Hourglass

Chapter 14 (Finale)

A/N: Welcome. Welcome. Psshhh, no, the picture above is NOT a spoiler, pshhh. I hope you all buckle your seatbelt. This will be a hell of a ride. Also, is it too late for a trigger warning? Welp, better say this now because this chapter... well... it's going to be—

TW: violence, blood, instability, etc (I don't want to spoil that much but I want to warn y'all just in case)

Seoul
Shin Residence
9:20 pm

"ARGH! I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE! YOU'RE TAKING TOO LONG. STOP RUINING EVERYTHING YEJI!" A voice booms out loud as those damn mahogany doors burst open.

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Haneul's Perspective (1st person view)

I became friends with her when I was in elementary school at 9 years old. It was a pretty memorable moment that I'll never forget.

I was a nerd. Dubbed the wimpy kid because of my small stature, it was easy to bully me. Since I didn't go through puberty yet, I was a skinny weak boy. It didn't help that my family were rich business owners as well. People found it easy to pick on me and use me for money.

Once, I was just walking around at the back of school because I convinced my family that I didn't need a driver to drive me home. I immediately knew that there was a group of boys following me. It wasn't long before they made their move.

"Hey, wimp! Your fancy chauffeur isn't here to drive you today?" The three boys snicker at their leader's words.

I turn around and look at them up and down. They were the usual on brand bullies you see in movies and books. Honestly, it was pathetic. Picking on other people who were smaller with a gang of people.

"Aww, the wimpy kid can't speak? Are you scwared little scwwwaaaredyyy cat—"

The bully wasn't able to finish because I punched him in the face. Probably wasn't the best decision I've ever had, but it did feel very satisfying to see them surprised. My left knuckles throbbed as I took off, running for my life. They were able to catch up easily. Sometimes, I wonder how my life would've turned out if they never caught up to me. Maybe I would've been normal. Who knows.

I'll always remember the sound of police and ambulance sirens. The look in everyone's faces. The stained hands. I was sick. They were sick.

A few months later I moved schools. Since I moved in the middle of the school year, rumors were easily spread about me. Gone was the wimpy kid and replaced was the expelled kid. Reasons ranged from bullying to cheating. Instead of a fresh new start, was another miserable life. They were all sick anyways.

On top of going to school, I also had another extracurricular activity after school. That's where I met her. We didn't talk at first. After all, none of us wanted to be there. But after weeks and weeks of going to the same place and seeing each other, it wasn't abnormal for us to start talking. Our friendship was created through our similarities. I found out that we went to the same school. She introduced me to the rest of her friends. I was happy. She gave me a new life.

We continued to see each other after school. Well, it wasn't like we had a choice. Once, my parents decided to pick me up this time around. When they saw me talking to the girl, they were surprised. They immediately introduced themselves, making sure she tells her dad about them. Later, our families became business partners.