TAEYEON’S STORY

PERFECTION

I knew the exact moment when I fell in love with Jiyong. It was September afternoon, ten days after we came back from our short vacation in Damyang-gun in Jeollanam-do. Jiyong was coming home early so that we could attend our first childbirth class tonight, and I was on the stairs headed down to the kitchen to check on dinner.

Barely halfway down, I stopped dead in my tracks when Jiyong came through the front door wrestling the biggest stuffed teddy bead I had ever seen, a furry white monstrosity almost as tall as him and twice as broad. He had the toy in a choke hold, its feet dragging the ground, the pink paisley bow that should have been tied around its neck twisting between Jiyong’s legs, threatening to trip him as he maneuvered the bear through the door and tried to close it behind him.

He barely managed but as he turned, the bear got the better of him. Jiyong stepped on the ribbon and went stumbling, catching himself before he fell, but dropping his briefcase in the process.

I was frozen on the stairs, blissfully unobserved, trying desperately not to laugh, and I could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

Do I put the bear down to pick up the briefcase and risk not being able to pick this monster up again, or try to bend over with the bear in tow? He was asking himself.

He finally did the latter and the sight of him trying to retrieve the briefcase was even more comical than the sight of him dropping iy, my imagination created another even funnier image of him wrestling the toy into his car and driving through the streets of Seoul with a fuzzy white bear in the passenger seat. Had he remembered to buckle up? I wondered and couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer.

Realizing he was being watched, Jiyong froze like a cat burglar caught with the crown jewels in his pocket. He looked up the stairs at me, and that was when I fell in love.

How could I not when the look on his face was too adorable to resist, a combination of little boy see what I brought home pride and grown man humiliation that his prize had gotten the best of him. My heart swelled to twice its normal size as I continued down the stairs.

“Go ahead. Say it. I knew that I looked dumb and even you think I’m too corny for words, right?”

I let him stew as I walked deliberately down the hall and circled him slowly. “News flash, Ji.” I said finally, then gestured at the bear. “Corn doesn’t grow this tall.”

“Well, sue me. I gave into impulse.  I saw it and I was so certain that Cheonsa couldn’t live without it.” He said defensively, using the nickname we had agreed upon for the baby until we could decide on the real thing.

“Saw it where? Did someone left it in front of the lobby hotel? Or you robbed it from a little kid? Or perhaps, you just go michigo?” I asked, taking delight in giving him a hard time.

“Nooooo,” he said, dragging the word out, “I had…”

Down the hall, Butler Lee popped through the service door, already greeting the master of the house as he hurried out. “Good evening, Mr. Kwon. I was just helping…” He stopped as he caught the sight of Jiyong and I and the bear.

“Oh my, sir.”

“Run for your life, ajusshi.” I advised him.

“Oh, no. I couldn’t do that.” He answered as though I’d been serious. He finally jumped forward to assist. “May I help you with that, sir?”

It was everything I could do to keep from laughing as I stepped between the butler and his boss. “No, you don’t, ajusshi. This is Mr. Kwon’s bright idea. Let’s let him wrestle with it.”

Jiyong quirked one eyebrow at me. “Gee, thanks. You’re a real darling.” He looked at the butler. “If you’d get my briefcase and put it in the study, I’d appreciate it, ajusshi.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jiyong started towards the stairs, the giant bear I tow, and I joined him. “You were telling me how you came into possession of Ted, here, if I recall.” I reminded him.

“It’s no big mystery. I had a meeting in Gangnam and I was walking back to the car, I just happened to pass a toy store.”

I wasn’t familiar enough with Gangnam to determine whether it was a plausible story, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it had taken a several block detur to ‘just happen by’ a toy store.

“Yeah, right. And what else did you get?” we started the stairs and I dropped behind because there wasn’t room for the three of us side by side.

He glanced over his shoulder, guilt written on his face.

“What makes you think I got something else? Isnt this enough? Don’t you think I have any self-control?”

“This is ten times more than enough.” I said. “But, here’s the thing, Ji. I know you.  If you’re going to get carried away, you get carried all the way. So fess up. What else did you get? Are they in the car or being delivered?”

“Being delivered.” He admitted sheepishly. "There’s a musical mobile with butter flues and ladybug for her crib and a floppy-eared bunny with a ticking clock inside it that’s supposed to remind her of you.

“Gee, thanks. You think my ears are floppy?”

“Not your ears, your heartbeat.” He replied.

He had finally manhandled the bear to the top of the stairs and I looked at him expectantly. “Now what?” I as