.
Wiping the rest of my tears that stopped falling, I look out the window and think about the future. About what it'll be like if I really try hard.
"I'll be an idol... someday."
