"What do you mean they will be able to look at my memories?"
Jisung was panicking. He did not want the commission to see his memories — it's not like he has done anything sinful, it's just that he does not know what are the conditions for being pure enough to become an angel. He tasted alcohol and cigarettes in his human life, which might be enough for the commission to decide his fate in a way he would not like to head in. But apparently, even Changbin does not know what parameters the commission considers before giving away their final decision. And Jisung was everything but calm right now.
"Um, from what I know," Changbin started looking at the books messily placed on his roommate's table. "They need to be hundred percent sure you haven't sinned. So, Mrs Kim came up with a method and some kind of ... spells? Those let them visit your mind and explore your memories."
Jisung frowned, "Why? Don't they investigate you a little bit before you enrol here?"
"They do but it's not as accurate because they can see the things you let them see. During the exam, it will be your subconsciousness to talk and give away your information. It's harder for you to hide the bad things you've done if you don't even know who you are during the process." the angel said, shrugging and Jisung's eyes widened. Almost choking on his own saliva, he quickly grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it, Changbin laughing at him.
"That's so unfair," Jisung complained, a sad look on his face. This thing was making him feel overly anxious and that was a reaction he did not like any bit. Changbin just shook his head while slightly smiling.
"Be glad they told you, Han. When I was new here as well, no one told us anything. We just arrived into the room and they told us to sit down and then like this," he snapped his fingers. "the whole thing was over and their decisions were ready. After they told us the results, they admitted to entering our subconsciousness without our consent, not really apologizing to be fair. I wouldn't mind it much if only one person or the commission saw that but they let just anyone in the room. It's like you are being on a public autopsy and everyone is just watching someone else go through your insides but this time they are revealing your personal information that only you know ... and after that, they erase all your memories BUT the ones of your sins."
Upon hearing that, Jisung was even more nervous. It felt like it was way too much for him. Someone might ask why he cares this much if he's dead anyway? Well, embarrassing things suddenly do not stop being embarrassing once you pass away. Jisung throwing up on his test result during his freshman year will always be completely embarrassing to him even after thousands of years. The last thing he wants is to be reminded of that incident even here.
"That's cruel," he said to which Changbin shrugged and continued with reading a book that the younger thinks he saw in the library earlier that week. Then he began to think. "Why wasn't a representative of the devils' commission there? Hyunjin's father or something"
When Changbin heard that, he erupted into laughter, closing the book in his hands before throwing it on his bed. He put his arms (very muscular ones, Jisung thinks) around his stomach as he laughed even more upon imagining Satan himself visiting this place just to talk to a bunch of angels and devils.
"Oh no, Han," Changbin laughed, even more, tears almost forming in his eyes. "Expecting his father to be here is like expecting God to appear here. Also, no one from the opponent commission came here because they don't really care about the exam. Devils don't really have to train or study anything. They just ... become one."
Jisung gasped. "You're making it sound like they have it much easier than we do."
"If only you knew, Han. If only you knew." Changbin muttered but it was too low for Jisung to hear.
☙
The time was ticking, the day of his examination was much closer than he would like to acknowledge and he was once again sitting in the library, almost crying his eyes out upon the sight of the books on the table. It was driving him crazy — not only the exam itself but also the fact that he still hasn't found out what Hwang Hyunjin meant back then when he gave him 'advice'.
Changbin told him that he will give him time to study and revise, therefore he spends most of his day with the devils and Jisung rarely sees him now. He really wished he had moral support on him but every time he thought that his hand unconsciously went to his neck, gently gripping the necklace that his roommate gave him. It managed to calm him down sometimes and he felt very grateful for that. As his hand touched the metal accessory, he slowly lowered his head on the table, closing his eyes. He currently had no one but himself. Changbin, out. Seungmin, out. And that's probably the only people that would've supported him anyway.
His head shot up when a loud bang echoed in the previously quiet library. The boy turned his head towards the source of the noise, seeing probably his worst nightmare. An infamous group of devils entered the enormous room, with Hwang Hyunjin in the front. Jisung closed his eyes and internally groaned. Once his eyes were open again, the group walked past by his table and that's when Jisung noticed his roommate walking closely behind them. They exchanged looks and the younger frowned when he saw Changbin get closer to the devil that insulted him a few days back. Lee Minho, was it? He thought as his eyes followed the group, watching them sit down at a nearby table.
Burying his face in the books again, Jisung contemplated taking all the books on his table and taking them to his room since he was very unsure if he will be able to survive being in the same room as those devils. Especially since Hwang Hyunjin and Lee Minho were almost burning a hole in the back of his skull with their stares and that made Jisung feel very uncomfortable since he wanted his peace and silence. But that was impossible due to the chatter that could be heard in the room since the moment they stepped in. His head was still laying on his books but when he faintly heard his name echo in the room, he looked up and his gaze landed on the rascals — as he started to call them since this moment.
"Hey, you!" one of the devils shouted and Jisung bit his lip, fighting the urge to roll his eyes and sigh very loudly. He faked a smile for them, trying to seem amiable. When they saw his expression, they got up and made their way towards him. Within a second, Hwang Hyunjin was the first one to sit next to him and Jisung gritted his teeth, feeling uncomfortable. That feeling increased when Lee Minho sat in front of him. Truly, what a wonderful day.
"How are your study sessions going?" Hyunjin asked, pointing at the books laid out on the table. Jisung acted out a grimace of pain before straightening his back and flashing a very bright smile. He continued to smile as he closed all the books on the table and stacked them on one another before answering.
"Perfectly." then he got up, grabbed his books and was about to leave when a hand grabbed him (again) and stopped him in his tracks. Sharply inhaling, he turned around and his eyes were met with Minho's. The older devil was smirking at him, his grip tightening with every second. What's up with them and cutting the blood circulation in my hand? He thought as his eyes travelled down his arm to his hand. This time, he did not feel the burning sensation he felt with Hyunjin when he touched him, but he definitely felt something stronger. He was much more intimidated now.
"Let's have a quick talk," he whispered so low that Jisung thought he did not hear that right. Minho looked at Hyunjin with a smirk which he returned. The youngest raised his eyebrows as he noticed how the son of satan snapped his fingers. The world suddenly stopped. No noise could be heard, no movement could be detected apart from the two devils' and his own.
"What ... What the hell just happened ... " Jisung said as he looked around him. He quickly cut off Hyunjin who was about to answer his question. "That was rhetorical."
"Well," he began, anyway, as he started walking away, Jisung following right behind with Minho a few feet behind them. "After a long discussion with Changbin, I have decided to be kind enough to give you some lessons."
Upon hearing that, Jisung went pale. Nice, first time getting beaten up. He badly wanted to stop in his tracks and just run away somewhere very far but that would probably guarantee him another beating. As if hearing his thoughts, Hyunjin spoke up.
"Don't worry, we are not going to beat you to a pulp," he reassured him, which caused Jisung to groan internally but he nodded anyway. He heard the devil behind him chuckle like a maniac and that threw the younger boy off the guard. He did not understand what was so funny about this situation but then he remembered Minho is not the one being taken away by the two probably most evil people under the Sun.
"Sometimes I wish I could hear his thoughts, too." He admitted and Jisung abruptly stopped, causing Minho to collide with him since he was most likely not watching where he is going anyways. Hyunjin turned around to see what is happening and he saw Jisung slightly frightened and confused face. Lowkey betrayed, too.
"Don't worry, soon-to-be angel. Everything will be explained to you very soon. Now, please, follow me."
But Jisung did not obey. He folded his arms on his chest and watched Hyunjin go away, almost disappearing in the darkness. He shivered when he felt Minho's hot breath on his neck, soon followed by words said in a low tone — "If I were you, I would move unless you want to face consequences."
He gulped and quickly caught up with Hyunjin.