Masterpiece

Chapter 6

Chaeyoung sat in her sofa, yes she promised Mr. Jung that she'll attend but her doubt is now running all over her body.

What if I fail?

What if they find my work, ugly?

Although "ugly" doesn't exist in Chaeyoung's artworks, she really sees it as trash. When other see it as a treasure, she sees it as something you can throw away. Just like her.

She hugged her knees while music was blasting from her soundproof walls, she quietly sat there, rethinking her life decisions. Thinking why she still is alive and awake.

Later on, she feels sleepy. On her position, while hugging her knees she fell asleep. She occupied not even half of the sofa yet she's so comfortable with her position. Like a cat, a cub.

Her dreams bring her towards the garden where she saw the elegant ballerina. She only saw half of the ballerina's face yet she's so mesmerized by her movements. Chaeyoung isn't a fan of ballet but when she saw the semi-performance earlier, her heart just loved the sight. Though, Chaeyoung was standing in front of the ballerina, she was transparent. As if the ballerina couldn't see her, she kept dancing like Chaeyoung was just thin air. Chaeyoung took slow steps towards the ballerina and when she was about to touch,

"Chaeyoung, save me!"

Chaeyoung halted, she jumped slightly because she was startled. She turned her head and her eyes widened. She saw it again. It was her brother, stuck inside the apartment, burning.

"Chaeyoung, you selfish human being! Save me instead of your useless brother."

Chaeyoung heard that voice again, she turned to her left and saw her mother, burning like her brother but she held a fierce gaze. Chaeyoung felt encaged again, as if chains were on her neck and hands and legs, restricting her from moving. She heard cries of pain which hurt her head and heart, she dropped to her knees and cried.

I can't fucking do anything.

She cussed, she cried until she heard the classical music she heard in the garden. She turned around and saw the ballerina dancing again, soon, the surrounding no longer attacked Chaeyoung for the ballerina made her eyes glued to her. Chaeyoung watched the ballerina and slowly, the chains on her body eased and didn't feel heavy anymore.

Chaeyoung woke up, panting as if she had been running. A tear escaped her eye, she stood up and hurried towards the bathroom, she wiped her tears and opened the medicine kit. She saw the bottle of anti-depressants and she took two pills before swallowing then whole. She inhaled and exhaled deeply while chanting words inside her head.

"It was just a dream, Chaeyoung. Just a dream."

Repeating this phrase as if she was going insane by not. She opened her eyes and looked into the mirror, her eyes met the reflection and immediately she felt hatred towards herself. She survived, while others did not.

Sure, she hated her mother with passion but still, her mother was her strength. In dark times, her mother would hit her whenever she's drunk and the pain Chaeyoung is feeling made her realize that she's still alive and awake. Her older brother, Jeong-Hoon always came home late but he still cared for Chaeyoung, he would often hide money for the both of them and give less money to their mother, but later the woman would hit Jeong-Hoon. Chaeyoung's brother was her one and only hope, that she'll still be satisfied with life, but when the fire happened and burned the apartment, Chaeyoung couldn't save both of them. Chaeyoung couldn't do anything. She was frozen in her spot, contemplating who to save, then after that she fainted.

When she woke up, the doctor announced her mother and brother dead, she cried hopelessly. Every night she would cry on her hospital bed, the lights were out but her heart still cried even though tears didn't spill anymore. She decided to take her life by jumping from the rooftop but she heard a faint sound of classical music from the radio and she turned around just to see a boy wearing a hospital dress like her.

The boy smiled, "it seems like someone came here before me."

Chaeyoung stared at him as he walked towards her side.

"I also want to die, but seeing you here made me not want to. It made me want to protect you." The boy said and smiled, Chaeyoung felt in danger but the boy noticed this. "Oh don't worry, I won't do anything to you."

"What's your name? I'm Taehyung, Kim Taehyung." He said and brought out his hand.

Chaeyoung shook his hand, "Cha-Chaeyoung. Son Chaeyoung."

Taehyung gave her a boxy smile, "from now on, we'll be friends, okay?" He said and Chaeyoung nodded absentmindedly.

And that was the start of their friendship.