Two Seouls One Song

Ch 01. #Shinhee - And the winner is...

"Stay tuned we will be announcing the winners after a short commercial break" says the host. Two girl groups stand behind the host waiting for the goddamn break to end and the results to be announced. It still seems unbelievable to me that we have come so far. I feel anxious and think of the long journey I had to make to get here and just by few minutes my destiny or a new journey will be decided. As I am lost in my thoughts I see Jin hee oppa in the crowd whose wearing a disguise. He shouts "hwaiting!"

2 years before the finale...

Osaka, Japan

"Shinhee wake up! wake up!" my roommate Ichiko is trying to wake me up. "5 minutes more - the alarm has not yet started ringing" I try to take a peek at the alarm clock.

"Lee shinhee - this is big! Someone posted a video of you rapping yesterday" tells ichiko which wakes me up for good. "What?" I ask again. Ichiko turns the monitor screen to show me. There is blog under a website named rapstylejapan - I see lot of pop-ups at the side. The main article reads Female underground rapper rocks Osaka. There is a video of me rapping while my friend Minato is beatboxing beside me.

Just then I get call from eomma "Yoboseyo Shinhee How was the week? What are your plans for the weekend? Can you cancel all the schedules for today and tomorrow"

I am surprised my mother is asking me to cancel violin classes that I take during weekends "The week was normal. Is everything alright?"

"Yes everything is alright that's why your father and I are visiting you. We are at the airport. Will reach the hotel in an hour or so. Will send you the car in a while."

I have forgotten the count of these little visits. I moved to Osaka not long ago. My parents were against it but I insisted that along with studies I can learn bit more about Japan (most of my father's company's investors are Japanese) as after high school my dad made up his mind that I would take up engineering and join his company. The actual reason - was to have a little freedom in rapping outdoors. Not that my parents would be against it but i felt it would some way break my father's heart for not heeding his future vision for me.

I turn to my roommate and say " I need to get dressed, my parents are here I'll see you after the weekend"

"Your an lucky ass - your parents visit you once in 2 weeks. Mine hardly bother to call me" saying so she gets back to browsing and playing games.

I get dressed and as usual my car with a chauffeur is waiting for me. He takes me to the hotel. I see my parents waiting at the lobby.

I greet them with a bow. My eomma runs towards me hugs and kisses me. My mother is never gonna stop coddling me. My dad hugs me and we leave for our outing. "Didn't oppa and Chung hee come" I ask. "No both Jin hee and Chung hee are grounded" my father says and signals the chauffeur to leave. My mother tells me that both of them are grounded for a month as they were caught imitating one of the board members during the party. I laugh and sigh wishing that they would come and the tell me all sort of drama that I missed.

We arrive at Tokyo and visit Disneyland. Eomma and me have fun on rides while my dad frequently visit food stalls. We join him after our ride. My dad waves at us calling to take lunch break. This is what I like about my parents although they're rich now they never hesitate to keep in touch with their roots.

When we are sitting on a bench and eating ice cream a guy approaches us. "Excuse me but are you the same person as this video" he lifts his cellphone and plays the video in which I am rapping. Sweat breaks on my forehead. I humbly accept and request the guy to give us some space. Before I turn to look at my parents I say a silent prayer.