The warm sun shone down on the world, reflecting through the green leaves of the trees and the translucent pink petals of flowers late to bloom. It was good weather for summer, the first day back for the students in school after their short holiday.

As time ticked away the students were going to their classrooms: whether they were late, early, or just on time. The journey to their assigned rooms came by either walking while listening to music, chattering away while walking, or just walking alone. It was a busy time for the high school students who were going to be graduating at the end of the year. The pressure to study and succeed had never been higher.

The students in one class sat as their teacher called out the student list. He was dressed in simple button up shirt and trousers.

“Go Haneul,” the teacher called one of the girls sitting in a row on the edge. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail and she was tapping her desk with her fingers. “Your friend Kim Kibum is he here yet?”

“No teacher; his bus is probably late again,” Haneul told him. The teacher let out a loud sign and then went down the list to other names.

“Sorry I’m late!”

The class started talking as the missing student appeared, his hair in a strange style, shirt half tucked in, wearing white sneakers. He was a mischievous one, like a changeling who also enjoyed fashion.

“Kibum where are your school shoes?” Their teacher pointed at his questionable footwear with his pen.

“My dog ate them,” Kibum declared with his arms out at each side, hands with palms open. The class roared into laughter with Haneul standing to give him a well earned hi-five.

“Sit down Miss Go,” Haneul sat back down as the teacher continued to give a lecture to Kibum who playfully replied with his reasons for his appearance.

“You try not having any hair wax,” was his final rebuttal making the class laugh again. “That’s why my hair is like this.”

“Ok that’s enough Kim Kibum,” but the teacher already had a smile on his face. Kibum turned in his seat to Haneul who was already congratulating him with silent applause. He took it all in, pleased with his endeavour.

***

“You guys really are idiots sometimes,” a tall girl with straight blonde hair told them as they all sat down for lunch.

“Well who else would start the day with a bang?” Kibum demanded with Haneul agreeing. “That’s right.”

“Still you look pretty silly.”

“That’s why you have us as friends,” Kibum put his arm around her and Haneul. “What would you do without us Nana?”

“Be sane?” This caused laughter from Haneul and Kibum who then started to chant ‘insane’ again and again.

“Hey, there’s Minho.” Kibum waved to their tall classmate. He was tall in build with full lips, round face that would have been depicted in a manhwa for little girls. “You want company?”

“Is there space?” Minho questioned before Kibum dragged him down to their table.

“Much better,” Kibum grinned like a Cheshire cat; Haneul hi-fived him again.

“Hello Nana, Haneul, how are you both doing?” Minho asked them courteously. They nodded as if to say they were well. Their mouths were full of food so they had to swallow.

“Good thank you,” Nana told him. “Enjoy your holidays?”

“Very much thank you,” Minho told them. “It was good.”

“Hey Taemin,” Haneul waved to the boy in one of the years below them. It wasn’t hard to locate him. He was one of the tallest in his year as well as his features that took a few years off his actual age which would be on the same level as Minho. He looked around before hurrying to join them.

“Hello Nana, Kibum, Minho, and Haneul,” Taemin told them. He was shy around Nana but they were getting friendlier. “How are you all doing?”

“We’re super,” Kibum pretended to sing opera with Haneul joining in. Nana tried to not be embarrassed, but her reddening cheeks betrayed her.

“Are you going to see Jonghyun perform?” Nana asked Haneul and Kibum while the other two ate.

“Who’s that?” Minho asked as he swallowed.

“Oh that’s right, you guys haven’t been able to come since you’ve always been busy,” Haneul realised.

“Or out of contact,” Kibum un-helpfully added before getting pinched by Haneul. “You’re so horrible to me.” This started one of their many fights.

“I’m older than you so shut up,” Haneul managed to keep his hands away from her face by holding his arms.

“Yeah, but that’s only by a week,” Kibum counteracted, struggling against Haneul’s grasp.

“Yes seven glorious days,” Haneul cheered letting her guard down. Kibum went in and pinched her ear.

“Hey! I need to hear well.”

Kibum was already out of his chair and running off. The two ran in circles as the other three watched.

“Do they ever stop fighting?” Minho asked Nana, who courteously finished her food before speaking.

“Nope, they’ve been like that since last year,” she said putting her cutlery down. “They don’t have much in common but they get along so well. It’s like they’re long lost twins.”

“Ow, that hurts,” Kibum suddenly exclaimed. Taemin, Minho and Nana just smiled to themselves. They were going to have to put up with this for the rest of the year and the start of the next one.

***

“You not dropping by later?” Kibum asked Haneul who was at her locker grabbing a few books, all with the words, ‘guitar’ and ‘music’ on them. She turned her head from side to side.

“Nope, I have to tutor.”

“Why does it have to be three times a week?” Kibum then continued to moan about how he never saw Haneul enough because she was practicing, tutoring, or sleeping.

“I only do two days a week and one of them is Sunday; their parents know I don’t have all the time in the world.”

Nana started talking to some of her other friends who were in one of the other classes. “I have to go,” she said as they continued to fight. “The fashion club is having a meeting.”

“Wait count me in,” Kibum got distracted enough to join Nana, talking happily with her and her friends. Haneul just rolled her eyes while smiling. If there was anything that would distract Kibum for long enough, it was either fashion or cooking.

In the tutoring room, she placed a hand on the guitar strings to stop the noise. The clock hand had moved twenty minutes since she had been there with the student sitting opposite her.  Her student watched her hand before moving his face to see her expression. “Nope, try that again.”

“But noona that is an ‘A’ right?”

Haneul resisted the urge to use violence on the junior school boy; for the two reasons she was about to explain. “Please don’t call me noona; the age difference is not that great. Also you’re playing ‘A’ minor which is the sad version of ‘A’ major. Move your fingers here,” she grabbed his hand and clumsily pushed his digits against the correction positions. “Now strum.” He did and his eyes widened.

“See, that’s what an ‘A’ should sound like.” Her student’s face creased in puzzlement.

“But that sounds similar to some of the other chords.”

Haneul let out some air before taking the guitar, quickly strumming through the basic major chords for him.  She literally made him breathless in awe.

“Now how did that all sound similar to you?”

“Whoa…”

“Whoa indeed, now time’s up,” Haneul gave the guitar back grabbing some paper from her bag. “Try this for next week.” The kid eyed the three page song in dismay.

“So many chord progressions,” he breathed almost looking as if he would pass out.

“Which is why you have those breaks,” Haneul pointed to the spaces where a horizontal bar sat, as short as a hyphen. “They give you a chance to figure out the next placement so you can play four bars.”

“Show me noona.” Haneul ignored the fact he called her noona again, took the guitar again, and played the piece. Strumming wasn’t her forte, but running up and down the frets with quick agile picking was. She thanked the shape of her hands.

Her student was speechless. He still didn’t talk as he put his guitar away with the sheet music. Haneul just sat on her stool proudly. Hours upon hours of practice were worth it.

“Thank you,” he finally said as she took him to his parents.

“Its fine, now make sure you practice,” she flicked him on the nose. For a dreaded second, she thought he would burst out crying. Instead, he eagerly nodded before walking hand in hand with his mum and dad.

Now that her final student for the evening was finished and gone, it was time she too went on her way. It was dark outside, due to the sun setting half an hour before. She grabbed her guitar and bag from within the room, and she was on her way home.

The path to her place was well lit and in the open. It was past a row of shops, some newly built apartments, and a playground near the primary school she and Nana had gone to when they were younger.

Though for some reason, Haneul had to resist the urge to glance behind herself from time to time as she walked. Chills ran through her body with every slow step, because of the shadows looming from the edges of the darkness formed from abstract tree branches. 

In an attempt to try and get comfort, she fumbled in her blazer pocket for her phone. She took it out only to see that there was no signal. This was an unusual circumstance. Reception had always been something she had managed to receive around here, except for some reason it was unobtainable.

The rustling of the trees made her pause; a prickling sensation ran through her body as something slowly edged towards her. It made no noise, it just slowly moved towards her. The prickling got to the and her whole body went taut. A grim horrible realisation came to her: she was not alone.

Haneul had the urge to turn around to face whatever it was that had pursued her up to this point. In the light of the lamp post her stalker had no shadow; just a slight conscious, eerie feeling like in a horror film.

As if she was moving in slow motion her body moved around to face the threat. It was a man, human in appearance, feminine face, taller than her with a peculiar head wear ordained with precious jewels with a dull glint.

She opened to speak when it opened its. A roar burst out sending her onto her knees, trembling. It was high in volume; the pitch so terrifying that blood would run cold.  It kept roaring and Haneul couldn’t hear as she covered her ears, closing her eyes as the menace bore down on her.

Suddenly the roaring was cut off. Haneul opened her eyes; the feet of the monster were gone. It had gone. She raised her head. A bright glow floated above her, grappling with the thing in mid air. The glowing being had a faint outline, that of a human, no gender indicated from the little she was able to make out.

He may as well have been as bright as the sun. A light descended beside her and she felt something touch her shoulders lightly.

“Are you ok?” A voice asked, unlike any person’s voice she’d heard. It was full of gentle sincerity.

Eventually the fight died down and the monster left still roaring into the night, blurs of dark shadows followed behind it.

Haneul was helped to her feet. Her body numb from disbelief.

“W-what was that?” The other glowing being landed in front of her; she was able to notice its face, possibly the creature was male.

“A demon,” this being spoke, his voice resounded with a stronger tone than the one next to her. “Paimon is its name.”

“What, what is this?!” Haneul released the kind being’s touch from her. “D-demons, what is this rubbish?!”

“It’s true, that’s why we’re here,” the second one continued to talk.

“Wait, then what are you two then?”

“We’re angels.”

Long chapter though we get the drift right? The poster or the title would have given it away. So the days for updates for this will be Fridays as well with Junhara fanfic. This is the second last fanfic I’ll be starting for a while until I finish some of my other ideas. Thank you all for reading.