18 | Truth

***

Placing the glass of water down to the coffee table, Seohyun smiled a little to her mother next to her and Mr. Im. who is kind to drive her home. "Thanks Mr. Im." She once again thanked the man, one of the reasons why she's now calm.

"Do you have anyone in mind that will do this to Yoona?" Mrs. Seo worriedly asks, gently holding her daughter's hand on her lap.

"I don't know but I feel like it's Seungri. Remember that boy outside the store, Omma? He tried to hurt Yoona." Shared Seohyun softly. She briefly smiled at her mother as she felt her comfort through her warm hand.

"Can you share with me a picture of this boy?" Mr. Im suggested.

"Yes." Seohyun let go of her mother's hand as she took her phone from her sling bag and open an SNS app. She searched Seungri's name and it appeared on the searched result. She shared the photo right away with Mr. Im.

Mr. Im is checking the photos and find a photo of a group of boys. They're in the school in the photo. "You know every guy in this photo?" So he asks about it.

"Yes." Came Seohyun's instant reply as she made gazes with her mother. "They're my schoolmate. They're close and are actually bullies to new students." She didn't hesitate to tell them.

"Did these guys tried to bully you too, Hyun?" Mrs. Seo got curious and also concerned. Her daughter doesn't share everything with her since she left her side. It's concerning to hear about bullies.

"No." Seohyun gently shakes her head. "They can't, knowing I took pictures of bad students. But Jiyong, Seungri's friend, tried to bully Yoona when she's still new, which resulted in his expulsion. But it was only temporary. He'll be back next month." She further shared.

"This Jiyong, I opened his account and he seems really a bad boy. I'll send these photos to my friend, so they can trace the location of these guys." Mr. Im informed, standing on his feet, and call his detective friend nearby.

Mrs. Seo took her daughter's hand back and smile warmly. "It's going to be alright."

"I'm confident nothing will happen to her." Seohyun softly uttered as she returns the rub on her hand to her mother that's giving her comfort and assurance.

"That's good to hear from you." Mrs. Seo softly replied, pulling her daughter for a hug. She's glad her daughter is out of danger but she's also concerned for the young angel despite knowing she can take care of those bad boys. Who knows they're being controlled by the dark angel. She hopes she's wrong.

Meanwhile, Jessica and Taeyeon are outside. Both had been tracking Yoona through the last place she was seen. They use her smell to know her location and after just a couple of hours, they were lead to an abandoned warehouse.

"Oh my God, Yoona." Jessica gasped to see the younger angel is sitting on the chair with her both hands and feet tied. 

"Aish, these humans." Taeyeon tried to do something out of anger but Jessica held her. 

"No. You know we can't do anything about this. But let's help our girl how to escape."

"How? She's all tied and... weak with all the hit she's getting now. I turned her to a human's body because of her mission so she can feel pain. Her wound will take a while to heal as well." Taeyeon sighs, feeling the pain Yoona is experiencing with every hit from the baseball bat.

"Why?"

"As the day passes, while she's getting used to being a human. Every wound she gets will take a while to heal until her last day of this mission, it will not heal easily like she's a full angel. She will be like a human in the flesh until the diety will ask her to return." Taeyeon ended it with a deep sigh, can't help and curse in her head. 

"So she will turn to a real human." Jessica concluded, wincing like Taeyeon as they can only watch the young angel.

"Temporarily. But it still depends. I don't control the power I give her. The diety still has the right to do whatever they want to do with Angel Yo's body. It's either she will still have the angel's power while being a human or she will lose it as days pass." Taeyeon additionally says, feeling so bad and sorry for the younger angel as they can't do anything.

"Poor Angel Yo." Jessica clasps her two hands.

With one last hit on her arm, Yoona dropped on the floor, panting for air, and let out blood. She wanted to use her strength so much but sensing the two angels are just nearby, watching, she knows it's not good to use it. But the pain she's experiencing is unbearable, she feels like dying at any moment if no one's going to help her. She might end up using her strength at any moment.

Jiyong took the blindfold and snickers staring down smugly at the poor doe-eyed. "This is what you get for breaking Seungri's arm." he said and punch her already bruised face. "Let's not meet again in school, Yoona." 

"As if you still can return." Yoona mumbles, coughing with blood again. Her visions would blur as seconds passes. But she regretted it when she received a kick on the stomach. 

"Really? You still have the guts to say that? I'm going back with only a few weeks left. But you, you're never going to come back with this face of yours." Jiyong said for the last time and sways the baseball bat upwards. 

Yoona closes her eyes tight ready to receive the blow but nothing came. She opened her eyes back just to see everyone is frozen. She looked to her right and there she saw Taeyeon and Jessica standing, making the time stops.

"Get up before you got the hit." said Taeyeon. She did the time freeze, can no longer take watching the violence going.

Yoona closes her eyes tight and pulled herself up. But her body refused to give her strength that she drops to the floor again. "It hurts, my entire body." she complains, painfully. "I can't use my angelic strength either." 

"Take your time, the wounds will heal on their own." Said Taeyeon as she approached the poor doe-eyed.

"But that means they will see her body, Taeyeon." Jessica argued. It's the rule that no human should see the wounds heal.

"I'll erase their memories." 

"You sure about that?"

"I'll get in trouble with this but I can't take watching Yoona die with these scumbags!" Taeyeon exclaimed and breathed out loudly. 

Yoona smiled bitterly. "Thank... you, Sunbae." As she tried to talk but end up in a whisper.

Suddenly, sirens from police cars can be heard outside. Taeyeon and Jessica turned their heads to the entrance door immediately.

"Looks like we don't need to help you." Announced Taeyeon and immediately broke the time freeze by snapping her finger once the door opens and police came inside.

Jiyong hits the floor instead of Yoona who is almost reaching the baseball bat. But before he can sway it again, the police ask them to drop their weapons as they pointed guns at him and his friends. 

A huge sigh escapes Yoona's lips as she watches the police take them. Then a familiar figure lowered himself to take the rope off of her wrists and ankles. "M-Mister Im." Her heart skips a beat staring up at him. 'A-Appa... My appa. ' The longing for having a father is real as she can't help and let out some tears.

"You're safe now." Mr. Im said in assurance, gently pulling her up but felt sorry for the bruises she got. He can't resist however to wipe the tears falling. "Someone call 911!" He instructed in a yelling way. "Omo." He got surprised when Yoona loses her consciousness which he immediately catches on time in his arms. He put her forefinger on her neck to check her pulse, he let out a sigh of relief.

:::

Yoona woke up the next morning, greeted by fruits on a table next to her hospital bed. She slowly rose to sit and realize Mrs. Seo is sleeping on the sofa nearby. Looking down to her right hand, she realized there's an IV connected but she doesn't feel pain at all. She checks her arms and the wounds are nowhere to be found. But as she touches her cheek, she winced in pain.

'So I still have bruises on my face.' She thought in her mind and sighs. 'I'm hungry.' And pouted when she heard and feel her stomach asking for food. 'Where's Seohyun though?' She wonders, stepping out of the bed. Unlike last night, her strength is back and she felt more than stronger. She can even feel her heart normally beating.

Wearing the pair of sleepers she found, she pulled the IV off and she was about to leave when she reads the stick note on the apple.

Get well soon, Yoona

- Mr. Im

"Appa, give these fruits." Softly she says as she smiled brightly, taking the apple and the sticky note. She can feel how good her father as a man. First, he sent food now fruits, she felt warm inside. 'I have a good Appa.' And she's proud of it.

Taking a bite of the apple, she smiled even wider, as it gives her comfort. The fresh and sweet juices from it are also giving her strength the more she bites it. And she finishes it in just 2 minutes.

Missing the younger girl, she walked out of the room to find her. There are patients in the hallway that would stare at her and she would bow her head a little to them.

"She seems not here." She pouted cutely and sadly. But she finds herself stepping into the lift and pressed the rooftop.

On the next elevator, Seohyun steps out the moment it opens. She's smiling cheerfully while jogging to the room, holding a plastic of corn dogs. She went out just to buy it, thinking Yoona will be so happy to have a bite once she wakes up.

"Omma, where's Yoona?" But she's surprised she's no longer on her bed. 

Mrs. Seo gets up and looks around. "Let's find her. She's probably just outside." She told her daughter and steps out of the room.

Seohyun complied. She looks for the doe-eyed on every floor and room, making sure she won't miss her until she decided to go to the rooftop, thinking the doe-eyed needs some fresh air.

"Yoongie?" She can see a figure, standing near the railings of the rooftop. But she's not sure if it's her because the person has wings like those angels she sees. But the pink sleepers give her goosebumps, recognizing them as hers. "Is that you Yoongie?" Ask her in a louder voice as she approached the person carefully.

Slowly the person turned her body around, revealing the same girl she's looking for.

"Yoona..." She can't believe her eyes. "You're..." That she can't find any words to say. She swallowed a lump on and tried to continue but the doe-eyed beats her.

"You are supposed not to know this. But I think... It's time." Says Yoona seriously as her wings flapped gently behind her.

"Omo." Seohyun gasps. "You're indeed an angel. But why... Di-did you keep this?" She demands an explanation, can't take her eyes off of her.

Stepping forward, Yoona smiled briefly and opened her lips to explain. "I am on my last mission, Seohyun-ah. And as for my last mission, I have to protect you from the dark angels. I know you know about them already so I don't have to explain."

Seohyun exhales deeply, still can't believe what's going on. She teases her one time on being an angel, now that it came out true, it's hard to believe it. She can't move an inch to where she is standing as she keeps staring at her wings and then to the doe-eyed. It's totally out of her imagination.

Taking more steps forward, Yoona gently took her hands and hold them gently. "I'm still your girlfriend. I'm still the Im Yoona you know." Softly she says as she smiles in assurance.

Seohyun nodded as her tears are hinting to fall. She let go of her right hand touched the feathers behind her. It's smooth and good against her hand. "The handkerchief, that all made sense." She whispers.

"Yes. And that handkerchief has healing powers." Yoona informed. "That's why I told you to keep it. So if I'm not around, it will help you."

"So you've been... Protecting me." Seohyun concluded and let out a chuckle. "This is totally ridiculous. You know how I hate angels back then and... Turns out you've been just keeping this from me." She sighs and hugs her. It's flattering for her, learning the truth. It feels like her father sent Yoona to protect her. She can't resist and gets emotional, shedding some tears without sobbing. "Thank you." Whispers her, pulling back to smile gratefully to the doe-eyed.

Yoona smiled briefly only as she pulled the younger girl close to her waist. "Do you want to fly?"

"Yes?"

Without waiting for her to say more, she holds her with both arms and her wings flapped slowly making them float.

"Omo, what are you doing?" Seohyun is shocked and she held the doe-eyed tightly on her neck. She closes her eyes tight as she can feel herself shaking while they're flying upwards. "Yoonaaaaaa, don't let goooo!!!" Her moving violently as they get faster.

"I won't. Just relax and open your eyes." Yoona instructed, can feel her tense against her. She stopped just as they flew past the thick clouds and the sun is so bright in front of them. "Come on, it's okay." She keeps her arms around her, not planning to let go at all. "You will miss the beauty of the sky if you keep your eyes shut." She added.

Seohyun took a deep breath and exhales slowly. She did the same for the next couple of minutes until she's relaxed and she opens her eyes, slowly, just to see herself beyond the clouds. She can't believe what's happening but the view is magnificent. The warmth from the sun felt nice unexpected. And the wind although a bit hard, she doesn't bother. "Yoona... Am I dreaming?"

"No. Not at all." Says the young angel, kissing her cheek and smile charmingly. "I'll make you face the opposite, just relax okay?"

Seohyun is puzzled but before she knows it, Yoona turned her around which made almost let go of her. She holds her shoulders in support immediately as Yoona's arms are around her waist. Now she's holding her behind. "O... Okay... Don't let go." Her heartbeats are increasing each second that passes.

"Let's fly around." Yoona softly says and with that, she automatically flys them around the city. But to be careful, she made sure they're not near the buildings nor the land. 

At first, Seohyun