FOR UNDOTHEBEE
Title: If Wishes Were
For: undothebee
Pairing: U-Bomb, Jaehyo loves Taeil a lot
Rating: PG-13 for language
Word Count: 3,344
Summary: You know what they say: Be careful what you wish for.
Notes/Warnings: Genderswitch
Yukwon felt strange when he got up that morning - maybe a little melancholy, mostly just disoriented, like something wasn’t quite right. It was the last two weeks of summer, the last vacation the guys would have together in a long while. Taeil, Jaehyo and Minhyuk had just graduated and were heading to college in the fall, and Jiho was going away to Japan for a year as an exchange student, leaving Yukwon, Kyung, and Jihoon behind. Crawling out of the bed, and sleepily making his way onto the balcony of the beach cottage they rented, Yukwon stood there barely noticing the ocean view while he inhaled the cool breeze. It was way too early to do anything on an August morning, but he decided against going back to bed and thought of making some breakfast for everyone instead. He knew the place well enough by now to be able to get to the bathroom with his eyes half-closed without incident. That is, until Yukwon stripped down to his boxers and stepped into the shower. The scream that escaped him didn’t sound anything like his own.
Jihoon was the first one to come into the bathroom, asking what was going on, his voice sounding worried, but still thick with sleep. Yukwon screamed again before Jihoon could push the shower curtain open. “Get out, Jihoon, get out!”
“What’s going on?” Jaehyo came in right behind Jihoon, carrying an umbrella. “Who screamed?” Jaehyo lifted the umbrella and used it to poke the curtain. “Who are you, and what are you doing in our bathroom?” He demanded, cowering behind Jihoon, his arm still holding the umbrella up defensively against the shower curtain.
“Hyung,” Yukwon said in a very un-Yukwon-like voice. “Jaehyo hyung, it’s me Yukwon.” The last few words came out almost like a whine. “Something is terribly wrong.” Jaehyo and Jihoon watched as Yukwon moved behind the curtain, pushing it back just enough to show his face. Only it wasn’t exactly Yukwon’s face they saw.
Jaehyo stared, eyes wide. He dropped the umbrella in surprise.
“Is Yukwon hyung …a girl?” Jihoon finally managed to say.
Yukwon did his best to hold back a sob.
“No Kyung,” Yukwon frowned, crossing his (her) arms over his (her) chest. “For the hundredth time," Yukwon tried his best not to start screaming again. “You cannot check out my boobs.”
Kyung made a face. “You’re no fun, Kwon, seriously.” Yukwon glared at him.
“No one is touching anyone’s boobs today, hyung,” Jihoon put Kyung in a loose headlock, pulling him away from Yukwon when Jihoon saw Minhyuk suddenly looking Kyung’s way. “Maybe you’ll have better luck asking Jaehyo hyung to let you feel him up.” Minhyuk returned to the manhwa he was reading.
“Anyone else curious as to why Taeil has a bra in his possession?” Jaehyo said out of the blue, brow furrowed and with a concerned look on his face, totally missing Jihoon’s offhand comment while he folded some clothes on the floor.
Yukwon wrapped his arms tighter around himself, then sat down in the middle of his bed. “No, hyung. No one really cares,” he murmured, his face turning into a deep shade of red. “I’m just glad he had one to let me wear.”
“What we’d like to know is how the hell did Yukwon turn into a woman.” Jiho, who was sitting on the bed across Yukwon’s, stared at Yukwon’s face briefly. It still looked a lot like the Yukwon they knew; only the features were softer, even daintier. “Did you eat anything unusual last night?” Jiho pursed his lips thoughtfully, leaning slightly against a sleeping Taeil. “Or did you do anything out of the ordinary?”
Yukwon pulled his knees up to his chin. “No. I ate the same things as everyone else.” he tugged at the hem of his now-longish red hair, his own voice sounding so alien to him. “And I don’t think I did anything weird or something.”
“You and Jaehyo went to that wishing well, didn’t you?” Minhyuk pointed out, looking up from his book again. Yukwon blinked as he remembered.
“But if that were the case, then shouldn’t Jaehyo hyung be a girl now, too?” Yukwon frowned even more, because at least Jaehyo would get a kick out of being a girl.
“I’d look great with a nice rack. I already have a nice booty to go with it,” Jaehyo nodded. “Just saying!” He added when Yukwon glared at him.
Jihoon let go of Kyung long enough to let him breathe. “What exactly did you do at the wishing well, anyway?” Taeil stirred in his sleep, letting out a contented sigh.
“We looked around, made a few wishes, threw coins in,” Yukwon recounted dutifully, trying to remember if they did anything else.
Jaehyo paused in mid-fold. “What exactly did you wish for, anyway?”
The wishing well was stuff of legend in that seaside town. People said that whoever makes the most earnest wish gets to have their wish come true. Naturally, Jaehyo had demanded to see the well and make a wish, and Yukwon ended up going with Jaehyo after much whining and passive-aggressive persuading.
Yukwon remembered that night when they first heard of the legend of the wishing well. Yukwon and the other boys managed to sneak into one of the local bars and scored themselves some drinks. Kyung tried to chat up the lady bartender. This made Yukwon worry a little, because Kyung sometimes got them busted for being underage, and there was no way Yukwon wanted to be banned from one of the few happening places on that beach. The bartender’s name was Yumi, and she lived in town her whole life. If there was anyone who could best tell them about this town’s stories, it was her. So that evening, after a round of drinks and Kyung’s several failed attempts to get Yumi’s phone number, Yumi ended up telling them about the wishing well. The well was pretty ordinary and very much ancient, even older than the town itself. Some people said that the town was actually built around the well to protect it, to keep its secret. But as small towns go, secrets do not stay secrets for very long. Soon enough, people discovered that the wishing well granted one’s most fervent wish, if one wished hard enough. “Be careful what you wish for,” Yumi had warned them as she served more drinks to the crowd. “You’d get what you want, all right, but not in the way you’d expect it.”
I never even meant to make a wish, Yukwon thought. He was sitting outside their cottage later that day, staring at the shore, while the other boys were off doing their own things. Yukwon only went to the wishing well to make Jaehyo shut up, and this was what he got for being nice. He felt sorry for Jaehyo when everyone ignored his request to go see the well, so Yukwon offered to go. Yukwon didn’t plan on making a wish, because really, who would believe such things? But the moment Jaehyo closed his eyes to make a wish, Yukwon found himself wondering about the one thing he wanted for himself. He knew that the wish was made even before he actually thought of it, and Yukwon had felt hopeful when he tossed a coin in. After all, what did he have to lose for making such a simple little wish? Yukwon looked down at his torso, hair falling into his eyes as he did. A guy could literally lose himself as a consequence, apparently. He sighed, annoyed at his hair getting into his eyes, got up reluctantly from his seat and went inside to find something to tie his hair with. He rummaged through Jaehyo’s things and found a rubber band. Yukwon put his hair up in a loose bun (or something like that), relieved to not feel hair falling past his shoulders. He grabbed half a roll of kimbap from the kitchen on his way out, chewing on it a bit as he walked back outside, only to find Minhyuk now occupying one of the chairs on the porch, playing some game on Jihoon’s DS. It had been almost a whole day since Yukwon woke up and found himself transformed into a girl, and Minhyuk had yet to speak to him. In fact, Minhyuk hadn’t said much to anyone at all, even less than he usually did, ever since Yukwon woke everyone up with a totally girly (and utterly disconcerting) scream. Yukwon sat down, quietly chewing his food, doing his best not to fidget with the hem of his shirt. Companionable silences weren’t unusual where Minhyuk was concerned, but this felt nothing but awkward to Yukwon. He couldn’t even offer some of his food to Minhyuk, unable to turn and face Minhyuk and speak with the voice he now had, a voice that wasn’t his. He contemplated going back inside after he finished the rest of the kimbap, leaving Minhyuk alone. Yukwon moved to get up from his seat, but Minhyuk suddenly reached over and tugged at the bun on top of Yukwon’s head, freeing his hair from the rubber band, letting Yukwon’s hair down. Yukwon turned to stare at Minhyuk, blinking in surprise.
Minhyuk shrugged. “It looks better that way.” To emphasize his point, Minhyuk leaned in and smoothed Yukwon’s hair a bit. “There.” Minhyuk smiled a little before returning to his video game.
“I do not need to go shopping for girl clothes, hyung!” Yukwon didn’t want to have this conversation at breakfast, and now he really wanted to wring Jaehyo’s neck, and maybe kick him or something. “My own clothes fit me well enough.”
Jaehyo raised a finger. “Oppa.” He lifted his glass to drink some juice.
“What?” Yukwon’s brow furrowed.
“You should call me ‘oppa’ because you’re a girl now, you know.”
Jihoon choked on his food; Taeil hid his face behind that morning’s newspaper. Kyung and Jiho stared, waiting for Yukwon’s reaction.
“It would be more fun if you call everyone except Jaehyo ‘oppa’,” Minhyuk came into the kitchen, making a beeline for the fridge. “He doesn’t deserve it.”
Everyone else burst into laughter, including Yukwon. Jaehyo frowned at Minhyuk.
“Keep me out of this,” Taeil frowned when Jaehyo turned to give him a puppy-dog look.
Minhyuk nearly snorted orange juice out of his nose, laughing.
They all went to the club to see Yumi later that day, in the hope of learning more about how granted wishes work, and how they could stop it from working. The boys were going back home soon, and there was no way they were taking girl Yukwon (or Yuyeon, as Jaehyo had started calling her) back to Seoul.
“She’s not here,” Yukwon tried not to sound as panicky as he felt when a different bartender informed them that it was Yumi’s night off.
Kyung spoke up, leaning in to address the bartender. “Do you know where we could find her, sir?”
They found her place easily enough, a small cottage near the ocean not unlike the one the boys rented, but there was a splash of color near her doorstep - a small patch of flowers bloomed in front of the house. Jiho knocked.
“Can I help you?” Yumi peered through the screen door.
“Noona, remember me? It’s Jaehyo, from the other night?” He stepped forward so Yumi could see his face better. “We’re sorry to bug you on your night off, but well, you see,” he tried to keep his hands from gesturing so much. “Our friend Yukwon…”
“I made a wish,” Yukwon moved into view. “And then this happened.”
Yumi gasped, and then told them to come in.
The effect of the wishing magic will only end when the wish is granted. That was what Yumi told them last night. Now, as Yukwon watched the early morning sky as it finally gave way to light, he thought about what Yumi said. There was no way it could happen. There was no way his wish would come true. “I guess I need to get used to being a girl for the rest of my life.” He sighed.
“Don’t sound so resigned, hyung,” Jihoon came up beside Yukwon on the porch, handed him a cup of coffee. Jihoon sat down at an empty chair, looking at the horizon as he sipped his own coffee. “It’ll all work out. You’ll be yourself soon enough.”
“When?” Yukwon gestured widely with his free hand. “How?” He sighed again, louder this time. “It’s frustrating not knowing if I’ll actually be myself again.” He frowned at Jihoon. “What if it takes longer? What if I have to return to Seoul looking like this?” He set his cup down on the little table between the chairs, the coffee untouched. “How do I explain this to my mom, my brother?” He moved to pull his knees up to his chin, sighing yet again.
Jihoon sighed as well, quietly watching Yukwon fret, unsure about how he could help make Yukwon feel better. “Aish, hyung, stop that,” Jihoon set his cup down as well, then got up from his seat and moved toward the back of Yukwon’s chair. “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.” Jihoon reached out to wrap his arms around Yukwon’s shoulders from behind, bringing his hands together just above Yukwon’s chest. “We won’t let you go through this alone, hyung, you know that.” He planted his chin on Yukwon’s shoulder, lightly. “We’ll figure out how to bring you back to your old self, no matter what.”
Yukwon found himself hugging Jihoon back, reaching up to cover Jihoon’s arms with his own. It didn’t fix things, but the reassurance made Yukwon feel a little less frustrated, a little more optimistic. “Thanks, bro.”
Minhyuk was acting strange all morning, refusing to speak to everyone but Yukwon and Jihoon - or at least, that was what Yukwon thought.
“You must be imagining it,” Jaehyo pointed out. “Minhyuk seemed fine earlier when I hung out with him a while.”
Kyung looked up from his laptop. “Just ask him what’s up, man.” He returned to his game, pressing keys and made something explode on the battlefield. “No point in worrying when you can get answers.”
“It might just be indigestion,” Taeil nodded. “That happened to Jihoon last time.”
Yukwon found Minhyuk by the beach, sitting on an old dock, his feet submerged in the water. Yukwon approached carefully, half-afraid that Minhyuk would walk away if he knew Yukwon was coming over.
“Hey,” Yukwon sat down on the dock next to Minhyuk, Yukwon’s feet not quite reaching the water, his soles just barely touching the surface. Feeling a little self-conscious, he reached up and tightened his ponytail a little, idly staring at the fishing boats in the distance.
“Is everything all right?” Yukwon asked when Minhyuk didn’t respond. “Hyung.”
Minhyuk finally turned to look at Yukwon, still refusing to say anything. He studied Yukwon’s face, something that was now familiar and yet still a little strange. Minhyuk then reached out and gently laid the tip of his index finger against the tip of Yukwon’s nose.
Confused and surprised by the action, Yukwon ended up slightly cross-eyed as he tried to look at Minhyuk’s finger. Minhyuk chuckled and then took his finger away, only to lean in, the move quick, quiet, and it confused Yukwon even more.
The kiss started out soft, not more than a brushing of lips, both Yukwon and Minhyuk feeling unsure. Yukwon’s eyes fluttered closed, sighing against Minhyuk’s lips, returning the kiss just as gently. There was a flutter in Yukwon’s stomach, and a slow warmth spreading over his cheeks. Minhyuk smiled against the kiss before pulling away.
“Been wanting to do that for a while,” a corner of Minhyuk’s mouth turned up, his tone a little sheepish.
Yukwon grinned. “Not just because I suddenly acquired girl body parts?”
“I must admit that it’s an amusing addition to the scheme of things,” Minhyuk grinned back. “But I’ve been trying to figure things out all summer. I promised myself I’d tell you before I start attending university in the fall.”
“All summer,” Yukwon stared. He’d never even thought of Minhyuk liking him, not like this.
“Probably even longer than that, actually,” Minhyuk reached over and tugged off the piece of elastic that was holding Yukwon’s hair up, then moved his hand to smooth Yukwon’s hair.
“I’m glad it’s not indigestion,” Yukwon said suddenly, laughing.
Yukwon didn’t plan on making a wish that night, but the earnestness in Jaehyo’s face as he made a wish made Yukwon feel wishful himself. Yukwon ended up thinking of things he’d been trying to suppress all summer, things he’d been trying to keep to himself all year. So he made a wish, and tossed a coin in for good measure. And just like Yumi said, Yukwon got what he wanted, but not exactly in a way anyone expected.
“I guess I could get used to keeping my hair down,” Yukwon told his reflection, sighing. He got his wish granted, all right, but he was still anatomically female, barely 24 hours after the kiss at the pier. “I just really need to come up with a good excuse for my mom to accept that she now has a daughter.”
“Yumi noona wants to know how many coins you used to make a wish,” Kyung called out from the living room, pulling the phone mouthpiece away slightly.
“I used one for mine,” Yukwon walked in wearing a sweater he pretty much drowned in.
Jaehyo came in, trying not to chase after Taeil. “I thought the coin you tossed in was for me.” He stared at Yukwon.
Kyung relayed this information to Yumi. He made a small strangled sound in his throat after hearing what she had to say.
“Oh, man,” Taeil stared at Kyung.
Yukwon got up early the next day to get ready. They were having breakfast with Yumi, and Yukwon wanted to make something special for her to express his thanks for her helpfulness. It was true that it was she who planted the wishing well story in Jaehyo’s head in the first place, but Yukwon was grateful for her help anyway. Yukwon got out of bed, carefully slipping out of Minhyuk’s arms, not wanting to wake him up. Yukwon turned to face the balcony, stretching his arms when he got up.
A scream broke through the cottage, very much like the morning when Yukwon turned into a girl. Someone else screamed right back, both voices unfamiliar and most definitely not male.
Yukwon and Minhyuk hurried to the next room, where Jaehyo, Kyung and Jiho roomed together. Taeil and Jihoon were already there, gaping as they leaned against the door.
“You did not just punch me in the boob, you asshole,” A girl that looked very much like Kyung yelled at another girl who couldn’t be anyone else but Jiho.
“It’s not like I meant to, you jerk,” Jiho scowled. “Was kicking me where my balls used to be necessary?”
Jaehyo looked at the rest of the boys apologetically. “Jiho was so surprised to wake up as a girl, and to find another girl in his bed that he overreacted.”
“Looks like Kyung just …reacted,” Minhyuk mused, lazily throwing an arm over Yukwon’s shoulders as they watched the argument.
“Oh, yeah,” Taeil grinned when he finally noticed Yukwon standing there. “Welcome back, man.”
Yukwon absentmindedly looked down at the front of his own shirt. “Yeah, thanks.” Waking up to his old self was a pleasant surprise and a great way to end their vacation. He reached up to touch his hair. He was so relieved to find that it was short like it used to be. The long hair drove him a bit crazy. He found Minhyuk grinning at him, and he grinned back.
“Hey Kyung, can I touch your boobs?” Yukwon laughed as both girls pounced on Jaehyo with murderous looks in their eyes. Looked like their breakfast with Yumi was well-timed, after all.
For: undothebee
Pairing: U-Bomb, Jaehyo loves Taeil a lot
Rating: PG-13 for language
Word Count: 3,344
Summary: You know what they say: Be careful what you wish for.
Notes/Warnings: Genderswitch
Yukwon felt strange when he got up that morning - maybe a little melancholy, mostly just disoriented, like something wasn’t quite right. It was the last two weeks of summer, the last vacation the guys would have together in a long while. Taeil, Jaehyo and Minhyuk had just graduated and were heading to college in the fall, and Jiho was going away to Japan for a year as an exchange student, leaving Yukwon, Kyung, and Jihoon behind. Crawling out of the bed, and sleepily making his way onto the balcony of the beach cottage they rented, Yukwon stood there barely noticing the ocean view while he inhaled the cool breeze. It was way too early to do anything on an August morning, but he decided against going back to bed and thought of making some breakfast for everyone instead. He knew the place well enough by now to be able to get to the bathroom with his eyes half-closed without incident. That is, until Yukwon stripped down to his boxers and stepped into the shower. The scream that escaped him didn’t sound anything like his own.
Jihoon was the first one to come into the bathroom, asking what was going on, his voice sounding worried, but still thick with sleep. Yukwon screamed again before Jihoon could push the shower curtain open. “Get out, Jihoon, get out!”
“What’s going on?” Jaehyo came in right behind Jihoon, carrying an umbrella. “Who screamed?” Jaehyo lifted the umbrella and used it to poke the curtain. “Who are you, and what are you doing in our bathroom?” He demanded, cowering behind Jihoon, his arm still holding the umbrella up defensively against the shower curtain.
“Hyung,” Yukwon said in a very un-Yukwon-like voice. “Jaehyo hyung, it’s me Yukwon.” The last few words came out almost like a whine. “Something is terribly wrong.” Jaehyo and Jihoon watched as Yukwon moved behind the curtain, pushing it back just enough to show his face. Only it wasn’t exactly Yukwon’s face they saw.
Jaehyo stared, eyes wide. He dropped the umbrella in surprise.
“Is Yukwon hyung …a girl?” Jihoon finally managed to say.
Yukwon did his best to hold back a sob.
“No Kyung,” Yukwon frowned, crossing his (her) arms over his (her) chest. “For the hundredth time," Yukwon tried his best not to start screaming again. “You cannot check out my boobs.”
Kyung made a face. “You’re no fun, Kwon, seriously.” Yukwon glared at him.
“No one is touching anyone’s boobs today, hyung,” Jihoon put Kyung in a loose headlock, pulling him away from Yukwon when Jihoon saw Minhyuk suddenly looking Kyung’s way. “Maybe you’ll have better luck asking Jaehyo hyung to let you feel him up.” Minhyuk returned to the manhwa he was reading.
“Anyone else curious as to why Taeil has a bra in his possession?” Jaehyo said out of the blue, brow furrowed and with a concerned look on his face, totally missing Jihoon’s offhand comment while he folded some clothes on the floor.
Yukwon wrapped his arms tighter around himself, then sat down in the middle of his bed. “No, hyung. No one really cares,” he murmured, his face turning into a deep shade of red. “I’m just glad he had one to let me wear.”
“What we’d like to know is how the hell did Yukwon turn into a woman.” Jiho, who was sitting on the bed across Yukwon’s, stared at Yukwon’s face briefly. It still looked a lot like the Yukwon they knew; only the features were softer, even daintier. “Did you eat anything unusual last night?” Jiho pursed his lips thoughtfully, leaning slightly against a sleeping Taeil. “Or did you do anything out of the ordinary?”
Yukwon pulled his knees up to his chin. “No. I ate the same things as everyone else.” he tugged at the hem of his now-longish red hair, his own voice sounding so alien to him. “And I don’t think I did anything weird or something.”
“You and Jaehyo went to that wishing well, didn’t you?” Minhyuk pointed out, looking up from his book again. Yukwon blinked as he remembered.
“But if that were the case, then shouldn’t Jaehyo hyung be a girl now, too?” Yukwon frowned even more, because at least Jaehyo would get a kick out of being a girl.
“I’d look great with a nice rack. I already have a nice booty to go with it,” Jaehyo nodded. “Just saying!” He added when Yukwon glared at him.
Jihoon let go of Kyung long enough to let him breathe. “What exactly did you do at the wishing well, anyway?” Taeil stirred in his sleep, letting out a contented sigh.
“We looked around, made a few wishes, threw coins in,” Yukwon recounted dutifully, trying to remember if they did anything else.
Jaehyo paused in mid-fold. “What exactly did you wish for, anyway?”
The wishing well was stuff of legend in that seaside town. People said that whoever makes the most earnest wish gets to have their wish come true. Naturally, Jaehyo had demanded to see the well and make a wish, and Yukwon ended up going with Jaehyo after much whining and passive-aggressive persuading.
Yukwon remembered that night when they first heard of the legend of the wishing well. Yukwon and the other boys managed to sneak into one of the local bars and scored themselves some drinks. Kyung tried to chat up the lady bartender. This made Yukwon worry a little, because Kyung sometimes got them busted for being underage, and there was no way Yukwon wanted to be banned from one of the few happening places on that beach. The bartender’s name was Yumi, and she lived in town her whole life. If there was anyone who could best tell them about this town’s stories, it was her. So that evening, after a round of drinks and Kyung’s several failed attempts to get Yumi’s phone number, Yumi ended up telling them about the wishing well. The well was pretty ordinary and very much ancient, even older than the town itself. Some people said that the town was actually built around the well to protect it, to keep its secret. But as small towns go, secrets do not stay secrets for very long. Soon enough, people discovered that the wishing well granted one’s most fervent wish, if one wished hard enough. “Be careful what you wish for,” Yumi had warned them as she served more drinks to the crowd. “You’d get what you want, all right, but not in the way you’d expect it.”
I never even meant to make a wish, Yukwon thought. He was sitting outside their cottage later that day, staring at the shore, while the other boys were off doing their own things. Yukwon only went to the wishing well to make Jaehyo shut up, and this was what he got for being nice. He felt sorry for Jaehyo when everyone ignored his request to go see the well, so Yukwon offered to go. Yukwon didn’t plan on making a wish, because really, who would believe such things? But the moment Jaehyo closed his eyes to make a wish, Yukwon found himself wondering about the one thing he wanted for himself. He knew that the wish was made even before he actually thought of it, and Yukwon had felt hopeful when he tossed a coin in. After all, what did he have to lose for making such a simple little wish? Yukwon looked down at his torso, hair falling into his eyes as he did. A guy could literally lose himself as a consequence, apparently. He sighed, annoyed at his hair getting into his eyes, got up reluctantly from his seat and went inside to find something to tie his hair with. He rummaged through Jaehyo’s things and found a rubber band. Yukwon put his hair up in a loose bun (or something like that), relieved to not feel hair falling past his shoulders. He grabbed half a roll of kimbap from the kitchen on his way out, chewing on it a bit as he walked back outside, only to find Minhyuk now occupying one of the chairs on the porch, playing some game on Jihoon’s DS. It had been almost a whole day since Yukwon woke up and found himself transformed into a girl, and Minhyuk had yet to speak to him. In fact, Minhyuk hadn’t said much to anyone at all, even less than he usually did, ever since Yukwon woke everyone up with a totally girly (and utterly disconcerting) scream. Yukwon sat down, quietly chewing his food, doing his best not to fidget with the hem of his shirt. Companionable silences weren’t unusual where Minhyuk was concerned, but this felt nothing but awkward to Yukwon. He couldn’t even offer some of his food to Minhyuk, unable to turn and face Minhyuk and speak with the voice he now had, a voice that wasn’t his. He contemplated going back inside after he finished the rest of the kimbap, leaving Minhyuk alone. Yukwon moved to get up from his seat, but Minhyuk suddenly reached over and tugged at the bun on top of Yukwon’s head, freeing his hair from the rubber band, letting Yukwon’s hair down. Yukwon turned to stare at Minhyuk, blinking in surprise.
Minhyuk shrugged. “It looks better that way.” To emphasize his point, Minhyuk leaned in and smoothed Yukwon’s hair a bit. “There.” Minhyuk smiled a little before returning to his video game.
“I do not need to go shopping for girl clothes, hyung!” Yukwon didn’t want to have this conversation at breakfast, and now he really wanted to wring Jaehyo’s neck, and maybe kick him or something. “My own clothes fit me well enough.”
Jaehyo raised a finger. “Oppa.” He lifted his glass to drink some juice.
“What?” Yukwon’s brow furrowed.
“You should call me ‘oppa’ because you’re a girl now, you know.”
Jihoon choked on his food; Taeil hid his face behind that morning’s newspaper. Kyung and Jiho stared, waiting for Yukwon’s reaction.
“It would be more fun if you call everyone except Jaehyo ‘oppa’,” Minhyuk came into the kitchen, making a beeline for the fridge. “He doesn’t deserve it.”
Everyone else burst into laughter, including Yukwon. Jaehyo frowned at Minhyuk.
“Keep me out of this,” Taeil frowned when Jaehyo turned to give him a puppy-dog look.
Minhyuk nearly snorted orange juice out of his nose, laughing.
They all went to the club to see Yumi later that day, in the hope of learning more about how granted wishes work, and how they could stop it from working. The boys were going back home soon, and there was no way they were taking girl Yukwon (or Yuyeon, as Jaehyo had started calling her) back to Seoul.
“She’s not here,” Yukwon tried not to sound as panicky as he felt when a different bartender informed them that it was Yumi’s night off.
Kyung spoke up, leaning in to address the bartender. “Do you know where we could find her, sir?”
They found her place easily enough, a small cottage near the ocean not unlike the one the boys rented, but there was a splash of color near her doorstep - a small patch of flowers bloomed in front of the house. Jiho knocked.
“Can I help you?” Yumi peered through the screen door.
“Noona, remember me? It’s Jaehyo, from the other night?” He stepped forward so Yumi could see his face better. “We’re sorry to bug you on your night off, but well, you see,” he tried to keep his hands from gesturing so much. “Our friend Yukwon…”
“I made a wish,” Yukwon moved into view. “And then this happened.”
Yumi gasped, and then told them to come in.
The effect of the wishing magic will only end when the wish is granted. That was what Yumi told them last night. Now, as Yukwon watched the early morning sky as it finally gave way to light, he thought about what Yumi said. There was no way it could happen. There was no way his wish would come true. “I guess I need to get used to being a girl for the rest of my life.” He sighed.
“Don’t sound so resigned, hyung,” Jihoon came up beside Yukwon on the porch, handed him a cup of coffee. Jihoon sat down at an empty chair, looking at the horizon as he sipped his own coffee. “It’ll all work out. You’ll be yourself soon enough.”
“When?” Yukwon gestured widely with his free hand. “How?” He sighed again, louder this time. “It’s frustrating not knowing if I’ll actually be myself again.” He frowned at Jihoon. “What if it takes longer? What if I have to return to Seoul looking like this?” He set his cup down on the little table between the chairs, the coffee untouched. “How do I explain this to my mom, my brother?” He moved to pull his knees up to his chin, sighing yet again.
Jihoon sighed as well, quietly watching Yukwon fret, unsure about how he could help make Yukwon feel better. “Aish, hyung, stop that,” Jihoon set his cup down as well, then got up from his seat and moved toward the back of Yukwon’s chair. “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.” Jihoon reached out to wrap his arms around Yukwon’s shoulders from behind, bringing his hands together just above Yukwon’s chest. “We won’t let you go through this alone, hyung, you know that.” He planted his chin on Yukwon’s shoulder, lightly. “We’ll figure out how to bring you back to your old self, no matter what.”
Yukwon found himself hugging Jihoon back, reaching up to cover Jihoon’s arms with his own. It didn’t fix things, but the reassurance made Yukwon feel a little less frustrated, a little more optimistic. “Thanks, bro.”
Minhyuk was acting strange all morning, refusing to speak to everyone but Yukwon and Jihoon - or at least, that was what Yukwon thought.
“You must be imagining it,” Jaehyo pointed out. “Minhyuk seemed fine earlier when I hung out with him a while.”
Kyung looked up from his laptop. “Just ask him what’s up, man.” He returned to his game, pressing keys and made something explode on the battlefield. “No point in worrying when you can get answers.”
“It might just be indigestion,” Taeil nodded. “That happened to Jihoon last time.”
Yukwon found Minhyuk by the beach, sitting on an old dock, his feet submerged in the water. Yukwon approached carefully, half-afraid that Minhyuk would walk away if he knew Yukwon was coming over.
“Hey,” Yukwon sat down on the dock next to Minhyuk, Yukwon’s feet not quite reaching the water, his soles just barely touching the surface. Feeling a little self-conscious, he reached up and tightened his ponytail a little, idly staring at the fishing boats in the distance.
“Is everything all right?” Yukwon asked when Minhyuk didn’t respond. “Hyung.”
Minhyuk finally turned to look at Yukwon, still refusing to say anything. He studied Yukwon’s face, something that was now familiar and yet still a little strange. Minhyuk then reached out and gently laid the tip of his index finger against the tip of Yukwon’s nose.
Confused and surprised by the action, Yukwon ended up slightly cross-eyed as he tried to look at Minhyuk’s finger. Minhyuk chuckled and then took his finger away, only to lean in, the move quick, quiet, and it confused Yukwon even more.
The kiss started out soft, not more than a brushing of lips, both Yukwon and Minhyuk feeling unsure. Yukwon’s eyes fluttered closed, sighing against Minhyuk’s lips, returning the kiss just as gently. There was a flutter in Yukwon’s stomach, and a slow warmth spreading over his cheeks. Minhyuk smiled against the kiss before pulling away.
“Been wanting to do that for a while,” a corner of Minhyuk’s mouth turned up, his tone a little sheepish.
Yukwon grinned. “Not just because I suddenly acquired girl body parts?”
“I must admit that it’s an amusing addition to the scheme of things,” Minhyuk grinned back. “But I’ve been trying to figure things out all summer. I promised myself I’d tell you before I start attending university in the fall.”
“All summer,” Yukwon stared. He’d never even thought of Minhyuk liking him, not like this.
“Probably even longer than that, actually,” Minhyuk reached over and tugged off the piece of elastic that was holding Yukwon’s hair up, then moved his hand to smooth Yukwon’s hair.
“I’m glad it’s not indigestion,” Yukwon said suddenly, laughing.
Yukwon didn’t plan on making a wish that night, but the earnestness in Jaehyo’s face as he made a wish made Yukwon feel wishful himself. Yukwon ended up thinking of things he’d been trying to suppress all summer, things he’d been trying to keep to himself all year. So he made a wish, and tossed a coin in for good measure. And just like Yumi said, Yukwon got what he wanted, but not exactly in a way anyone expected.
“I guess I could get used to keeping my hair down,” Yukwon told his reflection, sighing. He got his wish granted, all right, but he was still anatomically female, barely 24 hours after the kiss at the pier. “I just really need to come up with a good excuse for my mom to accept that she now has a daughter.”
“Yumi noona wants to know how many coins you used to make a wish,” Kyung called out from the living room, pulling the phone mouthpiece away slightly.
“I used one for mine,” Yukwon walked in wearing a sweater he pretty much drowned in.
Jaehyo came in, trying not to chase after Taeil. “I thought the coin you tossed in was for me.” He stared at Yukwon.
Kyung relayed this information to Yumi. He made a small strangled sound in his throat after hearing what she had to say.
“Oh, man,” Taeil stared at Kyung.
Yukwon got up early the next day to get ready. They were having breakfast with Yumi, and Yukwon wanted to make something special for her to express his thanks for her helpfulness. It was true that it was she who planted the wishing well story in Jaehyo’s head in the first place, but Yukwon was grateful for her help anyway. Yukwon got out of bed, carefully slipping out of Minhyuk’s arms, not wanting to wake him up. Yukwon turned to face the balcony, stretching his arms when he got up.
A scream broke through the cottage, very much like the morning when Yukwon turned into a girl. Someone else screamed right back, both voices unfamiliar and most definitely not male.
Yukwon and Minhyuk hurried to the next room, where Jaehyo, Kyung and Jiho roomed together. Taeil and Jihoon were already there, gaping as they leaned against the door.
“You did not just punch me in the boob, you asshole,” A girl that looked very much like Kyung yelled at another girl who couldn’t be anyone else but Jiho.
“It’s not like I meant to, you jerk,” Jiho scowled. “Was kicking me where my balls used to be necessary?”
Jaehyo looked at the rest of the boys apologetically. “Jiho was so surprised to wake up as a girl, and to find another girl in his bed that he overreacted.”
“Looks like Kyung just …reacted,” Minhyuk mused, lazily throwing an arm over Yukwon’s shoulders as they watched the argument.
“Oh, yeah,” Taeil grinned when he finally noticed Yukwon standing there. “Welcome back, man.”
Yukwon absentmindedly looked down at the front of his own shirt. “Yeah, thanks.” Waking up to his old self was a pleasant surprise and a great way to end their vacation. He reached up to touch his hair. He was so relieved to find that it was short like it used to be. The long hair drove him a bit crazy. He found Minhyuk grinning at him, and he grinned back.
“Hey Kyung, can I touch your boobs?” Yukwon laughed as both girls pounced on Jaehyo with murderous looks in their eyes. Looked like their breakfast with Yumi was well-timed, after all.