Seongjii sat alone in his bedroom late that evening, the soft glow of the golden lamp casting faint shadows across scattered journals and half-finished notes. The room was quiet, but his mind wasn't.
Time for the second wish… he thought. But this time, I can't be reckless. I need to be careful.
A gentle swirl of light rose from the lamp, twisting and stretching until it took shape.
Jennie emerged with a playful smirk, her arms crossed as she hovered casually in the air.
"Alright," she said lazily, eyes glinting with mischief. "What's the second wish?"
Seongjii straightened his posture. His voice was calm, confident—nothing like the nervous boy he'd been just days ago.
"I want a perfect body."
Jennie raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Seongjii continued, choosing every word carefully. "Not just muscles. My face, my physique… everything. Every part of me has to be perfect." He paused, then added, "But don't rush it. I don't want instant change."
Jennie tilted her head.
"Just like a tree doesn't grow overnight," Seongjii said, "I want my body to change gradually. Over two or three months. Small changes every day—natural, subtle—until the third month."
For a moment, Jennie stared at him. Then she laughed softly.
"Ohhh… planning ahead, huh?" she teased. "I like your style." Her smile widened. "Alright then. Let's begin."
A faint magical glow surrounded Seongjii as Jennie focused, her expression unusually serious.
"Slow," she murmured. "Steady. Magical." Then, with a sly grin, she added, "Let's see how this mortal handles perfection."
Suddenly, a soft creak echoed through the room.
Seongjii froze.
No… His heart skipped a beat. Mom can't see her.
The door opened slightly.
"Seongjii?" his mother's voice called gently. "Still awake?"
Jennie noticed instantly. Her lips curled into a mischievous grin as she whispered, "Hide me. Quick."
Before Seongjii could respond, she vanished back into the lamp.
"I—I'm just studying!" Seongjii blurted out, trying to sound natural.
His mother stepped inside, glancing around the room and at the journals scattered across the bed.
"All set for tomorrow's deliveries?" she asked.
"Y-Yeah," Seongjii replied, forcing a smile.
She nodded and turned to leave. "Don't stay up too late."
As the door closed, Seongjii let out a long breath.
That was close…
The next morning, Seongjii met his friends—Minho, Satoshi, and Hyunwoo—near the school gates.
"Yo, Seongjii!" Minho laughed. "Still delivering journals like a champ?"
Satoshi grinned. "We should've dragged you into our game marathon last night."
Hyunwoo shrugged coolly. "He probably slept like a rock."
Seongjii chuckled awkwardly. "Haha… yeah. Just busy."
That was when Zoe Kim walked past, her cheerful smile warm and effortless.
"Hey, Seongjii! Morning!"
"Ah—morning," he replied, his face heating up slightly.
From the lamp tucked away safely, Jennie's teasing voice echoed softly in his mind.
"Ohhh… looks like we've got a crush alert."
You're not helping, Seongjii thought, groaning internally.
That evening, Seongjii stood alone in his room once more.
Slow and steady… day by day, he thought. This is really happening.
From the lamp, Jennie's voice hummed with amusement. "Patience, mortal. Gradual perfection is the real challenge."
Seongjii glanced at his reflection, the lamp's glow dancing across his face.
I can feel it, he realized, excitement bubbling inside him. The first changes… already starting.
His journey toward perfection had begun.
To be continued…