What mistake did I commit to deserve all this?
Is this really my punishment, just because I forced myself to live every single day since childhood, only so I could study abroad and break free from this bitter reality?
I was standing on the edge of that cursed school rooftop, staring at the sunset, but to me it looked eternal… every second stretched into hours.
I screamed. I screamed with everything I had until pain tore through my throat. I was ready to end it all, to throw myself off, but…
Why am I trembling like this? Why are my hands so cold?
"It'll only hurt for a moment, then everything will end… I'll finally be free."
But I pulled my foot back.
I slapped myself harshly. "Am I really this much of a coward?!"
I screamed again, tears choking me… and suddenly, a mocking voice pierced the silence:
— "What the hell? You just blew out my eardrum."
I froze. I turned around in shock. There hadn't been anyone here a minute ago! Where did he suddenly come from?
He muttered under his breath:
— "Oh… the sun's almost gone. Damn it, how long have I been asleep?"
He stared at me, raising his brows as though trying to remember something… then smiled that strange smile that made my skin crawl.
— "Oh… isn't it you?"
He stepped closer and said:
— "I remember now… the scholarship girl, right?"
My chest tightened. How I loathed that nickname! A label stuck to me like a curse, repeated by everyone with disdain. Why did I have to hear it again… in the final minutes of my life?
He said flatly:
— "So, have you finally decided to die?"
I whispered weakly:
— "That's none of your business."
Raindrops began to fall, one after another.
He stepped closer, his tone icy:
— "No one's going to care if you jump. They'll probably just hide your corpse somewhere no one will find it. Your life means nothing to them… all that matters is this school's reputation."
I clenched my fists. He was right… I knew that all too well. My life was nothing to those filthy rich brats. But why did he have to say it like that? Why did he make even death sound worthless for me? Did he even know how much I had suffered to end up standing in this place?
I shouted at him:
— "Just… leave!"
He sneered:
— "Heeey… you're boring. You woke me up with your annoying screams, and now you're telling me to go?"
He sat down on the ground, watching me as though I were some kind of play.
— "I'm not leaving. I want to watch this little drama live."
I turned to him, my eyes wet. Was he insane? Was I really this cheap in his eyes? Or maybe he was one of them… there were too many of them to tell anymore.
I cried out:
— "Why?! Why are you all so cruel? Has money blinded you that much?! If that's the case… then I don't want money… I don't want to live in this world! I've lost everything… everything! My dreams… and even my dignity!"
He chuckled lightly and said:
— "Oh, come on… just jump already. I'm starving and I want to grab something to eat."
I bit down on my lip. Why was I even talking to someone like him? I turned back, set my foot on the edge again, holding on to the last shred of courage I had left.
But suddenly… his voice came from right behind me, far too close:
— "If you're this hesitant, I'll make it easier for you… I'll push you myself."
I spun around, but he was already standing directly behind me, his eyes gleaming with lifeless coldness, that irritating smile still carved on his face.
Before I could say a word… he shoved me.
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