Broken Wings

Chapter 1 - Angelsé

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"Joohyun, don't you just love the rain?" I ask the beautiful angel beside me as we watch over the rarely quiet city of Seoul who is currently being lulled by the pleasant sound of the rain. I didn't wait for her reply though so I continued talking. "It's just that... I love how the rain seems to slow down everything that it gives people time for their thoughts rather than the subconsciously doing their repetitive routine they have to go through the day."

"Ah, Chaeyoung. You're such a romantic. I hope I can see the world just like you. It's as if you're looking at everything through rose-colored glasses." She sighed before continuing. "But we know life is not always rainbows and butterflies. We literally have to look over the most pessimistic people in the world. They're broken hearted. Rose isn't something they look through with, it's a reminder of the love they lost."

I roll my eyes at what she said. Sure, I understand what she means. But that's why we're here. To guide them, to make them feel like there's still hope that they will have better days. And I don't want the negativity to get me. No, I'm Chaeyoung. If I could live another life, I know that I'll be a sunshine. Not like this, a guardian angel for the broken hearted people. This job is just too depressing.

"By the way, how's your third soul, Chaeng?" Joohyun asks which I answer with a big smile.

"I can feel that she's moved on already. I'm really not worried about her anymore. She started listening to lively music. Yesterday, she went to this party to socialize and she didn't even drink a sip of alcohol. She's just there laughing with everybody. I can feel that she'll be the first soul who I guided successfully to move on. I'm just waiting for the last teardrop to fall and she's finally free!" I reply proudly at her.

Still, I can see there are doubts in Joohyun's eyes. I know, I lost two souls already since I started being a guardian angel for the broken hearted but maybe third time's a charm. I'm very optimistic about this. I KNOW. I JUST KNOW SHE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH. She just have to let the last tear drop fall.

"Be careful, Chaeng. We can only be at ease when the last teardrop falls, and then we can give them to the regular guardians."

I look back at the lull city of Seoul, slowly waking up and coming to life. This is what I love about being a guardian angel. You can look over this beautiful cities just as much as you look over and guide a soul from harm. And just like the old times, I wonder what would it feel like to live in those cities beauty. The first soul I had to look over lives in Queenstown, the next is in Melbourne. Both cities have their own unique charm but I can't seem to look back at them because of the souls I lost their.

I cried so much when I lost my first soul. She's a wonderful kid, only seven years old at that time. Her heart was broken when her father died. I looked over her for 2 years. I had to make sure that she eats well, that she doesn't get lost, that she doesn't speak to strangers, that she had to make friends. She's starting to move on. I'm so close to having her transfer to the regular guardians... but then one day, her mother brought home a guy... a horrible one at that.

The guy hated the kid that he always threatens her mother to throw her out of the house. I had to make sure that she hid well whenever the guy's drunk at home. I had to make sure she always lock the door while a good lullaby played through her room. I made sure she won't see nor hear how the guy mistreated her mother.

But I wasn't careful enough. One day, I wasn't able to make sure she locked the door. I wasn't able to make sure she played the music in her room. She saw... she heard... her mother getting beaten up by the guy. She ran towards her to shield her tiny body against the monster her mother brought home. And then... it hit her. The bat he swung towards them hit her in the head, and she stopped moving.

They said it's not my fault her mom brought a shitty guy. But it's my fault she didn't have her door locked. Queenstown was never the same.

My second soul is in Melbourne. An old lady. Her husband had alzheimer's. One day her husband managed to snuck out of the foster home they're into and never came back. This lady had the greatest influence in how I see life today. Everyday, she was optimistic that he'll go back to her. She always waits for him at the door of the foster home, playing his favorite music in the gardens, hoping he'll hear it and he'll find his way back home to her.

I supported her through all of it. Reminded her to play the music, reminded her that he will come back soon, she'll just have to live another day. But one day, she won't wake up from her deep slumber. I screamed her name. Screamed as if my undying life depended on it. But. She. Won't. Wake. up.

They said I was a careless guardian angel. I'm too loose because I'm always positive that nothing bad will happen. I kept on asking myself, why am I even a guardian angel for the broken hearted if I'm so optimistic. Why wasn't I guardian angel for babies? Or a regular guardian angel for that matter?

But then my third soul came. She's a young adult living her life as a very diligent daughter that she is, helping his older brother handle their farm business her parents started from a piece of land that boomed to be one of the biggest farm produce businesses in Korea. She's too selfless that she does things with all of her might to take care of the people she loves.

That's why I feel so deep for her. She's an angel to begin with, that's why it's hard for me to comprehend that being the perfect girl that she is, beauty, brains, character and wealth, that any man can cheat on her. How dare her boyfriend break her heart the very night after he proposed to her?

I mean, who does that? How can anyone purposely break somebody else's heart like that?! How dare they?!

That's why I vowed to guard her like a hawk. I'll never rest until I see her last teardrop fall. And I feel like I'm doing a good job now. I can feel it... she'll make it...

"CHAEYOUNG!"

Joohyun and I both got startled from the loud roar we heard. Slowly, I can feel the cold starts creeping from my fingertips to my chest and I can't breathe.

Chanyeol, the head guardian appeared. He never shows himself in normal circumstances. There's always something significant that has to happen before he even shows himself. That's why I'm always scared to see him. Because out of all the occasions I saw him, he brings nothing but bad news to me.

"Chaeyoung-ssi." He looks at me directly in the eyes and I can sense what's coming. I can't see anything in those eyes but... disappointment.

I can feel tears pooling my eyes but I still hold it there. It might be a different news because it can't be that news. It can't be that news again. "Chaeyoung." He says again, in a softer tone... as if to console me before he breaks me.

"Jieun is dead." he continues.