Chapter Two: Other Angels

                The routine was almost the same as always. Myung-soo would wake early in the morning to wake Angel and have him take a bath. Myung-soo would lend him his clothes and bring him back to his art room. When he goes to the kitchen where his mother cooks, he would usually get a plate full and tell her that he’d be eating in the art room since he had a project to finish. In the art room, he would eat with Angel and chat about almost anything. When it is already time to go to school, Angel would go by the window and Myung-soo would be running out to get the ladder ready.

                In a small amount of time, the two became close, and introducing Angel as a close friend became as easy as introducing a childhood friend to another childhood friend.

“Myung, wouldn’t it be unpleasant for your friend if we stay late in their house just to watch movie when you have your own house?” Angel asked. Myung-soo and him were walking towards Sung-jong’s house for the night movie party.

“Angel, kwaenjanha,” Myung-soo gave him an assuring look, “Sung-jong invited us himself. It will be okay.”

                The two reached the house, and when they pushed the door bell, an unfamiliar face opened the door.

                “Good evening, sir, is Sung-jong home?” Myung-soo politely asked. Judging by the looks of the guy, he’s in his early twenties.

“Ah, so you must be Myung-soo and Angel,” the guy said, “I’m Lee Sung-yeol, Sung-jong’s cousin. Please come in.” Sung-yeol led them to the living room. “Sung-jong’s up in his room. He’ll be down in a little while,” he said.

“We don’t mind waiting hyung,” Myung-soo said. “By the way, we brought pizza and some drinks with us.”

“Wow, thanks! Let me get some cups in the kitchen,” Sung-yeol said and left the two.

“Did Sung-jong already told you about him before?” Angel said.

“Yeah. I remember Sung-jong sharing us his story during our last year’s retreat. If my memory serves me right, he lost his parents when he was three, and his brother took care of him ever since. When his brother died of an accident, he lived with Sung-yeol and his mother, and they treated him as family.”

“Hey, you’re already here!” Sung-jong said as he ran downstairs. “You must be Angel hyung? Your name is really beautiful, by the way.”

“Thank you Sung-jong,” Angel shyly said. Sung-yeol returned with the cups and they started the movie marathon. The movie started and Angel seemed to be so engrossed in admiring the cars transforming into huge robots.

“So, how are you related to each other?” Sung-yeol suddenly asked.

“Huh? Ah, I’m Myung-soo’s guardian,” Angel said. Myung-soo looked at him and glanced to the other two. He was starting to worry about Angel’s background story. They haven’t talked about it yet.

“Ah, just like how I am to Sung-jong,” Sung-yeol said. “Ah, these young ones are just too hard to take care of. Am I right?” Sung-jong gave him a light punch because of that.

Angel looked at Myung-soo and smiled brightly. Myung-soo swore his heart skipped a beat with that. “Well, I don’t mind,” Angel said.

“You must be cousins too, I can clearly see the resemblance,” Sung-yeol said before looking back at the TV. Sung-jong looked at Myung-soo, then to Angel, and back to Myung-soo. “Now that hyung said it, I can see a resemblance.” Myung-soo thought it was weird for them to get through that incident with that reason. We look like each other? Where?

The four watched movie until midnight, since it wasn’t just a party but also a sleepover.  Sung-jong made Angel and Myung-soo sleep inside his room, while he would sleep in Sung-yeol’s room.

“What do you think of Sung-yeol?” Angel asked. Both of them were lying over Sung-jong’s bed.

“I think he is nice,” Myung-soo said, “At the age of 21, he took care of Sung-jong like a true older brother.”

“He should be,” Angel said, “he’s an angel too.”

“He is?” Myung-soo sat up and said, “How did you know?”

“I can feel it,” Angel placed his hand on his chest. Myung-soo can’t understand himself but he felt heat rise inside him. “He has divine levels higher than others, almost similar to mine.”

Myung-soo lied on the bed again. “Does Sung-yeol know that he’s an angel?” he said.

“No. He doesn’t even have the powers I have. You see there are two ways of how an angel can assume form and guide a person. The first way is to assume a form instantly, like I did. I didn’t undergo childhood, or adolescence. My power is to combat dark in an instant, but I cannot do that always. The second way is to be a part of the natural cycle. Meaning, to assume a form that starts inside the womb. It’s process is longer, and more time consuming. Angels who undergo this process do not develop powers to combat dark right away. Instead they develop the power of persuasion and clarity, but among the two ways, I say the second one is better.”

“How do you say so?” Myung-soo turned to his side to look at Angel.

“Because, they already knew how things work,” Angel turned to his side to face Myung-soo. “Unlike me, I just learned things because you taught me.”

“Aside from that, even though they don’t remember being an angel, they will strive to be an angel to others,” he said.

“Tell me about non angels,” Myung-soo said. “I’m not angel, am I?”

“There is no such thing as non angels,” Angel said. He moved closer to Myung-soo and said, “you’re an angel too. The only difference is that you’re of a lower choir.”

“And what do you mean by that?” Myung-soo said.

“More prone to falling into temptations,” Angel said, “but don’t worry. You can be an angel like me and Sung-yeol if you wanted too.”

“How?”

“By living life with one thing in mind, and that is to take care and respect all beings, great and small.” Myung-soo felt a smile forming in his own lips after that. Like him. He liked the sound of that.

The next day, all four of them woke up early to go to church. Myung-soo noticed how Sung-yeol differed to others. Sung-yeol assisted in preparing the altar and was also a lector in the church while Sung-jong was a member of the church choir.

“Do you see other angels of your choir as well?” Myung-soo whispered Angel while the mass was on going.

“Yes, of course,” Angel said, “Aside from Sung-yeol, you see that altar server over there? And the commentator standing at the podium?” Angel turned and pointed to the side, “and that lady over there, all of us were of the same choir. That altar server might end up being a priest, and that student commentator can be a nun. While the lady over there could be a Values teacher in the near future.”

“Whoa, you got that one right,” Myung-soo said, “She’s actually our religion teacher. How about the priest?”

“The priest here belongs to a choir higher than me,” Angel said, “angels of his class often end up being bishops, cardinals and popes.”

“You’re right on that part too,” Myung-soo said, “he was just appointed as cardinal last week.”

                “Angel hyung, are the beings who are after me…” Myung-soo asked.

                “If you’re not comfortable to call it by its name, call it Dark,” Angel said.

“Are the beings after me part of the Dark?”

                “Well, yes, and they will do anything to tempt you, or the people around you, so you must be strong,” Angel said.

                “But you will protect me, right?”

“Of course,” Angel held Myung-soo’s shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. “Myung-soo, nothing can hurt you as long as I’m here. I’ll be your Light.”