“Byunggie hyung!!!!”

Ricky could feel his veins pulsing as his heart throbbed viciously against his ribs and his hand were clamping on the bed sheet.  His eyes drowned in tears as the boy cupped his face and inhaled deep, still they were overflowing. Guilt was the first thing that crosses his mind, bitter and prickly in his guts.

When he stood up and walked to the bathroom, he filled the tub with warm water and while waiting he brushed his teeth. Staring at his reflection in the vintage bronze framed mirror. Bloodshot eyes, blue dark circles undereye and his pale chapped skin. Last night was a beautiful dream, however that dream had the living soul out of changhyun.

But he was a different person.

His vessel at least. He realized the moment he stepped into the bath tub, his skin was not anymore tingling from the pain instead it was just pulsing from the already chilly water in hi tub. Jumping out of the tub and running to the mirror, turning his back he realized that it was pale white again. The bruises were all gone. A wide bitter grin carved on changhyun’s milky face, a smile so hollow tears followed down his cheeks.

The angel decided to save him.

Chunji was like a deadly puzzle. One he feared to death because the elder had something vital in his hands. He had supremacy over ricky’s life. It was his choice, to let ricky barely floating alive or just see him drown.

And most of the time, changhyun would drown. At best that was what changhyun thought.

But he was young, so maybe he was wrong.

Still it wouldn’t matter. Time was running just as fast and the day was just passing like usual. Of course the clock spared no mercy, not even to them angels. Not even for chunji.

Time is ironic, it was speeding bolt to changhyun who he needed more but to chunji who needed it brief, time was slow. So that the angel’s wound would not heal.

So then they both would hurt. And amazingly, their pain came from one person who gave them happiness and a chance of eternity. Ljoe was missing and it left those two dying of longings and guilt. Every time the air grazes over chunji’s porcelain skin, it would burn of resentment whereas each time the raindrops fell on ricky’s eyelids, it would sting of guilt.

So just like that ricky was already in his class, silently flipping through the pages of his textbook. When his sharp senses were alarmed, he immediately pulled his chair forward. Impressed, jonghyun smirked quietly and swiftly passed through. Then black haired boy slept again, ignoring the world.

Ignoring Ricky.

However changhyun were fine. He never minded it anyway, because this time it was different. Changjo was facing him, yes asleep. But facing ricky. And of course the elder liked it, he could just shut down and stare at his built buffed friend. Just enjoying the view of the snoring bear.

Because somehow looking at changjo’s face made time slightly faster.

And he liked it. No he loved it. That time was brief, he despised the sound of slow ticking clocks. because each ticks it would hurt, guilt... would hurt.

But somehow seeing jonghyun's faint grin while sleeping made each slow class move a wee bit quicker, a bit less painful.

If only he could sleep, light and easy. Just like jonghyun maybe his shoulders wouldn't feel so heavy, maybe just slightly less burdened. But he could never do that, as the guilt was something he had to bear. For the sake of surviving, for the sake of his guardian chunji. So how could he? Wishing for happiness was something he had to let go so he could grab on chanhee and what was left of them three.

The bell rang rather loud that day. Squinting his eyes bearing the noise changhyun stood up and walked mindlessly to the canteen. Eating alone by the corner, reading his all-time favourite book silently begging for time to fly when hoya came with a bright smile on his face. Dragging someone beside him making ricky chuckle with amusement.

sungyeol was shyly smiling at ricky bowing as polite as possible. changhyun smiled right back, making the tall lean boy happier. Chit chatting cheerfully, he noticed jonghyun dragging himself nearer to his table. Interestingly, the closer the lad was, the faster his heart would run. Keeping his composure somehow took all his might as he acted as natural as he could when changjo casually took a seat in front of him. Folding those strong arms and sleeping all over again.

"yah jonghyunnah, did you practice again last nite?!"

"i thought you had a day off. the heck are you looking so dead huh"

"kids . part time . over time"

Simply with those words jonghyun slept even deeper, again ignoring the noisy world. Closing those lush rimmed eyelids and slumbering his way through break time. Once more, somehow time passed rather effortlessly and break was over, but changhyun didn't want to stop.left alone with the black haired boy, he kept looking over changjo who was sleeping like a baby and even shooed his juniors when they were noisy.

"yah can't you see, there is a bear sleeping here!"

Rolling their eyes, the junior kept getting louder and louder when changhyun just had enough and the petite elder stood up and went to the kids and gave them a scolding. Immediately running back to his seat when he felt like he managed to shut the boys up.

But his plan wasn’t as brilliant as the boys were not normal juniors. They were secretly a gang and ricky made them pissed enough for them to attack the two elders. His short petite figure indeed did not help him too, as before he only fought using his mind.

Cornered by the tall juniors all changyun could do was bawl his fist and looked straight into their ghastly glares even when the elder knew damn well he would fail. Still he still stood up, each judgments tainted thick with passion and foolish courage.

Just when he braced himself for the first flying hit, a hand stopped the speeding fist from landing on Ricky’s face just a few inches away.

A hand that looked familiar, jonghyun was still sitting down, eyes closed and breathing normally. He was asleep but his hand managed to reach out and stop the juniors hand seconds before it smashes against the elder’s nose bridge. His long strong arm halting the blow as if it was such a weak throw. Ricky who was standing inches behind jonghyun’s hand, stepped back stunned by what he saw.

Strength he thought only an angel could possess.

Finally on his feet, all the black haired lad did was opened his eyes and laid them on the youngers recognizing each and every faces. Realizing who it was, their knees trembled and bowing low they speed out of the sight of the two. Ricky was impressed, despite the reputation he had of the younger, maybe jonghyun was something more than what he expected. He would have survived, he thought to himself but surviving would have meant ‘few’ bruises he had to endure. So being saved was certainly pleasing for Yoo.

But somehow that act reminded him of someone else. Someone so perfect that each time he laid his eyes on, his heart would grow of hope. Someone who once flew and smiled so bright that his platinum blonde wings were not enough to show how glistening that person is.

 A fragment of his memory he thought had rusted.

Chanhee’s smile.