The man wore an all-black suit, holding a black smartphone to his ear. His hair was dyed a dark brown and trimmed neatly across his forehead, and he had a content smile on his face. He was close enough for Junmyun to hear what he was saying, and the swarming feeling overwhelming every single muscle in his body told Junmyun that this man was the perfect solution to Soojung’s aora.

“I’m gonna make my rounds around the music department here. You’re familiar with some of the professors in this department, right? Do you have any starting points you could reference me to? We’re looking for vocal talents. Looks aren’t as concerning these days you know, if you have the voice,” the man said into his phone. His conversation ended with a few brief nods and replies, and he hung up, pocketing the phone inside his jacket.

Junmyun felt the powers seeping through every inch of his body. They traveled up his feet and almost made his wings break out. He stalked forward toward the man, confidence radiating from the angel’s powers guiding him.

“Excuse me sir,” Junmyun said to the man, a lively smile on his lips.  

Junmyun had never felt his angel’s powers brewing in him so strongly. But he was so sure, that this man was the key to healing Soojung’s aora. He explained to the man about the performance Jiyoon’s group was having, and told the man that there was a girl he should especially hear. Every word flowed out of Junmyun with flawless ease, and he felt stronger than ever, fulfilling the aora of someone he truly cared for, and with certainty.

The man seemed eager to record the date, time, and location of the event in his smartphone. He thanked Junmyun lavishly. “Say, what about you? Do you sing at all? I mean, our company doesn’t go for the looks, but young man, you’ve definitely got the charming face! Would you like to try for an audition with our company? We’re looking for mostly singers, but we produce actors too!” The man burst out, spreading his arms out contently.

Junmyun grinned back sheepishly. “Thanks for the offer, but not me,” he replied. “Truthfully, I haven’t even started life yet. I couldn’t imagine dreaming of a future… well at least, not that way.”

Junmyun only vaguely remembered the way to Soojung and Jiyoon’s practice room, so he was glad that he actually found it, without getting lost. The human world was full of hallways and doors, that Junmyun wasn’t yet ready to open.

When he slipped into the practice room, the atmosphere was rather quiet. He glanced around at students strumming their guitars or chatting idly, before his gaze landed on the familiar figure of Soojung, talking with Jiyoon in the back corner of the room. Junmyun’s heart leapt and he eagerly made his way over to the pair, but their conversation slowly turned the corners of his lips into a frown.

“Unnie, I can’t lie to my parents anymore. They’re absolutely furious… and I can’t defy them. I’m going to have to stop singing… for good,” Soojung uttered, searing regret welled in her voice.

Jiyoon’s usually determined expression had softened to one of tender sympathy. “Soojung-ah…”

Junmyun’s cry cut in harshly. “No!” The angel’s power in him made his voice ring across the entire space. “You have to perform! This performance is going to be your chance!!”

The two heads simultaneously turned to Junmyun with distinct frowns. Jiyoon was the first to react. “This is none of your business you…” she started, but Junmyun interrupted, again.

“Soojung-sshi, you have to trust me on this. You have to perform at this upcoming event. I know this is going to make things better,” Junmyun pleaded. Soojung looked at him as if she wanted to slap him, but her eyes wavered, and Junmyun took that chance. “Will you let me explain?” he asked.

Jiyoon took Soojung’s arm. “You can try to explain what kind of nonsense you’re talking about right here,” she stated firmly. But Soojung gently removed Jiyoon’s grip from her arm, giving the girl a reassuring nod. “I’ll be back unnie,” she said, and turned to Junmyun expectantly.

Junmyun finally understood what humans meant by the term deja-vu. As he and Soojung sat on a bench in a deserted part of the university, he felt the deja-vu, the two of them in almost the exact same sort of situation from last night, when he had screwed up in front of Soojung’s parents. Now, he was about to make things right, by telling Soojung everything about him.

He turned his head to her at the same time that she turned sideways at him, and their eyes met briefly, before Soojung quickly darted her gaze away. The both went on staring at the ground from there, Junmyun, opening his mouth with a deep breath.

He told Soojung, that he was an angel. He told her about the world of the angels in the heavens, what their duties were, and how he was one of the young angels, in training. He talked about him and his two friends Kyuhyun and Jonghyun, storm racing for fun on stormy days.

He explained that he had fallen to Earth after being hit by lightning. And when Soojung thought he was trying to kill himself on the hospital roof, he had really just been trying to fly back home.

Junmyun couldn’t tell if Soojung believed him or not. She made no sounds or gestures, just stared at the ground. He continued telling her about the aora he discovered when he had tried to sneak out, that night.

Soojung seemed to tense up beside him at the part about him influencing her parents’ minds. Junmyun had to stop and take another deep breath before going on to the later parts of his story. The hardest part to explain would be his trip to the heavens and his meeting with Him.

To Junmyun’s surprise, the words flowed out of him easier than he’d expected. He meant it entirely when he told Soojung, that he had been fated to meet up with Soojung this way. It was all meant to be. And his desire to become human, was fated to be, too.

Soojung seemed to want to interrupt after that part. She raised her head, but Junmyun said bashfully, “Wait, there’s more.”

He finally got to tell Soojung, that he had found the solution to her aora. That he met the man who would be responsible for letting Soojung sing again, and that his angel powers had urged him on stronger than he had ever felt before. That was why she had to perform at the upcoming event, no matter what the circumstance.

“You have to believe me Soojung-sshi. I know this performance is going to makes things better. You won’t have to give up singing, and your parents will understand. And… I’ll be here, on the ground, as a human, to… to help you all the way,” Junmyun said. He felt like he’d been talking for hours.

Soojung looked like she had turned to stone, sitting there on the bench, her eyes glued to her feet. Junmyun tried to give her as many details as possible, anything to make her believe him. “My angel friends are going to help me become human. My friends Kyuhyun and Jonghyun… and another friend from our younger training days, Sungjong… he’s some high-ranked young angel nowadays, and he knows what needs to happen for me to get a human identity here, with a birth certificate, a bank account, and everything….”

“Can I see them?” Soojung interrupted. Junmyun’s mouth froze.

“See what?”

Soojung turned toward him with blank eyes. “Your wings,” she muttered.

Junmyun got up from the bench, his legs aching from sitting too long. He stood directly in front of Soojung, not caring if other humans where around or not. Making Soojung believe him was the most important thing.

She looked up at him with an expression he couldn’t read. But the blank expression assured Junmyun, that everything he had decided up to that moment, was the right thing. He would become human and live on the same ground with this girl. He was sure of it; there was nothing else he wanted.

He let his white wings sprout out to their fullest, energy traveling through his shoulders and arms. He was going to miss the wings he had lived with all of his life. The bright white feathers caught glittering sunlight in their gentle folds, the same light bouncing off of Junmyun’s wings and shining in Soojung’s eyes. As Junmyun watched her carefully, she let open loosely, before bringing a hand up to cover it. “They’re beautiful…” she mumbled.

Junmyun slowly withdrew his wings back in. He knew they wouldn’t be there much longer. He opened his mouth to speak, but Soojung cut him off. “And you’re giving those beautiful wings up, because…”

Her voice trailed off, not really forming a question, but Junmyun felt compelled to answer her. “Because I fell in love with you,” he said.

Soojung stared at him, her expression making her seem lost in the words Junmyun had thrown at her. Junmyun felt the pulling at his heart that told him, that this was hard for her to take in. Everything that he had caused in her life since he had met her, had been hard and brutal. But if they could get through this, then Junmyun was sure that his new life would spark good things. Incredible things for both him and for Soojung, he hoped. He couldn’t guarantee if Soojung would want to deal with him for the rest of her human life. He would have to see about that. But right then, the absolute certainty of him, throwing away his old life for a new one, sent a powerful energy through him, pushing him toward Soojung.

He took her hands in his and brought her up. She still seemed as lost as ever, but whether consciously or unconsciously, she held his hands tight. And Junmyun tilted his head and let his lips touch hers, gently, wanting to calm her. Kissing was such a human act, and Junmyun didn’t know how he knew how to do it, but it felt right. He moved his lips against hers, their hands held tight in front of them, and as he kissed Soojung, he felt himself wanting to smile. Because Soojung didn’t push him away from her this time. Because she moved her lips with his and kissed him back, this time.

[A/N:]

The next story will feature our Duizhang~ Ready for this?!