She’s really dorky, that’s the thing, she’s awkward with long limbs and a sharp nose and she’s more angles than she is girl (but Byulyi (because she has a name) says if anything she’s more empty space). Wheein gives her a look, tilts her head back and laughs, overly loud, braying, disrupting the quiet night.

“That’s a lot of air,” she says and in the dark she can barely make out the dark eyes (gone black in the night) and the light shimmer on her skin that the moon shines on.

She grabs at her arm and it undoes itself under her fingers, little curls of smoke that wrap themselves over her palm and Wheein looks up again at Byulyi.

“Right, can’t touch,” Wheein says, blinks stupidly at her fingers and pulls them back, watches the way the smoke curls into a solid looking wrist.

“Now you’re getting it,” Byulyi says, laughs and floats up a bit, “you’ve got two more wishes,” she says.

Wheein looks past her shoulders, to the sky, at the empty space she thinks Byulyi should be taking.

“Let me sleep on it,” she says and Byulyi nods.

-

Her first wish wasn’t supposed to be a wish at all, she looks at the sky, the little lights twinkling over the dark night and sighs. Wishes for some rain to wash away the drought.

She wakes up to the pitter patter of the raindrops hitting over her ceiling and a warmth clinging to her, the phantom of a mouth to her cheek and fingers curling over her arms.

“Hi,” it’s a whisper and it sounds faraway and hot and bright. And that doesn’t even make sense, but there’s a nose almost budging against hers and an empty weight pushing her down.

“Hello,” the girl goes on, “you can call me Byulyi.”

Wheein nods and then, “I don’t have anything you can steal.”

Wheein was dead wrong.

-

It’s raining in the morning and it rains in the afternoon and Byulyi follows her around, shirts looking fresh (Wheein wonders where she gets them from, if there’s a closet of condensed smoke floating around) and tells her stupid jokes, whispers them to her ears in the least convenient moments.

Like when she tries to take a sip of her tea (and Byulyi presses, as best she can, her lips to her ears) and makes Wheein spit and simultaneously choke on scolding hot water.

“Sorry,” Byulyi whispers (even her voice is thin and see through) and Wheein offers a wry smile and peels off her ruined shirt.

Byulyi tilts her head to look down at her and smiles, grins when there’s a dark blush from the tip of Wheein’ ears down to her chest.

Wheein thinks it’s selfless when she does it, looks at the way Hyejin looks at Yongsun and whispers (because Byulyi isn’t supposed to be here), “I wish they’d get their together.”

It rains harder that night, and it rains the next day (it rains until Wheein’s life is rain rain rain and trying to grasp futilely at Byulyi) and Wheein goes to work (at a small restaurant, with no business with the rain pouring down at them).

And then there's Yongsun, waving at her, other hand working her umbrella close, ready to open the door. Hyejin comes out of nowhere, with a glittery glint behind her. A cloud of shimmer that explains why Byulyi hasn't been with her all morning. 

Hyejin pulls Yongsun back by her shoulder, turns her around and pushes herself closer, wet clothes pressing to Yongsun and mouth slotting together, lashes fluttering and catching raindrops. 

Yongsun's arms go limp, drop her umbrella and lets Hyejin cling to her, rain pouring over them. 

"Done," Byulyi floats next to her, smiles at the two girls kissing outside, "that was really nice of you." 

Wheein nods, eyes never leaving the front window, smiles when Hyejin starts to laugh into the kiss, the dorky smile that bares her teeth and makes her tongue poke out. It's endearing and Yongsun smiles right back.
 
-

Yongsun and Hyejin end up getting holed up in Yongsun's apartment, sick and in love. Gushy in love. Wheein doesn't want to think about it. 

Byulyi floats around, makes rude gestures and faces and Wheein waves her away. 

"You've got one more wish," Byulyi keeps saying. And Wheein knows that. Just she doesn't know what she wants. 

She thinks about it when she can't sleep and when she has time to be quiet and relax. 

She realizes in those moments. How alone she really is. With all her friends and family and people crowded all around her. But she has no idea how to phrase that. Hey I wish I wasn't so alone with all these people.

So she tries not to think of a wish, pushes through the days, the rain, the rush of people that don't let Wheein be alone. 

Byulyi floats around, eyes always watching, dark dark brown, eye lashes dark against her skin.

It simmers something in Wheein’s stomach, this craving of something, anything.

Days pass like this, weeks and months and Wheein still holds her breath when she wakes up and looks to see if Byulyi is still home with her.

-

“You still have one wish,” Byulyi says one day.  The television is too loud and Wheein can pretend she didn’t hear her but her reflexes are too fast, she turns slightly, acknowledging the other girl.

“I still don’t know what I want,” Wheein shrugs when every part of her just wants to say stay with me, I don’t want to be alone anymore.

-

When she can’t sleep she spends too much time looking at Byulyi, the lines of her body, the curve of her lips.  She thinks sharing a bed with her is the most bittersweet thing to happen to her.  Her arms reach for her but Byulyi always breaks away into smoke.

In her frustration she rolls over, thinks about Yongsun and Hyejin, thinks about how real they are, how in love, how not alone.  

And then she regrets it, regrets her second wish, her first wish, regrets believing in Byulyi, regrets every single thing that has to do with her.  

-

Byulyi never stops looking, Wheein feels it when she’s taking orders, feels it when she’s home and she has to reheat leftovers.  Feels it when she’s trying to sleep and Byulyi is still awake.  Like she’s waiting for it, waiting for Wheein to set her free, just wish her away.

But she’s selfish, even when Byulyi just looks at her, even when Byulyi offers encouraging smiles.

The rain is splattering against her ceiling.

And Byulyi is next to her.

And when she kisses her, it’s nothing.