Posted: 18 Jun 2016, 16:00 EDT | Words: 3,949

~//~

It was a week into his life as Kim Jong In that Kai finally got to meet Yoon Ah. His mother had gone to a famous oriental doctor to buy fertility drinks for her eldest daughter, who’d been trying and failing for the past year to conceive a child with her husband. She gave Kai the task of passing it on to her.

“Make sure you watch her drink a whole dose in front of you,” Mrs. Kim instructed him before leaving for work. “Don’t let her leave a single drop. It won’t taste good, but it’s good for her body.”

Jung Ah’s dogs happily greeted Yoon Ah at the front door with their tails wagging when she arrived not an hour later. Though they’d grown to be more accepting of Kai since that first day, not growling or glaring his way, there was still a long way to go before they’d willingly come up to him as they did for all the other family members.

Yoon Ah was a tall and graceful beauty. She had soft brown hair past her shoulders, an oval, pale face, and a slim figure. Whereas Jung Ah had a strong and blunt personality, Yoon Ah had a quiet, reserved one. Jung Ah didn’t like being pushed around, which helped her in the office setting where she was the only woman. Yoon Ah on the other hand was soft-spoken and preferred to accommodate others before herself. If Jung Ah thought Yoon Ah received special treatment from their parents, it was likely because it was difficult to be tough on someone as soft-hearted and gentle as her.

“I see you dyed your hair, Jong In,” she said as Kai led her to the dining area where the box of medicine was sitting on the table. Unlike his parents and Jung Ah, Yoon Ah hadn’t shown any sort of confusion or suspicion upon first sight. It was a testament to how trusting she was of others. “I think it suits you.”

Kai had colored his hair the first day as a human when he’d decided to change the image he portrayed to the people around him. No longer was it the dark brown of his grim genie days, but a lighter shade to represent his brighter future.

“Thanks,” he replied as he opened the box to pull out a plastic pouch. “Mom says you need to drink one twice, one in the morning and one at night. Here’s your morning dose.”

Yoon Ah sighed wearily and took it with an apprehensive hand. “This must have cost a fortune. She’s going through so much trouble for me, all because I’m weak and unable to have children on my own.”

“I think Mom actually enjoys going out of her way for us. She has to if she makes sure to cook breakfast and dinner with at least five sides for us every day, no matter how tired she is. And you’re only weak if you give up before trying everything you can. So drink up.”

Yoon Ah sent him a doting smile, like that of a proud mother. “Those are some wise words coming from you. The chemicals in that hair dye must have made you smarter.”

Kai chuckled and picked up a pair of scissors to cut open the small bag. “And you know…if this doesn’t work out…you could also…adopt,” he hesitantly said, unable to meet her eyes. He knew adoption was not something to be tossed around lightly and didn’t know how his eldest sister would react to the suggestion.

Yoon Ah seemed to have misunderstood his intentions though. Face drawn with concern, she placed a sympathetic hand on his arm. “Jong In, you know I don’t think of you as anything less than my real brother, no matter whose blood runs through your veins.”

She’d inadvertently struck a sore spot. Kai would never know who his real family was. Even worse, he was constantly fooling good people like Yoon Ah who had been magicked into accepting him, all so he could play human. 

“And you should know that I’ve already brought up adoption to Sang Hyun.” Her eyes flickered away as she talked of her husband. “He’s reluctant about taking in a child that’s not ours.” Yoon Ah returned her gaze on him with an assuring smile. “But I think he’s coming around. It definitely helps that you’ve been nothing but the best brother anyone could ask for.”

Jong In hadn’t been. The magic dictated that he’d been someone to take advantage of Yoon Ah’s kindness, having her cover for him when he returned home late, borrowing money from her he never returned, and even snapping at her a few times when he’d been angered.

But Kai would make sure to be so now. He snipped the corner of the drink in Yoon Ah’s hands. “Well before it comes to taking in a brat like me, let’s see if this special medicine actually works.”

Yoon Ah gulped down the drink and grimaced. “Are you sure I have to drink this twice a day?”

“Yes, and to make sure you do, you’re going to send me a picture every morning and night of you drinking them or else I’ll tell Mom that you’ve been skipping.”

Yoon Ah chuckled and tossed away the empty container. “I never knew you were such a tattle-tale.”

She reached for the carton to take it to her car but Kai waved her aside. “I got it,” he said as he easily lifted box and made his way to her car. “You need to conserve your energy for other things.”

“Other things?” Yoon Ah innocently asked as she followed and unlocked her vehicle.

Kai placed the box in her trunk and gave her a meaningful look. “You do know how babies are made, right?”

“Jong In!” a flustered Yoon Ah cried as she swatted his arm.

Kai backed away with a laugh. “Hey, just making sure that wasn’t the reason you don’t have kids yet.”

Still blushing as she slipped into the driver’s seat, Yoon Ah shot him a chastising look that soon turned into an amused giggle while she backed out of the driveway.

***

“I’m sorry, Do Yeon. I want to help, but I can’t take in another.”

“What was that about?” Kai asked Jung Ah when she’d finished the phone conversation she was having on the stairs as she made her way to the dining table.

“Just a friend trying to get rid of the last of her dog’s puppies,” she offhandedly replied. “Mong Gu, Jang Gu, and Jang Ah are already a handful. There’s no way I can take care of another.”

“I’ll do it,” Kai immediately offered.

The other three members at the table froze mid-bite and gaped at him.

“You?” It was Jung Ah who’d broken the silence with a scoff. “Given your track record, you’ll lose interest in a week and end up sending the dog back. Better to skip the hassle and just not get it.”

“No I won’t!”

“Not that I’m trying to discourage you, Jong In,” his mother chimed in, “but you do realize that a puppy means the dog is untrained, right? So you’re not just going to have to regularly feed and walk it, but you’re going to have to teach it not to urinate or defecate inside and clean up after it until it learns. Are you sure you’re up for that?”

“I am,” Kai staunchly replied.

“Well if he says he’s ready then I say we give him a chance,” his father said in a show of support. “I have noticed that he’s been more responsible for the past couple of weeks. I think a dog of his own will be good for him.”

“And when he gives up?” Jung Ah argued, clearly against the idea.

“If he gives up, then we’ll find the dog a new home, no harm done,” Mr. Kim answered. “Call up your friend after dinner Jung Ah, and tell her we’ll take the puppy.”

Even Kai couldn’t contend with Jung Ah’s sentiment that their father highly favored him. He continued to place so much faith in his abilities despite previous failures from high school. Was it because the man had always wanted a son, or because he felt he had to overcompensate for Jong In being adopted? Regardless, Kai felt guilty towards Jung Ah. He hadn’t missed the brief annoyance that flickered across her face while she quietly returned to eating.

What Jung Ah didn’t know was that Kai wanted to raise the dog to bond with her.

He’d been making good progress with all his other family members, but his relationship with Jung Ah remained stagnant. He knew this because of her dogs. They were fiercely loyal to her. They trusted the people she trusted and small as they were, they would put themselves in harm’s way to protect her against those she felt threatened by. The fact that they were still wary of him meant that she was still subconsciously suspicious of him. So Kai hoped that taking in this dog would create an opportunity to seek her help and finally build kinship with her.

There was one other reason Kai desperately wanted the dog. Two weeks into his new life and he had yet to make any friends who hadn’t been enchanted to like him. His focus had been on fostering the relationships he already had, trying to supplant the foundations built on fake memories with genuine ones. So he hadn’t had the time to reach out to complete strangers and test his ability at friendship. But trying to build a bond of camaraderie with a dog seemed like a workable first step towards establishing himself as Kai and not just Kim Jong In.

***

With Jung Ah the next day, Kai had gone to the veterinary office where her friend would meet them to drop the dog off and where they could simultaneously give it a checkup and necessary shots.

Do Yeon was already waiting in the lobby with the puppy in its carrier. She opened it for Kai to see. Floppy ears, black glossy eyes, a long, sleek coat of black fur with short, brown paws, this was his new dog.

“She’s a dachshund, and she’s three months old,” Do Yeon explained as the puppy happily escaped the confinements of the carrier and explored the surroundings with her tail wagging.

“Aww, it’s been so long since my dogs were this small,” Jung Ah cooed from the floor she sat on to better play with the dog. The puppy took to Jung Ah immediately, wiggling her legs in the air as the girl petted her belly.

Kai took a seat in a chair just behind Jung Ah and patted his leg for the dog to come to him. She did, jumping against his leg in attempt to reach his lap and failing because of her short limbs. She fell backwards, but immediately righted herself to try again. Kai had to laugh as he picked the tiny thing up and placed her atop him. “She’s a little clumsy.”

“Excuse me,” an approaching staff member of the vet office said, “but we don’t allow pets to be off their leashes or out of their cages in the lobby. It’s a disturbance to the other owners and animals.” She gestured around at the array of people with their various pets – cats, dogs, lizards, rodents, birds, and more. They were all either tied up or kept in their carriers.

“Sorry, it’s just the first time we’re meeting our new dog,” Jung Ah politely explained. “We’ll put her back.”

The staff member smiled and nodded appreciatively as she returned to her station.

“Our new dog?” Kai said next to her with a slight smirk. It was good. It meant she thought this a joint project.

Jung Ah paused, searching for a response. “Well she’s basically mine too since I’ll be the one who ends up taking care of her when you eventually slack off.”

Do Yeon let out a loud sigh. “Getting her back in the cage is easier said than done.”

Kai understood what she meant when he scooped the puppy up and attempted to guide her into the open carrier. She resisted, putting her hind legs down and pushing back with her front paws until she found an out under Kai’s arm and dashed off.

Luckily Do Yeon caught her before she could reach the leashed large dog that had been barking at her. Jung Ah’s friend turned the carrier on its back so that the opening was on the top and dropped the puppy in. “So, do you know what you’re going to name her?” she asked as the shut the door and righted the cage.

Kai studied the puppy through the bars of the door. She whimpered, clearly upset at being locked up in a small space. There were no hiding emotions with this little girl. She reminded him of someone else who wore her heart on her sleeve. “Cheon Won,” he finally said.

“Dollar bill?” Jung Ah said with a snarky tone. She didn’t like it. “That’s stupid. Give her a cute name like Mong Ah.”

“She’s not going to join your dog entourage,” Kai deadpanned. “Mom and Dad said she’s mine so I get to name her, and I like Cheon Won.”

Jung Ah sent him a dirty look before going up to the front desk to sign up for Cheon Won’s checkup.

Kai smiled into the cage and pet Cheon Won through the bars. “I hope you like your new family, little girl.”

***

With Jung Ah’s help, Kai had prepared everything he needed for introducing Cheon Won to her new home as well as to the veteran canine residents Mong Gu, Jang Gu, and Jang Ah. She had a small bed in the living room and in his room for her to mark as her own, various toys to play with, and pee pads littered throughout the house for her potty training.

Fortunately, Mong Gu, Jang Gu, and Jang Ah didn’t seem too annoyed by the little intrusion into their territory. They kept their distance and didn’t growl when Cheon Won approached, though they didn’t engage with her either. And the puppy was too fascinated with her surroundings to even notice them at all.

Kai took her on walks at least twice a day, allowing her to get exercise and exposure to different environments and people. It also taught her that she had regular chances to use the bathroom outside, so after a few weeks of cleaning up wet surprises around the house, Cheon Won eventually learned to wait to do her business till her walks.

One of those walks was in the evenings with Jung Ah and her dogs. It was during these times that Kai found his sister gradually opening up to him. He’d ask about her day, and it had evolved from a curt “it was okay” the first few times to the current long tirade about every one of her male colleagues. The list was long since she worked in a place where she was the only female employee.

“The ist pigs had the audacity to tell me not to work too late. Who the hell do they think they are, talking to their assistant manager like that? It’s all because I’m a girl. They wouldn’t say that to their other male superiors.”

“I don’t think they were being ist,” Kai opined. “I think they were just looking out for you. You have been working later than usual.”

“Yeah well since my car broke down, I have to work overtime to cover the cost of repair,” she grumbled. It was two days ago that the transmission of Jung Ah’s car had failed and she was told a new one would cost $4,000 and a week to repair. Since then, she’d been staying longer hours at work and coming home by bus.

“You know Mom and Dad wouldn’t mind paying for it. And they said you can use the extra car in the meantime, which by the way is newer and better than yours.”

Jung Ah halted, tugging her dogs back when they tried to continue forward. They obediently stopped and sat on the ground. Kai had to wrestle with his leash though because Cheon Won wanted to keep going.

“Look,” she said with an incisive look. “You might not mind having Mom and Dad pay for everything, but I do. That car, it was second-hand, but I bought it with my own hard-earned money. I pay for my dogs’ checkups, food, everything. I pay for my own cellphone plan. I even buy some of the groceries as a way to pay rent because Mom and Dad won’t take money from me otherwise. And when I finally have enough saved up, I’m going to move out to a place of my own so that I don’t have to worry about owing anyone anything anymore.”

Kai was flummoxed. It was the first time he was hearing that Jung Ah had been planning to vacate their house. “Do Mom and Dad know this?”

“No, and I don’t plan on telling them until I’ve got all the money I need, so you better keep your mouth shut,” she threatened.

“But why? It’s not like you have a boyfriend that you’d want your own place.”

“You think the only reason I’d want to move out is so that I don’t have to sneak around behind Mom and Dad’s back to hook up with a guy?” Jung Ah rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with annoyance. “That might be the only thing on your mind, but no, that’s not the reason.” Her eyes shifted uncertainly back and forth along the ground. “I just think it’s what’s best for everyone. Mom’s favorite daughter moved out two years ago. Dad’s favorite son won’t be around much once you start college in the fall. And I don’t think they’ll like being stuck with what’s left over,” she ended on a bitter note.

“That’s the most backwards logic ever,” Kai angrily concluded. “They’ll want you around more than ever once I go off to college. And the fact that you call yourself leftovers is insanely stupid. Yes, Mom still makes care packages for her married daughter, but that’s because Yoon Ah is worried that she won’t be able to have kids, so of course she’s going to coddle her like she does all of us when we’re going through stuff. And yes, Dad might show extra interest in me, but that’s because I’m still an irresponsible kid who probably would have ended up on the wrong side of the tracks if he hadn’t made sure to keep his eye on me. Yoon Ah and I, we still need our parents. We’re not as strong and independent as you. And that’s why Mom and Dad need you even more, the kid they know they don’t have to worry about, to be their crutch when things get tough for them.”

Jung Ah listened silently, an unreadable expression on her face. When Kai finished, a small smile twisted the corner of her lip. “You’ve changed.”

Kai, still breathing hard from his heated monologue, tipped a brow.

“It’s weird, but a month ago you were like an annoying splinter that I belatedly found, even though you’ve been a nuisance in my life for the past eighteen years. And now, you’re not as bothersome as I used to think. It’s almost like you’re a different person from the one I remember.” She averted her gaze and shook her head. “I’m talking nonsense.”

That was probably an accurate analogy to how Kai had been inserted into everyone’s lives – an unwanted splinter. The memories he’d invaded were probably uncomfortable for them to recall, just like how a tiny piece of wood pricking the skin felt when it was touched. But Jung Ah was alluding to the idea that that was no longer how it felt with the month of memories she now held with him.

Kai smiled. “I feel like a different person. In fact, I feel so much like a different person that I’m thinking of going by another name. What do you think of Kai?”

Jung Ah pinned him with an “are you serious?” stare. She jokingly scoffed and resumed their walk. “Who do you think you are? An idol needing a stage name?”

Kai shot her a cocky grin. “I’d make a great idol. Actually no, an amazing one. I’d probably be the most popular member given how hot and charming I am.”

“Right, because it doesn’t matter if you can sing or not when you’re a singer,” Jung Ah sarcastically quipped.

Kai laughed and swung his arm around her neck. “Don’t worry, Sis. I wouldn’t leave you to become an idol. Besides, the world couldn’t handle me as a y, international pop star.”

***

Kai had assimilated so well into his new life that he’d slowly started to forget the horrors of his previous one. His days were packed with living out the fantasy he could only dream of as a genie and his nights were spent sleeping and actually dreaming, which Kai found to be like a confusing movie of random scenes and illogical transitions. Dreams were not as decipherable as the books he’d once read on them had made them out to be.

He’d been making such great progress with his family that it became harder to remember that not a month ago, they had no idea who he was. He was really starting to feel like he belonged.

After returning home from walking Cheon Won one evening, Kai headed for his room with the little puppy in his arms – she couldn’t climb the stairs on her own. He let her occupy herself on his floor while he took a shower.

When he returned, he found her biting and ripping apart one of his tanks he slept in. “Cheon Won!” he cried as he fought to pull it out of . She eventually let go and scampered to the other side of his room, looking for another chew toy. Kai sighed at the tattered cloth and went to his chest to pick out another one.

Dressed, he made for his bed to find Cheon Won crawling out backwards from underneath with a golden chain dangling out of . “Oh no, what did you get into this time?” he lamented as he tried to pry open to relieve her of the choking hazard.

Kai nearly dropped it when he discovered what it was. The talisman. He hadn’t given much thought to what’d happened to it after he’d been freed. All that had mattered to him was that it was forever gone from his life. But it’d been with him the whole time, hidden under his bed. Seeing it again was like a wake-up call to the truth – this life was not completely his. It was the manifestation of an alternate reality he’d fantasized as a genie come to fruition through an immense amount of deceptive magic.

The talisman held the power to shatter the dream Kai had been living. He had no idea if the magic that had been pumped out of him and back into the talisman was still accessible to him now that he was no longer a genie, but one thing was for sure. He didn’t want to risk the powerful stone ever falling into hands that could undo the magic, and the best way to make certain of that was to get rid of it forever.

~//~

Author's Note