The Angel Effect

01 | adagio

ELAINE WONDERED HOW GUARDIAN ANGELS COULD FLY WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON THEIR WINGS. She wondered how they kept their dark secrets hidden, how they could mask their bitter identities between flutters of long lashes, how they could smile and laugh despite the black fire that lashed beneath the surfaces of their weary souls.

She used to think her roommate was one of these tormented beings, a burning enigma using a bright soul to hide her bitter troubles. She used to think Misaki's crazy antics were simply an act, but the more she got to know her, Elaine realized that the roommate was simply an energetic being. A wild girl.

And yes, despite the noise and chaos, Elaine still loved her roommate. She loved the way Misaki hid her giggles behind her pink-polished fingers, how she lived her life a quarter-mile at a time, how she brought out the sparkle in most people. And contrary to what Elaine used to think, Misaki wasn't a devil.

But she certainly wasn't an angel.

"Elaine!" Misaki cried, grabbing Elaine's shoulders and shaking her like a paint marker. Until moments ago, the two were studying in their Seoul apartment, occasionally interrupted by the honking horns of the city street below—well, Elaine was studying, Misaki was distracted (as usual). The white buildings across from theirs reflected the dreary grays-and-whites of the afternoon sky into their equally neutral-toned apartment, casting a hazy and sleepy mist to fall over their burnt-out brains.

Well, maybe Elaine was the only one feeling the exhaustion. Misaki never seemed to lose her shine.

"You have to join us tonight," Misaki begged, her lower lip jutting out. "They'll love you! I promise..." her voice faded into distant squeals as Elaine peered through the window. Her eyes glazed over, the afternoon sleepiness washing over her, welcoming her like a friendly wave.

Elaine needed a nap.

When Misaki got excited, she spoke fast. "Misa," Elaine finally said, holding her hands up. "Misa, slow down!"

The roommate beamed, her bright brown eyes still sparkling. "Sorry," Misaki laughed, making an effort to talk slower. "But please! You have to come to karaoke night with us!"

Elaine blinked twice. Her name was never but in the same sentence as karaoke. "I don't know-"

"I talk about you all the time," Misaki rambled on, ignoring her, "the entire crew wants to meet you..." It was an understatement to say that Misaki spoke with her entire body. With her small hands animating the words on her cherry-colored lips and her eyes gleaming with excitement, every statement that left her mouth seemed to glitter with genuine passion.

Elaine puffed her cheeks and sat up from her wooden chair. "I don't know, Misa," Elaine interjected. "It doesn't sound like my type of outing." 

Misaki's explosive aura seemed to dim at the slightest. "Oh," she realized, running a hand through her blonde-streaked hair. "Well." She paused, grabbing Elaine's phone. She typed a quick address down and handed it back to her. "If you change your mind, we'll be here at seven o'clock."

Elaine managed a weak smile, tugging on one of Misaki's blonde strands. "We'll see." She stood up from the squeaking chair, a fresh downpour of sleepiness drenching her almost immediately. "I have a class."

Misaki waved, automatically sitting in the vacant spot. "Have fun," she said with a cheery grin, "I love you!"

Elaine shrugged her linty coat over her shoulders and mirrored her roommate's actions. "Love you too."

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

The cold air of Seoul greeted Elaine with a blast. She shuddered, tightening the scarf Misaki had gifted her. She would never understand how the winters in Korea were bitterly cold, and the summers boiling hot. Mother Nature never seemed to make up her mind here.