Kris woke up to an unfamiliar feeling on the back of his hands. Without opening his eyes, he flipped his hands over to grasp at the thing tickling his skin. It felt waxy and when he pulled up, the thing tore off and remained clasped in his hand. He soon began to notice his temperature rising. It seemed to him as if he was being roasted by a fire. Strange sounds floated through the air around him and they sounded much like peoples’ voices. It was like a soft murmur and Kris wondered whether his friend Yixing was playing some sort of practical joke on him.

Kris finally opened his eyes when he felt someone step on one of his wings. He jolted from the sudden pain and turned to look at the perpetrator who was actually a girl he had never seen before rather than his friend he had known since birth. The girl didn’t seem to notice that she had stepped on his wing; in fact she was still standing on it at that very moment, glancing around as if looking for something.

It took Kris a moment before he realized where he was. His eyes darted around the scenery, noticing the green grass that he was laying on, the trees surrounding him, the people walking by.

Humans, he thought. Everything clicked together and it took all of Kris’s willpower to not curse out loud. He had somehow woken up in the human world. That wasn’t his main concern at the moment since the blindingly painful sensation of having someone standing on his wing was all he could think of at the moment.

Jaw hanging open just slightly, Kris gaped at the girl who was blatantly causing him pain without even seeming to care. His perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed in frustration and his lips curved down into a frown.

“Excuse me but could you move?” Kris said. The girl still didn’t look towards him and was merely biting her bottom lip and tapping her foot which only served to bring Kris more painful sensations. “Hey, I’m talking to you!” he snapped.

Much to his relief, the girl turned to look at him. Her eyes began to narrow at him in a deathly glare. Kris glared right back, not intimidated by a human girl like her. She seemed so small and fragile to him.

“Can you move?” Kris asked again, his voice low and menacing. “You’re standing on something of mine.” He chose his words carefully, since he obviously couldn’t say she was standing on his wing and that it was causing him pain. That would most certainly cause her to call him some sort of psycho.

The girl looked down at her feet, her expression changing into one of confusion. “What are you talking about? There’s nothing there.”

Kris almost scoffed at her response but stopped himself. Was it possible that humans could not see an angel’s wings? It was certainly plausible. The girl was not faking the fact that she couldn’t see the large, pure white wing she was standing on.

“Whatever. Can you just move or go somewhere else?”

Rolling her eyes, the girl took a few steps forward and finally got off of Kris’s wing. “Are you happy now? Shouldn’t you say thank you? Or is that how you always talk to strangers?”

“I don’t see you being Ms. Respectful either,” Kris retorted as he sat up and folded his wings in behind his back. Even if the human sense of sight was not strong enough to perceive his wings, Kris didn’t want anyone else standing on them. It also occurred to him that maybe humans could not feel his wings either. The girl obviously hadn’t known she was standing on something. To her, she was only standing on the ground.

Flexing his left wing, the one the girl had been standing on, Kris examined it carefully to check the damage. There wasn’t much visible damage but Kris could definitely feel the soreness. By the time he looked up again, the girl had disappeared. He only wondered for a split second where she could have gone but then in the next moment, he forgot about her and worried about himself.

The more he thought about it, the more Kris was starting to drop the idea that he was caught in the middle of a cruel prank. It couldn’t have been an illusion. It wasn’t a dream since angels do not dream. But, the more he thought about it, the more Kris wished he was the victim of Yixing’s pranks. He didn’t want it to be a reality. He didn’t want to be sitting on the ground of the human world.

But, he was.

It was as real as ever and try as he might, Kris couldn’t deny that fact. Now, he needed to figure out how and why he was there. Since he still had his wings, he knew that he wasn’t there because he had fallen in love with a human. He wasn’t like Suho who had always been a romantic and a dreamer which led him to become a lost soul. No. Kris was much more cautious and he knew what his duty was. He would protect his wings even if he had to use his dying breath to do so.

So, how did he get there? Why was he sitting in the middle of a place that humans called a “park”?

His questions were answered when he heard a voice in his head. He knew who it was from the start and listened carefully.

I’m giving you a mission Kris. I want you to help someone in this world. I’m not telling you who this person is but when the time comes, you’ll know. Until you finish this mission, you must remain in the human world.

And those were the only instructions given to Kris. He waited and waited for something more but that was it. Kris was stuck in a world he didn’t want to be in until he could help someone. He didn’t know whether this person was male or female, young or old. He was left with only the fact that he would supposedly know who that person was at a certain time.

Feeling discouraged, frustrated, and just plain angry, Kris got to his feet only to fall back down again. His legs tingled from the sensation of trying to stand. Kris assumed that it was there was a difference between the atmosphere of the human world and Heaven.

I think it’s called ‘gravity’, Kris thought to himself. Standing up once again, Kris’s body was finally starting to get used to the feeling of the human world. He wiped some sweat off his brow and realized just how hot he was. His eyes shifted up to the source of the heat beaming down at him and he had to cover his eyes to keep from being blinded. And that is the ‘sun’.

Kris pulled up the sleeves of the black shirt he was wearing. He hadn’t noticed it before but he was wearing human clothes rather than his normal robes he wore as an angel. The fabric of the shirt was different. It was mostly soft but still scratched and chaffed his skin, making him itch a little. The pants he wore were also black and felt tight on him. Kris grimaced at the discomfort and questioned the sanity of human beings.

Who in their right mind would wear something like this? It’s tight and uncomfortable. I feel like I won’t even be able to walk, Kris thought grimly. A sour scowl adorned his Greek god-like features as he took a step forward and nearly thought his pants were going to rip.

However, he endured the unpleasantness and continued walking. He stuck his hand inside one of the pockets in his pants and pulled out a slip of paper and a key. From what Kris knew of the human world, the writing on the paper was an address. The key was how he would get inside the place if he could find it.

As he began to formulate a plan in his mind to find the address on the paper, Kris started noticing the murmurs of the people around him. Normally, he would have ignored it and gone about with his own business. But this time, he had the eerie feeling that those people were talking about him. His instincts were correct when he looked up and saw how everyone in the park was staring at him.

Maybe it was the fact that he was dressed in black from head to toe on a hot summer’s day. Or maybe it was due to his god-like features. His bronze colored hair seemed to glow under the sunlight in contrast to his dark brown eyes but that effect seemed to make him that much more attractive. His nose was perfectly sculpted and his slightly pink colored lips were drawn into a thin line while he concentrated. Those lips of his curled up into a cocky smile when he saw the female humans practically drooling over him. Even back up at Heaven there were many female angels who were infatuated with Kris.

Kris only stared at the people around him for a short moment before turning his full attention back to the slip of paper. He soon decided that it might be best to ask a human for help although he would rather not interact with them.

However, it became clear to him that he couldn’t avoid interaction with humans when one of them ran right into him. His sense of balance still off-kilter, Kris couldn’t stop himself from falling backwards with the person on top of him. Groaning from the impact, the human pushed themselves off of Kris.

That human stood up and held their hand out in front of Kris’s face. Kris gazed up at the human and discovered it was a male with slightly messy black hair. At first glance, his eyes gave off a frightening vibe but on closer inspection Kris could see the kindness in the boy’s gaze. Hesitant, Kris slowly reached out and took the boy’s hand.

“I’m really sorry about that. When I go jogging I sometimes get so wrapped up in my music that I don’t pay attention to where I’m going,” the boy said with an apologetic smile on his face. Kris noticed that when he smiled, the boy looked even friendlier.

“Don’t worry, I’m alright,” replied Kris. The boy smiled even wider this time.

“That’s good then. Goodbye.”

The boy started running again but Kris caught his wrist before he could really go anywhere. He stopped and turned around, a slightly nervous look in his eyes yet there was mostly confusion.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“Yeah, you can. I need to find this place,” Kris said, showing the boy the address on his slip of paper. The boy stared at it for a second before his eyebrows rose and disappeared under his bangs.

“Hey, that’s the apartment right next to mine.”

“Really? Could you take me there now?”

“Sure, why not?” the boy said. He took out the earphones in his ears and wrapped them around his Iphone. “I’m finished jogging anyways.”

“Thanks,” Kris responded.

“My name is Tao.”

“Kris.”

Tao stuck out his hand and Kris stared at it, completely puzzled. Is this some sort of challenge? Or maybe it’s a greeting? He thought as he continued staring at Tao’s hand.

“Umm, you’re supposed to shake my hand,” Tao explained. Bewildered, Kris took Tao’s hand and shook it. He underestimated his own strength and shook too hard, causing Tao to let out an exclamation of pain. “Ow, not that hard.”

Tao grimaced and pulled his hand back. He gave Kris a weird look and chuckled. “You’re a weird guy. Are you a foreigner or something?”

“Yes, I’m not from around here,” responded Kris. It wasn’t a lie and it was vague but he couldn’t just tell Tao outright that he’s an angel now, could he? That would be too overwhelming for the boy.

“That’s cool. Where are you from? America?”

“Yes.”

Kris had no clue where this, “America” place was or what it was like but he didn’t care at the moment. He would research it later so that if anyone asked, he would be able to sound knowledgeable of his own “home”.

“Wow, that’s awesome! I’ve always wanted to go to America,” Tao said with a twinge of admiration in his tone. Kris could see that the boy was much like a child although he looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. Tao had an air of innocence about him that Kris found endearing.

“So, how come you bought an apartment but you don’t even know where it is?”

This was a question that Kris had no answer to. How could he possible answer it when he didn’t know why that apartment belonged to him?

“I don’t know,” he replied. Those were three words that Kris hated the most. He thought that there was nothing he didn’t know about and he had a wide array of knowledge but that knowledge didn’t cover the human world at all.

Laughing lightly, Tao’s eyebrows disappeared under his bangs again. “That’s interesting. Oh well, I won’t ask about it anymore then since you look pretty frustrated.”

At that moment, Kris felt like flying into the air and then free falling into the ground. It wouldn’t kill him but it would certainly be painful. And pain would have been much better than being embarrassed like that.

“I-I just…never mind. Are we there yet?” Kris asked, hoping to change the subject.

“Yeah. We’re about five minutes away. Are you hungry though? Do you wanna stop by a convenience store and get some ramen or something?”

“No I’m fine.”

Tao cocked his head to the side and stared hard at Kris. He stared back, thinking that Tao was challenging him and his decision. Instead, a grin appeared on Tao’s face and he laughed.

“Okay. I’ll just buy some for myself then. You can wait out here if you want,” Tao said. Kris looked inside the window of the convenience store curiously, wondering what humans ate and whether their food tasted good or not since angels didn’t need to eat.

“I’ll go with you.”

Shrugging, Tao entered the store with Kris behind him. Kris remained silent as he watched Tao pick up a package and read the words ‘Instant Beef Flavored Ramen’. Looking at the illustration on the package, Kris was intrigued. Tao nodded and took the package of noodles over to the counter where he paid for them.

“Are you sure you didn’t want anything? I could pay for it if you wanted me to,” Tao prodded again. Kris was tempted to try the ramen but he didn’t want to seem indecisive so he shook his head.

After that, Tao asked Kris questions about his family and his life which Kris had no real answers to. He had nobody he could call a parent or a sibling. Although he did have angels that he was close to that were like family, like Yixing. So, Kris gave Tao answers he thought were suitable.

“I have a younger brother. His name is Yixing. I don’t have any parents though.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to bring up any painful memories,” Tao apologized quickly, thinking that Kris’s parents had passed away when in actuality Kris truly had no parents.

“It’s okay.”

Tao seemed relieved at Kris’s answers but still became wary of what he said from then on. In fact, he didn’t say much which pleased Kris. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the kid; it was just that Kris needed some quiet to think of what his next move would be once he got to the address on the paper.

The pair remained in a comfortable silence as they walked into the apartment building and into the elevator. Kris chuckled to himself as he stood in the metal contraption. Humans are clever I have to give them that. Coming up with something like this. Although I’d prefer flying any day.

At the thought of flying, Kris began to feel a slight ache in his wings. He had never had to fold them for so long since there was enough space in Heaven for all angels to unfurl their wings freely.

“Umm, Kris-ssi?” Tao gently poked Kris in the shoulder and the angel turned to look at him. “Sorry, I don’t know if I should call you hyung or not. Anyways, we’re here.”

Gesturing to a door, Tao pointed out the apartment that now belonged to Kris. “Oh, thank you.”

“No problem. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come next door and knock. I’m the apartment to your left. The one to your right belongs to my friend from college, Chanyeol. Maybe I could introduce you guys some day. He’s almost as tall as you are and that’s saying a lot.” Tao smiled brightly at Kris and he couldn’t help but smile back at the friendly boy. “Well, goodbye then.”

After Tao entered his apartment, Kris pulled the key out of his pocket. He didn’t know how nervous he was until the key slipped out of his hands that had been sweating. Wiping his hands off on his pants, Kris picked up the key again and put it into the lock. He prayed that it would work and that the key wasn’t for something else.

With a turn of the key, the lock clicked open and Kris sighed with relief. He pulled the key out and opened the door to reveal a perfectly clean room. He walked in and took off the black combat boots he had been wearing, glad to let his feet breathe.

The room was attached to a kitchen and there were two other doors leading to different rooms. There was a black leather couch that looked brand new. A sleek, glass coffee table was in front of the couch and the only thing on it was a note which Kris picked up. Before Kris looked at that, he opened the door to one of the rooms and figured out that it was a bathroom. He only knew that because Yixing had found it funny to get a toilet from the human world and replace his bed with it. Yixing had then blindfolded Kris and told him to sit down on the bed only to have his fall into the toilet. After that incident, Kris hoped to never see one of those things again.

Shutting the door to the bathroom, Kris moved on to the next room. This one contained a bed with a navy blue bedspread. On the wall there was a painting of angel wings. The white wings were on top of a black background which made them stand out even more. Kris smiled at that and walked closer to examine it.

He sat down on the bed and finally took a look at the note.

Dear Kris,

I’m not sure if this will get to you or not but I hope it does. I don’t really understand how I’m able to write this note right now. I guess you could say it was a miracle. Anyways, I know how much you opposed me and my interest in the human world and how you do your best to avoid it but the human world is a beautiful place and I think you should get to know it. I want you to enjoy it and maybe find someone who could break through that cautious, uptight side of you and bring out the fun-loving Kris I used to know so long ago. When you find that someone, I hope you can protect her no matter what. I passed away before I could really protect the girl I cared about. So, I’m giving you this chance to do what I couldn’t do. Good luck my friend. And I wish you all the happiness you deserve and more.

                                                                                                            -Suho

Kris didn’t know when or how but there were tears trickling down his cheeks. He wasn’t someone who cried much in fact he hadn’t cried in over a hundred years. Seeing how his friend was still looking out for him and wishing for his happiness even though he could never be happy himself softened Kris’s frozen heart. Maybe he could learn to accept and love the human world after all.

Maybe he could forget about his duty to protect his wings and instead think about his own happiness.