Lee Jihoon slouches over his table. His professor droning about a war that happened centuries ago. Jihoon absent mindedly taps his pen against the hard wood, creating a basic rhythm.

"This was a war caused by someone or in this case, two people who were really greedy."

Aren't they all?

Jihoon is scared, stiff scared to be exact. A week ago, Seungcheol told him about the war, the plan and the second soul. He was scared and he is still.

He swallows and feels like his throat tightens more, restricting the passage of air going in his lungs.

"There are always two sides in each story. There is always the good side and the bad. But in this war, both sides are bad."

Bad. Worse. Worst.

Bad. It was a bad decision made by Jihoon that caused him to call on a devil that could grant any of his wishes with his soul as payment.

Worse. The demon told him that everything he knew about his life were all lies. That Jihoon is someone more than a human, that he is a powerful being that the King of Hell is looking for to be used as a weapon to destroy the Heaven and to make the humankind bow down to him. That there is this other soul inhabiting his body that takes over whenever it wanted, whenever Jihoon feels like he cannot take it anymore.

Worst. Jihoon is slowly but deeply falling in love with the demon.

Even to Jihoon, that realization came as a surprise. Who would have thought that he can feel that kind of longing? That it was possible to want something. Every time the demon cages him in his arms, every time the demon whispers that he will protect him no matter what happens and every single time the demon stares at him like Jihoon is both his destruction and salvation. At the back of Jihoon's mind, he always prays that something bad will come so that the demon, his demon will hold him and in a soft voice assure him that everything will be alright.

“But there were wars caused by something more ridiculous than two leaders fighting over a piece of land. Some wars were caused by something called love.”

Jihoon snaps his head towards his professor, catching his attention by that single statement. The professor’s hip rests against the edge of his table.

“The most famous and cliché example of this is the Trojan War in Illiad and Odyssey by Homer. The one where Helen’s face had launched a thousand ships.”

His professor was about to continue when the bell rings, signaling the end of the last period. For the first time since he became a university student he wishes that there is more time during his history class. Jihoon puts his book inside his bag and his pen in his pocket.

“Wait! Wait, class! For your assignment…”

The class groans in unison.

“I want everybody to answer two questions. First, will you fight a war for love? Second, will love be worth the war?”

†††

Jihoon walks the hallway straight to his locker. This day has been really tiring, with the lectures and quizzes. He is tired all over and all he wants is to go home and lie on his bed. He enters the password and opens his locker, absent mindedly putting all his school related stuffs in it. He closes it with a small sigh.

“Hey.”

“Oh, God!” Jihoon puts his hand against his chest. He feels his heart beat twice as fast, frightened to death because of the man suddenly speaking beside him, catching him off guard.

“Please, don’t do that again. You’ll going to kill me.”

Wonwoo’s nose scrunches but he smiles shyly. Jihoon warily returns his smile.

“What are you doing here, Wonwoo-ssi?” Jihoon asks. Wonwoo is studying in other school so the reason why he came here must be really important. He only knows Wonwoo by passing. He is one of Seungcheol’s junior in the basketball team and they were introduced only once. Jihoon dares to call Wonwoo as Seungcheol’s only human friend, although Wonwoo doesn’t know Seungcheol’s real identity.

“About that. I just want to ask how Seungcheol hyung is. Our coach is looking for him. It had been a week since he was absent. Is he sick?” Wonwoo pushes his thick eyeglasses up the bridge of his straight nose. Jihoon wonders how he was able to join the basketball team if his eyes are as bad as they look.

“Seungcheol hyung went home. His brothers needed him for something important.” Jihoon says, a truth sugarcoated as a lie. That reminds him that Seungcheol hasn’t been back since the demon admitted that there is another soul inside him. The demon’s presence becoming fainter and fainter as the days go by.

“Is that so? When do you think will he be back?”

“I… I am not sure.” Jihoon murmurs, he feels his heart do that crushing thing that can be only described by those who felt it first-hand, it hurts like someone is squeezing his heart, letting it to bleed out.

“Oh. Once he is back kindly tell Seungcheol hyung that the coach is looking for him. Thank you, Jihoon.” Wonwoo bids his goodbye and starts to walk away. Jihoon watches him disappear in the sea of students.

“I am also looking for him.”

“Who is also looking for who?”

Jihoon squeals and smacks Seokmin who suddenly jumps in front of him. These people are seriously trying to kill him by sneaking on him. Seokmin smiles that radiant smile of him and Jihoon cannot help but forgive him even though the younger didn't ask for any.

“Who’s that, hyung?” Seokmin stays beside Jihoon and walks with him.

“Who?”

“That guy you were talking to. The one with eyeglasses?” Seokmin grins but there is something in the way his eyes gleam and an uncalled shiver runs down Jihoon’s spine.

“That’s Wonwoo. He’s a friend of Seungcheol hyung.”

Seokmin nods, his eyes still got that gleam but it is less noticeable now.

They walk towards the others who are waiting for them outside.

When there history class ended, Soonyoung and Jun headed out first, telling Jihoon that they will just wait for him outside.

Soonyoung and Seungkwan are bickering as usual while Jun and Mingyu are too busy looking at each other’s cellphone. If you will tell Jihoon two months ago that he will be having this circle of friends he might laugh at the atrocity of that idea but that is exactly his present now. He got a close circle of friends who likes him as he is. But, he still feels incomplete and he knows why.

“Hoonie!” Soonyoung throws his arms around him, Jihoon scoffs but smiles at clingy Soonyoung. Jihoon is not a clingy person but once in a while it feels good to be hugged.

They are always like this, waiting for everybody so that they can go home at the same time.

Mingyu, Seokmin and Jun lives at the Eastern part of the town while Seungkwan will be fetched by their car because he lived outside the town. Soonyoung and Jihoon lives at the western part thus, they are always walking home together.

“I’ll take Jihoon now. Bye, guys!” Soonyoung exclaims as he pulls Jihoon away from the group. The other men wave their goodbyes except for Mingyu who just stares at them.

Soonyoung and Jihoon walk in silence. Halfway on their journey, Soonyoung breaks the shared silence with a question.

“Will you fight a war for love?” Soonyoung asks. Jihoon squints, stopping on his track.

“Are you fishing for my answer for our history assignment?” Jihoon accuses, Soonyoung’s cheeks burn and the tip of his ears reddens.

“I can’t believe at how shameless you are Kwon.” Jihoon laughs but answers it anyway.

“I won’t fight a war just for love.”

“Really? Wow. here I was thinking that you are one of those people who will fight until death just for love.” Soonyoung shakes his head, still cannot believe that Lee Jihoon is not willing to fight for love.

“Then, you don’t really know me.” Jihoon purses his lips and continues to walk, they are nearing the bus stop where Soonyoung will board.

“But, why?” Soonyoung pouts.

“If I tell you a reason, I know that you will just counter it with another question and we will be talking and debating about it. So, no, I will not answer your question." Jihoon side eyes Soonyoung who just shrugs. Good.

"Goodbye, Hoonie!" Soonyoung waves as he boards the bus. In a split second, Jihoon thought that Soonyoung's irises turn into gold.

"See you later."

†††

Jihoon expects his apartment to be empty, so his eyes focused automatically at the person standing in the middle of the hallway. It is definitely not who he is expecting to see.

"Yoon Jeonghan."

Jeonghan grins, his angelic face lighting up giving him an aura that is obviously reserved for the angels.

"Hi, Hoonie. How are you?" Jeonghan sits, his legs crossing across his ankles.

Jihoon timidly smiles, still a little on edge, suddenly remembering the only time they were alone. It is not a pleasant memory.

Jihoon walks straight to his room. He is not sure what the demon wants. With Seungcheol or even Jisoo not around, Jihoon doesn't know what the second prince of hell may do to him. Especially now that they both knew what Jihoon can really do, who Jihoon really is.

Jihoon turns the knob and and was about to enter the room when Jeonghan spoke.

"My brother wants me to check on you. But seeing you now, you look fine." Jeonghan says nonchalantly. His lips form a thin line, showing that he is not happy to be there with Jihoon. Probably killing Seungcheol inside his head for summoning him just to check on Jihoon.

"Yeah?" Jihoon mutters. He was about to ask where Seungcheol is when the room's temperature fell into freezing point and Jihoon's vision began to blurred.

Jeonghan's whole demeanor flipped 360 degrees as his wide magnificent silvery wings spread, knocking the only vase in Jihoon's apartment.

Jihoon can see his breath fog up. He hugs himself as Jeonghan's eyes turned to red. When out of nowhere, an invisible force attacked the demon and sent him flying against Jihoon's wall.

Another winged creature materializes and can be seen holding the second prince of hell by the neck, choking him.

The golden wings spread majestically in front of Jihoon but he can't believe his eyes.

It was attached to someone he knows so well or at least he thought he knows so well.

"Hi."

Jihoon steps back, his breath huffing out his mouth in quick succession like he was having an asthma attack.

"Why don't you greet back your good friend?"

The winged creature walks towards him with the second prince still in his clutches.

"It's me, Kim Mingyu."