Being sent to work on Christmas wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he heard about the holiday season. Instead of cozying up by the fireplace, he found himself walking around the streets while looking for couples to connect.
"What a sad, terrible job one might think it is, being a cupid on Christmas," He grumbled, adjusting the tiny golden bow slung across his shoulder. "Eros must be having a good laugh up there, watching me play matchmaker on Christmas Eve."
The irony of the situation was not lost on him as he walked through people who seemed oblivious to his celestial presence.
He continued strolling through the festive streets, his wings slightly drooping as he scanned the faces of passersby, hoping to find a pair of lovebirds in need of a little nudge.
His discontent deepened as he spotted a couple standing under a mistletoe. "I hope this hurts." Suppressing a sigh, he reluctantly took aim with his bow, only to fumble with it awkwardly.
Unbeknownst to him, a stray arrow escaped his clumsy grasp, soaring through the air with a trail of sparkling stardust.
His eyes went wide when his unintentional arrow found its mark, not on the couple under the mistletoe, but on a lonely figure sitting on a bench nearby.
A girl who was busy reading a worn-out book, her face illuminated by the soft glow of a nearby streetlamp. As the sparkling stardust settled around her, she looked up from her reading, her eyes meeting those of the cupid in surprise.
Sunghoon had accidentally shot the wrong person, and now a stranger was caught in the enchanting spell meant for someone else.
But what caught his attention wasn't the mishap, it was the fact that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Time seemed to slow down and he could swear his heart was racing inside his chest.
Her hair fell gently around her shoulders, and a delicate smile played on her lips, making him forget for a moment that he was a cupid on a mission.
A sudden realization struck him as he noticed the glowing aura surrounding both him and the girl. "Oh, shit... I've been hit too." He exclaimed in dismay, clutching his chest as if to stop the unexpected surge of affection welling up within him.
It didn't make sense. How could Cupid himself fall victim to his own arrow? But when he glanced around and noticed one of his arrows missing from the quiver, it became painfully clear — he had inadvertently shot himself with the love arrow meant for the couple from earlier.
The girl stood up, her eyes still locked with his, and a faint blush painted her cheeks. "Did you... do this?" She asked, gesturing to the radiant aura surrounding them.
"You can see me." The realization almost made him choke on his words. Cupids were beings often concealed from mortal eyes, their celestial nature hidden beneath a veil of magic.
Sunghoon had grown accustomed to working discreetly, creating love without direct interaction. Yet, here was a girl who not only saw him but also questioned the extraordinary circumstances surrounding them.
"I... I can see you." Even her voice made his heart skip a beat and he couldn't help but throw his hands in the air out of frustration. Having heart problems didn't sound like being in love, it sounded more like having some sort of malfunction.
Being a cupid was never something he liked anyway. When he was introduced to Olympus for the first time, he hoped he could work for a God like Zeus or maybe Apollo. But instead, he found himself walking around with a golden bow hanging from his shoulder.
"This is bullshit." Sighing, he glanced at the girl who was still processing the surreal encounter. "What are you looking at?" The fact that his heart skipped a beat at the mere glance at her made him want to commit divine treason.
