¨Sorry Mrs. Chin-Hwa. Your daughter is diagnosed with ADHD¨ The shock stuck upon her face. How can this be, my child is supposed to be a child prodigy not some girl with adhd. What will happen to my wealth…my privileges…my statutes. In Seoul, Korea, 3022, the government has made each and everyone a child, a  genius. The government has made ´implants´ of the embryo. The embryo is born a child prodigy once the mothers give birth. The mothers job is supposed to take care of the child and raise it to be the number one best child. But others like the unfortunate ones…Have to live in a place called ¨the pigeon cage¨ This is where mothers have a failed embryo and have to live in a wasteland. People who work there make very little money and suffer the causes of working in a dumpster. Chin-Hwa, the mother of Ji-woo, was also awarded as the best mother. Chin-Hwa was rewarded with having the best son in the state. He was top of his classes, the best student, but disappeared. People with defects would be sent to a place to advance their learning. But little did they know Chin-Hwa’s son suspected that people who were sent there got killed. Why would he suspect that? Well..Who ever went into the advanced classes, never returned to their homes or familys. And neither did he come back either.

The waters splashed and rippled. The coldness on her face, the clothes she entered were getting soaked. Ji-woo sat there in the shower with her school uniform still on. She got dizzy wanting to go to her mother, her mother's warmth will cure her sadness, but once in the shower the water dripping from her face her eyes were getting hazy like clouds in the sky. Ji-woo fell on the cold tile floor, shivering in the coldness. She crawled her way to her mother who would comfort her. CRASH.  Her mother rushed in checking what had happened and to her surprise, Ji-woo was lying in the cold, passed out.

Beep…beep…beep. The sound of the heartbeat monitor had woken Ji-woo up. Her eyes became unfoggy and could see much clearer. She looked around in the cold white room. She turned her head to the window in disbelief.

¨I´m in the hospital…¨

She looks a far out from her window. She turned her head back to the empty room. Looking for her mother. But the thought of that angered her. She started throwing a tantrum of sadness knowing what her mother did to her. When suddenly- the door bursts open men who wear plain white shirts and black armor and then, her mother. The shock appeared on Ji-woo's restless face. I remember, I remember what happened! She begged the man she looked around shocked and scared for her life.

“Please! Please don’t detory me!”

“I beg you!”

“My mother made me pretend I have adhd! She made me bring a cutter to school! Please, please, I don’t have adhd! I’m just like the other kids, my mother made me do it, you have to believe me please!

“Stop talking!” Yelled her mother standing helplessly knowing she can’t do anything. But she could, she just didn't want to. She walked back slowly while the man tried to put her down.

¨Stop, struggling! Stay down!¨ The man yelled

Ji-woo tried to refuse to accept that she had lost. She keeps waving her arm around trying to snap out the people holding her down but in the corner of her eye her own mother couldn't do anything she even cried more and burst out in fear. She was going to get destroyed for having a flaw such as adhd. During her school hours Ji-woo had problems learning because of this “disability” and her tutor even stated that Ji-woo was not doing well in school and had been dropping her grades. Ji-woo's mother had planned to get Ji-woo destroyed so she can keep everything. According to the rules of the book. The rule of the book is a book that holds secrets which only mothers are allowed to read. If a child reads anything out from the book to the public it would be illegal and even at risk of being destroyed. If a child has a flaw the mother will still keep their homes but the child will be terminated. But in the end, her mother won. she couldn’t be the perfect daughter her mother could have. The door closed and Ji-woo mother wimbered in quiet leaving a tear to run down her face. She felt guilty even though she shouldn't but it left a hole in her heart and nothing to cure it. Ji-woo was like a little bird in a cage. Get fed daily and get enough water. She has a perfect life ahead of her. But the problem is that little birdie can not fly. She tries and tries, but in the end she can’t. Who would want a bird who doesn’t fly? No one would care for such a thing. In the end the little birdie is left to rot in its cage.

Chin-Hwa (Mothers Pov)

My daughter, Ji-woo, has mysteriously disappeared. She hadn't come back when she left. I had the table ready. Yogurt and three dishes filled with the cold fruits and pecans waiting and getting colder. The door opens streaming a light.

¨Mother…¨ Ji-woo looking desprestly

¨Why is your hair so mess?¨

¨Ma…¨

As Ji-woo walked towards me I felt a bit disappointed. Why would my child leave me if she knew what I´m going to do to her? No. That's not possible. She walked towards my arms and my arms were already reaching out for her. Her head laid against me while I wrapped my hands around her head. She began crying.

¨Mother. Do you love me?¨ Avoiding the question out of guilt I answered.

¨…Do you love me?¨

¨Yes...Yes I do.¨ She said with a teary face. She began crying into my arms, her hair was messy, I felt relieved because I didn't need to find her and it would be easier for her to fall into my arms. How hopeless.

Beep…beep…beep. I was waiting outside when I saw my daughter. I knew she was getting destroyed but I feel this sorrow in my heart. I shouldn’t feel sorry. But I do. I stood there walking but in that very second Ji-woo opened her eyes and she stood straight up from the hospital bed. She tried to get out but the pulse oximeter was attached and she was too frail to get out of the bed but then a tear shedded from her face. She kept crying, then men wearing armor appeared and tried to hold Ji-woo down but she was panicking and bursting her eyes out. She kept yelling things I made her do all those bad things. Like pretending to have ADHD or bringing a cutter to school, just so I can keep my luxury. She's right. She's right about it all but there's nothing I can do now. She's a flaw. But suddenly the door slammed shut the window next to the door, I could see clearly into it, I then felt a tear roll down my cheek. Why do I feel so bad? It's so pathetic. Yet I feel like I have a hold pierced into my heart. I feel so bad watching them taking my daughter away. I got the luxury I wanted. But at what cost. My daughter, Ji-woo taught me one thing. Love as its true self can never be fulfilling and will ultimately tear you apart.

3 weeks after the incident.

“Mrs. Chin-Hwa! How did you do it, how could you be awarded with the best mother award and write a book about your two lost children…? Will you tell us your secret?

“Of course…” 

Memory

This reminds me of the time I lost Ji-woo. It was such a depressing day to remember, I can’t help the fact I still remember her, oh my sweet daughter why couldn’t you have been so smart, then I wouldn't feel sorry for you in the first place. We could have lived peacefully. This reminds me of my first child,  Ji-hoon. You were the first child I have ever been implanted with. You were so smart and caring. But you went down the wrong path. 

“Ma, are you okay. Look! I made you something.”

“Honey, those are useless stuff, just focus on your studies and I’ll make myself feel better.”

“Ma, this is what I want to do. I want to work with my hands and make wood carving.”

“...That's not going to make any money.”

“Ma! If this is what I want to do, I want to make wood carvings! This is what I wanna do!” 

“...”

This disappointment I felt, how can you not understand that I want you to succeed but in the end he committed sucide on himself because he couldn’t do what he wanted to do. I did not feel sorry for him, he should have listened to me.

“Mrs. Chin-Hwa?” the interviewer asked

¨…Love yourself. Love yourself, so you can bring happiness to your child. That's right, love yourself..¨