𝐴𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡𝒉𝑖𝑛𝑒 // 𝐿𝑒𝑒 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝒉𝑜

one.

     The downpour falling from the overcast sky made Haneul shake her head sharply, cursing herself for forgetting her umbrella that day.

     The college campus she was navigating was semi-deserted due to the weather; a few students scampered across the soaked pavement, umbrellas keeping them completely dry thanks to their foresight.

     Haneul hurriedly checked her watch, squinting as she peered at the blurry face. "Shit," she hissed. "I'm late again."

     She didn't attend classes, she just liked the route that took her to work through the campus. It was a lot cleaner than other parts of the city.

As she hurried faster along the sidewalk, a piercing scream echoed across the street.

Adrenaline suddenly shooting through her body, Haneul spun around and gasped as she spotted a car losing control and careening around on the slick road. Heading straight for a female student.

She could do nothing but watch as the car swerved uncontrollably towards the girl, who had no time to run and save herself.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light filled the air as the car hit the girl, causing Haneul to flinch and avert her eyes in surprise. When she looked back desperately, a radiant figure clad in white was standing in front of the girl, it's hand crushed into the hood of the car. It's silky white wings ruffled gently as it pushed the vehicle back a few feet with ease.

Haneul's mouth fell open, rain washing down her skin as she stared in disbelief. Guardian angel sightings weren't unheard of, but rare nonetheless. This was only the third or fourth time she'd been in the presence of one, because when most people had brushes with death, they were supposed to.

     Guardian angels were assigned a human at the birth of a mortal, and only intervened in the lives of their humans when absolutely necessary. Most people went their entire lives without meeting their angels, but for those who did, their angels were quick to reject the path of an early death for them.

     The angel turned to the girl it had rescued, nodding its head at her gently before disappearing, the bright white flash cueing its departure.

The student gaped in shock at the vehicle that had almost taken her life, her trembling hands adjusting the strap of her book bag as she wobbled away. Several students ran over to help the student and the driver, exclaiming excitedly about the angel they had seen.

Haneul rubbed her cold hands together solemnly. Most people made a bigger deal about angel sightings instead of the reason they materialized. The near victims were never worried about much.

Turning her back on the scene in disgust, Haneul folded her arms against the spitting rain and continued down the street, heading to the small corner restaurant she worked at.

     As she barged breathlessly through the door, the owner, Mrs. Jang, tilted her head irritatedly with narrowed eyes. Although she was Haneul's aunt, the one who'd taken care of her since she was a child, she was a stickler for punctuality.

     "Haneul, we talked about this."

Hands held up in a placating gesture, Haneul defended herself profusely. "I can explain! I was next to the campus, you know the path I take, and this car almost crashed like 'nyoooom', but then someone's guardian angel appeared and saved the day and created a whole spectacle," she rambled quickly, holding her chest as she caught her breath.

     A head of wispy brown hair poked out from the small kitchen, aromatic steam wafting around him as his mouth dropped in shock. "You saw an angel?"