Serendipity Eng

Chapter 1

"Are you going to Josh's party tonight?" I hear Ashley's voice behind me as we run around the school athletich track. I soften the pace in order to be side by side with her.

"I don't know yet. I have training after school and I haven't studied anything" Ashley stops running, forcing me to follow her actions, while trying to recover her breath, my stride widens in order to return to the race but she grabs me the hand.

"Come on Areum, your taekwondo moves are great, you could easily knock the teacher down if you wanted" we both looked at the teacher who was constantly whistling the whistle in his mouth in order to make the students run more and more. "The last test is in the next class, you don't have to study anymore. Easter holidays here we go, starting today"

My ears hurt with the coach's whistle beside me "Jones, Green! Two more laps on the field. The chats are out there"

Ashley's eyes automatically rolled before she lift the middle finger on the coach's back, which made me laugh and pull her so we wouldn't have to run any further.

"Have you thought about my proposal yet?"

"When I leave training, I'll send you a message and tell you"

"You're the best!!" Ashley gives me a smile and starts running down the hall with her backpack still open. "At 9 pm I am at your house !!!"

"I didn't say yes!"

"We are definitely going to that party!"

I picked up the equipment stored inside my locker before going through the library. I browse the books with my fingertips as I try to choose one that catches my eye, I end up opting for Below East by Bret Easton Ellis, where the author describes rich American society and its moral decay, steeped in drugs , alcohol and sexual perversions.

I walk down the corridors to the gym, leafing through the book. I pass by teenagers with hormones jumping at every step I take and the only goal is to not be repaired by any. Of course, the football team does not make things easy, I deeply believe that there is not a single girl that escapes those eyes. I pass them immersed in the book and avoiding any visual contact.

"Hey, Areum. How about giving me a Tora Furyo Tchagui ??"

I just pretend I don't hear, but the mere fact that they know how to say a term correctly makes me less reticent about them. The women's locker room is empty, which makes me relieved, I like having my space and my privacy. I change my clothes and start with a warm-up, followed by a flexibility workout.

Two hours pass and I can't handle it, Taekwondo is my refuge without a doubt. All the intensity, explosion and relief that this sport allows me to feel is great and I couldn't be more grateful to my stepfather for introducing me to this martial art.

"Hey" I kiss my mom on the cheek as soon as I get in the car. There was something different about her, she looked happy and nervous at the same time.

"So? How did your day go?"

"The same as usual. And yours?"

"It was a difficult day, a lot of work" my mother avoids eye contact with me and I don't know how to react to this. I lean my head against the glass and fall asleep on the trip home.

"Hasn't Sang arrived yet?"

"No, he stayed in the office doing business. It shouldn't be long"

My mother comes into the house loaded with bags of food and goes straight to the kitchen. I barefoot while I sit on the couch and start reading the book. I devour pages and pages until the smell of the food to be cooked calls for me. My mother literally has a banquet prepared which makes me more and more confused.

"Do you need help?"

"You can set the table, please decorate it as you know" my mother pokes out her tongue and continues to stir the contents inside the pot. The smell of kimichi (chard, cabbage, radish or turnip in a spicy canning) and Deung Galbi (chops dipped in melted cheese) fill my nostrils and make my belly grow. As I set the table, I chop some food without my mom noticing

"I saw it my girl" I jump with Sang's voice behind me. He is dressed in a suit and tie which makes me feel strange, it is not common to see Sang so be, dressed considering that he and my mother run a restaurant.

"Hi. Sang wanted to ask you something ... can you pick me up at Josh's party soon?"

"Great reception," he laughed so as to joke with me, "I can go, of course. I'll just kiss your mom and take a shower for dinner." Sang gives me a kiss on the forehead and disappears into the kitchen. My stepfather and my mother met when I was around two years old, when he emigrated from South Korea. His parents as well as his son are still in Korea and Sang is a great father despite the distance, whenever he can he travels there to be with them and does everything so that nothing is missing. As long as I can remember, I have always taken him as the caring, honest and exemplary man that he is, for me he has always been and will always be my father at heart, despite being annoying at times and involuntarily making me speak Korean I adore him.

Dinner is lively as always, there is no sadness in this house, as well as no downtime. My mother continues to look nervous, but the pride of the meal she prepared overflows her. Sang takes her hand and she smiles at him before they both look at me.

"What did I do?" I said with my mouth full of rice while two pairs of eyes stared at me seriously. My mother looked like she was going to pass out at any moment, Sang had a smile on his face that you can almost see from the moon, and I'm going crazy with these two.

"Areum, today I spent the day in meetings and was promoted. I had a job offer that was irrefutable"

I got up immediately and hugged my stepfather, "CONGRATULATIONS! Oh my god, this is fantastic !!" he smiled at me as did my mother, who despite being happy, still looking with face who have few friends. I sat down and filled my mouth with food again.

"Yes, it is great. But to be able to fill the position we will have to move to Korea"

My mom grabbed Sang's hand so hard she could see her knuckles go white. Sang's face had no expression at all and my immediate reaction was to drop the chopsticks and burst out laughing, but his expression didn't change.

"You guys are kidding right?" I said with a smile on my face. When both shook their heads, the world fell at my feet. Moving to the other side of the world? Everyone are crazy!? Not in dreams do they think that I will ever agree.