In Another Life With You | Taegyu

1

From the staircase above them, a woman walked towards the two. She bent to the boy's eye level, studying the child before looking to Beomgyu as he replied with a nod.

"Are you Kim Sang Woo?" She asked gently, her voice sweet and pleasant to the ears.

"How do you know my name?" He replied, looking at the lady with awe.

She merely replied with a smile. "Follow me," she said before taking the child by the hand as she guided him up the marble stairs.

Beomgyu watched silently, making one last eye contact with the boy as he waved back, watching him disappear from his sight.

"It's sad, isn't it?" A voice spoke from behind as Beomgyu swivelled around to see Sol, an archangel. "The youth of a boy ending this quick," he continued, his gaze resting on the marble-white stairs.

"It is, sadly," Beomgyu sighed, feeling his heart sink, knowing that Sang Woo was only a child when everything happened.

He's in a better place now, he convinced himself, mustering the strength to smile.

"Starved to death after being abandoned by his mother in the middle of the city," Sol said softly before turning to his protege, who was wearing the same sullen look as he. "Good job. I'm sure he lived a content life, even if it was a short one," he smiled, giving Beomgyu a pat on the back.

"I hope he did," the younger sighed, about to walk away―

"And where do you think you're going, Angel Number 53?" Sol asked.

"To rest?" Beomgyu asked, his brows furrowed in slight confusion.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," the older smiled, turning around as Beomgyu followed after.

"What do you mean? I thought we get a week to rest before being re-assigned a human to look after?" He asked as he tailed behind the archangel, seeming as if they were headed to one of the rooms before entering one.

"Change of plans," Sol answered shortly before grabbing a brown file off a desk as he tossed it to Beomgyu.

On instinct, Beomgyu caught it before realising what this all meant. It meant that he was about to be assigned to another soul to look after. He looked up, gobsmacked.

"But I―"

"I'm afraid we are short of guardian angels at the moment. Hell has already sent a devil for that particular human being, so I need you to fill in this one position, Beomgyu."

Opening the file, Beomgyu read the details written on it:

Name: Kang Taehyun
Date of Birth: 5 February 2002
Date of death: 22 September 2021

Upon the birth of every person, the date of their death has already been decided. No force or person will ever be able to change that. Guardian angels are assigned to each of these souls during their childhood or later in life. Their duty would be to protect them from anything that could intervene with the cause and time of their death, ensuring that they are provided with the protection until the day they die arrives.

From the beginning of time, hell and heaven lived in balance. Good and evil, blessings and sins, light and dark. Neither of the two existing if one were to perish. Like guardian angels, a personal devil is also assigned to each respective human soul. They are in charge of the misfortunes of a person's life: grief, loss, misfortune and eventually the cause of the person's death.

Kang Taehyun, Beomgyu read once more, letting that name be engraved in his mind.

"Aren't you curious as to who this person's devil will be? You will be working with them after all," Sol asked, seeming to look much more intrigued than Beomgyu was.

"No...?"

Then from behind, a clap of thunder was heard as the presence of another being entered the room. Beomgyu looked up to Sol, who seemed unbothered by another's sudden arrival.

"Surprise, surprise!" A voice laughed from behind as Beomgyu's jaw dropped, recognising whose voice it was at once. "Did you miss me?" Hueningkai asked, slinging an arm over the angel's shoulder as if they were the best of friends.

Only they weren't. Beomgyu rolled his eyes.

They have met once. And Beomgyu won't ever let go of what happened the last time they worked together.

"Great! Now that both of you are aware of who you're supposed to look for. The time starts now. Use it wisely," Sol said with a calmed smile.

"I'll be off now," Hueningkai smiled. "See you later."

Giving one last wink at the angel, Hueningkai left the room. Dread swallowed his heart as Beomgyu let out a heavy sigh, a sudden wave of despondency washing over him like a tide about to eat him whole.

"Now, you must know what to do," Sol said, snapping the younger out of his trance.

"You need to find Taehyun first before Hueningaki does."

[A/N: I promise things will start to get more interesting ><]