An Eternal Spring

"Min Choi was impressively beautiful and breathtaking, she had everything to please. With her complexion as radiant as silver moonlight, her face as soft as silk with no pore showing, her large blue eyes as slender as almonds, her mouth red as fresh cherries just picked and her cheeks like those of an adorable doll, she could have seduced any man. Her kindness and her generosity could not leave anyone indifferent" was the beginning of the new fashionable novel that I had just bought. "Eternal Spring" as it was called was the new book by a little-known author, Eun Jung Yi. However, it had a monster success since its release. At my high school, everyone was talking about it. I heard the name of this book for the first time from the shyest student in the class, Dong-Eun Moon or Dang-in Moon, I don't really know her name, actually no one knows it. Then it was the turn of the most popular student in high school, Sara Lee, to talk about it, saying that it was "interesting". Finally, it was the turn of our teachers to talk about it, starting with our Korean teacher who recommended it because it was an "intoxicating" book, while our philosophy teacher recommended it to us because it was "a book that described the complexity and wickedness of the human being from all angles".

Finally, my best friend, Shin Bak, became even more radiant than she was after reading this:

"Hi, In-Soon! How are you ?

Hello Shin. I'm doing well and you ?

- I'm fine. »

It was strange to see her so excited. She was jumping. She, who usually often complains about the students in our class or our teachers, had a smile from ear to ear.

"I saw Eun Jung Yi's book, you know? This new book, which...

- Are all the teachers talking? »

She nodded and replied:

"Look, In-Soon, I've read this book and I don't know how to explain it to you. It is wonderful, magnificent, captivating, fascinating, extraordinary! This is the best book of all time! »

I just smiled as she continued on her way, giving many details about the novel, without really explaining the ending to me. She only told me that the end was "moving", worthy of a drama novel.

Curiosity piqued me and when I left school around six o'clock in the evening, I went to the library and bought the book in question next to Mrs. Yang's shop because I had to buy some groceries for my mother and my sister.

I wandered through the shelves and saw the "fantasy" section. It was there, next to the best-known works that we had to read during the first year of high school, right next to "The Blue Angel" by the foreign author Léona Paon. Leaving this place full of stories, I had the book in my hands and I couldn't help but be disappointed. The picturesque cover was too simple for my taste: a black female figure, with a rose in her hands (which was quite hard to distinguish by the way) and a castle in the background. The large gold letters of the title were inscribed at the top of the cover while the author's name was inscribed in lower case on the binding. I told myself that I must have thrown 1000 won out the window. I sighed and walked, the book in my bag, home. Most people I met had a copy with them. It's like everyone throws their money away like me these days, I joked. Going up the stairs of the building, I greeted Mr Ming, the old man in his sixties who lives just below our house.

"Miss Chang, did you buy this book too?" »

I was very shocked that even he, who very rarely leaves home, knew about the fame of this book.

" Yes. I really hope it's worth it." It was, after all, the "spellbinding, amazing and magical" book.

As I pushed open the front door, I smelled the bibimbap that my mother was preparing while humming a few songs. As I walked to my room, I heard my sister, Yura, talking on the phone with her best friend or her boyfriend, I didn't know. I did my biology homework and finally sat up on my bed. And here I am now. So here I am, In-Soon Chang, a sixteen-year-old high school student at Jeguk High School in Seoul. I grabbed the book from my bag and started to read it.

After two hours of reading, I hugged it to my chest and started crying. To my amazement, I cried. I wept bitterly over what I had just read. Min Choi, the character in the novel, made me cry because of the tragic events told about his life in the novel. Her mother having died in childbirth, her father never remarried (his grief never really healed). Along with his brother Hosieok, they were his only two heirs. She was one of the most famous people for her open-mindedness, her intelligence and her vivacity, so she was very hated within high society. She had three friends: Moon, daughter of a count, Yon, daughter of a viscount, and Sun-hi, daughter of the duke. Sun-hi hated Min bitterly but remained friends with her out of interest. As the story progresses, we realize that Sun-hi is a manipulative person who managed to manipulate Moon and Yon and turn them against the main character. Many embarrassing rumors and dark secrets have surfaced within high society about Min. She found herself without relatives, without friends.

The day Min realized that Sun-hi was the cause of everything, she organized a reception during which she tried to justify herself, but in vain. No one wanted to believe her. Then she wrote a letter in which she told everything. She threw herself from the balcony of her bedroom at night, when everyone was in bed. The next day, her servant Hana came to wake her but not finding her, she opened the windows to air the room and saw the bloodied and lifeless corpse of the future countess. News of his death spread like wildfire. Hana then accused Sun-hi but, no one believed her. Min's memory was as stained as a carpet after a long, wine-flowing evening.

After two hours of reading, I was crying. I found a lot of common points between her and me: her mother had died while my father also died, she was the victim of a toxic friendship while I was too before my meeting with Shin... After this full emotion, I put the book on my bedside table and did my hair subtly.

"In-Soon, my dear, dinner is ready. I cooked your favorite dish, bibimbap with banchan on the side. I even made a kimchi stew. Hurry before everything gets cold! »

I wiped away my tears quickly and rushed to the dining room to join my mother and Yura for the evening meal.

At nine o'clock in the evening, I took a last look at the book and took it in my hands. I put it on the cushion next to mine and fell asleep with the last thought that this book was amazing.

The next day I woke up to the deafening sound of my alarm clock. I combed my hair, put on a white shirt and a black skirt, took a thousand South Korean won and left for school with my bag. I ran to the bus station and arrived when the bus stopped. I sat at the back of the bus and saw Shin get on the bus:

"You know Shin. You were right, this book is really amazing.

- I told you I recommended it for a good reason. After all, I know your tastes by heart.

- Yes. I was really sad when I learned that she had decided to kill herself. I really hate this Sun-hi.

- Me too ! »

We talked about the novel until we arrived at the school gate. Classes went on as usual except for the English class.

The English teacher, Ms. Ming, informed us that there was a new student. He walked into the classroom and introduced himself:

"Hello everyone, my name is Jin Park, I am from Busan City. I'm new here so I hope I can make some friends."

Shin leaned towards me and said with a mocking laugh:

"He looks like Sun-hi's brother"

I couldn't help but hide a light laugh as he looked me straight in the eyes, smiling.

"Welcome Jin. You can sit next to In-Soon"

I raised my hand so that he understood who I was and he sat down next to me. The English class resumed its course until he asked me a strange question:

"Why were you laughing at me? he asked

I was extremely shocked at his way of speaking. He seemed so cheerful during his presentation and he was now as cold as ice.

"I wasn't laughing at you.

- That's not the impression you gave earlier when I was looking at you.

- Well, you should stop believing and instead be certain"

He's laughing. The bell rang and I rushed out of the room. I ran to Mr. Jin's collectible stuffed animal shop.

"Hello Miss Chang, what do I do with the honor of your visit?"

- I would like to buy you the collector's plush toy of the character from the novel "Eternal Spring".

- Oh, are you talking about Min Choi?

- Effectively. »

He gave me the stuffed animal and another one caught my attention:

"What is this plush Mr Ji?

- Oh, this is the stuffed animal that is supposed to represent Sun-hi's brother.

- You want to talk about Jae-Joon Jang?

- Yes. It's a stuffed animal worth only 300 won. Do you want to take it? »

I nodded, rushed out of the store when I collided with someone:

"Excuse me sir! I am sincerely sorry. »

I was on the ground and when I opened my eyes, I saw the new student, whom me and Shin had laughed at, with my stuffed animal in his hands:

"In the petty and pathetic way, you can't do better.

- Give it back to me, immediately! I shouted, annoyed.

He threw it in the puddle next to it and walked away with an amused look. I rushed to retrieve it and walked quickly home. I took out a hair dryer and immediately dried my doll until she was dry and clean. What an idiot, I thought.

"You shine bright now and, you look so human. How beautiful you are!”

Being home alone, I ate instant noodles and fell asleep with the doll in my arms.

"Wake up, miss.

- Five more minutes, Yura..."

I heard a voice that was foreign to me but I thought it was Yura because she liked to imitate the voices of a lot of people keeping it realistic since she had a penchant for cinematography and theater.

Then I felt a tap on my shoulder and I couldn't help but get up in a rage:

"Damn, Yura, I had you..."

I saw in front of me a woman in her thirties and I then grabbed the cushion that was next to me.

" Who are you ?! I asked

The woman in front of me laughed and looked at me with an expression of kindness and astonishment:

"Mademoiselle, I know that you like the theater but all the same, you have to know how to be serious. Especially when you wake up. I came close to having a heart attack because of you.

- Excuse me but I don't know you...

- Since you really want me to pretend to introduce myself then, I'm your servant, Hana.

- Hana...? »

I looked around me and realized that I was in the universe of my favorite novel.

"Yes, that's my name. What's happening to you Miss? Are you feverish?

- Oh ! No ! It's just that...I wanted to give more life to my character!

- What you are funny miss. Please stand up "

I got up from the bed and she immediately began to repeat it:

"Your father asked me to get you ready for the reception tonight?"

- The reception ?

- Yes, that of your friend, the daughter of Duke Sun-hi Jang"

It was immediately so clear to me. The fact that this woman, at least Hana, could mention Sun-hi's existence was obvious. I was necessarily in the novel although I did not want to recognize it.

"You remember well that less than a month ago you received an invitation from Sun-hi for her birthday," she said.

However, I remembered exactly the words of the author about this evening "Humiliation. Such was the result of the party organized by Sun-hi in honor of her birthday. Sun-hi threw her champagne glass at Min's golden dress as everyone laughed loudly, Min started to cry as Sun-hi looked at her with a smirk..."

" Yes, I know. Besides, I think maybe I shouldn't go there."

She looked at me strangely and I knew I was talking nonsense.

"You have already confirmed your presence. Besides, what will the people of high society think when they see that you didn't even come to support your best friend on her birthday?

- Probably something negative"

Despite my protests, I found myself having to choose my dress. Not wanting to wear the gold dress from the evening of the accident, I opted for an elegant white long dress. My makeup was light: gold eyeshadow, matte lipstick and white powder to hide my imperfections. When Hana gave me a mirror, I was only shocked to see "my new appearance". I did not know how I could find myself in the universe of this novel but I did not care, because I had decided that I was going to change the novel's short.

Min won't die but...Sun-hi she will die.