Nam Woohyun.

That weird freak that runs away everything he sees me.

I don't understand him at all. I mean, he looks pretty good, pretty normal. He has been living in this farm for quite some time. He is quite interesting, i say. Living in a farm, and he is afraid of ducks. He likes to sit near the pond where i usually swim in. Whenever i get near him, he'll be all like gasping and trembling like crazy. Believe me, it was really scary. Sometimes, when i slowly approach him, he'll look afraid, and run away, but i always spot him in his room, secretly looking at me. I don't understand him. I'm a swan, and ducks are my cousins.

He is afraid of ducks, so why is he always looking at me?

There he is.

It's way too early for the him to come home from school though. I flapped my wings, shaking off the excess water as i waddled up onto the land. I grunted at the weight of the water, annoyed as it slowed me down. I waddled past the kitchen window, and saw him curl up into a ball, in a corner. Curiosity bubbled up in my feathery body as i waddled a painful distance to the front door of his house. I peeked in, using my beak to tap the glass door, getting his attention. His head shot up immediately when he heard my knocks.

He was trembling again.

Did i scare him?

He was acting crazy again. I let out a small cry, as if apologizing. I wish i could get out of this body so that i can talk. After a while, his spasm ended, and he glanced at me timidly. He stood up, and took a shaky step.

Then another.

Another.

Another.

I was slowly backing away from him. I was afraid, yes. It was my first time being so close with a human. He reached the door. I could feel my poor heart beating too fast. I guess he could see the fear in my small beady eyes, so he just stayed like this. A glass between us. "H-hi." He said out loud, waving at me. If i could laugh, i would. He looks so silly and cute doing that. I squawked happily, apparently scaring him out of his wits. He widens his eyes, as if going to have that weird spasm of his again.

"Appa!"

I hear him shout as he squashed his face against the glass. I was lifted up, and thrown on to the grass patch beside. "Aish, Woohyun ah, you know that you have Anatidaephobia. Don't go and mess with swans or ducks." His father said, giving him a small pat on his shoulder. "Appa, what's that swan's name?" I heard Nam Woohyun ask faintly. Despite being thrown onto the ground by his father, i still felt happy. Being close to him makes me feel ecstatic. I returned back to my pond, feeling so happy for the first time in ages.

"Hello."

Nam Woohyun sat next to the pond, and greeted me.

I slightly bowed my head. He grinned, for the first time.

Isn't he afraid of me?

"You are really pretty," He commented, reaching out to my feathers. I proudly extended my wings, to show off my snow like feathers. "You are different from others. I hate the others. You look similar to them... But you are a lot, a lot prettier," He smiled. I wonder who the ‘others’ is. "They are scary. They are always telling me things that scares me and they are always around me," He hugged his knees, resting his chin. "It's Anatidaephobia... I'm always different from the others. My schoolmates hate me. They call me stupid names," He pouted, glancing at me. "Sorry for telling you that. I know that you don't understand," he bit his lower lip.

I tried to shake myself in a way that can infer that what he think is wrong. Communicating is so difficult in this body. "What's wrong?" He asked, tilting his head to the left. I gave up on even communicating with him and i slowly swam away. "Ack." He said, and his spasm happened again. I stared at him as he experienced his spasm. "S-sorry about that..." He stammered. I flapped my wings, flying a little, trying to show him that i am happy. "You are really cute. What's your name?" He asked, me again.

I shivered under his warm hands.

Does he really expect me to reply him that?

"Right, you can't talk. Can i give you a name?" He laughed a bit, patting my head.

I flapped my wings again.

Of course he could.

"Well, how about Baek Ye Jo? Baek Jo means swan, and Ye is part of Yeppo, which means pretty. How is it?" He smiled. I flapped my wings, causing myself to be lifted of the water, onto land. I've never been so happy. I love the name he gave me. Baek Ye Jo. It's a really pretty name. I waddled next to him, looking at him. ”I'm glad you like the name," He chuckled, lifting me off the ground, into his arms. "You are really different from the others. I like it," He smiled. I snuggled comfortably in his arms. It felt wonderful. But the word 'others' is making me really curious. The word 'Anatidaephobia' too. I never understood what that is.

It sounds like an illness, but Nam Woo Hyun... He looks really normal. He doesn't look as if he has problems at all. Except for the small spasms sometimes. I hope that i can talk. I wouldn't stop talking to him. He is such a sweet guy. "Woohyun-ah! What are you doing at the pond?" His father called, coming towards us. Mentally cursing his father as he gently place me into the water, he turned and walk back to his father. I stared at his back view.

It's impossible for us to be together, i guess.

But it's too late anyway.

I've fallen too deep in love with him.

With a human.

~

Since then, he is always by the pond, sometimes talking to me, sometimes just doing his own things. I enjoyed his company, whether is he talking or not. I've noticed that his spasms are getting lesser since the day we 'met' officially. He became more 'normal', as he said. He became happier too, and he rarely speaks about people calling him names anymore.

Today was the same.

He is drawing something, and i'm in the pond, swimming aimlessly. I want him to talk to me; i want him to shower me with what i decided to call 'love'. "Oh, Yejo, come here," He said, and immediately, i waddled off to him. "Look, isn't this like you?" He grinned, showing me a rough sketch. I was in love. I could see that each was drawn with care. It was so realistic. I flapped my wings, really happy.

I want to show him more. I want to give him a hug, or a peck, and maybe a kiss. I don't want to just keep taking. I want to give too. He laughed at my reaction and said, “You are really pretty, and smart. I'll ask you to be my girlfriend if you weren't a swan." I felt as if i'm stabbed by a knife.

It's really impossible between us.

A swan and a normal high school boy.

I opened my wings, and wrapped it around Nam Woohyun. He looks at me, shocked. "Y-yejo..." He croaked. I quickly kept my wings back, and waddled back to the pond. "Yejo! Don't go," He picked me up and hugged me tight in his arms. I tried to struggle in his arms. I couldn't stay in there anymore. I felt as if i'm going to explode. "Yejo... I love you. I know that it's ridiculous that i'm saying this to a freaking swan, but believe me. I really love you," He whispered. I could feel his heartbeat fasten under my feathers. He settled me down, releasing me from him, before kneeling down, and giving me a kiss on my forehead.

I felt my skin turn hotter as his lips stayed longer.

I shyly waddled back into the pond, swimming to the furthest end.

I could hear his soft chuckles, and i sighed in relief as i felt my skin cool down.

What the heck was that feeling? Love, perhaps? 

~

Years had passed, and we became really wonderful friends.

Nam Woohyun's no longer has Anatidaephobia. He went on to college and he fitted in well. Many times, he brings his friends over. And most of the time, they were girls. Of course, i couldn't help but to be jealous. However, that specific night, he bought a girl back home. Immediately after she left, Nam Woo Hyun came over and asked,"Yejo-ah, what do you think of that girl just now?"

He knew that i was looking at her.

He knew that i was curious.

I shuddered, as if to say i don't know. "Y-you know... I want to ask her out," Nam Woohyun said shyly.

I fell silent.

He wants to ask another girl out?

What about me?

Didn't he say that he loves me?

I was really hurt.

Without any reaction, i swam to the middle of the pond.

"Yejo-ah!" He shouted.

I look at him, my beady eyes shining.

I'm sorry, Nam Woohyun.

I opened my wings, and flapped it hard.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

I'm flying.

I could hear Nam Woohyun shouting at me.

Don't worry... I'll be back when it is possible between us.