For You

Chapter 26

Youra was in the car on her way back to Seoul when she saw messages from Jin.

Jin: Hey there cutie. I want to tell you a joke about animal. But it is irrelephant.

Youra: LOL. SO I'm cutie now?

Jin: You're cute.

Youra: Do I call you handsome now?

Jin: You can call me anything. You can even call me for dinner.

Youra: But you only show up for breakfast.

Jin: Maybe we could fix that one of these days.

Youra: When you and I won't be too busy with work.

Jin: Speaking of work, we are going to be quite busy this year.

Youra: You are already busy as it is.

Jin: I meant busier. We're going to start touring outside Korea.

Youra: Oh wow, good for you!!

Jin: I'm a bit nervous though. What if I mess up?

Youra: You have been performing for years now. That should not be a problem, right?

Jin: Not really. I always have the fear of messing up on stage.

Youra: Why don't you just focus on the good things first and not the bad ones. If you keep on focusing on the negatives, it will really happen. Well, that works for me whenever I have my yearly evaluation.

Jin: You have evaluations?

Youra: Of course we do. The vice principal and the principal themselves would go and check on us when we teach. It gets disconcerting sometimes. It's like having many people breathing behind your neck waiting for you to mess up.

Jin: How are you doing so far?

Youra: My evaluation marks are not that good, honestly. Teaching part is not a problem. The parents feedback part is not that stellar.

Jin: Why is that so?

Youra: I am unpopular with parents.

Jin: Because of?

Youra: They said, to quote – despite my aptitude in teaching, I am a bad influence to their kids.

Jin: Bad influence?

Youra: From their perspective, telling their children to chase their dreams is bad influence.

Jin: I don't get it.

Youra: I have to rephrase that. Telling their kids to be other than what their parents want them to be is bad influence.

Jin: That's too bad. The parents didn't do anything else to get you in trouble did they?

Youra: So far they just send complaints to the school. But that do effect my evaluation marks. I don't get many day offs because of the trainings that I have to go during breaks to compensate on the marks I have lost. Anyway, are you having an off day today? It is Samil Jeol (Korean Independence Movement Day).

Jin: Technically it's a day off but I just got off from practice. Are you on your way to Seoul?

Youra: Yes, I am.

Jin: Why don't you say so? I can call you up.

Youra: You'd better not. I'm in the car with my dad.

Jin: Your dad? All the way from Uiseong to Seoul? I thought your parents are divorced.

Youra: This is one of the days where he comes and visit my mom.

Jin: Are they back together?

Youra: It's complicated. LOL that status suits them both well. Imagine them having a Facebook account and have 'It's Complicated' for their relationship status.

Jin: How complicated?

Youra: You do know about my parents' history, right? Well since my dad's divorce to his ex-PA, he regretted what he did and has been trying to get my mom back.

Jin: Wow that takes perseverance. How does that work out for him?

Youra: My mom is still stonewalling him. She is cordial as always, but that's just that. She doesn't give an inch.

Jin: How long has that been?

Youra: I lost count. I would say.... near to 10 years.

Jin: Whoaaaa, that long?

Youra: Now that you say it, wow, it has been 10 years... I was angry at him when he showed up at our doorstep. But after sometime, I kind of pity him. I just hope both of them would work things out.

Jin: Yes, I do too. I need to go now. They are calling me.

Youra: Have a good day and take care.

Jin: You too. Stay safe.