Since he had attended the Berkshire Hathaway camp in Omaha last summer instead of the summer camp, it had been two years since James last saw Britney Shakespeare.
She had begged her parents to go to last year’s summer camp too and kept in touch with his sister.
“You’ve shrunk, huh?”
“I’ve grown too!”
Britney was around 160 cm—not particularly tall.
People assume all Americans are tall, but there are surprisingly many shorter ones, and occasionally some very tall.
During her active years, she would be loved for her relatively small 163 cm stature, while her rival Christina Aguilera was even shorter than Britney.
“It’s you who grew a lot. Pretty tall for a middle schooler, aren’t you?”
“I’m starting high school now. I just passed 170 cm recently, but I need to hit 6 feet.”
In his previous life, James had been 182 cm—relatively tall—and this time, growing up in America, he seemed likely to grow a bit more.
I hope I can get just a little taller, past 185 cm.
Living in America, eating well, and slightly changed eating habits had made his leg proportions longer than before.
“How have you been since the Disney Mickey Mouse Club ended?”
“I went back to school in Louisiana where my parents live, then came back to New York this time to debut in a five-member girl group. Nothing much with you? Jenny said you’ve been super busy.”
“I mostly spent time making computer programs. The companies I helped went public, so I got a bit busy.”
Seeing Britney’s eyes quickly glaze over at talk of computers and companies, he switched to a movie filming story she’d be interested in.
“Last winter break, I went to Rosarito, Mexico, and appeared as an extra in a movie.”
“I heard from Jenny. Must’ve been really fun. She said it was a scene escaping a sinking ship and it was scary.”
“I thought it was acting, but the ship actually tilted, water poured from everywhere, so I got genuinely worried. Thanks to that, acting wasn’t hard. Swimming through the water and fleeing was actually exhausting.”
To her, interested in music, he mentioned that the Titanic theme song was sung by a famous French female singer and said it was amazing.
“I want to hear it too—is there a tape or CD?”
“It’s under security, no leaks outside, but I can play a little.”
Having no talent for singing, James called his sister and asked her to sing “My Heart Will Go On.” Jenny, who loved singing as much as dancing, delivered the intro and highlight with a clear voice.
“Wow~! So good! It feels somehow romantic.”
“Unnie, I was excited because oppa said it was a romance movie, but it’s totally a disaster film. Don’t expect too much.”
“But didn’t you say the male lead is handsome?”
“Hehe. He’s super handsome. The best-looking white guy I’ve seen in America.”
“Hoho. Handsomer than James?”
“Leonardo told oppa James he’s handsome. He said I could be an actress too because I’m pretty?”
Britney was startled by Mom’s youthful, elegant appearance at first sight, and hearing she had been an actress in Korea, understood where James and Jenny’s looks came from.
“It’s a shame Jenny’s just a bit older—she could’ve debuted with me.”
Britney Shakespeare was born in Mississippi and grew up ordinarily under her construction-worker father in Louisiana.
Showing interest in dance classes from a young age and talent in singing, she started performing on stage from age 5, nurturing her dream of becoming a singer.
At 8, she auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club in Atlanta but failed for being too young; an agency that noticed her arranged for her to live in New York and seriously prepare as a singer.
Taking vocal and dance lessons, going to auditions everywhere, she gained fame on the audition program “Star Search” with high-level skills for her age and appeared in various ads.
Finally in ’92, she passed the long-awaited Mickey Mouse Club and joined from ’93, but the program ended after two years, sending her back home to family.
She prepared to debut in a five-member girl group, but it fell through.
She signs with Jive Records, gets full support, and debuts boldly as a solo with massive impact.
The group debut fails, but she signs with global label Jive Records and makes a shocking debut next fall with the famous “…Baby One More Time.”
As a rookie, she sweeps No. 1 in major countries including America, announcing the birth of a new millennium superstar.
James watched Britney—now an ordinary idol trainee but becoming a universal superstar next year—dancing with his sister and thought.
Honestly, she’s not even that pretty, and doesn’t sing amazingly well—it’s fascinating how she succeeds.
White and blonde, but Britney Shakespeare was short, slightly chubby, and her face wasn’t overwhelmingly attractive.
In America, rather than dominating with looks, she chooses the “girl next door” national sweetheart concept.
Growing up in the conservative South—even more conservative than America—she monopolizes public popularity, markets with Christian focus, even pledging premarital purity.
But she was already dating Austin Timberlake and would secretly get an abortion.
The entertainment industry can be truly cruel.
As Britney gains massive fame first, Austin markets using her before his own activities, getting hate but undeniable effectiveness.
She would succeed as a singer gaining public attention but suffer mentally a lot; James felt sorry for her, but as a high schooler in faraway Seattle, there was nothing he could do.
He never wanted his face known anyway, so no intention of staying close to the future paparazzi princess.
“Jenny’s classes end in the evening, so let’s have a date with Mom after a long time.”
While his sister took lessons, James spent time separately as promised, mostly touring Manhattan with Mom.
At first, they enjoyed flexing at luxury stores on 6th Avenue, but shopping has limits; he filial-pietied by visiting famous restaurants and bakeries.
“First time in New York, but you know the way well.”
“I studied maps and guidebooks in advance.”
Having been to New York in his previous life, guiding naturally, Mom was touched thinking he prepared for her.
Touring New York, but frequently going to the vocal school to drop off/pick up his sister, he naturally grew close to various parents from across America.
“You’re Jenny’s mother. So young—I’d believe big sister.”
“Hoho. Thank you. This is my son James.”
His sister showed the best skills here too, quickly befriending other kids with innate social butterfly traits.
Some preparing debuts had competition and jealousy, but Jenny said from the start she had no plans to debut in America as Asian, excluding her from jealousy targets.
“Jenny gets the best evaluations—shame it’s just a hobby.”
“We know well how hard it is for Asians to work in America. Jenny decided to enjoy it as a hobby.”
Parents laughed haha hoho but subtly competed.
Fortunately, knowing the top-performing sister learned dance/singing as hobby, they treated Mom and James kindly.
They might discriminate as Asians, but Mom, James, and Jenny’s outstanding looks, plus expensive high-quality clothes at a glance, made them cautious.
“Your husband must be impressive. May I ask what he does?”
“Just an ordinary doctor. He teaches at the medical school at University of Washington in Seattle. Actually, our son here is more impressive than my husband.”
Growing close with parents, exchanging personal info bit by bit, Mom couldn’t hold back son-bragging anymore and burst it out.
“Oh! Really? Your son sold programs to Microsoft and Walmart?”
“We moved now, but Amazon.com founder Jefferson Bezos lived next door. He taught James computers, and James’s skills grew fast—now better than Jefferson, he says.”
The New York vocal school was quite expensive, so parents with some affluence from America brought kids; James’s family didn’t fall short, and purely by asset size, James overwhelmingly wealthy.
Jenny already famous among parents, James’s rumors spread instantly.
Feeling changed gazes, asking Mom, she said she bragged about her son just a little.
Slightly uncomfortable, but seeing Mom’s shoulders rise and smile not fading, he accepted.
“You’re James. Heard you’re close with Mr. Buffett—true?”
“Yes, but who are you?”
“Oh dear. I forgot to introduce. I’m Scott Sweeper. I work as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch in Pennsylvania. I’ve briefly spoken with Berkshire Hathaway’s Mr. Buffett too.”
The man introducing as Scott said he was a financial professional; his young daughter begged for vocal lessons, so came to New York.
Talking, didn’t seem bad, so James lowered walls a bit and continued.
“Goodness. Spending two months in Omaha getting direct lessons from Buffett—truly impressive.”
“He was so busy, lessons short, mostly piled homework. But stayed at Grandpa Warren’s house, so together the whole two months.”
He deliberately didn’t mention owning an investment firm or massive profits from held companies’ IPOs, but Mom seemed to have hinted some.
Scott, being a financial advisor, often brought up professional terms and complex topics; when James quickly understood and gave correct answers, he marveled at the young boy’s outstanding financial knowledge.
“Can’t believe you’re a middle schooler.”
“Starting high school now.”
Finishing moderate chat with the affluent-looking white man and about to leave, a girl who seemed his daughter ran over.
“Daddy!”
“Oh my. Our princess! Good class today?”
“Yeah. But who’s this?”
“Jenny’s big brother you mentioned.”
Scott’s daughter, looking upper elementary, was a typical blonde blue-eyed white girl—long limbs, cute face.
“Kids said Jenny’s oppa is handsome—it’s true?”
James smiled a dad-smile at the doll-like, bouncy charming girl and extended his hand.
“I’m James Yoo from Korea. What’s your name?”
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