Hazelnut - Ryeji

4

My tears started to fall down rapidly as I am ready to shove the chair I am standing on away. "I'm sorry, Hyunjin and Heejin." I said to myself.

Without hesitation, I kicked the chair making it fall to the ground.

I was suffocating. I started sweating as I was hanging. My neck was hurting a lot because of how tight the rope is.

My legs were shaking as I was struggling to breathe. I winced in pain. It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. It felt like I only had 10 seconds before death. I was ready to face death.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated out of nowhere. I was curious. No one really calls me.

"F-...f.." I struggled to say a word.

I grabbed the rope on my neck with my two hands and I started swinging around hoping for the rope to tear apart.

But it didn't work.

While I was swinging, the ceiling fan that the rope is tied to suddenly snapped.

I fell to the ground.

I loosened the rope and I took it off my neck. I was short of breath and I kept on coughing on the ground. My chest was aching and my neck was hurting.

I placed my hand in my pocket and took out my phone.

I looked at my phone and my eyes widened a little bit.

"Hwang Yeji? how did she know my number?" I weakly said.

I was expecting an idiotic reply if I answer her call so I decided to ignore her. I lie down on the ground and I continued coughing like a sick person.

I looked at the ceiling and I wiped my tears. "I was so close." I said to myself.

--

"Unnie, goodmorning!" My sister Yuna happily shouted while sitting down on a chair across our mom.

I smiled weakly and I sat down besides her while holding my phone. I placed my phone on the dining table and I picked up my chopstick to grab a piece of bacon.

I was about to pick up food, but my mom suddenly hit my hand with a metal spoon that made me confused.

"Shin Ryujin." My mom said.

"That hurt." I held my hand while looking at my mom with a curious expression.

The woman in her 30s pointed her spoon at me. "Why is your neck so red?"

I looked around. I tried to avoid eye contact with her as I tried to think of an excuse. "I-..." I started scratching the back of my head while awkwardly smiling at my mom.

My mom stood up. "That's it." She suddenly took my phone.

I stood up from my seat and I dropped the chopstick I was holding. "H-hey. What are you doing with my phone?"

My mom walked towards the open window. "Shin Ryujin, promise me or I will throw your phone out the window!" She yelled.

I walked towards my mom and tears started to form in my eyes. "P-please. Anything but my phone. I have family pictures there. Don't throw it away!" I yelled.

My mom looked at my sister. "Yuna! cover your ears!" She yelled.

My sister covered her ears and sat down properly.

"Promise me, Shin Ryujin!" My mom yelled.

My tears started falling down. I was sobbing. Without hesitation, I kneeled down in front of my mom. "I-I won't..."

"You won't what?" She said.

"I won't kill myself!" I yelled.

"I won't kill myself."

"I won't kill myself."

I kept on saying the same thing for minutes, but it didn't satisfy my mom.

"Rephrase that, Ryujin." My mom demanded.

I wiped my tears with my shirt and I inhaled and sharply exhaled. "Alright." I weakly said.

"I-I will never kill myself."