Chapter 3-  The fiery spark of first love

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I walked outside of the store, mumbling and talking to myself like a storm of how stupid this Watcher job is going to be. "Stupid people... Why did I have to become a Watcher when she was the one who forced herself on me?" I gripped my shoulder bag hard. "And this place is awful!"

I walked across the empty wide black road, each step makes my head hurt from those poison plants earlier. Actually, everything pains me here! The intoxicated air, the smelly road, and worse of all the plants and flowers are corrupted on the inside!

"I hate it here!" I tried to yell but it just came out as a whisper. I breathed hard in frustration. I knew it was impossible to yell mentally for nature angels so I did expect that I couldn't yell verbally either.


BEEP BEEP HOOOONK


I jumped at the loud and confusing sounds as I turned to the incoming Taxis at me. I was watching with my big eyes as they were speeding towards me. I could not move my trembling feet.


"Move lady!" An alarming voice yelled.


All of the sudden, someone was pushing my back forcefully to the other side of the black road. I held my breath as we both dodged the Taxis, the lights from the Taxis was the only sight I could see. I felt my body punched the stone wall while the stranger was leaning against me on the wall, gasping and muttering so quietly. My frightened eyes checked to my last spot. The Taxis zoomed by like they didn't care. My heart was pacing very fast, faster than I could ever imagine. I panted quickly and looked back at the stranger.

It was a woman. She was taller than me and her skin was dark like the color of warm chocolate. She was wearing a navy blue hoodie sweatshirt with black jean shorts, showing off her long legs. Her black hair was swished back into its place.


"Are you alright?" She asked me with her low voice. I couldn't tell from her tone if she was mad or if it's her real voice.

"I-I-I'm fine." I stuttered after the dangerous machines attack.

"Good." She let go of me. I was about to thank her kindly until she gripped my shoulders with an angry expression.

"What the hell was that?! Are you dumb or something? Who stands in the middle of the road and just do nothing?" The dark woman yelled at me.


I flinched back at her ferociousness as she kept yelling at me as her inner fire was burning. I only kept silent, surprised by this human that could hold so much anger inside of her.


"Hey? Are you listening to me or not!" She growled.

I averted my eyes down, avoiding her fiery eyes. "I am s-sorry about my recklessness earlier. Today is my first day and it's so confusing!"

"First day?" She repeated my words.

Are you a nature angel watcher by any chance?

My mouth was opened but no words came out. The angry woman smiled at the success of our old communication from our old home. Hmm looks like I can still communicate with you like this.

She released my shoulders. I took a step back away from her, scared. "What are you-"

I am a fire angel. Anyone can tell you are a nature angel because I saw you wobbling on the streets. "The city's scent makes your head hurt right?"

"Yes." I said quietly, too scared of upsetting this woman.

"Hey, don't be scared of me." The woman gave me a grin. "You should know that we are always hot-headed." Sorry for my yelling. I tend to be grumpy a lot.


I know that she meant "we" as in fire angels.


"Heheh sorry."

An idea hit me. "Wait a second... Could you show me around? You seem experienced at this job! I have been such an idiot around these people and I need help to find my new job!

"Hold on! Hold on! Let me get this straight!" The woman slowed down my enthusiasm. "You, a newbie, wants to have tour of this place from a hothead like me?"

"Uh huh!"

"First day huh?" The tall woman approached closer. I nodded at the fact while she seems to be thinking hard.

"Hmmm... Well, I guess I can show you around first." She sighed. "It's always hard on the first day-"

"Thank you! Thank you!" I gave the fire angel a tight hug, choking off from her words.

"Urrgk, stop it with the hug now!" The woman pushed me away from her hands. "I don't get why you nature angels are always so innocent and giddy."

I don't get it either. "What's your name? My name is Yoona!" I smiled at my new friend.

"My name is Sooyoung." She responded while I was gasping in shock.

"S-Soo-y-young? Oh my gosh! You were the youngest angel to ever become a Watcher!"

She turned into a frown. "That's it. Why would I ever want to help you now?" She started to walk towards the crowded street.

Meanwhile, I was hurrying behind her, trying to stay close to her without getting lost.


"Wait! I have to ask you more questions!"
"Go away!"
"I won't ask you about your earlier life! Just please help me with these type of stuff-"
"NO!"
"Sooyoung-ssi!

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Few minutes later, I finally caught up with Sooyoung at a store called "Pear trees". This is the place where Sooyoung works as a "waitress" she told me. While Sooyoung was away to grab my meal, I was sitting on a cushiony brown bench with a light wooden table in front of me called the "booth."

Listening to the classical strings and some jazzy piano, I looked around in the store with amazement. Unlike that gaudy pink store earlier, this one holds the color of light moss green and soft yellow. It almost feels like the forest hence the name of its title. Searching around, there were a lot of decorations of shining pear trees. I could tell some of them were real and some of them were made out of plastic but it didn't matter; at least these workers weren't selling them. I saw a lot of people eating some strange foods and drinks that made my stomach grumble in response.


I frowned. "Wow. I never been so hungry in my life and it feels terrible."

"Get used to it." Sooyoung suddenly came back with two big bowls of strange-looking worms covered in white paint.


She plopped down on the bench opposite from me and passed me the utensils. I looked at my dish with a scrunched up face while Sooyoung digs up the whole thing in , slurping those disgusting worms.

While I was twirling the fork in my hand, Sooyoung glance at me with an angry face. "Well? Didn't you say you were hungry?"

"Uh... I... I mean how these humans could eat these types of wormy dishes!" I complained. I used my fork to poke the slimy-looking worm in my bowl; it bended its head down, making me grossed out.

Suddenly, I heard a chuckle from Sooyoung, which turned out to be a killing laughter. "Hahaha! You? You thought it was bowl of worms?!" She kept laughing up a storm, attracting attention from other people while I was sitting quietly. "They don't even look like real worms!"

"What's so funny?" I whispered, trying not to gain so many scary stares from humans.

Sooyoung finally finished her laughing as she chokes on her water, trying to end her loud chortle. "It's not worms stupid, it's noodles!"

"N-n-noodles?"

Sooyoung laughed again at my awkward pronunciation. "They are made of flour and were turned like sticks, boiled in hot water to turn almost like worms in your bowl." She almost giggled at the word "worms" again while I was rolling my eyes.

"Then what's this white paint over it?"

"That's Alfredo sauce!" Sooyoung blurted out excitedly. "It has garlic and Parmesan cheese together but it's so good!"

I relaxed my body after Sooyoung's explanation of this dish but I'm still too scared to eat even one bite.

"Come on scaredy cat." Sooyoung twirled her noodles on her fork and slurped it all up. "I made this okay? And you know fire angels are amazing cooks."

"What? I know that!" I hesitantly laughed. "I was just taking a short breather." My awkward laughter came to a stop when I looked down. I gripped my fork at the sight of the noodles.


I looked back at the strange dish. Its peculiar cheesy smell overwhelms my nose while the herb basil scent around the store surrounds it. I bravely pitched in my fork inside of the bowl and brought out a good heaping of hot noodles. I gulped at the slimy moist sight of the noodles. 

Here goes nothing. I thought. Closing my eyes, I immediately brought in the foreign-looking noodles into my mouth, clamping it down as the food sits in my mouth. I was still closing my eyes as the noodles still sits on top of my tongue, not allowing myself to swallow it.


"Well?" Sooyoung asked. "Aren't you going to swallow it or not?"


Afraid that the fire angel might lash out her anger on me again, I gulped the soft noodles down in my throat. I opened my eyes, letting the noodles fall to my stomach while Sooyoung was looking at me with her smug look.


"So? How are the noodles?"


I didn't feel anything strange so I inside of my mouth, trying to taste something weird or bitter taste. Instead, I felt the warm butteriness in my throat and my stomach calling out for more.


"It's delicious!" I exclaimed and gobbled more on the noodles with its amazing sauce. This time, I ate a bit faster, trying to fill up my stomach with its cheesy goodness.

Sooyoung, who was already done, was watching me wolfing my down meal. "I could tell that you're going to be some troublesome to me." Sooyoung tsked. "Heh, now be thank you that this meal is free."

"F-Free?" I mumbled through my mouthful of creamy noodles. I gulped it all down. "What do you mean? All stores are just workers giving stuff to people."

The fire angel suddenly slapped her hands on the table and lifted one of her hands to give me a flick on my forehead. "Ouch!" I yelped at the searing bitter pinch above my eyes. "What was that for?"

"Yoona, you didn't even finish your guide did you?" Sooyoung grumbled and went back to her seat. "And this place isn't called a store, it's a restaurant!"

"What does a r-resta-aur-ant mean?" I tried to speak out the new word carefully, but that only seems to make Sooyoung even madder.

"GRRR!"

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After a long lecture (and eating a delicious meal) with Sooyoung, we walked around the streets.

Earlier, Sooyoung taught me many valuable lessons about the human world. I learned that getting a job is not only our task but it also gives us money! Money helps us to purchase our essential needs unlike in the heaven where everything was available to us. I also learned names of "special stores.” telling time, dates, and many more that could be found in my guide.

"I hope you're happy now!" Sooyoung huffed. "Now you wasted my free day with all these questions and doubts of yours!"

"I don't care about what you think of me!" I smiled. "I'm glad that I found a friend here who is like me!"

"Yeah yeah yeah. Don't get all Disney now. And I totally not like you!" Sooyoung rolled her eyes. "Did even you found a job yet?"

My overflowing happiness was stopped. "Oh that?" I sighed. "Unfortunately no. There are no flower shops that suited to my taste."

"Which ones did you visited?" The tall woman gained a little more interest in my story.

"So far, that awful Venus's Magic." I shuddered at the thought of the owner's misunderstood concept. "It may be the biggest, but to me, it's only a fake small store."

"Venus's Magic?" Sooyoung stopped walking and grabbed my shoulders, again. "Did you see a girl who was short? Brown hair? Has that sly fox smile of hers?"

Sly fox smile? "You mean J-Jes-sica?"

"Yes Jessica!" Sooyoung yelled. "Why that girl I oughta..."

"You know her?" I tried to push Sooyoung away but she still kept a tight hold on my denim jacket.

"She was one of our daily customers for my restaurant and boy is she such an ." Sooyoung cursed. "I'm glad you think Jessica is an evil psychotic maniac."

"Wait! I don't think she's that ba-"

"Finally somebody knows what that girl is actually like!" Sooyoung cut me off.

She checked her small clock on her wrist. "Crap I have to go now." She widened her eyes.

"To where?" I raised my eyebrow.

"To none of your business!" She yelled. "Quick word, I advise you to never mention about this to Jessica. Or even tell her about me! Got it?" Her tone grew more serious.

"I won't even talk to her again."

"Good! Now, I know where you can go to find your job!" Sooyoung released my shoulders to grab something out from her jeans.


I could only look at her amazing change of personality. Usually, if you really hated someone, you could talk for hours and hours about them, but Sooyoung just cut me off like that. She doesn't want me to tell Jessica about her or our earlier conversation? And why does she have to leave so quickly?

Something tells me that these two has a very odd relationship...


"Here!" She pulled out my arm and slapped a small paper with some scribbles on it on my hand. "It's my number so you can call me on your cell phone if you need any help."

"But I don't have a c-ce-ell-"

"It's in your bag, trust me." Sooyoung backed away from me. "But make sure to go back straight ahead until you find a flower shop called "Secret Garden"

"Huh?" I looked at her confused. "Wait! Why did you have to leave so quickly? Please tell me." I pleaded her.

"Ugh, if you must know..." The fire angel hung her head down in shame. "I have to go to my anger management class."

"Anger m-m-manag- what?"

Sooyoung laughed. "Oh god it's a good thing that you don't even know what it is!" Sooyoung patted on my sore shoulders. "Good luck! I think you'll like this store! The owner is quite... different from others."

"Until then, see ya nature girl!" Sooyoung waved her left arm and began to take a fast sprint away from me.


She left me in the crowded seas of people as she easily dodged many sizes of obstacles in her way. I clutched onto the little paper with Sooyoung's messy handwriting.

Secret Garden huh? What kind of a name is that for a flower shop?

Still, following the advice from the experienced watcher, I turned around and continued walking forward.

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I was searching hard until I found the flower shop that happens to be across from "Pear trees". I was standing in front of the store, staring at the complete opposite of "Venus's Magic." It looked much smaller than the other flower store. There was no floating thingys (which were called "balloons.") or loud blaring music outside. The only thing they have in common is the neatly-arranged flowers outside. I took a deep breath.

To my surprise, the flowers smelled wonderful. Better than I thought it would be! Although the flowers were not bright or very luxurious-looking, their fragrance made up their beauty. Apart from that, this was only a simple, humble-looking store with a hanging wooden sign outside that reads "Secret Garden."

"Here I go." I said to myself and walked to the old-fashioned door knob, pushing the wooden door open.

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"Hello?" I called out while the silver chimes were ringing above me, singing its sweet but loud alarm.

Nobody answered; just a room full of scented flowers.

"Is anyone there?" I asked again. 

Still nothing.

Great! It's probably some owner preparing to sell me some jewels or fake riches that doesn't even understand about flowers-

"Sorry sorry!" A voice cried out.


I heard loud but rushed stomps on what sounds like a wooden staircase coming down.


Few seconds later, the owner with that voice from earlier finally arrived. "I am so sorry for being late!" She apologized. "What can I do for you?"

"No don't be sorry! It's alright. Really." I brought up my hands up. "I'm looking for a job here."

"Really?" Her voice turned much sweeter, making my heart fluttering. "Well let's introduce ourselves first okay?"

I nodded, feeling myself getting shyer and shyer every second. "My name is Yoona."

"Nice to meet you Yoona." The beautiful girl repeated my name delicately and smiled. "My name is Yuri."

"Yuri?" Her dainty name came out from my mouth easily. Inside, I was quite surprised because her name feels not strange but comfortable.

She laughed, only for a short time but it was an enchanting sound, making me want to hear it over and over again. "Yes, Yuri."

Yuri... What a beautiful name for a charming woman.