(5 years ago)

Edison could finally be their friend. He shared their laughter; whenever the couple fought he had the chance to comfort and stayed beside her in a more than friend position. He thought he would have the chance if he announced his feeling, but it was like a slap in the face when the couple announced their marriage.

"Next month?" Edison asked, stunned and shocked but tried not to sound so.

"Yes, next month." Kevin smiled.

"I want it to be on January but Kris's parents would be too busy to join us. So December is the best for everyone. What do you think, Tao?"

"What else? It's good. Congrats, Sumi yah. Kevin as well."

"Just call him Kris. It sounds closer." Sumi smiled without noticing the fire in Edion's eyes. 

A few days after the news, Edison distance himself from them. He wouldn't meet up with them nor answer their calls. The little boy nature of him made him mad and resentful toward the couple even though they did nothing wrong. He felt like they betrayed him.

...when obviously we all knew who was at fault in this.

"Kris, come see me for a moment."

'What is it, Tao? Can it be tomorrow?'

"Why?"

'I'm trying on my tuxedo for the wedding next week.'

"Just a few minutes. Come out."

There was a pause. Kris was thinking for a moment before he said yes. He went out in the new tux and went to the place that Tao had told to meet. When he got there, the former was nowhere to be seen but a group of guys with bats in their hands. Kris backed away slowly and tried to run away but he was no match for them. They caught him and beat him to the ground.  A message was sent to Tao's hand phone saying the job was done. Tao smiled and at that very moment his eyes spotted Sumi coming out of her apartment, calling someone. She looked anxious that it made Tao worried.

"Mi, what's wrong?" Tao ran to her. She looked up at him and at that moment, Tao felt like his whole world came crashing down. She had tearful eyes and red nose, meaning she must had been crying before that already. "What is it?"

"Kris. He—" she stopped and answered the phone. Tao clenched his fist at the mentioned name. He didn't hate Kris, but he was somewhat jealous that Kris had something he wanted. Tao was stunned once again when Sumi kneeled down crying hardly. He gritted his teeth and helped her up, carried her back into her house. He put her to sleep and hurriedly headed to see what he had people done for him earlier. 

He arrived at the place and Kris was lying there, no moment detected and beside him laid another man. Tao frowned a bit and glanced at the gang leader.

"Dead—just how you like it." the leader smirked.

"And that man?"

"I don't know. He came along so we beat him up as well."

"What?!" Tao went to check the other guy face and suddenly lost his mind when he finally saw. Tao grabbed the leader by his collar and sent a punch to his jaw line. The minions of the leader peeled Tao away and started beating him just as hard.

Both were committed to hospital when police found them. Both still had their weak breath, but one seemed to be weaker and another.

Sumi sat at the bedside of Kris. She did not say a word. She occasionally went to the next room where her brother who tagged with Kris and got beaten up as well was staying. People tried to cheer her up by telling her not to think too much, that the guys will be alright but Sumi knew better that she's going to lose someone soon judging with the condition.

She peeked into Tao's room and found him sitting at the window looking outside. He was okay, he didn't get much bruises or some sort, luckily. She sighed and went back to Kris. That night, Sumi fell asleep later than normal and woke up with tears streaming down her cheek. She didn't know why, but as soon as she woke up she ran to see her fiancé with a straight line on the screen of his heart monitor. Ever since that day, she shut everyone out. 

~~~~

Kris stood not far away, watching his girl crying her heart out. He wanted to hug her and comfort her but his body won't hold her. His hands went through her and his voice could not be heard. Kris wants to cry with her but not even a single tear came out of him. He yelled, he shouted buy no one noticed him. In the end, he slipped himself down the hallway and sat there sobbing. There was no tear but he sounded sadder than anyone. He watched people pushing the hospital bed with his body on it. He watched his fiancé crying while assisting his body till they reached the room for storing corpses.

Someone approached him. Someone with a pair of heavenly wings and halo on his head reached out his hand for Kris to take.

"Kevin Li, I've come for you." he said. Kris looked at him with lots of questions in his mind but he accepted the hand and got up anyway.

"Am I going to heaven?" Kris asked and it made the man smiled.

"It's your choice now, son. Will it be Eden where you can no longer feel the pain and separation, or Hellish where you get to do whatever you want but in a way Eden won't approve of?"

Kris glanced back at his girl one last time before he said his obvious answer.

After the news of Kris's death, Tao felt guilty each time he looked at Sumi. It was never his intention to kill him, he just wanted the guys to scare Kris and moreover, it was never in the plan to hurt Sumi's brother but it was just the bad timing when he decided to go with Kris.

Tao begged for forgiveness from Sumi's brother at the hospital room. Whether he heard it or not, Tao hoped he would forgive him.

Tao then went to see Sumi. She was sad and lifelessly just sitting in front of the TV watching a static channel. He said a lot of things to her, he reminded her of their glorious friendship days even though most of it was from Tao's act, and he still cherished them. Sumi couldn't care less about anyone at that moment and everything Tao said went in her left ear and escaped by her right. On that day, Tao realized why he hadn't met her before Kevin had. He realized the differences between them and the compatibility between him and her. He wanted her for himself without noticing that she was completely happy with her life and the man she chose, he was just too mad to see that. He regretted only after it had already happened. He wished he could undo everything but he knew better that this was the last chance he ever going to get. Life didn't come with second chance. 

Tao went up to the top floor of the apartment building and flung himself down to the ground. On his way down, he thought of her. He wished that if there would be another life, he wanted to look after her and see her smile. And that wish was granted as soon as Tao hit the ground.

Became a guardian angel to look after her. 

A man came and took Tao away just like how he did with Kris, but the difference was that Tao had to drink something to erase all the fiendish past life activities, whereas Kris could keep his precious memories and everything.

Ever since that day, Edison was dead and Tao the guardian angel was born. Kevin Li was dead and Kris the archangel was born. Kim Sumi lives her life by visiting the hospital most of the time because the only man who was left for her stayed there in deep coma. If only she had knew... that her brother Kim Suho was dead even before Kris and the only thing that kept him breathing was the pumping oxygen machine. Suho was born as one of the Virtue angel whose job is to control the elements, create miracles and provide courage, grace, and valor and last but not least, look after Tao secretly.

He did not resent anyone.

~~~~

(Present Day)

Tao stopped crying and just stared at space. He wanted to pin the blame on the man who erase his memories and made him the guardian of her, he wanted to blame Kris for pretending like nothing ever hurt him and Suho who was acting like nothing ever happened but he knew it was no one to blame but himself. Tao put the diary back into his jacket pocket and went to the top of the building where he had done the world a big favor—killed himself. As expected, Sumi was up there all tied up and the dark angel smiled as a greeting.

"You finally break free from the block." The dark angel said. Tao did not reply but immediately kneeled down in front of the other angel.

"Sehun, whatever I had done to you in high school when we were still alive, I'm so sorry for it." 

The dark angel was stunned at the unexpected apology. He looked at Tao with wide questioning eyes.

"What are you... talking about?"

"I'm not the only one who had a block in my head, Sehun." the dark angel whose name was Sehun wanted to ask for more explanation but then the color on his wings started to fade away. It was dark and devilish on his wings before but now it turned white and pure. Sehun looked confused at what just happened. He checked his wings again and again and last but not least, the halo on his head.

"I'm...?"

"My son, welcome back." a voice was heard in Sehun's head. His tear suddenly dropped as he started to remember his origin. He started to remember what he was before and why he had become something else midway. It was all about Tao and the sins he committed. "Come back to Eden~"

"How..."

"You were bullied when we went to school. By me. You resented me for what I've done and I completely understand that." Tao sobbed. "Your anger was too powerful that it manipulated your pure soul and dragged you into the dark side. I'm so sorry, I should have noticed sooner. I should have said sorry sooner than this. You've suffered, Sehun. I'm so sorry. I have a lot of people to apologize to for my silly acts; I should have woken up sooner..." 

Sehun fell to the ground. He no longer felt the stabbing pain in his left chest every time someone ordered him to do bad things, he no longer felt the kind of remorse whenever he breathed and above all, he finally felt at ease for the first in forever. 

"Thank you, Tao." Sehun could finally smile again. "Thank you for freeing me from this cage." Sehun hugged him tight and tried to whisper, "Now do what you have to do. Kris and Suho are watching from up there too." with that, Sehun left the scene, all happy and peaceful.

Note:

-Eden: A beautiful place, in this case—Heaven.

-Virtues: 5^th rank, angels who control the elements, create miracles and provide courage, grace, and valor.