Jungki offered to take Eungi home since it was already late. At first Eungi wanted to turn down the offer because she could just fly her way to home.

“No thanks…I have wings. I can just fly my way to home. You don’t have to worry about my safety, I won’t fall. I’ve been doing it for about a thousand and nine hundred years.”

“What are you? A monster?!”

“No…An angel. A death angel!” Then I smile at him, let out my wings and fly through the dark sky.

Eungi shook her head at her craziest imagination yet. Jungki arched his eyebrows at her. Eungi flinched when she realized the latter was looking at her weirdly.

“W-what are you thinking?” Eungi stuttered a question.

“I was about to asked you the same thing.” Jungki threw back the same question at her. Then they both chuckled. “Where do you live?”

“At Blackdoves Park.” Eungi shortly answered.

“At those fancy apartments?” Jungki widened his eyes.

“Fancy? I think it’s just the same as any other houses.”

“Wait till you see my place.” Jungki mumbled.

“Huh?”

“Oh, here’s our bus. Let’s go.” Jungki pointed at the green bus approaching the bus stop.

On the bus Eungi and Jungki sat next to each other with Jungki sitting by the window. Jungki took out his headphone and plugged it on his phone. It’s out of habit that he always listened to music when he’s on the bus. Eungi just stared at him quietly. Jungki turned his head when he sensed a pair of eyes was staring at him.

“I’m sorry. It’s out of habit…I always listens to music when I’m on the bus.”

“It’s okay. I’ve noticed that.”

“You’ve noticed?” Jungki arched his eyebrows.

“Ahh…this morning, I saw you. Didn’t you notice me on the bus?” Eungi pointed at herself.

“Have we ever met before?” Jungki suddenly blurted out. “Because…when I saw you this morning, I thought you’re kind of familiar.”

Eungi just stared back at Jungki. Her mind seemed to be somewhere else. She was on a bus; the very same boy was sitting next to her. She was staring at him. Then he also stared back at her with a noticeable blush on his face. Eungi abruptly closed her eyes. The bus had stopped.

Jungki looked away and put on his headphone. Eungi stole a glance at the boy and decided her mind was just playing with her. Or maybe she had just met Jungki coincidently before this.

Jessica waited for Jungki in front of his house. She had been there last night but decided not to show herself I front of him. She just stayed invisible and guarded him like she always did for the past eighteen years.

The door clicked and Jessica straightened herself with a smile plastered on her beautiful face. Jungki was a little bit surprised to find Jessica in front of his place as his eyes widened from their usual size.

“What brought you here? I mean…y-you usually…”

“I miss you.” Jessica cut him off. She grinned sheepishly at him feeling a little bit embarrassed at her confession. Jungki stood frozen. Jessica felt like thousands of years had passed before Jungki grinned back at her.

Jungki walked towards her and ruffled her light brown hair. “Me too…you silly head!”

Jungki held out his hand. She gladly took it and held it tight like she’ll never let go of it. But deep in her heart, she knew that day would come. The day where she’ll let go of his warm hand. It felt so painful just by thinking of it and she couldn’t even shed any tears to ease her pain.

“What’s wrong?” Jungki stopped walking as he noticed a sudden uneasiness from the girl besides him.

“Huh? Aniya…aren’t we going to ride the bicycle?”

“Can’t…the tire got punctured. I haven’t had the time to replace it with a new one. Is that why you came here early?”

“Gwenchana…we can take the bus together. I’ve always wanted to ride the bus with you. I’m the first girl right?” Jessica threw the question at Jungki. She wanted to know whether Jungki still remember or had a little bit of memory that he had once taken the bus with Eungi. Luckily, Jungki shook his head.

You are lying Jungki…

Jessica took a deep breath. She wrapped her arm around Jungki’s and they continued to walk towards the bus stop.

Eungi opened her eyes and her wings were now invisible. She walked towards her school and blend in with the human around her. But her mind was off somewhere else –Jungki. The flashback of her and Jungki on the bus kept haunting her last night.

She tried to come up with any reasonable reasons she could think of –but there’s no way Jungki could be a part of her memories. She shook off Jungki out of her mind for the countless of times. She then noticed the fellow was next to her.

Eungi’s expression was frozen. Jessica then tapped her on the shoulder. Eungi flinched at her touched. She cursed at herself for acting so dumb. Jungki and Jessica were now standing in front of her…hand in hand. Eungi felt a sudden uneasiness buried deep inside of her. She felt as if a dagger was stabbed on her chest.

“Good morning, Eungi.” Jessica said as she forced a smile on herself. Later, Jungki gave her a smile too.

“M-morning…” Eungi managed to stutter out of . She tried to remain calm in front of the two. “How did you two…”

“We know each other…well of course, we are in the same class.” Jessica deadpanned. “Why?” Jessica said with her usual cold tone.

“I w-was j-just…”

“Eungi!” A familiar voice called out for the name mentioned. Eungi spun around to find Yoseob running towards her with his arms wide opened –the typical things that Yoseob would do. Before Eungi could sort things out, Yoseob gave her a wide warm hug. “Bogoshipda…” Yoseob then ruffled her slightly curly black hair.

Eungi arched an eyebrow. What he’s talking about? A few minutes ago they met each other at home and how could he possibly had missed her over a very short period of time. Eungi wriggled herself out of Yoseob’s tight embrace. Hugging in public was not on the death angel’s favorite things to do.

“Hi, there!” Yoseob greeted the two spectators as cheerful as he could be. “Eungi let’s go to class. See you two in class, then.” Yoseob waved at Jessica and Jungki as a goodbye. He dragged the reluctant Eungi with her.

Eungi yanked her arm from Yoseob grasp. Eungi eyed Yoseob coldly as he took the empty seat in front of her. Her usual gloomy aura was radiating out of her petite body. He then turned his back and flashed one of his infamous cute smile. Eungi bit her inner cheeks and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“What was that for?”

“What?”

“Don’t ask me back!”

“You are scaring me…” Yoseob pouted.

“I’m a death angel; I’m supposed to be scary…like what you said.”

It was as if an automatic ‘play’ switch was on. A blurry memories uncovered inside Eungi’s head. She saw Jessica walked out of the classroom and the two angels that always kept her accompany –Yoseob and Henry –were a little bit irritated with Jessica’s attitude. The three of them were talking about something and a hunch said that it was about Jessica but Eungi couldn’t seem to recall what it was.

“I just don’t want you to mingle too much with her.” Yoseob scoffed.

“I thought you don’t want to mingle with her.”

“I heard that Jessica is Jungki’s guardian angel.”

“Yoseob…What is the ‘attachment’ between Jessica and Jungki?” She abruptly asked.

“Haven’t we told you before about it?” Henry decided to show up. Yoseob almost strangle him but that would surely be a very unreasonable thing to do. Instead he secretly glared at Henry, hoping Eungi won’t notice him.

Fortunately, Eungi didn’t bother a thing about what was Yoseob doing as her attention was focused on Henry. She waited patiently for the latter to elaborate on the topic.

“I m-mean haven’t you find out that the two are lovers?” Henry tried to mutter his word carefully.

“Lovers? Is that even allowed? How is that even possible?” Eungi growled. The other two angels averted their eyes from Eungi.

 “Isn’t she’s his guardian angel? I certainly remember you told me that, Henry.”

“Huh?” Henry looked at Eungi dumbly.

Henry tried to avoid any further eye contact with Eungi. He couldn’t deceive Eungi anymore. Yoseob decided to speak up as he noticed Henry was fidgeting in his seat.

“I’m sure the upper hands will do something about it. It’s none of our concerns anyway…Right, Henry?” Yoseob signaled Henry for some support. The latter vigorously nodded his head.

“Well you do have a point…that’s right, let’s just finish our final test and fully become an angel.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jessica turned the next page of the book that she was reading. She put every emotion on each sentence that she read. Slowly, she rested her head on Jungki’s shoulder and the latter wrapped an arm around her shoulder –making them closer to each other.

Jungki then leaned in his cheek on Jessica’s head feeling her soft brown hair. Jessica looked up and Jungki gaze down at her. Later, his eyes were back on the book on Jessica’s hand. She studied his facial features diligently.

“What is it?” Jungki said softly as he turned another page of the book that Jessica reading.

“Can I ask you something?”

Jungki hummed his answer. Jessica closed her book abruptly and got up from her current position. She turned Jungki to face her. Gaining another reassurance from the latter she decided to speak again.

“Really? Sure?” She pointed her index finger at him. This time, Jungki nodded his head.

“W-what i-if…” Jessica felt her voice almost cracked. But she took a deep breath and exhaled her next words. “What if somehow…you find out that I’m going to die.”

“Die?” Jungki asked with a little bit of concern in his tone. “Are you sick?” He felt a sudden oddness from his girlfriend. He gently placed his palm on Jessica’s forehead. Jessica grabbed his hand and gave him an assuring smile. She shook her head.

“I’m fine, I feel completely healthy. And you’ve misunderstood…I mean what if you find out that I’m going to die on a certain day on a certain time and place. What would you do? Will you…prevent it?”

Jungki frowned. He rubbed his chin –thinking hard. “Do you really need my answer?” Jessica bit her inner cheeks and nodded her head.

“I guess by instinct, I’ll would have prevent it. I could not afford losing you…” Jungki gave a sheepish smile. “But, why did you ask?”

Jessica let out a small sigh. She wrapped her arms around Jungki’s body. Jungki then hugged her back. She could felt Jungki breathe on her neck –he was very much still alive. She felt herself shivered. Jessica was in fear that she would not be able to hug the hot warm body of Jungki. And what worse, she knew that day would eventually come.

“What if it was y-you…d-dying?” She choked. “What do you w-want me to do?” She choked again at her own words.

Jungki could felt Jessica was tensing in his hold. She was slowly becoming fragile in is embrace. It’s his first, to find Jessica unsecure –as the girl mentioned was always calm and poised. Jungki thought hard of the words that he’s going to say. He wouldn’t want Jessica sob in his embrace.

“Sometimes, you can’t avoid separation. It’s a part of our life as human.” Jessica held Jungki tighter. Her heart was in despair. At that moment, the hatred towards herself –her angelic self was beyond. Cursed her for being born as an angel with immortal life.

“When grandma died, I do wish that she didn’t. But somehow it’s the right thing for her; I can’t help myself to see her in so much pain…I’m sure she is now happy up there.”

Jungki sighed. “I do miss her sometimes.” Sadness was clear in his voice.

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to be continued...