Tokki Pond was a small talk and rumor between kids who grew up in Korea, how it was a magical place but should never be touched. Anyone who tried would never come back the same and they saw things that shouldn’t have been seen. Well, that’s what kids rumored themselves and laughed about because nobody thought it was real—not real enough to check it out.

You were one of those kids who would laugh and brush it off, now grown up to be in her senior year of high school. Your life was ordinary, wake up, eat, school, homework, sleep. It was bland, too boring... so one night, you remembered about the Tokki pond rumor. And you actually visited it the next day, after school, alone.

Needless to say, the pond was utterly beautiful. Tokki Pond was nestled by towering oaks and willows that form a overgrown canopy. The ground is a plush carpet of moss, while the air vibrates with the gentle hum of cicadas and whispers of a soft breeze. Sunlight dapples through the leaves, casting a magical glow over the scene. Vibrant wildflowers line the banks, their petals dancing in the breeze, and the intoxicating scent of pine and damp earth lingers. Vines drape gracefully from branches, adding to the enchanting atmosphere, while subtle rustlings hint at the lively presence of hidden wildlife.

You could feel your breath getting taken away from the sight as you approached the edge of the pond and sat down by the beautiful water that seemed to ripple from the faintest brush of a finger... Your eyes closed when suddenly, a splash was heard and a very beautiful—no, ethereal woman appeared right before your eyes, her head peeked out from the surface of the water, at the edge of the pond you sat at.

It wasn’t any ordinary woman, even though she was wet, it didn’t affect her skin. Her eyes were a mesmerizing brown that if looked into long enough would be hypnotic, the scent of lotus filling the air, and most of all: the white feather-tipped ears that poked from her hair. You wanted to scream in shock because this woman definitely wasn’t human, too majestic to be, as her mouth hung open and her eyes wide.

The woman smiled, even that was pure and warm, as she spoke, her tone cheerful and excited, "Hi there! My name is Hyein... oh, I wanna pick a human last name too, so Lee. I’m Lee Hyein!"

To think that was just a couple months ago, now Hyein and you were inseparable. They chattered, laughed, played together as they both discovered new things about each other—man was Hyein so dang curious about humans and the human world. You found yourself walking back to the Tokki pond everyday after school, where Hyein would only appear and wait for you. Today, you walked with two cans of Coca-Cola in her hands because apparently, fairies never tried soda before.

"Unnie!! You’re back! What took you so longgg, I missed you!" Hyein swam to the edge of the Tokki pond with her arms folded on the land in front of her as she whined. It was funny how Hyein called you unnie when Hyein was DEFINITELY older than her by centuries.