He cut her off in between and looked right into her eyes.
"You want me to strike a deal with you?"
He raked his eyes over her from head to toe and said, "Fine. Sleep with me and I'll consider not taking over your company. As simple as that."
---
...
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Trigger warning: Instances of attempted suicide.
My name is Park Jimin.
The name felt distant to him. He wasn't sure how. But it felt as if Park Jimin was an island. An island he had just left on a boat. He looked back at it and it was beautiful indeed but he alone knew the darkness that it held. He was getting further and further away from the island and as he went, it merged with the distance. It vanished out of sight; perhaps never to be found again.
He focused on the path ahead of him. He was getting close to his apartment condo, and the city shone in obliviousness around him. He felt faded. The city itself with its vibrant colours struck a deep contrast to his colourless self. He could imagine not being here and having not a single thing change in the city. That's how insignificant he felt.
Graduated at the top of his class, being the only heir to his father's established company, with a handsome face that made women and men fall at his feet... he was what people dreamed to be. But to him, they were nothing. He no longer knew what he longed for but he was certain he couldn't take it anymore.
My name is Park Jimin. He repeated again.
He has been at the threshold of death for the past one year. He would slip in and out of reality like a curtain fluttering on a windy night. A string of events had lead him to this specific vortex of nothingness. But now, he could barely remember what it was. They seemed insignificant anyway. It didn't matter anymore. He didn't matter anymore.
The air seemed chilly and he buried his hands in the pocket of his jacket. He wasn't sad. He wasn't in pain. He was numb. The numbness had spread through him day by day and within a span of twelve months, it had completely consumed his body. Initially, he felt like there was an evil spirit, lurking around him; heaving icy breaths down his shoulder. But eventually, he was numb to it too. He wanted to end this. He wondered how much more lighter the earth would feel, with him no longer being there to weigh it down.
He understood that he was, in a way, selfish. He should be thinking of people who would suffer at the loss of his life. But that seemed considerably low and he didn't seem to mind it. His family would mourn him and get over him in the course of time; he knew they were strong enough. His friends might get furious at him, but he knew he'd be doing them both a favour by relieving them of this burden. A little jolt of pain went through him as he thought of Minnie. He truly considered her his little sister; she was the only one whom he felt responsible for. She was big enough to take care of herself now. He knew that she would understand and that if possible, forgive him.
He walked into his apartment and quietly made his way to the door. Unlocking it, he put his jacket aside and untied his shoes. He walked slowly to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. The water energetically spilled into the white ceramic tub and he watched as it bobbed its way up. He looked around the room one last time and took in the emptiness of the white that covered it. The vortex that had opened up now awaited his arrival and beckoned him with hospitality.
