Alive «MJ» | ✔

10 | Memories

Ten; 「Ae-Ri」

Her fingers tightened around the mint-colored seashell that sat on her palm.

A string was dangling from it, crying out to Ae-Ri to put it back on her neck, after years of locking it away.

A small red box was beside Ae-Ri, with little trinkets that resembled Ae-Ri and Yeo Ra's friendship.

They were dusty, for they had been stored away for a long time, uncared for.

A worn out photograph was crumpled in one corner of the box.

Ae-Ri reached in and took it out, as she slowly smooth it over with her hands.

It was a picture of Ae-Ri and Yeo Ra, when they were younger.

It was just a few years back.

Since then, everything had changed.

Ae-Ri's life came tumbling down.

「•」

Ae-Ri was twelve.

Four years after her parents were divorced, her father re-married.

Her mother had married Kim Daesung eight months after the divorce, but Ae-Ri wasn't too devastated.

The divorce happened because of her mother anyway.

But, this was her father. Her father had remarried.

It was not supposed to happen.

Ae-Ri felt betrayed.

Her father was her everything, he was the man that was there for her when she was down.

The guy that was there to pull her up when she fell.

He was the boulder, he was the one who was there throughout everything.

He was her best friend.

But her best friend now had another important woman in his life, and that was her stepmother, Sarah.

Ae-Ri's life couldn't have gotten worst.

But it did.

Soon after, she got two step-brothers, and her father's love for her faded.

At least, that was what it seemed like to her.

Ae-Ri changed.

She became rebellious.

She rarely came home, she rarely greeted her parents, she rarely did anything decent.

All she did was commit robberies, skip school, get into fights, and hang out with the neighborhood gangster.

That was where she got to know Yeo Ra.

Because just like her, Yeo Ra was equally broken.

And since then, they had become the best of friends.

They trusted each other, was there for each other, and had always been the one to cheer up the other when she was down.

They were best friends.

Or so Ae-Ri had thought.

「•」

Ae-Ri's heart felt a sharp pang.

A feeling of hurt and betrayal surged through her.

'If only Yeo Ra didn't do that,' she thought bitterly, her fists tightening around the photograph of her and Yeo Ra.

They were smiling happily, even though they were broken inside.

But they were truly happy, because they had each other.

If only Yeo Ra didn't ditch me, just like that.

A small teardrop rolled down Ae-Ri's cheeks, as the wound in Ae-Ri's heart reopened.

In fact, it got worse.

She felt more painful.

She wished Yeo Ra didn't come back, because seeing her like this, it brought the memories back to her.

She didn't want to relive them.

She wanted to die, and forget everything.

The tears continued rolling down her cheeks, and Ae-Ri broke out into silent cries.

I hate this. I hate life. I hate it. I hate it!

Hate hate hate hate hate! I hate this! I hate it all!

Without noticing it, she hit the box and it fell to the ground with a loud crash.

The contents came spilling out of it, but Ae-Ri ignored it.

Angrily, she crumpled up the photograph, and threw it across the room.

It hit the door, and rolled to a stop, beside someone's shoes.

"Ae-Ri? Are you okay?"

She looked up, and seeing MJ's worried expression made her cry harder.

MJ hurriedly closed the door behind him, and rushed to her side, immediately pulling her into a hug.

"Shhh, it's okay. It will all be okay. Ae-Ri yah? Don't worry. I'm here for you."

MJ's soothing voice made Ae-Ri feel slightly better.

Just slightly.

Ae-Ri cried silently, the hurt that she had kept locked up all surfacing.

She hated life, and she wanted to die.

She didn't want to live.

Without thinking, she spoke, and her voice cracked.

"If I had the power to choose, I would not want to be born."

「•」

「Dedicated to @bluejisoo ! Thanks so much for voting and commenting and stuff! I love reading them :)」

#HappyEunwooDay! :') Thank you for existing, you pretty boy. Thank you for being my bias wrecker (actually, Moonbin is also one but shhhh no need to tell him that) and thank you for working so hard with Astro!

We love you, enjoy your day!

Again why am I saying this like he'll see it? 😂😂😂

Xoxo.