Around The World: Generation Korean, Chapter Two

Hello, and welcome back to the Around the World legacy. It's nice to have you back again. Last time, the legacy was rebooted with the start of generation K. Jini, the heiress from the last generation, gave birth to unplanned sextuplets, and while she tried to balance motherhood and her dream of being a rock star, I tried to balance writing about six toddlers and giving them all face time.

Fortunately, they won't be toddlers forever. Kostya, it's time to spin that baby. Kostya: "Say goodbye to toodlerhood, Kae Dee." Jini: "Finally." A few hours later...

Keu Gi: "Sisters, we seem to have a problem. While we can all acknowledge the benefits of these new, child-sized bodies, we are no longer color coded. No one can tell us apart." Ko: "Well I can still tell who is who." Keu Gi: "..." And so, I present to you the new, post-make-over shots of the six. You probably need a refresher on who they are, anyway.

Kal Nal

Kae Dee

Ka Na Li Ah

Keu Gi

Ki Keun Think they're hard to tell apart? Don't worry, we're going to get to know them as they grow up.

Ko: "Uh... anyone still here? Can I borrow a lead back to where I actually know where things are...? Hello?"

Ko: "That's a little better." Ko's bedroom is a small library of braille books, cozy reading nooks, and some of the nicest windows in the house. Ko: "They're not really helpful to me. The windows part. Just saying."

Both Kae Dee and Kal Nal have joined the ballet club at school, although for different reasons. Kae Dee loves the grace and femininity of ballet. Kal Nal likes the athletic aspect... and besides, they don't have a self-defense course for six-year-olds.

Kae Dee is, in some ways, I guess, the ideal girl-child. She loves pink and bright colors, she cooks on the play stove, she makes friends easily, and so on.

Poor Ka Na Li Ah has picked up a reputation in school for being not so bright, even though her grades are through the roof. She's just got her head in the clouds, is all.

When she's at home, Ka Na Li Ah is glued to her easel, painting anything and everything that comes through her mind.

Speaking of children with very good grades... is anyone really surprised? First of all, you all saw this image before, when I promised you science in this chapter. (Look, science!) Second of all, Ki Keun was introduced as the smart one. Of course she has the fancy sciency hobby and the most perfect grades of all her sisters.

Keu Gi, on the other hand... well, she's joined scouting, which is productive, at least, but she seems to prefer playing dress-up to actually studying any hobby. Keu Gi: "What's wrong with a healthy imagination?"

Keu Gi: "Besides, it's not true that I don't study anything. Ko's teaching me to play chess." Ko: "I forgot, where is my rook again?" Well that looks like it's going... startlingly well.

In fact, with each day Ko is becoming more and more self-reliant, and her memory is amazing. She can play chess and remember almost the entire board, beating many of her sighted sisters at the game (and they are not just letting her win, have you ever seen sibling rivalry in action?)

Kal Nal: "Maybe if I stare through this tube long enough I'll gain enough logic points to finally win a game of chess. Hey, what's Joshue doing with Bella over there...?" Uh, maybe better to turn that telescope somewhere else for a bit, Kal Nal.

Now that her little girls are big enough to get their own food from the fridge, Jini is redoubling her efforts at fame and fortune. Her free moments are spent chatting with celebrities, practicing speeches in the mirror, and playing her guitar like a mad woman.

Don't give me that look while thought-bubbling your mother, Keu Gi! She's doing the best she can. She wasn't exactly expecting to have to raise six of you when she's barely an adult herself.

Keu Gi: "Whatever. I'm dressing up as queen of the fairy court and painting an amazing mural for our walls, just like Ka Na Li Ah!" Uh, that's great dear.

Jini isn't the only one who's building more skills now that the girls are older. Kostya found the upright bass waiting for him to fill his time when he's not babysitting, a present from his wife. Kostya: "Hey, this doesn't suck! I see why you like this music stuff!"

Jini: "Kostya, listen to me. Turns out you have the virtuoso trait. Now, I know you don't care about that, you want to be all nurturing and love children and stuff, but it would really help my career - no, both of our careers - if you joined my band." Kostya: "Cool, what's our name?" Jini: "Zombie Snack, obviously!"

The first act of the newly formed Zombie Snack was to go partying at one of the hottest clubs in town. Kostya: "Hey Bella. I hear you and Joshue broke up." Bella: "Yeah, well, I think he wants to be kind of a dad to, you know, that baby that Nina's having and everything. But like, whatever. I'm not mad or anything. At all."

While Kostya awkwardly tried to interact with someone his own age, Jini was off befriending all the celebrities she could find. By the end of the night, she was determined to get her second star.

Of course, the kids couldn't be left home alone, so they came to the club as well. Keu Gi: "Hey Kae Dee, where you going?" Kae Dee: "Can't talk. Playing tag. Must win."

Ko: "If you want to go play with her you can, you know." Keu Gi: "Naw, I'm not wearing my magic running costume, I wouldn't be fast enough, and besides, then you'd be all alone. I'll hang out with you." Later that night...

Kostya: "I'm happy to be part of Zombie Snack, Jini, but I think in the future, if we're going to be going out, we should get a babysitter for the kids. Or maybe one of us could stay at home. Like me! A club really isn't the best place for the to be growing up."

Kostya: "Also, I'm terrible at talking to people who have finished elementary school." Jini: "Agreed on that front. In the future, when the band has appearances, let me do the talking. You just stay in the background and play music, okay?" Kostya: "Sounds like a deal."

And so life goes on. Wait, Kal Nal, what are you doing? I thought you were going to learn logic to beat Ko at chess. Kal Nal: "So what, I can't go fishing on a nice day? Geeze, I just wanted to get away from home for a little while and spend some time by the water. Leave me alone." Sorry! Touchy, touchy! Next time: