1 Chapter 1 - Year XX00

The digital alarm clock bleeped suddenly, rousing me from deep in my thoughts to reality. The unassuming yet cruel world. Oh, it's already morning. I have been staring up at the ceiling for hours. I should get up. The sunlight was streaming through the curtains and I should close them, it's too bright for me.

Stepping out of the bedroom, I hear the shower being run so I knew Jaemin – my bestfriend and roommate was awake. Walking past the hallway, I got out of the front door and stood outside to take a breather. I felt restless and confined. The view outside was lovely – it faced the park and a playground. There was a basketball court not too far away.

It was the twenty – fifth. One hundred years and fourteen days from that day. I glanced down at my wrists, seeing the pale skin and wondered when the last time I had fed. I was getting weak. Yes, you are right, I was planning to die. I should leave this place before Jaemin finishes his shower and choose a resting place to spend the rest of my days withering.

I shall head off soon.

There was nothing more for me here.

There was no one with me.

There was no one waiting for me.

Hearing laughter and shouts made me look up. Humans were playing with their friends. They were happy. I should not have allowed Jaemin to bring me here, where signs of life and nature makes me want to live. But this was the reason why he has brought me here. He knew I liked watching humans going along their day-to-day life, spending time with their children and their family.

He knew I would crumble.

Then, a kid approached, grabbing my leg pants while offering his milk to me. "Nana milk?"

I looked down at him, curious at the arrival of the little human child. I squatted so I was eye – level to him. He was adorable. He had sparkles in his doe eyes, and he held the curiosity of a young child. I could feel a smile breaking on my lips.

"Is that for me?" I asked, pointing to the banana milk carton he was offering to me.

He nods eagerly, his black hair falling onto his eyes and lets me take the small carton from his small hands. I took the straw and poked it in, sipping the milk – tasting banana on my tongue as I swallowed it. It was a curious taste. This was the first time I had tasted a fruit flavour in a milk. This child has a peculiar taste.

"What is your name, little one?" I asked.

"Jiminie!"

"That is a very nice name, Jiminie," I said.

"Noona?"

"I am Alice."

Jiminie held my face with his chubby hands – his eyes held the galaxies in them, and I let the kid do whatever he wanted as I sipped the milk. Then, he broke into a smile like he had decided something in his little brain of his. "I'll play with you, Alice noona!" he decided, and he scuttled away suddenly, heading inside his apartment about two doors down.

Ah, this child.

Shall I live for him?

The twenty – fifth. What does it signify?

A few minutes later, he came out of the house with a broad, excited grin and offered a dinosaur toy to me. It was a stegosaurus. I took it from his tiny hands, holding it as I waited for him to give me directions. Then, he played a game with me – roaring with the dinosaurs and exclaiming with happiness as I indulged in his childlike fantasy.

I could feel a prick of happiness seeping into my chest on that day.

It was the beginning of a new friendship with the child.

He played with me so often that his mother became fast friends with us, and she came to trust us in taking care of the child. On certain days that she had to work late, Jiminie would stay over with us instead and that was when we were in a pickle. Taking care of a human child was entirely different from minding him and playing with him for a few hours. With a pair of immortals not knowing what is adequate for a human child to eat, we had to go grocery shopping to pick out his human food.

It was actually allowing him to choose whatever that he wanted to eat.

It was only because of that he liked staying with us.

To accommodate to his requests and to ensure he grows healthily, Jaemin and I had to research on how to cook and finding out the kind of foods that were beneficial to a growing human child. Two immortals pouring over a cookbook, just to ensure that the little one gets the healthiest servings of human food would make anyone bend over with laughter.

"Weren't you a human before I turned you?" I asked. "Why don't you know how to cook?"

"In case you had forgotten, we were living in poverty," he pointed out. "Food was scarce and besides; I was in the military half my life. All I know is how to hunt and cook them over a bonfire. That was how we cooked."

I stared at him quizzically. "That does not make any sense."

"Anyway, you're happier these few days," Jaemin noted. "I like seeing you smile."

"I changed my mind," I said. "I will live for the little human."

"That's good to hear, Alice," he said in relief. "We wouldn't want you to suffer anymore. We've waited for a long time to hear you say this. The rest of the clan would be happy to know."

"However, I think we have to move soon," I said sadly. "The humans may realise that we are not aging after a few years. I am gonna miss the little one."

He laughed. "Don't worry," he said as he patted my head. "Let's give it a few more years."

"He is about to start elementary school in three years," I pointed out. "It is risky to stay too long in one place, Jaemin."

"Let's play it out by ear till he enters high school," he suggested.

"He would start noticing in his middle school," I stated flatly.

Jaemin started laughing again.

"It is not funny, Jae."

.

Five years old, XX21

Jiminie and I are currently at the park. I was babysitting him. It was three in the afternoon. The sun was hanging low – peeking through the white, fluffy clouds. He had insisted that we go out in the afternoon as he wanted to cycle. The five-year-old has learned how to use a two-wheel bicycle but with training wheels still attached.

He was making good progress and I slowed my pace so he could cycle with ease. He had a large smile on his face, and I took some photos of him cycling before sending them to his mother, so she would miss him less during her busy schedule. I made him wear a helmet too, in case you were wondering. He looked extra cute.

"Ali noona," he whined. "Don't walk too fast! You're going to leave me behind."

I stopped. "I am not about to leave you behind, little one," I said softly. "Do not worry."

He seemed happy at my answer and we headed down the cycling path till we crossed over a wooden bridge. There, he was met with a friendly golden shepherd and his eyes went wide with awe at the size of it.

"Noona! Noona! What is that?"

"That is a golden shepherd," I said.

"C – can I touch it?"

"You should ask the owner first, little one," I said softly.

Together, we neared the dog and the owner who seemed happy to see that a child had taken interest over his dog. Jiminie shyly asked if he could pet him and once he was given permission, he was eager to run his hand through the fur.

"Gently, Jiminie," I said as I took a sneaky photo of him petting the golden shepherd.

"Noona! Can we get a dog too?"

I chuckled. "You need to ask your mummy about it, little one," I said gently. "Come, let us go."

"Thank you for letting me pet him!"

We fell silent as we crossed the bridge and continued down the cycling path. It seemed that he was preoccupied with something and I wondered if he was going to ask Taeyeon if he could get a pet dog. Then, I wonder if I had accidentally created a problem. Alas, the apartment didn't allow any pets.

"Do you think mummy will allow me?"

"Hmm?"

"A pet!"

"Maybe when you are older, little one."

"Yay!"

I did not say yes though.

.

Six years old, XX22

"Noona!"

Seeing him waving at me as he emerged from the doors of the kindergarten with the teachers in tow, I smiled and waved back at him. He was always happy whenever he sees me around. I am starting to get worried about him missing his mother. He was in his last year of kindergarten and an adorable yet mischievous boy.

As we bid goodbye to his teachers and friends, I carried him up in my arms as we walked back to the apartment. It was a twenty-minute walk and we stopped by halfway at a convenience store to get ice-cream. After we got them, we left the store and walked the rest of the way home in relative silence. We were happy with the sugary snack that I bought. Jiminie took my hand and yanked me to a stop suddenly, making me turn to look down at him.

"Noona."

"Yes?"

"Just now in class, the teachers were asking what I wanted to be when I grow up," he started saying. His eyes were shining, and he was very eager to tell me this.

"What did you tell them?" I asked.

"I want to be your husband when I grow up!" he announced proudly. "I want to marry you!"

I almost choked on the ice-cream. What kind of K-drama has he been watching? Where does he learns all of these from? "Who's been teaching you all these words?" I asked as I squatted just so we were eye level. "Do you know what it means, little one?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed happily. He was very excited. He pointed at me with his ice-cream. "I'll make you happy! The happiest person! You won't be lonely anymore, Noona."

"That's very nice of you, little one."

"You'll see!" he replied confidently. "I'll marry you in twenty years time! When I'm big and I grow taller than you, I'll ask you to marry me. You can't say no, Noona."

I laughed.

"No laughing! I'm serious!"

I stopped laughing but couldn't stop the smile as I looked at the adorable boy beaming in front of me. He was the only reason why I was here. The only reason that I was still living and now he wants to marry me. I ruffled his hair and carried him up, Jiminie wrapped an arm around my neck as he lets out a carefree laugh.

May you continue laughing like this, my little one.

.

Seven years old, XX23

The doorbell rang, bringing me out of the drama I was watching, and I walked over to the front door, unlocking it without looking through the peephole as I knew who would bother ringing my doorbell. Opening it wide, I saw Taeyeon and Jiminie standing on the other side, and she was carrying his bags in one hand.

"Hey Taeyeon," I greeted with a smile and looked down to the little child. "Hello Jiminie, how are you?"

"Hey Alice."

Jiminie laughed at my answer instead of answering and went inside – running in with his toys in his arms. He made himself comfortable by the living room. Taeyeon looked apologetic as she handed me his bags. She looked extremely exhausted, her skin was pale and there were bags under her eyes from all the hard work she was doing.

"Late night?" I asked.

Kim Taeyeon was a single mother working as a pediatrics surgeon in the nearby hospital. Her work schedule was always packed and sometimes she has night shifts, so she tends to drop Jiminie off over at our apartment whenever she has them. The other babysitter was told to quit when she caught her mistreating Jiminie and made him cry often. So, we were her last and only choice.

"Night shift, Alice," she explained sadly and almost ruefully like she didn't mean for it to happen, but it happened. "The whole week."

"Ah."

"I'll pick him up after my shift ends this week," she said.

"Sure," I answered. "Take care of yourself."

"I can't thank you enough, Alice," she said.

"Hey, we don't mind."

She smiled. "Well, I'll head off first," she said. "Goodnight. Bye Jimin! I'll see you next week buddy!"

"Bye bye mummy!"

Telling her to stay safe, I shut the door and locked it before I headed to the kitchen to store his dinner in the fridge. His mother had pasted a sticky note on the bento box, thanking us for helping her with taking care of him. It made me smile. A human thanking an immortal being was very rare. I shut the fridge door and sat down on the sofa. Jiminie had taken residence on the floor – his toys were all over the table. I let him play with them, my eyes focused on the television.

"Ali noona!" he cried suddenly.

"Yes, Jiminie?"

"I'm turning seven soon!"

"Oh yes I know." I have planned for a birthday party for you, little one.

"How old are you, Ali noona?"

I paused. "Twenty?"

"Twenty?"

"Yes," I said. "Can you count till twenty?"

"Noona, you're old!"

I laughed. I am far older than you think I am, dear little one. "How old is your mummy?" I asked instead.

He thought for the longest time. I waited for him to remember. "She said she's three eight!"

"That's nice, little one."

"Is it?!"

"Yes."

.

"Are you ready, little one?"

"Yeah!!"

"Okay, let's go!" I cried. "Start pedalling!"

Jiminie – seven and a half years old – attempting to ride the bike without any training wheels. He was adamant to achieve it and I was holding the bicycle steady as he pedalled. It swayed a little as I loosened my grip – wanting him to gain his balance but he let out a sharp cry of fear which made me hold onto the bicycle.

"Ali noona, don't let go of me!"

"I won't, baby," I assured softly. "I would not let you fall."

"Okay!"

"Let us go, little one!"

"Okay!"

.

Ten years old, XX24

"Are you sure about this, little one?"

"Yes," he whined. I think I have asked him repeatedly for the past week.

We were standing outside a ballet academy. His mother looked at me worriedly and I gave her a firm nod. Jiminie has expressed interest in dance and had been begging his mother to let him do ballet for the past two years. After two years of begging, pleading and endless promises, she has finally relented and has enrolled him in. When she broke the news to him, he was elated that his wishes were finally coming true.

Today we were supposed to meet the teachers and find out about the class schedules, including the rates and the examinations. I had accompanied them for moral support. Taeyeon looked like she was about to keel over at how sophisticated everything looked, and I wondered if she would be okay with him doing ballet.

I picked up a call from Jaemin and wandered away as both mum and son went around the school – as one of the teachers explained the details to them.

"Yes?"

"How is it?"

"They're getting a tour right now," I explained.

"Good," he said and then I could sense him smiling. "I know what you're gonna do, Alice."

"What am I going to do?"

"Either you're gonna buy out this company or you're going to establish a ballet academy on your own or you're gonna be an anonymous donor and pay off his school fees," he listed.

"I might do all three," I pointed out. "I will give him a call."

"You're kidding."

I eyed them from a distance. "No one is going to find out," I mumbled.

"You're whipped."

"Shut up. I'm hanging up."

"Bye!"

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