the weight of wishes
Jihoon had never been happier.
His soft hum of a gentle melody wafted around him, the little tinkles danced around the
silence. The whispering flames on the hearth showered the room with their kind lights, but
Jihoon’s smile might have just outshone it. His nimble fingers moved quietly and quickly,
trying not to let the euphoria disturb his work. He just couldn’t wait to finally complete this
special gift, as tomorrow would be his and his brother’s favorite day.
Hm? What day is it, you ask? Is it a birthday? Is it Christmas where miracles are born? Or is
it a new year where skies are alight with fireworks and new hopes?
No, it’s not any of those. It’s Halloween.
Why Halloween, you might wonder. It’s for two reasons. First, the simplest: Jihoon loved
candies. Hey, don’t be so surprised. Just like how the monster in his childhood fairytale book
loved plums, our seemingly unfriendly Jihoon loved sweets, too. And second, the most
important reason:
It was the day Jihoon learned that no wish is impossible.
Would you like to hear more about it? Come, let me tell you. But shh, promise you’d be quiet.
We didn’t want to wake Seungcheol-hyung from his sound sleep. Now, take some lollipops
from the jar, and let’s start the story.
***
It was the same date many years ago. Jihoon was only five. It was his thirtieth day at the new
kindergarten, and the first day he decided he’d try to make friends. It wasn’t easy to do so, you
know. Not when you were the shyest kid, and when you didn’t have many things other kids
do. Jihoon didn’t have the trendiest shoes or a backpack with everyone’s favorite superheroes
on it. Worst, Jihoon didn’t have any parents. But, Seungcheol-hyung said that it doesn’t
matter what someone has or doesn’t have, everyone can be a good friend despite what they