When Aunt Suzy came back months later, Kai was zoned-out, focusing only on the sculpture.

She chuckled. "You're into this. . ."

Aunt Suzy stepped closer and inspected it, nodding. "You're really going all the way! Nails, Adam's Apple, eyelids, hairstyle. . . Very impressive. . ."

Kai spared a quick moment to smile. "Thank you."

She smiled. "Of course. Now, tomorrow's the equinox. You must leave the leaf on the base overnight, so did you pick a plant yet?"

Kai shook his head.

Suzy looked taken aback. "Why not?"

Kai just shrugged.

She walked forward and clutched the sides of his face, bringing his head upwards.

Suzy tsked. "You think you won't get attached to him. That he'll just come and go. Am I right?"

He looked surprised and nodded.

She smiled. "I have a way of reading people. That's why your father hated me. I knew his secrets too quickly. Just like you," she said, her voice turning softer and more sad.

Kai paused for a second, and continued.

She sighed. "I'm not allowed to choose for you. You sculpted it, your magic. If I interfere, the magic breaks. But I can say this: Don't regret it later. I gave this to your father too, when you were a small child. He was a talented painter, but he never tried carving before. However, he tried."

He looked at his aunt. "What did he sculpt?"

She gave a small smile. "Your mom."

Kai turned back to the marble and chiseled another detail, pretending she didn't say that.

Suzy sighed again. "He was truly in love, but I guess it was one-sided. He sculpted his ex-wife, and brought her to life. But when winter came, the magic died and it returned to a statue."

Kai just went on hammering and chiseling.

"He blamed me, you know. For building on his heartbreak. He went into denial, saying that the statue was never there. Then he called me crazy with my 'voodoo magic' and my cruel use of it on innocent people. Then he did the worst thing: he smashed the marble." Tears started to fall from Suzy's eyes. "I tried to stop him, but he pushed me away and grabbed the hammer and chisel used to make it, and destroyed it."

Suzy fell to the floor, and Kai rushed over next to her, but she continued, crying. "The magic within the rock, it struck him. He spasmed, then fainted. I called the hospital," she choked out, leaning on Kai's shoulder. "The doctors diagnosed him with cancer, but I saw what happened. The magic went into your father, and was killing him from the inside. Either way, cancer or magic, he was doomed to die. And he did," she sobbed.

She looked up at Kai with teary eyes, raising a hand to brush the hair out of his eyes. "You remind me so much of you father, Jongin."

Suzy then wiped her eyes clean of tears, and stood up. "I'm sorry for breaking down. He was such a good brother, and father too."

Kai nodded and went to the kitchen, bringing her back a cup of tea.

She whiffed it and smiled bitterly. "Green tea with three spoonfuls of honey, right? Just like your father."

Suzy walked over to the couch and sat down. "Go on. Keep sculpting. Time's running out. I'll tell you about your father while you do."

He nodded again and sat at the base of the statue, peering at the thickness of each leg.

"Your father was Lee Taemin, your grandfather's last name, and I was Bae Taehee, your grandmother's last name," Suzy started. "I changed my name to Suzy, though. I hated that people got our names confused, especially now. Taemin, he loved painting. Drawing on the walls, the furniture, the plates, it was ridiculous. Then when he was getting into middle school, a new girl moved to our neighborhood. Kim Jongae. He asked her to be his girlfriend on the first day she went to school, and she agreed. They loved each other, so greasy and cheesy. They were like Romeo and Juliet. Eventually, many years later, they got married and had you."

"I didn't like her though. You see, your grandparents had money, lots of it. I saw her as a greedy woman, only looking for her benefit. For that reason, I warned him about her, but only once, because Taemin was infatuated by her."

"On their wedding day, Taemin invited me. As a gift, I gave them a pair of good-luck talismans. Taemin loved them, and put his on immediately. Jongae, however, threw it on the ground and smashed it with her white heels. She said that I should have bought a real gift, not some shabby piece of rock. Then she pulled Taemin's off of his neck and stepped on that too."

"You can guess what happened. The magic struck her, but only I could see it, because talismans work differently than magic marble. Before the talismans, she could control her selfishness, but the magic slowly purged every last bit of goodness out of her. In fact, her last piece of purity is in you. Once she had you, her indulgence filled her body, and she left when she found a richer man."

Aunt Suzy stood up and circled the statue. "You look done. It's beautiful and masterfully done. Much better than your father. Taemin didn't even carve legs. He left it as a stump so that she wouldn't run away."

10 minutes later, Kai stepped back. "Finished."

She clapped her hands. "Finally! I thought you were done 30 minutes ago," she joked.

"Now," she said. "Pick a plant and pluck a leaf. You know what to do with it. I'm going to the kitchen to make dinner." Then she left the room, but not before taking a forgotten shard from the statue off the floor.

But Kai didn't care what Aunt Suzy did. She's the one who gave this to her.

Kai wandered the halls. Which plant is right?

He stopped at the first plant he bought, a tall fern with many flowers blossomed.

Kai smiled at the beauty of the fern, and without thinking, he took a leaf from the longest fern and held it in his palm.

Content with his choice, he ran to the living room and placed it carefully at the feet of the statue.

"You should name it."

Kai whirled around to see Suzy leaning against the doorframe. "The marble needs a name."

He stared at the face of the statue, and said, "Do Kyungsoo."

Then he reached over and the cheek of man.

Suzy sighed internally.

I hope he doesn't fall in love. . .