As much as I had enjoyed our honeymoon in Norway, I was excited to see Nikki and the kids. Plus, we had our first couple's interview waiting for us with a local Korean newspaper. Apparently, we were pretty popular with the Korean community back in the states.
Minhyuk hired a car to drive us since he didn't have a license here and mine had expired. Nikki would take care of me while Min was at his meetings. On the way, Min texted the guys to let them know we had arrived. Wonho held Sherman up next to his face and let me talk to him. I hated to leave him so soon after getting him, but I knew he was in very good hands.
He made the most adorable little talky sounds and kept licking Wonho's face while I talked to him. He seemed to be adjusting quite well. We hadn't had him long, but I was already very attached. He was a good puppy and his "potty training" was going well. I wanted to get back to him and have puppy snuggles, but we still had a few days to go.
We had a day to spend with Nikki and the kids while we adjusted to the time difference. We didn't do anything exciting. We just hung around Nikki's house, watched movies, ate well, and rested. I napped a lot. I was much more tired than I expected to be, but I had been going at full speed prior to the trip and now I had jetlag. It was to be expected.
The next day we met with Korean American reporter, Tamara Jun. She was very sweet and told us she was a Monbebe. She said she was honored to get to speak with us. I was surprised that I felt comfortable. I thought I would feel defensive and shut off, but Tamara put me at ease.
We met her at our hotel bar, where there were semi-private booths. We ordered coffee and got settled in. She came alone, without a photographer. She asked if she could take a photo of us for the article and we agreed. Min pulled me close and pressed his cheek to mine. Our smiles were genuine, and she seemed very pleased with her shot.
"Thank you both for meeting and sharing your precious time with me," she started. "Before we begin, I wanted to let you know how much I admire you two. This is off the record, of course. I think you have set the romance bar very high... maybe too high for the rest of us," she said with a chuckle.
Min tucked his head shyly and smiled. I kissed his cheek and thanked him for making me the luckiest girl in the world. We turned our attention back to the interview.
"OK, here we go. From this point we are on the record." She had asked earlier if she could record our conversation to ensure accuracy. She started the recorder. "We obviously know you met when Sunny won a Monsta X contest, but there are rumors you two may have met prior to that. Is that something you two are willing to share or is that too private?"
Minhyuk looked at me and squeezed my hand, "I think we can share that." He smiled at me and turned back to Tamara. "I met Sunny at a High-Touch/Send-Off event, here in Atlanta a few years ago. We didn't get any extra time, and she had no special privileges, if that is what you are thinking. It was just as quick as every other fan that night. But somehow, I felt an immediate and strong connection to her. I couldn't stop thinking about her. I searched every crowd for her after that. I saw her face every night in my dreams. I never gave up, and finally we were reunited." Another squeeze of my hand and that sweet smile. He added, "the guys didn't believe me when I told them it was her that won the contest. They lost that bet." He grinned and winked at me. Tamara had no idea of the inside joke there.
"You are such an adorable couple," she commented softly. "Now a question for Sunny. What annoying habit did you find out that Minhyuk has after you married and began living in the same house?"
I thought for a moment, and the only thing I could come up with was, "he is a workaholic." Min looked at me with a pout. I smiled and continued while looking at him, "he demands so much of himself and gives everything he has to Monbebe." He smiled again and I looked back to the interviewer. "He is either hosting, practicing, performing, or prepping. I am hopeful they will get to slow down after they get the company up and running... or at least a leveling off. He does spend as much time with me as he can though. I never feel neglected."
Min added, "Sunny works hard too. She runs a gallery back in Seoul, and it can be very demanding. Plus, she is an amazing photographer, and she devotes quite a bit of time to that. She is just as dedicated to her craft as I am to mine." I wrinkled my nose at him and gave a little smile.
"Sunny, I understand your gallery is the sister to Arirang Gallery here in Atlanta, but they have different formats. Is that correct?"
"Yes, they are different. Initially that was not the plan. Our grand opening charity event in Korea was Hallyu themed and a huge success. I decided to keep that going since it is such a cultural phenomenon, so we feature art primarily from Hallyu artists. There are a few pieces from 'regular' artists, but they are generally K-pop or drama related. We even have a section for fanart. Here, we mostly feature local artists and Korean artists from across the country." I didn't mention the Fall Charity Fundraiser because the article would be published after it was over.
"So even your jobs are entwined," she commented, then turned her next question to Min. "Minhyuk, can we talk about X-Ray Entertainment? Is it allowed?" I appreciated her respecting him by asking.
"I can talk a little about it. We are still under our contract, so I can only cover the talking points. We will be recruiting talent. That is basically it. Being performers, writers, and producers ourselves, we have a good idea of what we are looking for. We plan to bring in a variety of levels, from undiscovered new talent to free-agent idols. Later, we may add actors, but in the beginning, we will focus on music."
"That's so exciting! I can't wait to see what you guys bring to the table."
"We are very excited too. And we asked Sunny to do our promo photos. They will be amazing."
"That's a great segue to my next question. Was that one of the things that attracted you to Sunny? Her photo art?"
"In a way, I suppose... yes, her art." He looked at our clasped hands and rubbed my wedding ring with his thumb. "She made me a special gift and gave it to me at Send-Off that night after the concert. I kept it with me all the time after that as a reminder. I managed to sneak it into my pocket before the staff collected everything, but they got the letter, and it was lost then. So, I knew she was an artist, and I knew she had stolen my heart, but I didn't know her name or how to find her."
"It is no secret that you two have a wide age gap. Do you get strange looks in public due to your age difference, or has anyone ever rudely commented on it?"
"We do get rude looks sometimes, and occasionally I can tell that people are talking about us. They generally aren't in our faces about it though. It seemed to happen more in the beginning. Or maybe I am just getting used to it now." I added, "Minhyuk gets comments online a lot though. Some fans still don't accept us, and that is OK. They don't have to accept me, as long as they support Monsta X."
"How do you manage it? Obviously, you are from different generations, so there have to be some things that you each struggle with."
"Well, it has never really been a problem for us. I think the bigger issue is the cultural differences. They shadow the generational ones. Besides, I don't feel older when I am with him. His energy and his sunshine are contagious. He is my Fountain of Youth."
Tamara leaned closer and whispered, "you look amazing, by the way." She continued, "Minhyuk, were your parents concerned about the age difference? How did they handle your engagement news?"
"I think they were a little in the beginning, but they never said anything." I nudged him with my elbow because he never told me he thought that. He winked and continued, "Sunny quickly won them over and pushed aside any doubts they may have had. My parents love her. How could they not? She is beautiful, kind, smart, and she loves their eldest son." He put his forehead to mine and we forgot about Tamara for a moment.
We came back when she asked the next question, "Sunny, in Korea, there are often acquaintances of the families, businesspeople, and celebrities who attend the wedding. These people are typically not that close to the bride and groom. Although it was probably overwhelming to meet all those people, were you able to enjoy and focus on your day with Minhyuk?"
"Wow, that day was just... incredible. I think most people know that we actually got legally married a couple of months before the ceremony, so that day was just the formal event and celebration. But I was still so nervous!" I giggled, "not because we were saying our vows in front of everyone, but because I had to meet all of his parents' friends and people he works with. People who really do matter in the bigger picture. There was a lot of pressure on me to be "on". I got a taste of what Minhyuk goes through daily." I squeezed his hand and shifted my gaze to him. "Once the greetings were done, I was able to focus on him. He made everything very special. I felt like a real-life Cinderella that day, complete with my Prince Charming. Not many people get to marry the man of their dreams... twice." He put his arm around me and gave me that special look he has only for me.
Tamara commented, "I hadn't thought of that. You basically are Cinderella. Minus the evil stepsisters," she giggled. She regained her composure and continued, "I need to know this for myself, but I think our readers would also like to know. Who said 'I love you' first?"
That question caught us off-guard. We looked at each other and whispered, deciding if it was okay to share since things get taken out of context too easily. Min nodded and I spoke first. "I did. It was my last day in Korea and I just needed him to know. I never expected him to reciprocate, or that I would ever see him after that day. I had accepted that but could not bear the thought of never telling him how I felt." I looked at him and felt tears welling up in my eyes. I smiled and one fell to my cheek. Min wiped it away.
"What Sunny didn't know was that I was planning to tell her that day for the same reason. I needed her to know that she wasn't just another girl. She was the girl." He still hadn't looked back to Tamara. I fell in love all over again in that moment. He smiled sweetly and turned back to her. He continued, "I knew I had to do something special... quick. I had a lock engraved with our initials. You know Namsan Tower? Where all the couple locks are? We sealed our love there that day."
"You guys give me relationship goals. I can see you are completely into each other." I thought I heard her sigh a little before she asked the next question. "Do you guys speak Korean or English at home? How do you decide?"
"Sunny's Korean is better than my English, so we mostly spoke Korean at first. But she has been patiently teaching me and we have started speaking in English a lot more." He looked very proud.
"Min's English has really improved. He is much better at it than he thinks. He excels at everything he puts his mind to. I don't think there is anything he isn't good at."
"Cooking. Cooking is not my thing," we laughed. It really isn't.
"This will be our last question. Sunny, was it hard adjusting to life in Korea? How did you prepare for the transition?"
"I had worked directly in the Korean community here in Atlanta for several years and worked hard to learn to speak Korean well. My boss, Jisung, taught me a lot. He made me speak Korean at work to help me learn. I used apps. I practiced when I was shopping. I visited Korean cafes and restaurants and spoke to the staff in Korean. That is how I met one of my best friends. I watched Korean dramas without subs. I did everything I could to dive in. Our clients and patrons preferred it, so I had to get comfortable with it. When I made the decision to move, I tried to prepare myself for everything else. There is definite culture shock, even after living in Koreatown here. If I hadn't already been familiar with many of the customs, it would have been much harder to adjust. But I had Minhyuk and his brothers to help me."
We wrapped up the interview and said farewell to Tamara. I was thankful she didn't bring up children. I might have started ugly crying. No one wants that.
Honey and Changkyun had flown in that morning. They met Minhyuk at our hotel after the interviewer had gone. The three of them were going to meet with the rapper that Honey was trying to recruit. He was the former trainee at the top of their "wish list".
He had given up his dream and come back to the states to care for his mother when she got sick. She had since gotten better, but they couldn't afford to send him back to Korea. Her medical bills had drained their savings. Honey was so impressed by his talent, that he was willing to pay for the ticket out of his own pocket just to get him back in Korea. They were going to try to convince him to be their first artist to sign after the first of the year.
While they were off doing that, I went to the gallery to help Jisung and his new assistant, Katie, get ready for the Fall charity event and exhibition. This event had become a tradition for local artists and artisans. This year's theme was casino night. I was looking forward to it.
Nikki picked me up for my appointment. While we were sitting in traffic, she asked me to fill her in on the latest with the evil Ms. Choi since we had missed our call this week.
"That bitch got fired." I announced triumphantly.
"Whoa, really? That is awesome."
"Yes, the president of the agency launched an investigation, and she was found to have done this to other couples just because she didn't like one, or both, of them. She had a strong pattern with interracial couples. Our case was double trouble. She didn't like me because I am not Korean, and Min had rejected her daughter... twice." I giggled, thinking of that day at the studio. "But now we are not very popular with the other agencies, so we have to let that die down before we can get another appointment with any of them. It will happen though. I know it will. It has to..." My voice trailed off, but Nikki didn't catch my veiled sadness because she was distracted by a car that pulled out in front of her.
She dropped me at the front entrance and went to park the car. There was some confusion with my name because I had legally changed it to Lee SunHee when we got married. We were not dealing with insurance, but it was still confusing for them.
Eventually I got to see Dr. Fleming. She wasn't too hard on me about being late with my appointment, considering it was technically her fault. Well, her patient's fault. I was high risk for too many things from the botched procedure after I miscarried. My uterus was basically scar tissue from the infection. She revisited trying to convince me to have a hysterectomy. She had tried the past 2 years, but I wasn't ready to start hormone therapy. The negatives outweighed the positives in my opinion, and I was already pre-menopausal. That was enough to deal with.
She sighed and sat back in the chair and shook her head at me. She knew I was stubborn and unless she found something at this visit, my lady parts were staying where they were for the time being. Dr. Fleming poked, prodded, squeezed, and scraped all the things she needed to. Her CNA took lots of blood... lots. She told me she was going to have the tests rushed by a private lab in case she needed me back in for a follow up since I was only there for a few days.
She told me that on the surface things looked better than she expected, but she wanted to run a few extra tests. I knew it was just precautionary, but it still left me a bit uneasy. I felt like she had seen something that concerned her, and she wasn't passing it along. I knew that she would want to be sure about anything suspect before alarming me. I had been her patient since that awful time and she had helped me get back to "normal", or as close to it as I was going to get. I trusted her. But something still nagged at me. Nikki told me I was probably just being paranoid.
We got back to Nikki's house and fixed lunch. I grilled chicken some chicken breasts and she tossed a beautiful salad. She put tomatoes, red onion, avocado, and diced cucumbers in it. I had not eaten a cucumber in over a year. I had forgotten how much I love them. It was something I had sacrificed for my love... but I had never mentioned it to him. It wasn't worth to look of disgust that would surely be on his face. I was so hungry that I dug right in, with a little apology to Minmin under my breath.
Nikki heard me and asked why, so I told her how Min feels about cucumbers. She started laughing. "Why didn't you tell him?" she asked.
"Well, it just never really came up."
"But you love cucumbers. Remember that cucumber diet you went on? You never got sick of them."
"Yeah, that diet lasted all of 3 days. Giving them up was a sacrifice I was happy to make for him and I have managed just fine without them. I get plenty of other delicious food. But someday I guess I will have to tell him."
"Yeah, you probably should if he feels that strongly about it. No secrets."
We had a good laugh over my situation, but my guilt didn't stop me from savoring every bite.
After lunch, I asked Nikki to drop me back at the gallery. We were all going to go out for dinner when they got finished with their meeting, but I was going to help Jisung wrap up the final details for the event. It was only 2 days away and they were delivering many of the tables and decorations. I had been working with Jisung from Korea, but I missed working directly with him.
I stayed very busy for the couple of hours I was there, but the visit with Dr. Fleming kept weighing on my mind. I was sure I was being paranoid, but there was a real risk for something to happen. At least if there was something going on I would know in a couple of days instead of weeks, and I had someone to support me through it. I decided to focus on work and let those thoughts fade into the background. I would know soon enough.