I could hear birds singing their morning song from within the cottage walls. Is it morning already? I yawned and stretched my arms out, my hand grazing the bare chest of a man. Memories of last night flooded into my mind leaving a blush on my cheeks. Jiyong and I had made love last night... What people say about making love is true: it’s painfully wonderful. But then again, I highly doubt anyone else made love with a monster. I smiled to myself. I have to admit, my first time with Jiyong made everything else in my life seem utterly insignificant. I was in complete ecstasy last night that I could hardly contain myself. I even almost forgot why we made love. I thought to myself that it was because we’re madly in love with each other but then I remembered we had to break Jiyong’s curse by doing that. Jiyong, however, told me that we made love for both of those reasons. I giggled like a giddy fan girl in response. Hmm... I wonder if me becoming one with Jiyong actually broke the curse... I moved my legs slightly which were entangled with Jiyong’s. I gasped in shock and recoiled my legs to my side of the bed.

“Hn?” Jiyong began stirring restlessly. H-his legs...I didn’t feel the roughness of his scales like I did last night! I felt... bare, smooth skin! Did it work? I threw the wool blanket off of Jiyong and clapped a hand over my mouth to keep in an overjoyed shriek. It worked! The worked! I flinched. I cannot believe I just thought about that word... “Chaerin, it got cold all of a sudden,” Jiyong muttered groggily. His hand fumbled around the bed to find the blanket.

“Silly, Jiyong, don’t you notice anything different?” I asked coyly.

“It’s cold?” he replied sleepily.

“Come on, Jiyong, you got this,” I urged.

“You’re on my bed with hickeys all over you?” He shot me a sly smirk.

I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand. “No idiot. Look what your feeling around for the blanket with!” Jiyong raised his hand in front of his face, studying it quizzically for a moment. His delayed reaction will come in three...two...one. Eyes wide as dinner plates, Jiyong shot upright in bed as though someone poured cold water on him.

“My hand’s not a bear paw!” Jiyong shouted excitedly. He patted his arms, checking for fur. “Hey, my arms have normal man hair on them! I’m not furry!” Jiyong glanced down at his legs then beamed at me. “My legs are normal flesh covered legs and I can tell my tail’s gone since it’s not riding up my like usual! And my...” He coughed and looked at me. I realized what he meant.

“Go ahead and say it,” I said reluctantly.

“And my manhood is finally my pride and joy again!”

“Itwasprettyjoyfullastnight,” I coughed, blushing. A playful smirk danced over Jiyong’s lips.

“What did you say, Chaerin?” he teased.

“Nothing,” I said quickly.

“Nothing huh?” Jiyong pulled me right against his warm chest, wrapping his arms around me possessively.

“It’s okay I know what you said Chaerin but it’ll be our little secret,” he whispered seductively in my ear. I shuddered in response.

“But thank you, Chaerin, my love, for allowing me to finally be a normal man. Now I can live a long, healthy life with you as my bride.” My eyes widened. His bride? What did he mean by that? Was he? No it couldn’t possibly be...

“Your bride?” I questioned with anticipation bubbling in my chest. Jiyong’s hot breath on my neck sent seductive shivers down my spine as he spoke.

“Yes my bride. Chaerin, now that I can return to normal society I want to marry you,” he proposed as he kissed my forehead softly. My entire body became flushed. I was just proposed to... In the most uncouth way ever but hey, I was proposed to! Tears of joy welled up in my eyes.

“Yes Jiyong I would love to be your bride,” I sniffled happily.

“Great Chaerin! We’ll be so happy together!” Jiyong kissed my cheek.

But hold on... I’m only eighteen! I can’t get married at eighteen! I would feel like those girls on Teen Mom except without the baby. Then again... I’m already in college with a high I.Q. and I can get any job that will take me with my grades. Of course Jiyong could get a job too to help pay for a house. We can’t possibly live in this smallish cottage where Jiyong’s been trapped all of his life. And my parents-my parents... I would have to beg my parents to let us get married or introduce Jiyong to them first and pray that he doesn’t tell them that he used to be a monster hiding in the forest. I especially don’t want my parents to find out that we had premarital ... They would murder me! My stomach started tying itself in knots. Underage marriages can cause tons of unwanted tension within families or so I’ve heard. But Jiyong doesn’t have a family... Wouldn’t that be strange to explain to my parents as well? Should we tell them that Jiyong’s entire family is dead? Or would that sound sketchy? Ugh! My stomach suddenly began to feel worse and a wave of nausea washed over me. Good God I’m starting to make myself sick...

“Chaerin, are you okay? You’ve been quiet for a while.” Jiyong’s concern filled voice brought me out of my mental marriage battle.

“Mmm, yeah. I was just thinking about all the responsibilities of marriage. It kind of made me a bit nervous but if you’re there with me I think everything will be fine.” I turned my head to smile at him, planting a quick kiss on his cheek in the process.

“Would you be fine meeting my parents Jiyong?” I asked him.

Jiyong smiled sweetly at me. “Yes Chaerin of course I would. I would love to meet the people who gave birth to the most beautiful, kind girl I fell in love with,” he cooed.

“You’re good,” I giggled.

A sudden severe pain pulsed in my stomach. “Ack!” I clutched my churning stomach, trying to hold back the vomit that was making its way up my throat.

“Chaerin!” Jiyong panicked, “Chaerin what’s wrong?”

“Take me to the bathroom now!” I managed to utter in agony. Jiyong swiftly swept me off the bed and into his arms, cradling me gently. He carried me down a small hallway, so this is what one looks like..., kicking open the bathroom door. He set me down on the cool tile floor gently beside a metal bucket. I grabbed the bucket for dear life and poured my guts into it. Gross... Oh God...Why did I get sick like this? I feel terrible... Jiyong was stooped down next to me, pushing my blond hair out of the way as I repeatedly vomited into the bucket. He kept telling me that I’ll be fine, everything is fine. Even though I’m a wreck, Jiyong’s still here by my side. I love him... By the time I stopped vomiting, my stomach still felt weird like there was something in there... My eyes widened. No it can’t be... I turned my head to face Jiyong. Wiping my mouth on the ragged towel he handed me, I said, “I think we need to go into town now. There’s something I need to buy as soon as possible.”

Jiyong nodded. “Anything for you Chaerin. Let’s get dressed first though.”

I smiled weakly at him. “Yeah we should do that.” Jiyong helped me to my feet. My entire body was trembling. What’s wrong with me? As Jiyong led me back to his bedroom, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a painting hanging in the hallway wall. I smiled to myself. Jiyong was right. I am beautiful... I look just like how my mother described me except my eyes were no longer lifeless; they had become a brilliant shade of brown. I looked up at Jiyong. His eyes had become normal as well. They were a gorgeous brown with normal round, black pupils... “Jiyong?”

“Yes Chaerin?”

“Your eyes are memorizing,” I breathed weakly.

Jiyong chuckled. “So are your eyes Chaerin. Always.” When we got to Jiyong’s room, we both searched frantically in the mess of his room for clothes. Though I still was new at this “seeing” thing, I was able to finally distinguish all of the colors of the rainbow and beyond from memory and tell what each item I ran into was. I found my bra and and put them on, throwing Jiyong’s over sized red and black flannel shirt on soon after. When I asked Jiyong what happened to my periwinkle dress, he quickly apologized to me and told me that it had been torn. To my utter surprise, Jiyong found a shirt, a pair of pants and boxers to wear. I asked him where he acquired his clothes and he told me from crazy teenagers who would go streaking through the forest in the winter. I rolled my eyes and giggled quietly. After we finished changing, Jiyong grabbed my hand securely, shooting me a quick smile, and led me out of the cottage. “This is my first time going into town. I’m finally leaving that accursed cottage for good,” Jiyong exclaimed cheerfully. “I’ll never look back at that place again...” But I did. Looking over my shoulder, I smiled with nostalgia. The cottage was eerie looking with thorn bushes covering its exterior. At least that witch was right about one thing, I thought as Jiyong and I made our way out of the forest, hand in hand...