Wish on a Star

One

“So, my dad just lost his job and I’m afraid I won’t be able to enroll this semester.

The three friends whipped their head to Justin’s direction from the sudden announcement. They stopped drinking from their own iced drinks the four friends got from their favorite café nearby. The three gave him a look as if they just saw or heard a ghost while Justin continues sipping from his Iced Americano.

“Woah there! Calm down, Jungkook.” Jay was the first one to get back to reality. “What in the freak are you talking about?”

“Say sike right now.” Terrence added, still not believing their friend.

“Really? When we only have a year left to finish high school?” Marco raises an eyebrow at Justin who just shrugged at them.

He lets out a sigh, sitting down at the gazebo they spotted around the park. The rest of his friends settled beside him. “I don’t have a choice. It’s not like we have enough money to pay for my tuition.”

“Why not apply for a part-time job? It’s still summer anyway.” Marco suggested then.

“Of course, I did apply. I already sent several applications since last week; I’m still waiting for call but until now my phone is silent.”

Justin looks defeated as he looked down the drink on his hand. Wiping off the water moist on his cold, almost empty Iced Americano.

“For sure they’ll come around. You just wait.” Jay comforted with his bright smile, tapping Justin’s thigh comfortingly.

“I hope so,” Justin said before they fall in silence again. Staring at the green around them and busy people in the park doing their own thing.

Unlike him, everyone looked happy, like they do not have a problem, like their lives are not as hard as his. And he is jealous of that.

“Do you think, he could save enough money until end of summer?” Terrence asked, breaking the silence, looking afar as if he is really thinking deeply about it.

The three turned to him and then to Justin. And all of them let out a sigh. Thinking about it, they only have three months left until summer break ends, and obviously part-time allowances would not be enough to meet even half of Justin’s tuition, unless he would end up deciding to look for a sugar mommy.

Speaking of sugar mommy, Justin jokingly posted on Twitter that day looking for one and someone replied to him. He deleted it right then. Sure, he was scared for life after that, but his good friends would not stop teasing him about it.

The night was quiet. Only Justin’s guitar strumming could only be heard in his room, sitting on the windowpane, looking up the sky playing random melodies his fingers could create.

Random melodies of a song he has been trying to compose for a long time but could not seem to complete. No matter how much he tries, he just does not feel satisfied with it. Something always felt missing, always felt incomplete.

Perhaps, he just needed that one inspiration to complete his song. And then three knocks were heard from the other side of the door followed by, “Have you eaten dinner, JK?” from his father. His parents used to call him JK, short for his name Justin Klein. He used to like being called by that nickname until his mother passed away.

He has been wanting to tell his father that. That the nickname does not feel as good anymore, it does not feel as lively anymore as it used to be. He hated it. He hated if it is spoken not by his mom, because everything just reminds him of her, and it hurts again. Still. Always.

It was the nickname his mother gave him and so it should only be used by his mother. But them his father, his close friends have gotten used to it too, and he cannot do anything about it. Maybe someday, being called by the nickname would not hurt as much as it does now and the past 14 months.

“I’ll skip,” Justin responds in a rather louder voice to be heard from the outside his room, not even bothering to open the door for his father.

“O-okay. I left some for you on the fridge. Just heat ‘em up if you feel hungry.” That was the last thing he heard from his father that night followed by footsteps fading out as he walks away.

How things turn out this way, Justin have no idea. They used to be so close. The house, even though small, used to feel so big and lively. The image of his father teaching him how to play the guitar for the first time is so blurry now, it felt like it happened thousands of years ago. The feeling of the first strum of guitar when his father presented him his first guitar on his 10th birthday, in the middle of the room with his other gifts, around his friends with the same amused expression as him, it is vivid yet felt so long ago.

Justin and his parents are not as well off as other people, but they were happy. They were grateful with even the littlest things.

He returned his gaze to the dark sky, and just like the other nights there are no stars that much, not even a wind. It was just a plain, boring, and quiet night. No one to accompany and light him in this darkness of his life.

Perhaps, the night feels for him. Feels how stressful it is for him hearing the news about his dad losing his job, their only source of money and everything to keep them alive and going. Thinking where to get the financial capacity not only for his school tuition but their daily expenses as well. And yes, he is aware how they struggle financially already even when his dad is still working, seeing how many furniture that have already been taken away from them by the banks, he knows. But why? He does not have an answer for that.

Only two months left before the next school year starts, even if he starts two or three part-time jobs now that would not cover all their needs.

The whole week last week, he did nothing but look for a job. His dad would not even tell him why he was fired or how he lost his job. He just assumed the elder was fired. Ever since his mother died, it seemed interacting with his father has died too. He felt the distance, the awkwardness when they are around each other. Is it because of him? His dad? Has he become distant? Is this part of maturity? How long has it been like this? Is it because their mother is the main foundation of everything? Is it only his mother who is gone? Or has he lost his father too?

In the middle of the dark sky is the moon that is so big and so bright. His gaze lowered and his eyes then darted at the mansion across them. It looked so far yet so near, like the moon.

That mansion.

The Park’s mansion, just like the moon, it is something he can see but cannot reach. Something he wanted but cannot have, because well, reaching it is still so far. It was a few miles away from them, but it is so big enough for Justin to see every structure of it from his window.

Like the moon, even in the dark it is so bright with so many lights around its white structure. Surrounded with tall trees of different types. As if it wanted to show Justin how beautiful it is, wanted him to know that no part-time jobs are enough for him to reach that level, to afford having one like that.

He always wondered how people can be so rich while other people are not. Why is life so unfair? Why is his family not as rich and why does he have to struggle with their financial needs and must find a work just to meet his educational needs and all?

He always thought if these people ever face problems. “I bet they don’t! Everything can be solved with money!” He tsk-ed talking to himself. Thinking that having all that wealth, you can never not be happy. You can afford to have everything you desire, perhaps even a person.

Justin has always had his eyes on the mansion. Thinking how happy the people who live there must be. How easy their life could be? Big house, cars, and money.

It is beautiful and so grand.

Justin would always stare and look at the mansion. More than anything, it motivates him to work harder and better. He wanted to have such a huge house when he grew up. He wanted to have one, if not, bigger than that. That is also why he is so eager to finish and graduate. That is also why he can’t stop now. Because one day, he can reach the moon too.

“They are probably happy with their lives. Probably doing things they love without hesitation. They could travel the world, go on concerts, buy everything their eyes and heart desires even without looking at the price.” He let out a sigh. Making a loud, grunge of sound from his guitar. “When will I ever?”

After letting out his frustration on his guitar, his strumming became softer and calmer compared to when he almost make smokes out of his guitar just seconds ago. Never taking his eyes away from the mansion, feeling envious to whoever lives there, yet ambitious that someday he’ll afford living in that.

The next morning, it is still hot. He woke up with the blinding sunlight coming from his window.

Summer break is not as fun this year compared to the previous ones. Although his friends planned a vacation a couple of weeks ago, by ‘friends’ he meant Terrence who was the most excited about the whole trip, nothing happened. Their drawings for summer remained a drawing.

Well, it is not only him who’s got somethings to do you know? Aside from him, who is currently on a job-search, his other friends got their own things to do too, each got their own reasons.

With a morning coffee on his hand and his guitar on the other, he went outside their porch. Justin decided to start his morning playing his guitar while he waits for a call from at least one of the jobs he sent an application to, and maybe to kill some time too.

But as soon as he opened the door two men in black suits were already standing in front of their house. “Oh s**t-!” he almost spilled his coffee from the unexpected people be standing on their doorstep.

His eyes shut as he recollects himself. When he recovered himself from the slight shock, he looked at the two men again who did not even flinch nor say something from giving him a slight heart attack.

“W-what can I do for you?” he asked instead, still wearing a look of confusion on his face. His eyes travel down the embroidered letter ‘P’ on the men’s dark suits, it is bold and cursive, and he already knew where these men are from.

Of course, perhaps everyone in their city or even the whole country already knows it. He has seen it already—in magazines, news articles, blogs, basically everywhere, even in his dad’s paper works.

“Are you looking for my dad?” He said upon realization. His dad used to work with the Park’s before he lost his job a couple of days ago. “Dad!” He slowly turned his head to the side to call for his dad, eyes not leaving the men. The coffee is turning cold in his hand, the guitar felt heavy on the other. And these men’s eyes are intimidating.

“Do you live here?” Finally, one of them suddenly asked.

Justin held his breath for a second before he nods, “yes.”

“I noticed the guitar on your hand,” the man with a slightly dark skin tone and facial hair said. “Are you, by any chance, Justin Simons?”

His eyes widen, furrowed his eyebrows, and then gulped. How did they know his name? Is it because of his dad? Speaking of, why is his dad taking so long? “Y-yes… I am. Do you need anything?” He answered nevertheless, even there was a hint of confusion and hesitation in his voice.

Before the other could answer, Justin’s dad showed up beside him, Mr. Owen Simons. Tall and still looks young for his age of 45. Even though the wrinkles around his eyes and streak of grays on his hair leave traces of his age, he still looks handsome. One could still clearly say how handsome he must have been when he was as the same age as his son, Justin. Perhaps, that’s where Justin even got his good looks.

Wiping both his hands on his sides, drying them from washing the dishes, Mr. Simons looked at them with a smile and asked, “How may I help you gentlemen?” He looks so gentle. His eyes fall to the embroidered letter on the men’s suits. “You were sent by the Park’s?”

“Good afternoon, sir.” The two men politely greeted to the elder. “Yes, the Park family sent us. They would like to offer a job to Justin Simons, your son.” The man who has been speaking gestured at Justin whose eyes, again, widened from what he heard.

Mr. Simons was a little surprised as well, both with a look of confusion as he met his son’s eyes. “Would you like to take a sit first?” He gestured inside instead.

“The Park family is offering you a job, requesting for a private guitar lesson from you, particularly.”

They are inside the Simons’ living room, sitting with a glass of orange juice one for each of them. With the presence of his father, Mr. Jones, the one who has been doing all the speaking explained to them about the offer. He handed them a pen and paper, “Even though it is a part-time job, we would like to do this in a legal way, so here’s a contract you can sign if you want to take the offer. Everything you need to know; the rules, offers and benefits, it is all written there. You will give her private guitar lessons for two months, three days a week, two hours a day. You’ll get paid $150 per week.”

“Wait- what?! 150 dollars?! Per week?!” Justin asked surprised. He needs to clarify and repeat it because, duh? Where else would you get 150 dollars per week by just giving guitar lessons?

Even his dad, who was quiet beside him was shocked by the offer too.

The man nods, “If it’s not enough we may add—”

“No!” Justin cut him off, not expecting the suggestion at all. “This is more than enough! I mean…” He trails off, “Sure! I’ll take the offer!” Without any thought and hesitation, he accepted the offer. The grip on his guitar tightens as he looked at his father with hopeful eyes.

The elder stares back at him, but compared to him, his eyes are filled with worry. But when he saw how his son’s eyes glisten, he could not do anything but to smile tight and nod.

They both signed the contract, Justin being only 17 still needs to have the presence and consent of his parent.

The door behind him shut close making a loud thud. He jumped around his room shouting words like “yes” and “oh my god” with his closed fists and wide toothy smile.

He has been trying to suppress his smile since he heard about the offer. His hands were even shaking holding the pen as he try to sign the contract, even while the men were explaining about the offer.

First, he got a job that pays more than enough to meet his tuition fee. Second, it is something he enjoys doing, guitar. Third, he can finally enter the huge mansion he thought he will only stare at for the rest of his life.

Justin opened the curtain of his room and looked out at the window, right directly at the huge mansion in line of his sight.

Is this for real? Justin thought to himself. The mansion now looked unreal. What more if he is already there, inside it.

“Are you happy?” A voice asked from behind him. He saw his dad leaning against his door frame. He did not even feel his presence, nor did he hear the door opening.

There is a small smile on his dad’s face looking at him, arms crossed. But the sadness underneath did not stay unnoticed. Justin’s expression slowly dropped, realizing his father just lost his job from that same family that owns the company where he used to work.

He could only imagine how hurt or insulted his dad must have felt for him to lose his job in that family only for his son to work for them too later.

Of course, being his father, he also noticed how his son’s expression changed so he lit up his face and shows how happy he truly is for his only son and look at him sincerely. “I am proud and happy that you are happy. I am sorry if—”

“Dad,” Justin cut off. He does not want to hear it for now. Not now when he is happy. Maybe next time, next time they can talk about it. But not now. “Thank you, for allowing me.” He flashed a smile.

“Of course,” Owen nods. Of course, if anyone, his father would be the first person to be proud and be happy for him. The first to support him in anything. The first and only one to cheer for him, in any thing he does. He has to.

Seconds later when his father decided to leave him alone, not without reminding him to eat lunch and that he would not be able to eat with him later as he has to be somewhere.

His dad always leaves. The past few days the older would always leave the house and came back around afternoon. Sometimes in the morning and comes back after two or three hours. He does not know if the older is working or looking for a job. But despite all the curiosity, he did not bother say a word.

Later that day, he gave his friends a group video call to announce about his new job.

“I got a job!” He excitedly screamed over the phone. His face covered the whole screen.

The other three congratulated him and asked about this job he is so excited about, and of course, he kept it a secret from them. Instead, he talked about how they went to their house and how his coffee almost spilled on him until how he almost drink from the visitor’s juice after.

Who does not know about that family? If not the whole country, the whole city of Nasacosta should know about them. They are the richest in the city. They own many companies and different businesses inside and outside the country, and most of these businesses are in South Korea.

And even though their name is big, they manage to keep most about their life private. Especially their daughter. Which leads for the media and the people to make rumors and speculations about their only daughter, the “imprisoned” daughter which most people assumed.

The Park family, particularly Mr. and Mrs. Park, is always in magazines and business articles, making names in the business industry, being one of the richest people in the country. It is known to the public how elegant and beautiful the couple is. How, despite being rich, the amount of wealth they have did not overtake their personality and how they treat other people. They are known to be humble and generous.

They always make good articles. A true beauty inside and out that no one can see any flaw on them, and so they created one. In the form of their hidden daughter.

That despite being hidden from the public, could not avoid the malicious rumors from the people. They make rumors and speculations about the family, especially the unknown daughter, they she was imprisoned for some reasons. That perhaps she has been mistreated or abused and the face the Park’s shown to the public is fake. Or that their daughter is mentally sick. And many more insane theories from the haters.

And to all that, Justin did not believe anything. Not until he see for himself. And he will, soon.