“What about… Hana?” Sehun inquired preparing himself for the worst.

“I don’t know about her. We were never really close,” Jongin shrugged.

Sehun nodded overwhelmed at what her name did. He felt drowned in longing; it was dreadful how much he loved her. He’d taken the punishment for her crime, destroyed his future and soiled his name while dragging his family along in the mud with him. What made him disgustingly melancholy was that they lived on the same planet but he didn’t know where she was…

Pacing randomly, thinking about Kim Hana was not the best of his ideas. He always felt extra depressed, on those days, like someone was having fun jumbling up his brain connections to watch bits light up in a scan. Nostalgia seeped through his bones but the daydreams weren’t enough for him to notice that some men in black were trailing him.

‘F***in’ confrontations!’ He thought as he ran.

Meanwhile Kim Jongin ruffled his hair. “Sorry dude, but some things are just meant to happen,” he remarked as a message popped onto his screen reading:

“Mission accomplished!”

-

Seryung tapped her heel while she inspected a sample under a S.E.M. microscope and jotted down results. After leaving the lab someone wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her cheek, murmuring words of affection as he nestled into the crook of her neck.

She rolled her eyes still miffed and pried herself free. “You slime ball, don’t talk to me when I’m mad at you.”

Tao regarded her with a hidden smile. “It was just a mission. Nothing happened.” His wife fumed and walked past him muttering, “Sure nothing happened, getting cozy like some sleaze with a random woman, you conniving b*****d.”

Tao sighed and ran to keep up with her. “I was doing my job,” he insisted as she turned left in order to shake him off. Whipping out her phone, she dialed a number and pressed the phone to her ear in urgency. “Hello Unni, have you met Oppa yet?” She asked, quickening her pace. “I wasn’t able to go down because I was busy. Did you see him?”

“No, I didn’t.” Came a defeated reply. “I haven’t been able to get out of work.”

Seryung nodded and quickly jogged down a flight of stairs. “I’m heading out now but I’m not sure if I’ll find him,” she stressed to the girl on the line.

“If you find him let me know.”

Seryung nodded and the call ended wistfully. She cursed under her breath at Tao for being good at undercover, at her supervisors who held her up in the lab, and at Hana’s supervisors for keeping her busy too. She wondered what Sehun would think about them being absent for his release.

Waving her arm she tried to flag down a taxi. As if it would work. It only added to her self-torment; for the first time in seven long years, she had a chance to see her brother and she’d missed it. It made her heart ache.

As if life itself were mocking her, a red Lamborghini parked in front of her and the windows rolled down to reveal Tao. “Get in.”

She cringed and unwillingly obeyed because time was short. “I’m only doing this because of Oppa,” she let him know as she fastened her seat belt.

“Even if I do odd jobs, you know I love you, right?”

“Shut up and drive.”

-

Sehun groaned groggily when he finally woke up. The sickening feeling of sedation still lingered in his system. It gave him very little chance to survey the four walls he was encapsulated in. Some guys were muttering in hushed tones and suddenly Sehun hated them with a passion. He possessed a general mistrust of strangers. They were nothing but rats in his eyes. Snakes who lured others with their words while feeding them poison. He loathed them all from government officials to conglomerates (chaebols) to the President.

It felt like he was imprisoned again although he was in a sanitized room, seated on a chair and not exactly held against his will. He doubted they would reason with him and leave him alone. He suspected why they’d caught him, and had an inkling of who they were from the identity cards that hung around their neck with the gleaming words, ‘NIS;’ the secret service. He wanted to laugh but he decided he would save his dry humor for later when they tried to talk to him.

Crossing his legs, he leaned back in his chair. Their eyes darted at his movement but they didn’t comment, not even when he put his feet onto the table, folded his arms behind his head and whistled distractingly. He found it hilarious. Here he was defying common manners but they were letting his actions slide. If they had been guards, and he an inmate, things would be different. He would be black and blue. Sehun felt a favor coming on but ‘why,’ and for ‘what reason’ were they choosing to butter him?

A smartly clad male sauntered into the room wearing an air of self-importance. He wrinkled his nose and took a seat opposite Sehun. His judging gaze took in Sehun’s mien all the way from his smelly, short hair, the rags he wore and the fragrance that begged to be washed away to the immaculate over confidence.

Sehun arched his brow surprised when the male requested an unreasonable demand from him that surmised into: join the NIS.

“Like hell I will!” He hissed dangerously, making the scary looking guys alert.

The male interlaced his fingers under his chin and recited what he knew. “Oh Sehun; aged twenty five; convicted for manslaughter; worked at the marines; currently without a high school diploma; unemployed. You manipulated stocks for the past few years from an old laptop you hid under the floor of your cell.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but you’ve got the wrong guy.” Sehun shrugged swinging his feet back to the ground. He clicked his tongue and waited for incriminating evidence. If they’d caught him, they at least needed proof.

“It took us ages to track you down. You even managed to put viruses onto government pages regarding ex-President Seo and her son.”

Sehun raised his hands, feigning remorse. “F**k, I’ll admit to that one.”

“What kind of grudge are you holding against them?”

“I’m allowed to hate, right? Think of me as a mad dog; I don’t let go of who I bite.”

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet. I’d rather, you accept her proposal.”

Sehun scoffed and eyed the guy with contempt. Did he think pushing a woman at him would change his stance? He wasn’t pathetic enough to succumb to dirty tricks. No female could convince him otherwise… or so he thought.

[FLASHBACK]

Seventeen-year-old Sehun, found her at the rooftop. Hana was shaking as she gripped the edge of the wall. A gun lay not too far from her. He hurried to her side and she enveloped him into a hug and cried nerve rackingly. She kept saying she ‘didn’t mean it’ and that Kangjun had planned it. Sehun learnt that Hana had met the President’s son with the intention of killing but hadn’t been able to. The boy, knowing this, had tried to strangle her, which had left her to defend herself. Amidst the scrap he’d fallen over the edge and to his death. She herself had been very close to a similar fate. And that was where all the truth came pouring out, until she could no longer stand. She lay against him afraid of ‘what if’s’ that may or may not come. He’d tried his best to assure her but nothing had worked. She’d fallen asleep against his chest still crying a bottomless well of guilt. He wiped her cheeks, and promised it would be ‘okay’ and that he would make sure she would be okay. And that was when he’d made the decision that would tarnish his future.

Seeing Kim Hana again did weird things to him. He wasn’t sure if it was her, but he was positive he wasn’t imagining her, especially not when her eyes widened in recognition. He didn’t dare to blink when she nodded at the guy who left with his cronies. Hana took his seat and gave him the same stare as her predecessor.

“What are you doing here?” Sehun whispered weakly.

“Oh Sehun, my name is Kim Hana. I am one of the criminal psychologists under the NIS. I’ve been asked to help you make the decision of working with us. As you know, we are a society that works to make the country a better place. The individual sectors-” – she made a face here, and continued to recite what she’d learnt making him frown –“The individual sectors include one for Cyber Crime. Currently we are short of hands. And-“ Shutting her eyes tightly, she pulled out her ear piece and tossed it across the room.

She stood up and continued speaking as she made her way to the door, “Considering your stats it would be in your best interest to avail this opportunity,” and punched in a code before locking the door. Ignoring him she dragged her chair and used it to jam the door handle. “Ten minutes at best,” she decided nodding her head.

Sehun blinked bewildered as she turned to shoot him a strained smile. “Sorry about that, procedures,” she assured as she pulled out plugs. The whole ordeal confused him further. Why was she here? Did she work for the government? Why the NIS, an organization that worked directly under the President? He was too stunned to say anything feeling both hot, and cold at the idea of seeing her again.

“Think about the job, Oh Sehun. I know it probably sounds disgusting but it pays well and considering things… You don’t have very many options.”

Sehun snorted scornfully. “So what? It’s none of your business anymore.”

“Probably not, but do think about it.”

“And what if I don’t want to? What will you do then? Tie me up until I agree?”

Hana crossed her arms and shot him a stern look. “This isn’t a joke we’re talking about, it’s your future.”

“And what if I don’t want a future like that?”

“Then what will you do?”

“It’s none of your f***in’ business!”

“Sehun-“

“Shut up! I already said I don’t want the f***in’ job. I won’t take it. I’d rather die on the f***in’ pavement than work for filth!”

“Why?”

“You’re asking me ‘why?’ The hell, don’t you already know?”

“I can guess.”

“Don’t f***in’ bother!” Sehun jumped out of his seat and gave it a kick out of frustration. His fists balled with rage making him bellow. When he looked up she was right there. She took his angry hands in her own and drew circles with her thumb thereby weakening his resolve.

Out of nowhere he kissed her, impassioned with hunger. It didn’t make sense to feel as he did, or act as he was doing when she was trying to entice him. Morals didn’t exist within him. Years spent apart from normality had desensitized him from the norm. At this moment she could suggest taking the job in exchange for her and he would leap at the chance. It made him mad that she made him debilitate, or perhaps he did that perfectly well without her help?

“Yah Oh Sehun!” She scolded him, panting. It affected him in the least as he reached for her lips again. This time she stopped him by putting a finger to his lips. “No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to slap you Sehun, so don’t make me.”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t like it.”

She pushed him away and glared sourly. “I didn’t like it. I don’t like you either.”

“You’re lying.”

“Am I, or are you?”

“Don’t try to f***in’ confuse me with psychology when I know you have the hots for me,” Sehun growled.

“Alright. Let’s say, I ‘have’ the f***in’ hots for you. But for all the years you refused to see me, without so much of an explanation, those ‘hots’ died down. Now I’m here to convince you to take a job in the Cyber Crime department. I don’t know what view you hold, but I’d like to think I can do my part in preventing ‘mistakes’ rather than ‘die on the f***in’ pavement.’ At least, I’m not wasting away like this.”

He was about to protest but the door fell down first. Gapingly, he watched as the same guy from before rushed over to Hana asking her if she was ‘okay.’ Sehun might have wanted to punch the fellow for insinuating that he’d hurt Hana, but when she snapped at him and threatened to break his fingers, Sehun felt much better. As for the job… he didn’t want to think about it just yet.

-

“Jongin oppa says he’s got leads to where Oppa might be,” said Seryung.

Tao rolled his eyes keeping his attention on the road and taking a U-turn when possible. “Jongin is a double agent,” he pronounced. He could feel her gaze burning into the side of his face. He imagined her expression was saying ‘what other choice do we have?’

“He’s our man; he won’t feed us false information,” she declared in a way that highlighted the end of the conversation. There was much more that Tao wanted to say about the ever-mysterious Kim Jongin, but he refrained from antagonizing. They drove in silence thinking about how far they’d come since that day. The idea of seeing Oh Sehun again seemed like a dream. They wondered how it would feel speaking to him. Was he still the same reasonable guy they remembered? Like this, their thoughts diverged into what they thought Sehun might appear as, all the way until they arrived back at HQ. Seryung blinked rapidly for a moment and the silence was broken when Tao face palmed.

“We’re… here?” Seryung asked groaning. What were they doing back at HQ?

“This is where the coordinates lead,” Tao stated gruffly undoing his belt. He could feel anger rising in the pit of his stomach. What kind of joke was this? Beside him he could feel the tension and stress emanating from Seryung as she called a rather annoying fellow.

“Why did you rip us off?” She asked mildly, trying to maintain her cool. Frown lines began to appear onto her forehead as she clenched her fist. Tao waited for some kind of clarification.

“Don’t tell me he’d been detained,” she sighed and brought her fist down against the door. Tao worried too, how long had it been since Sehun was freed? And why containment, again? It was a puzzling mystery. He pressed his ear against the other side of the receiver to catch Jongin’s words:

“He’s been detained, but not in the way that you think. Come to my office. I’ll explain.”

“I don’t trust him,” Tao expressed as he walked in step with Seryung who stopped to debate between the elevator and stairs. He could feel the panic coming from her as turbulent thoughts crossed her mind. Taking her hand into his, he gave it a squeeze of assurance. She turned to him with trepidation in her eyes. Her lips trembled to form incoherence speech and he hugged her for strength.

“Sehun is fine,” he strained patting her back before holding her by the waist. “Your brother is fine,” he reinforced gazing into her darkened orbs. She managed a nod as he led her to the elevator. Waiting felt like hell as scenarios ran aghast through her mind. Why would the NIS take someone in? What crime were they accusing her brother of now? Why was it happening again?

Tao frowned, feeling inapt he rocked her in his arms to keep her distracted. Her thoughts, he felt like he could hear them and it suffocated him. However, he wouldn’t give way to the pressure because he felt like it wouldn’t help her if he did. To keep himself sane he kissed her forehead. The action broke her away from self-criticism. She took his hands and announced, “I won’t let them take him again.”

“I know,” Tao murmured softly. “I won’t either.”

“I-I’ll come up with a p-plan,” she stammered trying to convince herself.

“I’ll help,” he offered as the elevator finally opened.

-

Hana ruffled her hair and shot Jongin a reproachful look. He grinned back and nodded as if he understood  the message she’d given. Sehun was but a witness to this. Feeling like a third wheel he exhaled tiredly. Then she grasped his hand to make him look at her. He wanted to yank it out of her grip but her touch left him lingering in forlorn. Then, she gave him a smile that could melt the Antarctic.

“Your decision, is for you alone to decide,” she encouraged. “I won’t become a tool to rope you in. I… I’ll stand by you regardless of what you choose because…” She blushed shyly. “Because I still have the ‘hots’ for you,” she confessed. Sehun felt his heart soar traitorously again. After all the promises he’d made to himself, he found himself enamored.

“Permission to kiss?” He questioned hoarsely as his breath caused her to become rigid. “When did you ever ask permission?” She breathed, making him smirk. As he kissed her, he was reminded of how he’d sworn to keep her away from him for her safety’s sake. Yet all that resolve had crumbled upon seeing her. The notion of flinging her into danger made him stop. He had been the reason for her injuries before. The future was ominous to him. What if history repeated itself? And if it didn’t, what were the chances of her being vilified by an ex-convict?

“What is it?” She wondered with curiosity lighting her eyes. He shook his head not sure what to do with himself.

“I need time to decide on that proposal,” he admitted. Raking his fingers through his hair he pondered what the best choice would be.

“Okay,” she nodded parting contact. Watching her leave made him lonely. He couldn’t help feel like she blamed herself for something. It would be like her to think like that. A quick look back made him decide it might have been because of Seo Kangjun; the guy who’d jumped to his death and convinced Hana she’d killed him while making the rest of the world believe that Sehun was a murderer. It was because of people like Seo Kangjun that Sehun despised the whole way of the world. Kangjun had been a monster and the chances of other villains existing was high. Did he want to carry out deeds for such people? Not really. Did he understand why he’d found Jongin and Hana here? He was trying, but he couldn’t. Did he want to join them. No, but he wanted to be near them like old times. There was no conclusion in the end. He felt lost. Like a child in a supermarket, he needed someone to take his hand and lead him as a parent.

Grumbling, he trudged through right and wrong and bumped into someone, a young woman whose features were soft next to his but bore resemblance. Her jaw dropped and he was mauled into a hug. She berated him for many things, some of which made sense, and others not as much, but he listened anyway until those negative notions turned positive. It made him chuckle at first and then it clicked that his sister might work here too.

All in all, it troubled him to be dragged into Kim Jongin’s office that was lively decorated. He was forced into a seat and bombarded with queries from the smallest things like if he’d eaten to the big questions. It hit him that they cared. He tried to answer in a way that would appease them rather than discompose. He felt like they could tell when he lied although he was quite convincing, but if they did they didn’t pester him.

The mini party, or at least that’s what Sehun recognized it as, might have been poor to the eyes of an outsider but it rich in substance. He felt refreshed to be amidst them even though he was somewhat an alien. His decision to decline to NIS’s proposition quaked.

If he didn’t accept, would it be as easy to be around the people he loved? He wanted to be with them again even if it was selfish. His morals stood on another ground. They plaintively refused to side with the powerful and this led him to eventually ask something that dimmed the bubbly atmosphere: “Why would you work for the President?” No one answered at first as they digested the context of his question. So he continued, “They lie, and falsely accuse others while doing inhumane things. Why work for an organization that covers things up for them?”

“That’s not it,” Jongin spoke up. The others shook their heads in assent. “We don’t work to cover up other peoples lies. We work to unveil them.”

“It’s like this,” Tao carried on, “We’re all technically spies. What do spies do? We obtain information; the truth. We don’t shroud crime; we find out the whole truth.”

“As people who’ve been victims of wrongdoings, we know best the damage it can cause. That’s why we came here, to make sure none of it happens again.” Seryung elucidated.

“It depends on how you view things. If you decide that the world is a horrible place, you might get depressed. But if the world is such a horrible place isn’t it best to find out ‘why,’ and try to change it? This is our world, no one else’s. It might sound condescending and overly noble, but we’re doing our bit to tame corruption. Sure, four people can’t change the country but there’s no harm in trying, and it beats  dying on the ‘f***in’ pavement’ any day,” Hana summarized.

Sehun considered it and stared at his bowl in which four rice cakes had been added into his Tteokguk (rice cake soup). Somehow, it spelt ‘home’ and a pang of warmth filled him to the brim. Although his viewpoint hadn’t changed he understood them, all of them. He rationed four rice cakes with them and sectioned another into five parts. “The last one is for Joonmyun who liked to play with computers,” Sehun let them know.

“I’ll be visiting the grave later.” Jongin revealed. “Wanna say ‘hi?’” Sehun nodded.

Sensing the environment had truly sunken Jongin bleated exaggeratedly. “I really need to find a girlfriend. But the problem is that too many girls think I’m ‘the one’ for them. It’s hard to decide.”

This made Tao roll his eyes and put down his spoon. “Correction: They think you’re a player and don’t think you’re capable of settling down.”

“Jongin oppa, will find a nice girl in due time,” Hana pointed as a familiar topic returned to the table.

Seryung added her two cents, “He should start looking if he wants to find one.”

 “Maybe you should change tactics,” Sehun advised his friend, and Jongin mourned making everyone laugh. It was a jest, used to filter the past, which was now shaping their present as a final decision had been reached. There was much to catch up on and so much to learn. However, no one was too flustered by the years of in-betweens. At that moment they were all thinking to the future, planning tomorrow as it came. While carrying their life lessons with them as an everlasting impression, they had a variety of sentiment. Sehun concluded to never indulge in the past as Kangjun had. Hana had resolved to take her own stand so others didn’t have a chance to. Seryung had learnt not to do things she’d regret. Tao had decided to always treasure those he loved lest he never saw them again. And Jongin had promised himself to always be there for his friends.

A Guardian Angel watched them closely with glimmering eyes. Had be been alive perhaps he might have joined them. However, no one was to know because that future remained unwritten. He concluded that everyone was born with a clean and unmarred slate. That only by breezing through life, and making choices, did words appear to dictate a story in which the impression was that the past shaped the present and made way for the future.

-

“Where in the Heaven’s is Kyungsoo? Has anyone seen Death? He doth owe me a game of soccer!"

Yixing scratched his head not really wanting to interfere. The words flew through Jongdae’s mouth before censorship could take place, “Do stop Luhan, you old knave! Kyungsoo doth despise thou games.”

“We mus’n’t dally. Tell me, oh Angel of Truth, hath he run off again?” Luhan urged.

“Oh my dear Thought, he doth be busy. Death doth not wait, for it is but unstoppable,” Jongdae illustrated.

“Must it just be us, oh good angel, who linger, for not once has truth and thought been conjured?” Luhan pouted.

“Humans doth be fearfully senseless," Jongdae yawned.

“I fear I shall be made redundant,” cried Healing as he stretched his wings to see if they still worked. “Darkness is on the rise again.”

This piped Luhan’s interest, “Really, oh really? Then Love shall fall? I am but bored. Oh Heaven let love fall. I quite look forward to seeing dear Minseok again. We shall but play soccer in the Garden of Eden whilst we wait.”

“Soccer?” Jongdae’s eyes widened in alarm as Forgiveness popper up beside him. He tried to calculate the distribution of teams afraid that he would be made to play. “Chanyeol, pray tell me you are busy?”

The Angel of Forgiveness shook his head making Truth’s biggest nightmare come true. It would be one of those soccer days...because indeed humans were inapt creatures.
 

--THE END--

Angel of Death; Kyungsoo
Angel of Thought; Luhan
Angel of Truth; Jongdae
Angel of Darkness; Yifan
Angel of Light/Sight; Baekhyun
Angel of Healing; Yixing
Angel of Forgiveness; Chanyeol
Angel of Love; Minseok
Guardian Angel; Joonmyun


Deleting this story in a few hours. I promised to finish it and it's done, so bye.