Jihyo was desperate enough to try anything. Nothing was too ridiculous. Over the last year, she’d tried crystals, scented candles, positive affirmations, and even a daily prayer ritual. All because she couldn’t bring herself to make a pass at perfection personified. But nothing had worked.

Captain Wonderful – Jongkook – had not fallen madly in love with her, nor swept her away to a life of mutual adoration where the only air he inhaled was hers, simply because he didn’t know she fancied him. She was an unintentionally stealthy blip on his love radar—completely invisible.

But this time it was going to work. She could feel it in her bones.

Jihyo pulled the voodoo doll kit out of the padded envelope and pondered if her stomach's rumbling was caused by nervousness, anticipation, or last night's pizza. She was confident of one thing: she had never done something so crazy in her thirty years on earth.

She felt relief from the Pohang summer as the seaside air blew through her partially renovated townhouse. The town had been soaked for a week by a rain depression before being subjected to days of ruthless heat.

As a result, the air was thicker than a Kardashian and steam rose from the roadways like reverse rain, making it the perfect opportunity to work some voodoo magic. The clatter of palm fronds in the breeze served as her musical accompaniment for the evening as she completed her second vodka tonic while alone in her white stone kitchen.

She needed a bit more bravery, and Mr. Stolichnaya was always a willing enabler. Thankfully, the assembly of the dolls – his and hers – didn’t require an engineering degree, unlike flat-pack furniture. Her wardrobe inserts weren’t even remotely similar to the images that came with those instructions and considering she was delving into the dark art of voodoo, mistakes weren’t an option.

She grabbed for the stoli and found new strength in it. But it is clear that this was a con. Nothing about the collection of subpar craft materials of a D grade suggested witchcraft. The two white and red felt cutouts that were embroidered in black wool to resemble gingerbread men might have been purchased from Lincraft. The cost of having it air-expressed from the US of A was scarcely worth it. However, unrequited love made a lady part with large sums of money in exchange for a little glimmer of mistaken hope.

The anatomical correctness of the male doll had surprised her, and she hoped the doll was to scale.

She read the directions out loud.

"Put your name on the ribbon and fasten it on the doll's . This will prevent ual activity."

She complied with the instructions, being cautious not to knot the ribbon too tightly because it would be counterproductive if his love stick fell off.

Despite being cautious, she’d snipped the Jongkook-doll’s right hand with the scissors. She assumed the doll’s energy would be activated over time, not immediately, so the cut seemed unimportant.

According to the instructions, she should tie the dolls symbolically. Her jaw-length caramel-colored bob was the best, but it was not long enough, so she wrapped the dolls in her iest underwear, putting their stomachs in a sort of stand-up position with his ribbon-endowed pressing against her doll's feminine parts. Even if it was simply metaphorical, it worked for her.

The dolls were completed after another two glasses of courage, with "Jongkook" written across the chest to designate him as the intended target.

Referring to Jongkook as a "target" had a somewhat militaristic ring to it, but given that he was an Army Blackraven pilot and Jihyo was a defense civilian, it made perfect sense.

She knew who she was going for with his beachy glow, sterling-grey eyes, toffee-colored hair that she would yearn to grab during an , shoulders that were wide enough to hide behind in a blizzard, and sprinter's legs.

Only once had she ever dated a military man, and that relationship ended when, at his request, she was transferred to another base and he was swiftly sent to Illinois.

It seemed easier to maneuver a complicated bureaucracy and move his entire career than to tell her that their year-long relationship was over. After that, she vowed never to date another military man, but something about the way Jongkook wore his uniform rendered her absolutely worthless. It resembled a trifecta of a brain tumor, a hangover, and an excessive coffee intake.

When she first saw him, she became jittery, had verbal diarrhea, forgot her own identity, and started walking into walls. His voice was soothing, like a warm summer evening, and his smile was genuine and humble. Many pilots have inflated egos, but not this one.

What she admired most about him was that, unlike many captains, he defied the system and stood up to his superiors that soldiers be regarded as human beings rather than disposable minions. Thus, Captain Wonderful was given to him. She was drawn to him not only physically but also for his courage and honor in a system that rewarded blind o