soul switch│ j.jk ✔

s e v e n t e e n

i quickly knocked on manang bola's old and creaky door.
this time, it didn't take long before her old assistant opened the door and let me in.

he called for manang bola who was, again, inside her room doing weird spells or whatever it is.
she hurried down the stairs and asked if i successfully got the three strands of hair of the guy i want to fall in love with me and i nodded excitedly. we both went up to her room, manang bola smiling widely and i, nervous but also excited at the same time. after all, this is my first time seeing a sorceress brewing a potion along with magic.

"very well, stand there while i prepare the ingredients." she said and i obeyed. she got a small glass container and instead of the big black pot that witches usually use, manang bola went near her small bowl with a stand of glass figurines of fishes and a large swordfish. she lit up a match and the flame quickly spread throughout the wooden logs. i was amazed at how vast magic truly is. the logs were a deep, rich colour of brown and the fire was in a shade of lilac and indigo.

she opened her palm, signalling me to give her the strands of hair.
i quickly fished my pocket for the very small paper bag which has the strand of taehyung's hair.

when the swordfish released a black smoke, manang bola poured the weird water into the bowl, at least five or ten mililiters. using a small wooden spoon, the water became like the colour of the clouds, raging and heavy. manang bola got another liquid-thing that was inside a small yellow bottle and added just two drops.
"two drops of butterfly urine."

my jaw dropped when i heard what she said and i was ready to stop her but i remembered that brewing potions go way differently and that manang knows what she is doing.
the liquid inside the bowl turned into the shade of the sky on a warm summer morning.
manang bola got a pinch of the black powder and put it in the mixture and the liquid became yellow.
"powdered shedded skin of a king cobra."

i gulped and just let manang bola do her magic.
mixing the liquid, she poured a small amount of dirty white and very dense liquid.
"saliva of a pink dragon that can only be seen once every forty-five years."

she got this small thing that i couldn't describe that very much looks like a tail of a mouse.
"a mouse's tail dipped in cinnamon and cayenne." manang bola said and just put the tail in the mixture for a few seconds before scooping it and throwing it away. the weird mixture was now the colour of blood.

manang bola poured a small amount of water in the mixture, the swordfish giving off a light yellow smoke.
"this is the water from atlantis, just to clear things."

manang bola continued mixing until the colour of the liquid turned into a shade of carnation.
she put her pinky finger in her right ear and twisted it a little bit before flicking something in the bowl that made me want to puke already.
"what-"

"oh, that was to make the potion taste sweet. wanna try?" manang bola said and was about to twist her finger again but a shook my head like crazy.

"i was just kidding! oh, you take jokes seriously." manang bola said, cackling like a witch.

then manang bola placed the strands of hair inside the bowl and stirred for a few seconds. when i looked down, the hair was gone in the mixture.
the swordfish gave off a light pink smoke and manang bola put the flame out by using three cloud-like feathers then fanned the flame with it. when i peeped on the bowl, the colour was a very light shade of pink.
"how's the taste, george?" manang bola suddenly asked and the swordfish suddenly coughed several times.

"not good as always. tastes like burned anchovies." the swordfish said before becoming stiff again.

"what does the fish mean?" i asked manang bola.

"oh, nothing," she said, pouring the liquid inside a small vial, "it's to make sure that i did the right chronological steps." she said.
"by the way, what was the person's name again? the one you love?"

my cheeks suddenly warmed.
"tae-taehyung. kim taehyung." manang bola muttered something under her breath, like chants, and i would occasionally hear his name.

finally, manang bola gave me the small vial shaped like flower about to bloom.
"drink it when you go home. change your clothes and make yourself comfortable. do not eat anything tonight because it will have a side effect in the potion. just go home, change clothes, then drink it. surely by tomorrow, the potion will start it's wonders and the person you love, will love you back."

i grabbed the bottle and thanked manang bola.
"ah, you've really grown so much. you look like your father now." i smiled sheepishly.

"thank you again."

"but remember dear, the potion should taste sweet as cotton candy." manang said, cackling like a witch before disappearing into the shadows of the room. the old man opened the door and escorted me out.

✨ 🍀 ✨ 🍀 ✨

when i got home, mom and dad were weirded with how giddy i was but they didn't ask anything.
"by the way, i'm full so you two can eat now." i said and quickly went to my room.

i did as i was told and changed into comfortable clothes.
i got the vial and took the lid off.
i smelled the liquid and it reminded me of roses and sampaguitas.

i was about to drink it when i remembered what it was made of and my stomach churned.

this is for you, eru.
you have to drink it if you want taehyung to love you.

closing my eyes hard, i drank the contents of the vial in one swift gulp.
the liquid burned down my throat like i was drinking beer twenty times worse.
what the hell?

i though the liquid should taste sweet like cotton candy?

okay, eru. calm down.
everything will be alright.
you will know by tomorrow that everything's okay.