Chapter Text
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One bright morning, a reflection on the water wall registered as an angel tip toes and landed, traces of two feathers are seen as an evident of an angel hiding its wings. A brunette walks in inside the door below the waterfalls, grimace can be noticed on his face as he walked on the garden like path with a slight water pouring from the waterfalls above, beautiful and exotic flowers with a good smell and many colorful butterflies flying around. A laughter that bursted somewhere caught the attention of the brunette.
“Jisung, you rebellious angel seriously” another brunette said as he approached him
“What? Whats wrong with wearing white buttoned tshirts and pants. And shoes.?” Jisung replied with a tone of annoyance
“Well, nothing is wrong with it. But youre an angel, some white sash would be enough, or go all out formal like it’s a divine holiday again if you really want to clothes up, use our coat or something. I don’t know why you fancy wearing the human’s clothes.”
Jisung looked all over his outfit and said “Its actually comfortable to wear, I have stocks you wanna try?”
Sungwoon’s lips thinned as he said “Not interested.” and walked away
Jisung continued on his way which is the supposed destination he would go if not interrupted earlier. He is going to the bulletin board to go do his work. He roamed his eyes to the multiple illumination from the world of humans. Jisung cant help get distracted to the extravagant sculpture with waterfalls still of the bulletin board. He doesn’t understand why the gorgeous bulletin board is like that, the illuminations reminds him of the human’s basic techonology, a television. Its just that its not a whole but only a clustered television screen filled with live feeds videos from earth. Also, theres no remote. Each live feeds vanish for three minutes if not touched or chosen. That is what their job is as an angel. Not exactly all of them, Higher angels who studied or lived a millennium had a better job to do. Jisung thought higher angels also have some sort of remote for the bulletin boards, after all they have capability of some sort which is not available for angels like him who is just two hundred seventy years old.
There are many bulletin boards on the interior of his work place, made the choosing convenient for the angels. As for a baby angel who has not lived more than fifty decades like himself, this is the most basic job.
Their job is to give hope and chances. So the ones on the screen are the beings who need saving. No matter how big or small, their job is to help the living things push through in their life. May it a human who just need to hear a word that would take them back to track, or an animal that is hurt or even a plant. The job for plants is for higher angels actually, because they will need storm and such catastrophes. That would cause trouble for the humans but who said that humans are the most important being in the earth? Sometimes Jisung cant help himself hate the humans who do not care about anything beside their own life, theyre so high on their throne they thought everything was for them. But its not like its their fault at all, more than hating them, Jisung always finds himself rooting, cheering and siding on the humans on the earth. He always find it fascinating on how the humans are striving for their life and the things they could do in their limited time span. On how they tried to learn the structure of their world and improvise for the better of their future. Its selfish but its not. Jisung cant help ask God on why did he treat the humans like that but he knew God would answer him as always that the word for it is still not known by the humans. That God is waiting for them to realize.
Devils had the same job as them. To save the living things, the beings. But humans had the right intuition about them being harsh or bad. The devils are not that bad aside from their selfish attitude. They loved to get what they want. But theyre not slacking in their job, they are doing it seriously. The only difference from the job of angels to devils is that the devil saves by ending it or stopping it. The angel’s job is to save by pushing them through and the devils job is to save them by ending their sufferings.
Not so far away, theres also the same sanctuary with different name and darker things., with the same bulletin board to look for jobs. Only with the black wings and loud voices. Its not helping the beings on earth that the devils loves contest, which leads to more things being ended.
Jisung’s thought swayed when one of the screens reddened. It means that the one that it is showing needs immediate action. It’s a cat on a box, which is not moving. Most angels ignore this kind of saving. Because the life span of it is much shorter than humans that it wouldn’t even make a difference to the earth’s thread of consciousness. And also, sometimes, the humans make the move and help the smaller living thing instead. Still, Jisung made his mind for the first mission he’ll take on today. Jisung halted his hands from touching and choosing that screen when someone approached the cat. See? Humans loves to take care of the small beings. He observed as that someone who is a raven haired and also wearing a black t-shirt with long sleeves and a black pants and shoes sat down in front of the cat. Jisung stared as the supposed man didn’t move at all. The shock is visible in his eyes when he saw a black feather floating down. That is not a man but is a devil. Jisung immediately touched the screen.
Jisung got teleported from the sky above the cat’s place. He extended his one foot as to ready himself to land. After he landed, the wings on his back vanished. And as a clue to know that he is an angel, two white feathers appeared and floated down to the ground. It’s the way to tell whether the being who looked like a man is an angel or devil, two white or black feathers is near where they stand.
“Don’t.” Jisung said as he grabbed and pulled back the supposed devil’s waist and they fall back with their butts about two meters away from the cat. The clattering sound of a can to the ground is heard as some of its content spilled.
Jisung opened his eyes at the noise and sees the can which is a cat food as the design displays. Jisung’s mouth agape at the sight and looked to the man in front of him who is now peering at his back and looking to his eyes.
“I-I’m so sorry, I thought you were a d-de-nothing! Im sorry!” Jisung said as he stand up and bowed apologetically. He tried to listen but the man didn’t stand up or replied. Jisung feels that his heart skipped a beat even though he has a frozen heart. Did he forget to translate their language to the human’s language? But he’s sure he synced it up based on the location their in right now. Jisung glanced to his side to look to his surroundings; he recognized the letter displays as a hangul which means theyre on South Korea right now. He looked back to the man on the ground again who is still staring at him and then he offered a hand to help the man up. The said man accepted it after staring at Jisung’s hands for who knows how long. The man is not fully up when they heard a desperate mewling. The man let go of his hands to pick up the can of cat food and fed the cat. The man takes time too long before the cat finished all of the content of the can. Even though the cat is hungry, it is too weak to move fast, it is also trembling, and its stomach grumbling even if it is eating. Jisung stayed frozen standing at the ground at the man’s back. He didn’t know what to do but is certainly considering to just disappearing back to heaven. He didn’t move anyway and just waited for the cat to finish his food. The cat falls asleep after, and the man stand up and faced him. The man looked at the place theyre in, it is kinda secluded which would mean the cat is left to the box there to die. After a while, the man ended up looking to him.
“Im sorry again., I thought you would do something bad, and that’s very inconsiderate of me.” Jisung said to the man, mentally reminding himself for translating the language and he didn’t bow but instead stared back to the man in all black.
“Are you angry?” Jisung said as he speaked again because the man is not replying.
“Im not.” Said the man
“Oh, I kinda thought you were, since youre not smiling and staring at me like I did something wrong.” Jisung smiled, bright smile appeared on his face as he got relieved. Which disappears as fast because the man is still not making any emotion on his face.
“You are angry.” Jisung assured.
“Not.”
“You are.”
“Not.”
“…” This is the first time Jisung encountered such an emotionless person. Jisung thought that maybe the red alert is for this man, not with the cat but the red alert which is ringing to his ears disappears earlier as the cat falls asleep.
“Do you have any problem? You can say it to me and I would help you.” Jisung said as he approached the man and clasped his hands with his.
The man’s mouth formed a shape to speak something, twice, but closed his mouth instead, the small audible sound he emitted is not heard by Jisung, which is the first time that Jisung didn’t understand someone, he has the angel’s ear after all, there is no sounds in earth that he cant hear, even the person’s heartbeat. Jisung stilled. Why is he not hearing any heartbeat from this ma—
“I’m a devil.” The raven haired said as he speaks their language from their place above instead of the language of the place they’re in right now. The man turned out to be a devil.
Jisung didn’t move, however, his shock didn’t go unnoticed as his hand that is holding the devil’s hand twitched.
“O-ohh? Really?” Jisung said as he let go of the devil’s hand and looked at him from head to toe. This is the first time he encountered a devil this close, he saw and walked with some devil loitering on the place above but he didn’t converse even once. He also encountered devils on his missions but again, he didn’t interact. Jisung thought he would never, until he had a millennium on his belt.
The devil just stared at him and didn’t speak again
“Okay. So you’re a devil? Why did you help the cat? In uhh diferrent way than your usual doing?”
“Its weak. And cute.” The devil said with the not changing features on his face
Jisung’s forehead creased at the sight. “So youre actually happy that you helped and saved the cat?”
“Yes.” The devil said immediately.
“Hmm, you know, if youre happy, you should do it like this.” Jisung said as he pinched the devil’s cheek to force his face to form a smile. Jisung also smiled to try to demonstrate.
Jisung pulled his hands when he realized what he is doing, he is about to apologize again but the devil tried to smile again like what he demonstrated.
“Ohh.. okay, youre getting there, try again.” Jisung said as he observed the devil smiling like a stoic person, like a robot as the humans would have said. The devil smiled again and again but he did not smile like he is happy. Jisung tried funny faces to make the devil laugh, he thought it was futile but at his last attempt, the devil giggled and smiled like an emotion formed at this face.
“Wah, that’s it, that’s how you laugh!” Jisung said excitedly as he clapped his hands. However, the devil halted in his bubbly smile and formed a naughtier smile like a smirk as he stared to Jisung like a prey. Jisung’s thought halted too, as he thought that he is played by the devil.
“Its like this?” The devil asked with still a devilish smirk on his face. Jisung noticed that the devil is not aware of his face and then he tried the funny face that made the devil laugh earlier, again. The devil’s smile goes back to pureness and giggling and Jisung sighed.
“That’s it.” Jisung said as he resigned his hands to the devil’s shoulder. He turned to cover the devil’s mouth when the devil’s smile is forming like a smirk again. He made a funny face again and that made the smirk back to giggle but it kept forming back to smirk. They repeated that action for many times until Jisung gave up and smack unto his mind that the one on his front is after all and always a devil. He just mentally noted that the devil didn’t mean that much harm, or so he guessed.
“What is your name?” Jisung asked, his hands still at the devil’s shoulder at his unawareness.
“I’m Kang Daniel” The devil said. Jisung roamed and stared at the devil’s face. Enticed on the first time he saw a devil’s face this close to him and what it does look like. Daniel then hooked his hand at the angel’s waist, doing the same thing Jisung does, but in diferrent direction as their eyes didn’t meet.
Jisung realized how intimate they might have looked like but didn’t ponder to it that much because he thought that they didn’t have any motive like that other than being curious at the opposite species. He thought that this is also the first time that the devil saw an angel’s face this close.
“I’m Yoon Jisung.” Jisung said as he looked at the devil’s eyes. The devil dismissed his look and came close to him, Daniel lingered to his neck as he seemed to sniff and smell out the angel.
“Is this the first time you saw an angel?” Jisung asked Daniel, not budging on the position theyre in at all.
“No. I saw and encountered a few.” Daniel said as he pulled back a bit to stare at the angel’s eyes just a few inch inch away. Jisung stared back to Daniel’s eyes unfazed and quiet.
“But theyre nothing like you, I mean, you seem brighter and smelled better.. like a real angel.” Daniel continued, not tearing his stare apart.
“But I’m a real angel.. “ Jisung said with a bit of sulking.
Daniel’s hand held his face as he came closer, making their nose collide. “See, that’s what I’m saying?”
“What’s what?” Jisung asked confusedly as he slightly tilted his face up despite their close proximity. It cant be helped that the devil is slightly taller than him.
“This pureness like an angel would have.” The devil said.
Jisung has been called cute, innocent, bright, calm and pleasant by his other angel friends but he is never been called pure before. He ponders on his thought as he blinked but never teared the stare from the devil. Jisung also thought that maybe the Daniel is complimenting him so he roamed his stare on Daniel’s face again as he observed closely.
“Well, youre also different than what I saw and what I imagined as a devil. You have this child like face that seems that you would never lie. The mole is cute and so how you laugh.” Jisung said as he stared on the mole under the devil’s right eye. He looked sideward after as if to remember how the devil laughed and smiled earlier.
“But you also had this really naughty and playful smirk like how a devil would have so I cant deny that you’re really a devil.” Jisung then laughed and that made his eyes vanish in squint. Daniel also laughed, not a devilish one and they ended up giggling for some time.
The cat mewled and it made Jisung conscious, he separated to the devil as he approached the box and sat on front of it staring at the still sleeping cat. The devil just stood where he is, he followed Jisung with his eyes but didn’t move on his spot. Jisung who only realized that their action was actually crossing the line of intimacy is screaming and hitting himself internally as he tried to poise as calm as he can in front of the cat.
“So uhh, didn’t you devils liked competition with each other?”
Jisung got slightly shocked when Daniel sat beside him. Arms on his knees and his chin on it as he also looked at the cat. “We do, I just won—for the 3rd time straight this week, Seongwoo said that my prize was on this box but its just the cat that is here, no rare items or something, I think he pranked me this time, after all, Guanlin is his favourite but the poor guy cant even get pass to woojin and jihoon. That baby devil always call for Daehwi, Jinyoung’s angel childhood friend, to save and purify rather than him ending the sufferings.”
“He still is kind despite the environment?” Jisung asked. The devils love competition, they are all fiery, there is a charting bulletin inside to see who ended sufferings most per department. So a devil that grew up with that environment is needless to say that would go that way.
“It’s probably because his mother is an angel.” Daniel replied
“I see.” Jisung looked to Daniel and latter looked back too without anything to say.
Angels marrying Devils is not a rare occurrence, But still a taboo topic in the early first years, especially the first years of them getting along but give them a decade or two and the people around them would get used to it. Even just getting along without any romantic means is taboo for about a year, but they would eventually accept it as they get used to it. Most of their specie is getting appalled when an angel and devil bond, not because of any racial issues but because of how different they are. Angels are calm, organized and would promote justice, hope and equality within their community. Devils are fiery, possessive and would encourage audaciousness, extravagant fun and competition within their community. They both would always get around the thought that they would never get along with each other regarding their behaviours. But that is what younger generations of devils and angels would say, millennium old specie already has the capability to accept and understood them all.
“Im going back.” Daniel said as he stood up
“Ohh, me too.” Jisung said but he got stopped by a hand unto his chest. The devil then bared his black wings and flew up to a sudden opened black hole in the sky and disappeared as the black hole disappeared. Jisung got stunned as he stared to the sky for a moment before he wake up from his trance and fly upwards too to go back.
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“I saw that you chose the cat. Im sorry to hear that the cat died.” Sungwoon said from the table full of feast beside the portal right after he stepped in. That table is for the angels who just finished work in the human’s realm.
“What? What do you mean? The cat is alive before I left it there.” Jisung said as he flinched but still walked and joined Sungwoon in the table
“Saw that, but it got cursed by a devil after.” Sungwoon said as he drank his wine
“W-You mean Daniel? Or some other devil cursed the cat?” Jisung asked as he eyed the grapes on the table but didn’t have the appetite to eat it with a question stuck in his mind
“That one, whoever youre together with. I saw him curse the cat when he sat down beside you. From Minhyun’s work by the way.”
Ha Sungwoon is nearing a millennium and thus can see insights like their soul, a baby’s soul in a pregnant angel or devil, the act of purifying of the angel’s and the act of cursing from the devils. Purifying is one of the angel’s powers while cursing is one of the devil’s powers. Still, Sungwoon didn’t have the powers to see the actual events happening on earth. It would require at least three millenniums under his belt before he can have that clairvoyance. He knew from the clairvoyance Minhyun has while the five millennium old angel is working before Minhyun caught him and shoo him outside.
“No way—I mean he fed the cat, why would he—“ Jisung said as tried to defend the devil he met earlier.
“He’s a devil after all, its not that shocking.” Sungwoon said as he looked to Jisung
“Stop spitting inconsistencies, the cat is alive.” Minhyun said as he joined them in the table
“Don’t lie, I saw it.” Sungwoon retorts after Minhyun spoke
“You didn’t saw whole, After they left some devil, I don’t know who with three moles in his cheek lifted the curse and even grant the cat a protection charm, he also knows I am watching and even winked right back at me, with that powers, he might be a hundred millennium old.” Minhyun said as he clasped his hand on the table
“Isnt that Ong Seongwoo? He is a high rank devil and he would often hold competitions and would organize such prizes.” Sungwoon happily informed them as he recognized the devil in Minhyun’s description
“Why do you know such information?” Jisung asked as he finally grabbed the grapes on the table.
“Because I sometimes join them, though that means I would compete by purifying.” Sungwoon freezed in his smile when he saw Minhyun’s look
“Chill—I am sorry, I can’t help it. I’m half devil after all.” Sungwoon said as he put down his glass and raised both his arms up like surrendering the fight.
Minhyun sighed and glanced to Jisung who is staring to the grapes on the table while munching some. “Don’t think too much of him, its not like you will meet him again.”