Before you read this chapter, do note that violence and death is mentioned. Do not procceed if you are uncomfortable. Thank you.

“Miyawaki Sakura,” Chaeyeon called again. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

At last, Sakura started putting the puzzle pieces together. Chaeyeon was behind this. With Eunbi’s help. It was still a mystery to the guardian angel how all of this was happening. But recalling the past few days, Chaeyeon has been quite close to Eunbi.

The guardian angel opened , almost screaming yes when she held herself back in time, realising her position. Saying yes would equate to an “I love you” and that would obviously result in you-know-what.

“Jjaeyeon…”

Chaeyeon blinked rapidly. Was the older girl rejecting her? But it was obvious that Sakura had feelings towards her. Even Eunbi said so. And speaking of Eunbi, Chaeyeon had actually confessed her feelings a few days after Sakura appeared.

Eunbi helped her understand that whatever she had felt towards herself wasn’t love but gratitude, for all the times she had helped her. That was why Chaeyeon didn’t want Eunbi’s help when the bullying started. She wanted more time away from the other to move on.

Which she eventually did. To the girl who genuinely cared for her as if she was Chaeyeon’s guardian angel. And maybe it was intentional, she consulted Eunbi on confessing to Sakura. And that was what was happening currently.

“Sorry I-”

Chaeyeon ran off before the other could finish her sentence. She couldn’t bear the humiliation by remaining there. How could she be so confident about the other’s feelings for her? After all, she hasn’t been chosen to be the lead dancer even once. Chaeyeon suspects it was due to how she looked.

She wasn't concerned about that topic when Sakura came along. The other gave her unconditional love without judging. She didn’t even mind when Chaeyeon wasn’t telling her everything at times, but yet Sakura chooses to trust in her.

With tears running down her reddened cheeks, Chaeyeon escaped to her hideout; the secluded toilet.

Of course Sakura, Eunbi as well as Chaewon gave chase, but none of them was able to outrun her. They lost sight of her as soon as they got caught by the crowd. The trio decided to split up to get a better search.

Sakura ran into a cubicle and transformed into her original form. Ascending above the clouds, the angel was able to locate her mortal in mere seconds. And what she saw broke her heart. Chaeyeon was breaking down. Way more than she would ever imagine.

Before Sakura could descend back down, the door to the toilet creaked open. There she stood, the other angel; Jurina. The latter acted in a concerning manner and Chaeyeon’s face, as if comforting her. But no, in a split second, the same palm that gently caressed her tresses went down across her face with a loud sound.

Sakura immediately descended, not wanting anything more to happen to her precious mortal. Even though it was at full speed, Jurina’s hands were able to inflict damage at a faster rate.

“How pitiful.” Jurina spat as she pulled Chaeyeon up by her collar. “Why did you even fall for that freak?”

“S-Shut u...p” The dancer muttered weakly, arms dangling at her side after all the abuse from the “angel”.

“Put her down!” Sakura slammed the door open right as she finished her descent. “Leave her out of this.”

The guardian angel let out a low growl as she positioned herself, ready to pounce onto the other as if a leopard onto its prey. Right as she pushed her feet off the tiled floor, Jurina flung Chaeyeon towards the corner, intentionally landing her head against the sink counter.

Blood started trickling down the mortal’s forehead at the impact. As Sakura pounced onto Jurina, she saw how unfocused Chaeyeon’s pupils were. It was as if she would pass out anytime soon.

Fury ignited in the guardian angel as she gave a strong kick to the other, sending her flying into one of the cubicles.

“Jjaeyeon!” Sakura gasped out as she crouched down to check on the half-conscious girl. “No! Don’t fall asleep!”

“S-Saku…” Chaeyeon stared behind the angel.

Before Sakura realised what she was referring to, Jurina managed to grab her hair and lift her off the ground, making the younger angel face her forcefully. Sakura swung her arms wildly but only made her head hurt more. Despite being angels, she was able to feel the pain since she was in her human form. Trying to ease a little of the pain, she grabbed onto Jurina’s arm to lift herself up just a little.

“Disgusting freak!” Jurina knocked the wind out of Sakura as she sent her fist into her guts. “Immortals shouldn’t mix with filthy mortals.”

“We are… We are meant to protect them!” Sakura coughed. “You’ll be punished.”

The slightly older angel frowned, sending another punch into her abdomen.

“Protect?” She scoffed. “Look at her.”

Jurina stepped onto Chaeyeon’s stomach, causing her to spit blood out of her already gaping mouth.

“This is the kind of protection that you are proud of?” Jurina mocked, slightly laughing.

Catching her off guard, Sakura managed to land a blow onto her face, so strong that it almost dislocated her jaw. The motion released Sakura from her grasp and the angel fell to the ground, alongside her mortal.

“Stop this instance!”

Sakura scrambled up to witness Minju, along with Nako and Hitomi, bursting into the small space. Before she could take any action herself, Nako and Hitomi grabbed onto the other, rendering her immobile while Minju read a line from the policy of guardian angels, suggesting that Jurina has broken a few and has to be brought for trial.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Sakura watched as Minju suspended Jurina’s power’s as an immortal, causing her struggles against the grip of the other two small angels look like a baby squirming. The two of them ascended back to Heaven, leaving Minju alone with Sakura and Chaeyeon.

As soon as the threat was gone, the guardian angel directed her full attention to Chaeyeon, lightly tapping her soft cheeks to ensure that she was still conscious.

“Hah…” The corners of Chaeyeon’s lips tugged upwards weakly. “My a-angel…’

Sakura was close to bawling, staring guiltily at the current state of her mortal.

“I-”

The angel shook her head. Her words would suffice just to convey her feelings. Lightly, Sakura pressed her warm lips onto the human, whose lips were turning slightly cold and pale. Chaeyeon, even when half-conscious, was overwhelmed with emotions. Sakura was apologetic, hateful and guilty, but most of all, Chaeyeon was able to feel the intense amount of love surging through every inch of her body.

Pulling away reluctantly, Sakura rested Chaeyeon’s pale cheeks against her palm. The other was panting heavily at the lack of oxygen.

“I-I l...ove you…” Chaeyeon shakily let out.

Sakura was crying, not knowing what to do. Despite having kissed her, she knew it was not exactly illegal in the policies. That was one of the loopholes. Perhaps made intentionally, by the Almighty, Hyewon. Sakura didn’t want to end Chaeyeon’s life here, with the last memory not pleasant.

But for Chaeyeon it was. Every second of the contact between their lips felt like eternity for her. She knew that she was too weak to survive, but at least she could die by Sakura’s side.

Chaeyeon could die in peace.

“Sakura.” Minju gently tapped her shoulders. “She is not going to make it. Yo know what to do.”

Choking back her own tears, the guardian angel wrapped her warm arms around the seemingly cold body.

“Lee Jjaeyeon. I’m so sorry for being late. For everything.” Sakura let out as she felt a small smile against her cheek. “Thank you for loving me. And,”

Sakura gave her one more peck on her lips before resting her forehead against the other.

“I love you too.”

With that, Chaeyeon’s slightly opened eyelids made their way down and rested on the lower lids. Chaeyeon was gone. Not by any accident but instead, Sakura’s fault, technically. And she couldn’t stop hating herself for getting Chaeyeon involved in her mess.

She didn’t have the rights to love Chaeyeon or receive her love.

Not when she was the cause of her suffering.

“Kkura, this isn’t your fault.” Minju placed a hand on her shoulders from behind. “This has been our fault. The Almighty has admitted.”

Sakura was taken aback at those words. The Almighty has never been wrong.

“We were too careless and allowed Jurina to have her way. And honestly, Kaeun was the tipoff. She wanted to stop this before anything could happen, but we weren't fast enough.” The superior angel explained. “Both of you deserve a new start.”

Realisation dawned on Sakura. She had wronged her best friend; Kaeun was only attempting to help her. She owed Kaeun too much, in this short span of her immortal life. And now there was nothing she could do to return the favour.

If only she could accept Kaeun’s feelings for her back then and not enter Chaeyeon’s life. Perhaps they would have a happier ending. But as much as Sakura regretted her actions at that point in time, she knew that she would have done the same even if she was given the chance to relive that moment.

Sakura stood up slowly, knowing that they should leave before any mortals arrived. Minju made the scene look as if it was suicide and wiped every memory of Sakura from the face of Earth. Sakura was guilty of the pain she caused Chaeyeon’s loved ones.

If only she had never met Chaeyeon, she thought.

With a last glance, Sakura followed behind Minju as they ascended back to their homeland.

“I love you, Lee Jjaeyeon.”

•¤•

It has been 19 years since Miyawaki Sakura was born. And 10 years since she recalled her memories of her past life; as a Guardian Angel. Despite knowing the name of her soulmate, Lee Chaeyeon, Sakura couldn’t put a face to it no matter how hard she tried to.

Tired from her work as a Japanese idol, Sakura decided to fly to Korea for a break. Without even graduating from middle school, Sakura debuted as an idol, with the hopes that Chaeyeon would catch a glimpse of her on the internet and find her. But nothing went according to her plans.

With a dejected sigh, Sakura pushed the doors of a countryside cafe open. She reached for her wallet as she walked towards the counter, not looking where she was going. And she nearly tripped, being caught by one of the staff.

Looking up, Sakura felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had seen the girl before.

“Lee… Lee Chaeyeon?” Sakura muttered before she could stop herself.

The girl laughed, shaking her head.

“I’m Chaeryeong.” She spoke, before referring to the girl at the counter. “Chaeyeon’s my sister.”

And the said girl whipped her head towards the direction where her name was called.

“Ye-” Chaeyeon stopped mid-sentence.

Chaeryeong laughed amusingly at the older two who were having a staring competition, before making her way to deliver the cup of coffee on hand.

“Miyawaki Sakura.” The barista called. “My guardian angel.”