Making of an Idol (7): The Gift

Sekjong and Jinhyun were watching the video recordings of the practice sessions. Each of them had a notebook in front of them, assessing each trainee. 

"Yuri seems to struggle with memorizing her moves," Sekjong commented. "And Mili, here." 

He pointed at a mousy haired teenager. "She dances well but her energy fluctuates." 

"They're still inexperienced," Jinhyun sighed. "Semin is clearly the best singer and her dancing is decent. But she can't do both together. She loses her breath while dancing which affects her singing as well." 

"This one here though," Sekjong pointed at Yoona. "She is good at both singing and dancing. Also, her visuals are stunning!" 

He observed the girl as she moved with perfect precision and poise. She had stage charisma and with her beauty, she would be a hit. 

"I bet she'll win the solo act," Sekjong commented. 

"Who knows?" Jinhyun grimaced. 

Sekjong noticed his skepticism. "You don't like her?" he frowned. 

"That's not what I meant," Jinhyun replied. "She seems nice. I'm just saying that it depends on the public perception of her. If they like her, they'll vote for her." 

But Sekjong was not convinced by his answer. "You don't like her," he accused. 

"Again," Jinhyun said, rolling his eyes. "I don't dislike her. If she's good, the public will vote for her. I don't discriminate against people." 

However, Jinhyun was unsure of his own words. Outwards, Yoona was a polite and helpful girl. But he could not help but think that there was something lingering inside her. He rarely had this instinct about anyone and he was not even right about his gut feelings most of the time. So why were his senses on high alert whenever she was nearby? 

"Let's go over the sessions again," he suggested. "The trainees need to be given a proper evaluation before next week's episode." 

They worked late into the evening when one of the staff members knocked on the door. 

"Sir, the delivery you were expecting is here," he informed Jinhyun. "The parcel has the stamp of a butterfly on it."

The assistant handed out the parcel. Jinhyun scrambled up to receive it. 

"What's this?" Sekjong asked. "You're not supposed to receive any fan mails or gifts directly! What if a hater sends you something dangerous?" 

"It's personal," Jinhyun said, staring at the box. "Can you all leave me alone with it?" 

Sekjong wanted to protest but seeing the strange look in Jinhyun's eyes, he quietly left the room with the assistant. 

What was that? He wondered. 

Inside the room, Jinhyun was shaking as he unwrapped the parcel. He felt nervous while opening it. For the past twenty years, he had been receiving it. 

The first parcel came on his eleventh birthday. He remembered it as if it was yesterday. 

…. 

*Twenty Years Ago*

Jinhyun was watching the family from afar. The little boy was running towards his parents in excitement. His mother smiled and scooped him up in her arms. 

"Mommy, where is my gift?" the boy asked.

"What does my angel want on his birthday?" the mother cooed. 

"Racing car!" 

The mother and father shared a secret smile. The father was holding a box behind him. He quietly revealed it to his son. 

"Tada!" the father exclaimed, holding out the box.

The boy squealed in delight as he grabbed the package. The parents watched as the boy happily unwrapped it to find a racing car. 

"Yaii!" the boy rejoiced. He put the car on the ground and began to play with it while his parents cheered for him. After a while, the mother noticed Jinhyun staring at them longingly. 

"Honey, that little boy is looking at us," she said to her husband. "Where are his parents?" 

"Let's check with him," he suggested. The young couple approached Jinhyun, who was sitting on the park's bench. 

"Hi," the woman greeted him gently. "What's your name?" 

"Jinhyun," he squeaked. "Shin Jinhyun." 

"Where are your parents?" she asked. 

"I don't know," he replied. The couple looked at each other. 

"Are you lost?" the man asked. 

"No." 

"Where do you live?" the woman asked. 

"At the orphanage," he answered. They blinked in surprise, unsure of what to say. The little child looked at them with his innocent eyes. 

"Do you want to play with our son?" the mother smiled. But to her surprise, Jinhyun shook his head. 

"That's alright," he said. "I have to go back."

"You can play with him for a bit," the mother said. "We noticed you were looking at the car." 

"I wasn't looking at the car," Jinhyun said. "I was looking at you two and wondering why I don't have parents." 

His straightforward statement made them speechless. They had no answer to his question yet, his eyes were pleading them for a reply. 

"No one can answer that, sweetie," the mother said in a sad tone. "I wish I could help you." 

Jinhyun flashed her a wide smile. "That's alright," he said. "I was just happy seeing all of you together. Thank you!" 

He bowed down. Before the mother could say anything more, he ran off. 

I really hope he can find his parents someday, she prayed. 

Jinhyun ran all the way back to the orphanage. His eyes were stinging as tears formed in them. His teacher, Sung Siyoung, saw him crying as he entered through the gate. 

"Jinhyun why are you-" 

But Jinhyun hugged her waist. He was a tiny child yet, the most energetic one of the lot. He was always happy and cheerful but seeing him cry was breaking her heart. 

"Why did my parents abandon me?" he wailed. "What's my fault?" 

He could not help it. He was taught that boys should not cry and yet, his tears would not stop falling. Did his parents hate him so much? What wrong did he do? 

"Don't cry," Siyoung consoled him. "I wish we knew, Jinhyun. But some questions don't have an answer…" 

Jinhyun wanted to lash out. He wanted to curse the world. He wanted to hate the people who discarded him. It was unfair that he could not live with his family while other kids enjoyed their lives. 

But he could not do it. He did not have the heart to carry so much hatred. No matter how much he tried, he could not shut himself away nor think ill of those who wronged him. 

Siyoung wiped his tears. "Jinhyun," she said. "You're a good child. You have done nothing wrong. Even if your parents aren't with you, I'm sure they have a very good reason to leave. They love you very much. You'll see, they will send you their love somehow. Even if they can't come, their love will reach you. You'll see."

That night Jinhyun reflected on those words. Will their love ever reach him? How will he know? 

The clock struck twelve, ringing throughout the room. The other children were fast asleep and merely stirred at the noise. But Jinhyun aas wide awake. It was the 5th of January. 

"Happy Birthday to me," he said sullenly. Another lonely birthday. 

…. 

He was woken up the next morning by Siyoung. 

"Jinhyun, wake up!" she shook him. Jinhyun groggily opened his eyes, yawning widely. 

"What is it teacher?" he asked sleepily. 

"This came for you," Siyoung said. "Someone addressed it to you!" 

She handed him a gift box. There was a small note attached to it. 

"You don't have to lie, teacher," he said. "I know this is from you." 

"No it's not," she stated. "I was about to gift you a woollen sweater when this arrived!" 

Jinhyun frowned. Now he was curious. He quickly ripped the wrapping paper apart. Inside it was a coloring book, a set of crayons and paint. Jinhyun was surprised. The gifts looked expensive. Who would send these? 

He searched inside. There was one more thing. A yellow paper with strange symbols written on it. 

"It's a charm for good luck," Siyoung said. "It's supposed to bring a person success and prosperity." 

There was also a note attached to it. Only two words were written on it. 

"Happy Birthday," he whispered out loud. Clutching the paper tight, he tried to hold back his tears. 

…. 

Ever since then, he had been receiving gifts and a good luck charm on every birthday. He never tried to find out who sends these, but Jinhyun knew it was his mother. The fact that he received these, meant that she was alive and often thought about him. She even knew his whereabouts. 

Yet, she never came before him. Even though Jinhyun was curious at first to find her, he decided against it. If she was hiding from him, then she must have a very good reason. 

Jinhyun stared at the box in his hands. He slowly unwrapped it. 

Inside, was a pen. It was not an expensive one but it was sleek and stylish. He rummaged inside to find another charm. He already owned twenty of these, all of which were stored in his closet. 

But there was something different about this particular charm. The symbols looked different. Jinhyun recognised it as a protective charm. There was also a note. 

"This will keep you safe," he read. 

What did this mean? Was he in some kind of danger? Or was his mother trying to warn him about something? 

He thought and thought but his mind was blank. What was going on?