I woke up the next day with my hopes high. The only thing that ran through my mind was the genies but when I swung open the door to my bedroom, only silence greeted me back.

They weren't back.

I checked their rooms again but there were no signs of them. The mattresses on the floor were left untouched and the windows remained closed. It almost seemed as if the genies were never here in the first place.

Tears fought to escape but I bit the insides of my lips and went to prepare for school.

As I walked into the bathroom, I stared at my toothbrush and remembered how they actually prepared it for me along with the toothpaste.

Ironic how I hated it back then but want it to happen so badly now.

As I changed into my uniform, I caught sight of a box under my bed. It linked to the time I received the box with the lamps inside, how it said it'll grant me wishes.

My eyes widened in realization.

Wishes.

I still have one more wish left. I only made one wish this month, I still can make another.

A wave of happiness shot through me as excitement bubbled inside.

"I wish for the genies to come back!" I said in anticipation, awaiting to see them appear in front of me.

I kept quiet as the seconds ticked by. Slowly, it became minutes. Five soon turned to ten and then fifteen minutes have passed and there were still no sign of the genies.

My shoulders deflated as I stared hopelessly at nothing.

Had it not worked? But that can't be, I still have one more wish. Even if they genies were somewhere else, they'd still be able to hear me right?

Sighing in defeat, I proceeded to continue changing, skipping breakfast completely and heading out to school.

I avoided anyone and everyone who tried talking to me. I even went to the extent of going to the library during break and lunch when I could have spent it with Myungsoo.

When I walked home, there was still a tinge of anticipation in me. The type where you know it might not happen, but still there's that little hope it might and so you cling on to that small percent of hope instead? Yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing. But I should've known rather then to get me hopes up too high.

I plunked myself down on the couch, mind blank and stayed there for who-knows how long. When I felt somewhat hungry, I made myself some bread and went back to the couch, full of self-pity for myself.

"I miss them..." I mumbled to myself.

What if they never come back again?

My eyes widened and I quickly shook my head."No, that's impossible. I still have one wish left, they have to come back no matter what."

After my meal, I went to shower and went straight to sleep, ignoring my piling homework. As it was close to midnight and I saw about to fall asleep, a sound from the kitchen jolted me awake.

There was a clang like pots and pans falling onto the floor. I jumped out of bed, a grin somehow finding it's way on my face as I rushed towards the kitchen only to find it empty.

On the floor lay two pots, must have dropped down somehow. I sighed and walked back to my room.

Of course they won't be back. Why did I ev-

I stopped short as my hands reached out to my doorknob.

Did I just see something?

I slowly turned around, walking back to the genies room which had its door slightly ajar. Peeping through it, I saw a shade of pink and blonde.

I pushed the door open and saw the 6 genies, sitting on the mattresses.

Without saying anything, I ran towards them and threw my hands over the person nearest to me who was Himchan. But instead, my hands went through them and I fell onto the floor on my knees. I stared at them in horror and then looked at my hands.

"What?" I said, looking at them questioningly.

They all stared at me with pained expressions.

"Haejin..." Yongguk started.

"What just happened?" I asked.

"We..." Youngjae paused, looking at the others uncertainly.

"You what?" I asked, looking at them.

"It's time for us to go." Yongguk stated firmly.

I stared at them as all 6 pair of eyes was focused on me. I felt my insides get all jumbled up and felt weak all over.

"What's that?" I asked, thinking I might have heard wrong.

I wished I had heard wrong.

"We have to go back now." Yongguk said again, trying to keep himself strong for the others.

"But...But I just wished for you guys to come back." I told them, my own voice quavering.

A huge lump formed and I swallowed hard.

"That was your last wish, noona." Jongup reminded.

"But I wished for you guys to return!" My voice rose louder.

"And we did." Daehyun said. "But it was your last wish. Once we're done with fulfilling your wishes, we're not supposed to stay here anymore."

"Then if you guys knew, why did you come back?"

"It's not for us to decide, Haejin-ah." Yongguk smiled painfully.

"We don't have much time." Himchan told the others, also giving me a head start to prepare myself.

"No!" I shouted, grabbing his hands only to go through it.

"Haejin, it's not something you can decide for us to stay or not." Himchan said.

"But...but don't I have anymore wishes?" I asked.

The 6 of them shook their heads.

"Oh, hyung! You're disappearing!" Zelo shouted, pointing at the eldest.

My eyes widened when I saw Yongguk's almost invisible hands.

"Haejin, you need to take care of yourself when we're gone okay?" Yongguk said.

As I saw more of him disappearing while the effect is acting up on the others, my eyes acted up on its own and started producing tears that flowed nonstop.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, thinking back about what I did.

I didn't wait for them to say anything and continued.

"It's my entire fault this is happening. If only I wasn't so stupid and foolish, if only I wasn't so selfish and irresponsible, none of this would have happened!"

"Haejin," Someone called me but I ignored them.

"Then I'd still have two more wishes left and you guys can still be here with me!"

"Haejin," The same person called again and again I ignored.

"If maybe I just cleared my head, thought about it more, calmed and controlled myself more, then you guys won't ha-"

"Haejin!"

I stopped and looked up, eyes filled with tears, to see Yongguk.

He smiled softly, a very knowing smile that somehow comforted me and nodded."We know."

I stared at him blankly.

"We know you didn't mean it, and we're sorry too." Himchan said.

"We didn't give you enough space and that was our fault, not just yours." Youngjae explained further.

"But-"

"We understand noona." Jongup said.

I burst out in tears again, feeling even worst that their being so understanding. How can I let them go now?

As I looked at them disappearing in front of my eyes. I should have seen it coming. I actually did see it coming, all of these. Except I never knew it was that hard, I didn't know it was that painful.

"Remember to take your breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day." Himchan reminded.

"Don't eat so much, I'm not here to control you anymore," Youngjae joked.

"But even if you do, exercise!" Jongup said.

"Don't watch movies alone, it's not fun that way." Yongguk told me.

"Don't go." I whispered but I knew very well myself that's not going to happen.

Almost like thin air now, it all happened too fast even I couldn't comprehend it.

My eyes swiped past them quickly, wanting to savor them until the very last moment until all I could see was the bright shade of Zelo's pink hair, his distant voice shouting a soft 'Noona! We'll miss you!' and then they were gone.

I broke down, the thought of never seeing them for forever made me weep harder. It must have gotten as little tiring, because the last thing I remembered was falling asleep whilst crying.

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mikapark: yup, in chapter 36 yongguk said there were a few more days to the next month, so during the period where she was being cheered up by the genies, the next month has arrived (: