"I have to say, kid. You can now fly on your own." my dad, Sunhoo, said to me.

"Really, dad?!"

"Yes. You do."

"YES!" I cheered. I hugged him tightly. "Thanks a lot for teaching me, dad!"

"Jungyeon. I am warning you, though. Don't ever try to fly my plane without my consent."

"Can I fly it this afternoon, though?"

"No. The military camp needed me, so I won't be available later to watch you fly on your own. I am warning you, Jungyeon. Don't ever ing fly this without my supervision!"

"Dad. Come on. Have I ever went behind your back? Have I ever been a bad son to you?"

"Son? You are a girl, Jungyeon."

I chuckled, "Dad. I don't have , and my voice is hoarse, like a man's."

"You don't have a ing wood down there, idiot."

"Yeah, I know. It could have shrunk, though."

"Stop it. This is getting awkward."

"You're the one who started on the wood, dad."

"Fine. Believe whatever you want. You are still a daughter to me." He then pulled me for an embrace. "Now, I gotta go. I need to rush back to the camp."

"Okay. Love you, dad."

"Love you too, son."

"Ha! See?! I am your son!"

"Idiot." He then kissed my forehead lastly, and he left the place.

Isn't my dad a real cool dad?

My dad is a deputy general of South Korea. Yeah, you heard that right. A freaking high-ranked military general. For all my life, I was homeschooled by my parents, and my dad has taught me the ways in the military. He's so unlike many dads out there who are strict with their kids. He supports me in everything I want in my life.

I guess... I guess the tragedy I experienced contributed to that sense of thinking for my parents, though.

Okay. You see... I am ugly.

I was not born ugly, but I was turned ugly by a tragedy I suffered when I was seven years old. A fire has erupted in our home, and I was stuck inside. I suffered from multiple burns all over my body. My whole face was burned.

It was not the only tragedy that happened to me, though. Two years ago, I was burned alive by a wildfire that erupted in a forest nearby. That time, the damage on my face doubled, and the burns even traveled to half of my head, neck, chest, my whole left arm, and my whole left leg. My voice box was damaged by the fire too, so I sounded no longer a woman.

With those suffering, the whole neighborhood calls me a Beast. Some call me a Monster. But, I really just don't care, actually. I am not even hurt by those insults...

Fine. I've always been offended. And when some random stranger who visited the neighborhood figured out I am a girl, I got twice the insult. That's why from then on, I despise being recognized as a girl. So, I changed my appearance. I changed my act. I lived as a guy from then on. My whole chest was burned and gone, you know. So, I could easily fool anyone that I am a boy. Oh. And yeah, I cut my hair short too.

Yeah. I know what you think. You see, even with the half doomsday, people are still mean and a bunch of bullies. Sometimes, I wished that all those mean people should have blipped instead. The unknown entity should have retained the good ones and not the bad ones. Rumors say it was a random selection, though.

Oh. Half Doomsday? Blip? What am I talking about? Well, it was the tragedy that happened two years ago. It was exactly the 5th of August 2018 when half of the population of the universe vanished and turned into dust. It was all because of that unknown entity. Most people called the vanishing phenomena "The Blip". And why is it Half Doomsday? As I said, it was only half of the universe.

Oh. And would you also believe the half doomsday was the same day I suffered my second fire tragedy? So much of a doomsday, isn't it?

As my dad left, I went back to our house. I saw my mom, Seo-An, washing the dishes. I quickly back-hugged her and kissed her cheek. "You looked so damn beautiful today, mom," I said.

She looked at me with her eyes squinted. "I know what this is, Jungyeon."

"What?" I faked a chuckle. "What are you talking about?" I stole her chore and started to wash the dishes myself.

"I know you will disobey your father and fly on your own," she said.

"Have I ever been a disobedient child, mom?"

"Yes. For a hundred times, yes."

I looked at her. "Mom."

"What?"

"I love you."

"Your love will never convince me."

"I will come back. I promise."

"Yeah, I ing know you will come back! But I am not sure if in one piece!"

"Mom! It's just a few minutes of flying! Please! Please! Please!"

I continued to plead and plead on her. It seemed annoying her had me become successful, though. "Fine! But in one condition!"

"What is it?"

"You will bring Minseok with you." Then she said confidently as she mocked a laugh, "Let's see if that coward will agree flying with you."

"And if he agrees, no backsies?"

"Yes. No backsies."

"No." Minseok, my best friend for two years now, said as I approached him in a local cafeteria at the heart of the town. He was eating his favorite giant burger meal.

"What the , man. I haven't asked you anything yet."

"Your mom told me you wanted to fly your dad's plane by yourself, and she said yes if only I fly with you."

"And because she threatened you, you're saying no to me?"

"Dude, she didn't threaten me. She just informed me about it."

"Then, why are you saying, no?"

"I don't want to ing die, dude!"

"You will not be killed if I am your pilot, !"

"You just learned how to fly today, idiot!"

"Dad just declared that, but I already learned since months ago. I am a military-trained pilot, man. Don't you trust me?"

"Let me say this in the most subtle way possible so you won't get hurt." He had his whole focus directly on me. "No. I don't trust you, Bae Jungyeon."

"That's your most subtle way?"

"Yeah."

"What if I will give you something in exchange?"

"What?"

"I will give you my Taeyeon-signed Purpose album."

"Dude, you do know I am more of a Yuri fan, but she blipped."

"You can sell my Taeyeon-signed Purpose album for a higher price, and you can add it on your fund for that personally signed Yuri standee you have always wanted."

"Hmmm."

"So? Is it a yes?"

"Bud."

"Yup?"

"You won't kill me, right?"

"Trust me."

"I cannot believe you said yes because of a bribe, Minseok!" my mom said angrily to him.

"Sorry, Miss Seo-An. It's for my Yuri standee. I've been saving for that one for years, and we both know how high-value Yuri items are lately."

"That's why you should have stuck with younger idols, you silly boy. That Yuri's gone, and you should move on!"

"That hurts, Miss Seo-An! My age aligns with the second-gen idols, okay! And the third-gen, fourth-gen and fifth-gen ! Kwon Yuri is a legend! The iest idol that was ever born! She can never be forgotten! No