This chapter is more of an info chapter than anything tbh.

“I can’t be here,” whispers Yongguk, moving to not touch the angel.

“Are you a demon?” questions Jongup, ignoring the previous statement. “Are you with--”

“No, but I can’t be here.” The panic in his voice rises. “You have to take me back to earth!”

Jongup’s eyebrows furrow, “Not until I get answers.”

“I’m fallen,” gasps Yongguk, avoiding the touch. “I’m not allowed--”

In an instant, Jongup has plunged the pair back to the earth, hands leaving him. “You were the one--”

Yongguk looks up at the angel, covering the burn from Jongup’s touch. “What?” He snaps.

“You fell by choice. You chose--”

“They still teach that? They still preach superiority like that?” he asks, eyes boring into Jongup’s. He rolls his eyes and sighs. “My human wanted to become a singer. She sang... she sang so purely. When she made her goal... I couldn’t leave her. I didn’t want to leave her.”

“So you fell.”

“So I made a choice to not give her up because of Raphael.”

“At what cost?” asks Jongup, softly. “You can’t return. You’ve lost all your powers. Me touching you, burns--”

“I just returned, in case you forgot. I haven’t lost all my powers because you couldn’t wipe me. As for the burning...” Yongguk tilts his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“My wings are lighter,” comments Jongup.

“You have a choice to make.”

“What happens?” Jongup asks, voice barely above a whisper. “Does it hurt?”

Yongguk sighs, staring up at the sky. “It depends. You literally fall. You break to the earth. You feel physical pain for the first time. You feel the burns, the cus, the broken bones. But...” Yongguk glances at the young angel. “You’re reborn. You’re human. You’re supposed to disobey. You’re supposed to make mistakes. You’re human.”

“Did she remember?”

Yongguk laughs, hollow and empty. “No. No, she didn’t.”

“Then what was the point?!” Snaps Jongup. “If she doesn’t remember? If she doesn’t know? How do you build that trust again?!”

“Because you do. And it works. Except this time, this time you can talk and not worry about Raphael overhearing. This time you can hold her without Gabriel reminding you of what can happen.”

“You love her that much?”

Yongguk shakes his head. “It’s different, Jongup. Your relationship with Himchan is different. But Jieun? Jieun, I friend love. She’s an amazing individual and if humans could be angels, she’d be one. I don’t want to kiss her, or have with her. I want to talk to her. I want to hug her a little longer than normal. And not have an archangel breathing down my back.”

“I don’t friend love Himchan,” remarks Jongup quietly.

“I know. I don’t think he friend loves you either.”

JongupJongupJongupJongupJongupJongupJongupJongupJongupJongupJongupJongup. The name drops from his lips frantically and without breaths in between. Himchan blinks looking around the coffee shop before his eyes land on Yongguk sipping his coffee.

“What did you say?”

“Mmm?” Asks Yongguk, placing his cup down.

“You said Jongup.”

“I said you gotta join up with me. And make music. You know, like how musicians are supposed to?” Cuts in Yongguk, playing with the handle of of his cup. He hates lying. “Who’s Jongup?”

Himchan closes his eyes. Is he losing it? “No one,” he mumbles. “I don’t know.”

As the silence grows longer, Yongguk clears his throat. “Let’s head to the studio?”

Himchan shakes his head. “You’re finally out of the studio; I’m not letting you back in just yet.”

“You can’t just visit fallen angels!” Exclaims Gabriel, pacing in front of the younger.

“I didn’t even know who he was-- How come his memory wasn’t wiped?”

Gabriel in a breath. “You are not high enough for information, agent.”

Jongup growls. “He’s still an angel, isn’t he? You guys just do this so we don’t disobey. So we won’t--”

“You’re an angel, Jongup! We don’t have free will. We follow what Father has laid out for us!”

“Or maybe that’s what He wants you to think because the only difference between me and Yongguk is wings.”

Gabriel staggers back. “You’ve overstepped your bounds.”

“You make everyone here believe that they can’t make up their own minds. You brainwash them!”

“Free will is a privilege for humanity!”

This time Jongup staggers back. “So what? We pretend? We act like we obey everything?”

Gabriel sighs. “That is our duty. We guard the humans. We can’t become humans because then--”

“There would be no more angels.”

Himchan finds himself eating less and less and rarely leaving his room. Yongguk is helping the new boy, Junhong, with his raps and never leaves the studio. Himchan grunts. The weasel had gotten Yongguk to open up more in ten minutes than Himchan had in weeks. Himchan stares into his reflection, magnifying each flaw he finds. Pores too big. Maybe his nose isn’t quite straight enough. He glances outside his window. It’s already night. Kneeling by the window, Himchan watches. As the night grows darker, more stars appear, but Himchan finds his special star.

“I wish I was loved.”

Wish logged. Date: February 6, 2008. Requester: Kim Himchan. Born: April 19, 1990. Age: 17. Agent assigned: ----

Now you know about Gukkie Cookie ^^