8 Years [ENGV]

#5

JISOO

What if this was a bad idea? What if seeing Haeji would confuse her somehow? I could feel my throat closing up and my heart racing as we walked into the school, and it was like when I walked into the hospital, because Haein, once again, wasn't there with me.

To throw off the press — since there were a lot of photographers there and this action had been announced in the media three days ago — they thought it was better for Haein and I to stay apart.

I took a deep breath, looking for Haein among the other artists while we took the pictures, and I found him — he was also looking for me. For a few seconds we exchanged a look and, with that look, a brief wave. I managed to feel more confident and took a deep breath.

We walked into the school and my steps were getting heavier and heavier. The children in the class were in a huge room with a few tables and shelves with toys, coloring pencils, and other children's things.

The principal announced that we had arrived, and the children were excited, many of them said that they had seen me on TV and that I was prettier in person, but among all the children, I was looking for mine. I couldn't find her in the small, euphoric crowd meeting the TV stars.

The teacher said that each of the children would have a famous partner to talk a little about the school, some wanted to stay with me, but I had to politely decline. Haein probably couldn't do the same, because I saw him with a girl next to another actor and another child.

I kept looking until I saw, near a window and away from everyone; my daughter, my Haeji. Her hair was shoulder-length and had bangs. The school uniform looked perfect, the way she held the green pencil and the way she moved her head, completely focused on her drawing and indifferent to us, left me mesmerized for a few seconds.

I approached without even realizing that my brain had commanded my legs to go to her, maybe it had been automatic. She noticed I was next to her and looked at me, giving me a shy and restrained smile, and I froze in that image. God, how beautiful she is.

"Hi!" I said almost choking.

"I've seen you on TV." She said with the restrained smile still on her face. Her voice was sweet, soft and conveyed calmness to me. "You're more beautiful than on TV." I held back the tears, that sentence was like the biggest and best compliment I had ever received coming from her lips. "Did your boyfriend come?" She seemed to look for someone behind me before looking at me again curiously, waiting for an answer.

I was frozen, imagining she was talking about Haein, but the next sentence took me by surprise; "That guy who gave you flowers and a box of chocolate." I let out a breath. She was talking about Bogum and our drama about a cold CEO of a famous magazine and her newest employee. I confess I was partly disappointed, but at the same time, calm. I smiled and crouched down next to her.

"He's only my boyfriend on TV." She looked disappointed, her smile fading. "Did you like what you watched?" She nodded excitedly, her smile returning. I didn't know that the kids at that boarding school watched dramas.

"I went home just to watch." I smiled again. "I thought you were boyfriend and girlfriend outside of TV." Again the disappointment. I almost laughed, but I would save it for when I told Haein about it, I bet he would love it.

"Well, we're not..." I said disappointing her again. "I hope you're not mad at me." She looked at me and shook her head.

"I'm not, I was mad when you spilled coffee on his paper on purpose, that was really mean." This time I laughed.

"Yes, it was." Instantly my hands hovered over her straight hair and I wanted to spend the rest of my life stroking her hair. "Did your parents let you watch it? It was on really late." I asked, not wanting to show that I knew about her not having parents. She took a deep breath and denied it.