The fairgrounds were buzzing with weekend energy—bright lights, caramel popcorn, cotton candy drifting in the air, and a warm breeze rolling through the colorful tents. She swung Dae-Ho’s hand back and forth as they walked, the excitement of the day sparkling in her eyes.
Dae-Ho, on the other hand, looked like an overgrown child experiencing his first fair. His eyes kept darting around, taking in everything—games, rides, food stands—with that wide, boyish wonder she secretly adored.
“Jagiya,” he said suddenly, tugging her hand.
“Hm?”
He pointed across the path at a massive booth overflowing with giant plushies. Bears, dogs, frogs, pandas…
And front and center: A huge tiger plushie, nearly as big as she was.
The moment he saw it, Dae-Ho froze.
His eyes got big. Very big. Almost sparkly.
“…야…” he murmured, awe-struck. “Look at that.”
She hid a smile. “Do you want it?”
He blinked down at her. “Want it? Jagiya, that’s you. That’s our destiny.”
He marched over to the booth like a man on a mission.
The game was simple: throw rings over bottles. The problem? No one ever won this thing.
Dae-Ho rolled his shoulders dramatically. “I got this.”
She snorted. “If you say so.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You doubt me?”
“Every time you say those exact words,” she teased.
He pointed at himself with his thumb. “I am Kang Dae-Ho. 대호. Literal tiger.”
She patted his arm. “Okay, Mr. Tiger. Show me.”
He stepped forward. The booth guy handed him the rings. And suddenly—Dae-Ho got serious. Too serious.
He stood there, analyzing the bottles like a military strategist.
“Jagiya,” he whispered, “the wind is 2% left.”
“It’s an indoor booth,” she said.
But he threw the ring anyway—
And it landed perfectly.
The booth guy blinked. “…Uh. Wow. Okay. That was rare.”
Dae-Ho’s chest puffed out. He threw the next ring— Another hit.
Another—
Three in a row.
She gasped. “How are you…?”
He didn’t even look away from the bottles. “I’m fighting for you.”
The final ring flew—
Clink—perfect.
The booth guy sighed and pointed at the giant tiger. “You want the big one, right?”
Dae-Ho nodded proudly. “The biggest.”
The moment the plush was handed to him, he swung around and presented it with a flourish.
“For you,” he announced.
She hugged the giant plush tightly. It was soft and enormous and adorable. “It’s perfect!”
Then Dae-Ho did it.
He pointed at the tiger plush. “Big tiger.”
Then he pointed at himself.
“Big tiger.”
Then he pointed at the plush again, grinning so wide his dimples showed.
“Big tiger.”
She burst out laughing. “Are you comparing yourself to this plushie?”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice in playful seriousness. “No. I’m saying you now have two tigers. This one—” he tapped its head, “—and me.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes. One is soft.” He squeezed the plush. “Very soft. Very cute.”
Then he leaned down and kissed the side of her head.
“And the other one loves you.”
Her cheeks warmed instantly. “You’re impossible.”
“Impossible to resist?” he teased.
She shoved him lightly. “Stop.”
He took her hand again, beaming like an idiot. “C’mon. Let’s go show everyone my wife has a tiger army now.”
They spent the rest of the fair with her carrying the big plush in her arms while Dae-Ho kept an arm around her waist, proudly repeating “tiger couple” every few minutes.
And when they went home, he lifted the plush and put it on their bed.
“There,” he declared. “Now you’re surrounded by big tigers.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop smiling.
The truth was, she already had the best one standing right beside her.