How do you get over anything that isn't typically the norm? Say, something like a tiny person; bright smile, chocolate hair that’s stylishly pushed back, little clothing that make him stand out more than it should? Yes, him. Like this little thing that's joyously just swinging from my index finger.

“Tell me your wish~!”

My shock isn't enough to portray that this little creature isn't simply a figment of my imagination…

And yet he's still swinging from my finger, happily smiling and giggling as I poke him with an opposing finger. “What are you?”

“I'm Zhou Mi!” Voice bubbly. Squeaky. Of course.

“What's a Zhou Mi?”

“It's me! I’m a Zhou Mi!” He giggled as if there's nothing going on out of the ordinary. Like he isn't anything out of the ordinary. “Who are you?”

“Kyuhyun. No, but really, what are you?” One minute I was opening a new book to read and suddenly there's a prickling feeling and there's this little man biting at my hand.

“I'm a genie! You picked a good book!” That happiness is a little overbearing…

“A genie? And you just casually travel around in books, biting people?”

He smiled and looked up at me as I placed him on top of the book. “Well, how else am I supposed to get to know if the person is right for the book?” Clearly, a very logical explanation.

“Should I take it that I passed the test?” Maybe he's some sort of small robot. Yes. Maybe if I looked under his shirt in the back I could find the switch?

“Hey! That's private property! What are you doing?” He all but bites me again to let him go. A swift kick here and there to the uninvited and curious hand. But, nothing?

“I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming. The insomnia is finally kicking my and now I'm hallucinating.”

“But I'm real!” And apparently a petulant child according to that pout and wiggling around in discord.

“Yes. Clearly. I'm just going to take a nap and you'll be gone.”

“But I'll still be here!” He's stomping his feet so cutely though.

“Sure, Zhou Mi,” this yawn loud though, “you're a real boy, I'm sure.”

#####

“Kyuhyun~ Wake~ Up!”

“Five more minutes.”

“No more minutes!”

Ah! What's lifting my hand? I'm not lifting my hand!

“Kyu~hyun!”

Dammit. Not a figment of my imagination then. “Okay. You're real enough it seems.”

“I told you!” That pout is back. I get the luck of finding a genie and he's this childish and pouty?

“How many wishes do I get?”

“Three! Make your choices wisely~”

Right. But I kinda have a life and responsibilities to get to. Crap! I'm late!

#####

I get back from being scolded at work for being late to the sight of Zhou Mi trying his best to write with that small figure of his. The pen is huge in comparison to him. “You're awfully strong for your size.”

“Oh! You're back! No, don't look yet!”

“What are you hiding? Is it something naughty?”

Zhou Mi scoffed and threw a bread crumb my way. “You are the only dirty minded here!”

“So? What is it?” It’s obvious how size is my advantage here yet… “WELCOME HOME, KUI XIAN!” In bright letters with sparkles that, now that I look at him, are all over the front of his outfit.

“Already forgot my name?”

He looked insulted at the insinuation. “Of course not! This is simply how we pronounce your name in my tongue.”

Okay. Well. “I don't really have much desire to wish for anything for myself.”

“Ooh! Is it wish time? I like wish time!” The pen landed with a thud behind him but he continued his jumping for joy uninterrupted.

“Could you, uh, maybe get my parents a nice work of their own? Something they own and could look after if they wish to? Like a cafe or something?”

“If that's your wish, Kui Xian, you must say ‘I wish for…’"

“Fine. I wish for what I just said.”

His eyes twinkled and he was suddenly spinning around. Sparkles fluttering and everything.

“Your wish has been granted! Is there anything else you want?”

“Erm, granted? How can I be sure of that?”

Zhou Mi sat  himself carefully back down on the table. “You can just call your mother and you will know!”

Because I have such a great relationship with my parents to begin with. But it doesn’t really hurt to call her. A cheery ringtone as per usual later and I’m connected with-

“Thank you for calling Mama Cho’s! How may I direct your call?”

Uh, this isn’t mom’s voice. “Ah, I think I have the wrong number?”

“Oh! Is this young Kyuhyun? Your mom has been waiting for you call all day! Just a sec!”

Some rustling later and a very excited familiar voice and “Kyuhyunnie! How are you? Is  there anything you need of your mother today? Are you going to come visit us at the shop soon? Everyone misses you.”

“Um… Yeah. I guess I’ll go visit one of these days. How- how is everyone?”

“They’re doing very well!” A little shriek and some commotion as soon as it feels like she’s about to ramble at my ear and my mom excuses herself to deal with something back in the shop. I put my phone down next to Zhou Mi and he leans his head on it.

“So?”

“I guess, you are the real deal… This is all, just a little too much?” A throbbing headache. These pop up whenever something I don’t particularly understand pretty much runs down my seemingly normal life. “I need sleep. I don’t really know what else to do.”

“Sleep! Sleep is very good!” How in the world is he so cheery? Anyways. Sleep. “I’ll just leave you some room on my pillow?”

“A pillow to sleep on? Sounds so cozy! Yes!”

“You really are too lively at times.” It’s not like he’s much of a threat and kinda cute for his stature and… I guess another wish for another day.

“Good night, Kui Xian!” A tiny peck to my forehead felt weird and him being so close to my face and just, still smiles? This is unbelievable.

“Good night.”

#####

How Zhou Mi gets to the places he gets to with that small frame is beyond me. I wonder if he’s able to float or something? I walk out of the room and when I come back, he’s in a completely different area. Ooh-ing and ah-ing at just about everything. “How do you get around when you’re so tiny?”

“Kui Xian!” A soft giggle rocks his entire body, “I have my ways!”

“Don’t you ever wish you were, normal sized?”

He blinks up at me, “no?”

“Would you want to be?”

“Sometimes? But I’ve grown very used t-”

“I wish you were the size of a normal human.”

I swear I just saw the word POOF literally flashing in front of my eyes. And the dust that suddenly kicked up from the commonition is doing nothing for my lungs.

“Kui Xian…”

That’s… a deeper voice. “Yes?”

“Kui Xian, you didn’t-”

As the literal smoke cleared, there stood a much, much taller version of Zhou Mi. Taller even than I am! That look of confusion as he eyes himself up and down once he’s run up to the full length mirror? It’s kind of- endearing.

“You didn’t…” He turns to look me up and down. “I’m your size. And you’re just so-”

So what? Hmph. Oh. A Zhou Mi-sized hug suddenly. He smells so enchanting. How is this possible? “Zhou Mi! No! Put me down!”

Suddenly being twirled around isn’t really the greatest thing when you have motion sickness and just about every mental sickness you can think of with what’s currently going on in your life. Not to mention just how attractive this man is.

“Kui Xian! No one has ever made me human sized!” He put me back down and held onto my hands. “This is such a thoughtful wish. No one really ever wished anything for me.”

“Well, it’s also a bit of a crick on my neck inducing kind of thing to be just looking down at you all the time. But now you’re a little too tall, maybe.”

Oh. Had his smile always been that charming? I can’t be feeling anything for a man I’ve seriously just met yesterday.

“Kui Xian, Kui Xian! Can we go see the world? It’s a new height and, and! I can be out and about like a normal person! A normal person like you, Kui Xian!” That enthusiastic shake of my hands wasn’t going to be qualmed easily it seems.

“Sure? Just down to the park is okay?”

“Yes!” If it wasn’t for him not really knowing where he was, I’m sure he would have bolted faster than lighting.

He enjoyed just about everything. The way the wind hit his face - and a piece of something had the unfortunate want to get into his eye -“why does it hurt so much, Kui Xian!”- and the way he pranced around just about everywhere. I swear that he could have been mistaken for a puppy the way he rolled about in the grass and splashed about in the fountain I had to take him out of no thanks to all the judging looks we were getting.

“You shower first, Kui Xian! I can explore your living space some more!”

Hmm. A strange new companion. Everything isn’t as quiet and lonesome anymore. When Zhou Mi came out of his shower, he found me engrossed in the book that he had accompanied. Actually, it was a very entertaining one. But the most entertaining thought was the way that Zhou Mi curled up against me on the sofa.

“Are you liking the book so far?” Suddenly there was no personal space anymore. And the way that words were stuck in my throat like a stupid child with his crush was- new.

“Say, how old are you?”

I felt the cold suddenly against my shoulder as Zhou Mi pushed himself away. He was lost deep in thought for about a minute.

“749 this year. Time flies when you go from owner to owner.” His smile felt a little bit forced.

“Where you ever human?”

Zhou Mi’s head shook, “I’ve always just been like this. Born and raised to being magical beings and mostly watched humans from the sidelines.”

“Have you ever wished you were like us?”

His smile fell and he pulled his legs on to his chest. “Sometimes? I bet it’s different. To have that experience to grow older and explore things without harm. To be able to love?” The childish hope back in his eyes and that unwavering touch again.

“I wish… I wish you were human. Free of your bounds. Free to do everything you have ever wished to do yourself.”

Zhou Mi’s eyes widened and then he fainted. “Zhou Mi! Zhou Mi!” Come on! You can’t just up and die on me after I wish for your freedom! “Zhou Mi!”

Okay. First step is getting him comfortable. These long limbs have to be draped over the sofa but he has to be propped up somehow. He’s still breathing so that’s a thing?

“Xian...”

“Zhou Mi! I’m here, I’m here!”

He opened his eyes slowly, took in the sights around him until his eyes fixed on mine. “Kui Xian, you- you made me human…”

I nodded and handed him a cup of water. “Is that- not what you wanted?”

He sighed and considered me a while longer. “Kui Xian. I am ever so grateful that you have given me this chance but… What will I do now? I don’t know anything.”

“You know books. You love books, right? We can get you as buried in books as soon as possible and you can learn and learn as much as you can and… you can stay by my side. If you want.”

“I want. I want it all. I want everything. With you, Kui Xian.” In that instant his lips gently covered mine and I was so far gone. I his cheek and he sighed into the kiss and then proceeded to giggle with it.

“What is it?”

“I like your lips, Kui Xian.”

This man… How am I going to not sink any further for this man? “Here,” I offered a hand to him as I stood, “let’s go to the library and get you settled with a ton of books.”

“Oooh! I wonder if I can see some of my friends while there!”

“You have book friends?”
 

“We, or should I say, book genies are very common. We’re just very picky over who we decide we want to grant wishes for.”

“Guess I lucked out, huh?” His infectious smile was really, really hard to not return and the way he marveled at everything on our way to the library and beyond? It was quite the lucky book I picked up that day...