-Jaejoong Pov-

My eyes twitched uncontrollably and a scowl was stuck on my face…why?

‘Joongie~ Pali Pali~ I’m Hungry~’ Byul sang

That’s why.

‘Pali~ Pali~’ the twins sang repeating after her.

‘Yah! Can’t you shut up? I’m doing all the work here and your not even helping!’ I stated annoyed

Byul grinned ‘if you need help why don’t you just ask?’ she questioned happily as if mocking me

‘Then do the cleaning up!’ I stated

‘Neh~’ She replied and skipped over to the sink that was filled with dishes.

I let out a sigh…how did it turn out like this?!

SMASH!

At the sound I turned around, only to witness dishes were slipping out of Byul’s hands and were smashed into pieces on the ground.

Byul pouted ‘Stop Slipping!’ she said annoyed

‘Stop Slipping~ Stop Slipping~’ the twins sung grinning

Byul picked up another plate from the dirty pile and rinsed it with a soapy sponge but the result turned out to be the same…it slipped out of her hands and was smashed into pieces

‘OKAY ENOUGH! JUST STOP!’ I shouted angrily, pushing her away from the sink ‘I’ll do the rest, you just stand still and do nothing!’

Byul grinned widely at me ‘Alright!’ she beamed and laughed ‘guess my fate with washing aren’t meant to be huh?’

I shot a glare at her not laughing at her stupid joke like how the twins were.

‘My my I see you made the mistake of telling Byul to do the dishes.’ Chuckled a voice

I scowled at her ‘can’t you tell her to leave me alone?’ I questioned

Jihyo laughed ‘that would defeat the purpose of being her playmate.’ She stated

‘Playmate! Playmate~’ the twin beamed

‘ARH! STOP USING THAT WORD!’ I roared annoyed

‘The truth is the truth. There’s no reason why you should deny it.’ Max said chuckling

Before I could retort to him, Byul was stealing pieces of food that I had been working on, gobbling them down like a vacuum.

‘YAH YOU PIG STOP STEALING THE FOOD!’ I snapped at her

Byul grinned at me with full of food ‘B-but T…-their …S-s-o Good-d~’ She said with full

 My face turned into a disgusted one ‘HAS NO ONE TAUGHT YOU TO NOT TALK WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL?!’ I yelled annoyed

‘Of course I did.’ Jihyo replied with a sly smile, while also taking a piece of food off my chopping board and into

‘ALL OF YOU!!! JUST LEAVE THE KITCHEN!’ I exploded stomping my feet angrily

The mouthful of food was swallowed down as Byul burst out laughing ‘hahaha you dance funny Joongie. A Very bad one.’ She laughed

Jihyo, Max, and the twins chuckled and laughed along with her while I was left fuming and blood boiling in frustration.

‘I’m going to die because of frustration.’ I thought trying to calm myself down

However their laugher came to a sudden stop. Jihyo’s face turned to a emotionless expression, Max was with his usual small smile, the twin had left running off and Byul…her face was also motionless but there were small hints of emotions that still showed…emotion of concern.

‘We have a customer’ Jihyo commented and leaving the kitchen and sat on the veranda.

Byul without a word followed behind Jihyo.

‘C’mon let’s go.’ Max said smiling

Leaving what I was doing behind, I followed Max. We both seated ourselves in the living room on the ground beside the coach, where Byul and Jihyo sat beside each other leaving the opposite seat to them for the customer. The twin opened the entrance doors, revealing an middle aged lady, they lead her in and showed her to her seat.

 ‘I’m sorry…I was on my way home, when suddenly I found myself barging in here.’ The lady spoke

‘Just like me’ I thought watching ‘they always come here without realizing it. I bet they set a trap or something.’

‘This is our shop’ Jihyo started, gesturing to herself and Byul ‘A shop that grants wishes.’

‘A Wishing shop?’ the lady questioned

Byul nod ‘Neh. Your presence here can only mean, that you have a wish you’d like to fulfill.’ She explained ‘We’ll grant you this wish.’

‘However, I must receive payment for it.’ Jihyo finished off Byul’s sentence. ‘Shall we hear your wish now?’

‘I can’t think of any wish in mind’ the lady said, before her right hand up and looked at her pinky finger ‘But, recently, my pinky finger has been feeling stiff and won’t move anymore. I had it checked at the hospital, but…they said it was nothing to worry about.’

I watched silently and attentively, both Jihyo and Byul held no expression only staring or more like observing the lady before them. Byul however, her eyes hardened, as if she had saw something displeased her

‘Might you have a bad habit that troubles you?’ Jihyo questioned

‘Bad habits? Well, I don’t think I have anything like that.’ The lady responded

‘Really?’ Byul stated rather then questioning, her eyes staring hard at the lady’s pinky

My eyes followed to wear Byul was looking…

‘What is that?’ I whispered to myself

Around that lady’s pinky like a ring attached to a sting but had no ends, was black smoke…it circled around her pinky.

‘Smoke?’ I questioned mentally

-Your Pov-

Jihyo reached into her pocket and took out a simple gold ring with a red pearl in the middle. ‘I’ll give you this ring’ she said holding it out towards the lady ‘If you could, try it on the finger that’s bothering you.’

The lady stood up from her seat and took the ring into her palm ‘This will heal me?’ she questioned

‘You can do whatever you like with it, even discharge of it.’ i said ‘But do consider, what purpose does your pinky finger serve.’

 ‘That is all. Do feel free to come back if there is anything else.’ Jihyo said

The lady nod and gave her farewell, before heading towards the door, the twins accompany the lady out.

 ‘She’ll be back real soon.’ i stated

Jihyo nod ‘Neh.’ She agreed

Max and Jaejoong entered the room ‘What was that about?’ Jaejoong asked

Both Jihyo and I looked at Jaejoong with a grin ‘Is the food ready yet?’ we both asked, completely ignoring his question

His eyes twitched as he emitted a growl ‘I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!’ he shouted angrily but stomped his way to the kitchen

I smiled ‘I’m gonna follow Joongie.’ I beamed

Jihyo chuckled nodding and patted my head ‘have fun.’ She said

- 3 Days Later-

‘AISHI! Can you please stop bothering me for 5 MINUTES?!’ Jaejoong said annoyed

Like any other days I was bugging him again…especially when he was doing house chores…like right now, he was doing the laundry outside.

I giggled while running around under the hanged white sheets with Junsu and Micky doing the same but chasing after me. The both of them were getting closer which made me have only one solution…which was to use Jaejoong as my shield…of course that annoyed him.

‘I have to get these done. Then make Lunch! Can you three please stop messing around!’ Jaejoong scolded

I continued to laughed while hiding behind Jaejoong, my arms were around his waist back hugging him completely ‘But I don’t want to be caught Joongie’ I giggled

‘Like I care.’ He muttered ‘Let go of me will you!’

I pouted ‘Hugging Joongie is nice’ I said hugging him tighter ‘A little longer’

‘GROUP HUG!’ Junsu and Micky beamed as they both bear hugged Jaejoong and me.

‘YAH! LET GO OF ME!!!’ Jaejoong exclaimed trying to push all of us who were hugging him.

- Jaejoong Pov -

I struggled trying to get the three idiots off of me, and the fact that Max had came out from his room, watching everything on the veranda and only to be laughing at the situation was no help. I had managed to shift myself, so that now I was facing the gang lander of these idiots.

‘You! Get off of me!’ I demanded shooting her a glare

Byul only looked up at him with a smile and shook her head, it was hard to think or even believe that this girl right now, who was hugging me is a 22 year old girl…if anything she was like a 5 year old child.

My thoughts were cut short, when I felt that I was hug free. Looking at Byul who’s smile was gone, only to have a blank and serious look on.

‘She’s back.’ She said.

‘Huh?’ I uttered confused ‘whose back?’

However I didn’t get a response from her, because she had already headed back inside the house and sat in the living room, the twins both went to the entrance door and opened it. It was the same lady 3 days ago.

Jihyo came out from her room to greet the lady, before we all sat in the living room.

‘Umm…I didn’t realize it, but for some reason, I came back.’ The lady said

‘Don’t worry about it. It is in your fate that it happens.’ Jihyo said ‘ Are you still wearing the ring?’

‘Neh.’ The lady answered

I then noticed that there was no longer any more black smoke around her. ‘Did the ring work?’ I wondered

‘However, you have not overcome your bad habit.’ Byul stated

The lady looked at her confused and questioning.

‘What age are you?’ Jihyo asked suddenly changing the subject.

‘I’m 21’ the lady answered

It was quick right before my eyes, that the black smoke returned…it came out from the ring around her pinky.

‘Do you work?’ Jihyo continued to ask

‘Neh.’ The lady answered with a nod

‘Where?’

‘An advertisement company, I’m head of a planning division.’

More black smoke came, surrounding the lady.

‘Are you sure you have no bad habit?’ Byul asked

Jihyo stood up and approached the lady. ‘Here it is’ she said pointing to the lady’s lips and then to her heart ‘As well as here.’

‘Have I done something wrong?’ the lady asked

Jihyo returned back to her seat ‘Maybe not...Has anything out of the ordinary happened?’ she questioned

‘Now that you mention it, my whole right arm had gotten stiffer. It’s not easy to move now.’ The lady said while lifting her arm.

‘If you don’t do something about it soon, it will be too late.’ Byul stated eyeing the ring on the lady’s finger

‘It looks dirtier than it did earlier’ I thought also looking at the lady’s ring and noticed the difference.

‘Bad habits…I can’t think of any. If I find it, will I be able to move my hand again?’ the lady asked

‘If you do, it will properly heal.’ Jihyo answered ‘Well now, would you like some tea?’

The lady stood up form her head and smiled ‘Thank you, but I promised I’d be somewhere.’ She said denying the offer

Jihyo stared at the lady as if she doesn’t believe that the lady was being honest. ‘Promise…with whom?’ she asked

‘He’s my boyfriend…we meet in college, he graduated a year before me. He’s working overseas for a consulting company.’ The lady answered with a smile

The black smoke continuously grew

‘Let’s have tea next time.’ The lady said

‘Let’s. Take care of yourself.’ Jihyo said ‘Junsu, Micky please show our guess out.’

The twins lead the lady out.

‘I presume we’ll never see her again.’ Byul said

I gave her a questioning look ‘what do you mean?’ I asked ‘also…whenever she answered the questions black smoke came out of the ring.’

‘Yes. The smoke is what’s causing her paralysis.’ Jihyo said ‘She’s probably passed her limit.’

‘The pinky is such an important thing’ Byul said smiling showing me her pinky

I looked at Jihyo ‘Would you mind if I ran an errand?’ I asked

Jihyo looked at me so did Byul

A smile came onto Byul’s face ‘Your gonna tell her what Unni just said right?’ she stated

I looked at her surprised that she knew.

Byul chuckled at me before a her eyes became serious ‘she must overcome her bad habit on her own, by her own efforts.’ She said

I looked at Byul and Jihyo for a moment before turning away ‘ but I have to.’ I said and headed out

-Your Pov-

‘Unni, I’m going with him’ I said

Jihyo nod with a smile ‘of course.’ She said

I quickly followed after Jaejoong.

-Town-

Jaejoong was jogging down the street while I followed beside him

‘That’s weird, she couldn’t have gotten very far’ He commented looking around for the lady

I smiled ‘she’s there.’ I said pointing at a shop

Jaejoong followed my hand to see that the Lady had set foot out of a local dentist store, in her work uniform. Two other females with the same uniform stood at the entrance.

‘Remember to get some tea as well’ one of the females said

‘Neh’ the lady answered and went off.

‘huh? I thought she was meeting with someone.’ Jaejoong whispered

‘She’s turning 28 already…’ we heard the other female said to the other.

‘Se doesn’t have a boyfriend does she?’

‘last week, she said she had a diner with her boyfriend though.’

‘Did she say anything about him?

‘She said he worked for a fashion business in London.’

‘It changes every time. That’s got to be a lie. She never even had a boyfriend.’

‘Really?’

‘6 months ago, it was a lawyer, and before that, it was a man who was a professor at some university. No offense to her, but she just seems to always lie about everything.’

‘She be stuck in a bad habit.’

‘It’s a bad habit alright…’ I thought

‘Bad habit…’ I heard Jaejoong whispered to himself ‘I get it now.

He then ran to get to the lady, but stop when he saw that a surveying student approached the lady.

‘Age?’

‘22’

‘Employment?’

‘Apparel Sales’

Questions after question, with each answered I saw that the black smoke filled the air around her.

‘Married?’

‘Yes. I am.’

Jaejoong was covering his mouth and nose, the black smoke must have been too much for him. The survey finished and the lady continued her way, Jaejoong continued to follow her and I did the same…but I observed her.

‘I feel weird suddenly. My neck feels so stiff.’ I heard the lady whispered to herself while one of her hand reached the back of her neck

‘It’ll take over her soon.’ I thought to myself.

The lady crossed at a pedestrian crossing, but stopped as she meet someone familiar.

‘it’s been awhile’

‘Yes, it has’

‘so how are you and your boyfriend?’

‘same as always.’

‘Omo is that a ring? Is it from him?

‘Yep’

‘It’s so pretty, is it an heirloom?’

‘Yeah. It was his grandmother’s.’

‘Why not on your marriage finger?”

‘He wanted me to wear this until he bought a proper engagement ring.’

‘Omo your getting married?! What does he do?’

‘He’s a physician.’

The more lies that came out of , the smoke around her grew bigger. They both parted and wave at each other, noticing that the lights were changing. The  sight of the dirty ring caught the lady’s attention .

‘Oh the ring looks dirtier….’ She said

My eyes narrowed knowing what she would do next.

‘Maybe I can wipe it clean’ she said reaching for the ring.

 ‘STOP DON’T TAKE IF OFF!’ Jaejoong shouted

But it was too late, the ring was pulled off…as the smoke that had been held back by the ring was released, the smoke was thicker and was circling around her trapping the lady.

Jaejoong froze watching in horror as a truck came fast at the lady.

‘She’s paralyzed…completely.’ I stated watching with no emotion.

SRCHEECH….CRASH

I looked down at the ground, and picked up the dirty ring…that had rolled just near my shoes.

The sounds of ambulance were heard.

-Jihyo Pov-

I looked at the dirty ring on the table that was brought back by Byul. Picking it up, it was fragile and easily crumbled to bits.

‘It was nice of you to have visit her in the hospital.’ I said looking at Jaejoong.

‘It was the only thing I could do. It seemed that there was no one else who knew her.’ Jaejoong said and a relieved smile came on to his face ‘it was lucky that she didn’t died in the accident.’

‘Really?’ I questioned

Jaejoong looked at me before glancing at Byul ’You knew that, she was going to take off that ring…’ he said and then looked back at me ‘Why wouldn’t you tell her to stop lying?

‘People lie for their own selfish reasons. Likewise, nobody can give them a reason to stop. They must discover their own reason.’ Byul answered

‘Besides, how do we know whether her deceit brought her happiness or unhappiness.’ I added

‘What do you mean?’ Jaejoong asked confused

‘Perhaps she saw it as creating opportunity.’ I said ‘Of course, entirely within her turbulent lifestyle.’

‘There’s something I have to ask first…’ Jaejoong said ‘ Did you know that she was going do and what she would of done? Did you know that I was going to go after her? If so how?’

‘As vast as the world around you man be, in actuality it’s a very small place. The limit of your experiences, the sphere that’s within your reach…ultimately defines limits of your understanding.’ I explained

‘The world you as you know it is not reality.’ Byul said ‘That is a world you have created for yourself.’

I smiled and patted her on the head for her good work.

‘Um…I don’t see what you mean…’ Jaejoong said looking at us.

‘Don’t worry about it. You don’t need to understand just yet.’ I said

Byul then looked at Jaejoong and grinned ’I’m hungry. What’s for dinner?’ she beamed

Jaejoong mouth dropped ‘WHAT?!  SERIOUSLY?!’ he shouted

I smiled ‘of course. I would like some sake and grilled fish please.’ I said

‘BIBIBAB!’ Byul beamed ‘BIBIBAB!’

‘AISHI!’ Jaejoong cursed and stomped to the kitchen.

Byul chuckled ‘his really funny’ she commented

‘He is.’ I agreed with a smile ‘Why don’t you go and have fun’

‘Neh~’ Byul sung and went to follow Jaejoong.

-Jaejoong Pov-

‘Hey Joongie’ Byul called me, while I was preparing the food.

‘What?’ I responded rudely

‘you won’t ever lie or make promises that you can’t keep right?’ she asked

I stopped what I was doing and looked at her funnily

‘What’s with the sudden question?’ I asked

she smiled ‘well, I just wanted to be reassured that you wouldn’t that’s all.’ She said

I returned back to cooking. ‘Of course, I won’t promise what I can’t do and I’m not good at lying anyways.’ I stated

From my response it cause her to chuckle ‘that’s good. Because I wouldn’t want you to be paralyzed’ She joked ‘Your face would look awful to be paralyzed with one look.’

My eyes twitched ‘Why the hell would you say that?!’ I snapped

‘Because your face looks awful.’ She stated

‘Your face looks awful~’ the twin popped out of no where and repeated what Byul had said

‘Hahahaha she said your face looks awful’ Max appeared at the kitchen door laughing

‘Well, excuse me for being a failed product of my genes I’ve had since birth!’ I retorted angrily

They continued to laugh at me.

But…

For some reason…even when I was in this situation…I couldn’t help but to feel happy.

This was new to me.

It felt nice.

To be surrounded by people.