Love, Your Demon | j.jk

Chapter 9 : Tradition

"Honey, are you finished?" Mrs. Herbert knocked on Willow's door. Today's the death anniversary of Mr. Herbert. He died four years ago due to a cardiac arrest. For me, that was one of the most challenging phases that Willow has gone through. I can't blame her though, she's very close to her father. She couldn't eat, nor sleep peacefully. Luckily, her shadow that time wasn't as tough as JK. If they were, I would've been sent to nothingness.

Somehow, I believe Willow is going through some stuff with the same impacts. So far, she's been wandering around and doesn't look like herself at all. Although she still does well at school, there's something wrong. I wanted to blame JK for this but if I'm going to be honest with myself, which I need to be, I should blame myself for doing a job well damned.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a second," she forged a smile and so did her mother before she retreated back to the living room.

"What happened to her father?" JK asked; he's standing right next to me and both our eyes are on our subject.

"Heart attack, four years ago," I directly stated.

"Were they close?" he added.

"Yep," I said. "Are you going to use this against her?" then I looked at him with doubt. JK shook his head, denying my assumption, but I can't help but worry.

Who trusts a devil anyway?

"You better be," I remarked.

"I promise, I won't whisper a single thing to her this day," he suddenly smiled confidently at me which I found suspicious. I didn't bother to say anything back as Willow already left her room.

The both of us followed her to the living room where her mother and brother are waiting. Once they hopped into the car, JK and I prepared our wings and flew in the air as we tail behind.

Amity Garden is where Mr. Herbert was given a proper burial. I've been here once a year when he died. Sometimes, Willow would visit on her own and of course, I have to tag along.

A cemetery is a plain sight to the human eyes, but our kind sees different creatures. It's actually terrifying me most of the times I'm here. The cold chilly air mixed with calmness and silence sometimes makes a bad combination.

The Herbert's began doing their tradition for the late Mr. Herbert as soon as they reached his tomb. Unlike before, they'd shed pails of tears, but now, they talk to him with smiles on their faces knowing that he's somewhere safe now and that he's guiding them.

"So, how did you die?" JK suddenly questioned.

"I stopped breathing," there's no point in dodging his question.

"I envy you know yours," he sighed.

"You could ask the higher-ups," I smiled wickedly and he laughed.

"Never knew an angel could be obviously sly," he commented.

"At least, I tried," I shrugged. He told me once before that if he insisted on knowing about his past, that's complete banishment from hell nor the entirety of living. "I do remember that humans become devils when they kill someone," my tone went from enthusiastic to embarrassment the moment I realized what I just said.

"I know that," he casually answered. "What I want to know is how I died, not what I did to get here," he huffed.

"Yeah, sorry," I looked down and then diverted my attention back to the Herbert's.

=====

I thought it was going to be a smooth day for me. The three of them went to a restaurant for lunch, wandered around the park at noon, and ate at a famous steak house downtown.

It seemed like JK managed to keep his promise. Right when I was confident that things would go the way I wanted for Willow, something terrible happened.

Taehyung was waiting in front of their house and I have no idea why Wilson's, Willow's brother who's a year older, first move was to punch him on his face.

"Stay away from my sister," I heard him say. I looked next to me in search of JK and there I saw him exchanging words with another devil I am familiar with.

Jimin, Wilson's shadow. He has been following Wilson around for three months.  Now, it happens that JK and he are acquaintances. "I thought you wouldn't intervene?" I asked JK.

"I didn't," the look in his eyes proved that he's innocent. That he had no contributions to Jimin's directions to Wilson.

"Hey Charmeine," Jimin greeted and I glared at him.

"I'm giving you the chance to get back at your work properly. Although it isn't fair, 'cause I'm not moving a piece. Consider it a gift from me," JK smiled and I felt heavily offended. He could've just talked straight to the point that I'm failing with my job to protect Willow from him.

Taehyung didn't give a blow to Wilson. But the other was constantly ruining his face that Willow had to get involved. "Wil, stop it!" She grabbed his brother by the shoulder and attempted to pull him away from her poor friend.

"I followed you the other night," Wilson told her sister. "You met with him, right?"

"It was a party," Willow excused.

"You went to a party without me knowing?" Mrs. Willow butts in. "What's going on with you, Willow? And Wilson, stop punching Taehyung!" she scolded and helped the other get up on his feet.

"I don't trust him," Wilson gritted his teeth. "He likes Willow even though she's in a relationship with his friend."

Willow closed her eyes and massaged her temple upon hearing her brother's statement.

"Stop it with your nonsense Wil," she firmly interjected.

"You almost kissed that night!" he retaliated which caught everyone off-guard.

"We didn't," my girl lied.

"And that's what matters, right?" Wilson started. "At least, you didn't kiss, that doesn't count as cheating. Just tell Yoongi you're tired of him. Let the poor man know that you still like his friend."

With that, Wilson walked inside the house leaving the three of them bamboozled. "Is that true, Willow?" Mrs. Herbert asked.

"Tell her the truth," I whispered to my subject.

"Can I have a word with Taehyung please?" she diverted from the topic. As the kind, loving, and understanding mother that she is, Mrs. Herbert gave the two some privacy and fetches her son back inside the house.

"You still like me?" Taehyung asked.

"No," Willow quickly answered, shattering the tiniest bits of hope there is left in Taehyung's eyes. "Listen, Taehyung, you're a good friend. But to me, Yoongi is really something else." I couldn't imagine the cracks slowly forming inside Taehyung's heart right now.

"With that being said, I'm coming with him. We'll leave together," she told him.

"What?" Taehyung and I said in unison. I spared JK a glance and he just shrugged. I know he has some information about what she just said.

"He's leaving town, and I want to come with him."

I almost fell on my knee with her confession. How did I never got the chance to influence her decision with that? Will I finally be sent to nothingness soon?