NONE of these works are mine. Give all your love to the authors and their works. The links will either bring you to the Tumblr page or a Ao3 page of the work.
Magic!au includes witches, warlocks, wizards, and fae. It also includes curses or “other worldly” concepts that involve magic.
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Title: Thorns & Mildew 🐑🗒
Author: @alilbihh
Summary: Witch!Yoongi x Reader.
↳ “you’re not human.” “did you think I was?” yes, you want to say. or maybe. something that sounds at least halfway believable. but the truth is that the day you’d first seen him your very first thought was oh. you are not like me. you are not like anything I’ve ever seen before.
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Title: Magic of The Night 👊🗒💜
Author: @gukyi
Summary: witch!yoongi x human!reader. Also Halloween and Horror!au.
↳ “There is a witch you go to for spells and potions whenever human nature is not enough for things to go your way, and he loves you more than anyone else ever will.”
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Title: Exiled 🐑👊🗒
Author: @casuallyimagining
Summary: Also zombie!au.
↳ “After a year of being on the run and the world’s shittiest luck, Yoongi comes across a familiar face. You. The only problem? Everything is trying to kill him including, he assumes, you.”
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Title: A Lost of Correspondence 👊📝
Author: @crystaljins
Summary: Wizard professor!yoongi x wizard professor!reader. Part of a Hogwarts drabble series.
↳ “You used to have a penpal, once. But that was long before you accepted a job as a professor at Hogwarts”
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Title: Snowstorm 🐑👊🗒💜
Author: @btsmosphere
Summary: Also jack frost and childhood friends!au.
↳ “Strange things happen in the woods when you return home for Christmas. And why does your mum insist you stay away from Min Yoongi?”
Suga is a wish-granting magician. He grants wishes—for the price of your most prized possession.
Your parents and brother died tragically in a plane crash and you visit Suga to grant your wish to bring them back to life...but instead you become his assistant.
Now you’re thrust into a world of magic and the mysterious being known as Suga.
Tags:
Fantasy, romance, comedy, a bit of a slow burn, angst
Warnings:
Mentions of death, strong language
CHAPTER 1: WHO IS SUGA?
You knew instantly you were in a dream.
Strange, you thought, I never have such vivid dreams.
You looked around you and recognized that you were in your home—the home you lived before the accident. It was unchanged, and you were marveled at how your mind remembered every detail.
“Y/N!”
You turned around and was met with the vision of your mother.
“Mom!” You cried as you ran up to her and gave her a tight hug.
She chuckled, “Oh my, what’s gotten you this excited?”
You could barely speak as you sobbed quietly against her shoulder. She felt so soft and warm, like she really was alive and here in your arms. It was so vivid you can even smell her familiar scent, which made you choke.
“There, there.” She rubbed your back, trying to soothe you, “I’m here.”
You reluctantly step away so that you can see her face again, “Mom, are you really here?”
She gave you a warm smile, “Of course, darling.”
“Then I wish I never wake up.” You said honestly and she brought up her hand to stroke your cheek.
“You are so strong, know that I’m always proud of you.”
This made you cry.
“Please don’t cry, honey, I have something I need to tell you.”
You felt the world start to shift around you and you scrambled to grip unto this dream.
“No wait, Mom, tell me!”
Her face became more blurry as her voice seem to be muffled, like your head was underwater.
“Go find the magician, Suga.”
“What?”
“Suga, he will help you.”
You reached out for her but you just grabbed at air, “No! Mom, don’t leave!”
“Go and ask for a wish. He…and you…”
“And what? Mom what are you talking about?” You asked, panicked, but you couldn’t hear her now and everything was spinning.
“MOM!” You cried as your eyes flew open, tears running down your cheeks.
It took a moment for you to orient yourself as you wiped the tears from your eyes.
About three months had passed since the accident, but it was still a fresh wound for you. You look around at the unfamiliar room, so different from the room you were used to for the last twenty years.
It unnerved you to have such a vivid dream, you still could feel her lingering touch where she stroked your cheek.
You then remembered what she said to you and you were puzzled by the message.
Who is Suga?
“Maybe he’s a long lost relative or something.” Your best friend, Hyelin, said and you shook your head.
“I doubt that’s what it is.”
“What did your mom meant that he’s a magician? Like the one-that-pulls-rabbits-from-hats kind of magician? They are all con artists, you know.”, She looked thoughtful as she took a sip from her coffee.
You rubbed your temples, “I don’t know. All I know is that I’ve been having that same dream for a month now and it’s kind of freaky.”
“Do you think it’s a sign? From your mother?”
“Probably not.” You answered, “Maybe my mind is making up things because I miss them so much.”
Hyelin’s smile dropped, “Right, I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. I’m sorry for bringing her up.”
You smile sadly, “It’s fine, you didn’t brought her up, I did by mentioning the stupid dream. I just…it just feels weird…without them…you know? I keep waking up, expecting to smell my mom’s cooking. I keep thinking that I’m going to hear my father’s voice asking to come take our daily walk or that each knock at my door is my annoying brother coming to tease me. There’s just so much I took for granted with them, and in one moment it’s all…gone.”
There was a pause and you realize you made the conversation awkward.
“I’m sorry, Hyelin, this was supposed to be a fun meeting to cheer me up and here I am, bringing the mood down.”
“It’s fine, y/n, you don’t have to appear strong all the time.”
“Thanks, Hyelin.” You smiled and squeezed her hand, “I don’t know how I would have gotten through these months without you.”
“What kind of friend will I be if I didn’t? Now enough with the somber mood, you’re right, today was supposed to cheer you up. As your good friend it is my obligation to distract you at least for a little bit.”
You laughed, “Yeah, it’s just this dream. It just puts me in a strange mood.”
“What you need is closure.” Hyelin said and took out her laptop, “Your mind will probably not let it go until you find out the truth.”
“The truth about what?”
“Is Suga a real person? Is he or she really a magician? And finally, can they really grant your wish?”
“Hyelin, you can’t possibility think that the dreams were message that held some truth in it?”
Deep inside though, you wished it was true because then you could make the wish that can make your life right again.
“Listen, y/n,” Hyelin said as she typed on her laptop, “there’s only one way to find out: by googling his name.”
You rolled your eyes, “It can’t be that easy.”
“Never underestimate google.” Hyelin said solemnly, “Now how do you think it’s spelled?”
You gave her an incredulous look, “How am I supposed to know?”
“Fine we will go with S-U-G-A. ‘Suga…magician’.” She typed as she said those two words.
You huffed, “You’re probably going to get a sugar daddy magician or something like that.”
Hyelin laughed, “Don’t be a hater, y/n—oh wait, this looks promising!”
Curious, you peered over her shoulder and snorted.
“Wow this website is so obviously old.”
“Stop it,” Hyelin chastised, “look, it says ‘Have a wish that needs to be granted? Visit Suga, the wish-granting magician.”
“Hyelin, this is written in comic sans, how much can you trust this website? This interfacing and graphics are making my eyes bleed.”
“Ok, but how much of coincidence is this? You get a dream for a month about a magician called Suga that grants wishes and he actually exists.”
“Uh, correction: he claims to be a magician that can magically grant wishes. Do you not see anything shady about this?”
You just couldn’t believe your friend was actually believing this bullshit website. Not to mention you are kind of peeved that the website doesn’t seem to have been updated since 2001.
“Oh my god, this gets even better.” Hyelin said, obviously not listening to you, “the address they give here is right here in Seoul! Y/N, this is obviously destiny.”
“Let me see.” Sure enough, not only the address was in Seoul, it was like a 10 minute walk from your apartment. “Wow, that’s freaky.”
“Or…fate. You have to at least check it out, y/n.”
You sighed, knowing Hyelin is persistent and won’t let this go. Plus, you were just a tiny bit curious and wanted to check this Suga out.
“Fine, I’ll go on my way home. Do you want to join me?”
“Of course!” Hyelin said excitedly, “How often do you get to meet a magician who can grant wishes?”
You decided not to not break her bubble and looked back at the screen so you can take note of the address properly. You then noticed fine print in the bottom of the screen and squinted.
“ ‘The price for a wish is your most prized possession, so be warned’—what the heck?”
“Where does it say that?”
“There”, You pointed at the screen and she squinted.
“Wow, your eyesight is good, I probably wouldn’t have caught that. It also doesn’t help that it’s yellow text on a white background…”
“Hyelin, do not realize what that means? My prized possession?That is some serious bullshit.”
“Okay, but what is it?”
“What?”
“Your prized possession?”
You furrowed your eyebrows, “I don’t know, I used to be so sure…but I lost it.”
“Wha—oh.” Her face fell, “Well it’s not like you’re going to make a wish anyway, right?”
Right, you were just going to check out if Suga is legit or not and why your mom sent you to him in a dream.
“Right.” You said, but were not so convinced.
“Plus I thought you thought it was bogus anyway.” Hyelin teased you and you laughed.
“Okay, okay, I get it. Let’s go and check this Suga out.”
Why does his name have to be so ridiculous?, you thought, it’s probably not even his real name.
“Alright lemme just pack up my laptop.”
You nodded as you finished your iced coffee. Hyelin’s phone dinged and she looked at her phone.
“Oh my god, I forgot!” She exclaimed as she started to text furiously.
“What happened?”
“My dad is back from his business trip today! We are supposed to meet him in the airport in half an hour.” She looked at you and bit her lip, conflicted.
“Hyelin, it’s fine—go to your father. I know how much you miss him.”
“But—“
“I’ll be fine going on my own, I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Thank you so much, y/n! I’ll see you tomorrow then” We hugged goodbye as she ran out of the café.
You’re a little disappointed that you’re going by yourself, since this Suga guy could be a creep.
Thankfully your parents made you take martial arts classes as a child, so you know that if things take a turn for the worst you’re able to defend yourself pretty well. Not to mention that you developed fast reflects because of Jin, your brother; he loved sneak attacks and claimed he was “training you”. For what, you never knew.
You reached the building where Suga’s business supposedly resided and was surprised that it looked like a very nice office building instead of some mystic hole-in-the-wall shop with mood lighting.
Maybe it’s an outdated address, you thought, that website was old after all. Maybe some company bought the building, knocked it down, and erected this fancy building instead. You were about to leave when the doorman called to you.
“Hello miss, do you need anything?”
You blushed, knowing you looked very out of place, “Oh um, I was trying to find someone by the name of Suga but I think I got the wrong address—“
“We get that a lot, don’t worry. He should make it more clear. He’s on the 5th floor.”
You blinked, “Wait, this is the right address? Someone by the name of Suga has an office here?”
The doorman chuckled, “I hope you find what you’re looking for, miss.”
You gathered your thoughts together and gave him a smile, “Thank you so much for your help.”
As you walked to the elevator, you admired the prestige condition of the lobby. The floors looked recently polished, it looked so shiny you were afraid to make a mark on it. This was honestly the opposite of what you were expecting and was very nervous.
Who the heck is Suga? Is he making so much money scamming people that he can afford to have an office space in this building?
You entered the elevator and pushed the floor, trying to get yourself together. The door opened to a hallway with only one door. You walked up to the door and saw the sign “Suga, Magician. Monday to Saturday 4-10 PM”.
What unusual hours, you thought and checked the time, I should be fine since it’s 4:10 PM.
You didn’t know what to expect when you open the door, but it sure wasn’t a classy waiting room. Everything was so shiny, you were almost blinded by the opulence of it all. You went up to the window, but saw no one behind the counter.
Strange, you thought. You then noticed a bell in front of you and a sign that says, ‘Ring Once For Assistance’ in fancy script.
You rang it once and waited a moment. Nothing happened. You rang it a few more times and wondered if whoever was supposed to answer it heard it. You were about to ring it again when the door flew open, making you jump.
“What part of ‘ring once’ do you not understand?” The man in front of you said in a gruff voice, giving you a dark look.
The man was handsome, probably the most handsome man you’ve seen besides your brother. His glare didn’t mar his delicate features, his skin so beautiful and pale. His hair was a unique shade of mint that surprisingly suited him very well. He wore a slick business suit that obviously came from an expensive brand.
“If you’re finished with checking me out can you tell me what you want?”, He asked with a bored tone, making you blush.
Unlike your brother, who was always joking by how attractive he looks (he even called himself “worldwide handsome”), this man just said it in a matter-of-fact way.
“Are you Suga?”
He gave you an unamused look, “Yes, are you here to wish for something?”
You hesitated, how crazy would it be if you told him your dead mother told you in a dream to visit him? Your mom said to make a wish so maybe you should just make a wish…
“Um…”
“Follow me.” Suga simply said and walked back into the room he came from. He didn’t wait up for you and went into an office. The office has a whole wall that was just windows and showed the beautiful skyline of Seoul. You stared at it in awe as he just sat down on a seat and regarded you.
“Sit down.”
You nodded and awkwardly sat down to the nearest chair, fiddling with your hands nervously as he just studied you.
“Tell me your wish, I don’t have all day.”
Suga looked so different than your stereotypical fortune-teller or shaman. For one, he looked like a business man and didn’t speak in flowery language. He was curt to the point of it being rude. He also looks like he couldn’t care less with what you had to say, his face barely showing any emotion. His voice was gruff, like he just woke up from a nap. Still, there was a certain aura about him that makes him…not ordinary.
“You can grant me anything at all?”
“Yup, just know that the price is your most prized possession.”
Fuck it, you thought, what harm can it do to tell him what you want most?
“Can you bring back my dead parents and brother?”
There was a silence and then he replied, “I don’t know what you heard before you came here but I can’t grant wishes that mess with existence, that’s more God’s area and I don’t want to get into that mess.”
You look at him in disbelief and anger, the anger mostly at yourself for letting yourself believe him. You had a tiny spark of hope that your family can be brought back to you and it just fizzled out in smoke.
You forced yourself to not to cry, “How convenient.”
“Is there anything else instead?”
You snorted, everything else seems trivial, “What, so that you can say that you can’t do it? I can’t believe I stooped so low to ask some sham for a wish like a fucking five-year old.”
You stood up and saw that he still had that expressionless face; you hated that face and wanted to get some reaction out of him. You saw a vase next to you and pushed it, making it fall with a crash. He didn’t even flinch which made you even angrier.
“Fuck you, you’re just a fake magician, I’m outta of my mind to visit such a place.” You started to leave as you mutter, “Forget it, I hated the idea of giving up my prized possession anyway, bye.”
But you found that you couldn’t move a single step, as if you were frozen to the ground. You panicked.
“What the—“
“Wait.”
Suga lazily got up and walked up to you as you continued to struggle to move your legs. “Coming here was your decision, but I decide when you get to leave.”
“You’re doing this! Let me go, you creep!”
“I’m sorry I can’t do that, seeing how I’m a ‘fake magician’.” He smirked at you as he threw your words back at your face and you were not amused at all.
“Let me go now, if you don’t I’ll—“
“You’ll do what?” He asked, “You don’t seem to understand your situation at all. Once someone has seen my face, they have to make a wish or…”
“Or what?” You asked and he took a step closer to you.
“Or you die.”
You started to panic. Oh my god, I can’t die. He looks like he would kill me too, he’s not bullshitting. Why did my mom send me to this psycho? Oh my god I’m gonna die—
The world started to spin and before your world turned black you just saw that jerk’s emotionless face.
You woke up saw that you were on the cold floor. You remembered what happened and realized that you fainted. You looked up and saw Suga sitting again. You tried to get up but of course you couldn’t move a muscle.
Asshole.
“Let me get up.”, you said with gritted teeth.
“Will you be civilized and not break things again?”
You looked at where you dropped the vase but saw that it was repaired without a single scratch in its original place.
“Fine.” You muttered and you were able to get off the floor. You glared at him and took a seat.
“Let’s make a deal.” Suga said and you narrowed your eyes at him, suspicious.
“What do you mean by a ‘deal’?”
Do I have to sell my soul to him or something now? Just my luck.
“Since you don’t wanna make a wish or die, give me your body.”
“W-what?” You gasped out as you crossed your arms over chest defensively, “W-what do you mean by that?”
Just what kind of sick fuck is he? I shouldn’t have listened to some stupid dream—
He smirked as he stood up and walked towards you, “What I mean—“
“—d-don’t come any closer!” You exclaimed but he simply walked passed you and opened the door.
“—is that my assistant suddenly got pregnant and resigned. You are going to be working for me starting today.”
It took a moment to process what he said.
“Wait, what? Says who?”, You walked up to him and put your hands in your hips.
“Your service ends when you make your wish.” He looked at you, “Unless you have a wish in mind—besides the one you already said, of course.”
The bastard, he knew that was the only wish you really wanted. Nothing else is worth giving up your most prized possession. Plus, you’ve seen too many movies where wishes can go horrible wrong.
“I-I—“
“Well then, it’s settled.”
“Wait! I can’t work here! I’m a busy student, I have classes—“
“Just think of it as a part-time job, I don’t work mornings anyway.”
“No—!”
Suga turned to you and grabbed your chin, “You don’t think I’ll kill you?”
You looked into his cold eyes and knew he was serious. You bit your lip and tried not to cry, “Ok, fine.”
Suga let go of your chin, “Just sit behind the desk for now and greet whoever comes in—you can manage that, right?”
You grit your teeth, “Yes.”
You were cursing him out in your head as you went to sit behind the reception desk. It’s honestly your rotten luck that you know have to work under him of all people. You looked around your desk and sighed, there wasn’t even a computer! Then again, if the state of his website is any indication he’s totally technology inept. You were organizing the highlighters by color when a door opened and a smartly-dressed older man walked in. You straightened up and put on your customer service smile as he walked up to you.
“Hello, how may I help you?”
He didn’t smile at you or greet you, “Is this the magician Suga’s office?”
You forced yourself to keep the smile as you remember that asshole, “Yes it is.”
“Is he available?”
“Let me check his schedule,” you said sweetly and looked at the planner in front of you that you knew was empty, “He is available. I’ll let you in then.”
You opened the door for him and led him to the office.
Those brand of clothes are expensive, he must be rich, you thought, I wonder what he came to wish for.
Suga was sitting behind his desk when you entered the room. He greeted the man with a handshake and you gave him a dirty look behind the man’s back, which Suga ignored.
“Do you want tea?” Suga asked the man and he said yes. Suga then turned to you, “Prepare some tea for this gentleman.”
You looked at him in shock but Suga gave you a pointed look and you gave him a gritted smile, “Sure! Tea coming right up, sir.”
It wasn’t until you left the office did you realize that he gave no indication how you were supposed to make the tea. Bastard.
You wondered through the hallway and found a kitchen. Does he live here or something? And started to go through the cabinets to find tea. Eventually you found that there was some tea that was already brewed and still hot, so you put a cup and the kettle on a tray and walked back to the office. I’m not going to serve any for that trickster.
You opened the door to find that they were in a middle of a conversation, so you were careful to be quiet.
“…wish for?”
The man spoke up, “Because of my own experiences with poverty, I’ve always been obsessed with making money, no matter the means. This was all for my only son, whom I never wanted to experience what I had to go through.”
You set the cup in front of the man and started to pour the tea, he paid you no mind. You saw that there was a photo of an attractive young guy on the table and figured that this must be the son he was talking about.
“For the sake of his future, I also went through the trouble to set him up with an acceptable match. But…without any consideration for me he went ahead and started to date a poor, unhealthy girl.”
You started to walk away, but when you mentioned that you paused. This doesn’t sound good at all.
“I’ve tried everything to separate them, but none of it worked and that’s why I’m here today. I heard you’d grant any wishes as long as it doesn’t mess with life’s existence.”
No, don’t tell me—
“So I’ll make my wish, it doesn’t matter if I go to debt—please split up my son and that horrible girl.”
You look at Suga in shock, surely he wouldn’t—
Suga seemed unfazed, “Your wish has been received. Those two people will definitely have to part.”
Does this guy have a conscious? Any morals? Your opinion of him, if possible, dropped even lower.
The man smiled, “Oh, thank you! How much do you require…?”
“I don’t take money.” Suga said simply, “But the moment your wish is granted I will take your most prized possession.”
The man looked a bit worried, “My most prized possession? It’s not money?”
“For the most part, humans live without actually knowing what’s most important to them. The most important thing to you isn’t money. The moment your wish is granted, you’ll understand exactly what that is.”
“…alright. Whatever it is, it won’t be a big deal..”
“Alright, then you need to sign the contract, I—“
You couldn’t hold your tongue for a second longer and set down the tray on the desk hard as you glared at Suga, “Why are you such an ass? Do you have any sense of decency whatsoever?” You then turned to the man, “Same goes for you, baldy—making such a thing as your wish! You should be ash—“ You felt lips move but no sound came from it. You gave Suga at dirty look, knowing that he did this to shut you up. The nerve!
Both men seemed unfazed as the man signed the contract and asked, “Then when will you…?”
“It will be granted at midnight.”
The man nodded, stood up, and held up his hand, “Pleasure doing business with you.”
Suga shook his hand and the man walked pass you and left the office. You just looked at Suga in disbelief.
“You shouldn’t have interfered.”
You snorted and realized you were able to make sounds again, “You’d really grant such a wish? You think it’s just okay to grant any wish at all?”
He didn’t even looked up at you, “I don’t have any interest in human wishes to begin with. The only thing of importance is the precious possession I receive in return.”
Of course he wasn’t human, you thought, somehow that didn’t surprise you.
But still, granting a wish that will separate two people deeply in love…
“You’re truly evil.” You simply said, “I’ll stop that wish from coming true myself.”
He finally looked up, “Are you planning to kill me?”
“W-what?”
“Once a contract is made if the wish fails to be granted I’ll die.”, he simply said, like he was discussing the weather, “I have no intention of letting you get in my way. It may not look like much, but I stake my life every time I grant a wish.”
You were not amused at all, “An idiot who banks his life on such things deserves to die.”
Suga regarded you and there was a heavy silence. He then said, “Fine, then try it. If you really think you can. Let’s make a bet. If you succeed, I’ll release you from having to work for me.”
You were wary of making a bet with him, but this was so tempting. Not only will you be helping this couple, you could be free.
“But,” Suga continued, “if you fail, then you’ll remain in my employment until I get tired of you.”
Until he was tired of me?, you thought, I can be very annoying, he’ll soon grow tired of me.
For you, it was a win-win situation. You have to at least try to help this couple, you don’t think you’ll ever forgive yourself if you don’t try.
“Deal.”
You managed to worm the address of the apartment where the son and his fiancee is living from Suga.
Gotta hurry, there’s only four hours until midnight.
You were running to the direction of the address and slammed into a guy so hard you both feel on the floor. You sat up and looked over to see if the guy was alright but he was unconscious. Panicking, you rush over him and try to get him to wake.
“Oh shit—I’m sorry! Please don’t die, wake up!”
You heard strange sounds coming from him and paused, was that—-?
“Don’t worry,” the boy said, “This isn’t the sound of death, it’s my stomach growling.” He gave a small laugh and you were relieved that he was okay.
You then looked at his face and narrowed your eyes.
“Do I know you?”
He frowned as he slowly sat up, “I don’t think so…”
Wait—he’s the son! He looks just like the guy in the picture! Wow, it’s my luck that I run into him here.
Before you can say anything, he gave out a cry of disappointment, “Oh no! The dinner I made…”
You looked to see what he was looking at and saw a lunch box knocked over and the food was all over the pavement. You grimaced and looked at the boy, who looked like he was a bout to cry.
“I made it just for her…and it was all the money I had left…”
His stomach growled again and he looked at you in embarrassment.
Scrambling for the opportunity, you bluttered out, “Let me make it up to you--let me buy you some food!”
His face lit up, “You would do that? I’ll greatly appreciate it...”
You helped him off the floor and you guys walked to the nearest convenience store.
“What’s your name? Mine is y/n.”
“Chan.” He answered.
“So, you mentioned a girl…?”
Chan lit up, “Yes! My fiancee, Jeonghwa, I love her so much. She’s a few years older than me, but I don’t mind.”
“How did you guys met?” You asked, curious. He obviously loves Jeonghwa so much, he is so animated talking about her.
“I was doing a summer internship at my dad’s hospital, my dad owns a hospital by the way, when I met Jeonghwa in the cafeteria. She was so beautiful and so sweet, I had to talk to her. It took me a while to impress her and make her see me as a man, but it was all worth it.”
“If your dad owns a hospital, how are starving now?” You asked, you can already guess what had happened though.
Chan’s face distorted to anger, “Yeah all my dad cares about is money. When he heard that I got engaged to Jeonghwa he threatened to cut me off. And when that didn’t work he kicked me out of the house and said the only way he would want to see my face again was if I broke up with her.”
You were shocked by how cruel his father was, “Wow, I’m so sorry. My parents are dead, but at least they were never like that.”
“I’m sorry about your parents,” Chan sighed, “My dad wasn’t always like this. Before my mom died he was actually really decent and actually cared about me. Afterwards though, he became obsessed with money.”
You fell silent and you paid for the food, “...Well at least I can help out in this little way.”
Chan lit up, “No, this is awesome--you didn’t really have to do this. We really appreciate it!”
You smiled at Chan’s beaming face, he was a good kid.
You guys continued to talk as you walked to the bad side of town and entered a worn looking apartment building.
“Jeonghwa, love, look—food!” Chan said excitedly as he burst through the door.
It was a small one bedroom apartment, obviously very run-down, and a beautiful but frail woman was sitting on the bed.
“Where did you get all this food?” She then noticed your presence, “And who’s this?”
“It’s a funny story,” Chan replied as he started taking the food out and preparing it. He then explained how the two of you met, “She bought all this because she felt bad, noona.”
Jeonghwa frowned, “But Chan, you caused so much trouble for someone you don’t know. You’re really…” she then stopped and looked away.
Chan stopped his preparations, “You were going to call me young again, huh?”
“No, but when you do things like this I—“
“I’m not that young, I’ll work hard to make sure you’re taken care of.”
“What..?”
“I took a leave of absence from school—“
“What? You quit school?” Jeonghwa was obviously not happy and the couple obviously forgot that you were here because they were talking quite freely.
“No, I didn’t quit, I’m just taking a break—“
“That’s basically the same thing!”
“Look, I was kicked out of home so it’s not like I can afford to go to school anymore.”
“I told you not to worry about school. I’m better now and can work, I can support us.”
“Don’t say that! You barely recovered, how can you work?”
“I don’t want you to end up like me!” Jeonghwa cried, “A loser with no job or future.”
“Don’t say that.” Chan said, grabbing her hand, “You have a future.”
Jeonghwa was crying, “I don’t want to ruin yours though.”
Her tears made Chan’s eyes start to water, “You’re not ruining my future, noona!”
“Yes, I am!”
They were getting agitated and it was one line away from it becoming a full blown fight. You panicked, what if they end up breaking up? I have to do something…
“H-hey!” You called, getting their attention, “I can take care of the food, at least until you can afford it. My family died and now I get monthly income that’s more than enough, so I can help you.”
They both stared at you, then looked at each other.
“She must have hit her head really hard when she fell.”
“We must be very pitiful, huh?”
“She’s clearly not thinking well.”
“Clearly.”
Great, that had the opposite effect, “Look, look, I can really help—!”
They simply ignored me and Chan started to feed Jeonghwa.
“Eat this, since you haven’t eaten been able to eat in a few days.”
You kept trying to get their attention, but they seemed to be in their own little world.
No, I can’t fail…but they won’t even listen to me…, you thought.
“What about you…?” Jeonghwa asked.
Chan gave her a bright smile, “I already ate.”
Liar, you thought, if his stomach growling earlier was any indication.
Jeonghwa started to cough and Chan was instantly at her side, “Noona? Are you okay?”
She started to hug her stomach, “My stomach…it hurts…”
Chan started to panic as Jeonghwa fainted in his arms. He turned to you, “Y/N, what should I do?”
Tears started to well in his eyes and you quickly brought out your phone and called a taxi.
“We have to get her to the hospital fast.” You said and he nodded as he picked her up effortlessly.
The travel to the hospital was tense, Jeonghwa came back to consciousness but she was still feeling very weak and her stomach was still in pain.
She was carted into the emergency room and you had the task in trying to comfort Chan.
“I knew it wouldn’t last,” he mumbled, “this happiness. I knew sooner or later her sickness was going to be too much. I don’t know how I’m going to pay for this hospital bill.”
You again offered to help him, but he shook his head.
“Jeonghwa is right, it’s too much to ask for a stranger—you already did more than enough.”
Before you can argue about that, the doctor came out and Chan ran up to him.
“Well…?”
“Well the good news is that it’s nothing serious, she’s sick because you feed her such greasy food after days of not eating. But more importantly while I was running tests on her, I found out that her sickness has gotten much worse. If she doesn’t get surgery right away, she could die.”
Chan’s face fell, “But I can’t come up with the money right away…”
“I recommend you try to. Every minute is valuable.”
“But how could this be? Last time, you said she was getting better.”
“It’s perplexing to me too. It’s unusual for the patient to get worse in such a short time…”
Did Suga do this, you thought, the bastard, bringing Jeonghwa’s health into this—she could die!
You looked at the your phone and, sure enough, it was almost midnight. That son of a bitch, if she dies because of this…
You heard Chan sigh and looked up to him; he looked like he was debating something.
“There’s only one way...”
“What...?”
You noticed his father was there, and clenched your hands. Of course.
“You win,” Chan said solemnly, “If you can save her, I’ll do whatever you want. I won’t see her.”
His father smiled, “I knew you’ll come around.”
“They said she’ll get better once she gets surgery.”
“I’ll make sure she’s healed.”
“Then I’ll do it, I’ll break up with her.”
“No.” You whispered and looked at your phone. Midnight on the dot.
Chan’s father also realizes it’s midnight and he stared at his son as his eyes widened in panic, “Wait—”
Chan looked at his father in confusion, but then he suddenly collapsed. His father tried to catch him but he too went to the ground, unable to support all the weight. He started to panic.
“Chan! No, not my son!” Medics started to swarm around them and Chan’s father collapsed.
You were shook by the whole scene, which happened so quickly. You knew somehow Suga was responsible for all this and wondered if Chan ended up being his most prized possession.
I have to find Suga, you thought as you ran out of the hospital and to the direction of Suga’s office. Things can’t end like this.
You couldn’t remember when was the last time you ran this much, but by the time you reached the lobby you were really out of breath. You were able to catch your breath a bit when you were in the elevator. When the elevator door opened, you ran up to his office. Suga was resting in the couch. It seems like your entrance woke him up and he was glaring at you.
You ignored this and said, “What did you do to them?”
He simply stared at you.
“Well?” You asked, losing your patience.
“I didn’t do anything, now let me go to slee—“
He started to close his eyes when you poked his cheek, “Chan and his dad. The one who asked for the wish today—what did you do to them?”
Suga glared at you, “Don’t touch me. And I didn’t do anything to Chan. As for the father, I didn’t do anything to him, strictly speaking.”
“Then why did they both collapse? Right when the wish was granted, they collapsed.”
Suga seemed to realize that I wouldn’t leave until he offered me an explanation and let out a sigh. He slowly got up and started to walk. You followed him, confused. He walked down the hallway and opened one of the rooms. It was a room filled with vases and boxes. He went towards the middle of the room where there was a floating crystal orb. “See for yourself, they’re fine.”
“What—?”
He waved his hand and in the orb there was an image inside the crystal ball. It was Chan and his father, who was in a hospital bed. They seemed like they were talking and you heard soft voices coming from the orb. You strained your ears to listen.
“—you’re alright!”, the father grabbed Chan’s hands, as if making sure he was right there in front of him.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Chan said awkwardly, “I was starved for so long that I must’ve gotten dizzy. But what happened to you? Do you feel fine? The doctor said you just collapsed because of stress.”
The father still looked shocked, as if he was trying to process everything, “Tell me, is that girl alright?”
Chan looked puzzled, “What?”
“Your fiancee—is she alright?”
“Y-yeah, they just finished the surgery on her and she should be recovering.”
“I’m glad that she’s doing better; you should go see her though.”
Chan looked so shook, “Wait, what? I thought you didn’t want me to see her again…”
“I know, but I while I thought you were gone I realized how silly I was being. You love her, right?”
“Y-Yes...”
“Then that’s all that matters. I was a fool before thinking that money will bring you happiness.”
“Father, I--” With tears in his eyes, Chan hugged his father, “Thank you.”
Confused at the scene in front of you, you turned to Suga.
“Why is he like that? You did do something to him after all.”
“I only took his most prized possession, as promised.”
“So then what did you—?”
“Greed” Suga answered, “Usually it’s a lie when parents say they do things in the kid’s best interest. He never did the things he did for his son, but because of his greed.”
You stood there in awe and looked back at the scene in the orb, “So what happens now?”
“Well since I took his greed away they’ll be happy, for now. But there’s always another type of greed that springs up eventually. Hopefully, he would learn his lesson by then.”
This guy, you thought, maybe he isn’t so bad after all.
“Did you plan this from the start?”
“No.” Suga simply said, “I knew his son was the most important thing so I risked my life and took the next best thing. Fortunately, it worked.”
He studied the vase labeled ‘greed’ and you have to say you were a little impressed.
“Do you do that often? Instead of taking someone special from them you take something else that can be lost?”
Suga laughed, “Oh no, I have taken souls before—see that vase?” He pointed to a vase across the room, “That’s my collection of good looking guys.”
You stared at him to see if he was joking but he was as serious as ever, “Wow, you’re sick—I definitely can’t trust you.”
And to think I was so close to thinking he was a good guy, I should have known.
Suga just smirked, “It’s probably better if you don’t. Well since you lost the bet, you’ll be working for me until I get tired of you. Which could be tomorrow, could be fifty years from now—we’ll see.”
You inwardly sighed, he’s right—I’m probably going to see him for god knows how long. The very least we can be is civil so that we don’t have such a miserable time. You held out your hand.
“I dunno if you know, but my name’s Y/N. In any case, I’m sorry I told you to die.”
He just stared at my hand and said, “Ah, yeah…”
So rude!, you thought as you awkwardly brought your hand down, “Don’t just say ‘ah yeah’. I said my name, so you’re supposed to say yours back.”
“You already know my name.”
“No, I meant your real name.”
There was a slight paused, then, “Just call me Suga. There’s a curse on my real name, so if you use it you’ll get hurt.”
Ugh, nothing can be simple with him, you thought, why do I feel like this is only the start of some cruel plan the universe had thought up for me?
“Fine, Suga.”
You were still suspicious of him and his agenda, he was still an absolute jerk, but at least you’re not alone anymore.
Suga is a wish-granting magician. He grants wishes—for the price of your most prized possession.
Your parents and brother died tragically in a plane crash and you visit Suga to grant your wish to bring them back to life...but instead you become his assistant.
Now you’re thrust into a world of magic and the mysterious being known as Suga.
Tags:
Fantasy, romance, comedy, a bit of a slow burn, angst
Warnings:
Smoking (not the drug kind, just good old-fashion cigarettes)
CHAPTER 4: TO BE GOOD ENOUGH
“I deserve a day off.” You said as you walked into Suga’s office, “I can’t just come here everyday—it’s basically abuse. Plus, it’s not like you pay me or anything.”
Suga didn’t open his eyes, “You’re here because you couldn’t make a wish or win a bet.”
“Still, this is too much.” You argued, walking up to him laying in the couch, “From now on I’m not coming on Sundays.”
Suga started to open his eyes, “What makes you think--?” He saw you and stopped, “Is that a dress?”
You blushed and crossed your arms, “Yeah, what of it?”
“Nothing, never thought you owned a stitch of feminine clothing.”
“I’m feminine, thank you.” You grit your teeth, trying to calm yourself so that you don’t launch yourself into another fight with him. Stupid git.
“Sure you are. Why are you all dressed up?”
“I…have somewhere I need to be.” You said, “So since today is Sunday I’m going on my way—”
“Hey, who says you can just leave?”
“I do! I’m going to rest today. I’m supposed to meet my boyfriend.”
This caused Suga to sit up, “Boyfriend, you had something like that? Wow.” He started to clap, impressed.
“What’s with that reaction?” You asked him, annoyed, “Is it that incredulous that I have one?”
“Honestly yes.” Suga replied, “I can’t imagine anyone putting up with you for so long. Did he just met you or something?”
“No, it’s not like that. He’s been my good friend since I was young. So he knows me, okay? I don’t know yet how he thinks of me, but I know we’ll be great together.”
“…so in other words he’s not a boyfriend but an ‘unrequited love’.” Suga said and you had to restrain yourself from strangling him.
“No, I’ll get Jimin to like me too! He just needs a push.”
Suga pulled out a cigarette packet from his pocket and took a cigarette out, “Oh, so the name of your unrequited love is Jimin?” He lit the cigarette.
“It’s not unrequited love!” You insisted, “I just haven’t been able to see him so much recently. His family moved to a farther place after high school. It’s been hard to see him regularly and since I’ve been busy here recently I haven’t been able to see him.” You sighed, “There’s so many girls after him because he’s very hot. Not that I like him because of that.” You said quickly, “but he is really hot. And cute. How can one be hot and cute? Only Jimin, I swear. He has the cutest chubby cheeks but has really nice muscles. He’s not that tall, but he’s the perfect height to hug him. And he gives such great hugs. But what I really love must about him is that he’s the nicest person I know. Really, he’s so sweet. And so genuine. He genuinely cares about people and will always help someone in need. Even in elementary school he will never break a single rule—"
“Fine, rest on Sundays now, if it’ll make you stop blabbering about him.” Suga cut you off as he took a long drag from his cigarette.
“Oh really?” You said, so excited you let the other comment slide, “Then I’m leaving!”
As he took another drag out of his cigarette, you finally noticed he was smoking.
“Wait, since when you smoke?” You frowned. Now that you notice it, the office does have a faint smell of smoke and there’s ashtrays all around the office with used up cigarette buds.
“Why do you care?” Suga murmured, breathing out the smoke, “Go on your date with Jimin.”
“You didn’t used to smoke before…”
Now that you thought of it, he started to smoke ever since that day. The day that Suga refuses to talk about no matter how many times you asked. It’s like you went one step forward and two steps back concerning him.
“Well now I do.” Suga simply said, “Now leave before I change my mind.”
You decided to continue the conversation later as you nodded and smiled as you waved goodbye.
“Okay, see you tomorrow then.”
You texted Jimin that you were on your way and he texted back that he was already at the park. Typical, he’s always very early. You smiled at his antics. As you made your way to the park, you noticed Jimin sitting on a bench.
“Jimin!” You called out and he turned and smiled at you.
“Hi Y/--wow, is that a dress?” He looked surprised as he pointed at your outfit and you were annoyed he was reacting the same way Suga did.
“Do I really look weird in a dress?” You asked, a bit hurt, and he noticed your pouty expression.
“Oh no,” he said quickly, “it’s pretty. You look pretty in anything you wear.”
You blushed at the compliment, “Oh, thanks, you’re…”
“Hey, look, Y/N!” You saw that he was looking somewhere else now, “there’s a really pretty kid!”
You looked and saw the ugliest kid you’ve ever seen. You looked to see if Jimin was joking but he was smiling and approaching the kid. Wow, his beauty standards are something…wait, am I the same level as her? You couldn’t help but be a little disappointed.
“Ah!”
The kid squirted water at Jimin with a water gun and you sighed as you went through your purse to find a handkerchief so he can dry himself in.
“I only wanted to play with her.” Jimin pouted as you handed him the handkerchief.
“Yeah, kids these days are scary. Here, wipe it off.”
Jimin studied the handkerchief, “...Ah? It’s a handkerchief with star prints… Seulgi…”
Tears started to pour from his eyes and you panicked, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Jimin tried to wipe his tears, “Um…it’s nothing, I don’t want to bother you…”
“Clearly something is bothering you. And who’s Seulgi?”
You saw that he sobbed when you said her name.
“Did she hurt you?”
“She…was my girlfriend.”
Your heart dropped at that sentence.
“Girlfriend?” You echoed, trying hard not to start crying as well, “You have a girlfriend? For how long?”
Why didn’t he told me before that he has a girlfriend?
Jimin bit his lip, “Not anymore. She broke up with me yesterday.”
You had to stop yourself from giving out a sigh of relief. So he doesn’t have a girlfriend anymore, thank god. Wait…who in their right mind would dump Jimin? He’s literally perfect in every way.
“Why did she break up with you?”
“She said I was too nice.” He muttered.
You were shocked, “For being nice? That’s too much. What was she like?”
She sounds like a bitch, you thought bitterly.
“Well…” he smiled, “She’s really cute because she’s short. She has beautiful long hair. She has these eyes that look like stars will fall from them at any given time. I always feel the need to stand by and protect her. Her name is Kang Seulgi--her name is pretty, isn’t it?”
You felt sick as he described her to you. Is that his ideal woman?
“Yeah…it’s really pretty.” You murmured, can I even be compared to her? She’s probably as beautiful as her name.
Jimin had a determined look on his face, “If she really wants me to, then I won’t act nice to anyone anymore.”
“…you really like that Seulgi girl, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I like her a lot.”
Ouch, that hurt a lot. It’s frustrating how oblivious Jimin is of your feelings for him. You liked him for such a long time, never hid it, but he never took the hint. Now he’s talking about some other girl to you.
“If she wants me to,” he continue, “I’ll become the bad boy from now on.”
Jimin? Bad boy? You almost had to laugh. That’s the exact opposite of what Jimin is.
Before you could say anything though, an old woman approached Jimin.
“Excuse me, young man. I don’t have money to catch a ride. Could you please spare me 1000 Won?”
Jimin looked shocked and tried to look at you for support, “Eh? No, I…lady, I’m a really bad boy.”
You almost snorted, even the way he said ‘bad boy’ was cute.
“Please, it’s only 1000 won.”
You knew Jimin wouldn’t last. He would never be able to refuse a plea from an old lady anyway.
“Lady, I’m really sorry,” This caught your attention, is he really refusing?, “I don’t really have spare change…. would you take a 10000 Won bill?”
He held up the bill and the lady snatched it, “Thank you so much, young man.”
As she walked away, Jimin turned to you, “Wait…this isn’t what a bad boy would do....”
I knew it, you thought, he’s too tender-hearted to refuse someone in need,
“I’m so confused. I shouldn’t be doing stuff like this. What can I do to make me a real bad boy? If I do nice things, Seulgi’s going to put me down again.”
You idiot, you thought sadly, I like how you are right now.
You knocked and Suga opened the door.
He looked at you, confused, “Y/N? You told me you’d be going out. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”
You looked at the cigarette he was holding.
“Does smoking make you feel good?”
“Huh?”
You snatched the cigarette as you walked past him and put it in your mouth, taking a long drag.
“Ugh, what the hell? What is this?” You coughed up smoke, “It just stinks and hurts my throat and makes me dizzy.”
You started to feel tears fall from your eyes and you sat on the couch, “It’s not making me feel any better.”
You took another drag, hoping the second would be better than the first; it wasn’t. You coughed and continued to cry.
Suga watched all this silently and went to sit next to you.
“…you know that cigarette was mine…”
“You stingy bastard,” you cried out, “I’ll get you a new pack!”
You put it in your mouth again, intending to try a third time.
“…I had it in my mouth.”
You spit it out and put it in the ashtray next to you.
He watched you cry, “…there’s water coming out of your face.”
“They’re called tears, you idiot!”
Why did I even come here? He’s literally the worst at comforting someone.
“…but there’s more coming from your nose.”
“Shut up,” you sobbed, trying to wipe the tears and snot with your hand; Suga just looked at you in disgust.
“Why won’t he like me?” You lamented, falling into self-pity, “Why don’t I have long, beautiful hair and have a beautiful name. Why don’t I cry stars instead of tears, and why do I have so much mucus coming from my nose?” You sniffled, “This is so depressing. Not as much as when mom and dad died, but this still hurts.”
Suga didn’t say anything, he just studied you, his face like stone.
The next thing you remember, you were waking up to an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. Panicking, you wondered what happened last night when you heard Suga’s voice.
“After you complained that the cigarette made you dizzy, you passed out.” Suga stated.
“So I slept here? In your bed? I’m so dead! Mom and dad are going to…” You then remembered, “…wait, I don’t have parents.”
“….you’re late.”
You gasped, coming to your senses, “Oh my god, today’s Monday. Crap, I have to go to school!”
Suga looked unbothered, “Your bag, your lunch,” with a snap of his fingers they appeared in front of you. “Automatic face wash.” Water slapped you face and you felt refreshed, “And fresh clothes.” You were no longer wearing your rumpled dress from last night.
You were in awe, “Wow, is this magic? This is so cool! Thank you, I’ll see you later at night.”
“Wait.” You paused at the doorway, “The thing about yesterday…I shouldn’t be putting my nose where it doesn’t belong. But if you desire something badly, you could just deal with it yourself and confess to him. Sitting around crying isn’t really like you.”
You sighed, “I’d never be able to tell him I like him.”
“Why? Because you’re afraid of rejection?”
“No, it’s not like that. I’m afraid of the opposite.” You answered, “When we were kids, I gave him a box of chocolate I made for him on Valentine’s Day. I didn’t know he had a serious allergy to chocolate. He finished the whole box because he knew I had worked hard making it. He had to be taken to the emergency room afterwards. He’s just like that, he doesn’t know how to say no. Jimin always thinks of others first. That’s why I’m afraid. He might accept me just because he doesn’t want to hurt me. Knowing what he’ like, it doesn’t seem right to confess to him.”
“So make a wish.”
“Yeah, that would be even worse. And besides, you’d take my most prized possession.”
“That’s okay,” Suga said, “I wouldn’t accept it even if you offered it to me. You don’t have anything precious anyway.”
You looked at him in surprise, “Wha-what’s that? But don’t you have to take something precious or you could die…?”
He leaned against the doorway, “I don’t have to accept a prized possession from an ugly girl.”
Seriously?
“Are you kidding me? Don’t lie, how can you say that?” You exclaimed, “Also, I’m pretty. Very, very pretty—”
“Oh look at the time, shouldn’t you be in class?” Suga said lazily and brought his hand up.
“Ah wait, hey I’m not fini—”
With a snap of his fingers you were teleported in front of the door to your classroom. Your mind was reeling, both from the sudden teleportation and the conversation with Suga. You went into the class, but couldn’t stop thinking about it.
You debated on using a wish to make Jimin like you. You liked Jimin. So much. You know you’ll be a good match, and he likes you as well….just not in the way you want him to. You sighed, but you also knew that you couldn’t live with that doubt. Doubt about whether or not he truly loved you.
As you made your way to lunch, you thought of how strange Suga was acting. What is he thinking? Not taking my most prized possession, what’s up with that? Wouldn’t that get him into trouble?
“Wow, your lunch looks awesome!”
You were brought out of your thoughts by Hyelin, who sat next to you and was admiring the lunchbox in front of you. You didn’t realized her entrance from how distracted you were.
“Oh hi Hyelin.” You said with a smile.
“You alright, Y/N? You sound a bit off.” Hyelin asked you in concern and you sighed.
“Remember Jimin?”
“Yes, you’re totally mad about him.”
“He…has a girlfriend. Or had.”
“Oh wow, I’m so sorry.” Hyelin said in sympathy, she knew how much you liked him, “But at least they’re not together anymore.”
You shook your head, “But he still loves her and is still going on and on about her. She literally seems perfect—how can I ever compete with her?”
“Hey!”, Hyelin said as she gave you a serious look, “You are an amazing, beautiful, kind and anyone will be lucky to have you. Jimin is literally blind, I swear. Why should you be hung up in somebody like him?”
You sighed, “I know, but it’s not something I can just turn off, Hyelin—I really like him.”
“Then don’t give up.” Hyelin said, “So what if he’s hung up over her? Help him get over her. What you need is confidence!”
You laughed at Hyelin’s enthusiasm, “I wish it were that simple, Hyelin.”
Hm, maybe that can be my wish—that everything was simple…nah, it’s too vague. Leaves Suga too much room for interpretation.
“Then make it that simple. Either try to get over him or try to get together with him, but don’t do nothing. The Y/N I know isn’t one to sit idle.”
She’s right, you thought, but what should I do?
“Okay, but seriously, your lunch looks amazing.” Hyelin said, admiring the lunch Suga gave you, “It literally looks like one from a magazine or one of those cooking shows.”
You looked at the lunch and narrowed your eyes at it, he must have made this with magic too.
“Can I have a bite from it?” Hyelin asked, “It looks so yummy.”
You decided you won’t make the wish, I don’t need magic.
“You can eat it.” You told her, pushing the lunch box to her.
She looked at you in surprised, “Really? Are you sure? Where did you even got such a cute lunch?”
“I passed by Suga’s office this morning and he gave me a spare lunch box he had.”, You lied, you couldn’t tell her that you spent the night there. Wow, that sounds worse than what it actually is.
Hyelin took a bite and moaned, “Oh my god, this is so good. He must be so talented at cooking. You sure you don’t want a bite?”
You shook your head, knowing the truth, “I’m fine. I’m going to the bathroom, okay?”
She nodded, stuffing herself with the lunch, “I’ll see you in Chem then.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” You laughed as you walked away.
As you left the bathroom, your phone ringed. You checked the caller ID and your heart raced when you saw Jimin’s name on the screen. What could he want at this time?, you wondered as you answered the call.
“Hey Jimin, what’s up?”, you tried to sound casual.
“Ah, Y/N…”, he sounded a little uncertain, “Can I ask you for a favor?”
You knew you’d probably do anything for him, “Yeah, what do you need?”
It couldn’t be anything bad, you thought, it was Jimin after all.
“I heard from Hyelin that you worked with a magician that can make wishes come true, is that true?”
You bit your lip, I’m going to kill Hyelin.
“Yeah but I don’t think—”
“Please, Y/N.” He begged, “I really need to meet him. There’s a wish I need to make. Please.”
You sighed, you knew you couldn’t resist him.
I don’t want to make the wish, but apparently Jimin wants magic—it’s kind of ironic huh.
You reluctantly gave him Suga’s address and Jimin gave you lots of praises and thanks. You couldn’t help but blush at that. You then realized you didn’t tell him about the prized possession part and was about to but he hung up. You were about to call him again when you realized you should be in class. You ran off, furiously texting as you were doing so.
Wait! Jimin, don’t go! He’ll take your prized possession, please reconsider!
You hoped he read the message before he made the wish.
You slammed the door open.
“Don’t do it, Jimin! No matter what kind of wish it is, you’ll lose something precious!”
You were met with the scene of Suga sitting on a chair, smoking, not fazed by your entrance.
“You’re too late. Your boyfriend made his wish and left.”
“What? Already?”
You rushed as soon as your class ended, Jimin must have immediately came here after your phone call. You walked up to Suga.
“What kind of wish did he make? And what did you take from him?”
Suga leaned back in his chair, “Don’t worry, neither his wish or the thing I took was important. And if you were going to get so upset, why did you tell him where I was in the first place?”
“That…that’s because I can’t really refuse him.” You said, blushing, “But anyway, you shouldn’t talk so carelessly about another person’s important thing. It may not be nothing to you, but it could really be significant to someone else.”
Suga closed his eyes and furrowed his brows as he leaned his head against his hand, “If you’re done talking, you can leave. Stop annoying me. I didn’t get enough sleep so I’m not in a good mood.”
You were angered at his dismissive tone, “I refuse, I’m not done talking. You’re responsible if something bad happens to Jimin.”
Suga opened his eyes, “Whatever, why don’t you run after him and see for yourself? He’s at Seulgi’s house.”
“Fine, I will.” You huffed as you made your way to the door.
“Also, when you see him this time, be sure to tell him you like him.”
“I told you I can’t say that!”
“No, you can go ahead and tell him. He’s not the same person he was before.”
You felt nervous, what kind of wish did Jimin did? He didn’t really wish to become a bad boy, right?....Right?
After getting the address from Suga, you made your way to Seulgi’s house. You heard raised voices and saw Jimin and a beautiful girl in front of the house. Wow, she really is beautiful, you couldn’t help but feel a wave of jealousy. You then looked at Jimin and almost tripped. He looks completely different. He’s wearing all black, a leather jacket, black boots--is that eyeliner? He was sitting on the steps of the house, casually fiddling with a lighter. His posture was relaxed and confident, so different from the Jimin you knew.
In other words, he looked like a bad boy.
You cautiously approached them and heard their conversation.
“Who are you?”, cried Seulgi, “You’re not the Jimin I used to know!”
“Me?” Jimin smirked, “I’m the Park Jimin you dumped because I was too nice. I made a wish to become a really bad guy, and this is the result. Don’t look so surprised, isn’t this what you wanted?”
No! Jimin!, you thought in despair, you didn’t…
Seulgi looked so shocked for words, Jimin continued.
“Do you want to take over the world? We can be the bad guys. Or would you rather take revenge for the time those people made you an outcast?”
“Huh? W-what are you talking about?”
“I can take revenge on those bullies and the girl who betrayed you. You guys were in the same class in high school right? You tried being nice to her because everyone was treating her like an outsider, but you ended up as the outsider. The girl you tried to help joined the group that was bullying you. I’ll avenge you, isn’t that what you want?”
“I don’t need anything like that!” Seulgi cried in frustration, “Did I ever ask you to do such a thing?”
“Then what do you want? I’ll do it for you. I can do it for you—”
“I don’t want that! Leave me alone, I just…just…” She slid down the wall and ran a hand through her hair, “This is embarrassing. Yeah, no matter how hard I try to be bad, I’m just like my parents. As a result, I get used and betrayed by other—that’s not being nice, it’s being stupid. I’m embarrassed to be so stupid, so I try to act tough. But every time I come home, whenever I see you, I’m ashamed of myself. Still, I can’t stand the embarrassment of being stupidly nice. I’d rather be smart and bad, that’s how I want to live.”
Jimin just smiled, “Seulgi, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m going to stick by you whether you’re good or bad. Because I love you.”
Seulgi stared at Jimin and then, all of sudden, pinched him.
“Ouch! That hurts!”
“Are you back now? Back to Park Jimin, the nice guy?”
Jimin laughed, “I’ve always been the nice Park Jimin.”
“But…you were being so bad. I thought you sold your soul to the devil or something.”
Almost, you thought dryly.
“I made a wish to be the best actor in the entire world. Everything I said before was an act.”
“Wish? What are you talking about?”
“Yeah, it’s possible to have such a wish granted. I could have wished for something else, but I wanted to do something on my own. I’m not trying to make anything happen right now, I know wounds take a long time to heal. I just wanted you to say what you honestly felt. I’m not trying to preach or tell you to be nicer. I like you for being you. But Seulgi, please don’t be embarrassed anymore. A world in where people have to be embarrassed sounds so sad.”
Seulgi looked at Jimin with tearful eyes, “Jimin.”
She went up to him and gave him a tight hug. They stood there for a few minutes and you felt like a creep to see this intimate moment. You turned away to make your escape but accidentally kicked a rock, which made a noise.
They broke apart and Jimin noticed you. You wanted to sink into the ground and never come out.
Jimin looked at you and smiled, “Oh, Y/N! How long have you been standing there?”
Too long, you thought. You felt your heart breaking for a second time and didn’t know how to respond to him.
“Why are you here?” Jimin asked, continuing, “As you see, everything went well. It’s all thanks to you…and that guy. He even helped me with the scene and suggested this outfit.”
He pointed at his outfit, which looked really good on him. Everything looks good on Jimin.
You gave him a sad smile, “Yes, I saw everything.” You turned to Seulgi, “You…went through a lot.” You turned back to Jimin, “I guess you really like her…” You took a deep breath, fuck it.
“But Jimin…I…I like you. Can’t it be me?”
Jimin looked completely shocked. You wondered for the second time how he could be so oblivious that he didn’t even had an inkling of your feelings. He seemed conflicted and you wondered if he’s be able to say no. You didn’t know what you would prefer, being told the truth or being told a lie.
“Sorry,” Jimin simply said as he took hold of Seulgi’s hand and squeezing it, “I’m really sorry.”
You nodded, willing yourself to not cry, “I understand. See you around, Jimin.”
Without waiting for his response, you turned around and left. You started to walk and noticed that Suga was there, smoking a cigarette.
You walked together and you explained to him what happened.
“I thought about calling him,” You said, staring at the night sky, “but I’m not going to. At least for now.”
“You haven’t considered making a wish?” Suga asked and you shook your head.
“Not at all. They like each other so much, how could I use magic to break them up? And a free wish…sounds strange.”
You walked in silence.
“Oh right, what did you take from Jimin? What was important to him?” You asked curiously.
Suga held out his hand and a piggy bank appeared; he handed it to you.
“A piggybank?” You asked in shock, “How does that guy’s mind work? I don’t get him. Does this mean he’s a greedy person?”
He discarded his cigarette, “Don’t talk like that about things that are important to humans.”
Wow, he totally threw that line back at me, you thought. You were surprised he even remembered.
“This means he’s not greedy at all,” Suga continued, “He has so little greed, his most important thing is actually a gift he was going to give to someone.”
“Wait,” you said, remembering something, “was this the money he was saving since elementary school to send his parents on a trip for their 25th wedding anniversary?”
Suga nodded, “He’s the first human I’ve met like that. Jeez, I didn’t get a thing out of this.”
“So…why did you come all the way here? After I yelled at you like that…” You asked bashfully, remembering your outburst, “You know, it was partly your fault. If you had told me before, I wouldn’t have gotten so upset.”
“You started off being angry, you never gave me a chance to talk.” Suga answered, “Besides, I was tired and didn’t have the strength to argue.”
“Why didn’t you get enough sleep?” You asked, curious, “You sleep so often, how are you so tired?”
“Making lunch for you took me three whole hours.” Suga said.
“Wait, that’s silly, shouldn’t it take you...” You realized that the lunch Suga gave you wasn’t magic. “Wait, so you made the lunch?”
“Yes,” Suga said, crossing his arms, “I wanted to try it out, making a lunch for someone.”
You felt so insanely guilty that you gave it away but so touched that Suga did that to you. Maybe he does care…in his own way.
“Let’s be friends.” You said, “I just lost a friend and you lost one…a while ago. So let’s be substitutes for our lost friends. I’ll stop sulking about Jimin and…” you look at Suga lighting up another cigarette, “…you stop smoking.”
Suga stared at you as he put the cigarette in his mouth, considering it. He then turned around and started to walk.
“I’ll think about it.”
This guy.
“Give me a better answer!” You called to him, annoyed he left you hanging like that.
“Whatever,” he said, not turning around and holding up the cigarette, “I’ll throw this away.”
You saw him flick the cigarette to the ground and smiled.
“Hey Suga!” You said cheerfully as you walked in, “What’s the plan for today?”
So far, friendship with Suga consisted of him occasionally walking you home and you coming over on Sundays to watch movies with him. You had to admit it wasn’t as bad as you thought it’s be, though his commentary during the movies can be a little exasperating at times.
“Come over here.”
Suga was by his desk and you noticed he was sitting behind a computer. You were amazed.
“Wow, a computer, I didn’t even know you can use one, old man.” You teased as you walked toward him.
Suga glared at you, “Funny.”
“So what are you reading?”, you asked, leaning over his shoulder.
“An email I got from a Kim Yerim, it’s very long. Why don’t you read it out loud for me. my eyes are getting tired at looking at this computer.”
You snorted as you got a chair and put it next to him, “Yup, definitely an old man.”
He flashed you another glare, “Just read the email.”
You laughed, “Okay, okay.” You turned your attention to the screen in front of you, “Wow, this really is a long email. Is this Yerim writing an essay?”
“Come on, we haven’t got all day.” Suga grumbled and you nod.
“Right, okay, here goes nothing. ‘Dear friendly magician’—” you snorted, “Have she met you?”
“Less comments and more reading.” Suga simply said.
“You just say that because you know I’m right,” you retorted, “Okay then, ‘Dear friendly magician, I really don’t like sending emails. The last time I wrote one was for a solider many years ago. I found your website by chance” ,You thought about the state of Suga’s website and felt sorry for Yerim, “ ‘and it had your email. I was compelled to write to you. You probably are wondering who I am. I’m sad, did you already forget me? I am your savior and the only person who didn’t lose something important when I made my wish.”
You looked up to Suga, who you saw had a very annoyed expression on his face, “Is that true?”
“Yes, I remember now, the brat.” He muttered, “It was about 18 years ago and I was in a…bind. Yerim, I guess her name was, was a little kid then. She found the key that will open the lock where I was trapped in a tree, but she insisted that I do something for her and I reluctantly agreed that I would grant her a wish and not take her precious possession.”
“You can do that?” You ask curiously.
“Only in special circumstances,” Suga answered, “like if someone saves my life and I’m indebted to them.”
“So did she get you out?”
“No,” Suga said, annoyed, “she just gave me the key and left, not realizing that she was supposed to unlock it from the outside; I couldn’t do anything from the inside.”
“So how did you get out?”
“Luckily a little boy came around later and got me out.”
“Wait, how did you end up stuck in a tree?”
He muttered something, but you couldn’t hear.
“What?”
“That’s a whole other story.” Suga muttered, his mood darkened.
You quickly went back to the email, “ ‘Now that I’ve refreshed your memory, I’m sure you’re happy to hear from me—’ ”
“Hardly,” Suga muttered and you had to hide your smile.
“Don’t interrupt,” you said cheekily, “ ‘I thought a long time about what wish I should make. You don’t know how painful it is, Magician, to pick one wish out of fifty thousand possibilities. Really—I am your rescuer! What’s up with only one wish? Next time, don’t be so stingy, you should be more giving!’ ”
You snorted, “She’s hilarious.”
“She’s very conceited.” Suga muttered and you had to agree with him.
“But she isn’t your savior, so she doesn’t have the wish, right?”
“That’s what vexes me the most, it still counts because I gave my word.”
“ ‘In no time, I was 16 years old. A young woman in 9thgrade, full of dreams. I’ve attached a picture of those early days so you can look at me.”
Curious, you clicked on the attachment called pretty.jpg. It opened to a very pretty teenager.
“She is very pretty,” you commented, “I can see why she’s arrogant.”
“Just continue reading so we can get this over with.” Suga said and you followed his instruction.
“ ‘Are you wondering why I didn’t already make a wish? Be patient—I’m about to tell you. Every morning, at 7:00AM sharp, when I rode the #976 bus, he was there. The first time I met him was about a week ago, when my friend was sick. I was riding the bus because I didn’t feel like walking alone. I saw him and it was love at first sight. But I knew that he had no interest in me at all. Because every time I was near him, all he did was look out the window. Of course, it hurt my pride. As you can see from the 2nd attached picture, I was the best-looking girl in town.”
You opened the attachment called beautiful.jpg and it looked like a professional photoshoot and was very high-quality. You wonder if she was a model or something.
“ ‘I couldn’t just give up, so one say I decided to start a conversation. He totally ignored me. I was so frustrated that I sort of yelled at him to hold my bag, saying it was heavy. Yelling this might have ruined my image, but my heart was pounding because it was the first time he looked directly at me. His surprised face was so cute—just like a rabbit! Involuntarily, I started to drool and that drool fell on his knee. But that was nothing? As my gaze moved to his knee, the thing that horrified me was the bag I was forcing him to hold was leaking kimchi! Really smelly kimchi! And it was all over his pants.’ ”
You couldn’t help yourself, you snorted, “Wow, she had such rotten luck.”
“She’ll be fine.” Suga simply said and you shrugged.
“Still, that was in front of her crush.”
“Just read.”
“Fine….’As I looked at his face again, the best thing I could do was to take my bag and run away as fast as I could. But I tripped and ended up flat on my face, flashing everyone my panties. There were so many people on that bus that day. Even though I felt like dying, the bus rumbled on. I was frozen in the ground, mortified and not knowing what to do. For a few minutes, total darkness was my heart’s only desire. And that moment, an unexpected solar eclipse happened. I took the opportunity and I ran for my life, leaving through a door the driver had left open. It was so dark, I had no idea where I was going. After ten minutes, I regained my senses and the sky started to brighten again. You don’t have to say it, I know how stupid my wish was. I will be remembered as one of the stupidest people in the world, right after that guy who stuck a sausage up his nose. But the saddest thing wasn’t that I missed my chance at world domination or becoming a beauty queen or becoming the richest person in the world. It’s that I will never again be able to ride the #976 bus. I won’t be able to see his cute face. And I will never again be able to enjoy my favorite food, kimchi. Are you wondering if this is the end of my story? Maybe you should take a bathroom break. You see, it’s only the beginning…’ ”
You looked up to Suga, “I can’t believe this story is nowhere near done…”
“Me either.” He muttered.
“Is this the story of her life?” You wondered, “Is there a point to all this?”
“Just keep reading.” Suga simply said and you complied.
“ ‘And one year later I became a high school student. I had decided not to think about that terrible day anymore. I’m not the type of person to linger over old Events. Worrying about the past is just too stressful for me, plus it gave me pimples. How could anyone live like that? I decided that I could live perfectly well without a stupid wish. Because I’m pretty, talkative, smart, and a natural leader’ and humble too.” You added, “ ‘When I thought about it, that wish wasn’t all bad. Think about it: I mean, a solar eclipse? I had actually moved the moon! Astronauts? Hey all they did was leave some footprints. But me, I had moved the moon! Isn’t that awesome? Have you ever moved the moon, Magician? You haven’t have you?’”
“Do you want to take a break?” Suga asked and you nodded.
“Yeah…I feel a bit sick.”
You prepared some tea and served it for the both of you, thankful for the break. This Yerim is a bit much and your throat was starting to get dry from reading her words out loud.
“Do you know where this is going?” You asked sipping the tea.
“Nope,” he answered, “but I may have an idea. Let’s get this over with.”
You nod and looked back at the computer, “ ‘And with that self-confidence, I lived on, honest and true. At least, until that fateful day in my second year. The boy I had such a crush on, the one who saw my panties, transferred to my class. His name was Youngjae and even though it had been two years since we had last seen each other, my first feeling was not love, joy, or nervousness. It was rage. I ended up threatening him and telling him not to tell anyone what he saw and spread rumors. But he stayed quiet and ignored me, which made me even angrier. When the teacher introduced him to the class though, I learned he was mute. I felt really bad about snapping at him and decided to help him, since he might have a hard time since he’s mute. I found myself wondering what his voice would sound like, I must have still liked him, after all this time. But it was hard to get close to him. He was so popular that he was surrounded all the time. I started to get jealous. But during gym one day, some guy started to make fun of Youngjae and saying he was disabled. I couldn’t let it slide and kept throwing balls at him. That shut him up and I could tell Youngjae appreciated it. After that incident, the awkwardness disappeared and I was able to get closer to him. He’s really good at the piano, I mean really good, and he let me hear him play after school. He had such a great personality, whenever I was with him I felt happy. Yet I was always the only one making a commotion. Magician, what was I to do? I had decided to never regret the way I wasted my wish, but I couldn’t help it—I started to hate you, magician. Granting such a lame wish, aren’t you ashamed of yourself? I had finally found what I truly wanted. What I really wanted was to hear his voice…You thought that was the end, right?”
Wait, there’s more?, you thought.
“ ‘Of course I’m not done. I still have something to talk—to argue about with you, Magician.”
“Argue? What did I do?” Suga asked from the couch.
“A lot of it is really your fault,” you defended Yerim, “ how could you give something like a solar eclipse as a wish? Because of you, she lost the chance to wish for something more important!”
Suga frowned, “If something goes wrong, it’s always my fault. You have no idea…just keep reading.”
“Why don’t you read it yourself?” You huffed, a bit tired of reading out loud.
“But you have such a beautiful voice…”
Beautiful voice! Probably the first time he’s ever complimented me.
You perked up and started reading again, “ ‘Seven years passed and now the story gets worse. By then I was a successful lawyer and my reputation was growing. After I passed the test to become a lawyer, I joined a distinguished law firm and won every one of my cases.” There was another attachment called sexy.jpg and you opened it. Yerim obviously grew up and looks like a model, wearing elegant business clothes and posing like a model for the photo. You wondered if she just randomly did professional photoshoots in her life; you wouldn’t put it pass her.
“ ‘My life was going great but my family was already pressuring me to get married. My mom kept trying to introduce me to guys, but I wasn’t interested. Youngjae, who became a renowned concert pianist. By then I had known him for ten years. Sometimes I wondered what he thought of me. Because we went to the same high school and college we were very close but there was always distance between us. At time I felt like he barely noticed me—like I was as forgettable as one of the countless stars in the sky. So I decide to confess to him. That night the moon was so beautiful, the full moon makes people do crazy things. I asked him to marry me and even told my mother I was going to marry him. She disapproved, saying he was mute. But I never cared what my mother said. But there was something I didn’t consider and that was Youngjae’s heart. He wrote to me that he wanted to stay friends with me. I was upset and said some very insensitive things and I regretted it immediately. But it was already too late to recover those words. He just stared at me blankly and he turned around and left. That’s what it was. For him, I was common, like one of the countless stars in the sky. Still, just sitting there and crying wasn’t my style so I refused to give up and vowed to me like the moon, no, the sun. But I never expected what happened next. My mother informed me that she visited a magician—you—and she wished for me to marry the perfect man. Someone with lots of money, good education, perfect looks, and a great family. Worst yet, she told me that it would be granted in three months. I was horrified! I should have thrown the key into the Han River that day. I should have blocked the hole with cement. No, I should have thrown you into a tub of poo, you moronic magician!’ ”
You couldn’t help but snort at that, “I’m sorry, this is all serious and everything but…I can’t get that image out of my head.” You started to laugh.
“Maybe I should put you in a tub of poo.” Suga grumbled, but you knew that he wasn’t serious. Hopefully.
You quickly read on, “ ‘I don’t know if it was because of my mother’s wish or because I simply gave up my desire to live, but the marriage plan was going smoothly. Tomorrow, I’m getting married to the ideal person—lots of money, good education, perfect looks, a great family. After hearing about my upcoming marriage, Youngjae seemed surprised. And he told, as promised, he would play the Wedding March. Of course, that’s because he considers me as nothing more than a friend.’ “
“Just what did you do, Suga? Can you still say you’re not guilty after all this?”
“Just continue reading with that pretty voice.”
Pretty voice!
You smiled, “Tomorrow is my wedding day, you stupid magician. For some unknown reason, I can’t avoid this marriage. As of tomorrow, my life is over. After ten long years, my one-sided love for Youngjae will end. But…’ ….huh?”
“What is it?”
“ It says ‘But as of now, your famous website has ended too!’”
Suga sprung up and went to look at the computer, “What?”
“That’s what it says—”
“Go to my website and see if it’s true.”
You were about to check when the computer died. You turned to Suga, “This can’t be good.”
When you came back the next day, Suga was in a sour mood.
“Yeah, I checked your website using my computer and it’s completely destroyed. Apparently, it happened right after we read that e-mail. What happened to the hard drive?”
“I went to the repair center this morning, but they said it was a new virus and they couldn’t fix it. Everything on it disappeared—300 years worth of magic data down the drain.”
“Wow—to think those attachment contained the virus. She might be arrogant, but she’s pretty smart, hacking our system like that. But you can do everything else with your magic, but you can’t save a computer?”
You turned and saw Suga was on the phone.
“Hello, police? I would like to report a criminal.”
“Hey!” You went up to him, “What are you doing? How can you call the police? It’s not like you haven’t done bad things!”
“As I said before, I did nothing wrong.” Suga replied.
“Don’t give me that! You messed up that girl’s life!”
“Just forget about me and deliver this to Yerim as soon as possible.” He handed you an envelope, “you have to give it to her before the wedding.”
“What’s this letter? What are you planning? I don’t like this, I don’t want to be a part of it.” You exclaimed as you held the letter. Maybe it’s a time bomb!
Suga studied you, “…So this is what you call friendship.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Last time, wasn’t it you who said you wanted to be friends?”
“Y-yes, that’s right. Friends.”
“If you think of me as a friends, shouldn’t you at least pretend to believe me when I say I didn’t so anything bad?”
You were speechless and he leaned closer to you, “Even if I did do something wrong, if friendship means that you’re just going to waste a lot of time questioning me, then I don’t need friends.”
“Okay, I get it!” You exclaimed, feeling guilty, “I’m sorry! I promise to deliver it, cross my heart.”
As you made your way out, you heard Suga on the phone.
“Ah hello, I would like to report something.”
You hoped for Yerim’s sake everything turns out alright.
You rushed to the church, which was bustling. Apparently it was a high profile wedding because there were many cars and paparazzi and people. You wondered how you were going to get the letter to Yerim. You snuck through the back door while a security guard was distracted by some snooping paparazzi. How can I find Yerim?, you thought and caught sight of a woman in white pacing the hallway.
Luck must be on my side today, you thought.
“Yerim!” You recognized the bride from the photos. She looks even more beautiful up close, how is that possible? Does she even have pores?
She turned to you, “I’m sorry, do I know you?”
“Not really, but I’m Suga’s assistant.”
“Who?”
Oh right, she doesn’t know his name.
“The magician.”
Her face furrowed in anger, “I don’t want anything to do—”
You brought out the letter, “Please read this; it’s important.”
“Why would I—”
“Please.” You pleaded and she huffed, but took the envelope.
Yerim tore the envelope and started to read the letter. She stood there, frozen like stone, and she looked very shocked.
“What does it say?” You asked, curious.
She gave a gasp, “I…I have to go!”
She started to run out the door.
You were confused and saw that in her excitement, she dropped the letter. You decided to read it.
To the person who never listens to anybody, Kim Yerim:
I have no reason whatsoever to be listening to your complaints. Don’t rip up this letter. And this time, read all the way through the end. First of all, I have never granted your wish. Second, I have yet to grant your mother’s wish---
You heard commotion at the church and rushed over there, wondering what Suga’s words will make Yerim do. You saw police enter the church and put the groom into handcuffs, apparently he was being arrested for marriage fraud. Oh so that’s what Suga was calling for, you thought, embarrassed. You saw Yerim was being held by and older woman, probably her mother.
“Youngjae!” She cried.
“No you can’t!” The lady said, “anyone but him! This time we were unlucky, but you can have any bridegroom you want! Why choose someone who can’t even speak?”
“Let go!” Yerim growled, “Why won’t you let go?”
“Are you going to elope with him if I let go? What’s wrong with you? Why do you want to marry a freak? What can he do for you?”
“What can he do for me?” Yerim asked.
“Right!” Her mother said, “What great things can he do for you?”
Yerim was in tears, “You want me to show you what he can really do? Youngjae! Move the moon!”
She was looking intently at a handsome young man by the piano. He looked shocked. But there was a rumble and all of a sudden went very dark. In the middle of the afternoon. You looked out the window and sure enough, there was a solar eclipse. It was very dark and the electricity also suddenly went out. Everyone was murmuring and in the commotion, Youngjae took Yerim’s hand and they ran out of the church.
You were organizing Suga’s inbox, which was a mess by the way, when you spotted a familiar name.
“Oh look, Yerim sent another email.” You said to Suga and he gave you a cautious look.
“Does it have attachments?”
“Thankfully no attachments this time. Want me to read it?”
“Sure, why not.” He muttered and sank into the couch.
“ ‘Dear friendly—no, honorable!—magician, I am writing an email once again. I send you 100 apologies. I will restore your hard drive and your website within the week. Thanks to your letter, I now know everything. The fact he turned back and smiled when he learned hat we were I the same high school, and that I was lively as ever. The fact that he was incredible happy when he could use his phone to send me the messages that built a link between us. The fact that he was breathless when I asked him to marry me, and he would have eventually asked me to marry him if I hadn’t spoken first. And the fact that when my mother came to visit him and demanded him not to marry me, he would have preferred to be deaf. The fact that he loves me; he had loved me for over ten years. I now know everything. So now, it’s my turn to make a wish for him. The wish I’ve been longing to make for ten years, to grant him his voice. And after so many silent years, the first thing he said was my name. Yerim. It was as though he couldn’t believe it. He repeated my name twice, three times, as if he was saying a prayer. At that moment, the moon and sun came together to create a solar eclipse. So I don’t mind not being the ruler of the world. You granted the world’s greatest wish. We are getting married in one month. And because Youngjae can talk now, he became everything my mom ever wanted in a son-in-law, so she ended up getting her wish as well. But there’s one thing I want to know, just what did you take from my mom? She’s been acting quite strange…”
You looked at Suga in question and he responded.
“I took her vanity, which means that once again I ended up with something useless.”
“Anyway, it’s a happy ending.” You said with a smile, “Everything is great, even your website is restored. Is the hard drive fixed?”
“Yes, Yerim sent an expert technician yesterday.”
You nodded, “That’s good. But how did Youngjae end up with the power to move the moon? Was that you?”
Suga nodded, “Do you remember when I was trapped a little boy came after Yerim and actually helped me out?”
“Yeah?”
“Youngjae was that little boy, so he also had a free wish. It was he who made the wish that day in the bus.”
“Oh, so that’s how you knew that you didn’t grant her wish yet.” You then remembered something, “But really, why were you locked up in a tree?”
Suga’s expression turned sour, “Let’s talk about that some other time.”
“Oh come in, is it super embarrassing? It must be, for you to be locked up in a tree.”
Suga didn’t give a response, he just closed his eyes and pretended to fall asleep.
Suga is a wish-granting magician. He grants wishes—for the price of your most prized possession.
Your parents and brother died tragically in a plane crash and you visit Suga to grant your wish to bring them back to life...but instead you become his assistant.
Now you’re thrust into a world of magic and the mysterious being known as Suga.
Tags:
Fantasy, romance, a bit of a slow burn, love potion, angst, stalking, human experimentation
Warnings:
Mentions of death
CHAPTER 5: THE LOVE POTION
You saw the elevator about to close and saw someone in it.
“Ah wait, hold on!” You cried out and managed to slip into the elevator before it closed completely.
You realized that the person had a hood over their head and was turned around so you couldn’t see their face.
“Which floor?”, the voice sounded like a woman’s.
“The 5th.”
“The 5th floor? Isn’t that all Suga’s floor?”
“Yeah, do you know Suga? Are you a client?” You then thought about it, “That’s odd, I don’t remember there being an appointment today…”
The figure turned and you saw that it didn’t have a head. You jump and give a cry of surprise, very startled and freaked out by the figure. You studied it and wondered if this was an illusion or a mannequin. It then moved again and you screamed again as the elevator opened with a ding.
You ran out of the elevator as fast as you can and went straight to Suga’s office. You saw that he was on the phone looking like he was having a serious conversation, but you were freaked out by the figure that looked straight from a horror movie.
“Suga! Suga!” You exclaimed as you rushed to his side and huddled against him, frightened. He paused and looked you, eyebrows raised.
“Y/N, recently your expressions of affection are getting stronger and stronger.” Suga said, gently pushing you off him, “You like me, don’t you?”
“That’s not it!” You cried, “in the elevator there was a figure with no head…” you noticed the figure had followed you and was at the doorway, “There it is!”
The figure put her hands on her hips, “Hey, I’m not that scary! There’s no need to run away like that…”
Suga stared at the figure and narrowed his eyes, he brought the phone to his ear again, “Yeah, I’ll call you back. I seem to have a…visitor...yes, it’s her.”
He then hung up and gave the figure a furious look, “Rose! What are you going here?”
“Wait, how did you know it was me?”
It seems Suga knows this headless figure, I should have known. Also, how is she talking, she has no mouth...
“I can tell from your voice.” This was the angriest you’ve seen Suga and you wonder what this Rose has done to him, “Why did you come here? I told you that I didn’t want to see your face for 100 years!”
“That’s why I left my face behind!” Rose insisted, walking up to Suga, “So everything should be fine!”
Suga was not amused, “Go back to normal right now! It’s even more disturbing to see a headless ghost.”
Rose laughed, “If you wanted to see my face that badly, I guess I’ll let you.”
Her head appeared, “Are you satisfied?” She had a beaming smile, “You missed me, didn’t you? Aren’t you happy now that you’ve seen me?”
“…Rose, your head is still not connected.”
Sure enough, her head was floating around not connected to her body. You thought it was even weirder and now the body was trying to chase the head. She literally looked like a chicken running without a head.
“Help me, Suga!!” Rose cried out as she struggled to catch her head and you saw Suga’s mood grow even more sour.
He did got up though and helped Rose put her head back to her body.
Rose beamed and turned to Suga, “Hey Suga, to tell you the truth…I was hoping I could live here for a while. That’s okay, right? Right?”
She seemed like a puppy, very happy and overactive. Suga looked like the owner who couldn’t quite control it and was very irritated at it.
“Definitely not.” Suga said flatly, “I don’t want you here.”
Rose pouted, tears forming in her eyes, “You’re too much! Right now I’m a poor, sad, homeless, shrineless magician girl.”
Suga didn’t fall for her bait, “Why don’t you have a house? Don’t you live in a castle in the country?”
“My house was invaded!”
Suga raised his eyebrows and she made a face.
“Okay, that’s not true. See…” Rose bit her lip, then said her story with such grandeur, “there was a fire, right? And everything was burned. It was an old castle, you see, so it burned really really fast. You know that we can’t get insurance, so I lost everything!”
Somehow you didn’t quite believe her story and neither did Suga.
He narrowed his eyes as her, “…tell me the truth. All of it. What did you do this time? Every time you mess something up, I get stuck having to clean it up. You haven’t changed a bit in the last 10,000 years!”
She pouted and looked around the room, she then took to notice of you.
“Oh yeah? Who’s that? It can’t possibly be your girlfriend…”
“Assistant, and don’t change the topic.” Suga snapped.
“I’m also here...” You said, a bit peeved they were talking about you as if you’re not in the room.
“Ah so she’s a servant.” Rose skipped over to you, “Hey assistant, I’m hungry. Make me some food fit for royalty!”
You gave her an incredulous look and looked at Suga for help; he looked like he was nursing a huge headache and was silently begging you to distract her. You sighed and got up from the couch.
“Alright, we’ll see what Suga has in the kitchen.”
Rose clapped, “Yay! Let’s eat!”
“One meal and you’re out.” Suga warned but Rose just grabbed your hands and happily skipped past him.
You gave him a glare but he picked up his phone, “I have an important call I have to make, so please distract her for a bit.”
You sighed and nodded, “Okay, but you owe me big time. You have to take me out to someplace yummy next Sunday.”
“Deal.” He said and you followed Rose out the office to the kitchen.
“So…”, you said as you searched thorough the cabinets of the kitchen, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Suga that upset—what did you do to him?”
She pouted, “Why does everyone assume I’m the one to blame? I’m only trying to be helpful. Suga was the one that hurt my feelings by not staying in that tree like I asked him to.”
You paused, connecting the dots, “Wait…you were the one that trapped Suga in that tree 18 years ago?”
“Yeah, isn’t he childish? Why get so worked up over a little thing like that?”
“Err…” You didn’t quite understand, “Why did you lock him up in a tree in the first place?”
Mind you, he could be difficult at times, but locking him up in a tree is excessive.
“Well you see, when I create a new spell I like to test it out on Suga.” Rose said brightly, “I was practicing escape magic that day. I didn’t get the spell right and had to figure out where I went wrong. You see, teacher always said that if I made a mistake, I should solve it myself. So then I spent the next ten years working on my escape magic. But while I was struggling to finish my training, Suga didn’t care at all! He just disappeared on his own--isn’t that too much?”
You manage to find some ramen but were in such a state of shock by her twisted words that you just stared at her. Doesn’t she see what’s wrong with what she just said?
“And then,” Rose continued, “when I finally found out where he was, he told me he didn’t want to see me face!” She started to cry, “He’s terrible, so cold-hearted—he’s always like that!”
“Always?” You asked hesitatingly as you found a pot to make the ramen in.
“Yes! Like that time I was practicing transformation magic and I turned him into a kitten for seven years…and that time I was practicing levitation magic and pushed him off a 50-story building and became flat like a pancake…he was always cold-hearted, saying things like I don’t want to see your face for 100 years and don’t come near me again….isn’t it okay if magician occasionally make mistakes?”
“…It’s not occasionally.” You muttered, but she didn’t hear, caught up in her monologue.
“Ans there’s more…” Rose said as she examined the tea.
There are more?, you thought, I never thought I’d say this, but poor Suga.
“Of course, my biggest mistake was when I tried to make a love potion for the first time…”
“Wait, love potion?”
Is that what Suga meant by having loved before?
“Yeah, Teacher got really mad at me--he destroyed all my hard work and banned me from using magic for five years.” She pouted.
Rose then turned to you with a grin, “Hey assistant! Aren’t you curious on how Suga acts when he’s in love?”
You tried to picture Suga in love, shuddered at the image, and turned back to cutting onions, “Nope, not really.”
“Huh? Why not? Don’t you think it will be fun?”
“No, I get goosebumps just thinking about it. The thought of someone like Suga, who has such a terrible personality, falling in love…it’s just too strange.”
“Wow, such harsh words…did you get that nastiness from him? Is it contagious? He has no compassion at all! Suga is so cold-hearted and rude that he’s practically handicap. You see, Suga’s teacher died before he was able to teach him everything.”
“Teacher? That’s right, I’ve wondering for a while now. Who’s Suga’s teacher? And how many more of his disciples are there?”
You figured the teacher was some crotchety old man with a long white beard, someone with infinite wisdom and patience (especially if he had to deal with Suga and Rose!)
“Ah teacher, our teacher. He always said things I couldn’t understand…and then he died before I was able to figure him out.”
“What about the other students? Were there others besides you and J?”
“Out of the seven students, the nicest one, J, and a few others either died or disappeared. I wonder why nice people always die young…it’s a miracle I’ve lived so long….the only ones left are cold-blooded Suga, that weird V, whose thoughts I could never figure out, and the scary old man RM….RM….He’s a grumpy old man who is always lecturing me about everything. He’s always very mean to me and criticize everything I do. Why does he always take it out on me…?”
You looked at Rose, she seemed lost in her own thoughts.
“Why are you standing there in a daze?” You asked her as you took the pot out of the stove to cool down, “Your Royal Ramen is done. Eat.”
Rose looked down at the ramen and frowned, “Isn’t this just ramen?”
“I’m telling you, it’s ‘royal’ ramen.”
Just eat the ramen, you thought, I went though all the trouble to prepare it for you!
Rose turned away, “I don’t eat things like this, I’ll just have tea with Suga later.”
This brat!, you cursed her in your thoughts.
“Fine,” you set the ramen aside and went towards the tea, “I’ll serve your tea then—”
“No!” Rose rushed ahead of you and got the tray before you, “I want to serve the tea myself, if you don’t mind. I have some private things I want to discuss with Suga anyway.”
You shrugged, “Okay, whatever. Tell Suga I’m here in the kitchen.”
There’s only so much Rose I can take.
She smiled and walked out of the room, “He’ll be…preoccupied, so if you’re done with your duties you can leave.”
You glared at her as she left, who is she to order me around? I only answer to Suga. Wait…am I really getting mad at being able to go home early? I must be crazy. Still, it’s mean if I leave Suga all alone with Rose. I’ll stay and make sure that everything goes well and she doesn’t end up locking him in the teapot or something.
You then looked at the ramen, well it’s her lost. I’m going to eat it. You brought out some chopsticks and started to eat. It was pretty good, if you had to say so yourself. You didn’t had time to eat before you came here, so you were pretty hungry.
You suddenly heard a commotion near the lobby and the bell ringing. Strange, there shouldn’t be any visitors at this time...You decide to check it out and tell them to reschedule, since Suga is currently busy. You sat on the reception desk and opened the window to greet the people who ringed the bell and the sight made your blood run cold. The lobby was filled with people, you’ve never seen the lobby so crowded before. They looked almost like zombies, with a blank stare, and they kept muttering. Some were wearing maid outfits, others chefs, others wore fancy evening clothes. The one thing they had in common was that they were calling out Rose’s name.
“Rose! Please, let me see her.”
“I love you, Rose, please be mine.”
“I live for you and only you, Rose!”
“Um...can I help you?” You asked tentatively, not sure how to react.
“We need to see Rose.” A man dressed as a chef told you, “We must speak to her.”
“...she’s not here...” you said, knowing that this cannot be good.
Maybe this is what she meant by the invasion on her home...
“She’s here, we know!” Said a maid angrily and the others agreed.
“Let us see her!”
“Why are you keeping her from us?”
“Please let us see our love.”
They tried to open the door and you were so thankful that it was locked.
This is really weird, you thought as you quickly shut the window before they became any more aggressive.
I think Suga can handle this, you thought as you rushed to his office. Neither him nor Rose was there. Odd, you thought, didn’t Rose came in here not even ten minutes ago to drink tea and talk to him?
You didn’t have much time to think about it, because they were now knocking at the door and shouting and you wondered how long they could be appeased. I gotta find Suga. You ran down the hallway, checking the rooms. Nope, not either of the treasure rooms, not in the bathroom, not in the kitchen or the living room…the last door was to his bedroom. You saw a sign that said ‘DO NOT DISTURB’. You ignored it, this was an emergency, he can sleep later. You found it locked, but remembered the method Jin taught you to pick a lock—so you used your credit card and opened the door. You burst through the door.
“Suga! Quick, there’s a situation!”
You found it odd that Suga was standing in the room, staring at you, but you didn’t have time. When you saw that he didn’t seem to make a move, you went up to him and grabbed his wrist to drag him towards the lobby.
You looked at him and frowned at his expression, “Why do you look so weird?”
He didn’t answer you but you finally got to the door and opened it, revealing the people, “Look at these people!”
Suga looked away from you and glanced at the people, “…what’s wrong?”
You gave him an incredulous look, “What’s wrong? Don’t you see all these people shouting ‘I love you, Rose’? Obviously they’re not in their right minds…”
A man in front of you was sobbing, “Please, let me see her…”
“See?” You said, turning to Suga, but he wasn’t looking at them. He was staring at you.
“Um, Suga…”
“I don’t see them.” Suga said as he stepped closer to you and took your hand, “All I can see right now is you.” He brought your hand up and kissed it.
Your eyes widened as you snatched your hand away from him, “W-what are you doing? This isn’t the time to play around!”
“Play around?” Suga frowned, “Please, don’t mock my love in such a way.”
“Oh my god,” you muttered, completely in shock, “Suga’s gone crazy—that’s literally the only explanation.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Suga said, stepping towards you and stroking your cheek, “I’m crazy in love. Please accept me.”
“G-get away from me!” You stammered, at a lost at what to do. You’ve never seen Suga act like this, “Stop it!” You tried to get away but found he had grabbed your hand again and had a tight grip.
“Suga, seriously—what the hell!” You were now panicking, the look in his eyes were so intense, you’ve never seen his face so expressive before, “I-If you don’t stop, I’m…I’m going to….to turn into a chicken!”
Wow, I’m a idiot.
“Then I’ll turn into a chicken with you.” He said seriously.
Never mind, he’s a bigger idiot.
You figured his weird behavior had something to do with Rose, she was the last person he saw before he became…like this. You pushed away and said, “Where’s Rose?”
“I sent her away.” Suga said and you cried out in frustration, “Are you okay, love? I feel your frustration.”
“No I’m not okay!” You cried out and closed the door before anyone of the hoard forced their way inside.
Suga frowned, “Is there anyway I can make you feel better?”
“Well you can start by taking me to where you sent Rose.” You demanded, “....please.” You added as an afterthought.
“Since you said please...” He walked down the hallway and pushed on a brick, revealing a secret door you’ve never seen before, “She’s in there.”
You reached for the door then turned to Suga, “I need you to stay here.”
“Why?” He asked, pouting.
“Please, don’t follow me.” You said firmly as you opened the door and entered the room. Thankfully Suga didn’t try to follow you as you closed the door behind you and you sighed in relief. It seemed like another bedroom and you saw that Rose was in the big bed in the middle of the room—sound asleep in it.
“Rose!” You called out as you ran up to her, but she didn’t even stir, “I can’t believe this!”
You tried to shake her awake, “Get up, you evil witch! This isn’t the time to be sleeping! Wake up!”
“Leave her alone. Once the sun goes down, she falls asleep like a corpse and doesn’t wake up until sunrise ” You heard a deep voice and stopped, turning to a corner of the room you didn’t see before. A young, handsome man was leaning against the wall, “If waking her up could have solved this problem, I wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of calling Suga and listen to all those insults just to ask for a wish.”
You looked at the strange man, “Who are you?”
“RM…RM! You just wait…” you heard Rose mutter in her sleep, “You rotten old man, one day I’ll…”
RM chuckled as he looked at Rose tossing and turning, “Rose, what kind of grudge do you have against me that you keep calling out my name in your sleep?”
“Huh? Then you’re that RM?”
“That RM, this RM…would there be anyone else with such a weird name?”
“Don’t try to trick me!” You said, walking up to him, “Rose clearly said that RM was an old man, but you don’t look much older than me!”
“I recovered my youth by drinking the blood of 3,000 young virgin girls. You look fresh and tasty.”
Panicking, you said, “I-I’m not a virgin! I’ve slept with many, many men thank you very much.”
He smirked, showing his dimples, “It’s a joke. Kids these days have no sense of humor. What a shame…”
You frowned, “This isn’t the time to make silly jokes!”
You felt like you want to cry; this day has been stressful enough without some guy joking about drinking your blood.
RM sighed as he got up and walked towards Rose, “It’s true that I’m very old and that Rose has never seen my face. So she naturally assumed I was an old man.”
“Why hasn’t Rose seen your face?” You asked, confused.
“I have to avoid sunlight,” RM answered, “so I conceal my face during the day. And, as you can see, this child goes to sleep right after sunset, so she doesn’t know how I really look.” He frowned as he tucked Rose in under the covers, “Stop moving around so much, you’re making a mess out of the covers, stay still.”
“Mmmm...don’t scold me, old man...” Rose muttered in her sleep.
Hmm…I can see how Rose will mistake him for an old man, you thought, he speaks like an old man and his voice is pretty husky…
“Wait, that doesn’t matter. Who are are all those people in the lobby and what happened to Suga?”
“That’s all because of the love potion.”, RM answered, “Rose swore to bring love to Suga but the potion that the teacher destroyed many years ago was really hard to make again. So she did endless experiments on her servants and guests.”
“Wait,” You said, “they’re her guinea pigs? That’s why they love Rose?”
RM sighed, wiping some drool off of Rose’s face, “Yes, that immature kid said it was all for Suga, but in the process she messed up the lives of all those people…and now Suga’s life, because he drank the potion, and your life, as the object of his affection, will be destroyed too.”
“W-what?” You cried out, wait he drank some love potion and that’s why he’s acting strange?, “Wait, why is my life ruined as well?”
RM studied you, his expression almost pitiful, “If you know beforehand, you won’t be able to get any sleep tonight.”
“What?”
“Kids need their sleep. I’ll send you to your house so you can have a good night’s rest. Starting tomorrow, your life will be completely ruined. You should at least have pleasant dreams tonight….I just hope that Suga doesn’t go as far as he did all those years ago…”
Before you could say anything, RM waved his hand and you were teleported to your bedroom. You didn’t move for the longest time, still shocked by everything RM told you.
How can I even sleep with that ominous parting message?, you thought.
You didn’t have a restful sleep at all. You kept tossing and turning, thinking about what RM told you and remembering Suga’s strange behavior. When you finally were able to sleep, you ended up oversleeping and had to hurry to get ready for school. You ran out of your apartment building when you caught sight of Suga.
“Suga!” You exclaimed in panic, you almost didn’t recognize him.
He wasn’t wearing his customary suit and tie, but an oversized sweater, jeans, a coat, and a scarf. You had to admit he looked very good in casual clothes, really human. The thing that shocked you the most, though, was that his hair was no longer blue, but the same shade your hair was.
“Good morning.” He said.
“Your hair...”
“I thought I needed a change and decided on this color. Do you like it?”
You had to admit that he did look good in that color, but quickly snapped out of it.
“Sorry Suga, I wish could stay and chat, but I need to go to school...”
“Don’t go.”
“No, I’m already late I can’t--”
Suga gave you a gummy smile, “Don’t go, stay and play with me.”
This was the first time you’ve seen him truly smile and you felt your heart race by how handsome he looks when he smiles. You were almost tempted to do what he says.
“No!” You shook your thoughts, get a hold of yourself, this isn’t the real Suga, “I must do my best as a student. See you later!”
Suga pouted, “Is that so? Then I guess there’s nothing I can do. Let’s go together.”
You froze, “What?”
“I want to see what you learn in that school, let’s go.”
“But--”
He took your hand and started to walk. You tried to wrench free but his grip was tight.
“Suga, really you can’t--”
“Don’t worry, my love.” Suga said, “I’ll be good.”
“Please stop following me”, you tried again, “how much further are you going to go?”
“As far as you go.”
Ah! I’m going crazy, you thought, I really can’t have him follow me everywhere. What I need is a distraction...
“Oh look!” You pointed to the opposite direction you were going to, “a UFO!”
Surprisingly, it worked and Suga looked.
“Where?”
You took advantage and ran like hell before he noticed. You reached your campus and had to stop to catch your breath; you really need to start exercising more. You started to walk again when a boy accidentally bumped into you.
“Sor--” He started to say but was interrupted by a voice.
“Don’t touch her.”
You turned and saw a furious Suga stalking up to the kid. Oh no.
“Excuse me, but--”
Suga grabbed hold of his shirt, his eyes flashing, “Do you want to die? No? Then don’t do around touching something that it not yours.”
His?, you thought, did he refer to you as a possession?
The man stuttered, “I-I’m sorry, I’ll be more c-careful next time.”
He shrank as Suga brought his face real close, “And don’t forget it,”He let go of his shirt and the boy scurried off. You just looked at Suga in shock. He was really going to kill that poor boy...
With a heavy heart, you walked into your class, closely followed by Suga.
Hyelin smiled and waved you over, “Hey Y/N! Why are you so late? I saved you a seat.”
Before you could reply, Suga was already glaring at Hyelin, “Who are you to save her a seat? What relationship do you have with her?”
Hyelin shot you a look of confusion “Who’s he?”
Suga leaned over at Hyelin, “Don’t look at her—answer me.”
“I-I’m Y/N’s closest friend…but—”
Suga looked shocked, “Closest friend?”
Fearing the worst, you faked a bright smile and led him to an empty chair, “What are you talking about? Closest friend? I don’t know her! Here, sit next to me.”
You shot an apologetic look to Hyelin and she said, “What?”
“I’m sorry Hyelin, but if you don’t want to die, just sit somewhere else.” You whispered to her. Hyelin saw your desperate look and nodded, “Fine, but you’re going to have to explain to me later.”
You quickly sat down next to Suga, noticing that your little spat caused a commotion and people were murmuring all around you.
You looked at Suga, who had a content expression, “Are you happy now that you’re next to me?”
He shot you a smile, “Yes.”
The teacher started to lecture, but you turned to Suga.
“It’s fine for this class since there’s so many students, but my next class there’s only a few of us so the teacher would notice…”
“I refuse.” Suga simply said.
“Hey, if you really love me, can’t you listen to what I said, at least once? Isn’t that what true love is?”
“Didn’t I already listen to what you said once?”
“When?”
“Last night. When you told me to not follow you, I didn’t. I waited until morning to follow you, even though it pained me.”
You stared at him, wondering what have you done in a past life to deserve this, “Actually when you love someone you should listen to them more than once! Twice, three times, all the time. So please leave after this class.”
“Sorry, but you know I can only grant one wish.” Suga said with a smirk and you groaned.
“Ah! I’m going crazy!” You dropped your head against the desk in defeat.
“Ah, Y/N, nice for you to volunteer.” Your teacher said and you quickly brought your head up. Oh no. “Why don’t you go ahead and translate page 45 in your textbook?”
Right, this is English class, you felt dread wash over you.
“Well, why don’t we listen to our cute Y/N’s excellent English pronunciation.”
“Ah yes.” You murmur, giving a side glance at Suga in panic. Please don’t call me cute.
Because your English pronunciation was good, you were Professor Kim’s favorite in the class and he was an old man that liked the compliment his students a lot. Usually that was fine...but not when you have a possessive stalker lover next to you.
“Come up and read, cutie Y/N.”
You quickly opened your book to the page and spared a glance at Suga. He looked absolutely furious.
Oh shit-
“Who are you calling ‘your cutie’! She’s my cutie!” Suga roared as he threw his desk, fire in his eyes.
“Oh my god I’m so embarrassed.” You groaned as you walked by the park, with Suga in tow, “I don’t know if I can show my face in that class again. The classroom was completely destroyed so now my class has to share with another one.” You turned to Suga as tears began to form in your eyes, “You heartless stalker! Aren’t you even a bit sorry?”
Suga looked at you, then turned away, “I’m not sorry at all. I saw this is a movie once--love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
“You’re horrible!” You cried out, “How is this love? I’m in anguish because of you!”
Suga frowned as his eyes started to grow tears too, “I know you’re in anguish. My magic makes me empathetic so I feel what you feel. I’m suffering too. But I don’t know what else to do. I forgot the right way to love a long time ago. If no one shows me what to do, I’ll never understand it.”
You felt your face soften at his cute pout.
“Well...okay. I’ll teach you how to love. Little by little.”
Suga perked up, “Really?”
“Yeah, what do you want to learn first? Ask me anything, I’ll teach it to you.”
Suga smirked as he walked up to you and stroked your cheek, wiping a remaining tear away, “How about how to kiss?”
You almost choked on your saliva. Oh my god, please, let Suga turn back to normal soon! Rose, you evil witch, what did you do to him?
You pushed him away, “You bastard! Can’t you show a little basic human decency?”
“But I’m not human...”
“Stop playing with my words!” You cried out in frustration, “I agree to teach you about love out of the kindness of my heart and the first thing you want to do is kiss? You pervert! Such things come later, much later, when both parties like each other!”
You arrived at a playground and Suga sat on the swings.
“You don’t do it from the start?” Suga asked in surprise, “You’re not supposed to? That must be why that person got so mad back then...”
“What? What person?”
“Someone I loved a long time ago. When I tried kissing, that person almost killed me. So I thought that I had done it wrong.”
“What kind of person was it?” You asked, curious. I want to hear their side of the story, if it’s anything like mine...
“Do you really want to know? Then here, watch what I draw...” Suga crouched down to the sand, got a stick and started to draw on the ground. You watched him draw and had to admit he looked pretty cute. He was almost like a little kid. If only he would lose that stalker personality, this wouldn’t be so bad...
Suga turned around and looked at you. He then gave you that gummy smile of his and you couldn’t help but smile back. He looks so adorable. You then heard his phone ring but he didn’t move to answer the phone.
“Uh…Suga, your phone’s ringing.”
Suga answered the phone, “Yes, RM?...Rose is in trouble? If I don’t hurry she’ll be cut into pieces…?”
That’s right!, you thought, we just left Rose with that horde of stalkers! We’re in big trouble—this is no time to be talking about love. If we don’t hurry—
“Nope, I can’t go.” Suga simply said, “I’m on a date right now. You guys will need to solve this problem by yourselves.”
He promptly hung up the phone and you looked at him in shock.
“You…you better get over there now!” Suga ignored you and continued to draw in the dirt with his stick, “What are you doing? Go to Rose now! Aren’t you scared that your friend is in danger?”
“I don’t need friends.” Suga said, turning to you, “The only important thing is love, right? Let’s focus on ourselves.”
Ugh, there’s not getting through him, you thought, but if we don’t hurry Rose might actually die. What can I…you got an idea.
You smirked at Suga and grabbed his scarf, bringing him close to you, “Fine then, do you really want to play? You know, there’s always something I’ve always wanted to do once I got a boyfriend…you’ll help, right?”
Suga looked at you in fascination, “What’s that?”
You giggled as you got up, bringing him up with you, “Well…” You suddenly let go and started to run, “Run, honey! Catch me if you can!”
Hopefully this works, you thought as he ran after you.
He was enthusiastic at first, but after a while Suga grew bored of running.
“Can we stop now? How much further are you going to go? I want to play something else.”
You were already out of breath, but you forced yourself to say, “Now, honey, if you stop now I’ll cry! We have to go all the way back home.”
You lamented on how you got into this mess. You swore that when you see Rose, you’ll give her divine punishment. By some miracle, you were able to reach the elevator. Suga brought you into his arms.
“Got you.” He said happily, “Do I get my prize now?”
Prize, what prize? Did I mentioned a prize? Oh crap, I didn’t think this far ahead.
He brought you closer and you didn’t know if the racing of your heart is from the exercise or his close proximity. Suga leaned forward but before he can kiss you, you heard the elevator ding. Thankful for the distraction, you quickly slip from his arms and laughed.
“C’mon, let’s go inside.”
Man, being flirty is exhausting, you thought.
He pouted but followed you into his office. You heard a crash and your heart sank. You ran to the direction of the noise and saw that the horde tore open a hole where the secret bedroom you found last night was. You saw Rose and RM, who was completely covered, and Rose looked very pale.
“My lady,” the man with the axe said, “let’s stop playing hide and seek now. We already explained and don’t want to annoy you anymore, that’s why we’ll divide you into equal pieces for all of us!”
He was about to strike Rose with the axe, but RM shoved her out of the way and was struck instead. Rose cried out as blood began to pour everywhere and you just noticed that Suga was next to you. Before the man could strike again, Suga snapped his fingers and the horde disappeared.
It was silent as Rose began to sob over RM’s body.
“No!”
“…your love potion is truly amazing, Rose.” Suga said, “One of my few friends died, but I’m not even sad nor do I want revenge for his death…the only thing I can think of is Y/N….I hate myself. Is this what you meant by helping me become a better person?”
Rose sobbed, “No, no, it’s not! All I wanted…you see…the only person I wished to impress…the only person I wanted to impress is lying dead in front of me!” She fell unto her knees and sobbed into her hands.
Suga stepped toward Rose, “Rose…it’s late, but here’s a present from RM.”
“What?”
“RM asked me for a wish. It was troublesome to grant it, but I had no choice. He wanted me to give all of his magic powers to you. He was willing to sacrifice all his magic and be a regular human for you to prevent you from doing the same mistakes he made.”
“He told me,” Rose murmured, “About how he made a love potion so powerful that even the sun fell in love with him and that’s why he had to hide from the sun. But what you end up taking from him?”
“A way to cancel the effects of the love potion.” Suga answered, “He spent his entire life looking for a way to break that kind of spell.”
“But…why did he make such a sacrifice…? He could have been just fine, if never cared for someone as worthless as me!”
“For two reasons. Look Rose, I’m no expert on love, but love takes many forms. When people fall in love, some become stalkers, some want to be acknowledged by others… and some endlessly criticize the person they love. He loved you. You were always important to him. You didn’t have to seek out his recognition. Just by living and breathing…he was grateful for that alone.”
“And the second reason?” Rose asked, looking at RM’s body.
“I think you already know.” Suga answered.
SUGA’S P.O.V
Suga examined his old friend, all healthy and alive.
“Damn, you really are a devious old man.”
“What, I am?”
“You were one of the most powerful magicians in the universe, even messing around with life itself. You knew that the magic used to revive the dead would be passed on to Rose, so that’s why you used your body, right?” Suga couldn’t help but be impressed by RM, “That little show was pretty effective, I doubt Rose will be careless about magic anymore.”
RM smiled, “Your teacher always told me I was the only one who could deal with Rose, it seemed like a good lesson for her.”
“True. A single wish eliminated all the love potions, plus you knew you’d come back from the dead. You killed two birds with one stone. It’s very rare for someone to achieve your level of sneakiness.”
“Who asked you to break the love spell on the sun?” RM said, smiling as he looked out the window, “I didn’t say anything about that. You’re just soft-hearted.”
Suga looked at RM in surprise, “Soft-hearted? Me?”
“Go ahead and deny it, but you’ve been like that since childhood. But during this past year, you seemed to have changed a bit…”
“Changed? How?”
RM turned and studied Suga, “Hmm…how can I describe it?...you’ve become more expressive. More…human.”
Suga couldn’t help but think of you, and that somehow you were to blame for this change. You were, after all, a very bad influence. Not that he’ll ever admit this to RM.
Suga snorted as he turned away, “Ridiculous. I’m a bloodless, tearless, emotionless magician.”
RM wasn’t fooled though, “You’re giving off a different vibe. The new you looks better…but I’m a little worried. Your newfound humanity may become a weakness. Be careful, V is back and hiding behind a new face.”
Suga stiffened at the mention of the fellow disciple. V.
“I’ll be fine.” Suga said, “I’ve dealt with V once, I’m sure I can deal with him again.”
Suga is a wish-granting magician. He grants wishes—for the price of your most prized possession.
Your parents and brother died tragically in a plane crash and you visit Suga to grant your wish to bring them back to life...but instead you become his assistant.
Now you’re thrust into a world of magic and the mysterious being known as Suga.
Tags:
Fantasy, romance, angst, comedy
Warnings:
Death, suicidal thoughts and an attempt, cannibalism??sort of??
CHAPTER 3: THE PRICE OF LOVE
You left class a little later than usual, since you had to stay back and ask your teacher a question. Unfortunately, that made you late for your “job” with Suga so you ran the moment you left the classroom. Luck was not by your side today, though, because you tripped and fell; you felt a dull pain in your knee.
“Ow!”, you groaned, examining your knee. You winced as you noticed that you were bleeding.
“Does it hurt a lot?”, you heard a soft voice and looked up.
A beautiful girl stood before you with long, shiny blonde locks that cascaded like waves down her back. Wow she has great hair. You recognized her as someone who recently transferred to one of your classes, but you don’t remember her name. She’s usually accompanied by a handsome man, but he’s currently not around.
You gave her a smile, “I’m okay, don’t worry.”
You started to get up, but she helped you get up and you thanked her.
“Still, that’s an awful scratch you got there—plus you’re bleeding!” She continued to examine your wound and you had to admit that it was a little creepy how interested she was in your wound.
“Um, I’m really fine….what’s your name?”
“Jennie, but please call me Nini.” She said, giving you an adorable smile and you couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m Y/N, and really I’m fine.” You wiped up the blood, “See? It’s fine.”
She still had a worried look on her face, “But you could easily infect the wound and it could get worst…”
“Is there a problem?” You saw the cute guy that was always around Nini walked up to you guys with his eyes narrowed at her.
You saw her eyes widen and she instantly grew defensive, “Jungkook! Ah, nothing. I didn’t do anything. Also, why are you here when you have class at this time?”
Jungkook didn’t looked appeased at all, if anything he looked more suspicious, “Miss, I am guarding against more disaster.”
“I really didn’t do anything! You’re the one who shouldn’t ditch class and create issues!”
She pushed him away and, with one last parting stare at her, he walked away. She breathed out a sigh of relief and turned towards you.
“Oh, don’t mind him he’s just…a friend. A friend of mine. He’s very protective.”
“But, why does he speak to you formally?”
“Ah, t-that?” She said, “That, um, he lived in the U.S for so long that he can only speak Korean in formal speech.”
“Really?” You didn’t quite buy her story, but she seemed like she didn’t want to tell you the truth so let it go, “Are you going out then? It looks like he’s always looking after you…”
Nini pouted, “No…it’s not like that…”
“So he’s just a friend then? You guys are always together…”
“Can you keep a secret?” She asked softly.
“Yeah, but I don’t know if you want to tell me a secret if we barely know each other…”
Nini ignored me, “I actually really, really like Jungkook.”
“Why don’t you tell him?”
She bit her lip, “It’s…complicated. But anyway, he doesn’t see me like that.”
Before you could respond though, she looked at your leg again, “Oh my god it’s bleeding again! Does it hurt?”
“No, it’s okay. It’s really not bad, but about Jungkook…”
Nini looked around, “Okay no one’s around…Do you have some scissors?”
“…what?”
You have to admit that thing girl is really random.
“Some scissors, or anything sharp?”
Puzzled, you shook your head.
“Wait, just remembered I snuck a switchblade in my shoe without Jungkook knowing…” She reached inside her show and pulled out a switchblade. You started to wonder if maybe you were in danger and should get out of there. She said her secret, now it must die with me.
Nini smiled, “Great, now…”
Your eyes widened as she literally sliced a chunk of her hair, “What--?”
“Here,” she handed you the long, soft lock, “Eat this.”
You looked at the hair in your hand in horror and didn’t know what to say. Is this chick crazy?
“Come on, eat it.” She encouraged you
“What are you doing? No, I won’t eat that.”
“Trust me, it’s fine, just do it.”
“I don’t think I can even digest hair—”
She took her hair from your hand and stuffed it into your mouth while you were talking. You were about to spit it out when you noticed it was an interesting texture; it almost melted into your mouth.
Is this really hair?
You continued to chew on it and found it was actually very delicious. It was hard to pinpoint the exact taste, it tasted herbal but also sweet. You could easily find yourself eating this every day. Am I going crazy now?, you thought and swallowed the hair. Nini looked at you expectantly, smiling.
“How are you feeling?”
You realized that you felt refreshed, rejuvenated, the best you felt in years. You saw her looking at the wound in your knee and you noticed that it was healed.
“I feel…amazing.” You replied, suddenly having the urge to cut more hair out of her head.
Okay, I am officially going crazy. I’m starting to crave hair---is this normal? Who is she exactly?
Nini must have seen the hungry look in your eyes because her eyes widened.
“Oh man, Jungkook is going to kill me.” She started to leave.
“Wait, how—?”
“I gotta go.” She bluttered out and ran away; you had to resist the urge to run after her and demand more hair.
What’s going on with me?
You tried to set your head straight as you walked towards Suga’s office. The further you walked, the more you hungry you were so you decided to stop by the convenience store.
You browsed through the selection of ramen, but you felt sick thinking about eating ramen. That’s a first. So you browsed at the other food, but the thought of eating any food made you want to throw up. Giving up, you left the convenience store and continued your walk to your “work”.
By the time you entered Suga’s office, you were in a daze and could barely think straight. All you could think about was that delicious hair you had. Does her hair have drugs on it or something? Am I now addicted to drugs?
You entered Suga’s office and he sat behind his desk, doing paperwork.
“Hey Suga.” You said, but it sounded very off.
He must have noticed this because he looked up and studied you.
Suga frowned, “Y/N, you don’t look well.”
“I’m really hungry,” you confessed, and he narrowed his eyes.
“Did you by any chance eat some magical hair?”
You were surprised that he knew your current obsession and him mentioning it made you long for it even more; you nod.
He sighs and gets up, “Sit down and wait for me.”
“But—”
“Sit down.” His tone held no debate and you sat down, wondering if maybe he’ll have mercy on you and have a stash of that magical hair. Yum. Your mouth started to water thinking of the hair.
“Drink this.” You didn’t notice him come back to the room. He handed you a cup and you frowned. This wasn’t magical hair.
“What’s this?”, you smelled it and gagged, no way are you drinking that.
“Drink it.”
“No, it could be poison,” you protested and Suga rolled his eyes.
“If I wanted you dead I would have killed you a long time ago. Drink it.”
“Why should I?”
He sighed, “I’ll give you some hair if you drink it.”
Excited at the possibility of getting more hair, you drowned the drink. The effects were instantaneous and the hunger was gone and you were able to think clearly again.
You blushed as you remembered how desperate you were of hair and set the cup down next to you, “Thank you.”
“Care to explain how you came across Calendulan hair?”
“Calendula? Isn’t that a flower?”
“Yes, and it’s also the name of a very powerful alien race.”
Oh shit, you met an alien. Although, now that you think about it, you already met a magician and a different dimensional being. What’s an alien?
“A classmate of mine gave some to me after I scraped my knee. Why did it have that effect?”
“The Calendulan race have healing powers. In their natural forms, they are flowers. Every part of the flower is used for different healing properties. For example, their petals or hair is used to heal small wounds. If you eat the flower whole, it’ll give you eternal youth. The problem is that the flower is very addictive, so it’s dangerous for them to give any part of them.”
“I barely know her, why would she do that if she runs that risk then?”
He sighs, “Nini is too caring for her good. Her empathy would literally be the death of her.”
“You know Nini?” You asked, though you shouldn’t be surprised since he knows so much about her race, “Did she made a wish or something?”
“No, her bodyguard is just a very old friend of mine, so I’ve helped them out a few times.”
“Her bodyguard…. it’s not Jungkook by any chance…?”
Suga nodded, “Yup. Now stop asking me questions, you’re not an interviewer.”
You blushed, “I’m sorry, I’m just curious about the hair that I was literally addicted to.”
“Just go to work.”
Ah, so he was dismissing you. You were actually surprised he gave you this much information. Usually he wouldn’t entertain you like this.
“Yes, sir.” You said jokingly, saluting him, and he scowled.
Smiling, you made your way to your desk. As you started to settle in and look through your laptop to see if Suga had any appointment for today, the office door slammed open. You jumped and recognized Jungkook.
He seemed really upset and you wondered if he was angry at you that you ate the hair, even though it wasn’t really fault. Jungkook strode to you.
“Hi—"
“I need to talk to Suga.” He demanded.
“Let me see if he has an appoint—”
“It’s urgent. Just tell him I’m here.” He said impatiently and you nod as you went to Suga’s office. Suga did mention that Jungkook was an old friend of his.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working? I’m not going to answer any more of your questions.”
“Um, actually, Jungkook is here to see you. He says it’s urgent.”
You saw his expression change, but it changed back to his expressionless face so fast you couldn’t quite catch the emotion.
“Let him in. And Y/N?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t overhear this conversation. I’m serious, stay away no matter what you hear. Please.”
You nod; this was the first time Suga ever used the word ‘please’ to you, so he must really be serious.
Jungkook burst into the room and he looked very upset..
You wondered what they will be discussing that’s so serious; Jungkook seemed pretty upset.
Still, your curiosity got the better of you as you lingered by the door.
“What do you want, Jungkook?” Suga asked, used to Jungkook’s fits of passion, “It’s not for a wish, right? Because you know that I can’t grant it.”
“No, I didn’t come to make a wish.” Jungkook said, “but to threaten.”
“Threaten? Threaten me with what? Stop doing things that are out of character.”
“The one out of character is you,” Jungkook said angrily, “What did you do to Nini? You have no interest in love.”
Wait, you thought, is Suga involved with Nini? That’ll be a plot twist. But didn’t she said she liked Jungkook? I’m really confused.
“I don’t.” Suga confirmed, “I didn’t do anything. She’s the one following me around—what am I supposed to do?”
“Shut up!” Jungkook burst out, “This is all your fault!”
Suga raised his eyebrows, “What exactly is my fault?”
“Because of you, the princess refuses to go back to her home planet. You know she was only here until the rebellion was settled. I just found out from the Calendulan government that it’s been a year since the rebels were put down but Nini refused to go back. The reason was because she fell in love with someone in this planet. Naturally, I ask her who it is and after much persuasion she reluctantly tells me it’s you. Imagine my shock.”
Princess? Oh my god, Nini is not only an alien but an alien princess?
“Ah, that is a problem.” Suga said, seeming unconcerned.
“And it’s all your fault! Do you even love Nini one bit?”
Suga snorted, “No, you know already that I can’t love. I can’t remember how.”
How can one forget how to love, you thought, that just seems like a bullshit excuse. Poor Nini. But which is the truth—does she love Jungkook or Suga? I mean, she seemed very adamant in not telling Jungkook her feelings, so maybe she lied to him. Still…that seems like a strange thing to do.
Jungkook gave Suga a piercing stare, “Yeah, I know. She’ll be hurt again, that idiot princess. I always have to clean after her.”
“So stop such useless things and just take her back to the star.”
“How when she’s threatening to commit suicide? She said she’ll go to a stormy cliff and turn to a flower so that all her petals and leaves will be blown away and her roots rot.”
That’s…pretty graphic. No wonder Jungkook is worried.
“Whether she dies or not what do you care?”
“What?”, Jungkook sounded shocked by his words and you had to admit you felt the same way.
“I know your duty is only to return her to the star safely. Once you do that, you’ll receive what you want. Whether the princess dies or not afterward shouldn’t be your problem.”
You just couldn’t believe how nonchalant Suga can be. Does he really not care about her at all?
“Are you done?” Jungkook’s voice sounded very sharp, “Still. She loves you, you’ll leave her to die that way?”
“I don’t really care…”
“You bastard!”
“Do you care?” There was a pause, “Jungkook, I know it’s your job and all, but sometimes I think you’re way too protective over the princess. Are you in love with the princess?”
There was a pause and you leaned closer, curious about his response. Jungkook did seem like he cared for Nini. The little times you saw them on campus he always took care of Nini and even when he seemed like he was annoyed by her antics, he seemed to secretly enjoy it. Plus being so angry at Suga, it does seem a bit excessive for just a normal bodyguard. And if Nini really did like Jungkook, that meant that they liked each other and this is even more complicated.
“Enough, I don’t do useless things. Besides the princess…doesn’t see me that way. I offered to tell the Calendulan government that she was in love with me so I can be the target and spare your life, but she refused to consider it. Says that it’s not believable, her being in love with me. The princess says that she considers me as a mother figure.”
Hm…that sounds more like she doesn’t want you to be the target, you thought, so there is still a possibility that she loves Jungkook.
“Well you did come to Earth when she was a child and practically raised her.”
Jungkook sighed, “So as the princess’ mother I’m telling you, protect her love so she doesn’t become a dying flower in the wind.”
“That’s very touching and all, but I don’t want to waste anymore of my time. What would I get in return for protecting her love?”
“My precious possession” Jungkook answered, very serious, “That’s right, I’m making the wish for you to protect Nini’s love. If you don’t grant it I won’t leave you alone.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Yes, if you refuse to grant it I’ll break your right hand.”
“…Let go, you don’t even have the guts.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“If the hand is broken, I’ll cease to exist. Will that make the princess happy?”
“Maybe if it’s a love that will never be receive, it’s better to nip it in the bud than risk leaving a bigger scar. What use are you if you’re not going to grant the wish?”
Suga chuckled, “This makes me not want to grant the wish even more. No matter what, I’ll never grant your wish Whenever I see you I always get a strange feeling.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell what’s most important to you. Normally I can tell, but not with you. I don’t want to receive something unknown. Also, you have no desire to kill me, your hand is shaking.”
You burst into the room, tired of this conversation.
You grabbed the nearest vase and said, “You coward.”
Suga simply looked at you and said, “I told you not to listen.”
Ah, he must have known I was listening because he doesn’t seem surprised.
“If you don’t grant his wish, I’ll break this vase.”
“Y/N, stop it, it’s priceless.”
You locked eyes with Suga and could tell he was annoyed, good, “Oh, this is expensive? Even better. If you don’t fulfill Jungkook’s wish I’ll break this.”
You balanced the vase dangerously in your hands.
“Put that vase down, I received that as a prized possession.”
“Oh right, isn’t the rule that you take care the prized possessions you take or your life is in danger?” You let it slide dangerously from your grasp, “Hurry and decide, you moron.”
“You’re a bigger moron,” Jungkook said, “What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to help you, you idiot.” You snapped at Jungkook and he retreated.
“Fine.” Suga said, “I’ll grant you your wish. I’ll protect Nini’s love. From this moment on to all eternity—how’s that? And Y/N…” He turned to you, “No matter what happens later, no regrets.”
You felt uneasy as you set the vase down, but what was worst that can happen?
“Now since the wish was granted, I’ll take your prized possession, Jungkook.” Suga closed his eyes, “Your prized possession is….” His eyes flew open and he didn’t look well.
“Suga?” You asked, a bit worried.
“No wonder I wasn’t able to see it before,” he looked at Jungkook, “your prized possession is death.”
With that, Suga collapsed.
You panicked, “Oh my god! Suga!” You run to his side.
“Why is he like this?” You asked Jungkook as you checked Suga’s pulse. Still beating, that’s a good sign.
“Well probably because he received my precious possession.” Jungkook said simply and you give him an incredulous look.
“Okay, why on earth is the thing you value most is death? What’s wrong with you?!?”
“First of all, I didn’t know that was my precious possession. But I guess it makes sense because I am immortal.”
This idiot, you thought, now look at Suga. And it’s my fault too. If I didn’t insist he take the wish against his better judgement, he’ll be fine. I’m too blame…like their death.
You tried to shove the dangerous thoughts away, but you kept thinking about your family’s death. Particularly your brother’s. His plane ticket was yours originally. Yours. It should have been you who died in that plane crash, not him. It was your fault that he died—
“Hey, snap out of it, he’s not dead yet.” Jungkook said, he was next to you.
Thankfully, his words did snap you out of it.
“Look, no one died because of you.”
You realized you were saying your thoughts out loud and blushed.
“I’ll take responsibly, if Suga dies Nini will never recover and will probably kill herself. There’s still hope for him.”
“What do you mean? Didn’t he just receive death?”
“Yeah he received ‘death’, but it’s Suga’s choice on how he uses the gift. If he really wants to live, he’ll avoid death’s call. But if he doesn’t, he’ll probably try to die when he wakes.”
“So, which one will it be?”
“I don’t know. But just in case, you have to watch over him.”
“But wait, I can’t watch over him forever. How do I prevent him from killing himself?”
“Well you’ll just have to give him the will to live.”
How do I that? You were determined to save Suga, not wanting another guilty conscience in your hands. Not like Jin.
You were about to ask Jungkook if he has any suggestions when Jungkook suddenly perked up, “Nini!”
He bolted up.
“What happened?”
“She’s in trouble, I have to go to her.” He started going towards the door, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything. There’s only one way to save Suga. I’ll send Nini is about an hour with the medicine to save Suga.”
“Wait, why is Nini coming and not you?”
“…I won’t need to come again. Just look after Suga for an hour and make sure he doesn’t try to kill himself. Sure you can handle that?”
“Yes, but—”
“Ok, I really I have to go.”
He ran out the door and you had a really bad feeling about this.
I didn’t even tell him that Nini loves him. He’s going to do something drastic, I can feel it. But I have a lot in my plate right now, so I can’t waste time thinking about that.. Hopefully everything comes out right in the end.
You looked at Suga’s sleeping form and wondered how to handle Suga.
SUGA POV
“Suga, if the Calendulan government wins I have to go back home and be queen.”
As Nini said this, she stared at the unconscious Jungkook.
“That’ll be a good thing, you’ve waited for this time to come.”
Nini laughed nervously, “Yeah, I’m happy. I’m worried about Jungkook right now, he got a lot more injuries than usual…”
“He’s going to be fine; he regenerates quickly.”
“Yeah, but it’s always my fault he gets hurt.” Nini pouted.
“That’s because you keep giving your hair to people that don’t really need it. Jungkook is always telling you to stop but you never listen to him.”
She pouted, “I just can’t stand to see people suffering…”
“And Jungkook has to suffer for it.”
Nini frowned, then said, “Let me tell you a secret, since you’re such a nice guy and helped Jungkook out…”
This was the first time someone referred to Suga as a “nice guy”.
“Nice guy?”
She ignored him, “I…like Jungkook a lot. Jungkook doesn’t like me or any of the Calendulan people, but it’s okay. I’ll somehow convince him to stay with me.”
There was a pause as Suga considered whether to tell Nini or not.
“…I’m sorry princess but Jungkook will die soon.”
Nini gave Suga a look of horror, “W-what is this a joke? I thought you said he’s going o be fine. His wounds aren’t fatal or anything…”
“No he’s not dying right now. Do you know what Jungkook is getting in exchange for protecting you?”
“No…”
“Death. Like a time bomb there was poison placed in his body. The moment you arrive back to your planet, Jungkook will disintegrate.”
“N-no, there has to be someway—”
“There’s no way to prevent it.”
Tears started to form in Nini’s eyes, “Why would he…?”
“He probably wanted a sure death, since it’s human nature to want to live in the midst of dying.”
“No, I can’t let him die.” Nini rushed up to Suga, “If I make a wish, could you grant it? I’ll give you anything I have.”
“No. I can’t grant your wish. Wishes pertaining to existence are outside of my control. Just give up and return to your planet, that’s what Jungkook wants the most.”
There was a pause.
“If I were to die and wasn’t able to return, would Jungkook live?” Nini asked. Suga frowned.
“Would he?” Nini insisted.
Suga sighed, “Ok, you win. I can’t grant your wish but I’ll help you. As long as you don’t go back, Jungkook will live. No matter what, fight and don’t go back.”
“B-but if I tell them I won’t return because of Jungkook they’ll kill him—”
“Why says to say it’s Jungkook? From now on, it’s me.”
“Eh? But—”
“Just tell that to Jungkook. A mechanism was planted in Jungkook’s brain without his knowledge that alerts the planet. They’ll know the one you love is me.”
“B-but you’ll be danger…I don’t want that…”
“Do you want to save Jungkook or not?”
Nini bit her lip, “…yes.”
“Then follow my plan; I can take care of myself.”
Suga opened his eyes, ah it was a dream. Strange I thought of that memory, must be from all the commotion from earlier.
He caught sight of you.
Oh, she’s still here. This might be annoying with her here.
“Suga! How are you feeling?” You rush to him and he scowled.
“I’m fine, leave me alone.”, Suga grumbled as he sat up.
“I was so worried, Jungkook said you received death but thank god you’re still alive.” You rambled, “he said that I should look after you, just in case.”
“Yeah, he’s an idiot who prizes death. I want to be alone though, so leave.”
“I understand, but let me stay the hour until he comes back—”
Wow she’s stubborn, Suga thought, one cannot even die in peace here.
“Y/N, I’m asking nicely before I get nasty: get out now.”
“And I’m saying I can’t do that. Just hang in there…or take a nap, that’ll make you feel better.”
And be haunted by dreams again? I think not, Suga thought.
“Fine, but I did warn you.”
“Wha--?”
Suga snapped his fingers and teleported you out of his office. He heard your cries and furious knocks on the door but he ignored it.
Ah finally, peace.
Suga slowly walked to his room, contemplating on how to go about it. A voice in his head was telling him that he probably shouldn’t kill himself, that was silly, but he ignored it. He has committed many sins in his life after all and it’s about time he payed for them.
He entered his room and went out to the balcony, that’s it I’ll just jump. Suga thought how Jin would probably be disappointed in him. Teacher is dead anyway, why does it matter? Even if reborn again, he’ll die before he’s 20 again—that’s his curse after all.
Suga looked at the ground below and wondered if this height will be enough to kill him. There’s only one way to find out.
“Suga!” He heard your desperate shout and turned around, “Stop, you’re not thinking of jumping, right?”
“If I am?”
“Are you nuts? Just stay right there, I’ll hold your hand—”
Tired of the conversation, Suga jumped.
I’m falling. I’m dying. Is this end? The breeze feels good—
He felt himself froze midair and tried to break free but found he couldn’t.
“Didn’t I tell you to live a long life and take care of my sister?”
Suga turned around and saw Jin floating above him, giving him a disapproving stare.
“A disciple that doesn’t listen needs to be hit.”
“Let go.”, Suga growled Jin tsked.
“Eh, you’re being such a little punk, speaking with such disrespect. After everything I did for you?’
“Shut up, I have to watch you die again and again—don’t you think I get tired of it?”
“Hm, I know you’re not yourself so I’ll let it go. But try to die again and I’ll kick your ass.”
Suga felt himself be shot back up unto the balcony.
“I have to save Jungkook first but I’ll be back.”
“Go ahead.” Suga replied, “If you think I’ll be alive by then…”
“Oh my god! Don’t die, you bastard!” You shrieked as you hugged him tight.
Jin smirked, “I won’t worry, my sis is strong. You’re not going anywhere.”
Suga struggled, “Let me go Y/N.”
“No way! I thought my heart was going to explode! Try that again and I’ll kill you first!”
“Y/N, I’m warning you—”
“No! You listen to me—you’re not dying on my watch!” You tell him.
Jin laughed as he watched his sister’s antics and disappeared.
“Just watch me.” Suga replied as he struggled again.
You sighed, “Well then, I’m sorry in advance.”
“What do you—?”
You hit him hard in the head and he blanked out.
She’ll definitely pay for that.
Suga stared at the Jungkook’s sleeping form. So much had happened that night. You knocked Suga out cold for the next hour. When Suga woke up, was given the medicine and was back to normal. Jungkook, however wasn’t so lucky.
“Ni…Nini…”, Jungkook murmured as he slowly opened his eyes, tears streaming from them.
“I honestly didn’t expect you to have the will to wake up,” Suga said.
“She really is gone, huh?”
“Yes.”
Jungkook wiped his tears and sat up on the bed.
“How am I here?”
“Teacher brought you here. He told me everything.”
“Ah so it was him that helped Nini.” Jungkook said softly.
“I’m sorry about Nini.” Suga said.
“She sacrificed herself for me.”
“Nini did left behind this though.” Suga said and brought out a pot filled with dirt, “She left seeds behind.”
Jungkook took the pot and stared at the dirt.
“Do you believe the flower will bloom again? Is that why you’re not sad?”, Suga asked.
Jungkook sighed, “There’s no guarantee that it’ll boom again.”
“If it doesn’t bloom, will you try to die again?”
There was a pause and Jungkook closed his eyes and smiled.
“I’ve never felt my heartbeat before. I thought of it as a useless object extending my life, but I can hear it now. Nini didn’t die. It’s okay if the flower doesn’t bloom again because the place where she lives and breathes…is inside me”
He placed his hand over his heart and opened his eyes, “I won’t waste my time with death anymore. I’ll live another hundred or thousand years. I’ll make sure she didn’t die for nothing. She sacrificed her life to save me. Me.”
Suga couldn’t comprehend it but found it interesting that love will make one do such drastic actions.
Jungkook left, carrying the pot with him.
You came up to Suga.
“Will he really be fine?”
“Jungkook has always wanted to die but wasn’t able to. He always felt bitter because his mom was Calendulan and sacrificed her life for him. This is first time in my existence I heard him not wanting to die, Nini seems to have given him a new hope and purpose in life.”
You smiled, “Wow, the power of love is so powerful.”
Suga snorted, “There you go on about love again.”
You studied Suga, “You mentioned it before, how love is dangerous for your kind. How so?”
He turned away, “It is not necessary for you to know.”
“Have you been in love before?”
There was a pause. Suga thought of the love he once experienced. It was not a pleasant experience at all and didn’t want to have that emotion again.
“You can go home early.”
Y/N P.O.V
Suga continued to evade your questions involving his past and love. He mentioned a teacher a few times, but whenever you asked for more details about his teacher he would clam up. It’s like the more you learned about Suga, the more confusing he got.
You got out of your apartment and saw that it was raining.
Shit, I don’t have an umbrella, you thought, I should really buy an umbrella, I think I lost my umbrella in the move…
You saw a mother and daughter in front of you.
“Sweetie, I brought you an umbrella. My daughter can’t go around getting wet.”
The daughter brought her to a tight hug, “Aw, mom! Thank you!”
“When you get home, I’ll make you some hot chocolate and cookies.”
“Wow, I’m so excited!”
She took the umbrella, opened it and waved back at her mother as she left to the rain.
What the heck, are they filming or something?, you thought, a bit bitter. This scene makes a person without a mother feel sad.
You sighed and resigned yourself to walk in the rain when you saw Suga step in front of handing an umbrella. You blinked.
“Suga?”
“Take it.”
You took his spare umbrella, “You came all this way just to bring me an umbrella?”
He shrugged, “Well, I had nothing to do…”
You smiled, still that was nice of him. You opened the umbrella and noticed he started walking without you, “Hey, wait a minute, let’s go together!”
Dammit, why does he do that?
You ran to catch up with him, but trip and fall in the wet pavement.
“Ow!”
Suga stops and walks up to you, “Stupid.”
“I’m gonna kill you. Hurry up and give me a hand.”
You brought your hand out and he just stared at it.
“What?”
“…it’s cold because of the rain, so I can’t hold your hand.”
He walked away and you couldn’t believe him.
“What are you talking about? Hey! You can just leave me here!”
You just saw his retreating back and frowned as you got up, he’s just too mean. The cold-hearted bastard.
You entered Suga’s office and decided to tidy things up a bit. Or at least tried to.
CRASH!
You stared at the teacup that was shattered on the floor.
Suga looked at you and you blushed, “No, it wasn’t my fault. I just dusted it very lightly.”
He rolled his eyes, “Sure, at this rate we’ll have nothing left.”
You huffed, “Okay, I’m sorry, I’ll clean it up.”
“Let it be.” He walked over and started picking up the pieces, “Being the klutz you are, you might hurt yourself while picking it up. It’s better if I do it.”
He then cut himself with a sharp edge and started bleeding, “Ow!”
You couldn’t help but laugh of the irony, “That’s what you get for showing off.”
He glared at you, “Really?”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Give me your hand to make sure it’s not deep. Where go you keep your bandages?”
You reached for his hand.
“Ah, that’s not nec—”
“I said to give me your hand!”
You grabbed your hand and you froze, “You hand…”
It was really cold. It’s so icy-cold that it’s giving me the chills! That’s not normal. You knew that he wasn’t human but this was the first time you actually saw evidence for it.
He saw your expression and quickly snatched his hand away.
“I’m sorry.” You said.
“Doesn’t matter,” he brought up his hand and his wound was healed, “it heals on its own anyway.”
There was a pause and suddenly the bell was ringing.
“Oh someone must be at reception, I’ll see who it is!” You stammered, glad for the chance to escape the awkwardness.
Wow, Y/N, you’re really acting stupid. So what if his hands are abnormally cold?
You sit on the desk and open the window.
“Um…what is your business? The next time that is available—”
“I’m not a customer but a friend.” Said a friendly voice and you noticed a very handsome man and beautiful woman are in front of you. The man was smiling while the woman wore an expressionless face similar to Suga’s. She stared at you, as if she was studying you, “If you say that J’s here, he’ll come.”
You nod, “I believe you, I’ll let you in.”
“Thanks!”
You led them to Suga’s office.
When Suga saw J, his expression became colder (if that was even possible).
“J?”
Not deterred, J smiled at Suga, “Hi Suga, it’s been a long time.”
“…is today Christmas or my birthday?”
J looked a little bashful at that, “Huh? N-no, neither one.”
“Then why the hell did you come?”
You were surprised at Suga’s words, he’s normally not so rude. The girl next to J looked as shocked as you felt.
“You don’t have to act that way anymore.”
“What?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” J said quickly and Suga narrowed his eyes at him.
The girl tugged on J’s arm, “Let’s hurry and leave. This guy gives me the creeps.”
“Lisa, be nice.” J chided her and she pouted.
“Anyway, just tell me what you want, then leave.”, Suga said.
“Okay, I’ll tell you,” J gestured at the girl next to him, “Say ‘hi’ to my student, Lisa.”
“Student?”
“Yeah, she’s the same kind as you. An Iidae. It took me about a hundred years to teach her human feelings. During the hundred years I spent with her, I was deathly happy.”
This made Suga look at J in concern, “What?”
“As I said, deathly happy.” J gave him a smile, as if it was inside joke the two had.
“You…”
“Lisa, can you step out for a minute? I want to talk with Suga privately.”
“Y/N, go with Lisa. Take her to the kitchen or something.” Suga said distractedly, still looking at J.
Lisa looked pleased with herself, “Okay, yes, yes, I didn’t know you were that happy, I’m so embarrassed. Hurry and have your talk so that we can go home, I’ll make something delicious tonight.”
She looked at you and smiled, “Lead the way.”
SUGA P.O.V
“Suga I know you don’t like to accept wishes from friends, but this is my first and last request, so please don’t refuse me. Make her not fall in love with me.”
Suga stared at his friend, probably his closest friend. J’s race is a tricky one, being that if they are too happy they die.
“How long has this been going on? Why didn’t you come to me earlier, we could have avoided death.”
“Avoid my death? My happiness? You’ve said it before, it’s nice to be able to die smiling. I’m happy now. But for Lisa who’ll be left alone, I can’t just leave her like that.”
Lisa is part of the Iidae, the same race as Suga. They don’t have emotions naturally, though they can be taught. The problem though is if they learn to fall in love. They assimilate with the person they love too easily. If their loved one is happy, they are happy. If their loved one is sad, they are sad. If their loved one is sick, they will have the same illness. If their loved one died, they will die too.
So J having a fear that Lisa is in love with him is a valid fear.
“So you wish for Lisa not to fall in love with you? So that even if you die her heart won’t break. And as for your wish, what I will get in return is..”
“I don’t even need to ask. It must be her. Because there’s nothing more precious to me than her.”
“It’s catching two birds with one stone and still a happy ending. It will prevent Lisa’s heart from breaking and I’ll have to take care of the one who’ll have no place to go after your death. Though it’s so perfect, I won’t make your wish come true.”
“Why not?”
“A long time ago there was this very foolish human who made the same wish as you. Do you know the result of that wish was? Just because you wish for them to stop loving, it doesn’t mean that their memory of love disappears. A yearning is left being that torments you forever. That is pure anguish, you are no longer able to love. Do you want to leave that kind of pain with Lisa?”
“I don’t know, “J said with tears in his eyes, “I don’t know what to do anymore. This is so unfair. She just finished learning everything she needs to be able to live like a human, and at the same time she happens to fall in love with a stupid teacher who is dying. I’m so stupid. I knew it when I first saw her that one day, because of Lisa, I would be so happy that I would die. Every time I was with her, I was getting happier little by little, and dying at the same time. But I never thought she would fall in love with me and her heart might explode. I don’t know, Suga, you say that living without love is painful. It might be better to live with that kind of pain than to die of pain. Let her stop loving me. So that she won’t have any scars due to my death—"
“It’s too late, J.” Lisa opened the door and walked into the room, interrupting J’s speech, “I know now that I love you.”
“N-no, Lisa. I don’t know when you started to listen, but that isn’t love—"
“Stop it. Don’t be so foolish. What? It might be better to live in pain than to die of pain? That might be true, but isn’t that my decision to make? It’s not your choice, J.” Lisa started to tear up, “So look at me straight in my eyes and tell me. I really did fall in love with you, right? It’s true?”
J started to have tears fall down his cheeks as he waked up to Lisa and hugged her, “Yes, I guess so.”
“Fine, then let’s go home now. Let’s forget about this wish thing.”
He pulled away from her, “No, Lisa, hear me out. Since we’ve got it out in the open, it’s okay now. So please stop loving me.”
“No, J, just hear me out. I’m not as weak as you think. You’ve taught me how to be strong. You’ve not only taught me joy and warmth, but also pain and sadness and how to overcome those things. That’s why when you die, I have the confidence to not die.”
“But Lisa—”
“One more thing, you said that once I get to love another person, that my feelings merge with the one I love? Then I should also be sick, but there’s nothing wrong with me. Maybe because my love is just beginning, it might have not reacted yet. Even though I love you, it might not be to death. So don’t worry, I’m never going to die.”
“But Lis—”
“Trust me, please. I haven’t learned how to lie yet.”
“Y-yes, of course. If that’s true then I don’t have to worry.”
He looked at Suga, who was silent and expressionless this whole time.
“I’m never going to die.” Lisa said, smiling.
“Okay,” J said, “Okay, I believe you. Let’s go home.”
He brought out his hand and Lisa took it, beaming.
“Let’s go home.”
They walked out of the office, hand in hand.
About a month later Lisa was back in Suga’s office, alone. She held a box.
“Until…his final days, J seemed happy. Since we’re so different from humans, only his ashes were left behind. I want you to take care of it, Suga.”
Lisa handed Suga a box, “Why are you giving this to me?”
Lisa smiled, “There are three reasons. One, because you were my teacher’s best friend. The first time I came here you were so cold…you were just acting, right? Because if you didn’t act like that, then teacher might have been too happy every time he met you. Well maybe not to his death, but at least so much that he would be sick or a few weeks. In order to stop that, you always met him in a cold was and only a few times a year, right?”
Suga stayed silent but Lisa knew she was right.
“Two, this is most precious possession, With this I would like to make a wish.”
“A wish?”
“Actually, my teacher asked for me to do so.”
“That story, last time..the person that can’t love anymore, about being in pain, it’s your story right? Teacher wanted you to be free from that pain and even though it’s not now but someday for you to find love again.”
“Hah, in this world, there’s a fool who would make a wish for a magician?”, Suga walked over to the window and stared at nothing.
Lisa smiled, “It’s needed once in a while. Let me ask you something: do you think that teacher had seen through my obvious lie?”
“He probably didn’t notice because he was a fool.”
“Thank you, now I can finally rest in peace. The third reason as to why I give you this is because finally my heart has burst.”
Suga didn’t turned around but knew that she was gone. That was the curse of their kind. As Suga had said, love is dangerous for their kind.
He stared out the window in silence, remembering all the memories he had with J. J was a fellow disciple with Suga, they had the same teacher. J was the first person who held Suga’s hand and insist that it wasn’t cold. There was a time J tried to make Suga call him J-Hope, but Suga refused to. Jin used to love playing with J’s hair, especially when they were young. Suga kept remembering random memories like that about his friend. It almost made him wish he didn’t learn the emotion of despair.
“Suga?”
He didn’t turn around at your voice.
“I brought tea…where’s Lisa?”
“She left.” Suga simply said.
“When? Which door? Why did she leave so early? I thought that maybe we would be living together…”
“By the back door. She’s gone her own way now, she won’t be coming back.”
“….really?...wait, what’s with the ash by the couch? I know for sure I cleaned here earlier…I should clean it again.”
“Let it be. I’ll clean it.”
“What? It’s okay, I’ll—”
“No….let me clean it up.”
There was a pause and it seemed like Y/N finally understood what was going on. There was no back door, that’s no normal pile of dirt, and Lisa will never be back.
You walked next to Suga and stared at the window with him, “I’m sorry.”
You went to grab his hand, anticipating the cold, so you didn’t flinch when you touched his hand.
“About what?”
“Well…many things.”
It was a long time since Suga felt the warmth of a warm hand.
And they stood there in silence and understanding.
