"JAEMIN, HURRY! COME HEAL ME! I'M GOING TO DIE!" The high pitched voice blared from his headset, jolting the boy out of his thoughts.
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After the movie and catching up ended, the night came to an end, leaving Sengchanh all alone. No Jaehyun, no Sunwoo, no Youngji—just silence and her own thoughts. She decided it was time to get ready for bed, but her feelings had other plans.
She settled into a warm bubble bath, dimmed the lights, and lit some candles. One by one, she put in her AirPods to tune everything out. The steaming water wrapped around her like a heavy blanket—or perhaps more like sinking sand—as her thoughts began to pull her under, one by one.
After what felt like an hour, she finally mustered the courage to get out of the tub. As she stood up, a wave of dizziness washed over her, something she was all too familiar with. Before her grandmother passed, she had always made sure Sengchanh took her vitamins, caring for her health like a protective guardian. Since then, Sengchanh had lost interest in her well-being; without anyone to care for her, it all felt pointless to the girl.
It was now 5 AM. After a night of tossing and turning, Sengchanh realized it was pointless to keep trying to sleep; her thoughts had been tormenting her. Deciding to take a walk, she aimed to explore the area.
As she walked, she felt a familiar sensation of being watched, reminiscent of her time at the store. However, she pressed on, too consumed by her depression to care. She ventured into a secluded area lined with trees that bordered her neighborhood. With her AirPods in, she felt free to move without anyone bothering her.
Eventually, she stumbled upon an unused bridge, the wood creaking beneath her. It was then that she noticed the sun beginning to rise, casting a beautiful glow over the landscape. Wanting to savor the moment, she decided to sit down and take it all in.
As Sengchanh tried to sit at the edge of the bridge, her foot slipped on the wet surface left over from the previous night's rain. Fear gripped her in that moment. Though she was overwhelmed with depression, she had never contemplated taking her own life. Just as she began to fall, she felt a firm grip on her arm, preventing her from plunging into the river below.
Sengchanh was too stunned to look up at her savior. All she felt was fear. Gripping the person who had helped her, she instinctively hugged them tightly. The stranger embraced her in silence. "Thank you so much," she managed to say, her voice trembling and tears streaming down her cheeks.
The hooded boy then stood back up. "Be careful. No one will be there every time you get hurt," he said, his voice slightly trembling before he turned and walked away, leaving her in stunned silence.
With tear-stained cheeks and blurry vision, she couldn't make out the boy's features beneath the hood. Trembling as she stood, Sengchanh began to walk home, replaying the encounter in her mind. Who was he? why was he there?
