The clock on my wall blinked 3:27 a.m. at me like it was personally offended. Half of my instant noodles were soggy, the other half were cement, and my laptop fan sounded like a dying jet engine.
I rubbed my eyes, stared at the glowing spreadsheet on the screen, and whispered to no one in particular,
"If hell exists, it looks exactly like this—Excel, deadlines, and a manager named Karen."
My phone buzzed. A message from my boss lit up the screen: [Don't forget the report by morning, Lin.]
I stared at it, dead inside.
"Morning? Bro, it is morning."
My apartment looked like a crime scene of caffeine abuse—coffee cups, energy drink cans, and takeout boxes stacked like modern art. I used to be ambitious once.
Now I was just… alive out of spite.
I leaned back on my chair, groaning. "I swear, if I die, I'm haunting the HR department."
For a minute, I opened my favorite fantasy novel site—because clearly, I needed one more reason to procrastinate.
The latest update flashed on my screen: [Bound by the Moonlight: Chapter 189 – The Captain Who Loved the Duke.]
My eyes practically sparkled.
"Oh… the next chapter is here!"
This was one of my favorite web novels so far. The Imperial Captain falling for dukes? Classic. Sexy. Painfully dramatic. Honestly, dukes were always great.
I scrolled through the comments like a true fanatic. Both leads had kissed. My chest practically did a happy little dance. Comments were overflowing with chaos, screams, and people losing their lives over fictional romance. Naturally, I joined in mentally, cheering, weeping, and occasionally cackling at someone's ridiculous fan theory.
Eventually, I slumped onto the floor like a deflated balloon, muttering,
"I… really don't want to adult anymore. After reading such a fantastic chapter, why would I ruin it with spreadsheets, bills, or… life?"
I yawned, stretched like a cat that forgot it was a human, and mumbled half-coherently,
"I wish I could be an owl. Yes. An owl. No work, no taxes, no human responsibilities. Just wings, sleep, and vibes. And maybe… like, the occasional dramatic swoop at unsuspecting peasants for fun."
I laid flat on the floor, staring at the ceiling like it owed me something, and whispered softly,
"Just… a little sleep… just a little… then the world can go to hell without me."
And as if the universe had a very dark sense of humor…
***
[Somewhere. (Don't ask where.) Just… somewhere.]
Mmm… that was a good sleep.
But why do I feel so fresh? Like… spa-day fresh.
BLINK. BLINK.
I opened my eyes—everything was blurry and… SHINE!!!
Whoa. Whoa. Did the sun decide to blind me first thing in the morning? Did I sign up for this?
I tried to throw an arm over my face but—(WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCKING. HELL. IS. THIS.)
Feathers.Feathers.FEATHERS.
I sat up—well, more like wobbled—and holy crap. This wasn't my crappy apartment. This was a full-on forest. Real trees, real dirt, real fresh air. Like someone stuffed me inside a nature documentary.
(What's going—) I started, but the sound that came out was:
"HOOOOT!! HOOOOOT!!"
. . .
. . .
I froze.Blink.Blink.
Slowly, very slowly, I looked down at myself. Claws. Tiny talons. Wings. A fluffy chest.
(…No. Nope. Nope. This is a prank. This is a—)
"HOOOT!!"
(Stop hooting!) I snapped at myself.
"Hooooooot!!"
And yes… that's how I realized—I died and transmigrated as a FREAKING OWL.
I slumped like a dead person—I mean, dead owl—near a riverbank where I could finally see my reflection.
Big, golden feathers.Heart-shaped face.Huge, glowing eyes.
A beautiful golden owl.
And yet—still an OWL.
Other people transmigrate as humans, or at least some kind of cool magical beast.And me?I got stuck with "Night Watchman of the Woods" DLC.
I dipped my face closer to the water. My reflection blinked back at me. I looked like a magical familiar from a Disney movie—minus the adorable soundtrack. And that's when I remembered… my stupid wish.
' wish I could be an owl. Yes. An owl. No work, no taxes, no human responsibilities. Just wings, sleep, and vibes. And maybe… the occasional dramatic swoop at unsuspecting peasants for fun.'
. . .
. . .
I trembled, wings fluffed up like a pissed-off pillow.
(So… you're telling me… God was just… filling out my wishing list when I said that? Like some cosmic Amazon order?)
"Hooot....hoot...hoott.....?"
My claws dug into the dirt.
(THEN WHAT ABOUT MY OTHER WISHES, HUH?!) I screeched at the sky.
Because, honestly, my wish list had been very clear. I wanted: A magical castle with self-cleaning floors. Bottomless coffee that never goes cold. A hot butler who calls me "Master" in a deep voice.
A dragon-sized bed for optimal sleeping. And a rich, tragic lover who would feed me grapes while I ignored emails.
("But nooo,") I ranted, wings flapping wildly, ("the cosmic vending machine only heard the owl part! Not the castle or hot butler or tragic lover parts! I can't even drink coffee anymore! My beak would stab the cup!")
I stomped—well, hopped—around the riverbank, furious.
("This is a SCAM! I want a Refund!)
A frog croaked nearby, and I swiveled my head so fast it nearly did a full 360.The frog jumped back into the water.
("Yeah, you better run,") I muttered...no, hooted.
Now… what? Do I have to live life as this gorgeous owl? But… owls eat bugs, right?
...YUCK!!!!!!!!!!
I'd rather die (again) than eat bugs. I missed my meat in those instant noodle cups. I wished I could at least have steak… or chicken… or… or… maybe even a slice of chocolate cake. Or five.
I slumped down on the riverbank, exhausted from my thirty-minute-long owl life. My wings drooped.
("Well… this is it. This is my entire existence now. A golden owl with zero life skills. I am doomed. I hate everything.")
I was about to wallow in self-pity for eternity when a voice—deep, cold, and way too sexy for a forest—cut through the air.
"Huh? Is that a Owl…?"
I froze. My tiny owl heart skipped a beat. Slowly, painfully slowly, I turned my head.
A man stood there.
Silver hair catching the light like some overpriced highlighter. Broad shoulders that could probably crush a tree. A cloak that screamed, "I own this entire forest and your soul".
Eyes purple… purple, sharp as knives and judging me like I'd just personally insulted him. And a crown. A faint crown glinting like the universe was rubbing it in my face.
…Oh no.
Did I just… hoot at a villain?
My little owl brain scrambled like eggs on a skillet. Okay, looking at his attire, I can guess...this is some fanatsy world and he is some noble. Because No way any men would wear such heavy attire. This is some fantasy world. It's not confirmed whether it's a Novel world or some game.
And then, something hit me like a falling pinecone.
What if… I became someone's adorable baby bird?
I mean, owls can become pets, right? Magical mascots? Cute little pocket familiars for princes and emperors?
I tilted my head, blinking my giant golden eyes at him.
He looks lonely. Scary and lonely. Maybe he needs a bird. Maybe he needs me.
A plan began to form. A ridiculous, owl-sized plan.
I puffed up my chest fluff, raised my wings like a dollar-store peacock, and stared at the man with what could only be described as an owl smirk.
Alright… you handsome silver man. You've got knives for eyes and you seem rich and hot.
I leaned closer, claws gripping the riverbank, my head swiveling a perfect 180 degrees just to freak him out a little.
LET'S HOOT YOU.
And just like that, my mission began: Not to fly away. Not to hunt bugs. But to charm, manipulate, and get adopted by the hottest man I'd ever seen.
My wings flapped once, dramatically.
I am Lin. I am an owl. And I will become your adorable baby bird, you silver man.