Y O U   S P R I N K L E   S T A R D U S T   O N   M Y   P I L L O W C A S E

Jeon Jeongguk is considered as one of the most trusted warlocks in Urban Seoul. Having his own potions shop, customers flock to him day and night, either for their daily magical intake, curse cures, and the likes--whether they're ordinary humans or magical beings.

However, after brewing a potion for a young shifter who had an issue returning to his human form, Jeongguk comes face to face with one himself. Lo and behold, he soon found himself in a hare-rising situation: he became a bunny.

* * *

Jeongguk didn't mean to turn into a bunny.

He really didn't.

The thing is: the warlock was busy mixing up a potion to reverse a spell for a young shapeshifter. The customer had accidentally turned into a bunny, and couldn't turn back to his normal human form due to his inexperience in shifting. Fortunately, being one of the best potion makers in town, Jeongguk eagerly took up the offer to fix him a concoction.

It's not like the ingredients were difficult anyway. All he had to do was to mix a couple of bay leaves, sprinkle a bit of ebony salt, pixie dust, and voila. A potion that could turn you into back your human form should be bubbling within your cauldron in a matter of minutes.

Alas, there was an accident. A very amateur one, as he might say.

Along the way, Jeongguk accidentally hit a jar of dragonfly wings and it fell inside the cauldron. Long story short, the liquid splashed all over his face and he was able to consume a bit of it (yes, very unlikely, but shit happens). Not long after, he felt his limbs constricting, shrinking down until he stood on four tiny feet and had two flappy ears.

And, drum roll please: he was a bunny.

(Cue fireworks and fart noises.)

So. It would've actually been okay if he'd been a normal bunny. Brown, white, tan, he doesn't really care what color his fur would be. He's not racist. But the thing is, he got turned into a fucking white bunny with purple spots of all colors, taking after his purple-dyed hair back when he was a human. Great.

Just great.

In his small form, he jumps over his clothes--which are now giant compared to his current size. He blinks his eyes and looks up to see that what was his once small potions shop is now similar to the buildings outside, almost sky-high and intimidating. The shelves that he used to crouch down on seemed impossibly high, and the cauldron became a gargantuan blob of black.

With his current size, he realizes that there's no way he can concoct another potion, what with how he's basically as big as a normal human's foot and it'd take him an entire day to get all the ingredients correctly measured and mixed.

Damn it.

As if the gods were listening, the door opens and the small marigold flowers by the entrance start to sing their usual joyful song, a poppy dance track by some group called BTZ, indicating that customers are here. Just his luck.

"Nightshade berries, dragon claws, salamander wool-- what else does Jisoo need?" A voice lilts, followed by a light fluttering sound of something.

Jeongguk the Bunny's heart starts to beat frantically in his chest. You know that saying there's always sunshine after the rain or something? Well, this is the sunshine in the situation. There are customers here, customers that would be able to help him!

He hops from the floor to the stack of books by the counter, just until he manages to reach his sturdy wooden stool. Surprisingly, the action doesn't hurt his legs... probably because he had his leg day at the gym yesterday, when he was still human. Sigh.

"I think that's it. She told me she was out of stock with them, anyway," another voice replies, although it sounds more like a song? He doesn't understand. "They're for an elixir or whatever it is that witches call it. I dunno. It's like some science shit, geometry or something. I wasn't listening."

By the time he makes it to the counter top, he's hit by a sudden familiarity. Jeongguk doesn't know if it's fate, but the two customers in front of him are his regulars. With the way they're talking animatedly, it doesn't seem like they've noticed his presence just yet.

Thank you, Gods! He thinks.

One is a person with long, beautiful red hair and shimmering mermaid scales running along the back of her arms to her neck--he thinks her name is Roséanne?--and the other is a flower faerie named Lalisa (that one he knows well due to... private reasons), her wings fluttering behind her back, casting pretty rainbows on the floorboards.

"Now where is that warlock crush of yours? Why is no one manning the--"

He doesn't bother to listen, hopping across trinkets and books just to reach the highest point to gain their attention. Vaguely, he's aware that the faerie--Lisa--begins slapping the mermaid's arms.

"...he is not my crush--"

"--you gifted him marigold flowers that can sing--"

"He told me he likes Margarine by BTZ--"

Weirdly, he does remember a certain conversation that involved an argument about which KPOP group is better: WhiteBlue or BTZ. But that's not the main issue right now: the main issue is that Jeongguk is a fucking bunny and he has no idea what to do and he really, really needs to pee.

So, ignoring the bickering of the two beings aside, he takes a deep breath and lets out the loudest, scariest scream he could muster to get their attention--only for him to release a fucking shrill scream that he didn't know bunnies could make.

The two girls stop.

One by one, they turn in his direction, and Lalisa releases an earth-shattering squeal.

"Oh my Gods, a bunny!" She coos as if seeing the 7th wonder of the world. Jeongguk backs away as she begins to walk towards him with her hands outstretched, reaching out to cradle her into her arms and oh. Lisa is warm. So, so warm. She smells like lavender and cotton and all things good. "A purple bunny!"

"I can see, dumbass," Roséanne snorts from behind her.

"I need help, I don't know how to turn back into a human and now I'm stuck!" Jeongguk tries to communicate, making gestures with his small paws and ears.

Lisa giggles and squishes him into her chest even more and oh my God are these her boobs?! "Awww, his little noises are so cute! I didn't know bunnies could make sounds?"

For a moment there, Jeongguk thinks he's going to die via boob suffocation, but thankfully the mermaid takes him away from the faerie before she can squeeze him to death.

Roséanne holds him at arms length, and Jeongguk tries not to squirm away because his private parts are practically visible now that he's an animal. "Hmmm," she hums thoughtfully, "I think Jeongguk owns him."

He tries to wriggle in disagreement. "No, no, I'm Jeongguk! You need to help me! Please!"

The girl's gaze turns warm. "Okay, that was probably the cutest set of bunny noises I've ever heard."

Jeongguk wants to protest. He wants to organize a rally, gather his forces and make these two understand that he. Is. Not. Cute. He's Jeongguk, for goodness' sake, and he has a reputation for being one of the most attractive warlocks in town. He even won Mr. Warlock 2019 a few years back.

"See, I told you!" Lisa says from behind him. "Why is he alone though? Where did Jeongguk go?"

"Maybe he's at the back?"

No, I'm right here! He wants to say, but then ultimately stops as the realization that he's a literal animal sinks in, therefore he can't talk. Fucking stupid, really. He wishes animals had the ability to talk. Whoever created them needed a slap in the face.

Lisa takes the initiative to wander around his shop. She goes into the stock room, behind the counter, in the bathroom, but comes back with nothing. As expected.

"Maybe Jeongguk had an emergency?" The faerie speculates, placing both of her hands on her hips. Jeongguk has the urge to roll his eyes. He's literally right here.

"Well, we can just go to another potions shop. Namjoon's is just right around the corner."

Lisa seems to contemplate it, but pouts when she sees him nestled in the crook of Roséanne's elbow. "We can't just leave the poor bunny alone though."

A hand comes up to pet his fur and a shudder runs through his body. It feels so good for some reason. "What do you suggest then?"

"Um," Lisa stammers. "I can just call Jeongguk and ask him?"

The mermaid shrugs. "Sure."

Gods. Jeongguk wants to die--figuratively, by the way.

Again, as predicted, the call doesn't go in because out of all the days Jeongguk had the chance to charge his phone, he didn't do it today because he just wasn't feeling it. He doesn't text anyone on the daily except when he needs to contact a few clients, hence why his phone is always on the low which is just fucking stupid, he now realizes.

"He's not answering," Lisa says with a frown and puts her phone back in her skirt. Roséanne huffs and hands him over while getting a seashell from her hair and opening it, revealing a medium-sized pearl glistening in the middle.

"Hold on, let me call my brother," she mutters before doing weird things with her fingers and soon enough, the holographic image of a familiar merman is floating above the shell, projected by the pearl. "Hey. Jimbo."

"The fuck do you want?!" The face of one of his closest friends, Park Jimin, becomes clearer as soon as the connection strengthens. His friend is in his usual regalia, blonde hair and blue eyes, bare shoulders on display as he glares into the camera. A gold circlet is atop his head, indicating his rank.

Despite seeing the merfolk's communicating device numerous times, it still manages to amaze Jeongguk up to this day. Most supernatural beings have gotten used to modern technology, adapting to humans' way of living, but the merfolk have chosen to stick to their tradition even though a few brands have made waterproof phones. Not that he has anything against it or something, it's actually pretty awesome.

"Can you calm down? I'm just here to ask the whereabouts of Jeongguk, you know, that warlock friend of yours."

Jimin visibly scrunches his nose. A pufferfish swims in front of him, blocking the camera for half a second. "Meh. I dunno. Isn't he always in his shop? Why don't you try calling him?"

Roséanne groans a little. "Do you think I'd call you if we didn't try? We found his pet bunny running around the shop though."

"His pet--what?"

"Bunny. Here." The mermaid pulls Lisa close so she can come into view, as well as Bunny Jeongguk. "Say hi, little bunny."

Jeongguk tries again. Maybe Jimin could understand him. His friend told him once that he could talk to crabs. "Jimin, what the fuck, you won't believe what happened!" He begins saying, "I was trying to make this potion for Soobin but I ended up adding the wrong ingredients--"

"Damn." Jimin whistles, looking amused. "That's the noisiest bunny I've ever met."

Jimin, I will break your kneecaps, he wants to scream.

"I know, right?" Lisa giggles and scratches the back of his ear, emitting a purr from him. "He has a pretty purple coat, too."

"Jeongguk doesn't own a pet, though," he clarifies. "But as much as I'd like to help and all, I have responsibilities to do. The South Atlantic and the North Atlantic have started their feud again and I have to act as the mediator for the meeting this afternoon so... I have to go."

"Whatever. Thanks for the info," Roséanne dismisses him with a wave and the hologram disappears. "So. This bunny is ownerless."

"Yes," Lisa agrees, a wide smile blooming on her face. Jeongguk has a faint idea of where this is going.

"So..."

"So."

"Who's gonna take him home?"

* * *

With his busy business, Jeongguk hasn't had the pleasure of doing other things besides constantly working in his shop. His friends call him boring, but who's going to keep the business running if he's out and about all the time?

So as soon as the faerie offers to take him home and literally flies him out of the shop within a heartbeat, his breath is quite taken away as soon as they arrive to her house. He's never been in an actual faerie house before--he had a faerie friend, but Hoseok lives in one of those super high apartment buildings due to his nature--so the excited twitch of his ears couldn't be stopped when Lisa lands smoothly in front of the stone pathways.

Faeries usually live in big trees, and Lisa's home is no exception. A huge oak tree stands in front of them, strong and proud with emerald green leaves and flowered vines crawling along the branches. A wooden door is poised at the forefront with several stone pathways leading directly to it.

Lisa hums happily as she skips along the stones, her feet barely touching the ground as her wings keep on fluttering--something that Jeongguk has learned to associate with her good mood. She holds him tightly within her arms, and soon she's opening the door to her home and wow, Jeongguk is floored.

The house looks small from the outside but the inside is definitely bigger. There's a small living room as soon as you step in, and dozens of plants and flowers hang from the ceiling. A fireplace is situated in one corner with one reading chair and there are shelves hastily stacked with books.

Wriggling, Jeongguk hurriedly gets off from Lisa's arms and hops all the way to the reading chair. He faintly hears Lisa's giggles as he instantly lies down on all fours and purrs in content. It's so soft, so warm, so cozy, Jeongguk might just pass out.

"You're just so cute, aren't you," Lisa coos, and Jeongguk wants nothing more than to growl at her for calling him that, but the chair is too comfy. "You know, I just realized I need to give you a name."

Fuck.

"Jeongguk! I'm Jeongguk!" He desperately tries to convey, but all that comes out is a clucking sound. He wants to cry so bad, fuck. If she'd give him a name like Justine Seagull or something he'd probably faint.

Jeongguk's ears perk up as she starts humming in thought. "I'm not really good with names, you know? Once, I had a pet cat, and I named her Ms. Skimbleshanks."

WHAT. She named her cat a skank?!

"But now I've grown up, of course, so I'll give my little bunbun a better name!" At least that makes him feel a tad bit better. "You're very pretty... and very strong, too. I'm thinking... Harecules!"

If Jeongguk were human, he would've cried in despair. But alas, he's a fucking bunny, so all he does is growl pitifully like the animal he is.

* * *

"And that marks the end of our house tour, bun!" Lisa says happily as they go back down the stairs, having just come from the second floor. The entire place is visually pleasing and overall comfy, but Jeongguk honestly doesn't care about anything at the moment because his stomach is craving food. "Now it's time for your snacks!"

"Fuck yes!" Jeongguk squeals, and Lisa places him on top of the wooden counter. He wants to eat meat so badly, but, like, wouldn't that be cannibalism? Because he's an animal and all, so...?

"I honestly don't know what food bunnies eat, but I figure it wouldn't be wrong to go with the good ole carrot, amirite?" She wriggles her brows conspiratorially and starts washing a carrot that she grabbed from the fridge.

Jeongguk's not picky; he would've eaten anything Lisa would give him right now. Even if it's like a human arm or horse legs or something.

"I'll make sure to drop by the market tomorrow. I'd probably need new firewood, too, so it'll be a productive trip."

Soon enough, she's handing him a plate with julienned carrots, and before he knows it he's finished the entire thing in one go.

"You really were hungry, weren't you, Harecules?" The faerie muses.

Yeah, no shit, he wants to say.

She picks up the plate and places it on the sink, taking him in between her arms again. "It's been a long day for you, so I think it's best if you take a nap."

"I'm not sleepy!" He tries to argue, but only ends up gurgling whatever noises that make Lisa snort.

"Yeah, yeah, stop arguing, bun."

While Lisa carries him up to the bedroom, his eyes land on her wings. They're translucent; a very faint shade of pink colouring the tips. A consistent swirling pattern flows in between, similar to that of a butterfly. He thinks they're pretty, and they sound relaxing, too. Jeongguk finds his eyes fluttering shut as he listens to the constant beating sound when Lisa enters her room and lays him softly on the bed.

He barely registers it when she bundles him up in a blanket, snuggling closer into the warmth and curling into himself. Lisa chuckles quietly and kisses the crown of his head softly, leaving the room as soon as sleep catches up with him.

* * *

When Jeongguk wakes up hours later, he realizes three things: 1) he's a bunny, 2) no, this isn't a dream, and 3) he's in a different house.

Jeongguk's ears perk up in panic before the familiar scent of lavender and cotton hits him in the nose. He scrunches it slightly, and turns his head to the side to be face-to-face with none other than Lalisa.

Oh... wait. That's right.

The memories come flooding back in a little while--how he got turned into a bunny, how Lisa and her mermaid friend found him and how the faerie took him home. It all starts piecing together and little by little, the anxiety and the fear that're unconsciously gripping Jeongguk's mind subside until they're nothing more than a distant throb.

The tension seeps out of his body, and in an instant he feels warm. Comfortable. Jeongguk scans over Lisa's face, peaceful amidst everything else. It's no secret that the faerie has always been beautiful; Jeongguk has always found himself looking a little too long whenever she visits the shop. With her always curious eyes, cute nose, and kissable lips, he's always seen her as someone that is way out of his league.

It's safe to say that he and the faerie have developed quite a friendship in the last six months. They've gotten to the point of exchanging numbers to texting each other good morning and good evening messages every two days, and they've been dancing around each other for quite some time. He may or may not be harboring a huge crush on her (he totally is). But no actual dates though; he's busy. Jeongguk likes to think that if he wasn't so occupied with work they would have evolved into a somewhat... romantic relationship. If she likes him too, that is.

With a sigh, he snuggles up into the crook of Lisa's neck, closing his eyes again and inhaling the wonderful smell of lavender.

* * *

Breakfast was a wonderful affair.

For once, Jeongguk is thankful he'd transformed into a bunny and not a dog because unlike those rascals, he actually had the ability to eat human food like fruits, veggies, and other yummy treats. Whereas if he were a dog, he'd have to resort to wet food and dog snacks which just taste like shit--based on experience. Blergh.

For breakfast, Lisa had given him cut-up slices of mango and apples. He'd munched on it happily, showing off his two front teeth for the faerie to coo at. He supposes he has got to get used to the cooing now, since he doesn't have any idea how long he'll be in this form.

Right now, bunny Jeongguk is perched inside Lisa's woven basket, being swung gently as the faerie walks around her vast flower garden. There are a variety of flowers, different kinds and different types, making the entire place look like a rainbow field. He grips onto the edge of the basket as Lisa stops to talk to her tulips, greeting them brightly.

"Good morning, lovelies," she sings, and he watches with wide eyes as the flowers seem to lean on her touch. Lisa's fingertips caress the tips of their petals gently. "How are you doing today? Oh, that's right! I've got a new friend right here."

"What's it saying?" Jeongguks asks, though he knows Lisa can't understand him.

"Mhm, I found him in a potions shop downtown," she adds. How do flowers even communicate? Do they make hand signs with their leaves or something? "They'd like to meet you, bun. Would you like to go and greet them?" She turns to him with wide eyes.

Okay, honestly, this whole thing is ridiculous. Talking flowers? Jeongguk wasn't even aware that flowers could do that. Don't they just photosynthesis and stuff? Still, he indulges her and hops out of the basket warily, landing on the damp patch of dirt underneath his feet.

"Everyone, meet Harecules!" Fuck. The name continues to give him shivers. "He's new to this so please, please treat him nicely, okay?"

Jeongguk tilts his head. What does that even mean? Flowers can't be harmful.

But then a yellow tulip on his right side pokes one of its leaves inside his ears so hard it nearly goes to his brain that he instantly runs to Lisa in fear. What the actual HELL.

"Oh, guys!" Lisa whines when a freaked-out Jeongguk hides behind her knees. "I said nicely, you didn't have to startle him!"

Huffing, she picks him up and puts him back in the basket, much to his relief. Flowers are freaks, holy crap, he's a magical being himself but he has not witnessed flowers moving like actual humans. And it even had the nerve to perform homicide? Right in front of his salad?

"Mini bun, do you want to see something cool?" She turns to him with a smile on her face again, the annoyance gone. The flower that she had scolded had shriveled to the side, curling in on itself in shame.

It's what it deserves.

"Ha, that's what you get, you dick!" He exclaims, going smug as it shrivels up even more.

"Bun?" Jeongguk cocks his head, and Lisa repeats what she had said. He squeals in agreement so the faerie laughs, then places the basket down on the ground. "Watch this."

Magic is something he's used to; it's prominent in their society after all, but when Lisa waves her hands and a handful of glittering dust appears, Jeongguk's jaw drops. It is so pretty; the dust falls down on the flowers, coating them with a sheen of sparkle, and the sight looks like it came straight out of a movie.

"This is called fairy dust," Lisa explains carefully, squatting down so she can be at his level. "My flowers need an occasional sprinkle of it so that they'll be healthy, but you wanna know what the fun thing about this is?"

"What?" Bunny Jeongguk wonders. He occasionally uses fairy dust for his potions and mixtures so he's no stranger to it, but his knowledge is only limited to what he knows.

The flower faerie grins before waving her hand again, showering Jeongguk with an ample amount of faerie dust until it sticks to his skin. He tries to run away from it, but before his feet can even hit the ground, he finds himself... floating?

Oh. Oh no.

He flails around as he attempts to run in circles, but he remains up in the air, tossing and turning like a madman--or a bunnyman? Whatever. Beside him, the faerie muffles her snickers in the crook of her elbow.

"Stop this!" He roars, his ears moving wildly. As far as his knowledge goes, faerie dust not only helps faeries with their elements--it also causes whatever object it comes into contact with to float, so long as the faerie wills it to. Now he knows flying is fun and all, but he is not amused with the situation. "Lalisa, I swear to--"

With her hand, Lisa pushes him upwards until he's floating so high he can see the Eiffel Tower--okay, he's being dramatic but let him be--and he has never wanted to use a potion on her this bad. Maybe a hair-changing potion? A tickling curse?

"Hey," she chortles, wings fluttering and soon enough, she's up high, "catch me if you can."

Jeongguk growls, trying his hardest to be intimidating. "Oh, it's on!" He squabbles, using all four of his feet to lift himself even higher.

Lisa releases a melodious laugh before soaring further, and bunny Jeongguk follows, squealing and growling playfully.

Today will be a good day.

* * *

Jeongguk isn't good at keeping up with time, but he's sure that it has been more than a week since Lalisa had "adopted" him, and he has come to learn more things about the faerie during the time that has passed. He knows now that Lisa prefers tea than coffee during the mornings, and that she hates raisins and strawberries with all her being. Her entire wardrobe consists of bright, pastel colors and she likes reading when she's bored.

At this point, he simultaneously learns that Lisa is a ray of actual sunshine, laughing at anything and everything. He bets she even giggles at the stupidest things--like a cat wearing a hat or something. Whenever Jeongguk does so much as scrunch his nose, the faerie smiles so bright he thinks she's the spring incarnate. If he makes a non committal noise, she responds to him as if she's talking to a baby.

And if Lisa is a ray of sunshine, Jeongguk basks in it.

Because, well, Lisa is something else. The faerie is vibrant and outgoing and lovely and Jeongguk thinks it's just unfair. No one should be this perfect, no one should be this good and kind and wonderful. She cooks good food, she gives her elderly neighbors meals every night, she dances whenever she does chores, and she sings so loud in the shower that Jeongguk thinks he's going to go crazy because, again, no one should be perfect. And yet Lisa is.

One important thing that he has discovered though, is that the faerie has the biggest, cutest crush on him. On Jeongguk the human, just to be clear. This isn't some the Bee Movie shit.

Anyway. It had been shocking, to say the least. They were walking along the gardens that morning and Jeongguk was inside her basket as per usual. The faerie was watering a bunch of marigolds, and then she sighed so loud Jeongguk's ears perked up.

"What's wrong?" He grinded out, staring up at his human.

"I love these marigolds, you know," Lisa started, looking so sad for someone so bright. "They sing, too. Listen, Hare-hare."

With a flick of her wrists, the marigolds straightened up so fast that Jeongguk was startled. Their petals spread wide, imitating a mouth, and then suddenly, a familiar tune started playing in the air.

"What--"

"This is Permission to Move by BTZ." She hummed along with them and yet she remained frowning. "You know, I know someone who loves this song."

Me too! He wanted to let her know, but he couldn't. Fuck this bunny body. And fuck his potion ingredients.

"But he's been missing for a week now, see, I've been trying to help his friends as much as I can but there's honestly no news about him yet," she continued and lord, Jeongguk just froze.

His friends were looking for him but they don't know where he is.

"Ugh. I'm so frustrated! I was planning on confessing today, too. I've got a crush on him since forever," she groaned, and Jeongguk perked up at the new information. "Don't tell anyone else though, bunbun. I trust you."

Okay. Wow.

"Just where could he be..." he heard the faerie mumble sadly before going to a patch of roses.

The reality of the situation dawned on him again and his heart lurched into panic. Gods. The potion he drank had no specific time frame whatsoever, therefore he had no idea how long this will last or what the cure is.

What if he never finds a cure? What if he stays like this forever? Fuck. His parents, his friends, they're all worried sick about him! Even Lalisa, who's now chewing on her bottom lip in worry.

He needs to figure something out soon before it's too late.

* * *

It's raining today, Jeongguk thinks as he's curled up on the living room couch, munching on a piece of cucumber Lalisa had left him before going to town to pick up supplies. He sniffs the air out of habit and turns back to the TV. There's nothing extraordinary going on, just a replay of Kiki's Delivery Service of which he's watched like a hundred times.

Usually, if he was human, he'd be researching new potions and checking the supplies back in the shop. It used to be a grueling task, but now, after being in his bunny form for more than a month, he misses doing his tasks badly.

Now he's here. Eating cucumbers, bok choys, carrots, and bell peppers. Doing absolutely nothing but watch TV and hop around and nibble furniture. He wants to say he dislikes it, but having Lisa around makes it better, especially when he's always at the receiving end of her affection.

Like, imagine being smothered with hugs and kisses 24/7. Not only that, the faerie is very caring, too; she makes sure Jeongguk aka Harecules always has something to eat. She leaves a huge space for him in the bed every time they take naps in the afternoons, and she carries him around in her basket in the mornings as they check on her flower garden.

Overall, he's grown attached to the little faerie and her little tree house. Even more so than before, it seems, because a certain feeling always blooms in his heart every time he looks at her, and Jeongguk knows what it is even if he doesn't admit it to himself.

The issue is, he's still a bunny, and he isn't sure if Lisa would be inclined to be with him after all this, even if she reciprocated his feelings.

The door suddenly bangs open and Lisa enters, drenched and panting, and Jeongguk straightens up in panic.

"Lali?! What happened?" He tries to speak, but Lisa goes past him and runs to the bathroom, leaving grocery bags and water droplets in her wake.

He hops towards it, and finds the faerie bent over the sink, head in her hands and her entire body shaking from the cold. With as much strength as he can muster, he grabs a nearby towel with his teeth and nudges it towards her, which she accepts with an unsettling smile.

"Thanks, bunbun," she breathes out in a croaky voice. Silently, she dries herself, her breaths calming and her body relaxing. "Sorry if I scared you like that. A wolf shifter started chasing me out of nowhere while I was going home. He was probably in a rut or something."

If Jeongguk were in his human body right now, he would've gone to that wolf and knock him down with several strong punches and give him a bloody nose. Stuck in this rabbit body, however, all he could do was growl and nuzzle Lisa's neck in comfort.

Lisa giggles and pulls him to her chest. Even if it's wet and a bit uncomfortable, Jeongguk still cuddles up close. "You're so cute. My babyyyyyy," she coos and presses a kiss to his forehead.

Jeongguk's heart flutters in his chest.

"Now, how about you go back to the living room and wait for me? I'll take a quick bath, promise."

Lisa lets him down gently and Jeongguk flicks his ears, going back to the living room with a light heart and a happy mood.

* * *

As a warlock, Jeongguk has his own set of magical friends. One of them was Jimin, a merman that he had talked to a week ago, and his demon boyfriend Yoongi. Another was a water sprite named Taehyung, the dragon Seokjin and his warlock husband Namjoon, and lastly, a sun faerie called Hoseok.

However, he hasn't had the pleasure of meeting Lisa's other friends, whom he's about to meet right now.

The bunny is lying peacefully on the living room carpet while Lisa fusses about in the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked donuts wafts in the living room, and Jeongguk wants nothing more than to eat one.

"Nuh-uh," Lisa begins as soon as he sees him hopping across the counter. At the speed of light, Lisa has placed the tray of donuts on top of the fridge, away from him. Before he could whine, she hands him a clean cabbage leaf. "These are for my friends, mini bun. You know Roséanne, don't you? The mermaid."

Jeongguk nods happily, snacking on his new treat.

"Yeah, well, she's coming here along with my friends Jennie and Jisoo," she continues, flying to sprinkle sugar on top of the sugary sweets. "Jennie is a vampire, and Jisoo is a witch."

Crunch, crunch, crunch. He lets her babble on as he chews on the cabbage, rabbit teeth tearing through the leaf. In his entire life, he has never eaten so many vegetables compared to when he started living with the faerie. It's a nice change to his usual ramen and spam musubi, and he can actually feel his body becoming healthier.

Two loud knocks suddenly disrupt their harmonious kitchen moment.

Lisa perks up, so much that her wings flutter and she flies a little. "That's probably them! Coming!"

By the time the guests have sat down in the living room, Jeongguk's cabbage leaf is long gone and he finally goes out to meet them. Like Lisa said, Roséanne the mermaid is there along with two other girls he doesn't recognize.

"Oh my, is that Harecules?!" The mermaid instantly shrieks and gathers him up in her arms. He tries to wriggle away, wanting to go to Lisa, but she only holds him tighter. "You've grown so much, Hare-hare. And you're still so pretty, too!"

"I've never seen a bunny with purple spots before," another voice comments. Jeongguk turns to see the ginger-haired girl looking at them with interest, her red eyes piercing.

Lisa chuckles. "What can I say, Harecules is a special one. Aren't you, bun?" She takes him from Roséanne's arms and nuzzled his nose. "This is Jennie, by the way. She's a vampire but she won't hurt you I swear!"

"I can if I want to though."

"Stop scaring him!" The faerie huffs and points at the last girl, sipping a cup of tea next to Jennie. "And that's Jisoo, she's a witch. Works at that ancient wand shop by the train station."

Ah. Jeongguk has heard of that.

"Purple spots, hm," Jisoo finally speaks. The witch ambles closer, eyes squinting as if she's looking right through Jeongguk's soul. "And where did you say you got him again, Lali?"

"The potions shop downtown. I literally just told you."

Jisoo rolls her eyes and runs a finger through Jeongguk's back and he shivers at the feeling. "I'm about to break your heart, but I've got to tell you the truth."

Wait, what? The truth?

Jeongguk's bunny ears perk up in attention and this does not go unnoticed by the witch. The witch, oh shit, if she's a witch then it means--

"Did you know you've been keeping a bunny shifter this entire time?"

He could nearly hear a pin drop with how quiet the atmosphere became.

Lalisa's wings flutter furiously. "WHAT?!"

* * *

The conversation that Jeongguk has been anticipating does not come immediately. Instead of Lalisa pulling him to a corner and demanding answers out of him, she swaddles him in the bunny outfit she crocheted days prior--a simple tank top that did nothing, but she said he looked cute in it--and leaves the house without any explanation whatsoever.

Throughout their journey, the faerie, the witch Jisoo, and the mermaid Roséanne keep on whispering to each other. With how the vampire Jennie grips him in her hands, he isn't able to hear anything.

"Aren't you a plump little bunny," Jennie says in amusement, her fingers pinching the skin on his back. She smirks, fangs glinting. "Surely you'll taste just as good. Won't you let noona have a bite?"

Jeongguk's ears became rigid in alarm. Lisa told him the vampire wouldn't hurt him, but the way her red eyes look at him makes him quiver in fear.

Before Jennie can even say anything, he finds himself being scooped up by Lisa. "Hey, stop that." Jeongguk sees her glare at the vampire before putting him back into his basket, where he munches on his cabbage leaf in relief.

The five of them eventually arrive at the Eridanus Sea, where Roséanne's kingdom is. Reaching the kingdom itself is no easy feat--the mermaid had to pluck out four scales from her tail, and they all ate each of them so they'd be granted the ability to breathe underwater. It was the weirdest thing Jeongguk's had the pleasure of eating, and yet it worked; he soon found himself swimming for the longest time in his rabbit form, marveling at the various sea creatures they'd come across.

The small trip was soon proved to be vain, however, as Roséanne's mother, the Mermaid Queen Myrcella, said that there was no cure for this kind of mishap. It's irreversible. Well... no cure except for true love's kiss--a feat that Jeongguk knew was impossible.

Now Jeongguk has to find his true love out of all the 7 billion people in the world as if it's totally easy. Yeah.

He sulks in the couch as Lalisa finally bids goodbye to her friends, curling into himself for some sense of warmth. Worry and fear fills his tiny bunny body; he just wants to go home. He misses his family, his friends, he misses his shop and his human self. Being a bunny was fun and all, but it isn't the same.

The couch dips a little, and he opens his eyes to see Lalisa sitting next to him. She pats his head softly, and Jeongguk just sighs. He can sense the faerie's curiosity; knows that the first question will come along any time now.

"So," she finally begins. Jeongguk tenses. "I know you can't talk, but I know you can understand me."

He puts one ear up.

"Does that mean yes, bun?"

He retains the position.

Lisa giggles and rubs his chin. "You're so cute." Jeongguk feels a bit better. "Are you scared of me?"

Not really, he wants to say, but instead, he puts two ears down.

"Now that's a no. Good," she praises again, and Jeongguk feels warm. "I'm not mad at you, you know. You didn't have a choice in telling me anyway; you can't speak."

One of his ears perk up.

"Mhm. I must admit, I acted pretty dumb. I should've known you weren't a real bunny with all these purple spots over you, hm?" Lisa caresses his back all the way to his tummy, making him emit a gentle purr that the faerie coos over. "Aww. I'll miss you, you know. You're my little baby bunny and soon you'll be human again."

Jeongguk wants to tell her that he won't, because true love's kiss doesn't exist.

"Speaking of humans, do I know you?"

Uh oh.

He hesitates for a moment, and then puts one ear up shyly.

Lalisa gasps and pulls him into her arms. He startles, straightening when he's laid down on her legs so they're facing each other. "One ear up? That means yes! Who are you, then?"

I'm Jeongguk! He tries to say, but she only looks at him in confusion as he attempts to speak.

"Aww, poor bun. Here, let me think." Lisa purses her lips in thought, "I found you in Jeongguk's shop, right? Since Jeongguk wasn't there, his apprentice must've been watching over the shop. So... that means you're Beomgyu."

He squirms in her arms. She's so close!

"What? No?" She huffs and falls backwards to lean against the couch. "Then who...? Wait."

Now Jeongguk sees the cogs moving in her brain. Lisa's eyes snap back to his, wide and full of shock, and then she straightens.

"Jeongguk has purple hair," she mumbles, fingers going over his purple spots.

Yes, yes! He thinks giddily.

"Jeongguk wasn't there when we last visited, but his cauldron was still bubbling when I checked, which means he was there just seconds before we arrived."

Fuck. Thank the Gods! He wants to rejoice and throw himself out of the window.

Lisa slaps a hand over her mouth. "And he's been missing the past month, and I've had you with me for the past month which means!" She suddenly grabs a throw pillow and screams into it like a maniac. "You're Jeongguk! AHHH!"

Jeongguk doesn't know if he should feel happy because she finally figured it out, or frustrated because as soon as she comes to that realization, Lalisa bolts out of the room with the excuse of grooming her wings.

(He doesn't believe her.)

He slept that night in her bedroom, alone and wondering.

* * *

The next morning, Lisa doesn't wake him to check on her flower garden--which is fine, because he figures she needed space after all that's happened yesterday. Hell, even he's exhausted. It's a lot to take in, so he understands. He's just thankful for the fact that she didn't throw him out or else he'd be out there on the sidewalks, sleeping without a roof above his head.

Soon, Jeongguk arrives at the kitchen and sees a plate with a handful of julienned carrots and bok choy leaves, along with a bowl of warm milk atop the kitchen island. At least the faerie left him some breakfast.

When he's on his last bok choy, Lisa finally emerges from the back door, dressed in a pretty pink pastel dress.

"Oh, hello there," she greets cheerfully. Jeongguk tries to read her face to see if she's feeling a bit of discomfort, but finds none. It's a good sign. Whew.  "I'm sorry I didn't wake you up. Just, uh, needed some time to think."

Jeongguk hops in agreement. To show her that he's totally okay with it, he nuzzles his nose into her open palm.

Lisa giggles. "Alright, alright, Jeonggukie." It's the first time she's ever addressed him by his real name since he arrived here, and it makes him duck his head shyly. Damn. He lowkey misses being called bun. "Now why are you acting so shy, hm? I should be the one doing that."

In response, he only growls. Just a little.

Lalisa chuckles and sits in front of him. "It's true. I mean, I've always talked about my massive crush on Jeongguk whenever you're around. And to find out you're actually Jeongguk, just in bunny form, well, it made me panic last night."

Well. He can only huff.

She seems to interpret his silence differently, because again she asks, "Do you feel uncomfortable? Me having a crush on you, I mean."

Quickly, he lowers his ears.

Him? Uncomfortable with the idea of the faerie returning his affections? Oh, please.

"That means no," Lisa says in relief, smiling a little. She's so adorable. "So. Do you have a partner, Gguk-ah? A boyfriend, a girlfriend, anyone?"

Two ears down.

Lisa seems delighted by this, with the way her wings start fluttering behind her back. It's cute, honestly. Jeongguk wants to tease her for it because she already knows he's single. She's asked a dozen times and he'd always tell her that no, he's single and ready to mingle. Everyone and their mothers know that.

"Wait here."

The faerie gives him a quick head pat and flies through her kitchen, returning all her tools and fluttering around to check on her supplies. Jeongguk knows that she's gearing up to ask him something, what with how she's constantly looking back to check on him as if he'd disappear at any moment. 

Jeongguk tries to be a good bunny and lies down on top of the counter. He feels like a dog, honestly, but he wants Lisa to know that he won't leave and that he's staying so... he does what he thinks is best.

Finally, she comes back to him, hands clasped together in what he thinks is nervousness.

Here it goes.

"Gguk-ah," she begins, and Jeongguk snorts at how unsettled she looks. "Did you... have you ever watched The Princess and the Frog?"

One of his ears perks up and he stands up quickly. He knows that movie! Hoseok has made him watch it a thousand times, and by now he already knows the lines that he can recite it in his sleep.

("Travis, when a woman says, 'later,' she really means 'Not ever!'")

"Good, that's good," she nods, more to herself. "Remember, in that movie, the girl kissed the prince, yeah? And then they returned to their human form?"

Uh no, he wants to correct, looking at the faerie distastefully. The kiss failed. And they had to undergo a bunch of challenges to help Prince Naveen--

"I know you're judging me," Lisa whines and hides her face behind her hands. Jeongguk nuzzles her wrists in apology. "Anyway. I won't sugarcoat this, but you know how Queen Myrcella said that only true love's kiss can restore your human form? Well, I've been thinking, what if we... you know, try it out."

Wait.

What.

"Like, you know, I can kiss you."

LORD, TAKE ME NOOOW! Jeongguk wants to scream to the heavens. He hops around happily, bounding around the faerie's kitchen and springing from the sink to the cupboards because. She. Just. Asked. Him. To. Kiss. Her.

"But only if you're okay with it!"

I will sacrifice my first-born child for this very moment, he thinks, but doesn't voice it out loud.

"You seem very happy, little one." Lisa laughs when he finally goes back to her, and she pokes his cheek affectionately. Jeongguk purrs in content. "Okay, I'm not sure if it'll succeed, but trying won't hurt, yeah?"

Although it's probably going to be weird--Lisa kissing a bunny, of all things--he knows it's worth the try. She may not be his true love, but at least there's 6,999,999,998 other people in the world. It's so easy. No problem at all.

The faerie takes a deep breath, and Jeongguk does, too. Slowly, she lowers her head, and he closes his eyes in anticipation.

A soft peck lands in his mouth, and it's gone before he even registers it happened.

When he opens his eyes, Lisa is looking at him expectantly and...

And there's nothing.

Not one change, not anything.

Fuck.

Jeongguk slumps down, ears flopping, and a tingling feeling in his stomach has him huffing in pain. He hears Lisa talking to him, but he feels his arms and legs hurting and his head is getting so fucking dizzy. He closes his eyes, grunting in agony. It feels like his body is being split into two, and his soul seems like it's being ripped away from his physical form.

It takes a long while until he finally gains consciousness, but when he wakes up, the first thing he sees is Lisa's worried face above him.

"Gguk? Gguk, are you okay? Can you hear me?" She's saying, touching his cheek and his forehead and--wait. His cheek. His forehead. He raises a hand and touches his face and there's no fur anymore--he's human again, holy fucking shit! It worked!

"Ffffffffffffffffuck," is the first thing he groans out. It sounds stupid, but there's nothing significant he can say at the moment. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Like 10 minutes," Lisa replies and hands him a glass of water, which he gulps down quickly. "I brought you clothes, too. I'm not sure if it'll fit, but it's one of my largest pair of sweats."

Ah. He's naked.

The faerie doesn't seem to mind, though. She gives him space while he changes quickly, and the water that he drank seems to be helping him recover. Eventually, he sits down on the living room couch and sighs loudly. It's been a long fucking month. Gods.

Soon enough, Lalisa comes back from the kitchen with a bowl of steaming hot soup and places it in front of him. Jeongguk thanks her for it and instantly starts gulping it down despite the steam--the last time he ate actual human food was more than a month ago, and it had been nothing but a microwaved sausage. It calms his adjusting body, making him sigh contentedly.

"So," Lisa starts, sitting across from him, wings draping against the loveseat. It's cute, the way she bites and puffs her cheeks as she tries to think of something to say. Even though he's tired, Jeongguk is endeared. "Okay, honestly, I don't know what to say to you."

"Honestly, me either." The both of them laugh and the tension lessens, thankfully. "How about I start from the beginning?"

Jeongguk tells the faerie everything--from the moment Soobin came to him asking for help to the part where he turned into a bunny. As always, Lalisa is an angel. She listened well, never interrupted, and nodded seriously whenever he explained certain situations. 

"Wow, this is still so weird to me. I can't believe you were Harecules! My bunbun," she moans in despair, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't imagine how you felt though... being stuck in another form must've made you go crazy."

"Eh, I got used to it. Especially when I was thoroughly taken care of by a certain faerie."

Like he guessed, a faint pink colors the said faerie's cheeks as she hears his reply. She clears her throat as a distraction, but that doesn't stop Jeongguk from smiling to himself. What a cutie. "So. What are you going to do now?"

He hums thoughtfully. Now what? "Hm. I'm thinking of going back to my shop, and then dropping off home to let my family and friends know what I've been up to. Gods know my mom's probably raging all over Europe." Last he recalled, his mom went to a witch convention in Germany before he left, and there's no doubt she's still there (those events last forever). 

"Oh, well, are you going now?" If Jeongguk was listening closely, he'd pick up on the hint of disappointment lacing her voice.

He sighs, mind focused on the fact that he'd have to work overtime because he left his shop unsupervised for more than a month. Beomgyu must be panicking by now. The kid's only 20.  "I should be. I've been gone for so long I need to start working double."

Lalisa looks like she wants to say something else, but drops it and sighs sadly. "Uh. Alright. I'll walk you to the door." Jeongguk thinks it's just a part of his imagination, but the faerie's shoulders seem to droop as she stands up, her wings not as iridescent and bright as they were before.

As they travel the short distance from the living room to the entrance, Jeongguk can't help but be thankful for everything Lisa has done for him. His gaze pass through the familiar walls, the fireplace, the flowers and the plants hanging from the ceiling, the books tucked away in the shelves. This has been his home for the past month, and she has always provided him with whatever he needed and more. She even helped him turn back in his human form, being Jeongguk's true love and all--

Wait. 

Okay. Wait. Let's back track a bit.

He hadn't meant to, but he totally forgot.

Lisa is his true love. 

Holy shit.

He can't believe he'd forgotten that easily, but the agony of shifting back into his human form filled his thoughts, plus he became overwhelmed with the responsibilities he has to fulfill once he returns to the real world.

That's why the faerie seemed sad earlier. She was waiting for him to bring up that topic, but he never got to because he forgot.

Merlin's beard. Jeongguk feels so dumb.

As his hand closes around the door knob, he decides that he'll take this chance and plunge into the waters. They've been dancing around each other for far too long now, and spending time with Lalisa only proved how much he's been missing out on. Really, there's no room for miscommunication here. She wants this; he wants this. The only thing left for him to do is ask.

It's just one, simple question.

"Hey, Lali?" Jeongguk blurts out, turning around to meet her eyes. He's really going to do it now, holy crap. "I just want to say... thank you so much for everything. Truly. I probably would've died out there if it wasn't for you. Thank you for taking care of me, and for bringing me back."

Lalisa waves him off, although her cheeks flush pink. "It's nothing, Gguk. Trust me."

He takes a deep breath, and exhales. Jeongguk isn't good with words, but he wants this and he'll try his best. . "And... I know this is a topic you don't want me to talk about but, uh, you having a crush on me--" Lalisa squeaks, "--I feel like... I feel like I need to be honest with you, too."

"Gguk, I--"

"Lali," he interrupts. "I feel the same about you, too."

The faerie gasps and covers her mouth. "What? Are you only saying this because I told you--"

"No, absolutely not." Jeongguk takes both of her hands in a fit of bravery and stares directly into her eyes, into the warm pools of honey and chocolate that he has learned to love. "I've always told myself that I don't have time for these things because my schedule is mostly occupied with work, but spending time with you made me realize that I also need to take breaks as well. Relax and forget about the potions shop, even just for a while. Work can always wait, but chances like this can easily disappear if I don't take it."

Okay. Okay, that was good. Hats off to you, Jeon, he thinks to himself.

"Lalisa," he says her name again, smiling at her, "I have the stupidest crush on you for some time now, and the fact that you're my true love only makes this even better. Would you like to--"

"Yes," she replies, beaming up at him so brightly he thinks he'll go blind. "Yes, I want to."

He laughs, throwing his head back. "You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"I don't care. Whatever it is, I want it," Lisa chuckles and wraps her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest. "I've been wanting it for some time now. Was just waiting for you to ask."

Jeongguk nuzzles into her neck like he always did when he was a bunny, eliciting a giggle from the faerie. "I'm glad I wasn't too late."

"I'm glad too, bunbun."

* * *

The date does not happen until a week later. Jeongguk takes Lalisa to Persephone's Garden, and the faerie spends the entire time cooing and rambling about the different flowers. Two weeks after that, he takes her to The Tree of Stars, where they had a small picnic near the edge of the glittering silver river, eating julienned carrots and bok choy leaves. Three months later, Jeongguk gifts the faerie a small white bunny with purple spots, and she cries as soon as she sees the little thing she names Harecules. More months later, the couple finds themselves in the faerie's flower garden, exchanging vows before the mermaid Queen Myrcella, and a pair of gold rings on both of their ring fingers.

And they lived happily ever after.

THE END.

* * *

author's note: this has been w me since december 2021 and now im happy that this baby is out!!

tell me what u think!!

love, caly x