Shannon Williams: GFriend's British Pixie

Finding Strength

Disclaimer: this chapter details bullying and suicide. Read at your own risk.

Right after the performance Shannon signed under MBK, the agency managing T-ara, training to be an idol. They marketed Shannon as this "Exotic English-speaking idol." Every few months she would perform on live television whatever song they wanted her to sing. Usually it would be some old love ballad from the 60s and 70s. Sometimes even 80s.

Her reputation gradually grew as a result, but due to her signing, a new host of problems started arising. Due to her lack in Korean proficiency she struggled to fully communicate with the people she worked with. She needed assistance when asked to communicate. The managers were very demanding when they asked, she found herself struggling to keep up.

The fact she was nearly thirteen and she was being reprimanded for the smallest things made the child feel more insecure than she already was.

Whenever she arrived at the training room, she was met by awkward stares by the trainees and they would keep their distance. The instructors didn't help either as they were visibly frustrated trying to communicate with her.

"Just try and stay out of my way foreigner!" One trainee pushed her causing her to fall.

"Why did they let this girl join? She can barely stay on her toes!" A female trainee laughed to her friends.

"She's a foreigner what do you expect. Have you heard how her Korean is? She's a complete joke!" Another said.

"She's doesn't even look Korean, she's just a westerner pretending to be Korean. She should go back to her own country." A third female trainee whispered.

"Hurry up Shannon you're wasting time standing there!" The instructor snapped her fingers in a stern tone.

The girl just picked herself up with a frustrated sigh as she began dancing.

This was the common routine in the training room. The trainees would bully her and the managers would sit there and do nothing and she would receive strict scolding from her instructor. She was a laughingstock because of it.

Even in school she wasn't safe. The same insults she received back home, she received in Korea as well. While in London she didn't feel British enough, now it was the polar opposite. She was harassed because she wasn't Korean or pretending to be Korean.

Most of the bullying came from girls her age. They would mock her accent and her looks saying nobody would ever want to date her. It became a never-ending hell for the young girl. She gradually fell into depression and isolation. She never bothered talking to anyone because she would be ridiculed as a result.

Whenever training finished, she would lock herself in a private apartment. No even bothering to make herself dinner.

"Shannon." Her manager knocked the door.

"Leave me alone pd-nim! Please." She was wiping her tears as she covered herself with a layer of blankets.

The manager sighed in response, "I know you had a rough day today. I don't blame you for anything just know that. You aren't a failure everyone else is making you out to be. On the contrary you're improving. I'm sorry you are forced to deal with all this. No child deserves this level of abuse. Just know there are some people who care for you." The manager said in gentle tone.

Shannon was speechless. She wasn't she he was genuine or just an act to get her to open the door.

"I wish you were in a different agency. Maybe then you wouldn't be treated like this. You have so much potential. Don't let other people's words hurt you. Remain strong, for the sake of yourself. You know who you are and your worth. That's the only advice I can give you. The manager said before leaving the area."