Withered (Michaeng) ✔️

Chapter 32: Scarf

Mina sits on the bed as she leans against the headboard, as usual, she's knitting again. And this time, it's the same scarf that she knitted for Chaeyoung before, the difference is the color but shared the same pattern. Emotionlessly with a blank face, she keeps with her favorite hobby, she doesn't really feels or think any particular things. She's back again into the void. A dark void. A never-ending dark void that consumes everything, so she left feeling nothing. Empty.

Irene stares in confusion at the tent in the living room. She shakes her head and walks pass it straight to the kitchen. She takes off the scarf and her purse, hanging it on the back of the dining chair before rolling her sleeves and does her daily duty. Something crosses her mind when she suddenly stops chopping the ingredients for breakfast. She glances over her wristwatch and sighs. "Times for medicine" She talks to herself. She stays without moving for half an hour, staring into space.

After battling with her inner self, she finally takes off the gloves and prepares Mina's medicine, putting it on a tray with a glass of water. Eight packets in six months.
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"Mina-sii, May I come in?" Irene enters the room when she heard a reply from inside, keeping her head low as she makes her way towards the bedside table and set down the tray. Mina stops knitting and put it aside, she eyes the girl with dark orbs, expressionlessly. A small smile creeps across her face when they make eye contact and thanking Irene for the medicine.

Mina put the usual pills she always took inside her mouth and lift her hand asking for water. Irene hand her but her grips tighten when Mina tries to take the glass, she stares at Irene -who's only looking at the floor- again Mina tries to take the glass of plain water but Irene pulls it back. Aware of the maid odd behavior, Mina brows connected when she notice Irene's trembling hands. She taps Irene's hands that clasp the glass and slowly Irene raise her head, they stare at each other, and to her surprised the maid just breaks crying. Mina smiles softly at her and Irene does the same before letting her hands fall to her side.

Mina take the glass and drinks the water while Irene is looking somewhere but the girl. "Is there something wrong? Why are you crying?" Mina asks, putting the glass back to the tray. Irene only shakes her head, take the tray with her and hurriedly storm out of the room.

Mina is about to call the maid but she no longer in sight. She clicks her tongue and sighs "Bitter" She mumbles under her breath.
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As soon as she reaches the kitchen, Irene topples and falls on the floor, gripping tightly the edge of the dining table for support. Her howls of misery worsening, minutes of silent wrack sobs broken apart by short pauses for recovering breaths. Crying with a rawness with it. She hopes that if only- someone to be there beside her. Telling her that everything will be fine, patting her back, consoling her but she has no one, no one except her mother. And maybe that's why she becomes inhuman just to protect her one and only family.

Thinking about the scenario earlier makes her lose focus when she's not aware of herself cutting her fingers instead of the vegetables. She stares at her blood dripping down the kitchen bar and unconsciously brings the knife to her arms, cutting one deep wound. She bears the pain, biting her lips to perfectly stop herself from screaming out of pain. It's like a reminder, each cut for what she just did. So, she'll not forget and always remember the guilt she has to live with through her life. She quickly cleans the mess and wash her cut, pressing a cloth in it. There's no turning back and she does not regret her decision but to live with it.

Pathetic. Selling your morality for money.

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