The whole ride, I press my face against the bus window as I try to forget what just happened. All the other passengers subtly lean away from me while I mumble to myself and frustratingly stomp my foot. It isn’t until the bus exhales, at the Cherry Rd. bust stop, that I peel my face off the window, sling my backpack over my shoulder and trudge down the aisle. The doors close behind me, the bus moving on to its next stop while I stand on the sidewalk in a daze. The image of the convenience store floods my mind again and I crinkle my face up in shame. The memory. Won’t. Go. Away.

I stomp off toward my apartment gate when I see yet another frustration. A pile of trash blocking my apartment gate. Seriously? That bbq restaurant next to my place keeps leaving its trash here. Does this look like a dumpster?

Everything about this day just keeps getting better. My fist clenches at my side as I look over the mismatch of garbage. All that had been simmering inside of me starts coming to a boil, the steam nearly blows out of my ears. Stupid Sehun, Stupid 7-11 boy, Stupid BBQ restaurant. Everyone just needs to leave. Me. Alone. I kick at the trash in front of me sending one of the coke cans flying through the air until it hits a tree and tumbles to the floor.

I’m about to storm past the gate when I hear a piercing scream, or maybe it was a whistle. I turn but no one is behind me or down the sidewalk or anywhere close for that matter. All that’s around is that darn pile of trash and…

My eyes suddenly fall on the can that sits at the base of the tree. It’s vibrating.

I inch closer and squat down beside it. My finger hesitantly moving nearer. I poke the edge and it stops shaking. Is there some kind of lizard in there? I scan over it curiously, then rub my eyes a few times. Was it even vibrating, or did I just imagine it? Maybe my brain is finally degenerating.

That’s what I thought until the tiny high-pitched scream returns and what looks like a hand reaches out from inside the tin can.

What the actual he-

“What kind of rude girl goes around kicking people’s houses.” I fall back on the sidewalk in surprise. A small blue person no bigger than my palm is climbing out of the coke can, while wagging a twig-sized finger at me. It’s matching blue wings fluttering behind it.

I’ve gone crazy.

“Excuse me. Are you listening? You damaged one of my wings, ya’ know?”

It’s talking to me. This little man-no thing- was talking to me. And it was getting closer. I crawl backwards on my hands to get as far away from it as possible. My mouth wide-open in shock. I must have hit my head this morning. Maybe I fell off my bed.

“Hello? Can’t you hear me?”

“G-get away from me.” I finally find some words as I try to get up and steady my head. Relax, Ji Ho, we’ll just go to the E.R. and get a scan. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.

“Do you think I’m kidding?” The small person suddenly pops up into my face, now flying on its little wings and glowing a deep shade of red.

“I can barely get this high off the ground now and I’m losing a lot of magic because of you.” It hovers right over my nose.

I rear back. “Are you some kind of bug?” I whisper.

It folds its tiny arms and scrunches up what looks like its nose. “Never seen a fairy before.”

Fairy? My mind goes back to the stories Dad used to read to me as a kid. Tinkerbell?

“I know what you’re thinking. I’m not Tinker-“ The fairy stops mid-squeak. Its tiny face pulled into a look of shock. “Oh no…” It says before falling from the air and hitting the grass below with a thud. Its wings begin to vibrate and shift into different hues of the rainbow.

“This is all your fault! When I lose my magic I-“

The fairy’s wings begin to wither but the rest of its body starts to grow. Its arms stretch out longer and longer. Its legs sprout out. Its face balloons. It’s like watching a butterfly metamorphosis, but horrifying. Suddenly a pop goes off and a cloud of blue smoke erupts into the air.

Coughing, I fan away the smoke.

Then it clears.

On the grass where the fairy once sat is now a young man, leaning against the tree, dressed in a long black tunic with icy grey hair swinging over his dark eyes. I blush for the second time today.

“When I lose my magic, I change into this hideous form.” He frowns, his voice a lot deeper now. “Now my company is going to find me.”

He gives his neck a pop and looks back up at me from beneath his locks. “How are you going to take responsibility for this, Hm?”

“Y-you’re” I stammer, the words not registering even when I say them out loud. “You’re that actor.” 

“Byun Baekhyun is what they call me.” He pulls himself up to his feet.

Baekhyun, the world-famous actor, is a… fairy and is right here, in front of my apartment, staring straight at me?  I can feel the wave of dizziness wash over me and my feet stagger forward. I must be going insane.