“Okay, so let me get this straight here. A suicidal man who has no family and no home is staying at your parents’ house,” Jiyoon remarked, boring her eyes into Soojung, who cowered into her shoulders, nodding slowly.

Jiyoon was the only person Soojung could ever confide anything and everything to. She was a year older than her, a senior, and a music major, like Soojung. She had helped Soojung when the worst had happened to her, allowing Soojung to pick herself up from the depths of the worst despair she had ever faced in her life, allowing Soojung to return to her music, even if she wasn’t supposed to.

“And tell me again why you can’t just… send him back to the hospital and move on with your life??” Jiyoon persisted, her low, rough voice cutting through Soojung. Jiyoon’s voice always stuck harshly in anyone. It was part of the reason why Jiyoon was such a captivating singer.

“Unnie, you know what that homeless rehabilitation center is like. No sane person should have to go there. Hell, no insane person should receive that kind of treatment either! And this guy, he’s completely sane, I promise you. He’s just… going through a rough time, you know? Everyone… has those rough times…” Soojung trailed off, lowering her eyes. After she and Junmyun had left her parents’ house, Soojung hadn’t known what to do, so she had come to find Jiyoon. She had asked Junmyun to wait outside, while Soojung got the precious chance to confide in her friend. Junmyun had promised he wouldn’t go off on his own or try anything risky. Soojung didn’t want to think about what would happen if he had lied, so she desperately hoped that he hadn’t.

“So… what’s your plan?” asked Jiyoon. Soojung had no answer. When Junmyun had asked Soojung to let him stay with her until he was free of his insecurities, Soojung couldn’t say no. She had lied to her parents, telling them that Junmyun was her boyfriend, that he was looking for a new apartment to rent, and needed a place to stay just for the time being. She couldn’t believe that her parents had believed her. She couldn’t believe her parents were allowing Junmyun to stay. But something told her, that it wasn’t Soojung that convinced them. It was Junmyun. He had a way of working through her parents’ minds.

Jiyoon let out a sigh, then tried again. “Well, where is he now?”

“Outside.”

Junmyun eyed the bustling movement of humans all around him. Everywhere he looked, humans, university students around Soojung’s age, crossed Junmyun’s field of vision. Kids late for class, trotting off in various directions. Groups of kids walking together, several of them talking to one another at a time. Couples, who held hands and walked from one building to another. Junmyun could easily see Soojung falling right in step with the scene he saw. She was a normal human with a normal life, at least, until now. It was obvious that Junmyun’s presence had thrown off the natural balance of her life. All of the angel training he’d received told him, that this was wrong. He was an angel, and therefore was supposed to restore balance in human lives, not throw them off. Then what was he doing here, waiting for Soojung, outside her university? For what reasons, was he sitting there, instead of spreading his wings and taking off toward home, right there and then?

It didn’t exactly make sense, but Junmyun did know for a fact that him flying off and leaving Soojung to wonder about him wouldn’t do her natural human life cycle any good. Even if her stumbling into him was entirely accidental, Junmyun’s encounter with Soojung’s aora the night before had changed the situation. He was now responsible, as an angel, to fix the misfortune that kept Soojung’s life from going at its full, peaceful cycle. That was a reason he had to stay. It was just too odd, that he had managed to discover the aora in the first place, because aora’s were not something an angel just stumbled into.

And the only way he could figure out a way to stay with Soojung, to help her with her aora, was to play the weird suicidal scenario Soojung was convinced he was in. Junmyun had lied to Soojung about having some random personal insecurities that made him suicidal. He had, despite his internal embarrassment, pleaded with her to help him get rid of those insecurities, by letting him stay in her house for a while. And to Junmyun’s surprise, Soojung had agreed. They had both lied to her parents about Junmyun being Soojung’s boyfriend, needing a place to stay while he looked for a new apartment or some ridiculous human lie of that sort. Junmyun couldn’t believe how easy it was to lie in the human world. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for partaking in such an evil human deed, but he had no choice.

“There he is!!” Junmyun heard the familiar voice coming from above him, and immediately, sprang up from the bench, looking up toward the heavens. Three bulky figures were descending from the clear, blue skies, their wings, gracefully guiding them straight toward Junmyun. After a few moments, Junmyun could make out human-like bodies, and then, faces. He was sure he had never been happier to see his friends.

“Junmyun-ah!! You’re alive!!” Jonghyun shouted, as soon as he was close enough to the ground to fold his striking, coal gray wings in and land on his feet.

Junmyun was forced to squint his eyes as sunlight got caught and reflected off of the brilliant, golden wings of his friend Kyuhyun, until he landed and hid his wings behind him as well. The third figure that descended, had more metallic, pearl gold wings than Kyuhyun, equally breathtaking but smaller in size and form. When the figure brought his wings in, Junmyun could open his eyes to normal size to gaze into the figure’s face. He couldn’t distinguish whether he knew the angel or not. His face seemed familiar enough, but no name came to Junmyun’s mind.

“We’ve been looking for you all night, dude!! What in heavens happened to you!?” Kyuhyun exclaimed, eyeing Junmyun from head to toe. “You look, alright enough,” he added.

“I told you not to get lost, you old man,” Jonghyun berated, scanning the surroundings. He stared a little too intently at the faces of passing students, which made Junmyun glad the humans couldn’t see him. Jonghyun would have undoubtedly caused quiet the attention.

“I’m so happy to see you guys… you won’t ever be able to guess what’s all happened to me in the last 24 hours,” Junmyun was so overwhelmed with relief, he wanted to take flight and get away from this human world, for good. His friends were here; he was no longer a stranded angel.

“Well, we don’t… but apparently, he does,” Kyuhyun remarked, pointing at the third angel, whose young, sharp facial features seemed to tickle Junmyun’s memories. He had certainly seen the angel before, he just couldn’t point out where.

“I’ve received special instructions for you, Junmyun,” the angel with the pearl gold wings said, his voice thin and boyish. He seemed quite younger than Junmyun and his friends, but his tone of voice suggested he considered himself somewhat superior. “The angel council has discovered your situation, and we recognize your special case. Due to you and your friends’… misbehaviors, you were struck by lightning to Earth during flight, a natural conflict that forced you to lose your ability to conceal yourself from the humans.”

“Whoa, you mean these people can see you?!” Jonghyun exclaimed, his lips curving in a mischievous smirk.

“Because of your misbehaviors, you have caused yourself to become part of several human life cycles, for the time being,” the pearl-gold-winged angel continued, giving Jonghyun a look of annoyance. “The angel council has ordered that you remain on Earth, in your current, visible state, until you complete the aora you witnessed last night.”

“Aora? Dude, you managed to find an aora? You’re the biggest slack when you actually have your full powers, and then you just decide you’re gonna starting working hard when you can’t even…” Kyuhyun barged in.

“Excuse me!” The younger angel held up his hand, cutting Kyuhyun off. “Please let me finish giving Junmyun his instructions, will you?!”

“Oh, my bad,” Kyuhyun replied with a chuckle.

The other angel cleared his throat loudly. “Well then. As I stated, you must remain in your current situation, being a part of the life cycle of the humans you are affecting for the time being. You are to heal the aora you have found with the limited powers you have, but if you by any chance may need assistance of any kind, then the three of us will be checking up on you from time to time, to help you. I will also be continuously reporting your progress to the angel council, who will determine when you will be allowed to return to the heavens, which will definitely be after you’ve completed the aora.”

Junmyun stared with his mouth gaping at the young angel for what seemed like a very long time. When he finally spoke, what came out was none other than, “Do I know you?”

“Dude, did something happen to your brain when you crashed too? Don’t you remember Sungjong? He was in all of our training classes, old man,” Jonghyun explained, knocking Junmyun in the head. So that was why Junmyun thought the angel was so familiar. He suddenly recalled memories of Sungjong being one of the top angels in all of his classes. No wonder he acted like he had more authority than he or his friends.

“Damn Junmyun, it that you have to live with the humans until you finish that aora,” Kyuhyun commented, frowning.

“How do you even pass for sane around here? Don’t the humans think you’re crazy? I sure do, and I’m the same kind as you,” Jonghyun added. Junmyun felt the urge to smack his friend in the head, but refrained at the last second. He turned to Sungjong.

“How do I complete this aora in the first place? To be honest, I saw the aora last night, but I don’t even really get what I’m supposed to do to help this girl…” Junmyun’s thoughts flashed back to Soojung momentarily. He wondered if she would be coming to find him soon.

“Oooh, a girl? What girl? Is she cute?” Jonghyun badgered, earning an eye-roll from Kyuhyun.

“You couldn’t interpret the aora?” Sungjong raised a critical eyebrow. “Well that’s… problematic. Our orders were to report to the council immediately once we found you, so we’ll have to go do that for now, but we’ll return and try to see… if you can do your job a little better.

Junmyun felt strangely like he’d just been insulted. He stood there, dumbstruck, as Sungjong spread his wings out and flew off without another word.

“Don’t sweat it too much Junmyunnie,” Kyuhyun said, patting Junmyun’s back. “After all, you’ve always wanted to live with the humans for a little bit, haven’t you? This is your chance. Just don’t try to ruin anyone’s life cycles while you’re here, okay?”

Jonghyun ruffled Junmyun’s hair, as if he were a pet. “Well, have fun on the ground, old man,” he smirked at Junmyun before he and Kyuhyun took to the skies, their gleaming wings again blinding Junmyun. He was too caught up in watching his friends fly away to realize someone coming up to him.

“Junmyun-sshi? What are you looking at?” Soojung’s voice made him swerve so quickly, he could have knocked her over if she didn’t step back in time.

“Will you come and meet someone?” She asked, after he’d apologized to her several times over. With the image of the three angels’ wings still embedded in his mind, Junmyun followed Soojung into a small, cramped, four story building, one of the music departments of Soojung’s university.

Junmyun couldn’t help but admit that he was more than a little intimidated by Soojung’s friend, Jiyoon. Everything about her radiated poise, self-assurance, and authority. And while he sat around at a small table in the practice room, Jiyoon was always moving from one place to another, shooting Junmyun a daunting glance every once in a while.

Soojung had left him there and gone off. She had classes and appointments to attend to, she said. Junmyun didn’t exactly have a choice, other than to wait for her, in the practice room where Soojung assured him, he would be safe.

All of the activities taking place in the room seemed to be directed by Jiyoon along with a few other humans. Jiyoon had briefly explained to Junmyun, after their introductions, that the practice room was basically the home area for a student music performers’ organization at the university. Every other hour or so, the people in the room would set up various sound equipment on a raised platform at the front of the room, and single or multiple students would go up and ‘rehearse’ their performances. Jiyoon and the others in charge gave criticisms and pointers to the performers. Students came in and out, just like Soojung had come in, dropped Junmyun off, and went.

A bit of discussion seemed to be taking place between several of the students and Jiyoon, while others were busily tuning up the microphones and stereo systems. Soon, to Junmyun’s surprise, Jiyoon took to the platform, standing right in the center, where a single microphone stood. Junmyun sat almost directly in front of her, and when she scanned the room and made sharp eye contact with Junmyun, he found himself flinching.

Rhythmic guitar music began to flow out of the speakers on the platform and around Junmyun.  When Jiyoon began to sing, Junmyun’s eyes widened, at the power of her voice. The music was only small and secondary accompaniment for a voice full of strength and dominance. Her words echoed throughout the room, and everyone, including Junmyun, watched and listened with gaped mouths. After Jiyoon finished and people clapped for her, a thought occurred to Junmyun. If Soojung was a part of this group, doesn’t that mean she sang too?

He got to find out in the next hour, when Soojung burst into the room, startling the people near the doorway. Junmyun watched her as she frantically scanned the room, and then spotted him, sitting where she had left him. “You’re here!” She exclaimed, approaching him.

“Where else would I be?” Junmyun remarked. Soojung just let out a breathless sigh, when Jiyoon came up behind her. “Ready to rehearse Soojung-ah?” She said.

Soojung looked at Jiyoon, then back at Junmyun. “Do you mind if I stay and rehearse for a little bit..?” She asked him. Junmyun gave a firm nod.

Jiyoon led Soojung off to a corner of the room, leaving Junmyun alone once again. He just caught the girl saying to Soojung, “You don’t have to ask him…”

Junmyun wasn’t sure what to expect when Soojung hesitantly got in the middle of the platform. She was accompanied by another guy, who sat in a stool toward the back, with a guitar in his hands. Junmyun was faintly aware of his brain recalling the very first memory he had after he had been struck by lightning: Soojung’s voice. He gulped, eyes trained on Soojung, who seemed to be looking at him as well, as the guy began strumming the chords of a gentle melody.

Soojung’s voice softly began and flowed through all of the spaces in the room. There was a glittering in her eyes as she let her voice and her words float into the ears of her listeners, the almost drowsy accompaniment of the guitar laying the background as her clear, hollow melody made one’s mind and thoughts sway and swoon, like being enchanted by a spell.

The lyrics of the song took a turn for the mournful, and Soojung in turn became enveloped in the mystical, sorrowful mood of her own performance. There was a light to her eyes that somehow made Junmyun think to himself, that she was truly sorrowful. There was a sadness to her voice, as clear and pure as it was, that seemed to embed itself into Junmyun’s mind. He couldn’t help but bring up the images of her in her aora, her tears.

When Soojung’s song came to an end, Junmyun felt uncomfortably lost, in a sea of mixed emotions that refused to exit his system. Her voice had done it to him. He pushed out of his chair, trying to shake the emotions out of him. “Soojung, that was beautiful,” Junmyun heard Jiyoon compliment. Soojung sighed and nodded in thanks. More people swarmed Soojung for a while, patting her shoulder, complimenting her on the performance. Soon, though, she and Jiyoon came back over to Junmyun.

“Soojung-ah, you have to perform at the next event, do you hear me? We have to have you in our lineup. You’re too good not to. So don’t you miss out…” Jiyoon trailed off for a brief moment to eye Junmyun rather critically, “No matter what the circumstance is. Depriving a crowd of a voice as beautiful as yours is seriously a crime.”