10:10 | Hoshi

8✦

[A week later]

"Wow I keep getting new characters."

At 10:10, a small pink haired boy was standing before me instead of Hoshi. He stayed silent, but his eyes were questioning me about my previous sentence.

"It's a long story," I said to answer his unspoken question. He nodded before introducing himself.

"I'm Woozi. I'll be replacing Hoshi today," he said.

"May I know why Hoshi can't come?"  He hesitated a second, bitting his lower lip before slowly shaking his head.

"I can't tell you," he answered. I nodded. It's just today right? I'll just ask Hoshi tomorrow...

Woozi went to sit on the chair in front of my desk meanwhile I prepared my bag to head out.

"Sowoneul marhaebwa~" he started singing.

He actually had a really pretty and sweet voice. I didn't really want to ask Woozi more about what happened with Hoshi. Even if I was curious, I figured he might not know much anyway. It's funny how an unlucky girl like me got a genie for the year and had two genie visitors...

Today was Saturday. Wonwoo, Hyemi and I had decided to go to the aquarium together. The two were in a relationship now, but they still thought about me and didn't want to leave me out all the time. They said this time would be just a 'friend hang out', but to be honest it's probably going to end up as a date for the two anyway. I was planning to make Hoshi tag along so it would be more fun. I'm guessing Woozi would be there to keep me company instead?

[At the aquarium]

"Is Hoshi here?" Wonwoo asked after looking at the time. It was now indicating 10:50.

"No, I think he has something to do. There's a substitute today."

"Oh really? Well let's go!" Hyemi said. We nodded and Wonwoo went to walk next to her. He took her hand in his and both of them smiled. I kept a bit of distance between me and them, simply walking behind them. I would be lying to say they weren't a cute couple.

[Hoshi's POV]

"May I know the reason for breaking the rule 367 of the genie code?" the judge asked me.

The record keepers had found out about the kiss in the end... I was currently at the tribunal, standing in the middle of large room. All around me, an audience was helping the judge.

"It was a wish," I tried to explain. There was no valid reason and I knew it, but I had to try.

"May I know what was your human's wish exactly?" he insisted on the 'exactly'.

"She told me to make her tears stop..."

"This does not correspond to the kiss, so why did you do it?"

"It was a way of doing it," I complained.

"There were other ways." All I got was a cold reply.

"It seemed like the easiest at that moment," I persisted.

"Nevertheless you didn't have to do it."

It was true and I knew it, but if I didn't try and defend my cause I would be forbidden to see her again. Needless to say they would erase my memories of her as well...

If there was one person I didn't want to forget no matter what, it was her. Somehow it felt like she was my everything. Thinking about it some more, there were only a few people I was close to, and that in both worlds. But she was the most important. I wasn't ready to leave her, not without a goodbye at least...

"I demand you excuse this fault," I said looking straight into the judge's eyes.

"I cannot. You will pass a few days in prison to reflect your acts before your memories of the human are removen. Adding to your sentence, you will have one more year of school to perfect your education in the rules." My eyes widened. He ended the 'meeting' and gathered a few papers that were laying on the desk in front of him.

"Please don't erase my memory!" I desperately asked. He looked up, his eyes meeting mine once again. His expression was stone-cold. No feelings seemed to have ever been a part of the man's life. It was honestly scary, but not more than the thought of loosing her.

"There is no discussion to the sentence. You shall leave now," his voice stated. He turned his back to me and I could only desperately watch him leave the tribunal building.

I was pushed out by the guards. They lead me towards the prison. It was similar to the human's prisons, except that the place was less scary, more clean, and the cells were closed by a glass wall instead of bars. The cells were referred to by the genies as 'the reflect rooms' because they were especially made to reflect on your mistakes.

What was there even to reflect about this kiss?

[(Y/N)'s POV]

Woozi and I were silently walking our way back to my house. He wasn't quite the talker, though today was still enjoyable in his company. It was different though, with him.

The four of us had walked the entire aquarium in about 3 hours. Wonwoo and Hyemi has went back home together. It was now 14:30 and Woozi and I decided to stop at the park.

"Do you have a wish for today?" he asked.

"I don't know yet," I replied. There was a moment of silence before I spoke again.

"So, Hoshi will be there tomorrow right?" I asked. Woozi looked down at his hands. He played with his finger sort of nervously, as if he was wondering about something. He looked back up at me.

"Actually, I don't think he's coming back."

"Why?"

"I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but it is really... unfair...  Hoshi broke a rule of our genie code. We have rules concerning our job as genies. The sentence we receive for breaking a rule depends on it's importance, but it's often memory erasing," he revealed.

"Can I talk to him?" I was starting to worry for Hoshi. What rule could he have broken? I didn't even know... he never told me.

"Well, no, he is in the genie world."

"Can't you... bring me there?" I looked into his eyes. Woozi diverted his gaze towards the ground.

"I was told not to." He sighed. He seemed like he wanted to help, but something was keeping him from doing so. Fear? Maybe he simply didn't know what to do...

"Bring me there Woozi, please," I asked again.

"No." He shook his head reluctantly.

"Woozi, I wish for you to bring me into the genie world."

He thought a couple seconds.

"I can't say no to a wish... well then, I will be sending you first, you might have to save Hoshi on your own."

"I'll do it."