Wishing Bell

Ch.09 In Exchange for Life

I rushed as fast as I could, the words I heard in the phone call echoing in my mind. I needed to get there as soon as possible. As I ran, flashbacks of my past flickered before my eyes. It couldn't be true; I had to verify that the news was all lies.

Upon reaching my destination, the thought I had hoped was false materialized before me as I peered through the door's glass window. It couldn't be happening, yet it was. The ground seemed to slip away beneath my feet; the scene before me couldn't be real.

As I struggled to keep my emotions in check, a voice from behind asked, "Are you with this lady?"

Turning around, I faced a person in a white coat. "Ye...Yes, she's like my elder sister, but what ha...ppened?" I managed to say.

I had run all the way from the school to the hospital, gasping for breath.

The doctor's expression turned somber as he spoke in a sad tone, "The girl... she jumped from the building of her university."

It couldn't be happening. The drawing by the bell wasn't Shu's; it was Miss Elsa's. But this didn't make sense for Shu, who was depressed because of her parents, whereas Miss Elsa was a kind and nice person. How could I accept that she jumped from her university building?

"Doctor, it can't be true. Miss Elsa was a lovely and kind person. I can't believe she would do such a thing," I said to the doctor.

"I'm not saying she attempted suicide, but the reason for her jump is still unknown to us," the doctor replied.

"How is her condition? She will be alright, right?" I asked, concern evident in my eyes.

"I'll be honest with you, but Miss Elsa...," he paused, then continued, "I'm sorry, but she's in a coma right now, and it looks like she might pass away within three days."

"You're kidding, right? Please say you're joking," I raised my voice, unable to accept the reality.

"We're trying our best, but there's only so much we can do. Excuse me," the doctor said and left.

The doctor's words hit me hard. It was impossible for me to hide my emotions; she was the person I cared about most in my life. Tears streamed down my face.

Why was this happening? Why did Miss Elsa have to suffer? Aisha might have the answers.

"Yes, Aisha might know," I thought.

I rushed back to my apartment. As I opened the door, Bell's smile greeted me.

"Welcome home, Papa!" she exclaimed, rushing towards me with a smile.

As I saw Bell, Aisha's words replayed in my mind: the bell would grant my wish, but at a price. That meant what happened to Miss Elsa was also the bell's fault.

"Don't come near me," I shouted angrily.

Bell flinched at my shout and approached me fearfully.

"Wh...what happened... Pa...?" she stammered, her voice scared and tears in her eyes.

"I said don't call me Papa. Miss Elsa's condition is all your fault. Because of you, Miss Elsa... Get out of here!" I yelled at Bell and closed my bedroom door.

"Papa... Papa, please open the door. I don't know why you're angry, but please," Bell pleaded, knocking on the door while crying.

I sat in the corner of the room, my hands on my knees and my face downcast, ignoring her. Miss Elsa's condition was all her fault.

"If I had never met Bell, if she had never come into my life, if she had never existed, Miss Elsa would be okay. Because of this, Miss Elsa..." I muttered to myself.

After a while, the knocking and Bell's voice faded away.

"Are you sure about that? Did it happen because of Bell's existence?" Aisha, who was sitting on my bed, appeared again.

"You... You," I stood up, trying to grab Aisha with the intention of attacking.

But my hands couldn't grasp her; it was like grabbing mist.

"Don't try. My existence is the same as Bell's," she said.

"I... I just wished to ace the exam. For such a trivial wish, you... you're taking Miss Elsa's life," I said, my voice trembling with fear.

She clicked her tongue in a tsk-tsk manner, a mysterious smile playing on her lips as she replied, "White, I thought you'd be the smart one, but it turns out you're quite the opposite. I'm disappointed."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my tone laced with confusion.

"The price for acing the exam wasn't Elsa's life. The price was something much smaller-it was the accusation of cheating by your classmate Shu. It might seem significant, but you handled Shu's situation quite well. I was surprised too," she explained.

"Then why did this happen to Miss Elsa? I mean, I never wished for anything other than acing the exam," I pressed her for answers.

"Are you sure you're not forgetting anything?" she prodded.

As I delved into my memories, I couldn't recall any other wish than the one for academic success. What was Aisha talking about? I had never wished for anything else.

"I'll help you remember. When you were about to die, you wished for happiness, right? Happiness can't be granted if you're dead, so to fulfill that wish, you needed to live. Elsa's life is the price of your own," she said, her smile unwavering.

She stood up, approached me, and whispered in my ear, "Elsa's condition isn't the bell's fault, nor mine. You are the one who caused her accident."

As I searched my memory, I realized Aisha was telling the truth. During my accident, as I was on the brink of death, I had wished for happiness.

"I... I am the reason Miss Elsa is in a coma. If I had died that day, then Miss Elsa would never have had to suffer this fate," I whispered to myself.

But dwelling on this didn't change the fact that Miss Elsa was in critical condition. I needed to find a way to do something.

"Is there any way I can save Miss Elsa? Please, Aisha... if there's a way, tell me. I beg of you," I pleaded with her.

"Well, I'm not the one who can save your sister-like landlady, but Bell... yes, Bell can grant your wish if you ask her. Maybe she can do something," Aisha said, her smile taking on a wicked edge.

"Bell... Bell, right. Bell can grant my wish. If I ask her, she will definitely save Miss Elsa's life," I thought, a glimmer of hope igniting within me.

I opened my door and searched for Bell, but she was nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere near the apartment, but that day, Bell remained elusive.