Dear Blood

7

The news of Lina, Eun-byeol, Jenny, and Hee-jin's deaths spread like wildfire through the school. The once impenetrable group of bullies was gone, leaving only Gwi-nam. The atmosphere at school shifted, a strange mix of fear and relief hanging in the air.

Natty walked through the hallways with a newfound sense of calm. The absence of her tormentors had lifted a heavy burden from her shoulders. She felt a strange mixture of relief and power, her eyes forward and head held high.

She spotted her friend Ji-hyun waiting by their usual spot near the lockers. Ji-hyun's face was pale, her eyes darting nervously around.

"Natty," Ji-hyun whispered urgently, grabbing her arm. "Have you heard? They’re all dead."

Natty nodded, her expression unreadable. "Yeah, I heard."

Ji-hyun's eyes were wide with fear. "This is... it’s terrifying. Do you think it’s connected? I mean, first Lina, then the others... it’s too much of a coincidence."

Natty shrugged, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe it is. Maybe they got what they deserved."

Ji-hyun’s eyes widened even further, looking horrified. "How can you say that?"

Natty looked at her friend, her gaze steady and unflinching. "Because they made my life a living hell, Ji-hyun. Maybe it’s about time karma caught up with them."

Ji-hyun shuddered, her grip on Natty's arm tightening. "But what if we’re next? What if whoever did this comes after us?"

Natty placed a reassuring hand on Ji-hyun’s shoulder. "We’ll be fine. Stop worrying so much."

As they walked to their next class, they passed Gwi-nam, who was leaning against a locker. He glanced at Natty, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he said nothing. Later, during lunch, Ji-hyun and Natty sat together, enjoying the rare peace that had settled over the school. Ji-hyun was still on edge, her eyes darting around the cafeteria, but Natty remained calm and composed.

"Do you think Gwi-nam will try anything?" Ji-hyun asked quietly, picking at her food.

Natty shook her head. "I doubt it. He’s alone now. Without his friends, he’s not as tough as he pretends to be."

Ji-hyun nodded slowly, her anxiety easing slightly. "I hope you’re right."

Natty's eyes kept drifting back to Gwi-nam. she took out her phone, typing a quick message.

Natty: Meet me on the rooftop after school.

She hit send and watched as Gwi-nam looked down at his phone, his expression unreadable. He didn't respond, but she knew he would show up.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and when the final bell rang, Natty and Ji-hyun walked out of the building together.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ji-hyun asked again, her worry evident.

Natty nodded. "Yes. Go home. I'll catch up with you later."

Ji-hyun hesitated but eventually nodded, giving Natty a quick hug before heading off.

Natty made her way to the Rooftop. As expected, Gwi-nam was already there, leaning against the wall with a bored expression.

'I'm glad you could make it, Gwi-nam,' Natty said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Gwi-nam scoffed, 'What do you want, Natty? I don't have time for your games.'

Natty took a step closer to Gwi-nam, her eyes gleaming with determination. It was a long, slow kiss, and for a moment, For a second, there was a look of confusion across Gwi-nam's face. But then, just as it had begun, Natty pulled away and pushed Gwi-nam with all her might.

Natty pushed him with all her might. Gwi-nam's body went over the edge of the roof, and Natty watched with a smile as his body hit the ground with a dull thud. No one saw what happened. She walked out of the school with a confident stride, her heart pounding with excitement.

She spent the rest of the day with her friend Ji-hyun, laughing and joking, pretending like nothing had happened. But when she returned home that night, she was met with a sight that chilled her to the bone.

Gwi-nam was sitting on her couch, a bloody hammer in his hand, his head hung low. Natty's eyes widened as she realized that Gwi-nam had somehow survived her push off the roof. She couldn't believe it. How was he still alive?

'What are you doing here?' Natty demanded, her voice shaking slightly. “I killed you”

Gwi-nam looked up at her, his eyes cold and dead. “You didn’t do a good job Nat” he said simply.

 'I came to see you,' 

She looked over to the kitchen and saw her grandmother lying on the floor, blood coming from her head, not moving. Natty rushed to her grandmother's side and checked her pulse. There was no pulse. She was dead.

 'Why do you have to be such a freak?' Gwi-nam said suddenly.

Natty didn’t respond right away. “What?” she asked, confused by his irrelevant question.

“You heard me.” He said, standing up and walking closer to her. “Why do you act the way you do?”

“You killed my grandmother and have the audacity to call me a freak?” Natty could feel the anger rising within her, but she held it in check. 'I'm not a freak,' she said quietly. 'I never was, You decided that I one'

Gwi-nam scoffed. 'Sure, Nat. Sure.'

'You're the one who's a freak, Gwi-nam,' Natty said, her voice cold and detached. 'You're the one who's always been afraid to show your true feelings. You're the one who's been a coward.'

Gwi-nam cornered Natty into a corner, his eyes filled with hatred. 'I never wanted to hurt you, Natty,' he said. 'But you left me no choice. You're just too weird to be around.'

Natty was officially tired of hearing him speak and seeing him breathe and move around freely. She desperately wanted to see him dead. She didn't hesitate. She lunged at Gwi-nam, her fists flying. They fought ferociously, each blow landing with a sickening thud. Natty could feel herself tiring, but she couldn't stop. She had to end this.

With one final surge of energy, Natty grabbed the hammer from Gwi-nam's hand and brought it down on his head with a sickening crunch. Gwi-nam's eyes went wide, and then he collapsed to the floor, unmoving.

Natty stood there, breathing heavily, the hammer still clutched in her hand. She looked down at Gwi-nam's lifeless body and then over to her grandmother. Guilt and sadness washed over her, but she knew she had done what had to be done.

She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. 'I'm sorry, Grandma. I didn't mean for this to happen.'

Natty dropped the hammer and sank to the floor, tears streaming down her face. She stayed there for what felt like hours, her mind racing with thoughts of what had happened and what would come next.