CONSUME (ENG VER.)

I.

English is not my first language, so sorry for misleading writing here. Enjoy! :)

—

She took a long breath, not to fill her lungs with air — but with a brief mist that promised her peace and freedom.

Her fingers fumbled in her pocket, searching for the flat object that was always ready to accompany her. The sound of a lighter breaking the silence, she inhaled deeply while closing her eyes, exhaling smoke that billowed into the air; like an eruption of everything that had been pent up for so long.

"Aren't you tired? You've been arrested twice this month, Korn."

She is Korn — A girl who lived freely, whose has motto in her life "You only live once."

Korn sighed deeply and smiled slightly, her fingers flipping and twirling the cigarette she was holding with quick, smooth movements, the cigarette butt wedged between her index and middle fingers; she pressed the butt, then threw it on the floor and stomped on it.

She looked at the lawyer beside her, "Why, Phi? The important thing is that I always pay you."

"I'm not talking about that, I just feel sorry for you. You were in your golden age, at least you should have focused on your future. Rather than getting drunk and gambling in a place like that, Korn."

Korn just hung her head, unable to respond. Her lawyer was right. But for Korn, what was the point of living and planning for the future anymore? Everything had been destroyed and left her alone — without anyone left.

"I'm going home now. Call me if you need someone to talk to, I'm all ears. You never walk alone." Natalie patted Korn's shoulder, who was still looking down, unable to move. Natalie then hurriedly left Korn.

Korn stared at her back as it slowly disappeared from her view. Perhaps for some people, those words were just a formality, but for Korn, they meant more than that.

She just needed to be heard.

—

3:00 AM

This was the fifth glass Korn had drink, her mind was chaotic. Korn rested her head on the bartender's table, her head spinning. She stared blankly around her, unconsciously, tears streamed down her face.

Incoming Call

Her cell phone rang, and Korn fumbled in her pants pocket to find it. Her lawyer's name appeared on the screen, and although she was a little confused, Korn still accepted the call from her lawyer.

"Hmm?" She said softly.

"Hello? Where are you, Korn? I'm worried, so I called you. Are you okay?"

Natalie sounded panicked on the other end, but Korn remained indifferent, simply replying, "Yeah."

"Share your location now, I'll pick you up," Natalie said firmly before hanging up.

Actually, Korn was reluctant to tell Natalie, but her mind was completely chaotic and she needed someone by her side. So she willingly sent her location to Natalie, even though she didn't know what her lawyer would do.

—

Just as Natalie had feared, Korn was at the bar, drunk. Natalie could see Korn sitting at the bartender's stool from a distance, staring blankly at the glass in her hand.

Natalie walked over to Korn and gently took the glass from her grasp, Korn looked at the hand that had just taken the glass from her without permission.

"It's me, let me take you home." Natalie held Korn's hand and rubbed it gently. Korn didn't respond or resist. She just stood up and without saying a word, hugged Natalie, burying her face in her lawyer's neck.

"I'm tired."

"So freaking tired, I feel like dying."

Her tears broke free, her voice faint. Natalie didn't say anything; she just quickly pulled Korn's thin and tall body closer — hugging her tighter and gently rubbing her back.

"Let it be, let it hurt. It's okay, just cry." She said calming Korn who kept cursing herself to die.

—

Natalie turned to the passenger seat next to her. Korn had fallen fast asleep shortly after crying her heart out in the bar. Natalie fastened Korn's seatbelt carefully so she wouldn't wake up, her gaze full of empathy for Korn.

Natalie planned to take Korn to her apartment first to rest, even though she had handled Korn's case many times before, she still didn't know exactly where this girl lived.

Korn was not the type to open up and share her personal life, nor was Natalie the type to meddle in her clients' personal affairs — except today.

—

7:00 AM.

Ring!

The sound of the alarm woke Korn up. She slowly sat up on the bed that felt unfamiliar to her; everything looked minimalist with shades of gray and white, as well as a neatly arranged bookcase at the end and a messy desk with papers everywhere.

The door opened, and there was Natalie in her bathrobe. She approached Korn, who was still frozen in confusion, trying to remember last night's events that had led him to end up here. "Are you awake already? Want to have breakfast first?"

"Why am I suddenly here?"

"I called you last night and asked where you were, then I picked you up. That's all." Natalie replied casually.

Korn was surprised and hurriedly wanted to leave, "Oh, okay. Thank you for helping me. I'm going home now, I'm really sorry for bothering you."

"Don't you want to have breakfast first? Are you feeling better?" Natalie asked worriedly, holding Korn's hand.

"I'm fine, really." She assured Natalie.

"Alright, be careful. Don't do anything weird." Korn smiled slightly, then hurriedly left Natalie.

—

10:00 AM.

Natalie sat staring blankly at the computer in front of her, her mind elsewhere. For some reason, Natalie became interested more about Korn after seeing she's so hurt last night.

Natalie remembered one of her friends — Lorena Layla.

Lorena Layla or Lena was Natalie's college friend during her undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Law.

Lorena once told me about handling a case involving the arrest of a drug dealer, which had an impact on the dealer's family.

Natalie immediately called her friend, inviting her to meet up and ask about the case. For some reason, Natalie felt that she needed to cross-check something.

—

11:00 AM.

Korn was staring at the book in front of her —but she hadn't written a single word since earlier. Her mind was racing, and she was confused. Korn worked as a songwriter at a recording studio, and she was quite well-known in the industry.

Korn accidentally wrote Natalie's name in her book, and she immediately tore out the page and threw it away. "What the hell, why did I write that lawyer's name? That's crazy." Korn hit her head repeatedly to distract her brain from thinking about her lawyer.

The door of Korn's office opened, and there stood Laurel with her staterpack; various cameras. Laurel smiled broadly and rushed in, sitting down on the sofa without letting the owner ask why she didn't knock on the door first.

"I'm crashing here, bro. I'm exhausted after taking graduation photos for my client."

Korn just nodded; a sign that she agreed. "What do you think of my lawyer who usually handles my cases, La?"

"That pretty one? She's crazy! She's so beautiful, I think if I were with her, I'd be willing to be the bottom because she's so tempting." Laurel laughed enthusiastically in response.

"What the, you're crazy." Korn threw a piece of paper at her friend, who just laughed in response. "But am I right? She's really beautiful." Laurel reinforced her opinion.

—

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