The morning sun at the Seongjii household was greeted not by silence, but by the relentless pursuit of dessert.
"Mrs. Han~ can I get some cheesecake again? Pretty please?" Araya asked, her eyes wide and shimmering with a practiced innocence.
Mom sighed, hands on her hips. "Cheesecake? Again? You just had a massive slice yesterday for the birthday! Too much sugar and you'll end up with diabetes, young lady!"
Araya leaned back, a confident grin playing on her lips. "Oh, don't worry! I've been alive for thousands of years—I've never met a disease that could keep up with me. My metabolism is literally magical."
Mom shook her head, though a smile betrayed her. "Unbelievable... fine, take it. But this is the last slice!"
"You're the best!" Araya beamed, diving into the cake like it was the most precious treasure in the world.
Dad, sipping his coffee, watched her with fascination. "So, Araya... how long were you actually trapped inside that lamp?"
Araya paused, a fork halfway to her mouth. "Hmm... actually, I don't really know. I lost count after a few centuries. But I can say this—out of all the mortals who have summoned me, Seongjii is the smartest one so far. He actually thinks before wasting a wish. That's rare."
Mom and Dad looked at each other, genuinely impressed.
Araya smirked, winking at them. "Which means... I'll be around for a long, long time!"
Just then, the "smartest mortal" himself stumbled into the kitchen, yawning so wide it looked like his jaw might unhinge.
"Morning... what's for breakfast?" Seongjii mumbled, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Your royal highness finally wakes up!" Araya teased, her mouth full of cheesecake.
"You missed all the deep talk," Dad added, chuckling.
Mom leaned against the counter, smirking at her son. "By the way, have you decided on your next wish, 'Young Master'?"
Seongjii grabbed a piece of toast, waving his hand dismissively. "Not yet... I'll think about it soon. No rush."
He headed out for school, unaware that the universe—and his resident Genie—had very different plans for his 'peaceful' day.
At school, the routine was the same. The same noisy hallways, the same playful banter with Satoshi, Minho, and Hyunwoo. But Seongjii's eyes kept drifting toward the auditorium.
Zoe Kim was there, practicing her routine for the upcoming dance competition. She moved like water—fluid, graceful, and captivating.
'Wow... she's really good,' Seongjii thought, leaning against a locker. 'If only I could move like that. But no... I'd probably trip over my own shadow.'
He saw her laughing with her dance partner, a tall, athletic guy. A sharp pang of jealousy hit his chest, and he quickly looked away, sighing.
The school bell finally rang, and Seongjii walked toward the gate, his mood as heavy as his backpack.
"Seongjii! You took forever!" Araya appeared out of thin air near the gate, waving enthusiastically.
Satoshi nudged Seongjii, whistling. "Ohhh~ she came to pick him up? That's so cute, bro."
"Shut up, man..." Seongjii muttered, his ears turning red.
Just then, Zoe walked past them. But she wasn't her usual glowing self. Her eyes were red, and she looked visibly upset.
"Zoe? Hey, what happened?" Seongjii asked, his concern overriding his shyness.
Zoe looked up, her voice trembling. "My dance partner... he got injured during practice. The competition is in a few weeks, and now I don't have anyone to dance with. I'll have to withdraw."
The words were barely out of her mouth when Araya stepped forward, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Oh, that's an easy fix!" Araya chirped, pointing a thumb at Seongjii. "Seongjii will dance with you!"
Seongjii's world stopped. [Internal Monologue: Araya, you tiny blue demon! I'm going to bury that lamp in the deepest part of the ocean the moment I get home!]
"Wha—WHAT?!" Seongjii's voice cracked.
Satoshi, Minho, and Hyunwoo burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. "Seongjii? Dancing?! Bro can't even walk in a straight line without stumbling over his own feet!"
Seongjii kept a calm mask on the outside, but inside, his brain was screaming. [Internal Monologue: Laugh all you want, you traitors. If I'm going down, I'm taking your dignity with me.]
Zoe looked at him, her eyes suddenly filled with hope. "Wait... really? You're a secret dancer, Seongjii?"
Seongjii looked at her hopeful face, then at Araya's devious grin. [Internal Monologue: Secret dancer? The only secret I have is that I once tripped over a flat carpet and apologized to the floor. I'm dead. I'm officially dead.]
"Uh... yeah, sure... totally..." he stammered, his smile as stiff as cardboard.
"Perfect!" Zoe beamed, her sadness vanishing instantly. "Then you're my new partner! Practice starts tomorrow!"
As she skipped away, Seongjii stood frozen. His friends were still howling with laughter in the background.
[Narration: And just like that, Seongjii's peaceful life was once again... completely ruined.]
To be continued...