Chaeryeong looked in the mirror as her nanny, Surine, pulled her hair tight and plaited it; her eyebrows rose even higher. The face of her nanny appeared over her shoulder, dissatisfied with her work.
At other times Chaeryeong would have been annoyed, but right now she was fascinated by her new clothes. They had been bought by her father as a present for her eighth birthday, specially ordered from a Japanese-owned boutique in Jingogae. The dark blue dress with a white collar finished with fine lace and the white half tights went well together. With a small red bag slung over her shoulder, Chae- ryeong didn’t feel like an eight-year-old, but rather like an older girl getting ready to walk to school. She wanted to run straight to her father in the annex and show off her black patent leather shoes, but one final ceremony remained.
Surine grabbed Chaeryeong’s shoulder and turned her to face the door.
“Off you go to show your umma.”
“Do I have to?”
“Do you want me to scold you again?” asked her nanny as she opened the door. The sound of a mournful song grew louder from within…
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