L.Joe's POV

Today, I'll tell him today.

Breathe, L.Joe, breathe.

Ah, Chanhee-yah-- Good morning.

Come on! Breathe already!!

"Oh. Good morning, B-"

My mouth gaped open, struggling to swallow oxygen as I felt my frame collapse onto the floor. Pushing myself over onto my side, I stubbornly tried to pick myself back up, but my muscles were consumed with fatigue. I could only lay as flashes of different scenes played in my head. The only thing I recognized in each of these moments was the human hovering over me. He was present in all of them.

Every single one.

"L.Joe! Are you okay?!" His fingers brushed over my upper arm, lightly, as if he were hesitant on whether or not to shake me out of this phase or to leave me to handle myself. "What the happened?!"

I was still in no condition to answer, still gasping for air as my fingers curled into my palms. I hardly even noticed that the strange girl had already left. Either on her own, or Chanhee pressured her elsewhere. But the scenes would not stop flashing before me.

"Oh, you're actually here today? I'm sorry. I counted you absent again." Mr.Kim apologized after finishing his timely lesson. Everyone had already evacuated the building for home.

"Don't worry about it." I told him, "Happens."

He gave me a tedious smile before turning away to fix the attendance. I slung the strap of my backpack over my shoulder and swept out the door. I didn't realize someone was behind me until a new voice called out.

Chanhee. Mr. Popular.

"He counted you absent again?" He questioned, pulling himself up beside me.

"Yeah."

"It's because you're so quiet! Talk more!"

I glanced over at him in disbelief. Who was he to tell me to talk more? 

"Why should I?"

"Because," he let out an expressive laugh before stepping in front and turning half way around to look at me, "You have a nice voice. It'd be a waste not to use it."

My eyes weakly trailed over to focus onto the human. I didn't feel like I was being completely drowned anymore, but I felt something else. Something much worse.

The first step I took into the classroom after that, I heard that familiar voice greeting me again.

Over and over again.

"Good morning." He'd say.

And I'd return the greeting. "Good morning, Chanhee-yah."

It was the first time anyone's ever really noticed me; the first time I caught someone's attention for more than 5 seconds; the first time anyone

has ever even remembered my name. He always said it. Every hello and every goodbye. He always said my name.

My fingers trembled uncontrollably as my frame sprawled out onto the floor in agony. A mixture of pain and contentment consumed my body, the parts of me that made me human. I couldn't feel my wings anymore.

But Chanhee did not stop calling out to me. "L.Joe! What the hell is wrong with you?!" He said with worry lingering in his tone.

I couldn't lift my back from the floor, and eventually gave up doing so. There was too much... feeling, as if my bones had somehow been filled with emotions I had long lost, and became too heavy for my wings to handle. I became anchored to this earth. My back curved inward as I tried to hide myself from Chanhee's eyes. I couldn't focus on one memory, only dozens of them at the same time, feeding my head in handfuls of regret or joy. I choked it down, all of it down, but only wanted to throw them back up. There was too much to being a human that I could not juggle.

I just couldn't handle heartbreak.

"Yah! L.Joe!" Chanhee yelled for the millionth time today, his eyes painted with concern.

My arms circled my knees, as I dipped my head down to see darkness. I couldn't take in anymore than I already did. My body acted as if I were bleeding to death, as if the components that built me up had become dismantled and obsolete. I've felt it before.

Gasping for bitter air, I could hear Chanhee still calling out to me. His words now drenched with worry.

"L.Joe!" He said.

With a weak breath, I urged my dry throat to utter a reply,

the only reply I could manage with scarce air,

"That's not.. my name."

He looked confused, so I repeated it a second time, slightly more audible now,

"L.Joe is not my name."