SOPHIA'S POV
Girl, you're so stupid! Where's your brain? Is it in your head or your chest? I replied with a grimace to a post from a famous idol on Twitter.
"@phia, you b*tch! What @hanGay8888 have done to you? Is this how Grade 11 students are these days? Prioritizing tweeting over studying?"
I raised an eyebrow at what I just read. How this btch thinks I'm a Grade 11?
"@bish, Hey! You're just as stupid as your idol, who looks like a shitass from head to toe! I'm in third year! Are you dumb? Want me to slap you with my ID? Bet?" I continued to glare at the phone in my hand, ready to respond with as much sass and sarcasm as I could muster
"@phia, Third year? What school? Your uniform looks familiar. Wait! Don't tell me... You're the viral girl? Yeah, that viral idiot, the poetic girl."
Wait, what?! Did she recognize me? Oh fvck! I almost throw my phone when I realized I was using my original account and not my troll one. What a dumbass!
"@bish tagged you in a reply."
My jaw dropped when I saw the video she posted.
Where did she find that? I had my dad's IT team delete it! I bit my lip in frustration and quickly closed my eyes.
"@phia Is that you, right? Your obsession with Taehyung is so obvious. Girl, study first before you tweet about Kpop. Clearly, all you do is say 'anyeong' on Twitter. STUPID SASAENG!"
What the hell? Seriously? So what if I'm obsessed with Taehyung? She looks like a clam, though. Ugh. No brains!
I mumbled to myself in so much annoyance. This girl is getting on my nerves. ha, Why did my dad even involve me in this play that time? If it wasn't for the BTS concert ticket, I wouldn't have bothered with that play.
@bish: fvck off! You think you're so smart? Are you related to 'Sejung the Great' Because I am! Want me to slap you with my ancestor's legacy?"
My frustration reached its peak as I typed my response: "Cancelledt! You're cancelled!"
But it's true. My ancestor is King Sejong the Great, and that's why my dad became a historian. However, I guess his genes weren't strong enough for his intelligence to pass on to me. lol
I waited for a reply from @bish, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Tss. Shu away!" I muttered without even looking at her.
Minutes passed before I felt another tap on my shoulder. Feeling annoyed, I turned around, only to realize I was face-to-face with Mrs. Lee.
"I don't think you're aware, but I've been lecturing for the last 30 minutes, Ms. Jang." Her sharp cold tone made me lower my head..
"Sorry, Miss, but I understand the equation," I replied, still looking down, which caused the whole class to burst into laughter.
Are they idiots? Why are they laughing?
"Equation?" Mrs. Lee raised an eyebrow.
I stared back at her. Crap! Oh no, I just said 'equation' like a total moron!
I bit my lip and closed my eyes realizing too late that Mrs. Park was our college algebra teacher and not Miss Lee who was now raging in anger in front of me.
"There is no equation in history! Do you even understand that? Do you know what topic we're discussing today?" Mrs. Lee's tone was getting more terrifying.
"I understand, Miss le—" Play Butter by BTS 🎶🎶
What the hell?! I almost screamed when my phone started rocking the song butter. I quickly turned off the call, nervously lifting my head to gauge Mrs. Lee's reaction.
"Hand me your phone," Mrs. Lee demanded as her voice cutting through the silence.
"Miss?"
"I said, hand me your phone!"
I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket and handed it to her, feeling my stomach drop. She stared at me for a moment. "Have you been absent for an entire week? Why?" she asked out of the blue.
"Well, um... BTS had a concert, so I took the opportunity to attend."
The whole class started laughing like a bunch of fools, and I just rolled my eyes.
Just laugh, your poor asses cannot afford it.
"You've had the audacity to skip class for a week and then refuse to listen to my lecture? Who do you think you are?!" Mrs. Lee snapped once again.
Before I could respond, she slammed something down on my desk. It looked like a book, or maybe a novel—I wasn't sure.
"We're discussing the upcoming role-playing next week, Ms. Jang. You'll be playing the female protagonist from this novel." Her tone was calm, but I could still sense the irritation.
I nodded, but then something clicked in my brain. Wait... play? She means acting in front of people?!
Sht! I can't do this again. I just got through the last embarrassing incident in front of everyone, and now you want me to do it again?
"No, Miss! I don't want to!" I protested, my voice firm.
Mrs. Lee raised an eyebrow at me. "It's your dad's request. If it were up to me, I would've chosen someone else. You're just one of those young people who have abandoned our culture for the sake of modern trends, and you don't deserve to portray a historical figure."
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. What do you want me to do? Wear a hanbok in modern times?
That's when my inner bitch side kicked in. I gave her a look and said, "Do I look like I care? My life, my rules. Got it? Keep your opinion to yourself!"
Without another word, I grabbed my bag, snatched the book from her desk, and passed by her.
As I was about to leave the room, I turned back and approached her again. "Excuse me, that's my phone," I said, raising an eyebrow as I snatched it from Mrs. Lee's hands, who looked ready to explode from anger.
I shot her a glare, and then turned to face the rest of the class. I gave them all a disgusted look before heading out of the room.
As soon as I stepped out, my phone rang again. "Hello, Jel. Are you serious? Why did you call? We still have class!" I shouted into the phone.
"Girl, drop the act. We both know you're not paying attention and you've probably already walked out of your history class."
I rolled my eyes. "Where are you?" I asked in annoyance.
"At the canteen. Spotting some oppa's here."
Ugh, I should've guessed.
"You beat me to cutting class. Just wait for me!" I said as hanging up the call, heading straight for the cafeteria.
*****.
"So, what happened, Madam?" Jel asked, still browsing through her phone as she ate. I just rolled my eyes in response.
"Do you know, Miss L—"
"Hi girls, mind if I squeeze in?" some random foreign guy suddenly interrupted us. Talk about the manners. What if I squeeze him instead?
I stared at him for a second. He's quite the looker, but I'm not interested in foreigners. I've been more into Kpop guys.
I mean, who didn't these days?
"Hi, Sophia. I'm Cajun. Can we join you?" His friend greeted us as well.
I raised an eyebrow and replied sarcastically, "I bet your last name is Sauce."
"Sauce?""
Yeah, like fvcking Cajun sauce.
Jel almost laughed when she caught on to what I meant.
"Never mind, can you just Shu away?" I snapped at him.
"ha ha ha! Sorry guys, Sophia got bit by a dog a week ago, and she hasn't gotten her rabies shot yet. Maybe come back another time," Jel awkwardly stated/
Though Jel said it obviously to make them go away, they just smiled and turned around politely.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?! He's the ball captain of the basketball team. Why did you treat him like that?" Jel scolded me.
"Ball captain or referee, I don't care! He's Canceled!"
"Ha, this btch. All you care about is Kpop idols. Once you'll fall for the complete opposite of your type, and when you get your heart broken, I'll be the one laughing first."
"As if! Even if I went back to the Joseon era, no way!" I muttered in full confidence.
"Tsk, whatever you say, anyway, what's up with that thing you're saying?" Jel replied, her eyes still glued to her phone.
I furrowed my brow in annoyance. "Miss Lee, girl, she's crazy! She humiliated me in class! She actually said I had no right to portray a historical novel and that I was worse than rotten fish! Am I really that bad? I take a shower every day! Meanwhile, her scent is like sour, old cheese. Did I complain about that? And who does she think she is, saying those things to me? Is her boyfriend King Sejong from her past life? Is she the mother of Han Gang? Was she part of the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Gultong?" I ranted, barely holding back my anger.
"Chill, girl. And by the way, it's 'Yultong,' not 'Gultong.' You're really dumb," Jel retorted, still scrolling through her phone. "Be thankful though. You're pretty."
I shook my head, trying to calm down. "Right, thanks." Then I looked at the book in my hands. "This is the novel we're going to portray in the play," I said, showing it to her.
"Why did you bring it? I thought you hated history. Aren't you still recovering from the embarrassment last time in the drama? Right, Ms. Tahong?" Jel smirked as she asked.
Should I slap her? But she's right. Why did I bring this book? I stared at it for a moment. The pages were old, but it still looked decent enough.
"The D*** and I" the title says.
What kind of name is that for a book, and why is the word censored? Could 'b***' mean something else? like Dic— Nah, let's just be innocent. This is probably just a boring historical Korean novel.
"So, what's your plan?" Jel asked as she looking at me. "Are you going to join or ditch it?" She smirked as she waited for my response.
Was she seriously asking me this?
I, Sophia Shaina Jang, the one Miss Lee humiliated? I couldn't help but smile evilly.
"Of course, ditch it, girl!"
AFTER A WEEK
"Sophia! Sophia!"
I quickly sat up from my bed when I heard my dad's voice, knocking on my door. I froze in surprise, and as soon as I opened the door, he slapped me across the face.
"Did I raise you like this? Did I raise you without morals? Without discipline? Without respect? Answer me!" he shouted as his voice echoing throughout my room.
I suddenly placed my hand on my cheek, not believing what just happened.
Don't tell me he knows already?
"I gave you everything, your wants. Even though I didn't want to, I've been giving you everything with my eyes closed! This is what you are going to return?!" He was seething with anger now.
"I even suggested to Mrs. Lee that you be the lead role for the noble character, but what did you do? You didn't attend the rehearsals! Do you know when the play is? It's today! Right now!"
"But I don't want to join the p—"
"Go to your university right now and do whatever it takes to catch up! Because if you don't, forgive me, but I'll have no choice but to kick you out! You're a big embarrassment!" After saying that, he stormed out of my room.
I clenched my fists in frustration.
That damn Mrs. Lee! In all my life, this is the first time my dad slapped me! How dare she report me? Just for a play? She wants me to be humiliated? Fine! She's canceled!
I quickly gathered myself and headed to the university to find Mrs. Lee. When I arrived, I went straight to the backstage of the auditorium, looking for her.
"Sophia, what time is it? The play is about to start! You need to change!" One of the staff tried to pull me, but I pulled away immediately.
"Just leave the costume in the fitting room, okay? I'm going to talk to Mrs. Lee," I said, bypassing the staff member and heading straight to Mrs. Lee's office.
"What are you doing here, Ms. Jang?" she greeted me as I found her in the backstage area, sitting alone, still reading her book.
"You know, my dad raised me with respect, but that doesn't mean I'll respect anyone, especially if they're not worthy of it in my eyes."
She chuckled lightly at what I said, making me furrow my brow in confusion. "Seems like the modern culture has completely changed your perspective, Sophia," she responded seriously and directly.
I smirked. "Yeah, and no matter what you say, you won't change my point of view. And hell, we're in the 21st century now! What's the problem with adopting modern culture? We need to evolve. We need to grow! History is just history, and it will remain history! Let's move on!" I snapped at her, leaving her speechless.
She put down her book, and after a brief pause, she looked at me "Sophia, your dad will know about this."
Just hearing those words, I could already imagine what my dad would do. He might throw out all my K-pop merchandise, block my credit card, and detain me for a month. Just thinking about it made me so furious.
In a flash, I stormed toward her and snatched the book from her hands.
Not you. Especially not this novel can tell me what I should or shouldn't do. With that thought, I tore the cover of the book she was reading and unconsciously kept the other half in my pocket.
"I told you before, Mrs. Lee. My life, my rules!" I said firmly as I turned to walk away.
As I was about to leave the room, I heard her speak again. "Sophia Jang, I swear, before I take my last breath, you'll regret and pay for everything you said today!"
I didn't know why, but suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine. It was as if the atmosphere had shifted, and something in the air felt different. Scared, I ran out of the room.
Okay, fine. I'll just go ahead and continue with this play. It'll be my way of calming down so she won't get mad and report me to my dad.
As I stepped into the fitting room, two costumes immediately caught my eye: one was a hanbok for a servant, and the other—wait, what? A ball gown? Why the heck is there a ball gown here? Are we doing a Victorian-era roleplay now? I thought this was supposed to be a Korean historical novel!
Being the rebellious person I am, I didn't just put on the servant's hanbok. I went all out and grabbed the enormous headpiece worn by the Queen during the Joseon dynasty. Heh, they probably thought they could boss me around by just giving me that. Well, think again. I wasn't satisfied yet, so I added two bright red circles to both of my cheeks.
"PAK!" Where else would you find a servant with a queen's headpiece, and a bright red dot on her cheeks? If I'm not going to be the star of this role play, then I don't know what to say.
I was about to leave the fitting room when suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me. I looked around, but before I could even process anything, my eyes closed involuntarily. It felt like everything around me was spinning.
Oh no, Sophia...
Why am I feeling dizzy? Am I pregnant? Arg, you don't even have a boyfriend! I paused for a moment, shaking off the strange thought.
But what's happening?
Even though I was dizzy, I somehow managed to pull the fitting room curtain aside. The bright light that hit me as I stepped out made me instinctively shield my eyes with my hand.
It was still partly covering my eyes, when I noticed a three figures of men standing right in front of me.
"Fangt sie!" [Catch her!] one of them shouted.
What? What did they say? Fangt sie? Or maybe Kung Hei Fat Choy? Wait, that's Chinese... or could it be an old Korean word? Ah whatever, my dizziness worsened at their strange words.
I was still feeling lightheaded when suddenly, two men grabbed me by both of my arms. I froze, my gaze locking onto their appearance.
Wait a minute, I'm not that smart, but I'm pretty sure that's not Korean attire they're wearing. It looked more like some old-school foreign police uniforms, or maybe an old office outfit? arg! my small brain cannot.
"Wait, what!? Can you not hold onto my arm? I know we're all excited here. I mean, it's only you all because I was forced into this. But can you act later when we're on stage?" I was about to snatch my arm back but they just tightened their grip on me.
Shocks, they're clingy.
"Sie müssen mit uns kommen, Fräulein. Befehl vom Baron." ["You must come with us, Miss. Orders from the Baron,"] the apparent leader said.
What? What did he say? Am I this stupid that I don't understand the language they're speaking? Is that still an old Korean language? But it sounds more like a Western language to me.
"Can you stop speaking in that language? I'm dizzy from Listening you. I can't understand anything!" I said, and he just frowned at what I said.
"Beeil dich, der Baron wartet schon eine Weile auf sie auf seinem Anwesen." ["Hurry up, the Baron has been waiting for her at his estate for a while now,"] He shouted to his companions, which signaled for the two guards holding me to drag me along.
"Wait, what? Where are you taking me? And this isn't the stage. We were just at—" I stopped talking when I saw that the auditorium looked different.
Wait, I remember the door being here earlier. Why did it suddenly disappear?! I quickly looked around to see where we were. I almost froze when I realized everything looked historical because of the style. Wait! They really rearranged this place quickly? Even the backstage has changed. But what's strange is, this is not a Korean historical palace or anything—it looks more like a Western Historical site!
I covered my eyes again until we were finally outside. But I almost dropped my jaw when I saw what was in front of me. "Wait, is this for real?" I asked in disbelief after stepping out of the building.
The road, the structures, the people. Why is everyone in character? What does this mean?! I looked back at the building we came from. "Fvcking hell! Where's the school?"
Apart from the old-fashioned appearance and almost everything seeming historical, what's even stranger is that this doesn't look like Korean history—like what you'd see in K-Dramas—it looks like I've been shifted to Queen Charlotte. Yeah, it's like, no, not almost, but totally a Victorian era!
Wait, something seems wrong!
I looked around at the people staring at me as the guards held me tightly. Some women wore long gowns with tight bodices, while others had large bonnets and carried lace fans and silk parasols. A few were dressed in long, elegant dresses. The men wore waistcoats and trousers, but some were dressed in tailcoats and black top hats.
Nearby, a group of poor women wore simple cotton dresses and aprons, their hair covered with cloth caps. The poor men were dressed in worn linen shirts, rough trousers, and flat caps, looking much more modest.
Shocks! This is crazy, no I'm going crazy! Did I eat an expired kimchi last night, or am I dreaming while awake? Or am I on a prank show? Is this a prank?!
My mind was racing as I tried to figure out what was happening when I looked at the two guards still holding me. My heart raced when I realized they didn't look like students.
Wait. If this isn't a prank, what is this? Is this a dream?
I was about to lose my shit when they put me in a carriage. I wanted to rejoice and think that they were offering me a historical tour, but historical tour, my ass! How could I when I was being treated like a prisoner? This is insane!"
After a few minutes, the carriage stopped at a large estate with a grand house standing in the middle. I almost dropped my jaw because it really looked like a mansion of someone powerful and with a high position in the Victorian era. They dragged me off the carriage and into the mansion.
"Ist sie die junge Tochter, die ihr Vater Graf von Wartenberg als Bezahlung für seine Schulden geben wird?" ["Is she the young daughter that her father will give to Count von Wartenberg as payment for his debt?"]
Out of nowhere, a chubby, short guy came down the stairs. Like everyone else I had seen, he didn't look Korean, he looked like a Westerner, with a fancy attire.
I wanted to understand what he said, but I was so confused by what was happening.
Like, where am I? Why did the language suddenly change? NO! Why did everything changed? And it's not even the era I am expecting. It could have been the Joseon period, or worse, the Three Kingdoms period, where I should be the queen of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Right? I mean, that would be freaking amazing.
SO WHY AM I HERE—IN THE VICTORIAN ERA ABOVE ALL?!
I think if it's not french, it's german. I'm not sure—ugh, I'm so stupid for not studying well! But what exactly these people want from me?
My brain is not braining anymore when a wide smile appeared on the man's face, and he slowly walked toward me.
"Es ist wahr, dass ihre einzige Tochter wirklich schön, hellhäutig und glatt ist, aber was zum Teufel trägt sie?" [It's true that her one and only daughter is really beautiful, fair, and smooth, but what the hell is she wearing?"] he said, waving his hand as he looked me up and down.
I think he's judging my attire. Oh well, I almost forgot my crazy get up. Urg if I'm not stupid for choosing the hanbok, a huge headpiece, and a dot on my cheeks, over a ball gown earlier, I must not look some crazy retard right now. This is insane.
My skin crawled when he gently stroked my cheek and then moved his hand down my neck.
"Hey, don't touch me, or I'll call my Joseon dynasty guards!" I shouted, but it seemed like they didn't understand me. He just smirked at what I said, but then it quickly disappeared.
I was about to speak again when suddenly—SLAP!
"Was für ein Recht hast du, gegen deinen Ehemann und dann gegen den Baron die Stimme zu erheben?" [What right do you have to raise your voice against your soon-to-be husband, and then against the Baron?]
I almost cried, not because of the slap, but because of what she said.
Damn it! I didn't get it! Isn't there a subtitle that could pop up somewhere? Huhu.
But the slap, though. I could really feel it. So this isn't a dream, right?
If that's the case…
WHERE THE HELL I AM?
.