"Josephhhhhhh!" the children called, bright smiles on their faces as they ran towards L.Joe. He smiled back, and blew a small gust of wind, making the children giggle as the air blew over their faces. Chunji stood next to L.Joe, his arms crossed.

"Look at you, why don't you become a teacher or something?" Chunji asked.
L.Joe scoffed. "I may be good with kids, but I can never stay around them for long."
"They even nicknamed you Joseph, Byun Hyung." Chunji chuckled as one of the children came to him, tugging on his shirt.
"Hey you, get back with the others!" L.Joe smiled, and the child grinned back before running back to the group.

Chunji looked at L.Joe with an expression saying that L.Joe was lying through his teeth. "Become a teacher."
L.Joe laughed, still focusing his attention to the children. "If I'm a teacher, then you should be a playboy."
Chunji glared at him. "Screw you, Byun Hyung."

L.Joe ignored the insult as he told the children to spread their wings, while he created a small whirlwind to keep them in the air as he taught them how to fly. Chunji watched silently, ignoring the angel who stood next to him.
"Woohyun, what are you doing here?" Chunji asked, still looking ahead.
"No one can miss those white gold wings of yours, Chanhee." Woohyun replied with a smile.
"Jealous?" Chunji turned his head.
"Hey, I'm just as good looking as you. We have the same powers, what's there to be jealous about?"

Chunji shrugged, causing him to ruffle his wings. "I guess you're right, Woohyun. But what are you really here for?"
Woohyun chuckled. "The older ones asked us all to talk to them."
Chunji frowned. "Who?"
"The angels of the third circle."
A moment of silence passed between the two. "They're the ones in charge of punishment." Chunji whispered.

Woohyun nodded. "Half an hour." and he took off. Chunji watched his retreating figure, L.Joe still engrossed in his teaching lesson.

***

Kim Jonghyun  spun a thin, small blade in his hands, a smirk on his lips. "You did something wrong, kiddo." he said, his eyes focusing on an angel who was barely 50 years old.

Every angel stopped aging physically at 21. But this one, he looked twelve.

The angel glanced up at Jonghyun, fear in his eyes. "Please, I didnt do anything!"
Jonghyun rolled his eyes, throwing his blade at the angel. It whistled past the angel's ear as he stood frozen in shock.

A figure appeared next to Jonghyun. A taller, slimmer angel, well built and looked as if he was too pretty to be a boy. "Yah, Jjong. You're taking it too far."
Jonghyun glanced at the other. "Kibum, can't I have a little fun once in a while?"
Kim Kibum, otherwise known as Key, shook his head. "You're giving us a bad name, Jjong."

The angel looked up at them both, shaking. "Wh-what's going to happen to me?" he asked, his voice raspy.
Key waved his hand. "Nothing. Don't steal again, or you'll be put in the Box."
The angel nodded frantically before flying away in fear. Jonghyun sighed in exasperation, spreading his wings. "You're no fun, Kibum!"
Key smiled. "It's not my fault I'm true. Now come on, we need to meet with the others."
Jonghyun rolled his eyes before walking off, heading to main room of their tower, while Key followed.

The room looked as if it belonged in a movie, it's walls and ceiling outlined in pure gold. Each wall was covered in paintings of mortals, reaching out for the heavens, warriors who died protecting the gate, or simple depictions of the landscape. This floor, this room, was only one of the 20 in the Tower that housed these five angels.

The angels of the third circle. In charge of punishments, security, and held the power to make angels fall.

"What took you two so long?" Minho asked, his arms resting on the sides of the chair.
"Jjong was being an idiot," Key replied.
"Was he playing with another innocent?" Taemin asked, running a hand through his blonde hair.
Onew yawned, resting his head back on the chair. "He probably was."

The doors blew open, and 13 angels walked inside, hesitant. Minho, Taemin and Onew stood up, walking with Jonghyun and Key to meet them.

6 pairs of wings with colour, 7 adorned with the most purest white.

"You guys look like you all saw a ghost," Minho said with a smile, crossing his arms.
They all stood, silent.
"Take it easy on them, hyung." Taemin said.

A single feather fell, the air thick will nerves, and expectation.

It was Dongwoo who spoke first.

"So what are we here for?" he asked.
Jonghyun smiled. "I like this kid."
Onew cleared his throat. "Jjong, shut up." 
Key put his hands in his pockets. "As you all know, your wings no longer have colour when you reach the 6th circle. In this case, this applies to you." he gestured to the seven angels.
"But, we've been told by our superiors that—" Minho cut himself off for a moment. "the 6 of you will be promoted to 5th circle." he finished, pointing to the boys with coloured wings.

Hoya frowned. "Wait, you're saying they're above us now?"
Taemin nodded.
"That doesnt make any sense! What did they do?" Hoya stepped forward a little, frustrated.

L.Joe placed a hand on Hoya's shoulder. "We don't know what we did. We're just as confused as you."
Hoya shrugged L.Joe's hand off, glancing at him. "Yeah alright, I understand."

Changjo stood at the end of the line, quiet. His attention obviously on something else.

"Look,  you have a week left until the promotion. I'd suggest you save a few of your coloured feathers." Onew gestured to the door, nodding his regards to the 13 boys.

One by one, each of the angels left, and soon enough, only three remained.

L.Joe, Myungsoo and Changjo.

"What did you think of that?" L.Joe said quietly.

Myungsoo shrugged, his face impassive. "Congratulations, is all I have to say."
"You always sound like someone died." L.Joe replied.

Changjo smiled to  himself. "You should be used to it, hyung. We're alike."

Myungsoo nodded. "He's right." spreading his wings, he stepped off the edge, leaving two behind.