Chapter Text
Nothing seems to be happening.
“I knew it was a stupid scam,” Seonghyeon disappointedly mumbled to himself, opening his eyes and staring down dejectedly at the sinister and unnatural-looking branch. It was splintered perfectly into two chunky pieces. He stood up from the edge of his bed and walked over to the corner of his room to throw what was left of the branch and the damaged plastic packaging into his small bin. It had to be a cheap gimmick disguised as a mystical object capable of granting your wishes. There’s absolutely no way Seonghyeon believed it could be real. The shop owner had been adamant that the mystical object did, in fact, grant wishes. The shop that Seonghyeon bought the object from was an occult store selling items that channeled spiritual power, supposedly. Seonghyeon remembered the shop owner watching him with an unusual gaze as he picked up the box from its neatly arranged stack and quietly assessed it. Her dark eyes carried a glazed-over, unfathomable emptiness. Her predatory and bizarre gaze bleeding into the side of his head.
When Seonghyeon walked over to the counter to purchase the strange object after a few minutes of ruminating, the shop owner’s ominous and cryptic warning echoed in his mind: "Be very careful what you wish for. I hope you don't regret it."
He slightly shook his head whilst walking out of his bedroom to enter the kitchen, in a futile attempt to get the woman’s freakish words out of his mind. The kitchen was bathed in a muted amber glow, the light fixed on the ceiling weakly flickering. He peered up at it in irritation, knowing that he would have to fork out money to get it fixed. Seonghyeon’s eyes trailed over to the window.
It was raining outside again. Heavy downpour drummed noisily against the glass, swallowing the eerie stillness of the kitchen. Seonghyeon retrieved a container of yesterday’s leftovers from the fridge, shoved it into the microwave, and set the timer. He lazily leaned over the counter with his arms folded, observing the glass tray spin his food around in an idle daze. The intense onslaught of rain drowned out the mellow hum of the microwave.
I'll text Keonho later to make sure he got home safe.
Without warning, the door frame to his front door rattled violently in a frantic and desperate hammering, delivering a terrifying echo through his quiet apartment. Seonghyeon jolted upright as his heart slammed against his ribs. He slowly pressed the stop button on the microwave, stomach twisting into a hard knot of unease. He carefully crept into his dark hallway, the wooden flooring creaking under his bare feet, and cautiously flipped the lights on. He leaned into the door, nervously peering into the tiny peephole.
It was only Keonho.
Seonghyeon exhaled a shaky sigh of relief, though the uneasy knot building up in his stomach refused to loosen. Even if he was confused as to what Keonho would be doing here, especially in such heavy rain, he still proceeded to step back to unlock his front door.
Seonghyeon’s blood turned cold, his body going rigid.
Standing there was...Keonho?
But there was something off about him.
Keonho was uncannily staring directly at him; his usually beautiful and dreamy sun-kissed brown eyes had completely flattened into a hollow, bone-chilling emptiness. Sopping wet dark strands of his hair strung messily across his soaked face, dripping from the side of his face and onto the floor in small pulsating drops. He was drenched from head to toe, still wearing the same outfit from earlier. Despite the hollow void of his lifeless gaze, a wide and deranged smile stretched unnaturally across his lips, unveiling his bunny-like teeth.
Goosebumps crawled up Seonghyeon’s spine, his lips parting in a silent and breathless gasp. He shakily smiled.
“Hey, what are you doing here in the rain? Is everything okay? Do you want to come in?” Seonghyeon stiffly asked, unable to mask the tremor in his voice.
“Hey, no. I mean yes? Sorry, it’s fine. I just really needed to speak to you,” Keonho’s voice conveyed a manic and unsettling cadence, a feigned casualness as if he were desperately trying to control himself. “I just kept thinking about our conversation earlier. I wanted to explain myself, really. Honestly, I don’t even know myself. I was on the phone earlier with Woochan, and I ended up breaking up with him. I couldn’t force myself to be in a relationship with someone I had no feelings for, you know?”
Seonghyeon slowly blinked at him, unable to register what was happening. “You broke up with Woochan?”
“Yeah, I mean, how could I date him when I’m in love with you? I just couldn’t do it. I’m sorry,” Keonho breathlessly ranted, hastily stepping forward, causing Seonghyeon to instinctively jolt backwards. “So I was actually thinking we should start dating. I couldn’t sleep without letting you know how much I love you. Do you feel the same? I just really need to know.”
Seonghyeon choked, his ears ringing in disbelief. He felt his heart thump against his chest rapidly, his cheeks burning. He’s waited for Keonho to reciprocate his feelings for so long. Seonghyeon couldn’t believe this was actually happening. It didn’t feel real. He must be dreaming.
“Yeah, I’ve always loved you too, Keonho,” Seonghyeon fondly said, dewy-eyed and his body buzzing with yearning. He couldn’t contain the twitch of the cheesy and tender smile his lips formed. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in?”
Keonho instantly closed the distance, his drenched body clinging to Seonghyeon in a desperate and intimate hug that rendered him shy and flustered. The faint lingering summery scent of Keonho’s laundry detergent and his firm but warm body pressed flushly against Seonghyeon, hypnotising him. Keonho buried his soaked face into the crook of Seonghyeon’s neck, wet and unruly strands of his hair grazing his skin and tickling him. Keonho raggedly panted against Seonghyeon’s neck, fingernails digging into the back of Seonghyeon’s long-sleeved shirt. Seonghyeon’s arms awkwardly hovered around Keonho, unsure of where to put them. All he could pay attention to was the snug and warm sensation of having Keonho in his arms. It was a dream come true.
“Does this mean we’re dating?” Seonghyeon meekly murmured, his heart hammering against Keonho’s chest as he clung to the affectionate and intimate moment. “Like right now?”
The moment the question left Seonghyeon’s lips, Keonho’s body stiffened, and he leapt backwards away from Seonghyeon’s embrace in a frenzied panic. His wide eyes burned with mortification, face flushed, and a bewildered expression stained his features. Seonghyeon, confused and worried at the bizarre behaviour, just stared at him.
Keonho’s eyes frantically looked around, completely disoriented. “Um, wait no, I’m sorry, what’s…happening? I don’t really know what’s going on.”
Seonghyeon uneasily stared at him with a frown, unsure of how to react. “Whoa? What do you mean? Are you okay?”
With a jerky twist of his neck, Keonho blinked oddly at Seonghyeon for a moment before that same unnatural smile carved its way back across his face. Seonghyeon eyed him, uncomfortable but concerned.
The heavy and uneasy knot eating away at his insides.
“Keonho, are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting really weird,” Seonghyeon slowly asked, his voice dropping into a guarded and wary tremble.
“Yeah, I’m all great. Sorry, it’s just I think I’m a little sleep-deprived. Is it okay if I sleep over at yours? I think I’ll sleep better with you,” Keonho chirped, the overly cheerful delivery vibrating with a disguised manic and desperate lilt.
“Yeah su—”
“No. Sorry. I’ve actually got to go. I’m really sorry,” Keonho clumsily stumbled over his words, teetering back with a humiliated expression.
Seonghyeon was taken aback and speechless by the abrupt personality shift, unsettled as he helplessly watched Keonho scurry down the outside corridor of his apartment. He stepped out of his apartment and slowly peered over the wet balcony rail. Keonho, under the streetlights, was shivering and rubbing his arms, whilst he hurried down the empty road. Seonghyeon hesitantly stepped back into his apartment, the front door clicking shut. No. There was no way it worked. It couldn’t have.
He rushed back into his bedroom, his feet heavily pounding against the floorboards, and frantically rummaged through his small bin for the broken branch before pulling the two pieces out. Seonghyeon intensely stared at it, in pure disbelief. He stumbled over to his desk and clumsily flipped open his laptop, clicking on the Google search bar. The harsh, blue light from his laptop screen washed over his panic-stricken face. He typed with shaky fingers:
One Wish Willow proof?
He clicked on a Reddit post at the top of the search results under a forum.
r/onewishwillow : Posted by u/electric_05, 5 days ago
I Think I Caused The Murder Of My Friend.
hi, i don’t know how to start this post. some of you might even laugh or think i’m crazy but i’m serious. i bought this object from an occult store a few days ago thinking it was some stupid silly joke and the shop owner wasn’t being serious. she told me i could make a wish. it could be anything. as long as i said the wish right it would turn out fine. but she warned me saying people often came back into her shop begging for her help to reverse the wish. but you can’t. there’s no way to reverse it. i didn’t believe her. and i should have. i decided to use the wish one day on my friend. we got into an argument because he confessed to the girl i like and they’ve started dating. i was really pissed so i wished for the girl to break up with him in the cruelest way possible, so that it would leave him hurt. i didn’t think it would work. the next day, i found out the girl stabbed my friend to death.
it can’t be a coincidence right? am i a murderer or somehow complicit in his death? what the fuck do i do? i haven’t told anyone about this. i can’t sleep, eat, or do anything. i’ve missed days of school. i can’t look his family in the eyes anymore. i didn’t even go to his funeral.
am i responsible for his death?
250 comments
u/ni_necrystals (1.0k upvotes) (200 downvotes)
come on there’s no way a fucking toy caused your friend’s girlfriend to stab him to death. she must have just been crazy?
u/supr_emelysmart (900 upvotes) (150 downvotes)
I think you’re overthinking it. The One Wish Willow isn’t real. It’s just a made-up occult shtick to get people to waste their money.
Seonghyeon anxiously chewed on his thumb, his leg bouncing up and down as he scrolled further down the comments until he stopped on one that caught his eye. His hand hovered over his mousepad.
u/onlytrueoccultwitch (20 upvotes)
You never should have touched that object or bought it to begin with. You’ve dabbled in something you can’t ever get yourself out of. Once the wish has been made, there’s no going back. You have to live with what you’ve done to your friend forever. The One Wish Willow is dangerous. Anyone who is reading this, DO NOT attempt to use it. I'm begging you. You’ll regret it. I learnt from my mistake by using it on the person I wanted to love me back. I wish I could reverse time to the moment before I found out about it. It’s too late now.
Seonghyeon slammed his laptop shut, reeling back into his desk chair. He hunched over, dropping his head in his hands. Nah. I’m just being paranoid. The Reddit post must be some sort of joke.
He spent the rest of the night tossing and turning in his bed, a sickly feeling of dread sticking to his skin.
────
Seonghyeon squinted at his phone screen, awake but still groggy from being half-asleep. His phone continuously vibrated with several recent messages from Keonho. Seonghyeon shifted under his bedsheets to sit up against the headboard, reading the messages. Yesterday’s strange events vividly replayed in his mind, reminding him how odd Keonho’s behaviour was. The Reddit post plagued his mind, and he still couldn’t shake off the uneasy sinking feeling in his stomach.
keonho 🧡:
hey really sorry about yesterday.
i hope i didn’t freak you out.
idk why i was acting like that.
i’m so sorry.
u must have been creeped out right?
especially since it was raining so heavily and i randomly turned up at your place.
i won’t do anything u don’t like.
so please don’t be angry at me.
also i really love you.
i didn’t get to answer ur question yesterday.
but yes i really want us to date.
so we’re dating now.
is that ok?
i just kept thinking about you all night.
seonghyeon i love you so so much.
i’m so glad u feel the same way.
also about the thing at james hyung’s place.
can we go together?
i really really want us to go together?
also should i tell everyone we’re dating?
i’m just so happy. i’m sorry.
are u ignoring me?
seonghyeon?
so ur angry at me then?
i knew it. i freak u out don't i?
i can see u reading the messages.
wait, i saw u typing. why did u stop?
seonghyeon?
A suffocating feeling of dread hammered against Seonghyeon’s chest, helplessly staring at the desperate and unruly onslaught of messages. His thumbs shakily hovered over his keyboard, starting to type out a response, but he cowardly backpedalled and deleted the message. His ringtone blaring cut through the quiet of his bedroom, causing him to flinch as he checked to see Keonho’s name flashing on his screen.
Seonghyeon hesitantly answered and slowly pressed the phone to his ear, waiting with bated breath.
“Why aren’t you responding to my messages?” Keonho spoke on the other end, his voice flat and cold.
“Sorry, I actually just woke up. I wanted to respond, but, you kept typing, so I thought you weren’t done,” The lie escaped Seonghyeon’s lips in a stiff tremble, his throat dry. “I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you, I promise. I was also happy that we both came clean with how we feel about each other. I do want to be with you. I mean, I do want us to date.”
A heavy silence spread between them. Seonghyeon tried to control his laboured breathing, waiting for Keonho to respond.
“Okay, I just wanted to make sure that you weren’t freaked out or anything. When I saw that you were reading the messages and not responding, I got a little worried. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. But what do you think about going to James hyung’s party tonight? Also, did you get the message on the group chat? The location’s been changed. Just making sure you got the memo.”
“I haven’t had a chance to check the group chat,” Seonghyeon forced the words out, struggling to follow the erratic and sporadic flow of their conversation. “Where’s the party at now?”
“I can send you the location later,” Keonho dismissively brushed the question aside, jerkily changing the subject with an ominous abruptness. “So, have you thought about what I said? About telling everyone that we’ve started dating now. I think everyone should know.”
“Can we just give it a few days? Woochan’s still friends with everyone we know, and it hasn’t been that long since you broke up with him,” Seonghyeon attempted to reason, treading carefully with his words. “I promise we’ll tell everyone.”
“Okay. Can I come over to your place then later? I want to shower at your place before we go.”
"I mean, sure, but is there something wrong with yours?”
“Does there have to be something wrong? “ Keonho’s voice was chillingly flat and monotone. “Am I not allowed to want to spend time with you?”
Seonghyeon uneasily chuckled. “Of course you are. Sorry, I was just asking. I didn’t mean to upset you. You can come over whenever you want. I’ll even give you a spare key,” he moved his phone away from his ear to briefly look at the time on his screen. He had a six-hour shift starting in an hour. “So, I’ve got work. But I’ll text you later?”
“Okay, have a good shift. I love you.”
Seonghyeon’s smile slightly faltered. “Yeah, I love you too.”
────
Seonghyeon sprayed the counter and the area around the coffee station with a sanitising spray bottle, routinely cleaning away leftover coffee grounds and any milk splatters. The sun was slowly setting, bathing the almost-empty coffee shop in a warm afternoon glow. Seonghyeon worked at the coffee shop alongside Sangwon, a few minutes away from the campus. He could feel the lingering awkwardness between them after finding out about Sangwon’s feelings for him, but he made a conscious effort to treat Sangwon like he usually would. Like a close friend. Seonghyeon didn’t directly reject Sangwon, but eventually, he would end up finding out about his relationship with Keonho.
“I can’t believe James was able to rent out a house just for tonight. He’s so loaded it’s not even funny,” Sangwon whined, sweeping up stray coffee beans on the floor. “Even his apartment is on the nicer side of town."
“I'm not surprised. The last party we had at his apartment, someone ate all his dinner prep for the week and vomited in his favourite vase," Seonghyeon winced at the painful memory before playfully directing a dimpled smile at the blonde-haired boy, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Do you think if I persuaded him to pay my rent for the next two months, he would do it?"
Sangwon smiled back in amusement. “Hey, it’s worth a try. I have an entire wishlist that needs sorting out—"
The glass door to the coffee shop swung open vigorously, cutting off their light-hearted banter, and drawing his attention to Keonho. He stepped inside the shop with an unhinged and unnatural demeanour. Seonghyeon’s heart violently lurched, his body seizing in shock.
“Oh, hey, Keonho. We’re actually closing up now,” Sangwon greeted the dark-haired boy with naive innocence, oblivious to the paralyzed panic drowning Seonghyeon, as his sweeping ceased. Seonghyeon managed a tight and lopsided grimace, a poor imitation of a casual smile.
“Hey, Seonghyeon. I wanted to walk back with you after your shift,” Keonho brusquely ignored Sangwon’s friendly greeting, his glassy-eyed gaze intently fixed on Seonghyeon. “I can just sit in the corner and wait for you to finish.”
“Y-yeah sure, that’s fine. I’ll be done in ten minutes,” Seonghyeon feigned a sweet smile, anxiously watching Keonho stumble over to an empty and cleared table in the corner of the coffee shop.
“Uh, is it just me, but did he just completely ignore me?” Sangwon raised an eyebrow, warily side-eyeing Seonghyeon’s side profile. “Is he okay? That was…really weird.”
A faint, strained chuckle escaped Seonghyeon’s lips, his voice hushed and fragile as if Keonho could hear him from across the room.
“He’s fine.”