지선아: Do you remember my sister?

My sister's bully in Seoul

Ji-sun (지선아), do you remember my sister?

She was the bright, artistic, shy little girl who sat next to you in school every day in Seoul. You both were about seven years old.

My sister always had a very serious look on her face. When she went out in public with our beautiful mother and handsome father, people would say, “Oh, she must look like one of her grandparents…” Meaning that they didn’t think she was pretty enough to be the child of such a good-looking couple.

Maybe that’s why you picked on her and stole her pencils every day.

Maybe you mistook her being quiet and polite as being weak and stupid.

Maybe you thought that because you were cute, you were entitled to have whatever you wanted.

Maybe you knew the teacher wouldn’t do a damned thing even if she caught you harassing my sister.

Did you see my mother waiting at the doorway that morning, watching you take my sister’s school supplies yet again? How did you feel when my well-heeled mother confronted you — as a baby peeked over her back, smiling at her sister. When you hung your head in embarrassment as my mother yelled at you in front of the entire class, did you blink back tears? Or were you thinking of ways to plot your revenge?

My mother, who holds educators in extremely high esteem, then gave the teacher — who had done absolutely nothing to protect my sister — a verbal thrashing for letting this continue daily.

This was the same teacher who would only display the artwork of students whose parents had given her cash gifts. My parents were saving up for our move to the United States and told my sister, “Your artwork is the best, but we’re not going to bribe your teacher. When we move to 미국, the teachers won’t expect bribes.”

Ji-sun, my mother’s memory isn’t what it used to be. She’s still sharper than most people her age, but she forgets things every now and again.

But she has never forgotten your name or what you did to my sibling.

As for my sister, who was never considered the “cute” one growing up, she is successful, ageless and beautiful.

And my parents were right. Once we immigrated to the U.S., my sister’s artwork was not only displayed in the classroom, but was also covered in the news.

지선아, I hope my sister doesn’t remember you.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about bullying, because so many of the K-dramas I watch focus on school violence. “Weak Hero Class 1” and “The Glory” both feature severe high school bullying. In the latter, every time Song Hye-kyo’s character said 여진아 —the vicious character that Lim Ji-yeon portrayed — I thought about Ji-sun.

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