She put both of her hands on the warm cup and inhales the scent. The clock is ticking in rhymes which soothes her the most, as the night comes in breeze. “Mom,”  Sitting on the edge of her couch, resting her head onto the sides, what's in front of her is really the one thing she would cherish and love for life.  “Do you believe in magic?”

A light voice wakes her up. “Sara,” She leans closer and eventually joins the little girl on the carpet. “Believe in magic?”

“Yes, do you?” Sara, the little girl gets up and reach for her mother cup of tea that she left on the end table, giving it back to her and then snuggles upon her arm. “What if people have magic? Will they fly? Will they transport themselves to another land? Will they make things happen?” Her round eyes twinkles the more she let out the questions out of her head. “Or will they take it for granted?”

Her hands carefully caress the girl’s hair that is as long and as black as hers. Staring at her eyes that is as round and as bright as hers. Her smile that is also, as lovely as hers. Many had said, Sara is simply a ten years old version of herself. “Now it's late already? Shall we move to the bed and wrap ourselves some blanket?”

“I don’t feel like sleeping,” Just as Sara remarked her words, a white golden retriever, appears from the back of the couch and rests upon her lap. “Right, Mako?”

The dog Sara’s face and sniffs in her back, slightly pushing her away from her mother and makes her getting out of the carpet.

“Even Mako tells you to go to your room”

“Mako…” Said Sara, once the dog made her to make a few steps ahead. “But I don't want too, I’m scared” She whispers. 

“Why don't we sleep in my bed tonight? Brush your teeth first and take Mako with you, I’ll be joining after I lock the doors and wash some dishes, okay?” Catching all of the worries in the air, she smiled at her daughter.

 

 

---

 

 

 

Dear, I’ll be home late. I forgot to bring the key with me, but thanks to Mako you don't have to wait for me, just sleep already, I love you. She smiled upon the text on her phone. “He never age,” She put the key on one of the empty vases near the front door. Peeking through the window, she can clearly see the sky that is brighter than the usual, with stars covering the blue. Even the city light is nothing compares to it.

She gets into her room soon after she dried her hands. The lights are still on, and Sara is still fully awake, sitting on the bed with Mako on her lap. Just next to them, the big window is left un-curtained and the skyline, some of the tallest buildings in Seoul are blinking their lights for them. “Mom, Tell me about that story again” As Sara realizes her mother's presence, she sneaks inside the blanket. 

“What story?”

“The story that I have listened to a thousand times, but you never want to finish” She emphasizes. “Mom, can you please Turn off the lights too? I think the sky is bright enough to light my sleep, ” she asked with a yawn.

After placing her finger on the edge of the switch, turning off the light, She sits herself on the bed and close her eyes, smiling while breathing in. “Is not that I never want to finish it, Sara, the story is too good that it makes you sleep instantly” Tilting her head to the right, she faces the little girl. “It's as if the story have some kind of sleeping spell”

Mako moves from Sara’s lap to her mother's side, helping her to rest herself by pulling the blanket and roll a pillow to her side. Slowly squeaking, he places his mouth close to her ear.

Sara has always been jealous of it ; “Mako always listen to you more…”

“He does,” She rubs the retriever back and leaned onto the bed rest, placing her right arm on her daughter and starts to play with her hair. “But you know what, you will always be his princess”.

The dog jumps out of the bed, sitting on the floor with his eyes on the mother and daughter.

“So—“

“Please, mom, just this night, let me listen to it until it finish” the girl insists, locking her eyes with her mother’s. And as if the dog agrees, he lightly barks along with her. “Please…”

 

 

And in the end, “Fine,” she gives up. The same smile that she always had rose from the little girl’s cheek, making her smile her way through the night too, as she is ready to tell her daughter the story which makes her believe in magic, and love. “Once upon a time,”

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Once upon a time, when people still depend on paper and ink to convey their feelings and message, lived a boy who always had a smile on his face. People called him Jungkook, with last name Jeon, the boy who is warm to everyone. Being raised by his grandparents since he was a baby, he learnt how to take care of people once his guardians turning old. He returned their favor as soon as he entered high school. His days were always revolved around school, and home. At school, he studied like the other student and at home, he helped his grandparents with their mini shop, selling daily necessities to the people around the neighborhood.

One day, right after he came home from school, he didn't mind watching over the shop with his uniform on, as he believed that changing clothes is only a waste of time and it made his grandmother work longer for a minute. After ‘forcing’ his grandmother to change shifts with him, he sat himself in the chair behind the counter, checking the change and the money on the tin can, and checked the big book for the selling up until 4 pm. “Not bad…”

“What’s not bad?” Someone made him turn his face away from the book that he just started to read. “That you are still reeking with sweat?” and it was rare for him to do so.

“Na— Namjoon Hyung!” Jungkook closed the book. A tall guy appeared in front of him, hands snuck on his jeans. “Where’s the other?”

“By the other you mean Jimin and Taehyung,” He scoffed, rolling his eyes “Or my sister?”.

His cheek blushed in red. “O— of course—“

“Yo! I heard my name being summoned!” From the back of Namjoon, a guy who is slightly shorter than namjoon popped out. “Jungkookie!”

“Taehyung hyung!” His eyes sparkled, “Ho— eh? Jimin Hyung!!” And even more once he caught his friend standing in front of the shop, looking inside casually. “Ya! Jimin Hyung!”

Namjoon and Taehyung turned around, looking at what Jungkook was looking; “Eh? Why is everyone here?”. He was about to continue walking, but the boy’s voice stopped him. He entered the shop, and joined the group. “And why are you still wearing your uniform?”

“Hehehe,” Jungkook only laughed along. “Okay, so, now that everyone is here, I want to tell you guys something,” He invited his hyungs to come closer to him.

Everyone leaned closer to the counter.

“Let's go on a camp,” His words shocked everyone. “This Saturday”

“Eh??” Taehyung squinted his eyes, “But it's like the day after tomorrow”

“Exactly,” He continued to smile for a bit, “I— I mean,” but then his eyes twitched. “I mean I know its a bit too much to ask for a dongsaeng like me—“

“Fine, call” Namjoon cut off. “But make sure that we’re home before noon on Sunday, okay? I bet your grandma will already be standby with some feast on the table”

Jimin gasped; “Oh no! Of course, the birthday boy can ask for anything!” His jaw dropped along with his claps, “Yes, you are 17 this Sunday, right? How can I forget!”

Taehyung nodded. “Yes.. How can I…” 

The smile returned to his face, “Are you guys sure?” 

“Yes, of course!” Jimin spread his arm across the counter and reached for the boy’s shoulder, “Anything for the kookie!”

“Yes, for the nicest boy in town,” Taehyung added, “Argh! I cannot wait for the barbecue! Stargazing! bonfire—“

Before Taehyung got to spread his arms wide enough to hit the shelf, Namjoon came up with an idea. “Should I bring my sister along?” 

“NO!!!” And everyone aside from him, quickly object. 

“No, no, no, just leave her be!” Jungkook added.

“Hahahaha,” The oldest just laughed. “What is wrong with you guys, of course I’m not going to let her sleeping among you hormonal wolves”

 

 

---

 

 

“Mom, what are hormonal wolves?” Sara rolls herself closer to her mother embrace, “Is that a new kind of wolf?”

She pauses, leaving hanging. 

And Mako on the floor, jumps back onto the bed and shakes his head, howling lightly.

“Ah, its… it when a wolf is… well—“

“Forget it, I will just ask dad what a hormonal wolf is,” Said Sara, with her arms folds inside the blanket. “Mom, just continue the story please…”

“Well... Okay then,” 

 

 

---

 

Saturday comes, and everyone was ready with their big backpack. Namjoon, Jimin, and Taehyung were gathered in front of Jungkook’s yard and waited for the youngest to come out of the house.  Jungkook’s house has a big yard, about ten times bigger than his shop. It has some big walls that separated it from the road so people couldn't really tell the back of the small house where the Jeons lived. 

“What is he doing? Bathing?” Jimin folded his arms and sat on his huge bag. “Does he know just how heavy our bags are?”

Taehyung nodded, “You know guys I like meats” and spoke his mind. “And by the way where is the maknae?”

“I’m here!” Before Namjoon got to speak, he appeared. Jungkook came out of his house, with nothing but his school bag. “Are you guys ready?”

“Yes, we are,” Namjoon immediately noticed it. “But, where are we going, anyway? And how are we supposed to get there?”

Jungkook approached his hyungs, and sat on the ground. “We’re going somewhere far”. He was smiling, but anyone could tell that there was something different about his smile.

The rest of them joined him on the ground, making a circle and listened to him. 

“Hyung, you guys will probably— no, will definitely hate me for the rest of your life but I have no choice,” 

Their eyes were widened and so did their mouth. 

“Are you okay?” Jimin placed his hands on his shoulder, “Jungkook?”

“I’m okay, I’m fine,” He shrugged and closed his eyes. “But you guys aren’t”

 

His hand moved inside his shirt and held onto something, a pendant, a golden pendant in a form of a clockwork. 

Tick Tock, Tick Tock.

The sound of a ticking clock covered their ears. It was so loud it made them scream, “Argh! What— what's happening?!?”

Each of them started to have their vision scattered, stretched, fading away and it felt like they were about to be skinned. 

Even Jungkook. “Namjoon Hyung!” Out of the four of them, “Jimin Hyung!” He seemed to be the one, “Taehyung Hyung!” with the most pain. He started to roll around on the ground, covering his self with dirt as he tried not to scream a bit by biting his lips and continue to speak. “I— I—“

 

“Guys?!?!”. And away from the pain, from the people on the ground, someone came out of the house. 

“Hyena!” Like the others, Namjoon couldn’t escape from the pain, but he could still catch a glimpse of the person who started to walk closer to them, a glimpse of her sister. “Go— Go Away!!”

“What? Are you guys okay??” She hesitated, the closer she got to them. She couldn't understand a thing, just why would her brother and his friends, who are also her friends too, were rolling on the ground and seemed to be in so much pain. “Hey—“

“Hyena!!” Jungkook’s voice was the loudest, louder than namjoon calling, louder than Taehyung’s screams. “Don’t come any closer!!!”

 

 

 

 

She watched them slowly fading away, like they were erased from the world. “!”  And she couldn't take it; she ran her way and reached for the closest one, reaching out to Jungkook and hug him tightly as if she was going to fall, 

Which she did. Together, with Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook by her side.