Chapter 4 Real Wings

I don't know why I found myself going to our rooftop again after cleaning the plates the dogs used. Why are they so fond of the idea that Hailee has a job? Just because she has a job in a call center doesn't particularly means she is a big help to our finances, though. Because whenever she got her payslip, she will automatically buy new clothes, new shoes and new stuffs for herself. Leaving her unpaid bills in her boarding house in Manila to be paid by our father. I know she always ask for money to our father but mom is just so blind to see that flaw in my younger sister. How naive of her.

As soon as I finally set foot on our rooftop, I marched towards our sofa, climbed on top of it and without any freaking hesitation and contemplations like last night, I jumped and let myself fall to the ground below, so ready to take my own life, right at that very moment.

I immediately shouted at the sudden rush of regret struck through me while I am falling from the top of our rooftop down to the ground. In one split second, all the happenings of my life played before my eyes. Like a flashback of memories. That's the time I realized that I don't really want to die. I want to freaking live.

But, before I can shout for another help, I felt my back crushed into something hard, I was left speechless for a moment while my eyes are glued at the dark sky above me. I thought that will be the time for me to stop breathing and to be declared dead but, seconds later, I can still feel my whole body shaking from the impact of my fall.

I tried to pull my body upwards seconds later and then when I sit, I looked at every part of my body to check which of my bones are broken or fractured. But, to my amazement, I didn't find any. I can still move my hands and my legs without feeling any pain.

"I'm alive?" I asked myself quietly. "Oh my God, how is this even possible?" I looked up and saw our rooftop still in the fourth floor of our apartment.

"I have fallen from there. ." My forehead creased, pointing at our rooftop. "But, how come I'm still. . alive?" My eyes grew bigger when something hilarious crossed my mind. "Is it because. . I'm a ghost now?" My hands flew to cover my mouth and prevent myself from shouting again. I suddenly remembered those scenes from some television programs where, your soul would be apart from your physical body the moment you die, something like that.

I swallowed hard and contemplated for a long second. My mind is whispering to me, whether to check or not if I am really a ghost now and if really my physical body was separated from me. If so, I will have to see if it's lying on the ground behind me.

The amount of creeps I am feeling at that moment cannot be compared to anything while I am forcing my head to look at what is behind me. But, instead of seeing another me there when I looked slowly at my back, I saw a familiar figure of the odd man I met last night.

"Hwang In Yeop oppa?" He's here? So, he's true? What happened last night. . was also true?

I looked at him very curiously. He's shirtless and only wearing a dark fitted jeans, but oh wow! The muscles in his stomach is all in the right places, I feel like my mouth is salivating for it. What a delicious sight to see and watch.

I heard him grunted and that's the time I noticed he's actually enduring something painful in his body and that's also the time I noticed I am freaking sitting in his crotch area! The hell!

I stood up so abruptly I almost lost my balance, good thing I managed to got it back. I stuttered my own words while trying to look anywhere except at him. "What. . what happened? Why are you. . lying there? And, why. . I am sitting on top of you?"

I covered my mouth again when something crossed my mind. "Oh my God! Don't tell me that. . you freaking saved me?"

"Are you alright?" I eyed him with disbelief. I can't quite fathom this odd guy. He's the one who obviously got hurt, and then, he's the one who's asking me if I'm ok instead?

"Are you crazy?" I tried to help him when he tried to sit up. "I should be the one asking you that question. Are you alright?" He nodded immediately.

"I'm fine, Savana. You don't have to cry." What? What is he talking about?

"Who's crying?" He pointed at my face so I touched my cheek using the back of my palm and true enough, there are traces of fresh tears there. The hell?

I slapped his arm. "It's your fault. Why did you even do that?" Why did he. . saved me?

He looked at me gently while I looked at him with sharp eyes, I swear I looked like a strict professor in front of him. I don't even know why I am scolding him in the first place, as if I really care if he ever got hurt because of me. I don't know him in the very first place, for Pete's sake!

I tried to remember and digest in my mind what happened last night. That's the time, I finally noticed those big black wings in his back, like what I also saw last night.

"Are you. . really an. . angel? A guardian angel, to be exact?" I anticipated the answer that will come out from his mouth like crazy. If he doesn't look ohh so serious, I would burst out laughing because of the hilarious question I just have asked at him. Guardian angel, really?

"And, all in fairness in you, these wings of yours really look like real ones. It doesn't look like a mere costume." I smiled at him and without asking for his permission, I leaned closer to him.

"My wings. . they are real, Savana." I stopped not because of what he said but because when my hands reached his back, I cannot find or touch the garter that were supposed to hold these winged costume of him. And then, my eyes grew bigger when I felt that the ends of the wings are freaking buried deep inside his back! Like, it's really a part of his body after all!

My mouth formed a big O when our eyes met after my realization about his wings. I tried to move away from him but he stopped me.

"Why. . why are those wings. ." I tried to breathe but to no avail, the rapid and sudden palpitations inside my chest didn't subsided.