Just Add Water [End]

001.

Pon slouched at his desk, staring miserably at his empty inbox. He’d just come back from a disastrous date the night before, and his mood was as gloomy as the rainy weather outside. His friends Aon and Michael noticed his sulking almost immediately.

“Another date down the drain, huh?” Aon asked, popping a chip into his mouth as he leaned against Pon's desk.

Pon groaned, dropping his face into his hands. “Don’t even ask. He was perfect until he started talking about his ex. For two hours straight. I’m cursed, Aon. I’m never going to find the right guy.”

Michael snorted, swiveling around in his chair to face Pon. “Cursed? More like picky. Maybe your expectations are a bit... unrealistic?”

“Unrealistic?” Pon lifted his head, looking hurt. “I just want someone who’s kind, funny, loyal... who doesn’t talk about their ex all night. Is that too much to ask?”

Aon and Michael exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.

“What?” Pon said, frowning.

Michael reached into his bag, pulling out a small plastic package and holding it up with a grin. “Here, we thought this might solve all your problems.”

Pon stared at the item, squinting to read the label. “Grow a... Boyfriend?”

Aon snickered. “We saw it in one of those joke stores and thought of you immediately. Just add water, and boom! A boyfriend you don’t have to worry about dumping you.”

“Or talking about his ex,” Michael added with a smirk.

Pon rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help laughing. “Very funny, guys. So you’re saying I’m so hopeless that my best chance at love is with a toy?”

“Exactly!” Aon said, laughing as he shoved the package into Pon’s hands. “Look, Pon, we just thought this might cheer you up. Besides, it’s foolproof. You just have to put it in water, and it’ll do the rest.”

Pon examined the package, flipping it over to read the instructions. The cartoon on the back showed a tiny figure growing in a glass of water, looking ridiculous.

“This is the most absurd thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Maybe,” Michael said with a grin, “but we bet you won’t even try it. You’re too much of a skeptic.”

Pon rolled his eyes again, but he could feel a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Fine, fine. I’ll try it, just to prove to you guys that this won’t work. But don’t expect me to call this thing my ‘boyfriend.’”

Aon shrugged, giving Pon a playful punch on the arm. “Hey, who knows? Maybe this little guy will surprise you.”

Pon stuffed the toy into his bag, shaking his head. “You two are ridiculous. If my life has come to this, maybe I really am cursed.”

As he walked out of the office that evening, Pon kept glancing at his bag where the toy sat. He knew his friends were just messing with him, but a small part of him felt amused, maybe even curious. After all, his dating life was already a disaster—what harm could a little joke do?

At home, Pon tossed his bag on the sofa and flopped down beside it. The “Grow a Boyfriend” package slid out, catching his eye again. He picked it up, studying the tiny figure inside. It was silly, of course, but something about it made him smile. Maybe Aon and Michael were right.

He could use a bit of humor in his life.

“Alright, boyfriend” he muttered to the toy with a smirk. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

He took a deep breath, then got up and headed to the bathroom. Filling the bathtub with water, he tore open the package and held the tiny figure between his fingers. It was barely the size of his thumb, and he couldn’t believe he was actually doing this. He chuckled, shaking his head.

“This is so ridiculous,” he muttered. “Growing a boyfriend... yeah, right.”

With a smirk, he dropped the tiny figure into the water, watching it sink to the bottom of the tub. He stood there for a moment feeling silly before shrugging and turning off the faucet.

“Alright, toy boyfriend, grow up for me.” he joked, glancing down at the still, motionless figure at the bottom of the tub. “Not like it’ll actually work.”

Pon lingered for a moment, staring at the tub. The toy lay there, lifeless and small, and he let out a sigh. “What am I even doing? This is crazy. I’m talking to a plastic toy.”

Shaking his head, he turned off the bathroom light and left the room, deciding he’d check on it later. He got ready for bed, still feeling a bit ridiculous but also amused. Aon and Michael would laugh their heads off if they knew he’d actually followed through with their joke.

As he climbed into bed, he couldn’t help but think of the tiny figure in the bathtub. He laughed at himself, rolling his eyes. “Imagine if it actually worked. Wouldn’t that be something?”

He yawned, pulling the covers up. “Goodnight, toy boyfriend,” he mumbled sleepily to himself, drifting off with a faint smile on his face.

And in the stillness of his bathroom, the tiny figure lay quietly at the bottom of the tub, waiting.