Not only that he touched.. he touched.. he touched.. Aghh!! I can’t even say it straight. Yes, he did touch it then he made fun of it. Ughhh… What a creep. Can he not be more a gentleman-like? Oh, scratch the part more in the ‘more a gentleman-like’ for he is no gentleman in the first place. =,=

 

At this moment, he’s laughing crazily. Why do people seem to love laughing at me early this morning? I didn’t even tell them a hilarious joke. Wait, I’m going to give him a joke so that there’d be a ‘BETTER’ reason for him laugh at me.

 

“Jiyong! I have something good to say. Listen,” I told him attracting his attention in a serious tone.

 

He stopped laughing and regained his postured, “So, will you make your wish or I’ll shrink –”

 

Sensing his degradation attempt, I cut him off before we go back to his ‘generous offer’ and said, “Ya! I’m being serious now.” Serious for what, cracking a joke? Aisht, so stupid of me to say such thing. “Drop that silly offer of yours. And what the hell are you thinking?! You’ve already said that it’s small and now you’ll shrink it? THAT. IS. SO. NICE. OF. YOU. Seriously, thanks.”

 

“I’m just trying to help,” he said make-facing that he’s indeed helping.

 

“Knock it off, will you?” Honestly, where’s the ‘help’ part wherein the only thing that he has been doing is belittling it.

 

Raising his brow, “All right, all right. I’ll behave now. So, what are you ‘seriously’ going to say again?” Finally, he stopped.

 

Hmmm.. What am I going to say again? Oh yeah, cracking a joke so he’ll have a good reason to laugh. Closing my eyes, I put both of my index fingers to my temples as if in deep thought. Yes, I’m thinking of a good joke for him to laugh and forget about ‘it’.

 

*think* *massages temples* *think* * massages temples* *think* * massages temples* [drumrolls] And the result is.. Ta-Dah! NOTHING K Why? Why can’t I think of something good to make him laugh? T.T

 

Before I could open my eyes, I was so shocked when he flicked my forehead. “Just kidding. Tag, you’re it,” he said while flying away from me. Cheater. Wait ‘til I defy the law of gravity just like you. “Why you,” I said stomping towards him.

 

---

 

It’s been half an hour that we’ve been running around playing tag, or him running and flying away from me to be exact. Seriously, when will the world end, huh? I’m tired of waiting for it and trying to catch him. The only thing that I’ve been doing is jumping ‘cause he’s above me and that he’s trying to take advantage of my late-bloomer-flying-ability-before-the-end-of-the-world.

 

Since I can’t take it any longer, I gave up, breathe loudly, sat in an Indian style and made a face. “Quitting already?” he said flying towards me. I nod in reply.

 

Still floating, he is now in front of me with hands on waist then said, “You’ve barely –never even touched me.” Pouting his lips and scratching his head, “you’re no fun.”

 

What the! Is he accusing me of being a party-pooper? He’s the party-pooper here you know. He’s flying so high knowing that I can’t reach and catch him for roughly 30 minutes. So tell me, who’s the ‘no fun’ person here?

 

Batting his eyes near my face, a small smile formed on my lips. My, my, you’ve let your guard down Mister. Tapping him, I said, “you’re it.” huh! Finally! I immediately stand up as I tapped him and run as fast as I can.

 

My breath runs out, he catches my pace and taps me at my back then said, “tapping me when I’m not ready. Cheater, you’re it.” Then off he go to mid-air.

 

Since I can no longer play his game because of exhaustion, I raised my hands in a defeat-gesture way and said, “I’m worn out already.”

 

“But the fun is just beginning,” he whined. Aisshhhtt. What is he? A kid? He was like in his 40s a while ago… But wait! “The end of the world, is it coming?” I told him without thinking. I blabbered it out because of curiousness of why the time has stopped and why can he float. Of course I wouldn’t believe that he’s a genie. Only a fool would do that.

 

Raising his brows, he said to me “so you’re still not believing that I’m your genie, huh?” I smiled at him in response.

 

“Dara, all you need to do is wish. A simple wish couldn’t hurt, right?” he faces me while saying that.

 

“It couldn’t because you’re going to make fun of me again.” I creased my brows to inform how irritating it is to make fun of me.

 

Crossing his arms in front of him, “wish for something and the ‘the end of the world’ belief of yours shall be explained.”

 

I sighed since I got nothing else to say. The ‘the end of the world’ is my last resort and he retorts it with him saying that he’s my genie. Thinking whether I’ll wish or not, I asked him “Are you sure?”

 

“One simple wish and I’ll prove it you.”

 

Thinking of what to wish, I noticed that I’m so exhausted that I need water badly. Like a boss demanding something from his underlings, I told him “I wish for a bottle of water.”

 

He smiled so long then said, “just joking.” With a wink, he continued, “The world will end soon.” And now, he’s laughing crazily again.

 

Aissht! I should have known. No! I know it already. It’s just that I’m so stupid, dumb, ignorant, and to fall for that. Well, I know the world will end by now but heck I fell for his trick again.

 

I sat down again and curl my self up to hide my mortified self.

 

He stopped laughing, sat beside me and pokes my back. “What now?” I asked still hiding my face.

 

“I was just joking.”

 

“I know that’s why I’m so stupid, dumb, ignorant, and for, at least, believing you that you are an actual genie. And other than the ‘the world will end’ reason, I thought that you are a genie for knowing the reason of what is happening right now.” I said facing him in an irritated sound.

 

“No, I’m joking about the joke that wasn’t a joke at all.”

 

What the hell is he saying? My brain can’t even comprehend his words. Oh my, no! Don’t tell me, I’m really stupid, dumb, ignorant, and .

 

“Let me guess, you didn’t understand what I said.” He said and I replied at him with a pouting mouth and a baby face.

 

He cleared his throat then said, “What I’m trying to say is that I am a real genie and that I’m your genie. I was joking when I said I am not and that the world will end.”

 

I covered both of my ears and said, “na-na-na, I’m not falling for that again,” then stuck my tongue out at him. He will no longer fool me, I promise you. Not for the nth time.

 

Face palming himself, “What shall I do to you?” *sighs* “I already believed that you’re a genius for wishing and yet you’re back to being the stupid, dumb, ignorant, and ,” he insulted eyeing me. 

 

He stood up and said, “Since you’ve already wished. Here’s your water.” And out of the blue, the water popped out of his hand and gives it to me. Taking it, he continued, “and by that, you’ve officially become my contractee and I’m officially become your genie.”

 

My face is at awe because of that. I don’t know what to say. I was.. I was… I don’t know that right term for it. And what was more shocking, he vanished giving me his wide smile before he did.

 

I stood up wondering where he could be now. I’m still stuck at this time and I no longer know what to do.

 

After few minutes of looking for him, he popped at my back and said, “Oh yeah, before I forgot. I have a nice present for you for being my contractee. See you later. Bye bye” He waved at me first before popping out again.

 

As he popped out, the time is now working and that everything came to normal as if nothing had happened. I was left dumbfounded by the time he left so people around me keeps bumping on me.

 

---

 

I snapped back to reality when I felt my phone vibrating. It must be a message, but from whom?

 

On my phone screen, it shows an unregistered number. I opened the message that says,

 

Greetings to you valid customer,

 

We, Korean Random Shop, hereby congratulate you for winning “Two tickets for Lotte Hotel Jeju- 3 days and 2 nights (Grand Prize- one winner)” which includes the following:

         A. Two-way plane tickets going to and from Jeju International Airport via Jeju Air

         B. Pocket money worth of 100,000 won

         C. All expenses shall be handled by Korean Random Shop inside Lotte Hotel Jeju

 

To avail the said prize, please visit any Korean Random Shop, bring 2 valid IDs, and show them your proof (according to what you have written on your coupon) upon claiming.

 

From Korean Random Shop INC.

 

Looking at the sky, Hmmm, so I won huh? *sigh* I won. Why doesn’t it ring a bell? I won. Closing my eyes, I again thought of it so that I could think properly. I though while bending my head on my left and right at each sentence, I won. I won. I won. I won. I won. I won. I won. I won. I won. I won. I won. I won. *ding* It took me long enough to know what it means. I opened my eyes as I realized now what I have won. ! I won.

 

I squealed loud enough for everyone around me to turn and look at me. Raising my hands up in the air and dancing crazily, I shouted, “I won. I won. I won. kyyyaaa!!!!” and immediately thought of running off to the shop but sad to say, I have classes to attend first. My tickets can wait, right?

 

---

 

On my way to school, I felt nausea for somebody is watching me. I think. Facing left and right, it seems there’s nothing wrong. I sighed at the thought that it was only my imagination that someone’s watching me. But, of course, it was not my imagination after all for I saw someone floating above me.

 

I screamed at my genie who’s now above me floating in and smiling widely above me, “Yyaaaahhh!!!! What are you doing?” pointing my fingers at him. Again, everybody around me is looking at me as if I’m mentally retarded. Some murmurs that I were able to hear are “what is she saying?”, “Superman, where? Where?” seriously, did I even mentioned superman?, “she must be crazy”, “to what is she pointing at?”

 

What the hell do they mean? Can’t they see this man who is now in front of me, feet on the ground and still smiling at me?

 

“Dara, they can’t see, feel nor hear me,” he said clearing the thoughts off of my head. “What the heck are you saying?” earning another batch of murmurs from the crowd.

 

Heaving a deep sigh, “Look.”

 

My gaze followed him and was taken aback upon seeing him walking through a body of a man. Oh gosh. That is so creepy. “See?” he said with arms on waist.

 

“You did not have to do that you know. That is the most disgusting scene I’ve ever seen,” I screamed at him but unfortunately, he’s not the only one that heard it. The man, whom Jiyong just walked through, is now approaching me thinking that I was talking about him. Uh-oh.

 

“What’s your problem, miss?” he said giving me deadly stares.

 

“I.. I..” I don’t know what to say, “was talking about that fire hydrant,” pointing to a bench. What the hell am I saying to him?

 

He turned his head to check what was it and returned to face me. “You were saying?”

 

Oh no, oh no, what to do? I faced left and right to look for something that could answer my problem and lo and behold, Jiyong the genie comes to my rescue mouthing ‘make a wish’. And in an instant, “I wish you turn your back and realize that nothing weird had happened.” As soon as I wished that, the time had stopped again.

 

“That’s your second,” Jiyong says walking towards me.

 

“Yaa! Why did you stopped the time again?” creasing my forehead unto him. Really, he doesn’t need to do that.

 

“Can’t I have privacy upon fulfilling your wish?”

 

“So? Can you not do it normally what genies normally do?” pertaining to the Aladin animation.

 

“This is what we normally do,” he said

 

“Then why – ”

 

“If you’re going to talk about that ty cartoon then you’re a fool for believing all those things. Seriously, that animation is helpful to know what genies do but not all. Remember, that Aladin is only fiction. Meaning, it’s not based from experience and from facts. Some of them may be true but most of them are mere products of their intelligent minds. So if I were you, I’d stop comparing the genie in front of you and the genie from a fiction. I am real and he is not.” pointing his index finger on my temple hardly making me bend my knees.

 

I grab his wrist and complain, “It hurts. And you, why the hell did you call Aladin ty? Just a while ago you were saying that’s is helpful and now you’re calling it a . What if I say you’re a who does nothing but insult everything, huh, huh?”

 

“Well, the truth hurts. I guess. Call me everything what you want, it wouldn’t even hurt a bit.”

 

“YOU. ARE. SO. HEARTLESS.” Pushing him while saying each word.

 

Grabbing my hands, he said, “thank you Dara,” flashing his eye-smile.

 

*facepalm* “tch. Seriously?” he nods “So tell me, is it a ‘must’ for a genie to be helpful to his wisher – genieer – master – or what do you call them?”

 

He chuckled first before answering me, “Well, it is a ‘must’ for we a genie would not be called a genie if one can’t fulfill the wishes of his contractee. To answer your second question, I’ve already said the word countless times and to add up, can you not think of such appropriate words? Wisher? Genieer? What the hell, you can’t even search for those words in any dictionary. And Master? What am I, your servant?” he said as if he’s been humiliated.

 

“Then I guess you’re not a genie at all. Wise words from you, though. Contractee? Can you ALSO google that word? And by the way, I didn’t know the right term that IS why I asked you.”

 

“Me? Not a genie? You’re not one grateful contractee miss Dara. Answering your issues about contractee not being a word, no, you can’t google it HERE but you can google it in OUR world. I know that you don’t know that’s why I ASKED YOU in return,” he said scoffing me.

 

For a bright genie like you, you sometimes forgot that I am talking to you. “No, not you. The other genie,” I said smirking at him “yes, for by being helpful, you’re no help at all. Now I’m being ungrateful. For what, making fun of me? I already said thanks to it not long ago.” I have no intentions of making the fight long but he started it. Also, I intentionally not answered him back to his last statement. He got a SLIGHT point to which I have to admit.

 

“Oh, then go talk to the other genie,” he steps back and gestures his right hand to the people behind him.

 

“I’m happy to talk to him. At least he won’t bring me into trouble, make me look dumb or say such rude things, and call me ungrateful.” Walking past by him, he grabs my arm said, “must we fight?”

 

Facing him, “must you bring trouble, be rude, and annoyingly judgemental?”

 

He lets go of my arm and said in defeat, “Okay, I’m sorry. I did not intend to bring you in trouble. This genie-thing-relationship-with-the-contractee is new to me that I didn’t even have a background of it. Also, I was supposed to give the grandest entrance of meeting your genie, who is me, and give you a good impression of me.” Now he brings me into his arms and hugs me then continued saying, “I’ve never been close to a girl so that makes me an ignorant on how to make a good impression to a girl like you. I’m so sorry. Please understand that I’m trying my best to be at help for you. It’s just that I’m always with guys so that’s why I treated you the way I treated them.”

 

Ohh, revelations. I do not know what to voice to him. It is so awkward. “I’m sorry. It’s your fault for mocking me in the first place.” Yes, it is his fault that we are currently fighting. Want to know the details? Okay, here it is. First, he leaves and comes back scaring the hell out of me. Two, because of his weird sense of explaining things, I got into trouble for accusing the person, whom he went through, of him being gross. Third, I looked so stupid, dumb, ignorant, and for pointing at a bench which was supposed to be a fire hydrant. Fourth, if Jiyong is a genie, he should have had helped me in the first place by making that bench a fire hydrant. Fifth, he is no help at all. Sixth, he stopped the time again which is a normal thing for them that I thought it isn’t. Seven, seriously, I am not used to this genie thing so what do you expect from me? Know everything? To be able to be aware of genie-this-genie-that, of course I would be using a reference – which, by the way, is the Aladin. Eight, he called my second favorite Disney movie. He crossed the line. Ninth, I just defended the movie and now he spits at me as if I’m the one who started it. Tenth, he started of all these. PERIOD.

 

He laughs and lets go of the hug. Mind you, I did not hugged him back. Then said, “I was just joking. Hahaha. You can’t be serious, right? And I was the one you mocked you in the first place? Hahaha.”

 

I pushed him so hard that he fell off on the ground, “I was so stupid, dumb, ignorant, and for believing in you again. The next time you do this to me, expect that I am not believing you.” I turned back and walked across those frozen people for the time is still at halt.

 

Running behind me, “Dara I am joking again.”

 

I waved my hand still not looking back and said, “Ha-ha-ha funny. Anyways, I won’t fall for that again. I’ve experienced it like, um, few minutes ago?” I know what he means by now. He was obviously pertaining that he was joking about the joke that he said.

 

“I know you won’t for now. But didn’t I proved it you in the end?”

 

Clearly, he has a point in there. I stopped walking and turned to face him and look at him in the eyes. Aiisshtt. How can I be so forgiving and at the same time, stupid, dumb, ignorant, and ? I heaved a deep sigh and said, “Okay. Since I do not want to fight any longer, I guess I should forgive you now. It’s so early in the morning and I haven’t even attended my first class, this way, I wouldn’t be hotheaded for forgiving you. Also, you disclosed to me that you’re trying to make a good impression on your grand entrance that turned out to be an epic fail, in return, I’m giving you another chance. So, let us start once again by introducing ourselves?”

 

Holding out my hand, “Good day to you mister time-stopper, I’m Dara.”

 

He raised his one brow and made straight face, “No, no, no. This is wrong.” Huh, I’m giving him a chance and he refuses it. What the hell?

 

Waving his hand and shaking his head implying that I’m thinking the wrong way, “No, wait, what I mean is that you shouldn’t know that I stopped the time and that I’m your genie. Now, let’s re-play again.”

 

He turned his back on me and walked few meters away from me. Satisfied with the distance between us, he turns back again giving me his flashy smile with hands in his pockets.

 

Now he is in front of me, he held out his hand and said, “Hello Dara, I’m your genie.”

 

The way he calmly said the words ‘Hello Dara’ made my heart skipped a bit. I do not know why but I guess this would also happen if he had said it calmly to me for the first time we have met. Stopping me in my deep thought, he said in a low soft voice avoiding to change the atmosphere, “I am waiting.”

 

“Oh yeah, hello genie,” I said shaking my hands to his.

 

Separating our hands, “Will you make a wish?”

 

Wish? Oh yeah. I’m supposed to make a wish but what? What should I wish? Wish for world peace, money, beauty, and world domination? What the hell, I’m only thinking about my greediness. I don not know what to wish for but I guess it would hurt if I choose one of them, right?

 

“I wish for – ” I stopped for the idea that this would be my third wish which means that he will disappear and go back to his world.

 

I sobbed at the idea that he’ll be gone after making my third wish. This is so fast. When things having been so good, why must it turn out not so well after it? Am I being so emotional? With that thought, I let my tears fall down and hugged him tight.

 

He hugged me back and asked, “Why? Is there something wrong?”

 

I shook my head and said, “nothing.”

 

“Nothing? Is that what you’re gonna wish for?” he asked confusingly.

 

Informing him “No, you asked me why am I crying, with that I replied by saying nothing.”

 

“Ohh, I thought that it was the continuation when you said ‘I wish for’.” Silly him. Is he only thinking about wishes? Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

 

“No, that’s not it.” I know now what to wish for. “I wish for a painless goodbye.”