“Are you ever going to eat something?”

I swear I hear a voice but it’s not coming from my tv show. Weird?

“Don’t ignore me.” Baekhyun snaps back.

“It’s none of your business. Just keep shut and face forward.”

“I wasn’t asking about you human.” He grips his stomach and his lips. “I’ve been dying here with just your leftover fruit.”

“Aren’t you magic? Whip something up.”

He waltzes over to the couch with a chuckle. “You clearly don’t understand, magic. Sure, I can snap my fingers and pop a beautiful meal into existence but I if I don’t know the ingredients and spices it’ll taste horrible. Fairies go to school for centuries to learn the art of culinary magic. It’s much easier to simply digest human food.”

He stops his rant when he sees me laughing at the TV, clearly not listening.

“Look.” He bends down to face me. “If you make me food. I’ll trade you for something.”

A crooked grin sneaks up my face as I turn toward the fairy. A deal? I love deals.

“What’ll you trade for?”

“I can fix your nose.”

“Excuse me?” I subconsciously reach up to touch my nose. It’s not that bad, though I suppose there’s a reason I avoid looking in the mirror often.

“It’s a little lopsided right now but I can give you a free nose job with magic.” Just by looking at his expression I could tell that this guy is actually serious and that starts to make me even more mad.

“You have three seconds to change your answer or you can starve.” Seems someone forgot what it was like to live in a soda can. I may just have to remind him.

His face curls up in protest but a growl from his stomach makes him back down again.

“Okay, you name it then. Anything you want.”

“Anything?” My eyes brighten.

“Yes, yes. I’ll owe you one wish. You can take your time to think about it. Just please, something to eat…”

I don’t even hesitate. Food for a magical wish, easy. “Deal. No take backs.”

He groans a bit with frustration but nods in agreement.

“Okay fairy-boy. Hope you like eggs and rice.” I plop the freshly made bowl of dinner down in front of him as he watches TV. Clearly invading my space on the couch but I’ll let it go for now.

“Ugh, that should’ve been me.” Baekhyun groans as a commercial comes on. A shiny, flower-boy type fills the screen and wipes his mouth beautifully after downing an energy drink.

“He didn’t even do it, right. There wasn’t enough swish in his hair flip.”

“Jealous?” I tease.

“Please.” He stuffs a spoonful of rice into his mouth.

“A human beat you at your own job.” I poke back at him. Call it payback for making fun of my nose.

“A human?” He nearly spits the food out. “Naïve girl. There are no humans this beautiful. Most of the actors and singers that you see are fairies too. Top stars like Kang Daniel, Taemin, Yoona, Lee Jong Suk… There’s too many honestly. They need to get out of my territory.”

“Then” I ask hesitantly “What about someone like….Park Bo Gum?” My summer crush of 2017. The one with the title of nations boyfriend. Surely not him too.  

“Not a fairy but...”

I lean forward as he pauses for dramatic effect.

He smirks “…a leprechaun.”

My jaw drops in shock. But it only takes a few seconds before he busts into laughter.

“Pfft. You should have seen your face. Leprechaun’s don’t exist, idiot.”

He keeps on laughing nearly choking on his food that I went through the trouble of making. Relax Ji Ho. My fingers fight the urge to wrap into fists. Relax.

“Hey it’s my show! It’s me, look. There I am!” He’s quickly distracted from his fit of laughter when the opening credits for The Lovely Ones starts rolling on the television screen.

I get off the couch now, more annoyed than anything. “Well, I guess I’ll be heading to bed now.”

“Excuse me, my show is on. The highest rated show out of anything playing. Critics give 90 percent approval. Hello?”

“wow. A movie star in my midst. How amazing.” My words come out monotone and choppy as I snatch his unfinished meal from his hands. Dumping it into the sink.

“What kind of girl are you? Blind?”

I wave him off and shut the bedroom door behind me. Though I can still hear his voice through the walls as he sings along to the opening theme. Relax Ji Ho, I take a deep breath trying to find my happy place. I glance back down at scrape on my arm. It had stopped throbbing by now but was still a raw shade of pink. I pull my pajama sleeve down over it.

***

Someone tell me why I woke up, got dressed and opened my bathroom door to find a young man with icy grey hair and dark eyes, a famous actor and supposedly magical being stretched out, once again, in my bathtub. And why does it not even phase me now? His black clothes are slick and look like their worth more than my entire apartment and they contrast just lovely with the duck shower curtain that he pulls closed to, as he said before, ‘give him some much-needed privacy’.

“Are you just going to sit in the tub all day, again?” I speak up between yawns as I spread the toothpaste across my toothbrush.

“Who said I have to tell you?” He flicks the shower curtain open a bit to glare at me.

“You should be nicer to the person that can kick you out onto the streets at any point.”

He shrugs. “I have something important that I’m working on. It’s top secret. Don’t just think I’m doing nothing all day.”

I watch him smile at his screen, eyes still glued to his phone.

“Sure.”

I try my best to forget about the strange scene in my bathroom that unfortunately has become my reality. Instead I just focus on getting to school. I drag my feet off the bus with a yawn moving toward the school entrance. But just where the entrance steps should have been, my head rams against the back of a dark blue uniform.

“Watch it, loser!” The kid in front of me sneers and I mumble an apology. But as I rub my eyes, I see that not only my path but the whole front steps of the school are blocked by a crowd of students. Their unintelligible whispers and giggles filling the air.

“The school never looked better.”

“Someone must have some serious-”

“Can you believe that?”

Between the shifts of their shoulders I could only catch glimpses of bright colors. I was really feeling my lack of height. My teeth grind with frustration. How am I supposed to see anything when they all flock like birds to the last piece of bread? Forget this.

I nudge my way forward despite a few elbows to the face and of course some glares. But after a mild struggle, I find myself toward the front of the pack where the student’s shoes outline the edges of the front steps. The front steps were made of white tile that usually shine so bright that it hurts my eyes. But now they burn a deep black with red and yellow lettering spray painted across it.

“Hypocrites?” Someone reads under their breath to a friend. “What do you think it means?”

Hmm a low chuckle rises from my belly and makes the kids around me back up a little with what could only be seen as disgust. Hypocrites? What a weak insult. If you’re going to spray paint something this obvious why leave such a placid statement. Please. I shake my head at the mild act of rebellion. This is the work of an amateur.

I wonder which one of these uniformed, entitled kids got offended enough to do something like this. My eyes wander the crowd through boys and girls all dressed in our navy school uniform. But my gaze stops when it meets the eyes of a ridiculously tall student who stood a few meters from me. His wavy hair and slight twist of his lips into a frown gave me an uneasy feeling. Cashier boy.

I tut my tongue against my teeth. Great, the last person I wanted to see. Before I look away, I see his mouth moving as if trying to say something. Whether he was trying to apologize or lecture me again, I wasn’t going to wait to find out. Didn’t I make it clear yesterday that I want nothing to do with this guy? So why is he now pushing his way through the crowd heading toward me?

Obviously, I don’t want to be around when he reaches me, so I move fast through the crowd. I break through from the squish of bodies into the school building and bound up the steps without a glance behind me. And because of that I end up being, to the surprise of my teacher and Sehun, the first person in class for once.

I try to stay busy throughout the day by focusing on the monotone voice of the teacher, but my eyes keep glancing toward the doors just in case that wavy haired kid shows up here. I feel my fist close tighter around my pencil that shivers in worry that I’ll snap it. What’s the deal with that boy anyway? So nosy for no reason at all. And I totally forgot to ask what grade he was in. What if he’s a second year too? Would I have to meet that kid again in assemblies? Or gym class?

Then my eyes drift to the unusually quiet desk neighbor of mine. Oh Sehun. His pen flies across his paper taking notes as diligently as expected. What happens if cashier boy makes a scene and draws Sehun’s attention? I just want to stay low for now. As if on cue Sehun’s eyes drift from his notes to me. Immediately his dark eyebrows lower into a glare.

I sigh and look away toward the open window beside me. Please, I beg you, just let me live as quietly as possible.

But since when has the universe ever listened to my requests?

I make it through the whole day without encountering cashier boy so maybe that me a little careless when the end-of-the-day bell rang and classes let out, because I made the foolish decision of leaving down the main stairs. I head down with math book in hand expecting to leave for the day when a wavy head bobs up the staircase and stops in front of me. And I’m face to face with him.

Cashier boy gives me a half-smile. “Thank goodness I found you. Do you think we can talk? Last time I-”

But I don’t even let him finish before sprinting back up the stairs. Towards wherever, as long as I’m away from that person. But unlike a sane person who would just give up and leave, I hear him calling my name. With a glance behind me, I see him speed walking after me as fast as he could without the hall monitor calling him out. And he was catching up.

Darn it. Why are his legs so long?

I round the corner into the first year’s wing. Still I can see the his reflection in the hallway windows as he trails behind me. Kids are parting ways for us and pointing at the wonderfully strange sight of whatever freak show we looked like running down the halls. I do my best to shield my face with my hands. All I want is to stay low, be not a freak for once but why do things like this happen to me?

I turn another sharp corner when I see it. My chance to escape.

The large library doors swing open and I zip inside, slipping between the shelves in the science section. Seems I was just fast enough because I watch as cashier boy runs by the library doors, hesitating for a second before passing it by.

My shoulders fall in relief as I slump to the itchy carpet, resting my heads against the books about space exploration. What I want most if for everyone to just leave me alone.  Why has my life become so exhausting these days? I mean I have enough pain dealing with a fairy at home.

That’s when suddenly a book shoots off the shelf beside me and falls to the floor with a thud. The cover, a picture of aliens, stares back at me from its spot on the floor. What the h-

“Ji Ho!”

With horror, I slowly turn around to the bookshelf. There, with a smile like nothing was wrong, and a twinkle in his eye was Baekhyun staring back at me from behind the books.

Quickly I slip the book back into the shelf, blocking his face from view. This can’t be happening.

The book shoots out again and he sticks his head through. “I need your help Ji Ho!” He whines.

“W-what are you doing here! This is my school. This is a public place!” I rush over to his side of the bookcase and see, to my dismay, him decked in the flashiest outfit he has worn thus far. My stress level is reaching dangerously high levels at this point. I have so many questions and have no idea where to start.

“Why are you here?”

“I got locked out!” His voice is loud enough so that the library’s ears had perked up, so I place my hand over his lips while hissing through my teeth. “Well, you can’t be here, Fairy-boy. This is a school and you stand out. Go wait somewhere else until school ends”

“I was going to, but then I saw his van.” He manages to murmur through my fingers across his mouth.

“Whose van?”

“My manager’s” He picks my hands off and wipes his lips with the back of his hand. “So, I had no choice but to find you. Also, can you wash your hands for once?” He whispers back.

I try to ignore his last statement

“Look I don’t care who’s looking for you. You need to leave. Now.”

I turn away to go, but he pulls at my arm in desperation. “Please, help me.”

“I got my own issues right now.” And my issue – a tall boy with wavy hair – has just showed up, again. He walks through the library doors, his eyes scanning through the shelves.

No, no, no. This was supposed to be a better day than yesterday. Why is happening to me? I give one glance to the fairy who is still clutching my arm and then back to the boy who was getting dangerously close to my hiding spot. 

"Hurry up and follow me.”