Work Text:
---
A small cherub angel was waiting on a distant rooftop near Mina's home. She's using her binoculars to see if someone stepped out of the house. She had her bow and arrow ready but Mina hadn't come out of her house for weeks.
The small cherub even flew on Mina's windows several times just to check if the young girl was still alive. The angel only saw Mina watching TV, reading books, writing on her laptop as a part of work and sleeping most of the time.
The angel almost lulled to sleep until the door opened. It must have been a miracle that Mina ran out of her food supplies so she came out of her home. Wearing an oversized hoodie and holding folded eco bags for her groceries.
"Okay, Chaeng! You got this. You've been doing this for centuries. You're the best cupid in the world. Just shoot the arrow quickly and your mission will be over." Chaeyoung said excitedly to herself as she flew up and followed Mina's tracks.
Mina apparently stopped walking and looked over a displayed item in a bakery. Chaeyoung had to use her binoculars to check what was it.
A penguin-shaped bread
The looks on Mina's face was priceless. She looked like she wanted to buy it until a woman from the bakery started talking to her.
"A perfect match! This is the moment I have been waiting for!" Chaeyoung celebrated and prepared her bow and arrow for a hit.
"Would you like to buy it?" a woman from the bakery whose name tag can be read as ‘Tzuyu’ asked Mina, whose face was covered by her hoodie.
"N-No…" Mina walked away hurriedly and Chaeyoung's arrow hit the baker girl while the second arrow missed because Mina moved hurriedly.
Another girl who's forehead couldn't be seen passed by the bakery and said "I would buy it! I love bread!"
"F-Five dollars…" the baker girl blushed
"Damn it, she didn't see Mina's face!" Chaeyoung scratched her head and continued to follow Mina.
---
When they reached the grocery store, Chaeyoung decided to wear her invisibility cloak as she landed on the ground and walked beside Mina.
They had been walking aisle per aisle as Mina took a lot of supplies on her cart. The girl probably planned not to go out of her house for a long time again.
"Let's see potential partners here." Chaeyoung looked around and smiled to herself when she spotted someone…
Mina's neighbour.
"Mina!"
Mina looked back and saw someone she knew. Her neighbour/ her church-mate, Dahyun.
"Oh, Dahyun." Mina softly spoke
"It's been a while, where did you move? I haven't heard about you for quite some time." Dahyun asked
"I-I… I still live in the same place." Mina answered awkwardly
It's always been like this, Mina would see someone she knows on a grocery store and would ask her where she moved because they have not seen her for a long time.
On the other hand, Chaeyoung was having a hard time deciding whether to use her bow in striking an arrow since Dahyun and Mina was just close to her proximity.
"I'll just stab the arrow at them. Easy peasy." Chaeyoung brought out two arrows and held it in her hands.
"I see, well, you seem to have a lot of shopping to do. I'll be going my way. Drop by the church some time." Dahyun smiled and waved goodbye to Mina.
"This is it!" Chaeyoung was about to stab both Dahyun and Mina with her love arrows until Mina ran towards the rack with her eyes shining brightly the moment she saw the bottles of ketchup. Mina dropped a bottle due to her excitement and the bottle rolled over the floor "Ooops!" causing Chaeyoung to trip over Dahyun and Dahyun fell over the passerby with pink hair.
"Ouch!"
Chaeyoung looked for the arrows on her hands only to realize she stabbed it towards Dahyun and the passerby.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Chaeyoung looked for Mina but it seems that Mina fled away from the scene and walked over the other aisle to continue her shopping as if nothing happened.
"Such a stubborn introvert! Why don't you just go to the nunnery and isolate yourself forever?!" Chaeyoung was so frustrated towards Mina when her heavenly phone rang.
It's a message from God Jihyo.
'We have to talk. - God Jihyo'
From that moment, Chaeyoung knew she screwed up.
---
A few moments later in heaven…
A heavenly body who had shone so bright appeared before the cupid and Chaeyoung freaked out.
A goddess was shown.
"I'm sorry God Jihyo, I have lost my patience and I have sinned!" Chaeyoung kneeled
"No one is perfect… except me of course. The holy secretary of God. You may rise," Jihyo spoke and looked at Chaeyoung who was standing up from her kneeling position. Chaeyoung's face looked frustrated due to the pending mission that she couldn't finish because her prospect was highly introverted. "So, Mina? Any progress?" Jihyo asked
"N-Not so good… I'm sorry. Are you sure that Mina is meant to be paired with someone? I think she is one of those people who are better off alone." Chaeyoung let out her sentiments.
"It is written in Mina's destiny to have someone she loves." Jihyo snapped her fingers and a crystal ball appeared. Chaeyoung could see Mina reading a book on the crystal ball, smiling.
"She looks happy being alone."
"She may look happy alone but for sure she gets lonely too. Look what she's reading."
Chaeyoung had a closer look at what Mina was reading.
"A romantic novel?"
"Correct."
"I don't know what to do with her, please help me."
Chaeyoung saw Jihyo smiling at her and said, "The law of attraction can be quite tricky. If you cannot find someone who compliments might as well find the opposite."
"I am aware. I couldn't find someone who compliments with Mina probably because they seldom get out of their house too."
"Do you know the opposite of Mina?"
Chaeyoung looked at the goddess and tilted her head in curiosity.
"Extroverts."
"it's hard for me to find her soulmate because she almost never gets out of her house. I'm not sure if she has friends as well."
"Only an extroverted friend could drag an introverted friend out of their house."
"I've been in this case for such a long time already. I need to fulfil other love's destinies too."
"That wouldn't be a problem," Jihyo snapped her fingers and a golden bow and arrow appeared on her hand. "I'll help you shoot some arrows."
"But you haven't been in our class when they gave an archery class for the angels!"
"Never doubt God Jihyo."
As if a lightbulb turned on inside her head, she smiled as she knew what to do.
"I'll be on my way, God Jihyo."
Jihyo watched the cupid fly down to Earth and Jihyo smiled happily, she snapped her fingers and a scroll appeared on her hand. She rolled it and read what's written on it.
'God is love.'
After a few hours, the goddess was bored and decided to do something.
"I'll shoot some arrows today." Jihyo looked on Earth "Hmm, how to do this?" Jihyo checked her bow and arrow and looked at her target "I guess this girl may be great for a trial shot."
Jihyo closed her left eye to focus on her target "1,2,3...hit!" Then her eyes grew large when she saw what happened.
"Ooops!"
---
Chaeyoung had decided to fake her identity as a human being by locking her wings behind her through wearing a key necklace. In that way, she could be Mina's friend and encourage the latter to go out of her house and meet her soulmate.
Chaeyoung read a human manual on how to win friends.
Give nice compliments
Treat your friend
Never give up
Do not judge their life choices
Stay by their side
"I can do this all, seems easy." Then Chaeyoung saw a group of friends eating a box of pizza for dinner.
'WANTED, DELIVERY GIRL.'
"Seems like God's favour is on me."
---
Three knocks were heard on Mina's door. Mina peeped through the hole before she opened it.
"Pizza delivery!" A small petite girl smiled at her and handed Mina the box.
Mina thought that the girl was cute because her dimples could be seen when she smiled and she's a cute size like a penguin and the pizza smelled so good but that didn't matter to Mina.
Mina wanted to be alone.
"I-I didn't order...pizza!" Mina hurriedly scrammed inside her house and locked the door again
Three knocks were heard on Mina's door again.
"Dearest customer, it says here Lot 3, Myoui Mina,"
Mina peeped through the door again and raised her voice a little so the pizza girl could somehow hear her.
"But I didn't order…"
"Ouch!" Mina could see the delivery girl holding her leg with a painful expression.
"What happened?"
"Nothing, tired of long walks, I guess. Please open the door and take this? I don't want to be fired from my job." The pizza girl looked so sad and worried so Mina slowly opened the door.
"How much? The pizza…" Mina asked awkwardly
"$8."
"L-Let me get my...wallet," Mina left her door a bit open so the delivery girl went inside her house uninvitedly.
While Mina was looking for her wallet at her desk, she was startled by someone talking to her.
"Nice place." The pizza girl looked around
"W-What are you doing...here?" Mina should feel annoyed because the delivery girl was surely nosey but somehow she couldn't be mad about it.
"Getting the pay." The pizza girl smiled sheepishly
"O-Oh, here." Mina handed her a big amount of paper bill.
"I don't have a change for that, do you have an exact amount for this?"
"Let me see…"
It took quite some time of comfortable silence until the Mina spoke again.
"I think I don't have…"
"You know what, it's okay."
"Huh?"
"Your pizza is on me." The delivery girl smiled at Mina and slowly walked out the door
"W-Wait! But…" the delivery girl held her hand briefly and Mina flinched a little in surprise
"My name is Chaeyoung. Here's our card. If you really want to pay for it then why don't you order some pizza at our diner sometime? Or maybe we could share a box? They said it's more fun to eat pizza with a friend." Mina's eyes had gotten bigger and she's looking at the girl with an odd expression and looked back at the card on her hands
"By the way, your house looks pretty as you." The delivery girl waved goodbye at the blushing Mina and Mina was left standing at her doorstep in awe for a few minutes.
"What just happened?" Mina thought.
The delivery girl went towards a secluded alley and removed her key necklace. A bright light appeared as she flew up into the sky.
"Jesus, flying is easier than walking. My leg hurts already."
Chaeyoung read a human manual on how to win friends and ticked some goals on the list.
Give nice compliments ✓
Treat your friend ✓
Never give up
Do not judge their life choices
Stay by their side
"It's a good start," Chaeyoung folded her manual "and she looks cute when she's flustered." she giggled as she looked at Mina who was still flustered on her doorstep.
---
It's been a week, Chaeyoung kept on waiting for Mina at the diner but she never came.
"Human Manual number 3, never give up!" she sighed
Chaeyoung read a human manual on how to win friends.
Give nice compliments ✓
Treat your friend ✓
Never give up ✓
Do not judge their life choices
Stay by their side
Chaeyoung was getting bored at the diner's kitchen counter until she heard people yelling at the diner. She came out of the kitchen to check it out.
"You're too much! I've had enough of you! Do you think you're pretty? You're just a narcissistic bitch and you got bunny teeth!" a short-haired girl that looked like a dude said
"Oh, really? If I had known better I'd say you've got a crush on me!" the other girl proudly state
The short-haired girl scoffed "Not in your wildest dreams, Nayeon! I'd rather die!"
"Well, let me help you!"
"Die!"
Chaeyoung saw a chaotic fight between two girls throwing pizza against each other. Chaeyoung was not pleased.
"People should love one another instead of hating one another over petty things. I ought to do something about this." Chaeyoung removed her apron and went out of the diner fastly and ran towards a secluded alley. She removed her necklace and transformed as a cupid. She wore her invisibility cloak and aim for her targets.
"From this day onwards, you two will love one another forever."
The cupid wanted to spread the love so she shot them to teach them a lesson.
And when Chaeyoung went back to her work, she got fired from her job because she was M.I.A. when the fight happened.
"Oh, what luck, I guess no pizza for Mina." Chaeyoung sighed being jobless resulting for her to get back on her usual ways.
---
She had been spying on Mina's windows and all she could see was Mina doing her work on her laptop and occasionally having a brief phone call from what she guesswork.
It's another normal day for Chaeyoung not until she saw a drastic change on Mina's usual stoic expression.
Mina looked happy.
Mina was having a phone call and answering enthusiastically.
"Am I really going to have a book? You're going to publish my story?!" Mina was beyond excited
Chaeyoung was weirded out. "So, she's a human being after all." Chaeyoung thought to herself as it's her first time to see Mina showing various expressions on her face.
"On Friday? I guess I can come."
"Come? So, she's going out?" Chaeyoung saw Mina hesitated a bit but she still smiled all throughout the phone.
"Thank you for choosing me! Thank you so much!"
When the phone call ended Mina called someone on her phone.
"Somi, I'm going to get published! I was chosen!
Mina walked back and forth as she excitedly told what happened to the person on the other line.
"Wow, she has a friend." Chaeyoung saw Mina picked up her penguin plushie and hugged it. "Cute."
"Somi, are you still there?"
"I'm going there at the publishing house on Friday to sign the contract!"
"Who is this person?" Chaeyoung felt uneasy but still listened to the conversation, she wanted to hear what the other person was saying so she used her ability to hear well.
"Are you happy for me, Somi?"
"Let's talk some other time, Mina."
"Okay, take care."
"That was a cold response." Chaeyoung shrugged as she observed Mina looked in the mirror.
"I've got three days to practice what I will say," Mina said worriedly
"Hi, I'm Myoui Mina. Nice to meet you!'
And it went like that for the succeeding days. When Friday came, Mina looked dolled up from head to toe as she enthusiastically went out of the house.
"I guess, it's a good time to shoot the arrow!" Chaeyoung said excitedly as she followed Mina.
They've reached the publishing house and Chaeyoung put on her invisibility cloak.
Chaeyoung saw Mina smiled towards someone.
"Looks like a compatible match." Chaeyoung prepared her bow and arrow to shoot
"Somi! What are you doing here? Will they publish your work too? Oh my god!" Mina asked
"So, she is Somi?" Chaeyoung saw that the girl named Somi wasn't smiling at all.
"Mina, I'm sorry…"
"What are you saying?..."
"Miss Myoui Mina?" Someone from the publishing house called her
"Yes?"
"Come inside, and you too Miss Somi."
Chaeyoung spied on their conversation and lowered down her bow. "Something isn't right."
The three people sat down and started talking.
"H-Hi, nice t-to meet you… Myoui Mina… I mean, I am Myoui Mina." Mina nervously introduced herself
Chaeyoung chuckled "Way to go Mina! Never thought she practiced that for three days." Chaeyoung shook her head in amusement.
"I regret to inform you that Miss Myoui, we are not going to publish your work anymore." The man from the publishing company said
"What?! Why?" Mina was shocked
"We discovered that your work is not authentic."
"How could that be? I wrote that myself! Ask Somi, she's my beta reader!"
"You plagiarized my work," Somi said and looked down in guilt.
The hurt in Mina's expression was visibly shown. "That's not true! I asked you to edit them!"
"I have the evidence. I have all the raw drafts."
"I have given that to you!"
"We're terribly sorry Miss Myoui, we have decided to choose Miss Somi's work instead."
Mina was devastated as she stood up from her chair and left, Somi came to follow her.
"Mina, wait!"
Mina slapped her "How could you do this to me Somi? We've been friends since we were young and you know that this is my dream!"
"It is my dream too! And my story is much better than yours! I didn't know why they had to choose yours!"
Apparently, Mina and her childhood friend Somi had joined a writing competition and when Mina's work was chosen, Somi was not pleased about it so she told the publisher that Mina plagiarized her work to get published instead.
"And you have to lie and crush me just to prove that you are better than I am?!"
"M-Mina…"
"You're dead to me. Don't talk to me ever again." Mina went out of the building as she cried.
"Looks like they're not compatible as I thought." Chaeyoung decided to follow Mina.
---
Chaeyoung found Mina yelling at a tree in front of her house.
"I deserve respect!" Mina kicked the tree and sobbed childishly
"What an odd girl, why would someone talk to a tree?" Chaeyoung laughed and wore her necklace to be human. "Maybe it's a perfect chance to be friends with her."
Chaeyoung read a human manual on how to win friends.
Give nice compliments ✓
Treat your friend ✓
Never give up ✓
Do not judge their life choices✓
Stay by their side
"I deserve respect!… waaaaahhhh!" Mina sobbed as she repetitively kicked the tree. Chaeyoung approached the sulking girl. "Hey, leave the poor tree alone." Mina looked at her and stood up as she wiped her tears ``I don't talk to strangers." she said
"But we know each other, Mina." Chaeyoung smiled and Mina looked at Chaeyoung's face intensely to recognize and pointed at her. "Y-You were the pizza girl!"
"Yes, Son Chaeyoung at your service."
"W-Why are you staring at me?" Mina asked awkwardly as she hid her face with her hair
"Nothing, you're just pretty even when you are crying." Chaeyoung said and smiled "Whatever hurts you is not worth your tears, Mina." Chaeyoung reached for Mina's hand "So, ice-cream?"
"Why are you talking to me?"
"A pretty girl has to be next to a pretty girl." Chaeyoung wiggled her brows and Mina fought an urge to smile.
"You think you are pretty?"
"I think you are pretty."
Mina looked at Chaeyoung in confusion but who would skip a free ice-cream?
"But I don't want to go out," Mina whined
"Then we'll eat it at your house."
"Why would I invite a stranger to my house?"
"Then we'll eat it at your doorstep."
"Fair enough."
They ended up buying bottles of alcohol aside from ice-cream.
The moon was full when they realized they finished the bottles.
Mina whined, cried, laughed, and punched her shoulders occasionally. Chaeyoung thought that Mina got this 4d personality. The stoic Mina apparently had feelings too.
"I couldn't believe that Somi did that! My one and only friend. She just threw away the years of our friendship just because of her stupid jealousy over my work. I spent months writing that story and she just stole it like that." Mina sobbed
"Cheer up, I'm sure you have other friends aside from her."
"It's hard for me to make friends, people think I am weird and they don't get my ways. I don't even know why I am talking to you right now."
"Well, if you need a replacement for a friend, I am here." Chaeyoung patted the other girl's shoulder.
"I have a tendency to bail out and cancel plans."
"I accept how introverted you are." Chaeyoung shrugged and put away the empty bottles.
"You seem to be the type that is really outgoing," Mina observed Chaeyoung.
"Well, there is more to life than the four walls of your room."
"I disagree."
"You have to come out with me to find out."
"Are you asking me out?" Mina asked in amusement.
"As an extroverted friend, yes."
"Then, it's a no for me."
"Is there something you're good at aside from writing?"
"I have an uncanny ability to disappear during a social event," Mina said proudly
"Oh, yeah?, I have an ability to be invisible." Chaeyoung accidentally states her facts.
Mina scoffed "Yeah, right. I am superman."
Chaeyoung sighed in relief and laughed awkwardly when the girl thought she was being sarcastic. "Is there anything you want to do that you have never experienced before?"
Mina thought for a while until she spoke, "I want to know how it is to be a social butterfly. I'm always terrible at dealing with people. It must be nice but my home is nicer."
"Home fairy Mina!" Chaeyoung teased
"What about you, Chaeyoung?"
"Nothing, I'm perfect and my experience is enough," Chaeyoung said
"Oh, wow."
"Really."
"Come on, just one thing you want to experience, miss perfect."
"I want to feel what it is like to love."
"You haven't loved before?"
"I know the feeling of love in context but never the actual feeling of it."
"Well, you know when it's love when you started to change who you are voluntarily for that person. When you started not to care about other people. When you started to accept all that other person's flaws and when you imagine your future with that person. That is love." Mina said dreamily
"Have you ever been in love?"
"I don't know, but I may be like some people, but they don't know if I exist so it doesn't matter. I'm over it."
"A person who'll love you will be lucky, Mina. You're one of a kind."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, Chaeyoung. I can see you double!" And Mina laughed softly
"You're drunk."
"I don't know why you are still sober."
"I'm stronger than you."
"I doubt you're too small."
"You have a nice necklace." Mina started to touch Chaeyoung's key necklace and the cupid freaked out a little for her disguised might be busted once her necklace came off.
"Don't touch it, it might come off!"
"But, I want to have it!"
"No."
"Fine, keep it."
"Do you have a type?"
"Type? Like an ideal person or something?"
"Yeah."
Mina started to lean towards Chaeyoung "I want someone…" Mina looked at Chaeyoung and started talking "-who understands me, has a nice smile, very charming and warm." Mina touched Chaeyoung's face and for a minute, Chaeyoung thought that Mina's heart was racing...or was it her own? Then, her necklace was accidentally pulled off by Mina and her angel wings started to come out. Chaeyoung freaked out as she looked at Mina’s eyes widely. Unsure if Mina was aware, she didn't have time to figure it out until Mina passed out.
---
Meanwhile in heaven...
"I'll shoot some arrows today." Jihyo looked on Earth. Jihyo checked her bow and arrow and looked at her target "I wonder how Chaeyoung is doing. The red light on her leg seems to be going up to her heart. I wonder how to solve this." Jihyo scratched her head. Then, her bow and arrow seemed to be guiding her in what to do. "You want me to make it even?" The arrow lightened in approval "Okay, if it's meant to be."
Jihyo closed her left eye to focus on her target "1,2,3...hit!" Then her eyes grew large when she saw what happened.
"Now, I wonder how this would turn out for the cupid."
Jihyo snapped her finger and a scroll appeared on her hand. She read what's written on it and smiled.
"In God, we trust."
---
The next day, when Mina woke up, She felt something sticking on her forehead, a post-it from Chaeyoung.
"I took the liberty to bring you inside your home. Let's hang out again, shall we? P.S. When I said out, I mean really out. - Your extrovert friend, Chaeyoung"
Mina woke up with a terrible hangover but she was never this happy early in the morning.
"Son Chaeyoung, you are really something."
---
Weeks had passed and Chaeyoung's friendship with Mina blossomed and reached a deeper level of trust. The two of them were always together. Chaeyoung would always come to Mina's house uninvited and would always drag the girl out.
"Mina, let's shop!"
"Mina, your grocery is running out!"
"Mina, let's watch a movie!"
"Mina, let's exercise in the park!"
Mina felt tired, she was cramming to finish a new story from her work so she said no but Chaeyoung always had her ways on Mina.
"I can't, I'm working on this story. I am having a writer's block."
"Then, it's a good time to go out and get inspiration to finish it!"
"I hate you Son Chaeyoung."
"I know you don't mean that Myoui Mina."
Somehow, Chaeyoung managed to bring Mina to a peaceful café to do her work. Chaeyoung saw the barista kept looking at Mina and she smiled. The barista had this positive aura and clean look that Chaeyoung could vibe. "This is a good person who fits Mina." she thought
"Mina, do you think that guy is cute?" Chaeyoung said
Mina looked at Chaeyoung with an unreadable expression and next to the guy.
"He's not that bad."
"I'll just order a frappe." Chaeyoung made her way to the cashier and talked to the guy, Mina could just sigh and looked at Chaeyoung.
"Hi, excuse me! I've seen you're looking at my friend."
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable…"
"Nonsense, you seem to be nice. Can I get your name and your number? Maybe we can arrange something about this."
"S-Sure."
Apparently, Chaeyoung thought she found Mina her perfect match.
It's a perfect time for Chaeyoung to shoot the arrows but she seemed to be hesitant about it so she promised herself to arrange Mina and the guy the perfect date before she shot her arrows because Mina deserves the best things in the world or maybe she wanted to quit pairing Mina to other people? She’s starting to feel the greed of humans towards love and with that, Chaeyoung felt so guilty.
“Do I deserve to be an angel?”
They've been looking for an inspiration for Mina to write better. When her story was finished she sent it to another publisher. And she was accepted. Mina was wondering how Chaeyoung would react since she had a bad experience telling her victory from her previous friend before.
"S-So...I'm getting published," Mina said carefully and observed Chaeyoung's reaction
Chaeyoung's eyes lit up with excitement and hugged her tightly, " I'm so happy for you!"
"Thank you for understanding me, Chaeyoung." Mina smiled in relief and thought Chaeyoung was really different from her friend before.
"This calls for a celebration! Let's drink outside!"
They've been going out for weeks and Mina was practically drained out. Her social batteries have to be restored.
"Chaeyoung, let's stay at home this time."
---
Mina tapped a space on her couch for Chaeyoung to fill and hugged her friend.
"Oooof!"
"Don't move."
"What are you doing?" Chaeyoung asked
Mina grinned and hugged her tighter "Charging my battery..." Mina gave Chaeyoung a kiss on the cheek and she noticed Chaeyoung's expression and distance herself a bit to look at Chaeyoung "I-s this okay? Are you uncomfortable?" she asked carefully
Chaeyoung thought that human beings were weird for needing intimacy in their lives but it feels oddly warm and comfortable, "Disgusting, but do it again."
Mina throws a fit of laughter, "It's comfortable having you around." They cuddled.
"It's nice seeing your face bright. You've been sulky these past few days."
"That's because you always drag me out."
"You need to come out and find your soulmate, Mina."
"I feel happy right here."
"Happiness is when you love someone, that's what they say."
"I've been scared of crowded places, Chaeyoung. But somehow, you've managed to make me face my fears.I don't think I need to find someone as long as you're here."
"Mina, having a friend is different from having a soulmate! You need to be happy."
"I don't even like someone."
"How do you know if you like someone?"
"Your heart will start to ache if you find that one with another person." Mina shrugged.
Chaeyoung wheezed and commented, "That's dark."
"It can be that way." Mina looked at her and Chaeyoung decided to ask an interesting question, "If I am a character from your story, how would you describe me?"
Mina thought for a while and answered but Chaeyoung hit her shoulder, "A villain, ouch! I didn't know you're violent Chaeyoung!"
"Use your writing skills, Myoui."
"When we spent our first night together at my doorstep, I thought you’re an angel. I’ve seen your wings and you glowed brightly. So, I would say you are an angel.”
"Who said I was an angel?"
"I'm just too lazy to say you are a very annoying extrovert who always asks this tired introvert out." Mina laughed nervously
"Are you lonely Mina?"
"Not so much since you are here."
"Would you like to meet your soulmate?" Chaeyoung asked hesitantly.
Mina looked at her and answered, "Who doesn't?"
"I think I know someone who fits."
Mina clasped their hands together and only looked at Chaeyoung, “Like this?”
Chaeyoung looked at their interlaced fingers, “Yeah, like...that.” Then, she felt a sharp sting on her heartstrings. She cleared her throat and escaped the gaze at her by looking elsewhere.
"R-Remember that barista guy?"
"Who?"
"The guy at the café!"
"What about him?"
"He seems to be a very nice person and he likes you."
Mina let go of Chaeyoung’s hand and crossed her arms, "Don't ever think about it, Chaeyoung."
"I already did."
"But I already texted him."
"How could you do this…"
"Mina,"
Chaeyoung set Mina to date since she thought she found someone like Mina's type. She should do her duty as an angel and get her job done like she usually does.
"A date?! I don't want to. It's a terrible idea!"
"But I want you to be happy Mina."
"I am happy."
"You need someone to make you happy."
"You're here to do that."
"T-That's a different case."
"I don't need anyone else if you're here… Chaeyoung, please. can’t you see that I..." Chaeyoung cut her off "Mina, please give it a chance? Do it for me? I could only rest easy if I knew that someone would be there to take care of you."
"Isn't that what you're here for?"
"This is different, Mina. Please consider it."
There were several minutes of heavy silence until Mina found her voice again, "What's his name?"
"Bambam."
Mina reluctantly agreed.
"Fine, if that's what you want."
---
The date between Mina and the barista guy named "Bambam" went well. Chaeyoung could see Mina laughing at his jokes and they seemed to look good together.
"...As a child, I've always been clumsy so I hated going out," the guy said and Mina laughed
"I hate going out too!"
Chaeyoung was watching from afar, she should shoot her arrows now but she couldn't. She thought everything was going according to her plans until her heart started to ache when she saw them getting along well.
"Just what is this feeling?"
Then, she remembered her previous conversation with Mina.
"How do you know if you like someone?"
"Your heart will start to ache if you find that one with another person."
Her heart started to ache so much. She knew she had been shot. The leg shot effect went to her heart. So, it started from a simple crush to love.
"I'M IN LOVE...I'M IN LOVE! GOD JIHYO, I LOVE YOU BUT I HATE YOU TOO!"
When the date was over, Mina and Chaeyoung met at her doorstep.
"So…"
"Yeah?"
"What do you think of him?"
"He's funny. He's okay."
"I'm happy for you."
She started to avoid Mina. Their usual meetings were cut off all because of her stupid feelings. And Mina could only wonder what happened between her and Chaeyoung.
Chaeyoung went to heaven crying, she thought she suffered unrequited love and she failed as a cupid.
"I'm sorry God Jihyo, I'm a failure!"
"You're doing well Chaeyoung. You tried your best."
Chaeyoung kept on crying until Jihyo snapped her fingers and Mina's face was shown on the crystal ball.
Mina came looking for her at the diner.
"E-Excuse me, is Son Chaeyoung around?" Mina asked the guy at the diner.
"She no longer works here miss."
"I-I see, thank you." And Chaeyoung could see Mina's eyes glistening with tears
"Now, can you see her Chaeyoung? She cares for you. You taught her how to love."
"What should I do God Jihyo?"
"Follow your heart."
"I love her, but I would lose everything I have because of her."
"Love takes sacrifice. The question is are you brave enough to risk it all?"
"I think I'll be sad if I lose her."
"Are you willing to give up your wings and live as a human? Experience pain, hunger, and sufferings? But most of all experience love? You'll lose your memories Chaeyoung, you'll forget Mina too. But you'll become a human who's able to love freely."
She'll forget Mina too
"I want to be with her."
"Then, let it be. The heart that loves never forgets, Chaeyoung. All you have to do is confess your love and your wings would be taken."
"But what if she doesn't love me back?"
"Then, at least you tried your best."
"Who would shoot the arrows if the cupid is not around?"
"I, God Jihyo will handle everything."
---
Words from the previous conversation echo on Chaeyoung’s head,
"Are you willing to give up your wings and live as a human?"
"I think I'll be sad if I lose her."
"I want to be with her."
"The heart that loves never forgets…"
Chaeyoung read a human manual on how to win friends.
Give nice compliments ✓
Treat your friend ✓
Never give up✓
Do not judge their life choices✓
Stay by their side✓
"The last one is the hardest. I have to lose everything I have and change my life in order to have a future with Mina. But Mina, she is worth the risk." Chaeyoung thought to herself
The confession day, Chaeyoung decided to write Mina a letter and sent it at her doorstep together with her key necklace, she no longer has to pretend to be a human.
"I love you, I'm sorry for failing to notice my feelings. My mind may forget you but my heart will always remember you. I hope we meet again Mina. Let's start anew."
She wrote 'I love Mina.' at her wrist as she gave up her wings. In a split second, she forgot about everything.
---
Chaeyoung woke up in an alley and decided to walk around cluelessly until someone called her.
"Chaeyoung!" A guy from a pizza diner greeted her and pointed at the advertisement board
"WANTED, CREW."
"Chaeyoung? Is that my name" she thought to herself
"Are you still interested in doing the job? We couldn't hire anybody, the crew guy just resigned yesterday."
"I guess I have nothing to do anyway." she thought
"Sure!"
---
Months later, Chaeyoung had a job as a crew member on a pizza diner she previously worked before. They called her Chaeyoung so she guessed that's her name. She was taken back by her employer. Clueless to everything, she could only remember what was written on her wrist 'I love Mina.'
"Who is Mina?" she could only ask herself as she stared outside the diner
"Chaeyoung?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Our delivery guy is absent today. Can you do the deliveries today?"
"I guess I can."
"It will be just like what you did before."
"What I did before, huh?" Chaeyoung closed her eyes as she tried to remember but she couldn't.
She was assigned to deliver pizza to their avid customers.
Three knocks were heard on the door of the customer.
"Coming!" she heard a familiar voice
The door was opened, she saw someone who wore a shocked expression as she closed the door abruptly.
Three knocks were heard again.
"My dearest customer, it says here Lot 3, Myoui Mina?"
The door was opened again, slowly. Chaeyoung saw a girl sobbing as she was looking towards her.
"I've waited a long time for you…"
"I'-m sorry, I had other deliveries that were far from here. We will try to deliver faster next time."
The girl named Myoui Mina just stared at her and Chaeyoung awkwardly gave her the pizza box "H-Here's your pizza."
Mina took the box from Chaeyoung and left the door open.
"L-Let me get my wallet,"
"Nice place you have." Chaeyoung looked around as she entered the familiar territory.
"Feel at home."
"Home?" Chaeyoung suddenly felt her heart leapt
After a minute of silence, Mina spoke, "I thought you've resigned from work…"
"They said, but they offered me this job," Chaeyoung stated what she knows
"How come you only delivered to me just now?"
"I'm originally a crew at the diner, our delivery guy was absent so I have to take cover."
"I see, so if I come to the diner, you'll be there?"
"I guess?"
"That's a relief."
Chaeyoung could only look at the girl with curiosity as she thought everything about this situation was oddly familiar.
"That would be $8," Chaeyoung said
"I know."
"Do you have a smaller amount? I don't have change for this."
"Chaeyoung,"
"How did you know…"
"They said it's more fun to eat pizza with a friend, want to share the box with me?" Mina said with a teary-eyed expression.
"I would love to but I have some deliveries to make."
Mina held Chaeyoung hands briefly "Here's my card. Call me just in case you change your mind."
"You have a nice necklace." Chaeyoung noticed Mina's pendant.
"The key, given by the nicest person in the world."
Before Chaeyoung went out the door, Mina called her and said "Chaeyoung, let's start a new." she kissed her cheeks and watched Chaeyoung's retreating figure as she left.
Chaeyoung could just dumbly nod her head. "What just happened?" she wondered as she was all flustered as she touched her warm cheeks.
“Just who is Mina in my life?”
Chaeyoung didn't call Mina so Mina got into a drastic measure of going out. Mina would always go to the diner to eat pizza just to see Chaeyoung. She would sit there the whole day writing, drawing or doodling on her notebook until Chaeyoung’s shift is over and she would invite the latter for some dates through some love letters but would always be politely declined, she keep trying nevertheless and it went for months and Chaeyoung started to wonder about this girl. She started to appreciate the girl’s effort just to see her and it made her heart swell.
Sometimes, the girl would look at Chaeyoung as if she wanted to ask Chaeyoung a lot of questions but instead of asking, the girl would only look at Chaeyoung and smile in contentment.
“Maybe, it’s time to leap into fate?” Chaeyoung thought to herself as another day passed.
Her shift was finally over. She saw Mina seated at the corner of the diner and she went towards Mina who was humming a song while folding a stationary paper.
"Don't you have something better to do than coming to the diner every day?"
"Seeing your face surely is better than other things to do." Mina smiled and gave her the folded paper, “Here.”
“What’s this?”
“Just an appreciation for your lovely existence.”
"I thought you are the type that hates going out of the house?" Chaeyoung asked and took the letter.
"Well, if going out is with you, I'll gladly do it just to see you." Mina smiled
"Why?"
Mina thought for a while and answered,
"Open it.”
‘Dearest Angel,
This is an introvert’s 15th attempt to ask an extrovert like you out. I hate going out and I avoid any human interactions like a plague, but if it’s with you, I would like to stay by your side anywhere you go. Give me a chance to show you how much you mean to me. Please let me keep you for a long time?’ I love you.
Yours and forever,
Mina'
“
And for Chaeyoung, she was struck by the realization of what was written on her wrist.
"I love Mina."
"So, this is the girl I love." Chaeyoung smiled towards Mina as if all her questions about herself had been answered.
She felt complete.
"They said it's more fun to eat pizza with someone you love, want to share a box with me?" Chaeyoung asked and Mina answered in a heartbeat "I'd love too."
"I guess I have no choice but to make you my soulmate." So, Chaeyoung held Mina and never let go.
Meanwhile in heaven….
Jihyo could only watch Chaeyoung proudly.
"You deserve all the love and happiness in the world, Son Chaeyoung."
Jihyo read a human manual on how to win friends a lover.
Give nice compliments ✓
Treat your friend lover ✓
Never give up✓
Do not judge their life choices✓
Stay by their side✓
"I guess I should re-label this as a human manual on how to win a lover." Jihyo snapped her fingers and a scroll appeared on her hand.
"God's timing is always perfect."
“Now, I am curious about what would happen to the church girl and the lady with pink hair.” God Jihyo said as she took out her crystal ball to watch, “This is fun, it’s like I am watching on Netflix for free by leeching on some friend’s account! Let me grab some popcorn.” God Jihyo sat down and watched another two humans on earth create their own love story.
TBC.