°CAFE.

@( ❌ ) kim jinwoo. Hearing him say her name almost made her flinch as long forgotten memories from back then suddenly started to flood her mind, filling her head with images of the two of them sitting in his office, the late afternoon sun drawing long shadows on the ground as they were talking about this and that, exchanging smiles or even just quietly enjoying the silence. Unconsciously, Minha clenced her fists under the table, trying her best to push those memories back into that far away corner of her mind where they had been sitting silently for years.

So he recognized her, still knew her name, probably even knew what she was. After all, if she could easily tell that he was a demon, there was a high chance that he could do the same. So what was she supposed to do now? Fighting with him and sending him straight back to hell? Although she knew that technically she was stronger than him, there was a high chance that her body would refuse to hurt someone she once cared so much for, even if he now was a demon. Then maybe she should just get up and leave, acting as if she had never met him again? Despite knowing that that was probably the best thing to do, once again her body betrayed her mind, refusing to move even an inch. Just hearing a word coming from his lips, no matter if it was just sweet talk, was so intoxicating, making her crave for more.

She could sense him moving closer, felt his eyes on her, but still, Minha couldn't bring herself to look up at him, still not completely accepting that all this was real. Maybe this was just a bad dream, her guilt ridden mind pulling a trick on her to punish her. But as soon as that idea crossed her mind, the female already knew that this was reality, that Jinwoo really had turned into a demon and that meeting him like that was probably her punishment for failing him long time ago.

"I don't really mind you reading my mind though. Even back then, if you had asked me anything i would have always told you the truth." It was the truth. After all she had nothing to hide, at least from the Jinwoo from her past. Her hands automatically took a hold of the cup, the warmth emitting from the hot liquid slowly creeping up her fingertips, making them slightly prickle. Nervously chewing on her inner cheek, Minha silently listened to his words, her mind once again filled with guilty thoughts. He was right. It was her fault that all this happened. If only she had tried harder, if only she had tried to reach out more to him, showing him that there was still a way out. But now it was too late, wasn't it?

"Ug..ly?" Lifting up her head, Minha eventually looked into Jinwoo's eyes again, seeing her own reflection in them. "You yourself know that you're still as good-looking as ever. As for your soul..." It took her a moment to find the right words. "It's indeed all black and dark but...just as the pitch black night sky, your soul is still as beautiful as back then."

@( ✔ ) park minha. He knew who she was, and what he had learnt since his poor soul had climbed up to Earth was that angels could smell demon off just as easy as he could recognize an angel. So he smiled and relaxed when he heard her comment on his first line.
"Nah, that was only for you Minha: years have passed and you're breathtakingly beautiful. I think I knew you'd have that effect on me even if years changed you but the fact is: they did not change you for a bit." he answered bluntly. It was a wonderful thing to be a demon. He was being so nice, too nice and honest, almost too affective for a demon and those act helped humans fall into his ill-advised arms. Here he had no plan to drag her soul to Hell, he wasn't such a strong demon but the sweet talk came too easy, too naturally, and he wasn't exactly lying. His tongue was free from those human conventions which dictated him to be polite and restrained for a reason he still couldn't really grasp.

Jinwoo leant forward, crossing his arms and resting them on the table to only look at Minha closely. He hadn't even tried to read her mind or project anything, he knew better. Humans were easy to toy with but Angels, not so much. He had done that mistake once and had been located by the angel once, seriously inured for even trying to breach one of the purest minds of this world.
"Your mind is not being read at the moment." He said and offered a friendly smile. "There was a time when I struggled to see past your fringe, past your worries over my life and issues and that is what marked me in my afterlife; it doesn't have to change, unless there's something you'd like to share without words."
His head lifted when the wraitress came back with their order and he offered a sweet smile to her before pushing the drink to Minha, looking straightly at her restless eyes. She was avoiding him and he could feel it;

"You know what I am now, no need to look away. I can't say it's not your fault since I was one of your crusades, but I am not unhappy if that helps."
He knew it wouldn't be a comfort to an angel that he enjoyed his demon life so well, but if she really needed comfort, she'd have to care and hope for him again. He was curious to know if she ws giving up on him now.
"Won't you look at me? Am I ugly now that my soul is all black?"

@( ❌ ) kim jinwoo. As she settled down, Minha took a moment to glance across the room, quickly letting her eyes wander from table to table, swiftly analyzing each of the people who couldn't seem any more different from each other yet at the same time had so much in common. Although she did see their outer appearance, the angel usually noticed the humans' aura first before anything else. There were so many different ones, ranging from so pure and innocent, that even she herself had a hard time to deal with it, to all dark and gloomy, which she strangely preferred over the bright ones since changing people was easier than making sure that they stayed the same. Both of those extremes were rare and the female was glad that she usually only had to deal with the humans in between. Just like right now, none of those rare souls, only average innocent human with their worries which create dark holes in their hearts. But those holes could easily be filled as long as she worked hard enough.

Once again her eyes came to a halt when they landed on the Jinwoo look-alike. When being seperated by the glass front she couldn't see it clearly but now his dark aura was almost overwhelming, so much different from any human that the only explanation was that his soul had turned into a demon. Which the female angel refused to believe. Even if she had failed to save him, for him to turn into a demon was even worse than staying silently in hell. Because if he had chosen the latter, there was still a chance for him to be reborn and then maybe she would have been able to save him...

What a selfish thought. Shaking her head softly, Minha let out a sigh, averting her eyes from the male. Looking at him, remembering Jinwoo was bad. Back then when she had lost him, the female had been quite depressed for some time, staying in heaven's realm for several weeks, thinking about what she had done wrong and how she could make up to it again. But there was no way except for letting bygones be bygones.

She almost flinched when suddenly hearing the oh so familiar voice so close to her, not having notice that he had approached her. Looking up to the male, she wanted to reach out, to take his hand, to contour his facial features with her fingertips, just to make sure that he was real, but there was no way she could. After all their relationship had never been of that nature where she could easily touch him, so once again, Minha just looked away, her hands tightly holding onto the hem of her skirt. "That's a strange way to approach a female. Does it usually work when you tell girls taht they're dazzling?"

Her eyes widened for a moment when he talked to the waitress, immediately recognizing him ordering her favourite drink, or at least what used to be her favourite before she shut out all memories involving Kim jinwoo.
"It's fine. I used to like it when i was younger." for the first time in many years, Minha looked straight into his coffee coloured eyes again, trying to find any sign, any clue about what he really was. But as soon as she made eyecontact with him, Minha already looked away, too afraid of what she might find out.

"Well then...what is my mind telling you right now?]

@jung minhee. () no need to worry about it

"Thank you." Hweji said as she begin to eat her food before finishing it. After finishing hed food, Hweji begin to pack her stuff when she saw Minhee coming over. "Sure, I wouldn't mind." she answered before checking her watch. 'Oh crap.' Hweji thought. "Since you are closing down, I have to get going right now..Sorry about it. Maybe we can chat some other..here's my number. I'll see you soon." Hweji said as she takes her stuff before going to the cashier stand and paid for her food. She left the cafe and quickly drove off with her batmobile to her business class.

After leaving the cafe, Hweji got to her business class and parked her car at the parking lot. She checked her watch again and was able to get to her class on time. She got out of the car and locked her car as she takes her stuff from there. She entered the building as she heads inside to go to her business class. When she went head in to her business class, Hweji greeted some of her classmates and her professor before taking her seat at the middle row. 'I hope she's not disappointed in me since I rushed out of the cafe like that.' she sighed as she takes her pencil and notebook out right before class starts.

@jung minhee. () it's okay

"I'm Hweji. Nice to meet you, Minhee-ssi." Hweji said as she gave Minhee a polite smile. She felt very confident as she learns to express her feelings when she encounters new people. "Can we talk later?..you should go back to work and I'm getting a little hungry at the time. We can talk some other time since I have to get to my other classes soon." She said calmly without ticking the waitress off. She resume her reading and started to study about it. After reading the angels and the demons chapters, Hweji decided to put her book away into her bag and take her iPod out of it. She plugged in headphones and begin playing some classical music, feeling the soft soundwaves into her head. She begin to remeber the day that her parents wanted her to be a mythologist and scientist at the same time. She felt very happy about what she wanted and it came true since she study so hard in order to become a mythologist and a scientist at the same time. The reason why Hweji is majored in mythology, business, and science technology because she is going to work at a mythology musuem soon with her dad someday. She thoughts were interupted when the food came right in front of her.

@jung minhee. Hweji looked up when she was in the middle of reading. She bookmarked her book and closed it. "Don't worry, miss. Just take your time." She said, smiling. When the waitress noticed her textbook, she decided to answer some questions. "Oh really?" She asked with one eyebrow, thinking that the waitress wants to know about the textbook thay she's been reading. "The textbook that I'm reading about mythology. I use it for my mythology class since I'm majored in mythology." She answered. "The chapter I'm reading is about angels and demons..for an essay assignment that I managed to finish today." She took off her glasses and cleaned the lenses with her blue cloth to make it crystal clear before putting it back on. "Are you interested in angels and demons?" She asked as she takes a sip from her glass of water. "If so, we hangout sometime and talk about it." Hweji said, smiling as if someone wants to learn more about the two creatures that she knew about for a long time since she was a kid

@jung minhee. While Hweji was in the middle paragraph of her essay, she saw the waitress approaching her and decided to pause it for a while. "Hello." Hweji greeted with a politeness. "Sure, I'll order something. I'll take an asian salad, some fresh fries, and a glass of water please." She smiled and went back to her to the essay that she is almost finishing up while she waits for her food. As she types, she adjusted her glasses and kept on concentrating from the screen. She begin to remember every single detail that she really from the angels and demons chapter since they are part of the mythical creatures. Hweji is a type of person who always stays with her studies instead of finding love and whats so ever. Her parents wanted to find the perfect guy or girl that will fit her description, but she didn't want that to happen which her parents understood. She remembered the painful memories that her ex hurt her by cheating on her with another girl. Instead, she just shrugged it off and decided to stay single for a while.

Few minutes later, Hweji was about to finished the essay on time and saved it into her h drive. She became a little exhausted and decided to relax for a little since the food is taking some time to wait. She looked at her watch and knew she had time before her business class starts in two hours. She took her book out and decided to read the same chapter again since she is curious about those creatures, reading it furthermore.

@jung minhee. After she finishing her mythology class, Hweji was in a bad mood because she has an assignment that is due tomorrow morning, which is writing an big essay about the analysis between the angels and the demons. She wished her professor would give the class an extension the time, but no. He is really strict about the late assignments because he doesn't want his students to fail his class because of an late assignment. She sighed and ran through her fingers through her hair in frustration, worried that she won't get it done in one night.

Finding something to cool herself from her frustration, Hweji decided to go the cafe and work at her essay since she her business class starts later. She knew the cafe is near her business, so she went inside of the cafe and found herself a vacant seat near the window. She put her stuff in front as she opens her brand new high tech laptop that her father gave her as her high school graduation gift. She grabbed her book from her shoulder bag and opened to the angels and demons chapter. She begin to read the entire chapter for about thirty minutes of reading it.

After reading for thirty minutes, Hweji opened a word document and started typing the essay. Following the prompt, she begins to research her answers by summarizing of what she read from the book as she type.

() sorry about the starter..I'm not good at doing more than two paragraphs

@( ✔ ) park minha. After a relatively short stay in hell, Earth looked quite appealing. Jinwoo immediately played his trick, blowing in the subconscious of new owner of his old office the seed for change, just like he brainwashed the board of authorities to give him an identity and his title back. It was easy and yet, it took nights to plant an idea in a human's head, make it grow strong like an old cedar in a matter of a few weeks. These were the powers he was given to make the Stix flow with new souls, and they were put tobuse before he regained his situation on Earth.

He sat in the cafe like thirty years ago, his features unchanged, his habits preserved but this early, he was no more attracted to this place by the lone scent of bitter black coffee. There was the smell of silent protesting humans, reluctant to go to work, fighting mood swings, and the overall smell of innocent souls to sweet talk to his office afterwork.
While his soft smile seemed to work wonders on a few client glancing only too much at him, Jinwoo had an itch, something unnerving he couldn’t pinpoint. It took just all his might to understand that one of the souls wasn't so weak. He had met angels alright, but this signature could ruin his self-confidence, a soul just so bright he almost feared it would taint his, imprint on his aura, earning himself a reason to be mocked by his peers. Still the over powerful presence was hazy, overwhelmingly surrounding the place and no matter who he looked in the cafe, he couldn't tell where or what he was looking for. His search was halted upon noticing a very familiar face, a client he used to have. This one he wouldn't forget, because back then he almost felt like he was the one consulting her and she was paying for it.

Jinwoo's fingertips were stroking lightly his hot cup: he did not believe in coincidences, especially when they didn't age. He watched her settle at a table across the room and finished his cup. The man dressed in a dark grey wool suit perfectly fitted to his features left a generous tip before taking his vest on his forearm to settle across the occurence of Minha,refusing to draw conclusions just yet, the game should at least be fun. He crossed his arms under his vest, and detailed her this close. If this was reincarnation, then he'd be damned -and surely was he already- and in a way or another he'd have to get access to her mind, looking for any common memory.
"You stand out, brightly, blinding and choking."
He was as hazy with words as her aura, but the conversation was lit. Jinwoo turned to the waitress who had just reached their table and he ordered what he remembered to be Minha's favorites before looking back at her.
"I hope this suits you? I try to read and decrypt minds for a leaving." He explained and smiled sheepishly.

@kim jinwoo. The first thing she noticed were his eyes. Those dark orbs of the colour of black coffee, so rich and deep that even if she tried to, there was no way for her to see their ground. Long time ago, Minha had taken a liking to those eyes, mysterious, fascinating, even almost enchanting. Not that she had ever told him though, knowing that the male would just laugh at her, telling her how weird she was. Not that she would have minded that since his laughter was also one of the things she had liked about him, but unnecessary things weren't meant to be spoken out and showing too much affection towards a human wasn't what she was supposed to do.

Staring through the window of the cafe, Minha took another glance at the male who was standing there at the counter, talking to one of the waitresses. he looked so awfully similiar to the one she had tried to forget long ago. Jinwoo. His name came out as a whisper, so soft and quiet that it disappeard with the wind, only leaving behind an uneasy feeling in her stomach. No, this was so wrong. That male sitting there couldn't be Jinwoo. After all, Jinwoo was dead. He was dead....because of her. Because she failed to save him.

One last glance at the male, before the angel turned around, her heart beating faster than ever. "It's not him. It's not him." mumbling to herself, Minha repeated those three little words over and over again, almost like a spell, trying to convince herself. If going by logic, there was no way for Jinwoo to be alive and it was probably best to leave that guy alone, but still she couldn't ignore the uneasiness that started to spread through her body. There was definitely something fishy about the male and maybe it was for the best to keep an eye on him. Taking a deep breath, she then went on and entered the cafe, quickly settling down at an empty table far across the room, trying her best not to attract any attention.

"I'll just observe him for a little bit. Better safe than sorry, right?"

//quietly wipes the counter

/steals vcard