The rain wasn't just falling hard when Jaebum nearly died, the whole place was covered in white raindrops splashing on the pavement as if they're competing on who will fall first and who will fall the hardest.

It was going to be a day like no other.

There was no one else around when Jaebum saw his life flash before his eyes, as if in slow motion of the past 21 years that he had lived. He couldn't even scream, couldn't even have time to regret anything by the time he saw the bright lights amidst the white rainfall.

Im Jaebum saw bright lights and then it was the end.

Jaebum was slightly sore when he opened his eyes. It felt heavy as well, almost blinded by the bright lights of the room.

The lights reminded him of something, it felt familiar and homely. It tasted of admittance and regrets that weren't formed. Everything didn't necessarily mean something negative and that was what confused him the most.

"You're awake? Good." A warm hand was placed on his forehead.

That was the last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness and the bright lights was back again. A reminder of something he had no idea of.

The next moment Jaebum woke up, he wasn't just slightly sore. Instead, he could feel a heavy cast on his arm and bandages all over his chest.

Now he remembers what happened.

"Awake finally, Im Jaebum?" Someone said beside him and he looked up to see the familiar face of Park Jinyoung with his trademark worried expression--something the boy reserves for people he actually does care for.

Jaebum opened his mouth to say something, anything, but all that came out of his mouth was a groan. His throat felt like it was rubbed raw, scratchy from unuse.

"Let me get you some water!" Youngjae piped from beside Jinyoung, he looked relieved as well. Jaebum had no idea the boy was even there.

Soon there's a glass of water being held to his lips as he savoured the cold that soothed his parched throat. It felt good, too good that he drank everything without lifting his head.

"Feeling better, hyung?" Youngjae eagerly asked. Jinyoung looked curiously as well, but he wouldn't voice it out.

Jaebum had no idea how to answer the question. Was he feeling better? How does one answer that anyway? His cast feels heavy, there's an ache in his muscles and he could feel the formation of a headache. Was that feeling better? Then again, he was awake now and his throat didn't feel like it's burning anymore.

So, instead, he just answered a simple, "I'll live."

Jaebum slept most of the days since he woke up. There was a weird exhaustion in his bones that demands to be dealt with. He couldn't explain the need to rest, something he doesn't usually like doing for himself.

Jinyoung dealt with his hospital bills with a compromise that Jaebum will repay him if he wanted to. Knowing his friend though, the boy would just call for questionable favors instead of actual payment.

Youngjae assured Jaebum that he would try and make sure that Jinyoung wouldn't make any harsh decisions like last time. No one wanted a repetition of last time.

Sometimes when Jaebum wakes up he thought he saw a face, a familiar face that reminds him of bright lights and warm hands. But then he falls asleep again and the image is forgotten when he wakes up the next day.

After a week of bed rest with only Jinyoung and Youngjae bringing him food to stay alive, he was finally feeling well enough to get out of bed. He made his way to his small kitchen, but he stopped midway when he saw a figure already standing there.

The boy was slim with messy blonde hair that looks like it's only tamed by a blue-green headband. He had a white shirt on and white skinny jeans.

Jaebum had no idea whether he should scream from panic or run away in fear. Instead, he ended up just standing there, watching the boy move, walk left and right with his back behind him. For some unknown reason, the boy felt familiar.

A bright light. That's what the boy reminds Jaebum of. He was bright and warm and feels like the end.

Then the boy turned around, looking confused until their eyes locked with each other. Now, the boy looked panicked and afraid.

"You... you..." the boy stuttered, his voice deep and melodious. Jaebum feels warm and safe at hearing it.

"Me." Jaebum frowned, wondering. "Me. What about you?"

The boy was still frowning, his forehead creased. "You're not supposed to see me. You haven't seen me ever. Of course I would mess up something."

Jaebum tilted his head, not really knowing what to say or if he should say anything at all. This caused the boy to groan as if the action physically pained him.

"I definitely messed something up if you're being this patient over me!" The boy sighed, "I need to consult with a friend. I know I don't look like I could be trusted, but will you please just stay inside the house until I come back?"

Jaebum raised an eyebrow at him.

"Please?" The boy pleaded.

"Sure." Jaebum finally agreed because what else is there to say during this scenario? His answer seemed to appease the boy, though.

"I'll be back." The voice held a promise, it was strong and had a conviction. "Then I'll fix this mess."

Nodding, Jaebum watched the boy disappear right in front of him. Literally disappeared without leaving any trace and for some reason, a residual shock from almost dying maybe, Jaebum didn't even bat an eyelash as he went ahead and made coffee.

After an hour of watching re-runs of The Simpsons, Jaebum felt restless being locked inside. Jinyoung called that he'd drop by later with Youngjae, but that won't be for another 3 hours or so.

Then Jaebum remembered that new chicken place that opened just on the corner of the street. Surely it wouldn't matter if he broke a promise to a boy that appeared in his kitchen and disappeared again.

"To chicken it is." Jaebum stood up to put on a coat, winter in Korea won't be for another few months but the Autumn wind is just as chilly. He grabbed his wallet, suddenly worried if he even had money left after missing a lot of work.

The street was oddly full of people walking in a hurry, nothing new in this side of the City. What was out of place was the numerous number of people wearing the same outfit as the boy earlier. They weren't even wearing a jacket or a sweater, as if they aren't affected by the cold.

Shrugging, Jaebum hurriedly walks to the chicken place. Everything smelt wonderful and he was excited to try every flavor available, but that was for another time.

The store was small and bright, the lights almost blinding him as he enters. He cringes, a headache already forming as he walks over to fall in line. It seems like headache was going to be his new best friend.

The boy, or Mark as he introduced himself, was not amused when he appeared 30 minutes after Jaebum got home. The numerous chicken bones spread on his plate was a proof, it seems.

"You can't be sure I didn't leave the house." Jaebum just said, a smile tugging on his lips as he watched Mark's conflicted emotion flash by his face.

"No, I can't." Mark agreed, "However, I felt a tug earlier that meant you almost got in trouble. Since you can't get in trouble at home--I made sure--it only meant you left."

"What did you made sure of?" Jaebum asked instead, loving how the boy sighed in front of him.

Mark looked like he wanted to turn around and run, it was obvious he didn't want to say the reason. Or he didn't know how to say it, probably. But Jaebum's eyes on him was unrelenting and he finally broke.

"You don't believe in Guardian Angels, I know. Of course I know because Im Jaebum," Mark sends him a disarming smile, "I am your Guardian Angel."

There was a pregnant pause as Mark waited for Jaebum's reaction.

"You're an Angel?" In the end, Jaebum had no idea how to react. How does one react to that, after all?

Mark nodded, looking tired. "Yours, to be exact."

Jaebum nodded slowly, taking it all in. It shouldn't make sense, not at all. He doesn't know how to understand any of it, but for some reason he does. He remembers rainfall and bright lights and warm hands on his forehead.

How does one get saved from being ran over by a rushing 120 tonne container truck with just a few scratches?

Everything clicked. "You saved me."

Mark smiled softly. "I did."

No one spoke, Jaebum just took another piece of chicken wings and munched on it. Mark just stood there, blonde hair looking beautiful under the lights of his living room.

Youngjae arrived after 3 hours of Mark just staring at the wall as Jaebum pretended like he doesn't see the boy. His favorite dongsaeng was followed by two other boys both wearing the same thing as Mark.

Jaebum wanted to close the door on them or to just go back to bed and sleep. He has no idea if he was prepared for this day.

"How are you feeling, hyung?" Youngjae asked after they shared a quick hug.

Jaebum hummed, watching the two boys that trailed after Youngjae go stand on either side of Mark. They both started whispering to him, hushed and too soft for him to hear.

"Hyung?" Jaebum realized that Youngjae was waving his hand in front of his eyes. He looked worried now and Jaebum felt sad that he wasn't as fine as he hoped he was.

"I still have a few pieces of chicken. You want some?" Jaebum tried to plaster a smile on his face as he lead Youngjae towards the couch.

"Jinyoung hyung said he was going to drop by--" The doorbell rang and Youngjae laughed, "That would be him now."

Jaebum stood up to open the door for his best friend, even though Jinyoung has the key to his house he's never really used it.

Sure enough, Jinyoung stood outside with his fingers stuffed inside the pockets of his coat. That was nothing new, Jaebum was even expecting the boy in white, but he wasn’t expecting this at all.

“You’re not going to let me in, Jaebum? Planning to let me freeze out here?” Jinyoung snapped at him, causing Jaebum to open the door wide enough for him.

Jinyoung passed by and Jaebum watched how the boy in white clung to his best friend’s back, as if stuck to him. The boy just snuggled closer to Jinyoung’s neck when he saw Jaebum staring then stuck his tongue out at him.

“Jealous, J-boy?” The boy in white teased, his voice deep and taunting as he passed by. “And FYI, I’m just keeping Jinyoung here warm.”

Frozen in shock, Jaebum didn’t realize Jinyoung and the boy had already left him standing there alone on the hallway. It was only when the chill crept to his bones that he closed the door and walked towards his living room.

Jinyoung and Youngjae were on the couch, taking over the remote and eating chicken respectively. They weren’t the ones creating ruckus, however. The noise comes from the other side of the room, the side that he had so smartly been ignoring for the past few hours.

“Yugyeom, you cutie! Bambam is mine!” Jinyoung’s boy in white clung to Bambam, clicking his tongue at who would be Yugyeom. “Piss off!”

“No! Bambam is mine! You have your Human!” Yugyeom was taller, looking quite terrifying with his height as he towered over all the other boys. He held onto Bambam’s thin arms, the boy’s dirty blonde hair swaying at the force.

“NO, BAMBAM IS JACKSON’S” Jinyoung’s boy in white yelled just before Yugyeom lunged after him, both of them letting go of their hold on Bambam as it turned into a full blown wrestling match that Jaebum can’t tell who will end up winning.

Bambam walked over to where Mark was still leaning over the wall, just watching the two boys on the floor. “Hyung, are we not going to do anything?” he asked nervously.

“It’s not like they’ll end up with any permanent damage.” Mark just told the boy, patting his head and rearranging the messy strands caused by Yugyeom and Jinyoung’s boy in white.

Jaebum was confused, he had so many questions and not enough explanations his brain could come up with. Then Mark suddenly looked up and saw him staring, their eyes locked with each other in that weird way that felt like they were connected.

Then Mark gave him a small bashful smile, as if he was nervous and afraid.

Jaebum saw the bright lights again before he lost consciousness.