The fact that you, a stuffed animal, had functioned as a human would had sent shock all over my body. I didn't think that something as grand and unusual as this would happen, but it did.

At the time, I was surprised, shocked. But the feeling of nostalgia rushing through my body made me feel better. I was reminded of the number of times I sobbed on your small body, how I spoke to you as though you were real and listening, and how you made me feel so happy. You made me feel as though I wasn't lonely. Besides Sehun, you were my only childhood friend.

The fact that you were somewhat real brought me hope and joy. It honestly felt like an old friend was returning.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Not being able to move within the cramped cardboard box, the little deer plush toy quickly scrambled out, softly thumping against the dusty hard wood floor of the attic. It shook its tiny head to rid away the dust particles and attempted to make a scowl when it had spotted a dirty, scratched up mirror. "That damned witch, transforming me into a stupid plush toy. She could have at least had the heart to tranform me into something, I don't know, alive!" It exclaimed in annoyance, maneuvering its way carefully through the scattered junk. One petty mistake could cause even the slightest bit of trouble in being stuck underneath God knows what.

With its large doe eyes adjusting to the darkness, it began to roam around the attic until it limply sat underneath the window that gave off the only source of light the night sky had to offer - the moon. It sighed to itself heavily, resting its whole body against the cold wall. It shivered. The amount of fluff within as well as the thin material of velvet did not help to keep it warm. If anything, it made the poor plush feel even more lonely and cold.

After several hours of sitting and doing absolutely nothing, the sun had peeked from behind the horizon to wake all beings. The velveteen deer scratched its eyes and shook its head, trying to mentally wake itself up. It was a new morning, a new day. Although it was merely a toy, it still had a human soul within and with having a human soul, it longed to see a better day and new things. Atfer the velveteen deer decided to get off of its , it stopped mid-way once it heard the booming footsteps of a human and female voice yell, "What do I get from the attic again?"

The velveteen deer quickly dropped to the ground and tried to look as though it had not moved a single inch for years, when in fact, it just was a few moments ago.

A strong source of light flooded itself inside the attic. The velveteen deer, unconsciously squinting, soundlessly glanced at the female figure towering above. The strong rays of light surrounding her made it hard to see her face, but when she finally moved out of the way and her face was in full view, the velveteen deer widened its eyes slightly, briefly smitten by her beauty. 

"Where it is?" The female, who happened to be Ahreum, asked, rummaging through the plentiful boxes and useless junk. "Check everywhere, Ahreum dear. It should be there somewhere." A voice from down bellow called out. Ahreum sighed and huffed. After a few moments, she pulled out a dusty, although new looking, fisheye camera from an almost beaten up cardboard box. 

"Did you ask for the fisheye camera?" Ahreum asked. "Yes, I did. If you want, I can allow you to keep the Polaroid as well. The Polaroid camera should be in the same box." The same voice from before spoke. Upong hearing that the Polaroid would now be in her possession, Ahreum quietly squealed to herself, taking both cameras with her. Though, before she left, she noticed the velveteen deer limp and cold beneath the window.

A mix of feelings rushed through her, but nostalgia overpowered them all. Ahreum set down both cameras on the surface of the closest cardboard box. She crouched down, taking the plush in her hands. She smiled slightly, holding it gently, yet firmly, in one hand and the Polaroid in the other, while the fisheye camera was hung around her neck. 

The velveteen deer, whose human soul name was Luhan, felt warm, safe and secure in Ahreum's hand.

"What took you so long?" Jaehyun asked, eyeing the plush toy in Ahreum's hand. "You found Mr. Saseum?" He asked, patting Ahreum on the head. Ahreum winced and pouted, ruffling her hair back in place. "You seem oddly nice and happy today." Jaehyun narrowed his eyes at her, somewhat puzzled at her noticeable friendliness. She shrugged in response before asking, "Where has mom gone?" Pausing, Jaehyun thought deeply to himself. He seemed to forget. "Oh! Mom went to the grocery and told me to tell you to put the fisheye camera on her bedside table." She nodded once and began her way down the hall.

Once Ahreum was finished with what her mother asked her to do, she strolled to her bedroom and placed both 'Mr. Saseum'  and her new Polaroid on her bed. She sighed to herself once before plopping on her computer chair, rolling it to her Macbook Pro. As she waited for her laptop to load, she glanced at her old childhood toy with great interest. She leaned back, amusement playing in her twinkling, brown eyes. 

Different memories of her childhood flashed through her mind. Ahreum laughed and smiled silently at each before returning her attention to her laptop.

Making at bitter face at the laptop screen, Ahreum tapped at the keyboard with the least bit of interest. "Stupid Mr. Lee. He is the sole reason of my hatred for English. Stupid ahjussi. He doesn't even know what he's doing! The work he makes us do is unnecessary and time consuming. Instead of doing a five page essay complimenting the fine works of Shakespeare, I should be enjoying the goddamn sun outside. It's the weekend, for heaven's sake!" She crossly scolded, typing furiously.

"With a temper like yours, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have any friends." A sweet voice spoke.

Without thinking, Ahreum answered, "I don't. Who even needs friends when in the end, they just leave you." She stopped herself from speaking any more, thinking about her tattered friendship with Sehun. Heaving a sigh, she continued, "Everyone does."

"Everyone does 'what'?" Luhan, the velveteen deer lounging on her bed, asked. 

Ahreum stopped typing, thinking to herself. Biting her lip, she pronounced, "Everyone leaves me. No matter how close I am to one, our connection becomes lost along the way and we... end up with what we started as - strangers. It is quite depressing." As she finished, one by one, familiar, although unreachable, faces popped up. Ahreum cast her eyes downward, her usual happiness and joy celebrating the weekends faded away.

Luhan chuckled. "Do you realize that you've been speaking to 'Mr. Saseum'?" He mocked, standing on his four legs of fluff.

"What?" Annoyed, Ahreum turned around. When she saw 'Mr. Saseum' begin to move on its own, she placed a hand over her chest where her heart beat quickened. "What the-" Before she could release a string of curses, Luhan hopped off the bed and leaped on her lap.

"My name is Luhan. What is yours?" Luhan asked, glancing up at Ahreum from her lap. He took notice of how long and thick her eyelashes were. He watched how the tiny and subtle crinkle between her eyebrows would appear when she was either shocked or in disbelief. He saw how large and doe like her chocolate brown eyes were, and he took note of how long and soft her wavy hair seemed to be.

Personally, Luhan was rarely smitten with strangers. But with Ahreum, strangely, it was different. He sincerely thought that she was really pretty. Before his tiny brain could process any words, he was thrown back on the bed.  

Luhan blinked and stared at the ceiling. "Even though I am merely a toy, I still feel pain." He mumbled to himself.

As Luhan began to get up, Ahreum squeaked and stood on her chair, nearly falling. "Y-you! W-what are you?!" She exclaimed, a hand placed over her chest. She continued to look like she was in disbelief and pointed her pointer finger at him, mouth opened halfway unable to speak. She was shocked and thought that she was imagining things.

Sighing, Luhan plopped himself upon the softness of Ahreum's pillows. He was amused, although not surprised. He understood that what she was witnessing was something unbelievable and extraordinary. It wasn't an everyday thing where you could witness your childhood stuffed animal become alive. It wasn't natural. Things didn't work out like that in reality. Stuffed animals becoming alive were one of the many things that could be possible in dreams, not reality. This wasn't Toys Story, after all.

Looking at himself, somewhat in the same state as Ahreum, only much more calmer, did Luhan realize that this was real. He was a toy breathing, speaking and feeling as a human. How was this possible? Luhan didn't know himself. He didn't know how, what, or why he had been transformed into a velveteen deer. He began to worry. What if he was cursed to be a plush toy forever? It was that damned witch. He suddenly remembered, thinking to himself.

"W-why are you alive? You're... just a toy." Ahreum's voice snapped Luhan back to reality and out of his thoughts. She didn't sound scared or worried that she was mentally crazy. She sounded as though she had discovered a newfound miracle. If Luhan was human and had eyebrows, they would have risen up. But since he was a plush deer, his antlers twitched in curiosity.

"This isn't possible, right? A stuffed animal can't function like a human. It's an inanimate object." She muttered to herself, peeking glances at Luhan, alarmed that this was very much real. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. When she felt the discomfort on the back of her hand, her eyes widened.

"Are you sure? I'm not smart or anything, but I have common sense. Of course these types of things don't happen. It isn't natural. But look at me, a velveteen deer, functioning as a human. Pretty cool, right?" Luhan boasted, standing on his hind legs, punching his hoof against his 'chest'. At the sight, Ahreum's eyes almost bulged out of their eye sockets. But she remained calm.

"I won't be in denial. I'll just accept the fact that you're partially human and live on with my life. Just... stay here in my room, okay?" She requested. Realizing that he was not in the position to object, Luhan simply nodded and slumped against the intricate headboard of the bed.

Once Ahreum left the room with her Polaroid, Luhan his side and looked out the window, watching Ahreum carefully. "Why does she seem so lonely?" He asked himself once before falling into a deep slumber.

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