My First and Only Love

Who Am I

"Seo Joo Hyun, the newest face in the show business industry. Her father, Mr. Seo Joon Seok, the owner of the ABC Entertainment Incorporation just announced that her only daughter had returned from Los Angelesto stay here in Korea for good. Mr. Seo is handling a welcome party for Miss Seo Joo Hyun. The party will be held at the ABC Function Hall. Dates are still fuzzy since it was not yet announce. For more details, please click here."

"Staying here in Seoul really makes me feel restless," I said with a sigh. I was talking to Yoona, my best friend. She was unpacking her things while listening to me, reading the news on the internet. "Look, I just arrived two days ago and my name is all throughout the internet. I told Appa the announcement of my return wasn't good."

"Hey girl, cheer up," she said cheerfully. Her gift of optimism really sucks. "Everything's going to be fine."

I just stared at her. I know she's enjoying my story. Being a millionaire's daughter, when the millionaire announced that you are his daughter, many people will have interest on you and 'zing!' you became famous and some sort of stuffs like that.

But I don't want to be famous. 'I'm a loner,' like what the famous vocalist of the CN Blue band sings. I really hate crowds, it seems like I can't breathe when many people are looking at me. I would prefer to live in a mouse's hole than to have all the fame in the world. I want a simple way of living, where nobody knows about my family background and our riches. That's why I stayed at Los Angeles.

My mom and dad didn't get along that well. When I was ten my mom and dad separated and my mom moved to Los Angeles. I was left under dad's care, but when people got to know that I'm the daughter of the millionaire Seo Joon Seok, they showed interest towards me. I didn't like it, so dad decided that I should stay with mom. So I transferred to Los Angeles, where mom is staying. Mom is an actress. Since she knows about me being a 'loner', she hid my identity and I liked it. I lived in a simple life but when I reached high school Mom, Yoona and Imo Yin Hye - Yoona's mom - forced me to join the modelling field.

I joined modelling which made me famous. Mom said I have the gift. I only modelled for Imo Yin Hye but they said my face was so attractive and my body was really good that my appearance took the Medias and public's attention. It became a commotion and they're planning to know my background so Imo Yin Hye used 'Seo Hyun' to name me. She said that I was just a normal girl from Korea who went to Los Angeles to learn the English language and is currently staying with her. I am a new face in their field of industry so it sure was a fuss. Many made stories about my background and I didn't care as long as they don't know my true background.

Imo Yin Hye is a fashion designer from Korea, actually, mom's fashion designer and mom's best friend when she was still acting in Korea. They moved to Los Angeles when Imo Yin Hye found about her husband's relationship with another woman. In fact mom suggested her to move to Los Angeles. Imo Yin Hye then agreed and brought Yoona with her. We shared the same house. I shared a room with Yoona, but eventually we moved to a bigger house where each one of us has her own room.

Yoona having the gift of optimism, talked to me often even if I treated her unfriendly at the beginning and she would always smile to me. Eventually, I learned to like her and trust her and we made the best friends ever. When I was a child, I seldom saw Yoona. Imo Yin Hye wouldn't bring her during the gatherings at Korea. I only see Yuri - unnie and Alex - oppa, whom in present are my foster siblings. Their parents met an accident and died a year I moved to Los Angeles. We went home to attend the funeral, my mom and dad agreed - in a casual manner - to adopt the two since we are the closest friend of the family. Their closest family relatives did not show in the funeral that's why dad decided to adopt them. My dad could be awarded as the 'most charitable person living' if there would be an award like that. He's donating in almost fifteen orphanages in Korea. Well, 'that's so Joon Seok', like what his friends would always say. Instead of showing the world his riches, he offered it to the kids. He sure has compassion for kids.

The anxiety that I was feeling right this instance is really killing me. The smell of fame is getting to my nerves and I really don't like it.

"Breathe, S," Yoona said suddenly. She's calling me 'S' and I'm calling her 'Y'. She knows me that well. When I stared blankly out of nowhere, she knows that I'm feeling uneasy.

"Y, let's go back to LA," I suddenly blurted. I just wanted to go back Korea to get rid of the fame I have in the field of modelling. I forgot that my dad has all the fame in Korea.

Yoona was surprised then she responded. "Hey, don't say that, okay? Let's tell uncle not to let the media come inside the party. To prohibit the use of cameras and cell phones so your face will not be release in public. Your face is not yet even in the news you just read a while ago."

"Nice plan, Y, my face is already in public. Hello? I'm the famous model 'Seo Hyun' remember?" I came back with sarcastically.

"Yes, you are the famous model 'Seo Hyun', S. I don't think that they will know that it's you. You're using your full name here in Korea and most of the people would think you would use Joo Hyun as your name," she said calmly.

I just looked at her, still in doubt.

"If you won't believe me let's search your face in the internet using your full name," she said and gets the laptop from the table I was facing.

She was already typing my full name on Google.

No items match your search.But there are faces of different persons on the laptop's screen.

"See? You're just overreacting, S. These pictures are not you. You just have to relax and be optimistic," the gift of optimism she's having is working this time.

Not long after she said that, she typed my screen name 'Seo Hyun' on Google. She doubled - clicked the first link and read it:

"Seo Hyun went back to Korea to stay there for good. The famous fashion designerIm Yin Hyestated at the press conference 'Seo Hyun just wanted to rest; I really don't know what her plans may be. Maybe she would return here and continue modelling my designs or maybe she will stay in Korea for good if she finds her right guy there (laughing).' The fans of the famous model were so sad when the model left without saying goodbye to them. For more details please click here."

"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you'll love me," Yoona sang the lyrics from Lady Gaga's song 'Paparazzi'.

"Why are you suddenly singing that silly song?" I asked her curiously.

"I just remembered your biggest fan, Jerald," she laughed curtly and then spoke again. "That American geek in our class will surely follow you until you'll love him."

"Shut up," I laughed at her joke.

"What if he really follows you here in Korea, S?" she suddenly asked me intriguingly.

"That's really scary, Y. I would surely award him the 'Best stalker of the Year'" I answered her wittily.

"Ya, what if he really follows you?" she asked seriously.

"Ya, don't be that serious, Y," I answered her. When her facial expression did not change, I spoke again. "But, if he follows me here, I would surely hide from him and let Appa hire bodyguards to let him stay away from me."

"Seriously?" she was not satisfied with my answer.

"I would surely do that... maybe," I answered warily. She knows I'm not that bad.

"You're not sure," she said and asked me with a tricky question. "Hey, S, what if that geek turned into a handsome guy and told you that he changed so you would look at him the way he looked at you."

"You're making stories again, Y."

She laughed and stated, "Well, that's so me."

Yoona and I really love making stories, romantic stories to be exact. Since we become friends we shared our hopeless romantic side. Well, that's the only thing we have in common. We were always different in many ways. She's the happy - go - lucky, optimistic girl while I'm the aloof and pessimistic girl. Yoona really showed me that a person can't live without other people. She showed me the importance of friendship and why I need to go on public. I learned from her that a person should share different experiences with anyone so there will be happy and sometimes bad moments to be reminisce. She showed me the bright side of walking into the world we're living in.

Before Yoona came to Los Angeles my life was so uninteresting. I wake up every morning with my breakfast already ready. Mom is already out or sometimes not yet home. My nanny took care of me when mom is not around. After eating my breakfast, I would go to school riding on a school bus, eating alone at the cafeteria and go back to our classroom with no one. After school I would return home. Eat my early dinner alone, take a bath, do my homework and sleep. That's my daily routine. During weekends I'm just home watching televisions and sometimes I would design the interior of the house. I really loved interior designing that sometimes I would send dad designs to design at the real estates and condo units we are owning. Mom may be at home sometimes but always was out for work.

I don't hate mom for that. I understand her job. She gave me everything what I want. I think that's the way she shows that she still cares. I like it when mom would make a leave for my birthdays and school affairs and I can't forget mom wearing funny disguise just to get rid of the paparazzi.

Knowing that I'm first in class, I discern that she's proud of me. She will then treat me to a dinner at one of the finest restaurants and tell me what I want in return for my hard work. I would always say 'This is already enough, Omma. A day with you is already enough' and then she would always cry after I said it.

When Imo Yin Hye and Yoona arrived, everything changed. I'm not alone anymore. Having them accompany me eating at the table every breakfast, lunch and dinner was so pleasing. I already have Yoona to go with me to school and go shopping and watch a movie at the movie theatre during weekends. When I modelled for Imo Yin Hye, many people showed interest towards me. I didn't like it but Yoona showed me the bright side that being liked by someone only means that you served as an inspiration to that person.

Many boys from our school showed interest towards me, that's what Yoona told me. But I always take no notice of them. Yoona had a boyfriend once; I got so jealous that mom and Imo Yin Hye joked about me being a lesbian. I explained to them that the guy stole my best friend's time. She's always with him the whole time that makes me alone again. But like what Yoona always says, 'look at the brighter side', so I make friends with others which really made me happy. I realized that being a loner sometimes really sucks. But a year after, Yoona broke up with the guy because she heard that he's dating another girl. This is one of the reasons why I don't pay attention with the opposite gender. I don't trust them, knowing that they will just hurt me at the end. But maybe someday I'll learn how to like and love them, now is just not the right time.

Yoona moved with me here in Korea because she wants to experience again the way of living in Korea and she wants to fulfil her dream of becoming a famous actress which I know my dad could give her. For me, I would study interior designing at the university and live a happy and peaceful life here in Korea.