"The Story of: In the Wake of Sweetness"

Once upon a time in a suburban neighborhood lived the Sugarbrook family, who loved each other very much. The family consisted of a father, mother, and their two little ones. This suburban neighborhood was similar to any other, with people leading normal lives—working, taking care of their families, going to school, and so on. However, this neighborhood had a slight difference: humans and magical creatures coexisted peacefully and in balance.

Fairies were commonly known as companions for humans in this neighborhood, and the Sugarbrook family also had a fairy living with them. The fairy would help with household chores, including preparing food and beverages, which mirrored the family's habits.

On a Sunday morning, the family gathered for brunch in their backyard. The mother and older sister enjoyed pancakes with a lot of maple syrup, while the little one, who struggled with body image issues, had only a banana to eat and drink. Mr. Sugarbrook, aware of the little one's concerns, asked his wife to have a similar meal of just a banana that day. However, the fairy, knowing how much Mr. Sugarbrook loved sweet drinks, still prepared his favorite drink for him.

The little one noticed something different about the fairy while she added sweet ingredients and fruits to her father's drink. "Wait," thought the little one, and she reached out to one of the fairies that landed on her palm. Using her glasses, she closely observed the fairy and realized that it was crying. The fairy wiped away its tears and flew away.

Hastily finishing her banana, the little one excused herself from the table and hurriedly followed the fairy. She ventured deep into the forest, where the sun barely reached through the thick trees. She wondered if this was where the fairies lived and felt a mix of fear and curiosity. It was like stepping into a new world she had never imagined.

Finally, they stopped in front of a giant lily of the valley flower, the little one's favorite flower. Without hesitation, she reached out and placed the flower petals on her head, as if wearing a helmet. Suddenly, everything fell silent.

There was no sound except for her own breath...

Then, a drop of water landed on her nose, and suddenly, it started pouring rain. But this was no ordinary rain—the drops glowed, and when they touched her skin, it transformed her. She tried to escape, but she couldn't run. Looking down at her feet, she saw that many fairies were holding onto them, trying hard to keep her still. She didn't know fairies possessed this kind of magic. Struggling to free herself, she realized that only a small spot in front of her nose hadn't changed. The last drop fell onto her nose, and everything fell silent once again.

She opened her eyes to the sound of continuous whispers of "Sweet" in her ears. It was the fairies, repeatedly saying "sweet," but strangely, she was the same size as the fairies now. That's when she realized she had turned into one of them.

Other fairies helped her learn how to fly, but she was a natural-born fast learner. Having grown up with the understanding that no one would always be around, she had learned to be independent. After she could fly like any other fairy, the first thought that came to her mind was to tell her beloved father about her transformation. She sought permission from the other fairies, and though she only said one word, "sweet," it seemed the fairies understood what she meant.

The little one could see her house and flew there with great speed. She couldn't wait to tell her father about her experience, knowing he would be fine with it. He had always been gentle with her, and with that trust, she felt confident.

However, upon arriving home, she found the house filled with sadness. Her father lay in bed, sleeping, looking tired and older. She gently placed her small palm on her father's cheek, and he smiled, although still asleep. His smile brought her some comfort. She thought that now, as a fairy, she could bring more happiness to her father. She remembered how the fairy always made her father's favorite beverages.

In a hurry, she flew to the kitchen, grabbed a heavy glass, and poured water into it. But when she was about to add sweetness, another fairy grabbed her hand, forcing her to back up. "Don't do this," the fairy told her, fighting to finish her job. She pushed through the bottle of syrups, but the fairy closed the bottle and took it somewhere far from her house.

She felt desperate, wanting to swim inside the bottles. Strangely, the waves inside felt overwhelming, not like the usual waves she enjoyed in the sea. These waves overwhelmed her, bringing frustration to her chest. Even though the syrups were sweet, she didn't like them. She wished for it to stop.

As she prayed harder, wishing for the waves to stop, she noticed horns growing on her head. She was scared of further changes in her body. "What is happening?" she thought. "I don't want to be a monster!" She screamed silently.

Suddenly, the bottle broke into many pieces, and she landed on a white foamy land. She took a breath, grateful to be able to breathe normally again.

"Hey kiddo," she heard a voice behind her. She turned around and saw a beautiful dragon with purple and blue scales, just like her favorite colors. "Hello, sir," the little one replied to the dragon. The dragon was inside a small nest, an unusual place for a big body like his, she thought.

"I see you are here because of the fairy," he said.

"Yes, sir," she said. "How did you know?"

"You see, the fairy has lived with us for a long time. As happy as she looks living with us, sometimes she gives us a warning," the dragon said, trying to move his body but unable to move an inch.

"What kind of warning, sir?"

The dragon looked into the little one's eyes. Deep inside, he wished it wasn't his responsibility to explain what was about to happen to her. But in this situation, he knew the universe asked him to.

"You see, I am a lonely dragon searching for love. I thought love was the only thing I needed, but as you can see now, this fruit is a love fruit the fairy brings me every day. As I eat it, my body gets bigger and bigger. I didn't realize it until I couldn't move an inch in this nest. The fairy gave me what I wanted, but it was also a warning. My warning was that love was never enough to live this life. Now, I am stuck, wishing I could explore the world while feeling lonely," the dragon told her, then ate the love fruit near him. She could see how his body grew bigger, making him fuller than before.

The little one flew to the dragon, bowed to him, kissed his head, and excused herself to leave.

She returned to meet the fairy who had once transformed her. It was a realization that this was probably the best experience for her to learn from. When she met the fairy, she asked if she could change back into her normal form. She had learned about the warning and wished to change things in her family.

"It's too late," one of the fairies said. "Yet, you have learned," the other fairies said. All the fairies bowed and started dancing. Then, they surrounded the little one and dropped their fairy dust, pouring it onto her.

Little by little, her body grew into a normal human body, but this time it was slightly different. The little one felt the small changes, feeling fulfilled with many emotions in her chest, her mind filled with more thoughts than before. Her steps took her farther than before.

As the little one arrived home, she hugged her mother and sister tightly. Her father was no longer with them, but an orange fox approached her, asking to be petted.

She gently stroked the fox's head. She noticed it was wearing a collar that said, "To the little one, remember me every spring. Love, Father." The fox wagged its tail, inviting the little one to follow it. It led her to the backyard, which was filled with flowers. Her mother had a hobby of growing many flowers in the yard. She followed the fox until they reached a big peach tree, and the fox lay down next to the small flower buds about to grow.

The little one smiled and asked the fox, "Is this a nice place for you to rest?" The fox remained silent, feeling at ease, even though it was just a new beginning for the family.

"See you in spring, Father."