Invisible Halos | San

15

"I'm thoroughly disappointed in you, Choi Jongho" Hongjoong sighs, currently holding the injured Jongho upright. "W-what are you doing here? Did you seriously follow me?" Jongho stutters, still wide-eyed. "Well I obviously followed you. Anyway let's go find shelter or something first" Hongjoong tries to walk while holding his partner but Jongho doesn't budge.

"You really just turned into a human, with no return back into heaven, just to follow me? Is your head okay?" Jongho voices his concerns. Hongjoong simply laughs and lifts the leg of his trouser slightly, revealing a shiny, golden anklet. Jongho nods in understanding before sighing and submitting to Hongjoong's pleas.

While limping beside his former commander, Jongho recalls what that anklet signifies. He remembers learning that only angels with very high positions have enough power to use one. They grant someone the ability to step foot onto Earth while still remaining an angel. The second Hongjoong takes off his anklet, he'll instantly start converting into a human. But for now, he has the power to hide his wings and halo, and appear as an ordinary man to everyone else.

With this power, Hongjoong can stay on Earth for as long as he wants, and he can even fly back whenever he wants. However, that means he can take anyone who was previously an angel, and bring them back to heaven to resume their previous lives while leaving everything on Earth. In fact, that was the original function of this accessory: to bring back angels that have escaped. Usually it's only used for imortant angels that are needed back.

Since Hongjoong already wore the anklet and is on Earth now, Jongho can't help but feel curious about something. "Why won't you bring me back now that you've already found me?" he asks while grunting in between from the pain on his ankle. Hongjoong stays silent in return, completely ignoring the younger's question.

He tries again. "You have me now, so why are we still here? Why bother dragging me to civilization on Earth?" Suddenly both of them stop moving.

"What if I have other intentions? I'll discuss this matter more with you when we've found somewhere to sit and relax. Don't waste your energy right now." He announces. 

With one last sharp exhale, the two limp away again. Soon enough they find a sign. "Sir, I can't read this lang-" "Wonderland." Hongjoong interrupts. Jongho raises an eyebrow in a questioning way before Hongjoong clarifies. "The sign says 'Wonderland'. I've already studied this language so you can count on me." he smiles for once, though it was obviously forced.

They walk past the green sign and come across a few benches. "We must be getting close to a town or city" Hongjoong thoughtfully mumbles.

He instantly stops in his tracks beside a bench. "Sit." he orders the younger, and although Jongho didn't want to take any more orders from his commander, he complies from how tired he is. After he sits, Hongjoong joins him.

"I'll propose my idea now. You've probably had many questions whirring in that curious mind of yours this entire time. I hope most of them get answered by my explanation." Jongho can't deny that it's true, the pile of questions he has continuously grows higher and higher by the second.

"If I'm not wrong, you've come here to look for Kang Soojung and Kang Yeosang, right?" Jongho warily nods slowly in reponse. "Well, I've come to find them too. Ever since I've messed up my job in the past, I've never let anyone leave again. I live every day in regret and I'm sick of it. I need to bring the twins back home, along with you. I cannot live with myself if I don't and following the rules is literally my job so I'm sorry Jongho, but I'll work with you from now on to find your friends, albeit for a different reason."

"So you want to use me just to bring all of us back to that place? Are you out of your mind? All three of us left for a reason so there's no way I'm leading you to them. Please kindly leave me alone." Jongho scowls at Hongjoong with disbelief.

The older raises an eyebrow in a cocky way and looks down at Jongho's ankle. "You plan to find your friends by yourself in that state? Please Jongho, you'll really need my help to find them as much as I'll need yours." Jongho looks away and scoffs. He feels angry, hating the fact that Hongjoong is right. His help would be extremely valuable and his knowledge would bring him to his friends so much faster.

Jongho's impatience wins him over once again.

"Fine, I'll help you as long as you help me too. I'll use this moment to finally admit that I really don't like you Sir, but your help is needed right now so I can't help but comply" he lets out a sigh of defeat. Hongjoong chuckles. "Oh don't worry, it was clear that you loathed me for the longest of time. You must feel great now that you can freely feel all these emotions." Hongjoong smiles to nothing in particular. "I feel great too. Let's enjoy this while we can, alright? Let your feelings run free before we return" Sadness washes over Hongjoong's glossy eyes for a second and Jongho catches on this with his hawk-like vision.

"You feel restricted over there too, don't you? Always hiding your true self from people, afraid of being brainwashed by others. You understand exactly how I feel. Sir- no, Hongjoong, let's live here and be free! You're already here so there's no need to go back!" Jongho's face lights up, finally finding something in common between him and his former commander.

"I've already thought about that, but there's nothing here for me. There's nothing worth living for on Earth to me, and it's probably going to stay that way. You enjoy your life here for this little while, you'll fit in quite well actually. We've both already been pretty human all our lives anyway, this shouldn't be too hard at all" He genuinely smiles for once, but his face is full of regret and surpressed emotions. It's evident that Hongjoong is certainly hiding more, but Jongho feels like he shouldn't press him for too many details yet.

"Let's find your friends now, okay?" Hongjoong firmly but softly states, once again supporting Jongho while the both of them slowly but steadily make their way towards 'Wonderland'.

A/N
Thank you so much for 500+ reads! Your support keeps me going, I really appreciate it <3
Also this little Jongho side-story thing is my favourite to write in this book, I don't know why but it's just so much fun  \(★ω★)/
And I may or may not have grown quite attached to Jongho while writing about him
(｡T ω T｡)
I'm pretty sure he's my favourite character so far, I hope you like him too! (･ω<)☆
Who's your favourite character, if you have one?