Chapter One: A Genuine Wish

Just keep walking, Miu. Don’t make eye contact. Don’t talk. Don’t breathe too loudly. Today, you’ll go unnoticed…

👱‍♂️ "Hey, you! Could you sign this petition?"

🌺 Gulp…

A boy in a school uniform, glasses, and way too much energy for a Monday stopped me with a big smile and a clipboard in his hand.

👱‍♂️ "We’re collecting signatures to get the cafeteria to add more vegetarian options. It only takes a second!"

Oh. That’s it? Nothing scary. I can do this. Just say “no, thanks” and keep walking. Totally normal. Something any human being would do.

🌺 "Ah… yeah… uh… I support the cause! But no… I mean, yes, but no."

Why am I like this?

👱‍♂️ "So… is that a yes?"

🌺 "Well, in my heart, I support it… but my hand doesn’t…"

My hand doesn’t!? WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?

👱‍♂️ "… Huh?"

The guy opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, I did the only logical thing… I turned around and bolted.

I checked behind me to make sure he wasn’t chasing me and let out a long sigh.

That was a disaster. Why am I like this?

I looked around.

Groups of students walked together, laughing and chatting like it was the easiest thing in the world—like life came with a secret instruction manual that everyone got except me.

And then there was my group.

Just me and my shadow.

I glanced at them with a bit of envy. What would it be like to have a friend?

Not someone you talk to just because of a group project. Not someone to exchange awkward small talk with during class.

Someone who doesn’t judge me?

Someone who gets me?

Someone who actually wants to be my friend?

…Yeah, right. Like that’s ever gonna happen.

My headphones did their job, blocking out the city noise as I walked home. Same routine as always. Same streets, same cars, same stores. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Until I saw her.

On the side of the sidewalk, tucked into the corner of a narrow alley, sat an old woman behind a tiny, makeshift stall. It looked like one of those market stands, but old and run-down, like it had been sitting there for decades, collecting dust and regret.

Her table was covered in weird stuff: antique clocks, tiny glass bottles filled with colorful liquids, tattered playing cards, and a box full of… were those feathers?

Has this stall always been here?

I slowed down without realizing it. Something about her made me uneasy. Her skin was so wrinkled that her eyes were barely visible, but her smile… her smile was way too wide.

Then she looked at me.

And I felt it.

A chill ran down my spine.

🔮 "You seem to be looking for something."

SHE’S TALKING TO ME. WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I SAY? ACT NORMAL!

I tried to ignore her and keep walking, but my feet had other plans. They froze in place, as if I had suddenly turned into a lamp post.

🌺 "Uh?"

Why did I say 'uh'? What does 'uh' even mean!?

The old woman chuckled, her voice raspy as it blended into the city noise.

🔮 "What you desire… I can give it to you."

No thanks, my life already comes with a free subscription to anxiety.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but instead of rejecting her like a normal person, the only thing that came out was:

🌺 "Uh? No… I mean… I’m good, I already have… stuff."

Stuff. What stuff? What am I even saying!?

My brain desperately wanted me to evaporate into thin air, but before I could spiral any further, the woman reached into a box and pulled out a small, white, cylindrical object.

🔮 "A magic marker," she whispered, turning it between her bony fingers. "With it, you can bring anything you draw to life."

Okay. Definitely a scam. Definitely a good time to start walking very fast in the opposite direction.

🌺 "Oh, hehe, interesting! Yeah… yeah, yeah… but no thanks, I already have…" Shut up, Miu. "…pens, and…" STOP TALKING! "…and… uh… crayons, too."

Crayons. I just said I have crayons. Like I’m a five-year-old.

The old woman didn’t even flinch. Instead, she took a step closer, tilting her head slightly.

🔮 "Draw what you desire the most. And it will become real."

DANGER.

Miu.exe has stopped working.

Emergency mode activated.

My brain decided to eject all logic and instead started spewing random words like a broken AI, while my hands, apparently with a will of their own, dug into my pocket and pulled out some coins.

🌺 "Uhhh, yes… uh… uhmm… g… gloves… GUITARS! Ahaha… uhhh… soup…?"

The old woman didn’t even blink. With a single smooth motion, she took my coins before I even processed what was happening and, just as effortlessly, slid the marker into my bag.

🔮 "May your wish come true."

The marker rolled across my desk as I dropped my backpack onto the chair.

🌺 "I can’t believe I actually spent money on this…"

I flopped onto my bed with a sigh.

It’s not like I really expected the thing to be magical, but the old lady was way too fast.

One second, I was rambling about crayons. The next, the marker was in my bag and my money was gone.

Did I… voluntarily buy it? Did she hypnotize me?

Wait. Did I just get scammed with a magic trick?

You know what? No. Not thinking about it.

🌺 "Well… I already bought it. Might as well give it a shot."

I sat up, grabbed a sheet of paper from my notebook, and uncapped the marker.

🌺 "Alright… what should I draw?"

Maybe money. A big, fat stack of bills. Or a brand-new phone.

But if this was a scam (which it definitely was), I might as well have some fun with it. I took a deep breath and started drawing.

First, a bird.

…Or something that was supposed to be a bird. It looked more like a potato with legs.

🌺 "Terrible."

I scratched it out and tried something else. A cup. An umbrella. A dog.

That last one turned out even worse because I forgot to draw one of its legs, so now it looked like it was about to collapse at any moment.

I waited.

Nothing.

🌺 "Of course. Don’t know why I even got my hopes up."

I tossed the marker onto the desk and stared at my drawings, as if they had personally betrayed me.

🌺 "If I could have anything… what would I even ask for?"

Money was nice. But honestly? Having something material wouldn’t change my life that much.

What I really wanted… was someone to talk to.

Not those "friends" who add you to a group chat and then never message you. Not classmates who only talk to you when they need help with homework.

A real friend.

Someone who would be there, no matter what.

Before I could overthink it, I picked up the marker again and started drawing.

This time, I didn’t care about making it look good. Just a couple of quick strokes. A circle for the head, two dots for eyes, a simple black round body.

It didn’t even take a full minute.

A basic doodle.

🌺 "This is stupid."

I waited.

Nothing.

I waited a little longer.

Still nothing.

🌺 "I can’t believe I actually fell for this."

I frowned, ripped the paper from my notebook, and tossed it into the trash. Then, I shoved the marker into a drawer and got into bed.

🌺 "Total waste of time."

I shut my eyes and went to sleep.

A peculiar smell woke me up.

Not like when you forget damp laundry in the corner of your room and it starts smelling weird.

No.

This was something else.

It smelled like… fresh ink.

🌺 "What the…?"

I cracked my eyes open, still groggy.

The first thing I saw was a plate with a sandwich and a glass of orange juice sitting next to my bed.

But something was off.

The bread had weird black stains around the edges, and a small puddle of… was that ink? dripped from the side of the glass, turning the juice into a highly suspicious shade of orange.

🌺 "Huh?"

My mom wasn’t home, and I definitely didn’t make this.

Unless I secretly joined the sleepwalking club without realizing it.

I sat up way too fast.

Then I felt it.

Something slimy and wet under my foot.

I looked down.

And my blood ran cold.

A huge puddle of black ink spread across the floor.

Before I could react, the inky mass moved.

And then it made a sound.

⚫ "Blop gii baa!"

🌺 "Ah-AAHH—AAAAHHHH!"

A choked, inhuman noise came out of my throat as I tried to jump back, but my foot slipped on the ink, sending me crashing onto the floor with a loud thud.

I quickly sat up.

Right in front of me, the puddle began to rise and twist, as if it had a mind of its own. The inky mass dripped and shifted, shaping itself into a small humanoid figure, no taller than 30 centimeters.

Its body was made of thick, glossy liquid, moving like it was somewhere between solid and liquid at the same time.

And in the middle of its face…

Two massive, glowing white eyes stared directly at me.

It had no mouth.

Yet…

It was making sounds.

How is that even possible!?

I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t breathe.

No, no, no. This isn’t happening.

The creature tilted its head, as if studying me. Then, in an oddly cheerful voice, it let out another short, bizarre sound—like it was trying to speak.

⚫ "Gooba? Guu-bii!"

🌺 "AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

My mind short-circuited.

Memories of the old woman, the magic marker, and the silly sketch I had drawn flooded my brain all at once.

This wasn’t a joke.

This wasn’t a scam.

This wasn’t a hallucination.

What I drew… had come to life…

🌺 MY DOODLE IS ALIVE!