"Chanyeol-ssi."

"Hyung, the pretty lady knows you!" the little boy gasped and grinned.

Chanyeol remained unmoving on his spot.

"Hyung? Hyung~" the boy called out.

"Would you like to go back for a bag of chocolates to go with those candies?" he smiled warmly at the kid who nodded excitedly in return.

Chanyeol assisted him back into the store with another ding of the chimes and asked a store attendant to watch over. When he walked back out, his eyes gazed cautiously at me.

"Haneul...I uh" he began, only to take a deep, shaky breath.

"Chanyeol-ssi...it really is you" I mumbled as I noticed the differences in his current appearance from the one I knew.

His hair was pale and light, like that of corn hair. It's the same hair color as the boy in the wheelchair. He looks more mature now as well. But underneath that all is still the Chanyeol whose smile beats the sunshine.

"Haneul, I am sorry. Truly, I am. By now you probably know how I lied to you" he started.

"I don't even know what to believe in anymore" I sighed.

"I only did as I was told. I was instructed to make you like me. To be the grinning dork that you wished for in the notebook. If I had a say in this, I wouldn't fool you. Because you are a pure-hearted girl and you don't deserve that but I...I had no choice" he explained.

"You had no choice? Everyone has a choice."

"You're right. Well then, I chose to obey the orders. Because it's for the better. For your own good."

"Since when was it good to lie to people? To play with someone's feelings?" I shot back, "And it's not just me. What about Yejin? Were you just pretending to be her boyfriend too?"

"Yejin doesn't remember anything now. No one else remembers about us. At least those who don't know about the existence of angels" he replied.

"Is that supposed to be ok? Just because she doesn't remember doesn't make what you did ok!"

"Do you think I enjoy fooling people? No. We have our reasons, Haneul. Yejin had leukemia. I had to act as her boyfriend because it will make it easier for humans to accept that we are always together. It will make Yejin less suspicious too. It will let me hold her hand every now and then so that I can easily cure her. Now she is well and healthy, so I have to go. That's what healers like me are assigned to do."

"The kid in the wheelchair. He's your new...assignment. You will heal him" I nodded.

"Yes."

"If you are a healer, then how come you've hurt me so much?" I laughed to myself.

"I told you, Haneul. I'm sorry, but following the order was for the better" he repeated.

"Why? What makes it justifiable? Why? Tell me" I asked.

"You had to fall for me so that you...don't fall for Kai" he whispered the last part.

"W-what? It was your people who made that darn notebook that brought him to me! I don't understand" I stammered.

"I don't expect you to understand. It's better if you don't know. Please trust me, Haneul. Just stay away from him" he continued to whisper.

"Everyone tells me that I shouldn't trust him. Although...you might be right" I said sadly as I recalled the missing memento of my mother.

"Yes. I see it has begun. There'll be less problems if you do as I say but...pretend this conversation didn't happen ok?" he panicked.

"What's wrong,  Chanyeol-ssi?"

"Sssh, just never tell anyone that you spoke to me" he continued, still in a panicked voice.

"Who are you so afraid of?" I asked, getting equally terrified by the way he is acting.

"Haneul-ah!" called a familiar voice from behind.

I turned around to see Minseok.

"Minseok...what are you doing here?" I asked slowly trying to stabilize my voice.

"Oh, I told you I had nothing to do for the day so I'm on my way to the cafe. Figured I'll just do my homework there" he smiled.

I turned back at Chanyeol.

"Like I said, the drugstore is just to the left of that block over there" Chanyeol motioned, "you should see it immediately when you reach the corner."

At first I was confused, but figured I should play along.

"Thank you, sir! I think I can find my way now" I bowed and turned to leave. Chanyeol immediately went into the candy store as well.

"Why were you asking a strange-looking man for directions? What if he gave you directions to an abandoned warehouse instead?" Minseok squeaked.

"Yah, why are you always so paranoid? I just really need to go to the drugstore for err..." I scrambled for an excuse. Aigoo, Chanyeol. Why did it have to be a drugstore? Couldn't you have pretended that I asked about comfort rooms? That will make things self-explanatory.

On second thought, it will seem more awkward as an excuse.

"Is it for your girl problems again?" Minseok asked.

"Yup!" I lied. Good thing I used that excuse a while ago. Consistency is key.

Although if I do have a problem right now, that will be knowing why on earth I have to stay away from Kai.

Somehow...I don't want to. And the thought pierces my heart.