2024 Update:

I didn't mean to both neglect this story, and also pick it up again 6 years later. The person I was then is not the person I am now, but the concept still resonates with me. I read through what I wrote in chapters 1 through 3.5, and immediately felt that old creative spark re-ignite in me. I guess I just liked the concept so much, even I wanted to see how it goes. So with that, please keep in mind that while reading you'll see a side of me in two different time periods, separated by so many moments of life in between. In a way, maybe its fitting that this is how it went. After all, Jongin and Kyungsoo are also learning how valuable Time truly is.

”Someone told me once that shooting stars are really just angels throwing away their cigarettes before God could catch them smoking.”

“You really shouldn’t do that.” The shorter whispers, glancing at the cigarette in the tallers hand. “It’s against our code to give in to Earthly pleasures - thats not why we’re here.”

“And who’s stopping me?” The taller asks, taking another long drag from the cigarette before flicking the into the brown, damp grass.

The smaller stays quiet, eyes still fixed on the others fingers, feeling his own curl into a slight fist and then unclench again. He doesn’t answer — Doesn’t say what he wants to say but instead listens to his fleshy, new heart thumping inside his ears as the words circle inside his head.

The taller exhales the smoke and they both watch as it mixes with the hot air from his breath and floats up towards the sky — towards home. “It’s interesting, being human — being alive.”

At this the shoter nods, eyes trailing from the smoke to the others face, fixing there but their eyes still not meeting yet. He thinks about what the other has said, and the vows they took as Elite Angels, and what God had promised if they were to break them. Then he looks at the taller again - really looks - and relaxes. “..Maybe what God doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

It is then their eyes meet, and Jongin smirks.