America To Korea

Part 9: History Behind the Bracelet

I returned back to the soccer filed to search for my lost bracelet. After 20 minutes of searching, I still couldn't find it. I started to break down crying.

How can I lose the only thing my mother left me? What have I done to deserve this?!😭

I cried and cried as I walked back to my dorm. Hye Jin was there and she asked me what was wrong. At first, I wanted to make it seemed like everything was alright, but I couldn't hold back the tears and started sobbing.

I spilled everything and told her. I told her about my lost bracelet and the contract I was offered. Immediately, she was shocked. I guess she overlooked the lost bracelet part and said,

Hye Jin:"What?! A contract with S.M?!" 😀 "You should go for it!"

Me:"Noooo! Haven't you heard anything I just said? This is not about the contract! This is about my bracelet."

More tears started to fall down. Hye Jin saw them and left. I was too upset to realize that she just left in the middle of our conversation. But I felt better right after she came back with a cup of hot water and a box of tissues.

Hye Jin:"Here." *hands a cup of water* "Sit down."

I sat on my bed that was directly right across from hers.

*Hye Jin's POV*

As I helped her relax a bit, Jina began to calm down. Honestly, I've never seen her this upset and it hurts me. We've been friends for almost the end of freshman year now with a couple of months left till sophomore year begins.

She always wore a smile and cheerful everday. Couldn't believe that a bracelet would bring her down like this. I figured that it was very precious and important to her.

Jina:"That bracelet was a gift from my mother. She lefted it for me before she died."

When she told me about her mother, I felt a huge gush of sadness and empathy towards her. I felt bad and sorry for her. But I didn't know how to react so instead, I just sat there and listened.

Me:"I'm.... I'm so sorry, Jina." 😢

Jina:"No, don't be. I learned to live with it. My mother died after giving birth to me. So in the end, it was all my fault she died."

Me:"No! Don't say that! You have nothing to do with it!"

Jina:"That's what my gomo (paternal aunt) told me. Growing up, I felt... Out of place. I felt like I didn't fit in. All of the kids at school at least had one parent still around while I had none."

I stayed silent. I didn't know what to do or what to say. I figured it would be best if I just let her finish.

Jina:"But it didn't matter me. Because I had my gomo. She was my mother. I've never even seen my real mother and I learned to live with it. I was really curious of what she looked like and how she was as a person. Whenever I wear her bracelet, I felt..........I felt like she was right by my side; like she never left me."

I couldn't bear to listen any of it anymore and immediately gave her a nice, big, and warm hug.

Me:"It's okay. I'm sure that we will find the bracelet. Look, why don't we report it to the school? Maybe they can help us find it."

Jina:"It's okay. The school is not going to spend it's time for a small bracelet. Finding the bracelet is like finding a needle in a haystack. If the bracelet was meant to be mine, it will eventually come back to me."

*Jina's POV*

That night, I couldn't sleep a wink. I kept tossing and turing around. I kept thinking about the bracelet. Thinking back the memories I had with that bracelet.

That bracelet gave me confidence on exams, stood up to bullies, and helped me get to where I am today. I kept thinking how my mother is probably heartbroken in heaven that I lost something she worked so hard to make. All that thinking, tossing, and turning in bed lead me to make a risky decision.

*In hospital cafeteria, 11:00 AM*

Me:*eating ramen* "I have decided to use the contract.

Like me, Hye Jin was also eating ramen. When she heard me say that, she immediately chocked on her ramen.

Hye Jin:*chockes*

Me:"Dude, are you okay?" *gives her a napkin*

Hye Jin:"Don't call me dude." *coughs*

Me:"Sorry."

Hye Jin:"So are you seriously going to sign that contract?"

Me:"No. I SAID I'm going to use the contract."

Hye Jin:"How? Why?"

Me:"I thought about it last night. I will use that contract as an excuse to get into the Arts campus again to look for my bracelet."

Hye Jin:"Why don't you just aks them to give you permission to enter?" 😑

Me:"Don't you think I tried that already this morning? They completely shut me out."

Hye Jin:"But that's kinda extreme. Don't you think?"

Me:"I will do whatever it takes to get that bracelet back."

Hye Jin:"But are you going to sign that contract?"

Me:"Heck no! You think I will just give up years of hard work in high school to get into this school? I wanted to be a neurosurgeon and will be."

Hye Jin:"But you're such a great singer, Jina. In my eyes, you should accept that contract. Think about it, you get to have every fanboys and fangirls' heart. When you're happy, they are happy. When someone makes you sad, they will tear up every little piece of who made you sad. Plus, you get the princess treatment and go on world tours!"

Me:"Singing is just a hobby of mine. Not a career."

MESSAGE FROM AUTHOR: I just found out that gomo was actually the paternal aunt. In this case, Jina's dad's sister is the aunt that raised her not her manteral aunt. Imo was the materal aunt.

Anyways, thank you for reading this story. I feel really excited since we are progress the plot by a bit. It will take some time to actually get to SNSD and everything but lets be patient. Okay?👌

As always, Kamsamida!