A Stubborn Step and an Arrogant Chase
Jiyu had no reply. Hunter's words came out laced with mockery.
[Go run some laps, Jyu Parker. Don't trip and fall like a weakling.]
The thought of thanking him for helping her evaporate without a trace.
[Hand it over.]
She barely regained her senses and brushed his hand away.
[Tsk. Even when I offer help.]
Hunter clicked his tongue, rolled his eyes, spun on his heel, and started sprinting. He powered forward, slamming the ground hard as if chasing the other kids ahead. Within moments, his back disappeared behind the dense rows of roadside trees.
Jiyu limped back, staring at the recovering ankle. She needed to reach the base camp with the first-aid kit, disinfect the dirt-caked wounds, and apply fresh bandages. But after only a few steps, she stopped abruptly and locked eyes with Siena, who had been watching her the whole time.
Siena frowned, narrowed her eyes, and scanned Jiyu from head to toe. Then she gave a light shake of her head and smirked.
No way.
[Are you okay, Olivia?]
Siena began running again, passing her by and asking.
[Y-yes, I'm fine. Thanks, Siena.]
Jiyu answered quickly, but Siena didn't even glance back as she hurried away. Jiyu let out a long sigh and bit her lip.
I should have just gone to volleyball practice.
Next period was gym class.
The sixth-grade girls at Astor School all looked as if they had swallowed a dose of autumn heat. The Poplar Kids, led by Siena, were collapsing like delicate ladies on the Bridal Path in Central Park.
Hunter Hamilton, leading the way from Alton School, strolled past them effortlessly.
***
Olivia Jiyu Parker stood before the mirror in an ivory satin dress that reached her knees. The golden sash around her waist matched perfectly with the Mary Jane shoes that shimmered in the light.
[Gloves too.]
Lauren handed her a pair of white satin gloves. She then lifted the mirror and, with a proud expression, gently adjusted Jiyu's hair. The loose, braid-like strands on both sides were tied at the back with a thin ribbon, while the rest fell naturally.
The Poplar Kids at Astor School had spent every spare moment gossiping about the dresses and shoes for the Cotillion Class.
The Cotillion Class was for children between the ages of eleven and sixteen. They learned proper manners and etiquette alongside social dances such as the waltz and foxtrot, all while wearing suits and dresses.
The last remnants of the Debutante Ball era continued quietly through a select few upper-class families.
Of course, it wasn't open to just anyone. There was no public information, no application process without connections, and entry required a recommendation from an existing member. The elite used these recommendations as the most effective safeguard to keep their world tightly controlled.
[I'm so lucky that Hunter's mom wrote the recommendation letter for you. You would've never gotten in otherwise. Living next door to a rich family is the best perk.]
Lauren said with a giggle as she finished inspecting Jiyu's outfit and gave her a light push on the shoulder.
[Let's go.]
Jiyu sighed as if the ground had swallowed her.
She had no desire to attend the Cotillion Class. She disliked the wedding dress-like gown that even six-year-olds would wear, and she certainly had no wish to dance the waltz with boys who sounded like animals in a zoo.
But there was no way to resist Lauren's insistence.
With a defeated face, Jiyu dragged her feet along behind her as she suddenly asked,
[Is Hunter going too?]
[Of course. They say the Hamilton family has attended for generations. Hunter's hot temper made Lauren go through hell trying to get him to come.]
Learning that she wasn't the only one being forced made Jiyu feel a little better. She let out a soft laugh.
Hunter Hamilton dancing the waltz with girls... It sounded like quite the entertaining sight.
Tap, tap.
With every slow step toward Park Avenue, the soles of her shoes ground against the concrete.
[Jiyu, are you crawling? We'll be late! Walk faster.]
Lauren turned back with an anxious face and urged her. Jiyu snapped back sharply.
[My feet hurt! I told you I hate these shoes.]
Lauren immediately approached and crouched in front of her.
The shiny Mary Jane shoes were far too stiff. Because they were expensive and bought a size larger to last longer, Jiyu's toes slipped painfully with every step. The tight strap dug into her ankle whenever her toes hit the toe box.
[Mom, get up! What are you doing?!]
Jiyu panicked and pushed Lauren's shoulder as pedestrians stared. But Lauren ignored her and loosened the ankle strap. She inspected the reddened toes and ankle, then clicked her tongue.
[Tsk. No blisters yet. This is tolerable, so bear with it. Expensive shoes are always uncomfortable.]
[I'm going home. I can't dance with my feet hurting.]
Jiyu insisted. She had been pushing back against Lauren's words more often lately. Her own opinions were growing stronger.
[That's nonsense! Today's kids have zero patience. When I was a kid, I'd wear a pair of shoes until the soles wore out completely—sometimes for three years. New shoes cause blisters, pop, and form calluses before they stop hurting.]
Lauren had grown up as an orphan whose parents she didn't even know, enduring countless hardships. So this little discomfort barely counted.
*Who in the world could have turned her into such a delicate child?*
Lauren grumbled inwardly. At least she was a pampered daughter of wealthy parents. If Jiyu had been born into poverty like her, she would have been lucky to avoid starvation.
Lauren gently rubbed the reddened toes on Jiyu's feet. Unlike in her own childhood, there was not a single callus on them—they were smooth.
*A rich family's daughter with fair skin, complaining about pain even when I put her in frilly shoes.*
She smiled bitterly, a mixture of irritation and pride.
She had absolutely no intention of passing on the chaotic, rough life she had lived to Jiyu. The stench of poverty that haunted her dreams, the endless hunger no matter what she ate, the shame caused by ignorance, the despair that clung like a leech. None of those things would touch Jiyu.
A graceful, noble rich girl's daughter.
That was the future Lauren had decided for her only child.
[Listen! This is all for you! Put the shoes back on quickly.]
Lauren urged her. Jiyu, now five months pregnant, walked again, grinding her heel against the concrete.
The Cotillion Class was held biweekly in the Whitmore Hall on the first floor of the landmark building at 84 Park Avenue.
Jiyu's steps grew heavier as she entered the building. It was not only because of her aching feet but also the chronic shyness she had never overcome.
Her best friend Chloe had wanted to go, but she couldn't obtain the application because she lacked a recommendation letter. Desperate, Jiyu asked Lauren if she could ask for one from Chloe. Lauren looked incredulous and ignored the question without a word.
She had to go alone to a place where the Poplar Kids would definitely be gathered.
And worse, she had to dance with boys she didn't know.
Her heart shrank. The tiniest spark of curiosity about the Cotillion Class was completely swallowed by the familiar aversion to the unknown.
[Mom, I really don't want to go. My stomach feels a little sick...]
Standing in front of the Whitmore Hall door, Jiyu feigned a pitiful face and clutched her stomach while pleading. But Lauren glared at her and unleashed a rapid-fire barrage.
[Stop it, Jiyu Parker! You're enjoying your fancy life and shitting in the potty! How much groveling have you done with Hunter's mom for the past few months just to get you in here! Anyway! When you marry into a rich family later and have a baby, you owe it all to me!]
Jiyu looked around anxiously. Lauren's unusually loud voice echoed off the high ceiling of the lobby, making Jiyu's sensitive eardrums ring. She worried that someone might have overheard her Korean words.
Lauren's outdated, arrogant speech embarrassed Jiyu. And every time she felt that way, a pang of guilt twisted in her chest—she felt ashamed of her own mother.
Jiyu knew Lauren loved her deeply. She loved her mother too. But the one-sided, relentless pressure sometimes left her breathless. She wanted to shout and rebel, yet she lacked the courage.
Because her mother would surely be hurt and sad if she did.
Lauren threw open the door of the classic-adorned Whitmore Hall with her characteristic force. Though five minutes late, the hall was still filling with the sounds of the class yet to begin.
Grabbing Jiyu's wrist, Lauren strode inside and pulled her out from behind her back as she tried to hide, then pushed her from the rear.
[Go sit quickly!]
Jiyu shrank her shoulders and rolled her eyes as she surveyed the surroundings.