Chapter 2

 

Butterfly

 

“Your small wounds
I’ll heal them for you
(With) My love for you, oh (every time)
Yo, you’re like a butterfly
Flying around searching for flowers, like a child (With purity held in your eyes, no matter what)
 Your light gestures
The twinkle in your eyes
Look what’s happened to me (You’re the only one girl, one love, one life, yeah)”

 

-G-Dragon; Heartbreaker

 

 

 

 

“Happy Birthday Chaerin-ah!” both my parents greeted simultaneously as I grin wide in front of the huge birthday cake in front of me.  I could just stare at it all day.

 

Why so?

 

It has chocolate, strawberry and lots of teddy bear designs all around it!  

 

I have just turned eight today and the whole house has turned in to teddy bear land.  There are small teddy bears hanging up the ceiling, more bears lining up the hallways, on each step of the stairs and all around the house.   However, the largest bear in the house would be appa and omma’s gift to me.  It’s very big, even bigger than me so I can’t even carry it on my own.   Appa said he’ll carry it to my room where I can hug it or maybe sleep on it since it really is so big.   Anyway, I’ve already named him.  Yes, my very big white teddy bear is a boy and he reminds me of somebody but before I tell you who I’ll tell you the name of my very big teddy bear.   His name is Ppo-Ppo!

 

Cute!

 

You all know what ppo-ppo means, right?  It’s kiss! I named him that because I like to kiss him.   He is a kissable bear, that’s for sure.

 

“Blow the candles sweetheart,” I hear my omma whisper on my ear as appa lifts me up to blow the candles on my very tall cake.  I think it is almost as tall as me.

 

Oh and I grew a bit. I am taller than two years ago.  Although, I still sometimes trip when I run but I’ve learned not to cry anymore so appa won’t find out and get mad. 

 

My birthday party has lots of guests.  They clapped after I blew out the candles.  Appa and umma invited a lot of guests.   I knew a few of them, some of which are our relatives and the others I am only seeing for the first time.  They’ve brought their kids too but I’m not really friends with some of them. 

 

“Rin-Rin!” I look around to where the small voice is coming from and I quickly smile at a familiar face.

 

“Ssantokki!”  I call out loud in excitement as I see my friend and playmate, Park Sandara.  I gave her the nickname since she looks like a rabbit and Ssantokki sounds a bit similar with her name but often times, I just call her Dara.  She’s pretty like her omma who is a model. 

 

Our parents are good friends.  They meet often to talk about work and that’s how we met.   We were always bored when our parents talk about something like… property? Yes, that!  I always hear the word and Dara tells me that her parents own lots of buildings.   Through those long meetings we became friends and played in our own little corner while the boring adults talk about… property.

 

“Here’s your gift,” Dara says in her usually excitedly tone as I take the medium sized box from her. 

 

“I’m sure you are going to like it!” she assures me as I start hastily tearing the colored special paper wrapped around it.  I take off the lid and my eyes go wide at the contents.

 

“Wah! Colour pens and colouring books!” I say in delight, eagerly examining the contents.   I even forget about everything as I kneel down, putting the box to the floor and taking out the colouring books to flip the pages.     

 

“I asked appa and umma to buy them from Japan.  The good Rilakkuma colouring books can only be bought there,” Dara said proudly, showing me the colour pens and how they are used while kneeling down next to me.  We don’t really care even if we wore dresses. 

 

Nana Hye Mi always tells me that when a girl is wearing a dress she has to sit and stand properly.  I try to ask her why but she is so caught up with teaching me how to sit and walk properly that I easily slept.   The other night she was busy teaching me how to count sugar one by one.

 

I was asleep in seconds.

 

When I asked my umma she told me that girls must sit and stand properly while wearing dresses because it makes us look pretty and adorable and that other people will think that we are not taught properly if we don’t do the… proper way.

 

I really still don’t understand adults.

 

But right now I’m too happy that I forgot all that.

 

“We can color them together!” I suggested, already wanting to do so but both our ummas lifted us up back to our feet saying that the party wasn’t over yet.  On the other hand, my nanas were quick to clean up my gift on the floor and place them at the table full of gifts.   I looked longingly at that table.

 

Wait for me my colouring books.   

 

We were seated beside each other at the mini tables made for us along with the other kids whom I am not friends with.   Our tables were quickly filled with yummy desserts, a cuter version of the one being fed to the grown-ups.   We both got ourselves busy eating chocolate before I turn to Dara, a question in my mind.

 

“Is Young-bae here?” I asked before she nods in reply.  She takes a mouthful of the cake before answering me.  Sometimes I wonder why Dara can be smaller than me when she eats a lot.

 

“He smudged icing on his suit earlier that’s why they took him to the comfort room to change,” she explains, re-enacting the incident she witnessed earlier in between giggles.

 

Dong Young-bae is our shy friend.  Actually, I, Dara and he form a small group composed of kids who play together when our parents talk about things like… property.  Young-bae’s parents own a big boat and that’s where we met him.   My appa says that the boat is called a cruise ship.  That was where my parent’s anniversary party was held last year and yup that’s where we met Young-bae!  He spilled iced-tea on his suit back then.   It was so funny since that was when Dara asked him his name. 

 

Oh when can I start colouring?

 

I stopped eating at the thought to look around.   A magic show is now starting right in front of us but that wasn’t what I was looking at.   I’ve always loved magic shows especially when a rabbit pops out of the hat.  It’s just so amazing, isn’t it?  But then today, it didn’t look amazing as it used to be.  I carefully look at every face around the big room but then when I couldn’t find who I was looking for I stare back at my food in disappointment.

 

Will he come?

 

He said he’d try…

 

Remember when I told you that Ppo-Ppo reminded me of somebody?  Well, Ppo-Ppo reminds me of my favorite oppa, Jingyo.   He’s not here right now and I already know why.   He told me that he might not make it to my party.   It’s because my birthday falls on a Friday and Jingyo oppa has school on Fridays.   He said that he has to play an important game today.   He told me that he is a very important player and that without him the team will not win.   I couldn’t understand the sport of soccer though.   The oppas just keep running back and forth while they kick a ball.

 

Oppa loves that game so much but then it is a game that I cannot play with him.  I once asked appa if I could join Jingyo oppa’s team but he said that it’s only for boys and besides, running is my… weakness. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chaerin’s Note

It’s so unfair! Why am I not good in running? I get tired easily and I trip all the time.  Why can’t soccer be for girls too? Why didn’t I just become a boy? Why? Why? Why God? Why?  I just want to play with Jingyo oppa.  Then maybe we could spend time together on my birthday...

 

-Chae-roo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Chaerin-ah what’s wrong? Don’t you like the clowns?” my appa asked for the third time but I could only shake my head as I continue to cry on my bed, hugging one of my favorite teddy bears and my diary.  My omma who sat at my side has been trying to calm me down by gently rubbing my back but none of it was working.  

 

The magic show has just gotten brighter with the presence of the clowns.   They all looked funny and colourful but I just couldn’t smile.  Jingyo oppa hasn’t appeared yet and it seems like he’s not going to make it anymore.   Sadly, I trudged up the stairs and went inside my room.   I just couldn’t think that after both of us thought of all my birthday plans months ago my most favorite oppa cannot come.   He even promised me that he would help me open my gifts.

 

He promised.

 

Even Dara and Youngbae couldn’t cheer me up.  I didn’t want to colour or hug Ppo-Ppo anymore.   Nana Hye Mi has been running around giving me the things that had always made me happy like strawberries and candies but I don’t want them.  She has now gone out in full gardening gear to catch some butterflies in our huge garden.    I must say, nana Hye Mi never looked so determined.  We really have a huge garden.  I did get lost there one time like the princess in the story books.   At that time I was shaking in fear because a dragon might suddenly pop out of nowhere but then good thing I was found by—

 

“Jingyo!” I cried out loud, shaking my head in between tears as my appa offered me ice-cream.  

 

“Chaerin, Jiyong cannot come today because he has school but then he’ll be here tomorrow,” my omma assured me in her usual gentle tone but I only cried harder.  

 

Today is my birthday, today and not tomorrow.   Why can’t they understand that? 

 

 Jingyo oppa has always been present on my birthday and it’s just not the same without him.   He was even the clown last year.   He made the rabbit pop out of the hat but then it didn’t want to go back inside so he had to chase it all around the house.  Everyone was up on their seats as the rabbit hopped about.  Guests, especially the girls were screaming and jumping around as well that my tummy hurt so much after laughing so hard.  That was the best thing that ever happened on my seventh birthday.

 

I’m too sad today and nothing can make me happy or stop me from crying.

 

Even the light tap that I feel on my back isn’t going to stop me.  Whoever it was trying to poke me over and over again from behind would surely be unable to make me happy.   I’m just about to break in to a wail when I noticed what looked like brown fur.  I looked to my side and I was so surprised to see a life-size teddy bear moving and trying to get my attention.   I immediately stopped crying to stare at it intently.  It danced in front of me funnily wearing the black and white suit that the all ajusshis in the house wore.  That’s when my eyes lit up.   I’ve seen that dance before when I couldn’t sleep and that’s when—

 

“Jingyo!!” I bolted right up, standing on my bed before jumping into Jingyo the big bear’s open arms.

 

I must have jumped too hard that Jingyo the bear took a few steps back as he caught me.   His bear head came off in a few moments and that’s when oppa’s smiling face greeted me.  

 

“I thought you are not coming anymore!” I whined at him as he put me down gently, fixing his bear body costume and bowing to greet my appa and omma respectfully.  I had to laugh because he looked so funny doing that while wearing the costume with a serious expression.   The bear costume must feel so warm because oppa looked like he ran for many hours with his hair looking a bit wet.  

 

“How can I not attend your birthday, princess? Didn’t I give you my promise?” he says, looking down at me.  Oppa also grew taller in two years and he has been doing more exercises ever since then.  

 

Heard that? I can pronounce the word ‘exercise’ now without difficulty!  Oppa also now runs twice as fast as before and can still carry me around his back.

 

“You must see the clowns downstairs and help me open all my presents!” I said excitedly, taking oppa’s bear paw and pulling him out the room.   I heard my appa and omma laugh inside the room for a reason I am not sure of but anyway, Jingyo oppa is already here and I can’t wait to show him everything!

 

Do you know how heavy oppa is?  It’s very hard for me to pull him because he won’t budge easily.   He stops me for a while and kneels down, still wearing that funny bear body costume that I had to laugh at him again.

 

“Are you not sad anymore?” Oppa asks me as I shake my head eagerly that he had to fix my already loose hair tie.  I actually even don’t remember crying earlier. 

 

“Princess, please do not cry when oppa is not around.  Do you want to look like the cave monster?” he asks, putting his bear paws on his big bear hips.

 

He he Oppa is really funny. 

 

“Please stop giggling, little princess.  I’m serious.   I want you to promise me that you won’t cry when I’m not around.  Your parents will get worried.  Everyone will get worried including me. And you would really look like the frightful cave monster if you continue to cry like that,” he continues, this time crossing his bear paws in front of his chest.

 

He he he  I can’t stop laughing.  You should see Jingyo the bear right now.  It’s too funny!

 

“You’re not going to stop laughing, are you?” Jingyo oppa sighs, cupping my cheeks with both his bear paws.  It is already big enough to cover my entire face.

 

Ha ha ha ha

 

My tummy hurts and Jingyo oppa is again the cause of it.  He is just too funny.   That’s why I want him at my birthday.

 

Oppa always makes me laugh.  

 

I watch his every move, getting ready to laugh at his funny bear poses when he suddenly takes out something from a huge paper bag.   My eyes widen and my mouth forms an ‘o’ as I look at a pair of shiny blue wings.

 

“Because our little princess wants to fly I searched everywhere for your wings until finally I found it,” Jingyo oppa says, stressing the word ‘everywhere’.   

 

“Happy Birthday, Chae-roo,”

 

I couldn’t ask anything more for my birthday.   I’ve never been so happy as Jingyo bear attaches the pretty butterfly wings on to my back.  He then carries me up and I already feel like flying.   I’ll never forget this day ever!

 

Should I tell you a secret?

 

I like Jingyo bear than Ppo-Ppo bear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butler Note 3

 

I think I’m about to faint.  I had to speed up and finish my soccer match just so I could attend Chae-roo’s birthday.   That irritating bear suit didn’t do me any good either.  I felt like I could sweat forever wearing the fatty costume.  Believe me, I was so close to throwing the costume and cursing.  Good thing that she liked my get-up and my present.  If she only knew how I had to go through such an embarrassing experience while going through girly toys to look for it.   So… what should I do for next year’s birthday?  What should I give her then? 

 

Jiyong

 

P.S. I hope she doesn’t cry anymore because I honestly panic when she does.  And I don’t want to dance in front of Mr. & Mrs. Lee again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* This is probably the shortest chapter for the whole fic.  You guys get the pattern, right? I'm updating weekly, every Monday and if I don't I probably slept the whole day in my coffin. 

 

* THANK YOU TO ALL AMAZING 52 SUBSCRIBERS AND TO THOSE WHO PLACED THEIR VERY CUTE AND MOTIVATIONAL COMMENTS.  AND ALSO THOSE WHO UPVOTED BTW.

* Chapter 2 for you.  Let me know what you pretty people think. ;)