MY STUPID CUPID

First Mission

Flashback — A Thousand Years Ago

My name is Indiana.

An abandoned cupid, standing in front of the biggest gate I had ever laid my beautiful eyes on.

At the time, I didn’t understand why my beloved mother had placed me inside a basket. I didn’t understand why she didn’t hesitate, not even for a second, before setting me down and hurrying away without looking back.

I didn’t know why she left.

All I knew was that I was alone.

I lay there, weak and tiny, wrapped in thin cloth, staring at the towering gates above me. Time passed slowly. The sky darkened. Then, eventually, morning came.

With the sunrise, the gates opened.

That was when I was found.

Other cupids discovered me first. They gathered around, whispering among themselves in surprise. And—unsurprisingly—I was adopted.

I mean, honestly, who could resist my adorable face?

But unlike the other cupids…

I was imperfect.

Of course, my beloved mother just had to fall in love with a human. Of all creatures in the universe, she chose a human. Then she had me, and unsurprisingly, I inherited the imperfection that all humans possessed.

Clumsiness, Mistakes, Emotions that were too strong.

I tripped over clouds. I misplaced my arrows. I once flew straight into a wall because I wasn’t paying attention.

Still, I was a real cupid.

I had wings, I had arrows, I had magic,

And to top it off I was very pretty too. (smirks proudly)

My lovestruck mother gave up her infinite life to follow my so-called father to the human world. She chose mortality over eternity. Love over duty.

They passed away not long after. Well… at least she died happy. She even had two human children before she passed.

Sometimes, when I think about it, I couldn’t completely blame her.

My dad was indeed very handsome—at least from what I could remember. His hair was as dark as midnight, and his skin looked like warm honey under sunlight.

Still though, the male cupids here were just as handsome. But I guess she was shocked to find a human who could rival a cupid’s beauty.

Their compatibility was ninety percent.

Ninety!

When I found out, I couldn’t even hate them. They were meant for each other. Soulmates. Destined lovers

Maybe I just wished that destiny hadn’t required them to abandon me.

But it wasn’t like I lacked love. Nah. Not at all

My adopted parents spoiled me endlessly. They adored me, protected me, encouraged me, and never once made me feel unwanted.

So, in the end, I didn’t grow up with hatred in my heart.

Only questions.

As I grew older, I began to realize just how different I was.

Other cupids completed their missions effortlessly. It was in their blood. Their instincts guided them.

Me?

I couldn’t even shoot an arrow straight.

I remember one of my many failed missions vividly. I aimed carefully, focused, took a deep breath.. And fired.

But... the arrow missed the target completely… and struck a dog instead.

That dog followed its owner everywhere for the rest of its life.

Through rain, Through storms, Through sickness, even through old age.

(Sigh)

True love.

I even had to study the procedures of being a cupid like it was some complicated school subject.

First, we checked the compatibility of our clients. Then, we confirmed that both candidates were single.

Next, we arranged situations that would make them meet naturally. A café, A library, A bus stop, A rainy street

And When feelings finally developed—

Bam!

We shoot the love arrow. Bonded for life. Well… mostly

The love arrow doesn't exactly create feelings. It simply amplified what already existed. It strengthened their loyalty and emotional connection.

Still, sometimes people cheat. Even after being struck. Humans are confusing

And painfully disloyal.

Present Day — Indiana’s POV

After thirty full minutes of watching the same couple argue—for the fourth month in a row—I finally snapped

“Ugh, these two are impossible,” I groaned, spinning lazily in the clouds.

Beside me, my partner-in-crime, Clarissa, happily munched on something humans called popcorn

Honestly, who invented this stuff? It was addictive

“They’re literally twenty percent compatible,” I continued. “He cheats, she cries, forgives him, and then he cheats again. It’s exhausting.”

Clarissa didn’t respond.

“Clarissa, are you even listening to me?!”

“Of course I am,” she replied. “I just love watching her verbally destroy him.”

Then she turned to me and blinked with those ridiculous puppy eyes.

“Can’t we help them?”

I sighed dramatically.

“Of course not. It’s not our mission. We’re just here for the drama.”

I winked, and we continued watching.

After they made up again, I couldn't help but muttered softly, “But seriously… why does she stay?”

Clarissa gave me a look.

“You, of all people, should know.”

“What do you mean?”

“She was probably hit by one of your stray arrows.”

My eyes widened.

“Hey! Are you talking about that incident from thousands of years ago?!”

I poured and immediately flew toward headquarters.

“It’s not my fault you were terrible!” she shouted, rushing after me. “Wait!”

As we flew back toward headquarters, the wind brushed softly against my wings. The clouds below drifted lazily, glowing faintly under the golden sky.

Yet my heart felt heavy.

Whenever Clarissa mentioned my past, memories always surfaced—memories I tried so hard to bury.

I had never been like the others.

From the very beginning, I struggled.

Other cupid children picked up bows effortlessly. They laughed as they hit target after target, their arrows glowing brightly as they pierced through invisible barriers.

Me?

I missed. Again. And again. And again.

My arrows flew crookedly, wobbling in the air before crashing into clouds, walls, or sometimes even… other cupids.

“Wow, Indiana, are you trying to shoot me instead?” one crazy boy had laughed.

“Maybe she got her dad’s weak human eyesight,” another had mocked.

Their words hurt more than any fall ever could.

Every laugh felt like a reminder. That I don’t belong here. That I was different. Very difficult

Sometimes, I would hide behind the training grounds after practice, pretending to adjust my wings while secretly wiping my tears away.

I hated crying. I hated looking weak. I hated proving them right.

But then I met Clarissa.

Clarissa never let me drown in those thoughts. She had burst into my life like a storm—loud, energetic, fearless.

“Who cares if you miss?” she had said once, grabbing my bow. “You’ll just try again”

She stood beside me every afternoon, correcting my posture, guiding my hands, encouraging me when I failed.

“Again”

“Try once more”

“You’re getting better”

“See? I told you”

She never gave up on me. Not once. When everyone else saw my flaws, she saw my effort.

Without Clarissa… I don’t know where I would be. And without my adopted parents, who always told me I was enough, I would have believed the cruel whispers.

And yet, even with all that love, there was one wound that never truly healed.

My mother.

Sometimes, late at night, I wondered what she had felt when she placed me in that basket.

Did her hands shake? Did her heart break? Did she cry afterward?

Or was she already too consumed by love to think about me?

She had met my father during a mission. She was supposed to help him find love.

Instead, she became his love. She broke every rule. She chose him. Chose mortality. Chose a fragile, temporary life over eternity.

And left me behind. For years, I tried to hate her. But I couldn’t.

Because every time I imagined her smiling beside him… I knew she had been happy. And maybe that was all she ever wanted.

“She’s gone now,” I whispered quietly as we approached the gates.

When we arrived we realized the headquarters looked worse than usual

Scrolls floated in midair. Documents piled high on desks. Cupids rushed around, wings fluttering in panic.

The atmosphere was tense. I guess the recent cheating cases have been rapidly increasing.

I barely made it halfway to my office when a messenger stopped me.

“The Head Cupid requests your presence immediately.”

My stomach dropped.

I straightened my clothes and followed him

Inside the main office, the Head Cupid stood by the window, staring out into the clouds.

“Greetings, sir,” I said, bowing

“You know why you’re here, Indiana?”

I hesitated. “For… another mission?”

He turned slowly.

“Yes. But this one is different.”

His gaze pierced through me.

“Do you know that we have a stray cupid?... That's why there have been numerous cheating cases. And because of this most cupids have been assigned to handle it leaving most missions unattended”

He then looked at me and smiled

“You will live as a human.”

My breath caught.

“…What?”

“For one year.”

The room spun.

“A year?!” I exclaimed. “You want me to stay in the human world for a whole year?!”

“Yes. I'm leaving you to handle one of our important missions”

“To repeat history?” I whispered bitterly. “To become like my mother?”

His expression softened slightly

“That is exactly why I chose you,” he said. “You understand both worlds. You have their blood”

I clenched my fists.

“But... I don't think I’m not strong enough or even ready.”

“You are,” he replied firmly.

Then he placed a thick stack of files into my arms.

“You leave tomorrow. Memorize everything.”

There was no room for argument.

I nodded. But inside… I was terrified. I mean, damn, this was my first real mission.