42 (hyunminsung)

1

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It was evening, the sun was slowly setting, and the sky was gaining darkness. Cafés and other establishments began to close. The moon started to settle in the sky, observing the happenings beneath. The blond boy sitting at the edge of the bridge caught its attention, gazing at the rushing water below.

"Jisung! Come down!" shouted a smaller woman. "You'll fall!" she panicked. "Don't worry, Mom, I'm careful," the little boy smiled, not paying attention to where he stepped.

"I should have left back then," sighed Jisung.

"Jisung!" echoed the cries.

"It would have been better," he slowly stood up and stepped to the very edge.

"We're sorry, madam, but we need a donor, there's nothing else we can do for him at this time," sighed an older man. "I'll be his donor!" the woman exclaimed. "Madam, it's a significant risk for both him and you," the older man cautioned.

"Or at least I should have been more careful," tears started streaming down his face.

"Mom?"

His heartbeat quickened, and there was a ringing in his ears. "I can't go on any longer," he closed his eyes.

"Where are you?"

"Sorry for making it unnecessary," he wiped tears from his face, even though it was entirely futile, and moved the tips of his shoes over the edge.

Jisung, with his eyes closed, stopped to perceive the happening around him. He delved even deeper into his thoughts. He was never sure if he wanted to take this big step, he didn't want everything his mother had done for him to go to waste. Painfully smiling at the memory of his mother, he wanted to be as close to her as possible. Closer by taking the biggest step of his life, or should we say unlife? Did Jisung even live? Or was he just existing, taken away like many other people? Jisung stopped living on the day he celebrated his seventh birthday. However, the boy didn't remember that day as a birthday celebration but rather as the day of his death, which he longed for. He yearned for it since the day he experienced his greatest loss.

"Boy!" A voice called out, which Jisung didn't notice. He was still mesmerized by the water beneath him.

Die!

"Hey! Kid!" The shouting was getting closer and closer every second.

Just die already!

"Damn it!" One of the boys running towards Jisung shouted, this time loud enough to snap the blond boy out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Jisung's shaky voice echoed. His glossy eyes, filled with tears, began to search for the boys whose voices were calling out to him. However, all he could find were two silhouettes of tall boys.

"Could you please... come down?" the taller of the boys spoke. "Down... to solid ground," the other added.

Don't even think about it!

The blond boy didn't pay attention to what the two strangers were saying, he just listened to their voices. They were very calming to Jisung.

JUST JUMP!

"Hey there, kid," the taller boy spoke again, a fact Jisung could only discern from their silhouettes. Outside, it was pitch dark, with no lamps around, the only light illuminating the night was the full moon.

"Hyune, talk to him, okay? I'll try to get him down, to safety," the shorter whispered to the other boy. "But be careful, okay?" the other cautioned.

As they turned back to the blond boy standing at the edge of the bridge, Jisung was once again fixated on the water below him.

"Hey, look," the tall boy began. "It might be tough for you right now, but you'll regret it." He continued, nervously shifting from foot to foot. He was afraid of scaring the boy, whose name he didn't know, and making him do what he came here for.

"Try talking to someone about it; it'll definitely help," he tried to reassure the boy.

"I-I don't have a-anyone," Jisung spoke, his trembling voice trailing off at the end... His voice clearly showed how hurt he was and how much pain he was in. He was ready to give up. He took a deep breath, not knowing why he was talking to the boy; after all, he came here for only one reason. He took another deep breath and began to slowly retreat, inching closer to the edge every second. Just then, when he was only on tiptoes, he felt a firm grip on his wrist. A stranger's hand pulled him from the edge of the bridge to the ground. Straight into a stranger's embrace.

"Why are you so light??" exclaimed the boy Jisung had forgotten was there too. Just as they planned.

"Are you even eating?" He kept infuriating. He never expected the boy to be so light and thin. It's as if he hasn't eaten for months.

Don't trust him, he will betrayed you!

"W-what?" Jisung stuttered, still in the embrace of the boy. His scent surrounded him, calming him like a drug. He didn't even realize that the boy was constantly holding onto his wrist.

On the other hand, the unknown boy was all too aware that he was still gripping the blond's wrist. There were raised lines on his wrist. Perhaps scars? He wasn't so sure.

"C-can you l-let me go?" Jisung spoke.
"Yeah... sorry," the boy exclaimed, releasing the blond onto the ground. Still keeping an eye on him, making sure he wouldn't run away.

The tall boy had been observing them from afar the whole time. On one hand, he was unhappy that both boys were distressed. On the other hand, something warmed his heart. Perhaps a new beginning?