Save Me

01

You had a terrible habit of cutting your hair short whenever shit happens, and for you shit happens actually meant you were sad.

Just like back in third grade, you cut your tailbone length hair until your armpit because Lee Hyun, your classmate, refused to be your drawing partner.

You would never forget the scowl on his face and how hard he closed his sketchpad as he said "I don't want to be your partner! You're ugly!" To you. Eight year-old you cried on your way home that day.

You also remembered your mom asking if you were okay, but you were too heartbroken to answer so you just went inside your room and then you slammed the door shut and locked.

You were still weeping when your hands shakily grabbed the black scissors in the drawer. You couldn't even breathe as you cut your hair like crazy.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" You heard your mother knocked on your bedroom door, yet you refused to answer. All that's on your mind was to cut and cut and cut.

"Baby, open the door for mommy please." The swivet in your mother's voice reached your ears, but you dismissed the idea of letting her in.

'I needed to cut my hair.' This was the only thought inside your silly little head.

"Oh, God! What are you doing!?" Your mom was hysterical when she finally found the key to your room.

Your mother was crying too. She snatched the scissors away from your hand and you thought, like you really, really thought that your mother would stab you with it, but she just engulfed you into a tight warm hug and suddenly, you found yourself encircling your tiny hands around her waist as you told her about this stupid boy who broke your heart at the age of nine.

The second time you cut your hair was during fifth grade. The black scissors were vigorously cutting your midback length hair until your neck when your mother barged in your room. She's quick enough to snatch the enemy from your shaky hands. She didn't say anything because as usual, the only thing she could do was to embrace your frail body.

"Park Ji-hyo is playing Alice!"

"Oh, sweetie..." Your mother sighed as you proceeded to tell the older how unfair the world was. Your classmate named Ji-hyo was going to play the lead role in your school's stage play while you were chosen to just portray cat, Alice's sidekick.

Tragic.

The third time you felt the need to cut your hair was when you failed to pass the entrance exam at Cornelia University, one of the best schools for medicine in your country. You were so heartbroken that day, your feet were frozen on the floor, but your hands were already grabbing the black scissors inside the drawer.

You were cutting your hair again. You cut your waist length hair until your neck and that was your mom's breaking point.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" She still held you in her arms and you still told her how painful it was to study nonstop only to fail.

You felt better whenever you told your mother the things that were bothering you. Your mom was always there when you needed her the most. She never failed to snatch the black scissors away from your treacherous hands before you turned bald. Admittedly, your mom was the one who fixed all of your problems.

Back in third grade, your mother gave candies to Lee Hyun just to make him want to draw with you. She also bribed the head of the stage play so her spoiled kid could play Alice. She then paid Cornelia University a ridiculous amount of money just so you could pursue your dream to be a doctor.

Your mother was the best, but every good thing had an equivalent bad thing. When you moved at the university's dorm, you instantly realized how dependent you were to your mother.

Shit always happened at Medical school. When shit happened, you cut your hair. This time, however, your mother was not around to snatch the scissors away from your hands. You cut your hair from time to time. Med school's really the worst that you graduated with a pixie cut.

Now that you're already a doctor, shit still happened and your mom's too dead to save you from cutting your hair.

Today, You were holding the black scissor again, but it's not for its usual purpose. The last time you butchered your hair was when your mother died. It's been two years now and the length of your hair at this very moment was until your shoulder blades.

You didn't have any plan to cut it now. The only thing you were cutting with these scissors was your life.

You did not want to live anymore.

"W-Wish you were here, eomma." You bit your bottom lip as you stared at your sad face in the mirror. You pointed the scissors in your neck—aiming at the carotid artery.

You inhaled deeply as tears continued to wet your cheeks.

Just as you're about to stab yourself, a stranger appeared right behind you.

The stranger snatched the scissors away from you just like what your mother used to do. But this person wasn't like your mother. In fact, he didn't look like a human at all.

"Who are you!?" You flinched; your eyes grew big because of fear and confusion.

The stranger smirked. His golden eyes sparkled as his tail wagged.

"Me?" The corner of the intruder's mouth turned up. His reflection in the mirror made your heart skip a beat.

"I'm the devil and I'm here to save you."