Chapter 6

an Angel’s burden 

The tables in the front of the café were packed. Chatter bounced off the walls, the smell of baked cakes, brewed coffee and hot chocolate traveled through the air making Yongsun’s mouth water and her stomach growl. She had taken off her red armband in an attempt to blend into the crowd, but customers turned their heads to stare at her. The white and blue of Yongsun’s uniform still made her recognisable.

Heeyeon found a table at the back where there were no windows and those who were seated there kept to themselves, not even bothering to look up from their food when Yongsun sat down. Heeyeon handed Yongsun a menu without looking at it herself, already knowing what she wanted. Yongsun frowned as she looked at the different cakes, trying to figure out what they were made of since they had such strange and funny names. 

A very tall waitress came to take their order. Yongsun had to crane her neck to catch a glimpse of the waitress’ face, and Yongsun thought she had a very pretty face with pink thin lips.

Heeyeon asked for a cup of coffee and a piece of cake, then she leaned over the table, whispering:

«They’ve got the best red velvet cake in Kingston, if you ask me.»

Yongsun nodded, asking for a slice of cake and a cup of coffee as well.

«Thank you, Diana.» Heeyeon said as she handed the waitress the menu.

Heeyeon leaned back into the chair, smiling at Yongsun. 

«So, tell me, how are you, Angel Yongsun?» She asked.

«I am fine thank you. How are you? How is your friend?»

«I’m quite alright, although a bit tired, but a few hours of extra sleep will easily fix that…»

Heeyeon trailed off, twirling a lock of her silver hair between her fingers. She glanced at Yongsun, noticing that she could see Yongsun’s eyes very clearly.

«You’re not wearing your glasses. You have very pretty eyes.»

It was an honest and flattering remark that brought a deep crimson blush to Yongsun’s cheeks and nose.

«Thank you.»

«Oh, speaking of my friend, she is why I wanted to talk to you in the first place. I’d hoped to catch you when you weren’t busy, what luck, the stars are with me!»

«What?»

Yongsun frowned, something twisted in her chest. She processed Heeyeon’s words through her mind several times, then she stood, causing the chair to screech against the floor.

«We met by coincidence, what do you mean; catch me when I wasn’t busy?»

The booming sound of Yongsun’s voice resonated through the back of the café.

«Have you been planning this conversation? Have you been following me?» Yongsun seethed.

Heeyeon scrambled to stand, trying to catch Yongsun’s hand. They were making a scene, some customers from the very nosy front of the café watched them, their eyes turning dark with intent.

«Angel… you must understand, there was no other way, I had to look for you, it had to be you, I couldn’t go to anyone else!»

Yongsun tried to push past Heeyeon but Heeyeon was much taller and undoubtedly much stronger than she was. In addition to that, Heeyeon was stubborn as a mule and would not let Yongsun pass.

«You’ve been following me? Keeping track of me? That is a massive invasion of my privacy! What else have you done?»

Heeyeon fidgeted and cleared several times as she rubbed her forearms. Yongsun thought this must be the first time that Heeyeon felt small, vulnerable and not in the least bit comfortable. She certainly looked it.

«Yes! And I’m sorry!» Heeyeon whispered in a quiet and desperate voice. «I’ve done nothing more than learn your morning and evening routes!»

Yongsun felt a hand on her hip, she pulled away from a customer who had come to stand behind her. She tried to pay attention to what Heeyeon was saying but the customer would not leave her alone.

Heeyeon frowned. She straightened and quickly stretched out her arm. The customer behind Yongsun grabbed at his throat, clawing and wheezing. Yongsun watched with terrified eyes as a red line started to form around the customer’s neck.

The commotion brought Diana and the owner to the back of the café. They shouted at Heeyeon to stop, to not stoop to the likes of them. Heeyeon dropped her arm, leaned her head back and mouthed an apology before she grabbed Yongsun’s hand. Rope and blinding light coiled around them, Yongsun felt it squeeze her body, she could barely breathe, but then it was gone.

They were in an alleyway. Heeyeon was hunched down beside Yongsun, hands over her head. Yongsun gasped and backed into the wall, clenching the pendant that hung around her neck.

«How did you— »

«Dark magic.» Heeyeon muttered as she stared at the ground. «I dislike having to use it.»

Yongsun was shocked to hear that Heeyeon had used dark magic to get them out of the café. Dark magic was cast without the help of a charm, spell or potion, and it was called dark magic because power-wielders (such as witches and wizards) had to reach into the depths of their souls in order to use it. And the deepest depths of a soul were shrouded in mystery, a place light could not reach nor touch.

Heeyeon stood and faced Yongsun, her eyes looked hollow, without hope. Yongsun had never seen Heeyeon like this, it made her heart twist and ache in painful ways. Yongsun wanted to run away again, perhaps Heeyeon would join her?

«My friend is in need of help…»

It took a while for Yongsun to find enough words to form a sentence. She looked at Heeyeon’s arm, the one she had stretched out, and was reminded of how Heeyeon had tried to strangle the customer behind her with magic — dark magic.

«Why should I help her? You have admitted to following me! Do you know how many people follow Angels for fun ? How many Angels end up dead because they are stalked? Too many!»

«I don’t want to sound dramatic, but my friend is dying.»

Heeyeon raised her eyebrows, looking sadly at Yongsun. However, Yongsun turned away and spoke over her shoulder:

«Then get another Angel, get another Angel to heal her.»

«I can’t.» Heeyeon took a step forwards, arms raised. «I don’t trust anyone else but you.»

«Trust?»

Yongsun turned, hung open, her gaze was unfocused. Yongsun was flabbergasted.

«Yes, Angel! Trust!» Heeyeon dragged her hands through her hair as she shouted, «I can’t tell you the entire story here, but if you help heal my friend, I’ll tell you everything! I promise!»

«I cannot.» Yongsun said as she shook her head. «I cannot, I am needed elsewhere.»

The incident at the café had left Yongsun broken and in pieces. Her hands shook from anxiety and her eyes were blurry from crying. Yongsun had been split by a conflict raging inside her. She had denied Heeyeon help — she had gone against the Angels principal rule!

Who would Yongsun be if not an Angel? Who would she be if Head Angel Solji had not taken her in? Her fate, when she still believed in the Fate of Cosmos, was to be an Angel — it was her destiny. Angel Yongsun had told herself that so many times she had begun to believe it.

But, in truth, Yongsun was a woman who liked to pretend to forget, to hide parts of herself in the darkest crevices of her soul, in hopes that her past would truly disappear, because what do you do with the past?

You leave it behind.

Yongsun was nervous and paranoid most of the time now, which unsettled Irene, Baekhyun and Head Angel Solji. They noticed how Yongsun had withdrawn from the world and into herself. Yongsun muttered prayers wherever she