“Can I stay a little longer? I want just want to make a message for ___”, Yoseob said.

“Okay. I’ll let you stay a little longer. But finish it up as quickly as possible”, Doojoon said. “I’ll let you stay until tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks a lot, hyung.”

“And when you’re done, meet me in the ruined church”. With those words, Doojoon left.

Yoseob was now alone in his room. He sat by the window thinking of what and how he will say to you that he has to go and leave.

“Maybe I could just give ___ a note”, Yoseob said to himself. “That would do it!” Yoseob sat on a desk and took out a piece of paper. He taps on the table thinking of what to write, slumping on the desk every now and then. Yoseob heaved a deep sigh and said “Aish! I don’t know how to say it!” Yoseob leaned his back on the chair and put his hands on the pockets of his hoodie. He felt something soft and furry when he put his hands on the pockets of the jacket he was wearing. Yoseob took it out and saw the teddy bear he brought at the stuff toy store in the amusement park.

“Oh, I totally forgot about it.” Yoseob played with the stuffed bear. It was dressed as an angel and wore white fluffy wings on his back and a halo above its head. Yoseob turned the angel around a few times thinking of what to do with it. Then he remembered what the saleslady taught him on how to use it.

“You can record a message with this teddy bear, sir.”

“Really? How?” Yoseob asked.

The saleslady took out a small recording machine inside the stuffed bear’s tummy and showed it to Yoseob. “Just pressed this button here, sir and when a red light appears, you can start recording the message. When you’re done, pressed this button again. The message will be automatically saved and you can place it back on the bear’s tummy”, the saleslady demonstrated to Yoseob.

“Sounds easy. Okay I’ll buy this.”

“Yoseob, you pabo. Why didn’t you remember about this?” Yoseob said to himself. After playing with the teddy bear, he finally decided that he will make his last message for you.

Yoseob went downstairs clutching the teddy bear in his hand as well as a pen and a piece of paper. He went to the kitchen pulled a chair and started making his message. Yoseob would stop every now and then to stop his tears from falling. But he wasn’t able to stop them from falling as he says his last words.

“I’m sorry, ___. Although I don’t want to leave you, I have to. I do not belong to this world. If I can only make my own rules and live with you forever, I’ll do it. Unfortunately, I can’t. But remember this ___. I love you. And my love for you will stay by your side forever, even if I am not with you. I love you ___. I am sorry I have to break your heart as well. Thank you for sharing a part of your life with me for the short time we’ve been together. I’ll surely miss you. Goodbye ____. Goodbye.”

Yoseob pressed the button and placed the recording machine back to the teddy bear’s tummy. He wiped his tears as he placed the stuffed toy on the dining table. Then he wrote a note on a piece of paper and placed it beside the stuffed teddy bear. Lastly he kissed the bear on its head and said a final goodbye.

Yoseob slowly went out of the kitchen and went to the family room. He looked at everything in it and a reminiscent feeling started flooding through him. Yosoeb saw the picture you took last Christmas. It was you together with your mom and dad and of course him. Each of you had a big smile on your face and seeing the picture made Yoseob smile. He heaved a deep sigh as he remembers the promise he made with your dad.

“Appa, sorry I have to break my promise. But don’t worry, I will still be watching ___ from heaven”, Yoseob said. He places the picture frame back on top of the drawer and takes a last look of the house. He looks back at the stairs thinking if he should go and take a last look of you but decided he won’t.

‘Seeing her will just make it hard to leave’, Yoseob thought to himself. Yoseob heaved a deep sigh again and said his last goodbye.

“Hi, ___! How are you? Did you have a good night sleep? It’s Yoseob by the way. Hahaha! Sorry if it’s lame. I really don’t know what to say. Maybe I’ll just start with the day we met.

When I fell in heaven that day, I had a lot of bruises and wounds. I wandered around the city to see if anyone could help me but no one did. Soon enough, I reached this place. Because of my tiredness I fell asleep outside your house leaning on the electric post. And when I woke up, I was already inside your house lying on your couch. I was really surprised to know that someone helped me. You even let me eat even though I was a total stranger!

I thought, I could already ask you to help me with my mission but it turned out that you thought I was some crazy guy. I was really hurt you know! You even pushed me away and you kicked me the next morning when you woke me up”, Yoseob said making sniffing sounds and even though he is not saying it to you personally and that you cannot see him, you can see that he is pouting. You whispered “mianhae” and continued listening to the recording.

“But it’s okay. I understand you. Who would easily believe me that I am an angel? But I am really happy that you believed me in the end and decided to help me! I could finally go back to heaven! But your problems are hard to solve, huh. Especially when you had your heart broken by that Taemin jerk! I really don’t know what to do especially since I don’t know how to heal a broken heart. I can heal my wounds but I can’t heal hearts. But Namjoo and Doojoon-hyung was right when they said that I should follow my heart.”

‘Doojoon-hyung? Who is that?’ you thought. ‘Sounds familiar but my memory about it is vague.’ But you decided to shrug it off and continue listening.

“You feel a lot happier now do you? You said you enjoyed our date, right? I’m glad you did. And I’m glad I made you happy and put your pretty smile back on your face.”

There was a long moment of silence that you thought that Yoseob’s message is done. But after that, you heard a deep sigh.

“___-ah, sorry. Sorry if I brought you troubles. Sorry if I always irritate you to the point that you have to punch me. *Sigh* for the short time that we’ve been together I never realized that we have been through so much things. I guess that made our relationship stronger, huh.”

There was another moment of silence. You were about to stand up and leave when you heard Yoseob speak again.

“*Sigh* Time passes by really fast doesn’t it ___? And in that short time ___, I never expected to find myself falling in love with you.” At those words you froze and your heartbeat went faster.

‘Yoseob’s in love with me?’

“Even though you always hit me and even though you always shout at me, I still love you ____. I have always loved you from the very time I laid my eyes on you. Didn’t you notice it? Was my jealousy towards Taemin not enough? Maybe not for you never noticed how much I adore you. Or maybe you’re just dumb? Oops! Don’t get mad okay? Maybe if I was beside you, you have hit me already.”

‘Pabo! If you liked me then you should have said it in the very beginning,’ you thought.

“Maybe you’re thinking right now, that I should have told you that I like you”, Yoseob said.

‘He got me there!’

“And maybe you’re thinking how I’m such a coward. Sorry if I am. But now, I already want you to know that I love you ___. I’ve always wanted to tell you how much I love you but it was only this time that I have gathered enough courage to tell you. I love you ____, I’ll always do.”

You smiled and felt your heart flutter. ‘I love you too Yoseob. Even though you can be a trouble at times and even though you always irritate me, I love you.  You should have told me Yoseob. If you have told me then I wouldn’t have to look for other guys. But why are you telling me this now?’

“Also, I am telling this to you now because, because my job here on Earth is done.”

You heard another long moment of silence from the recording and tears started forming in your eyes. You remember the words Yoseob said when you first met him, when he told you why he fell from heaven.

“I was sent here to choose a human and help him in his three problems. If I will be able to do that, I can go back to heaven.”

“If I can do that, I can go back to heaven…”

“I can go back to heaven…”

“…back to heaven…”

You don’t even need to hear what his next message were for you know what they are. Bigger tears are now falling from your eyes as his words echoed inside your head. Even before Yoseob continue his message, you grabbed the teddy bear and stormed out of your house.

‘I hate you Yoseob! You stupid angel!! How can you just say you love me and leave me behind? Why would you leave now when I am already falling for you?’ you thought to yourself as you ran. But what made you cry the most were his last words from the recording he made.

“I’m sorry, ___. Although I don’t want to leave you, I have to. I do not belong to this world. If I can only make my own rules and live with you forever, I’ll do it. Unfortunately, I can’t. But remember this ___. I love you. And my love for you will stay by your side forever, even if I am not with you. I love you ___. I am sorry I have to break your heart as well. Thank you for sharing a part of your life with me for the short time we’ve been together. I’ll surely miss you. Goodbye ____. Goodbye.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The sun was rising already when he left your house and thought that it was still early to meet Doojoon, so he decided to pass by Mrs. Park eatery to say goodbye. The eatery was still close when he came by so he just slipped an envelope with a letter inside he made days ago underneath the door of the eatery. After passing by Mrs. Park’s eatery, Yoseob went to the park near your school. Yoseob sat on one of the swings and closed his eyes as he tries to remember the things that happened in that place. That moment when he made you see his wings and last Christmas when he asked you to go home after crying because of your mom and dad.

‘This was the place where it all started. If ___ didn’t believe that I was really an angel, I wouldn’t be able to solve her problems and… and I wouldn’t be able to come back to heaven. ‘

Yoseob opened his eyes. The sun was already up and some kids started playing in the park. He watched them with a big smile on his face. While watching the kids play, Yoseob felt someone poking his back. He turned around and saw the young boy he saved before.

“Dongsaeng!”

“Good morning, hyung”, the boy said shyly hugging a red ball to his chest.

“Did you come here alone?” Yoseob said ruffling the boy’s hair. The boy shook his head and pointed to a lady wearing a white blouse and red skirt. Yoseob takes a look and saw the boy’s mom waving at them. “Oh, you came with your mom. So I guess you want to play ball with me?”

“Will you, hyung? You promised to play ball with me”, the young boy said.

“Sure but hyung can’t play for too long. Hyung has to go somewhere”, Yoseob said.

“It’s okay. As long as hyung will play ball with me, I’m satisfied.” Yoseob smiled at the young boy and ruffled his hair again.

Yoseob and the boy started playing by catching and throwing the ball to each other. They played a game of basketball and when they are already tired playing with the ball the boy brought, they started riding the mini rides in the park. They rode the slides, the see saw, the little merry go round and played in the monkey bars. After all that playing, Yoseob sat in the swings together with the young boy.

“It’s tiring but it’s fun isn’t it?” Yoseob asked the young boy as he fans himself.

“Ne”, the boy said and wipes his sweat with his white towel. “Thanks for playing with me, hyung.” Yoseob patted the boy on his head as the boy continues to wipe his sweat. Yoseob saw the time on the boy’s watch. It was already nine fifty, and five minutes more, the bus to the city will be coming already. With a frown, Yoseob bid the young boy goodbye.

“It’s time for hyung to say goodbye”, Yoseob said as he hold the young boy’s hand.

“When are we going to play again?” the boy asked.

Yoseob sighed and said, “I’m sorry but hyung will not be able to play with you anymore. Hyung will go to a place far far away and I don’t know if I will be able to go back.” The boy’s smile turned into a frown and hugged Yoseob. “I will miss you, hyung. And thank you for saving me.” Yoseob for the last time ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Can hyung ask for a favor?” Yoseob asked. The boy looked at him and nodded. “If you see the noona who was with me to the hospital and when she asked you if you have seen me, tell her that I’m going to the ruined church. And tell her this.” Yoseob leaned toward the young boy and whispered his message.