The First Day of Spring

March 21st, 1999

"And... its a girl!" Said the nurse to my mother who had just given birth to me "here she is, would you like to see your daughter Shin Minsu-nim?"

"Yes let me see her" said my Mother as the nurse passed me to her "isn't she beautiful? She's got her mothers looks, haha" Said my mother smiling

"She certainly does Minsu-nim." Said the nurse rolling her eyes in secret.

"Eomma! Eomma! Can I see her? Can I!?" Shouted my happy older brother who was ten years old, one of the nurses had gone to get him and my second oldest brother who had been waiting outside the room with their nanny.
"Aish, shh, don't shout Hajung , you'll make her cry." Said our mother.
My mother lowered me a bit so my brothers could see me, Hajung stared at me with big eyes, he touched my small hand with his finger and I held it, whilst my other brother just scoffed and started kicking his feet around.

".. she's so cute, what's her name?" He asked looking at Mother whilst I was still holding his finger.

My mother looked at me and then at the window, she noticed a blossom tree growing outside and she remembered that it was the first day of Spring "Her name is Hwayoung."

"Annyeong Hwayoung ~ I'm Hajung your oldest brother. And thats Yujung
your second oldest brother." He said pointing at Yujung who was shuffling his feet and playing with a Tamagotchi.

"Come on boys let's go, it's time for dinner." Said my brothers nanny.

"Oh okay, annyeong Hwayong." Said Hajung waving goodbye as his nanny held there hands and walked out.

"Minsu-nim I willl go and wash her, you have some rest you deserve it." Said the nurse who picked me up and took me out of the room.

March 22nd, 1999. 13:00
"Hello? Yes honey it's me!" Said my mother on the phone to my dad, she sat in the back of her Rolls Royce, I was next to her in a baby seat with my eyes wide open staring at my mother holding her finger in my right hand "it's a healthy beautiful girl" she said with happiness "yes honey we should be back soon" she covered the phone with her hand and leaned over to the driver "Donghae-ssi? How much longer until we arrive?

"About twenty minutes Minsu-nim" he replied.

"Honey will we be twenty minutes" she said going back to the phone "okay, I love you too, bye~" she put the phone in her bag and went back to looking at me "who's a beautiful girl? Are you a beautiful girl? Yes you are!" She Said whilst playing with my hands, she made me smile for the first time and it was the best moment ever, my mother smiling back.
suddenly there were car horns, a scream and then everything stopped.
Everything went black.

September 3rd, 2009. 8:00 am
"Annyeonghaseyo, my name is Shin Hwayoung,..uh..um.. sorry I'm quite nervous, I'm from Seoul and I live in
Gangnam, my father is CEO of the Lotte group, I like art, history, music and Webtoons. I'm excited to be starting at this new school, please treat me well, thank you" I said to the class room of students who were whispering about me because of my father.
"Thank you Hwayoung, go and sit back down now."

I walked back over to my desk, just as I was about to sit down a piece of screwed up paper hit my back and a few girls started giggling, I sat down and sighed.

"Stop that!" Said my teacher walking over to me " are you okay Hwayoung?" She asked bowing her head slightly. She went back over to the girl who chucked the paper at me
"Jung Dayoon I do not want to see that kind of behavior again, or you'll get in trouble"
Dayoon nodded and went back to doing what she was doing.
"Okay lets start the lesson."

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Korean words used in this book;

Annyeonghaseyo - Hello (Formal)

Annyeong - Hello / Goodbye

Nim - used to address important people

Ya/ah - used to address friends or someone younger than

Oppa - used by a younger girl to an older boy who is bestfriend/ boyfriend

Unnie - used by younger girl to an older girl who is friend / sister

Noona - used by younger boy to older girl who is a friend/girlfriend/sister

Eomma - Mom

Appa - Dad

Ssi - address someone you know mutually