Summer on the Equinox

Chapter 1: Starting Line

I'm lucky to be something. I'm lucky to be an idol of a well known country in South Korea. To be clear I'm not Korean, I'm actually a native born Filipino, but circumstances led me to work as a foreign worker in SK. I worked in a kimchi factory; for me it's a tough work but for others it might not but what I like about the work was that it paid me 10x than if I'd work in my own country.

I have no contact with my parents so I gave allowances to my siblings--4 of them to be exact. I gave them extra since they have their own job and family so most of the time my money is all for me.

At the age of 22 I was ready to keep it for my retirement plan, buy a house when I go back home, and start a new business, but in an unusual event, my life has changed.

You see I have had a pet gecko at that time, her name's Antonette, she's a black night leopard and she's the cutest and I also talked to her a lot. She's the sweetest and was always with me in every corner of my apartment. She's like a family member to me, a friend, a daughter and a sister. I got so attached to her I would always leave early from work so I can feed and have time with her. One day she got weak, she wouldn't eat at all so I went to a veterinary clinic to get her checked but it turns out she's having internal parasites that's eating her insides up. I tried medicating her but she only lasted a week.After that she died; flat on the floor like the house lizards on the ceilings. I don't know why I was so sad, the kind that will get you depression blues. After all she's just a gecko, she's just another lizard, another pet, and another animal.

But maybe because she's the only one I have that the moment she's gone it was like the end of my sanity. For her to be gone too in my life made me miserable for weeks that at some point it made me get tired of myself. I think I was having an acute heart attack at that point so to remedy it, I went outside of the city Gwaechon on my day off and went to Seoul.

I was actually going to a pub and get myself drunk but because I have to commute that night I thought better at being sober. And so instead I went to a park near the Han River where everyone gathers around and either looking at the sea or having a picnic. I was drinking caramel macchiato when I heard a loud applause just a few feet away from a waffle stand that I'm in. Me being curious went to that gathering and saw 3 guys in front of the audience with guitars, a drum set, two big speakers, and microphones. I thought the music was coming from a nearby store before but to my surprise it was actually from them singing. I was too disassociated to know my surroundings.

One of the guys began to ask for a volunteer from the audience to sing with them, and a lot of us are murmuring and pushing one another to sing infront of everyone. I don't have anyone to encourage so I volunteered myself to the slaughter. To be honest, I have social anxiety but because of the power of macchiato I just didn't care about everything at all and marched myself infront and raised my hand to the guys so they wouldn't see anyone else other than me. Didn't I tell you I'm also born in August?

They gave in to me and gave me their microphone. I told them I wanted to sing Dancing with your ghost because I was feeling reminiscent to the passing of Antonette. They thought it was my foreign aunt so they didn't comment anything about that.

And so I sang my heart out, my voice was trembling but for me it didn't waiver me. I thought I sounded awesome and raspy from the sugar in my system. But most especially I was just feeling the sadness of the song and the emotions I was having. At the end everyone was applauding my performance that it made me happy for a little.

After that I parted away the crowd to look for other entertainment to pass the time when I was stopped by a guy in a black polo. He asked me to have an audition in a company called Keeper. He said he'll introduce me and guide me through rehearsals. I was skeptical, I know Idols are very popular in the country which is their selling point to show to the whole world, I also know the tardiness and fatigue that comes with it. Since I'm not musically inclined I doubt the pain will pay off something in me. I don't know this industry, I don't know how it works. I don't think I'll be successful.