Juniper
Every parent wants the best for their child and if one can afford the best education for their child, then a private school on Jeju Island may be the best option, for parents in Korea. It’s tough to get a spot in HSC International, the private school in “High Class” as the parent and child go through separate interviews and children are already expected to have a good level of English before they are accepted as a student there.
Song Yeo-ul, the former high-flying corporate lawyer has given up her career in order to spend more time with her son, Ahn Yi-chan who is 8 years old. She moves to Jeju Island where her husband (who apparently committed suicide while on a yacht with her during their wedding anniversary celebration) has a house. She has received an invitation from the private school to attend the interview. Although not proficient in English like the other students, Yi-chan get a spot.
However, Yi-chan is ostracised and bullied by the other students. His only friend is Hwang Jae-in, also 8 years old. Jan-in’s mother is Na-yoon who has moved from Hong Kong. Na-yoon is Yeo-ul’s only ally as Yeo-ul is also ostracised by the other mothers who know about the yacht incident and that Yeo-ul’s husband was involved in some embezzlement of funds from investors.
When Yeo-ul asks Na-yoon about her husband, Na-yoon vaguely tells her that she only sees her husband once or twice a year as he is busy travelling for work. Na-yoon is tight-lipped about her husband and it is soon revealed that Yeo-ul’s husband is also Na-yoon’s. Na-yoon is angry with Yeo-ul as she thinks that Yeo-ul murdered their husband. I think that doesn’t make sense as Yeo-ul would have had no motive/reason to murder her husband. She is more disadvantaged without her husband.
Yeo-ul’s biggest enemy is Nam Ji-seon, Hotel Locanda President & CEO. She is also HSC International School PTA Parent Representative and the other mothers follow her around like lapdogs. Ji-seon is seriously nasty and overbearing, she goes out of her way to make life difficult for Yeo-ul even though they live next door. Yeo-ul tries to get Yi-chan thrown out of school on the basis that his mother was a suspect in her husband’s disappearance.
I think that Yeo-ul is quite passive for a once hotshot lawyer. She does hire a private investigator though to look into a few things. Someone has been sending her text messages & a bouquet of flowers. The P.I. turns out to be Danny Oh or Oh Soon Sang (the name she calls the P.I.) who is the school’s ice hockey instructor.
