The sun glares painfully past Sakura’s half-lidden eyes. She’s sober – too sober. Grunting, she pulls her arm over her eyes. She figures Hyewon and Yujin must have managed to lug her home, and thanks her friends in regretful silence; it’s well-known that drunk Sakura is a tough one to deal with. She groans, the back of her hand shielding the invasive brightness. The dull throbbing in her head hammers annoyingly, more so with every slight movement of her body – even blinking worsens the ache.

What’s worse is that she remembers everything that happened last night.

Minju.

Sakura had sensed the resonation of those wings – her wings, ones that should exist no more in the universe. Not only are her wings on the person whom she loves the most, but the human girl is also one who’s long deceased. She can’t even begin to comprehend what’s happening. Minju had been revived as a human, yet after her death she has returned as an angel, instead of reincarnating like other humans do.

Sakura has no idea of the repercussions of using her wings’ ultimate form, no angels do. What they do know is that returning to true forms consumes the physical wings, and there’s no doubt they’ll lose their identity as an angel, which is why under no dire circumstances will they be used carelessly. Everyone has only a pair of wings with unique abilities they’re born to know, yet nobody has the knowledge of what can happen if wings are absorbed into a mortal’s body, because no Angel has ever done such things.

That aside, what concerns Sakura most is the manner Minju had regarded her at the club. If she remembers correctly, and she’s quite certain, all angels retain memories from their past lives. So why does Minju not recognize her?

Because she was human? Sakura theorizes, pushing past the pounding in her temple.

It’s true that this isn’t any ordinary case; it’s evident that a mere human had absorbed the powers of an angel, then became one. Minju could have had her memories cleansed as a side effect. No one truly understands how Heaven’s ways works, even Sakura herself had never met God when she was still an angel.

Sakura ruffles her hair frustratingly; it bothers her so much to the point of insanity. She stares at the empty white walls of her room. There’s no one who can possibly explain this to her, is there even anyone with a single clue on Earth?

Days pass by with no better idea of how the mission should proceed. Yena and Minju are curled in the beanbags, staring blankly at the wall.

Silently, Minju had been contemplating the whole afternoon about how she should proceed with the mission with consideration to her own circumstance. If she were to capture the Devil and bring her back to Heaven, there is no doubt the Divine would let the fiend go without severe punishment. Minju has a gut feeling that once she accomplishes her mission, that would be the last time she can lay her eyes on Sakura.

What a graceful name. Minju frowns at the thought. It’s the Devil!

Yet, it doesn’t feel that strange to call the Devil by her name. Somehow, she feels quite attached to it.

Minju shakes her head and starts to rationalize. If this was her only chance to find out what exactly is wrong with her, would it be forgivable to go against her morals just this one time? She can ask Yena, or even the Divine, but she cannot explain why it didn’t seem like a good idea. She just knows, and it makes her queasy.

Minju takes a quick glance at her accomplice’s empty expression. She decides to break the stagnant pause in their task with a firm conviction.

“Yena, I was thinking… That we should just proceed with my initial idea.”

“Mm?” Yena blinks out of her white slate. “What idea?”

“To play along with the Devil’s memories,” Minju shrugs sheepishly when Yena gives a disapproving scoff. “I know I told you it was a vile move, but what else can we possibly do? In my opinion, this will be the fastest way to lower her guard.”

Yena props herself upright. She knows that if they don’t take any further action, the Divine – it’s still weird for her to refer to Eunbi as this – is going to go hard on them really soon. It’s not nice to play with someone’s feelings, but Eunbi is not a very nice being either when things don’t go her way. She weighs the pros and cons quietly, then settles for the more viable choice.

“Alright, what do you have in mind then?”

The music thrums with a different beat and flow as compared to the last time she was here. It sounds more sensual, gentle, emotional. Minju steps past the swaying crowd, looking for an open space. It’s calmer than she thought it would be, but the number of people is still enough to intrude her line of sight, and she desperately needs to find her.

-

“I’ll go to her directly,” Minju states.

“That’s crazy! What if she sees through you straight away? I don’t wanna die a horrible death!” Yena squeaks.

“Don’t worry, you won’t. I’ll head there alone.”

“You’re absolutely ting me right now.”

“I- What?” Minju narrows her eyes in confusion, then shakes it off since it’s probably yet another Earthly expression. “If I’m alone, it will be much more convincing. I need her to believe that I’m there on my own accord, and you will have to pretend you know nothing about this, is that clear?”

Yena stares back in disbelief, but the unusual assertion in Minju’s tone pushes her to trust in the brunette’s plans.

“Fine, but you’ll have to let me know anything crucial that happens along the way, okay? Please stay safe.”

-

Minju admits she’s acting out of her mind. Not long before she had criticized Yena’s way of diving headfirst into a dangerous circumstance, and now here she is, searching for the Devil in its territory. She would have much appreciated Yena’s company if it weren’t for the fact that it was crucial for her to be absent from this. She could easily convince the Devil that Yena was on her side, but it wouldn’t be feasible if she wants to find out the truth behind her lost memories. She feels bad for going behind Yena’s back. There are selfish reasons behind her actions, and it’s not that Yena would tattle on her, it’s simply better to be safe when it comes to such personal issues. It would seem that this Sakura might know something about her. The way she reacted when they first met, it was definitely not a mistake or coincidence, the Devil’s eyes told it all.

Minju pushes through the swimming crowd, keeping her eye out for a specific dark-haired individual. Her eyes dart around the area, but an unexpected beam from the strobe light glares straight into her vision, causing her to flinch and jerk from its direction.

“Ouch- What the hell!” A growl rasps.

“Oh, my apologies!” Minju gasps, she had stumbled over a stranger’s foot on accident. She quickly bows at the wiry man who’s now glaring at her displeasingly.

“Huh? Do you know how much these shoes cost? These are limited edition Jordans! How are you going to pay for this? You stained it!” The man yells loudly, at least sufficient for his friends to gather around him supportively.

“I- I’m sorry!” Minju notices a slight smear on the shoe. “This is all I have on me if you’ll accept them…” She fumbles for the wallet that Yena had given her. She doesn’t know how much there was in it, or how much the notes are worth, but if she was able to make amends for her mistake, she doesn’t mind giving them away.

“Are you kidding me?” The man