Chapter 16 

❝I wish to be able to flirt & seduce.❞

Krystal

[A few hours later; The Ferris Wheel]

"You got the best seat in the house for the fireworks tonight!" The old man said as he smiled at me as he pulled down the lap bar for the seat. "No special someone with the pretty lady?"

"That would be me, sir!!" I didn't even bother turning around to see whose voice it belonged to. I knew it from the first few syllables that it was the one and only. "Thanks for waiting for me, babe." I kept my eyes trained on the worker hoping he would understand that I did NOT want that boy to be beside me. On top of having to wear this stupid volunteer outfit, having to kiss strangers for most of my night, and using my second wish...I wanted to at least enjoy watching the fireworks by myself in solitude.

Have one thing to myself since I had given my second wish away to someone other then myself.

"Well, then...you two enjoy the fireworks!" The man looked at me and winked as he pulled down the lap bar once more, but now with Luhan sitting beside me. I rolled my eyes still looking the other way facing the carnival as the Ferris Wheel began to move. My eyes darted over to the board of numbers at the end of the field, reading the amount of money we had raised from the charity event. Lydia's goal had been over-reached, raising $1,500,000 over the $1 million goal. I couldn't help but smile knowing that it was thanks to my wish, which made it happen.

"So, it seems as if your wish really was a...success, huh??" Luhan elbowed me on the side earning a groan from me. I kept my head the other way, too stubborn to admit to anything.

"Just shut up and wait for the fireworks, all right?" I blew out some air out of my mouth. "Why are you even here anyways?"

"Well, I've always wanted to ride these things before, and since I'm done with my shift I thought I could come by and give it a try." I heard him starting to tap a beat on the lap bar with his fingers. "Plus I heard this was the best seat in the house for the fireworks happening soon."

"You should have just gotten your own seat instead of having to come into mine." I started tapping my manicured nails against the lap bar. "Or better yet, if you needed a partner, you should have gotten your friend Do-Do or KyungDo or whatever his name was."

I heard Luhan laugh. "You mean KyungSOO...or D.O.??" I saw him shake his head no. "Nahhh, he went home already."

"Home? As in...that land you live in home?" I asked finally turning my head to face him. Luhan nodded.

"Yeah, EXO...that's where all my brothers and I reside when we aren't on Earth." He slid an arm on the seat, behind my back, almost as if he was trying to pull the 'arm around the shoulder move'. My heart started beating a bit faster than usual and I tried to scoot a little closer to the edge of the seat to prevent any contact from happening.

"So, uhm, tell me about...uhm, EXO" I made up on the spot to try and distract myself from all the thoughts running through my head. He looked at me at an angle of his head.

"Didn't I just answer that question before you asked?" He smiled joking around a bit. There goes the heart flutters again...damn it, was I having a heart attack or something? Or should I just admit that, yes, his smile was like butter sliding down warm toast?

"Well, yeah, uhm, sorry its just..." I let out a sigh, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm still a little bit jumbled since you know...Wish #2." Why the hell was I acting like such a...girl with a crush?? Like, ugh Krystal, get your game up damn it. You are supposed to have the upper hand in this thing, not the other way around.

"I've been meaning ask you about that..." Luhan's voice suddenly went all serious as he leaned back a bit turning his whole body towards me. "If you don't mind me asking...what made you make the wish in the first place?"

I bit my lip looking at Luhan. What could I say to him to make me seem like 'Krystal'? I could tell him that I just wanted Lydia's stupid crying and talking to end, which was partly the truth...Or I could tell him that I wanted to do it because in some way I saw a little bit of my past in her.

So even though I made the wish for her, in some ways it was made for myself as well.

"Look, just because I'm opening up about things like this to you doesn't mean we're becoming all buddy-buddy with each other, all right? If anything, I'm only telling you this so I don't have you pestering me about it later on. Plus, I know you can use some voodoo magic to check into my past which REALLY creeps me out on all levels and ..." I pointed out taking my role as 'master' to the genie. Luhan let out a small chuckle before nodding his head in agreement. I let out a sigh.

"The thing is...while I was in there with Lydia, we ended up talking for quite a while about life in general." A shiver ran through my spine as a flashback of the event came through to my head, recalling the talk I had with Lydia.

“You know Krystal, I wasn't the happy-go-lucky woman that everyone perceives me to be. I-I actually built myself up to be this way so that everyone would like me. That everyone I would meet would think that I was worth their time. That I could leave some kind of a good impression on them to see me as a friend." Lydia forced out a laugh. "But, I know that didn't work on you Krystal. I know you hate me to the core..."

I opened my mouth to try and say otherwise, but Lydia raised her hand to stop me from spilling lies. "It's okay that you hate me Krystal. Th-That's actually why I-I like you." I sat there and continued to listen in astonishment as Lydia continued on through her sniffles.

"The thing is...I've learned that no matter how much I try, I can't please everybody, you know? Even though I still think that everyone likes me in a way, I know that deep down on the inside they only like me because of my power and looks. That relationships and friendships I have now, are days dealt with getting something good out of the other person without really considering the person themself. And that's what I feel like is happening right now...It's all crashing down in a spiral, and I just can't control it anymore." She took in a deep breath and let it out with more sobs. "I-I just can't pretend to please everybody anymore." She turned her eyes towards me grabbing my hands into hers.

"Then I met your father Krystal. He was one of the first men in my life who actually treated me...for me. Your dad didn't care about the power I had in the fashion world or the looks or the age. All that mattered was that your father treated me like the human being I was. He saw right through my flaws and assured me that those flaws are what made me perfect in his eyes." Lydia smiled. "Then I met you Krystal. I knew from the gecko that you hated me with a burning passion, and for some reason...with so many years of being 'loved' by everyone it felt good to be just--hated for a change; with that I tried even harder to be liked by you. Not only because it was important to your father for us to get along, but because I liked to think I could take the challenge of you getting to like me." Lydia reached for more tissues handing some to me. I looked at her dumbfounded for a bit, then realized that I had started crying as well. The woman in front of me smiled pulling me into a hug, with me being the one comforted now.

"Look Krystal, if you feel that me crying is partly your fault...it's not." She pushed me away to wipe the tears streaming down my face with her thumbs. "I've just been so stressed out the past few months about this and nothing is going right today and--ugh, god here are the water works again..." She managed to let out a laugh as she dabbed her eyes with tissues again. "I guess the pressure of wanting to be loved got to me this time around, huh?"

"So, then...what made you make the wish?" Luhan asked softly as he patted my head that had somehow found its way to the crook of his neck. The arm that I had been trying to avoid was now around my shoulder, and his other hand was now in mine; his thumb grazing over my fingers to comfort my trembling, crying self.

"Everything she said hit home for me" I announced as I kept myself looking down at my hand in his. "Everything Lydia said...was everything my mom believed in too." I started to cry harder starting to stain Luhan's shirt with my tears. "And because of that...I wanted to make the wish because I don't want Lydia to end up in the same position my mom ended up in..." I clenched my eyes harder letting the tears fall. "That nobody truly loves her. That everything in her life was a lie. That if she killed herself no one would really care..." The painful memories of my mom's suicide started swirling through my head.

"So, what you're saying is..." Luhan spoke seeing that I wasn't in the state to do so at the moment. "You made the wish for Lydia to become successful in all her ventures, just so the past wouldn't repeat itself anymore?"

I nodded my head.

Luhan

While Krystal started to talk about what happened in the room with Lydia, tears crept down her eyes. This would be the third time I had managed to break through her defenses, the third time I managed to make her cry. That wretched feeling came back to me again...

Guilt.

Out of guilt, I pulled her into my arms and began comforting her the best as I could. I kept telling myself that what I was doing was because she was my master, because as a genie, it was my job to put up with their lives. Krystal is a human; she’s meant to have flaws. I’m a genie; I’m meant to be perfect. Was perfection not supposed to look down on flaws? If that was so, then why was I stooping down and feeling bad for her? I should secretly like the fact that, yes, I was above the human race. Yes, my plan had worked and now I had only one wish to fulfill for her. If that was so, why does watching Krystal showing me her flaws make me want to embrace her and wish that I was the one taking her pain? 

Was this what they called... Caring? 

"So, what you're saying is..." I spoke, seeing that Krystal wasn't in the state to do so at the moment. "You made the wish for Lydia to become successful in all her ventures, just so the past wouldn't repeat itself anymore?"

She nodded her head.

"To think that I would use my second wish on someone else rather than myself," she let out a chuckle, as if she was regretting it now. "Surprising, coming from me, huh?"

"Nahhhh." I shook my head. "I don’t know if you know, but you're actually a really caring person, you know?"

"Unlike somebody..." I felt Krystal’s finger poke my chest. "Putting me in that damn kissing booth when you know fully well that that would be the WORST position to put me in."

I smiled. So she didn't want to talk about that side of her any further, huh? I guess she’d done enough opening up for tonight, so I decided to play along instead of pushing the subject any further. "Hey, it was the perfect place for you to be in. Besides..." I pushed her away, pointing at her attire, "I have to admit, you’re pulling off that uniform pretty well, if I do say so myself." Damn, those undone buttons on her shirt were doing wonders for her cleavage. On top of that, she had that genie charm dangling right in between them...

"Thanks, but no thanks," Krystal returned to her normal self as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Must be the reason why I raised the most money during my shift, huh??"

"Oh is that so?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

She nodded her head, "I can't help it if I'm pretty and popular, you know?" Krystal gave me a cute wink. It was impossible not to laugh; it made me wonder why we never had any girl genies. If we did, Krystal would be the perfect candidate.

The Ferris Wheel came to an abrupt halt while our seat was at the very peak. We had the view of the Carnival below us, and in front of us, the beautiful clear sky shone with a few twinkling stars. I looked at my wristwatch and realized that the fireworks would start in about 10 minutes. I turned my head at Krystal’s direction, formulating a plan in my head. It was high time that maybe I take Kyungsoo's suggestion and start seeing Krystal as a potential 'partner' while I was still under her command.

I was a man, and as a man, I have needs.

"So the kissing strangers thing…" I brought up in the most casual tone I could muster, "How did that turn out?"

Krystal rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "Ugh, horrible... Seriously, people need to invest in something called mouthwash these days."

I couldn't resist to laugh, "That bad, huh?"

"Yes!" She slapped me on the arm multiple times. "And I have YOU to blame for it." She pointed at me begrudgingly, "You owe me a new tube of Chanel."

"Me? Why me?" 

"Because Jay told me that YOU created the list and set me up at that booth," She wiggled her fingertips in front of my face. "You probably used some of those weird genie powers on Lydia to do that, huh?".

I shook my head, feigning innocence. "Nope," I popped the “p”. She was now the one crossing her arms above her chest.

"You probably wanted to put me there so YOU could have a chance at these lips, huh?" Krystal gave little kissy faces. "Well, too bad you missed your opportunity."

"Oh... So you were thinking about me while you were kissing other boys, huh?" I wiggled my brows, making her give me a blank stare.

This was going to be too easy.

"Pssshhhh, no!" She turned away and faced forward, paying attention to the scenery as the Ferris Wheel continued to move. "God, I know you’re a genie with the charm and looks and all, but you can't get everything you want with that, all the freakin' time."

"So you admit that I have "charm and looks and all", hmmm?" I inched myself towards her, seeing that this was the right vibe to get closer to what I wanted.

"Well, don't you always tell me that a genie is naturally like that? So of course I HAVE to notice it." She turned to me, widening her eyes, realizing the sudden distance between us. Instead of pushing me away, she gave a smug smile, accompanied by her mischievous eyes. "I hope you know that even though I DO notice such Genie features... You can't win me over that easily."

"Oh, is that so?" I laid my head against my propped arm. "Is this a challenge I hear?" My plan was being executed well... Krystal was slowly falling for me, whether she liked it or not.

"Let's play 30 seconds of seduction, shall we?? Both of us have 30 seconds to seduce the other without holding back. Whoever exclaims detest or pushes away first, loses." She reached into her back pocket, taking out all the tickets she had acquired throughout the night from the Carnival, "Whoever wins gets all of our tickets and can do whatever they want with it for the rest of the night." I pulled out my tickets from my pocket as well, putting it in between us. I had no doubt that I was going to win this game. I bit my lip, already giving off my y gaze.

"Ladies first.”

Krystal

"Why of course" I prepared myself by slightly teasing my hair with my fingertips. To be honest, the only reason why I was doing this was because I wanted to attempt to redo my image of a cry baby. This was the third time I’ve cried in front of him and damn it, he had managed to break through my defenses again. If I don’t watch myself, he would know everything about me. And by giving him everything... My life was on the verge of becoming one of those sappy romance movies. Where by this time, I would say that I was falling for him.

Does having a crush on him mean I’m falling for him…? But I could have a crush on Nutella Chocolate Chip cookies and have no hard feelings, right?

"Ready?" He asked as he sat back comfortably, crossing one leg over the other. I blew out some air, rotating my tense neck. Luhan laughed. "What are you preparing for? A battle?”

"Well, they do say that love is a battlefield." I winked as I faced my body towards him. Luhan nodded in agreement and snapped his fingers, creating a digital timer, midair.

"Your time starts... Now." Luhan signaled at the timer as it began to count. I promptly slid closer to him, letting my eyes linger over his body before landing on his face. Damn it, he didn't give me enough time to strategize my moves! Sure I was a good flirt and all, but that was all due to planning before acting. Besides that, though I had made the challenge, I was starting to already feel nervous for some reason.

Get yourself together Krystal!!

"Come to think of it..." I let my two fingers to slowly trace over his chest, towards his face, "Remember that time when I used Mickey as my substitute and--"

"Don't remind me," Luhan rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed of the bitter memory. OoOoOoO maybe I’ve found his weak spot...

"Oh? Is the great Luhan pushing me away?" I grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at me straight in the eyes. I purposely laid my path of vision on those rosy lips of his. "Cause I was just about to give you my sorry, but if you don't want it..." I now slid both my hands to his chest, ing his Polo shirt. I drew myself closer to him, my lips hovering over his jaw line, threatening to give little kisses on it. His neck had the scent of my favorite cologne, intoxicating my senses. Damn it, he looked just as good in the volunteer uniform as he did in that suit and it was REALLY . "Or maybe you secretly enjoyed Mickey's kiss more than you would mine--"

The timer suddenly started beeping. I pouted, knowing I could’ve done better. I pulled away to see Luhan silently snicker, aware that I was sort of disappointed in myself. Damn that Genie Boy and his stupid, perfect everything.

Now I could kiss that fluffy unicorn I had been eyeing the whole night goodbye.

"I do have to say, Krystal," Luhan lightly pulled on his polo’s opened buttons, revealing his collarbone. "You almost got me there," He ran his hand through his hair messing it up, oh so ily and—crap face, I was already falling for his simple moves! How the hell do I handle myself when the real round begins?! No matter what though, I HAVE to keep my cool. I closed my eyes for a second, reminding myself that I have a boyfriend. I will keep repeating Jackson's name until Luhan's 30 seconds of seduction would be over.

"Look, just a precaution... If we happen to have a 'moment' during the beginning of the fireworks or whatever, just know that it’s out of pure coincidence and NOT because it means something's happening between us,” I crossed my arms as Luhan somehow looked 10x ier than I remembered him 10 seconds ago. 

"For a teenage girl who likes watching Disney Princess movies, I’d think that you would want something like that to happen at least once in your life," Luhan set the timer to 30 seconds once more, then looked at me. His eyes turned into a color of unexplainable mixture of light blue, green, hazel, and ugh it was like a freaking rainbow I couldn't take my eyes off of. I had a feeling there was a little magic in the strategy he was using on me. If it were any other day, I would slap him silly. Yet today, I was enjoying the leaps and flips my stomach were making. I felt like a little girl waiting for her first kiss or something.

Before I could signal him to begin, he snapped his fingers, activating the timer. Slowly, I saw the space close between us. Luhan cupped my face in his hands. I felt my heart beating wildly as his thumb grazed my bottom lip. He started to lean in closer and closer, our foreheads touching. Now my senses were REALLY zooming off the charts... Like, damn it, I was NOT expecting the sweet guy approach! , it was working so well on me right now, that as much as I wanted to push him away, his eyes were just so--UGH. And his face was just right there and—UGH, DAMN IT. I was about to lose my sanity because of this damn Genie Boy.

"Krystal..." He whispered, softly landing his lips on mine. I closed my eyes, taking in the feeling of explosions inside my body. And crap face… Was that the fireworks going off in the background just now?!?! , when did my life turn into such a movie scene damn it?!

As if he couldn't do anymore damage to my senses, I felt his arm reach around my waist to pull me deeper into the kiss. In less than two seconds, our kiss had turned from PG to M... This was getting heated WAY too fast and that familiar feeling in my stomach was now turning into something more down there. My head was screaming to pull back, but my heart was controlling my body; my arms found its way around his neck, pulling him closer to me. My leg entangled itself around his, and my chest left no personal space between the two of us. I felt his hands start to trace down lightly over my body, leaving a trail of chills and--

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

I pushed him away, startled at the sudden sound that interrupted our make-out session. Luhan and I stared at each other for a moment; him grinning, while I looked utterly astounded, realizing what had just happened. Though I had lost my chance to win that fluffy Unicorn, I’ve finally realized that I certainly did NOT just have a crush on Luhan...

I was dangerously falling for him. 

"Well, that was certainly exciting wasn't it?" Luhan exclaimed, as if the kiss that just happened between us meant nothing special to him whatsoever. He took the pool of tickets and instead of disappearing with it, like I thought he would, Luhan put the stack on my lap.

"Wh-What's this for?" I shakily said, still trying to regain my damn senses from that kiss.

"Let's just say that's your payment for the overtime you just did," Luhan ruffled my hair as if I was a little kid. "After all, you do work at the Kissing booth, correct?" He took my hand, giving me a firm handshake, "Pleasure doing business with you. I enjoyed the... fireworks," Luhan winked, and unknowingly disappeared out of thin air.

"Wait--what--I just--WAIT, WHAT?!" I scratched my head out of confusion as the Ferris Wheel started moving again. I looked at the sky as the fireworks gave its last finale. When did the fireworks even start?? Did it start when... I put my fingers to my lips. No no no no no! I started hitting my head, trying to gain my senses back together. "You even said so yourself, Krystal... Anything that happens during the fireworks is just a coincidence!!" I felt the ride come to a halt. The old clerk walked towards me, undoing my lap bar. I immediately jumped off when it was lifted above my head. "Ohhh damn it, now that Genie Boy is going to get it and—“

"Miss! Oh miss!" I turned quickly, looking over my shoulder. The old man pointed at something on the seat. "You forgot your special someone!”

Special someone?? Didn't Luhan already disappear so what the hell--I began to panic... Holy crap, he saw me coming on the ride with Luhan!! What was I going to say when he asked me where Luhan went?! Ohhh that genie boy knew how to ing leave me to myself in times of humiliation and embarrassment, huh? I started walking back towards the seat trying to make up some kind of explanation in my mind.

"Look sir," I had started to say when I reached the old clerk again. "About that partner of mine...”

"Wouldn't want to leave this little fella all alone now, would you?" The old man pointed at the seat where Luhan had occupied before. Looking over at the chair, I spotted a white body of fluff with its rainbow mane and a familiar glitter gold horn on the forehead of the gigantic stuffed animal. I couldn't help but smile.

Maybe the fireworks and the kiss weren't a coincidence after all.

Officially Posted on

December 30, 2015

Author's Note 

Just wanted to give an advance Happy New Years & belated Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas to all! Though I haven't been writing anything new, I'm glad that my work is still being enjoyed (: 

Thank you again for all the love & don't forget to subscribe, comment, & upvote. See you sooonnnnn.  (~‾⌣‾)~