Posted: 15 April 2016, 20:00 EDT | Word Count: 2,800

~//~

Kai had learned his lesson for sure this time. He was no longer going to intervene in Ji Won’s business, not even to get a laugh from her frequent embarrassing slipups. Until he was called for, he was going to remain out of her hair. It was the only solution to dealing with his wavering opinion of his master.

That was why the next morning the genie found himself thousands of miles away from Ji Won in frigid northern Alaska. He was going to embark on a world tour, starting from one corner of the map and finishing diagonally to the next. It had been some decades since he’d last been on an expansive journey.

Travelling was about the only recreational activity Kai was able to enjoy and it required very little magic on his part since teleportation for him was as easy as imagining a place and appearing there in the blink of an eye. Sure he couldn’t interact with the locals to get the full experience, but as an invisible genie unfettered by limits on transportation, he held the advantage of seeing sights not even the most affluent of people had access to.

Northern Alaska hadn’t changed much since the last time he’d seen it – it was a large expanse of white snow punctuated with the occasional small village or research facility – and he’d crossed the place off his list within the hour.

Kai. Kai.

In the midst of the chilling cold, Kai’s chest glowed with warmth. Ji Won was calling for him.

“Already?” Kai wondered aloud. He’d just granted her second wish which had depleted much of his power the night before, and already she was ready to make her third wish? “Well, if it’s something small that I can grant her now, then at least that means I’ll be rid of her.”

But that also meant saying goodbye to the talisman, because once he’d fulfilled a master’s three wishes, the talisman would scatter to a new, unknown location.

Trying not to think about that, Kai affected a nonchalant attitude with his arms crossed as he materialized in Ji Won’s room. “What’s wrong now?” he asked the girl who stood in the center of the room with her back to him.

Ji Won whirled around and with a huge grin, lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

For a frozen second, Kai’s mind was a blank, unable to comprehend what was happening. As he started to come to, his arms fell and hovered around Ji Won’s waist, but his conflictions with his master held him from fully returning the embrace. That and he’d never hugged anyone before. The feeling of another body wrapped around him was too foreign, too new, for him to both process and react to properly. The pounding palpitations in his chest weren’t helping him think clearly either.

Fortunately, Ji Won pulled back so Kai didn’t have to deliberate on the intimate act any longer. “I would kiss you right now,” she jubilantly stated. If her hug confused him, this claim left him utterly dumbfounded.

Kai had never had a dream of the variety that occurred when one was asleep because he did not and could not sleep. But he’d read that often times, these involuntary successions of images that flashed through the human mind never made much logical sense. So by that reasoning, the genie wondered if by some miracle, he’d fallen asleep and was now experiencing his first dream.

“But I know you’d find that a punishment and not a reward,” Ji Won quickly added with an easygoing laugh. “So let me just start by saying thank you.”

“For what?” a still befuddled Kai asked.

"For saving my grandfather," she said as if the answer was obvious. "It worked. My second wish worked!" With a smile that stretched from ear to ear, she spread her arms out and twirled around in her spot like a little girl in a field of flowers. “That’s why,” she continued, returning her attention to Kai, “I'm going to thank you in the best way I know how when it comes to you.”

In the seconds that ensued when Ji Won proceeded to display the gratitude she’d catered towards him, Kai grew certain this was in fact a dream. Ji Won, in what the genie had to regard as the most servile act ever directed towards him, lowered herself onto her knees. Her torso inclined forward onto her palms which rested on the ground in front of her into a full-body bow reserved only for royalty.

It was said that if a person became aware that they were dreaming, they could wake themselves up by inflicting pain upon themselves, Thus the phrase, “pinch me I’m dreaming”. Kai curled his fingers into tight fists by his side, feeling his nails digging into the flesh of his palms. But no matter how much discomfort he exacted on himself, the scene before him did not change. He wasn’t dreaming. This was real. And Kwon Ji Won, contrary to his initial impression, wasn’t a selfish brat.

Ji Won righted herself onto her knees. “Thank you,” she said with sincerity.

Kai, still trying to register his revelation about his master, avoided her gaze and mumbled, “Get up.”

His master frowned but pushed off the floor into a stand. "Wasn't that what you wanted? I thought me getting on my knees would make you happy."

"Yeah, yesterday when I asked you it would have.” Yesterday if Ji Won had gotten on her knees, it would have been to get something from him. Today, it was a humble show of appreciation of the kind Kai had never received.

Mouth gaping in disbelief, an annoyed Ji Won snapped, “Well, Mr. Fickle, what would make you happy today?"  

"Why are you trying to thank me?” Kai softly asked. “I was only doing my job as your genie by granting your wish." He was a means to an end, the vehicle that took his master from desire to fulfillment. People didn’t thank a machine for doing what it was supposed to, only tore it down when it started to fail.   

"I don't know,” Ji Won shrugged. “Do I have to have a reason? I'm just grateful to you for making my grandpa better. Doctors are supposed to do the same thing and had a doctor done so, I would have thanked him too."

"Cheon Won!" Her grandfather's voice bellowed from the base of the stairs. For a cursory second Kai thought he’d turned Ji Won’s grandfather mad in the process of curing his dementia because the old man was shouting “dollar” like he was searching for one and the piece of paper would answer to his calls.

"I'll be down soon Grandpa!" Ji Won hollered over her shoulder.

Misunderstanding cleared, Kai chuckled. “Your grandfather calls you a dollar bill?”

Ji Won narrowed her eyes and bitterly answered, "Yes, you have a problem with that? Are you going to make some comment about how I'm only worth that much?"

Kai shook his head. "It's cute," he contradicted with a gentle smile. It was an oddly fitting pet name for her.

Ji Won’s jaw fell. Kai was well aware of his own drastic change in attitude when in previously similar situations he would have replied in a manner very similar to her sarcastic retort. But he couldn’t very well explain it himself why he was in such a light mood that he was spitting out words like “cute” in conversation with his master. All he knew was that at least in this moment, he enjoyed being in Ji Won’s presence for more than just his personal amusement.

“Well,” Ji Won said awkwardly as she reached for the door, “I better get going.”

However, that didn’t mean he was going to give up on entertainment at her expense altogether. He jumped through the space of a few feet to Ji Won and slammed the door back into its frame. Meeting her confused look with a serious one, he said, “You still haven’t thanked me properly.”

"I thought you just said I didn't have to thank you!” She released an exasperated breath. “So what do you want me to do? Kiss your feet?”

Kai lifted a brow, trying hard not to laugh. “You would do that?” Her eyes widened in horror and he could no longer hold in the laugh making his shoulders quiver. “I was kidding. But you’re on the right track.” He smiled mischievously. “You did offer to kiss me earlier.”

Ji Won made a strange choking noise. “What? But what about Rule #3 and your elusively high standards or whatever?”

Kai had almost forgotten about that made-up rule in his quest for a quick laugh and hastily came up with an explanation which he presented coolly, “A kiss doesn’t make us an item, nor does it mean either of us has feelings for the other. And in some countries, it’s seen as a form of greeting.”

“Yeah, but not ours,” she quietly mumbled and then more loudly, “So just to be clear here, you actually want a kiss from me?”

“I want,” Kai said, carefully choosing his words so as to make sure there was no misunderstanding, “you to express your gratitude in the way you intended.”

“Ji Won!” her grandfather called again.

“I’m almost done,” Ji Won shouted through the door. She looked pleadingly at Kai to release his hand. His response was to dip his head down and tap his cheek, letting her know there was only one way out. She finally gave in and pressed her warm lips swiftly against the side of his face. “Thank you. Now can I go?”

Kai smirked, said, “You’re welcome,” and turned invisible, finally giving her clearance to leave.

She opened the door and, not knowing that he was still there, walked through him into the hallway where she disappeared down the stairs.

Once alone in the room, the laugh Kai had been holding in erupted. He replayed Ji Won’s expressions when he’d suggested a kiss and he was again snickering to himself. As his laughter started to fade though, he realized what had resulted from his little jest.

Kai’s hand slid up to his cheek, warm to the touch where Ji Won’s lips had touched his skin. My first kiss.

***

For the past half hour, Kai had been lying on Ji Won’s rooftop watching blobs of white clouds sail across the blue sky and thinking about the time that remained with his young master. If her wish-making continued at the rate that it had been, he’d be free of her by tomorrow.

A strange, melancholic feeling stirred within the genie. Kai didn’t like the idea of moving on so quickly from Ji Won, and he wanted to believe that it had fully to do with the liberties he held as her genie. But Kai knew that wasn’t the entire truth. Since the previous night, he’d discovered more reasons why he would rather stay linked to Ji Won. He’d experienced an iota of human normalcy, or at least as far as he ever could as a genie, in his interactions with her and it was enough to make him dread going back to the complete submission he’d known for much longer. He absolutely did not want to risk the talisman falling into the hands of another Park Jung Woo.

But that required Ji Won never making her third wish – a request more impossible than a master wishing him free.

Not so distant voices snapped him out of his trance. Kai pushed himself up so that he supported his upper body on his elbows and peered over the edge. Ji Won and her grandfather were making their way arm in arm towards the house, presumably after a neighborhood walk. Kai had to smile. The range of expressions on Ji Won’s face as she recounted some story was hilarious. And to see such joy on not only her face, but her grandfather’s as well, Kai felt a ballooning warmth in his body. It had nothing to do with magic, as it usually did when heat stemmed from his chest. No, he realized that as terrible as he could be made to feel when he was used for nefarious reasons, he could feel just as pleasant when utilized for honorable ones. He’d made a positive difference in the lives of two people with one selfless wish. If only he could do deeds like this of his own accord…

He couldn’t of course. But there was one thing he had the power to do. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, and Kai was sure he would probably come to regret it considering Ji Won’s usual scheming nature, but maybe, hopefully, it would allow him to continue feeling this warmth just a little longer.

***

Kai was seated in his usual spot atop the dresser when Ji Won finally entered her room, but she ostensibly didn’t notice him because she made straight for her bed, flopped forward on her stomach, and screamed into her pillow. Kai could have sworn she looked exuberant not ten minutes ago when he’d seen her outside.

He closed the distance between them, unbeknownst to her, and asked, “What happened this time?”

Face still buried in her pillow, she said in a muffled voice, “My dad took the money my grandpa gave me to pay for that charge from the movie theater.”

“Oh the injustice,” Kai said dramatically, “having to pay for your own mistakes. Literally.” It was a very “Ji Won” thing to be upset about.

His master lifted her head, looking ready to spit fire. But as she met eyes with Kai, nothing came out of her open mouth. The only movement came from her eyes which travelled down his body lying on its side next to her. Oblivious of how their proximity on the bed could be misconstrued for more than friendly intentions, Kai shifted ever so slightly into a more comfortable position on her mattress.

The motion brought Ji Won back from her daze. “What do you want?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

Kai’s earlier light and playful mood returned and he leaned forward with a devil-may-care smirk. “If I tell you, will you give it to me?”

And like earlier, Ji Won’s mouth fell open and her eyes doubled in size. Just what did he think he was going to ask for her to react like that? It’s not as if he’d asked her to kiss his feet. But unlike the previous time, Ji Won’s shock remedied itself on its own moments later. Amber eyes resumed their slits and she snapped, “No, so go away.”

Kai pouted, a technique he was picking up from Ji Won when she wanted something. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

Surprisingly, it didn’t work on her. “I don’t care,” she stated. “It’s still a no.”

That didn’t stop Kai from speaking his mind regardless. “I just wanted to know if you were doing anything later tonight,” he innocently said.

“I don’t think so,” Ji Won cautiously answered. “Why?”

“Because,” he answered with a small, mysterious smile, “I have something to give you.”

Ji Won rolled her body up to a sitting position on her knees at the foot of her bed, creating a distance between them. She crossed her arms guardedly. “What?”

Kai could understand Ji Won’s wariness towards him. He was pulling a near one-eighty from his usual attitude and he’d behaved the same when Ji Won had tried to swindle his talisman from him. But this was no trick, and he knew that simply saying so wouldn’t work on her. So he attempted to appeal to her subconscious. He mirrored her by pulling himself up into a sit against the headboard. He then attempted to exude the relaxed aura of someone unpretentious and trustworthy.

“It’s a surprise,” he said with a sincere smile, “but I promise it’s something really good.”

Ji Won extended a hand, palm up, obnoxiously in his face. “Then just give it to me now,” she demanded.

Kai shook his head. “Uh-uh, later tonight.”

Ji Won rolled her eyes. “I doubt it’s anything great.”

Kai chuckled and dipped his head forward, pinning her with a look that dared her to say otherwise. “But you’re still really curious, aren’t you?” She didn’t acknowledge it in words, but her silence and the scowl on her face was enough for him to know that even if she didn’t trust him, he at least held her interest. “Then just wait until tonight.” With an uncharacteristic wink, Kai left her room and teleported up to her rooftop until nightfall.

Hopefully by then, he would have enough magic to follow through with his plan.

~//~

Author's Note