Powerful (Michaeng)

The Tiger and the Penguin

Nearly two weeks had passed since Haru and Yoshiro had left for China, and Mina received the letter sent by her fiancé.

"Mina, my love,

How are you? I am fine, but I miss home, you, and my parents so much. I am already counting the days until I return to Japan.

Everything is very calm here. The Chinese are intimidated, obey us, and create few problems. Your father is also being very good to me. He is patient, explains things calmly, and has been a great mentor. He is truly an exemplary man.

Every night when I go to bed, I think a lot about you. I miss your kisses and spending the afternoons with you. This time will be longer than I imagined.

Take care of yourself always. I know you are training for your big performance, and I want you to know that I am very proud of you. You are a very talented dancer, and I am sure you will give a divine performance, and even though I can't see you, I will be there in spirit, rooting for your success.

I love you.

Forever yours,

Yoshiro."

As soon as she finished reading her fiancé's letter, Mina wiped away the tears that had started to roll down her face. She missed him very much too, and thought about him constantly. Two years was such a long time.

She put the letter back in its envelope and placed it in one of the drawers of her nightstand beside her bed. She would write a response later.

However, inside this drawer, she found one of her oldest and dearest memories: an origami penguin.

That was the last gift from Naomi, her late paternal grandmother.

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Japan, 1927

A tall, thin woman with white hair sat on her bed, making origami animals.

When Naomi was young, her husband Ieji became very ill and passed away after some time. With little to do, she struggled to raise her son Haru. The money she earned working as a domestic servant barely covered the cost of food, let alone toys for her son. So, with no other options, she learned to make origami from old papers at her employers' house so that Haru could play. The boy loved all those little animals, even giving each one a name and spending hours playing with them. His favorites were the penguins.

In addition to the origami, Haru had a calico kitten he named Asami. Asami and the origami helped Naomi distract Haru from their situation.

Years passed, Haru grew up, Asami passed away, and Naomi fell ill.

She was very proud of her son, despite his choices in life. Naomi wished Haru had pursued a job in a factory, even if it meant earning less. His military life worried her, as she never knew if she would see him again each time he left. But he was a stubborn young man and chose his own path. He married a beautiful woman, as he had always wanted, and had an even more beautiful daughter.

When Haru learned of Kimi's pregnancy, he was ecstatic. The first thing he did was buy a stuffed penguin to give to his unborn child. It didn't matter if it was a girl or a boy; the penguin plush was his childhood dream, and since he could never have one, he was determined that his child would.

This was the first of many gifts Haru gave to Mina.

Despite her illness, Naomi resisted numerous attempts by Haru and Kimi to bring her to live with them. She complained about her son's stubbornness, but it was clear he had inherited it from her, as Ieji was not like that. She preferred to live in her own home, where she had lived since she married and had some happy years while her husband was still healthy. She also didn't like the Koreans Haru brought into the house.