"I've tried before. That's why I'm saying, you'll regret it." He had almost no emotions showing on his face but his eyes were on anywhere but hers. His voice tired yet, cold.

"How..no, why?" She mumbled few words still holding his arms, looking at the scars.

He took in a deep breath and gently pulled his hand away. "I was depressed. Frustrated," he said hiding his marks with his sleeve again.

"Hurting myself somehow could ease the mental pain. But then I did it. I attempted suicide."

Her breathing got uneven. The boy in front of her had attempted taking his own life before?

He was undergoing depression just like her. "Why?" She asked, agitated.

"I was bullied." He slumped his shoulders again. His tall body looked so frail doing that. "A lot. I was the school's outcast."

"Some even made me their errand boy," he mumbled playing with the hem of his sleeve with his eyes down.

"Why didn't you tell your parents?" She asked but then immediately hoped that he wouldn't answer he didn't have any parents.

"My parents." He took out a little sigh and she could see a weak smile forming on his lips from the side vision. "They expected high things from me."

"I was good at everything in my last school. Dad had to transfer. I became an outcast the very first day here. Picked a fight with the wrong guys. They beat me up in front of everyone."

"I became the weakest boy there and it was an all boy's high. Either you are strong or you're the type no one notices. I was another type who was weak. I hated it every day but still my parents, they thought I was perfect, they thought I would only do better." His voice got lower saying each sentence.

"I started getting worse in everything. Once I was a bright student but then I became pathetic."

"Whenever I tried to talk with them they would only tell me about their expectations. But soon I disappointed them... I disappointed my parents."

He took a little pause then continued weakly, "My younger brother, who always thought me as his idol saw how pathetic I became."

"He started getting better than me. So my parents started expecting things from him." He ruffled his hair letting out a sigh.

"But still they would often discuss how disappointed I made them. I became an outcast in school, I became an outcast in my family."

"Then I did that. I slid a bled over my wrist."

His last sentence made her flinch. She was completely at lost of words.

"I was in coma for a couple of weeks. I came out and saw how worried my parents were. They cried and prayed every day while I was in there." He looked at her eyes, finally.

"Nothing changed in my school but at least they didn't bother me again. I stayed an outcast just doing everything by myself." He rubbed his wrist.

It took her a few moments to grasp everything he had said.

"Your parents were sad." She cleared her throat. "That's why you regretted your decision right?"

He gave a halfhearted smile. "No."

"Taking your own life is regrettable because you miss the chances life could give you."

That didn't make any sense. What chances did he miss? Hearing his side of the story and seeing him then she could feel that nothing had changed much anyway for him.

"Your phone's been ringing the whole time." He changed the topic and faced forward.

Snapping back from her thoughts, she quickly pulled the zip of her schoolbag and pulled out her phone to find several missed calls and texts.

She didn't even want to bother to check them since she knew they would be from her workplaces anyway. She didn't go to any of them since last evening.

Still, she clicked on her inbox lazily, thinking she wouldn't reply. Her eyebrows furrowed seeing a large portion of texts coming from an unknown number.

Unknown : Soojin? This is your aunt. I tried calling you several times but you wouldn't pick up.

She sat upright in her seat. Her aunt texting her? Last time she talked to her was three years ago.

Unknown : I know this is sudden but I've always contacted your father about you. I didn't have your number and he would hardly pick up his phone. I wondered if he even talked to you about us.

Unknown : now I am sure he didn't.

Unknown: your mother stored some of her money in my bank account secretly and I sent the interests bank gave me for that every month to your father.

Unknown : it was for your sake of course.

Unknown : I wished to see you so much but he wouldn't let that happen. He was always busy or he acted like that.

Unknown : Last week I told him that I will stop sending money and I'll give all of it to you when you turn eighteen.

Unknown: I was suspicious so I did that. Then he started fighting. I had to cut off ties with him but I thought of visiting you personally next week until hoshi saw you working in a store yesterday.

She was holding her breath reading it all. Money? Her mom's money? Her aunt did stay in contact with them? She didn't know about any of these things.

Moreover Hoshi, he was her cousin and two years younger than her. She used to play with him before. He remembered her?

Unknown : I couldn't believe it. But I panicked since I promised your mom I would look over you. So I went to your school and found out your tuition fee had been due for two months. You hardly attend school and your father never picked his calls from the homeroom teacher.

Unknown : I went to your home and nobody was there. The place reeked from outside and suddenly it all came back to me.

Unknown : how could I think that he had changed after your mom died?

Unknown : I went to the store hoshi saw you working at and asked your number from the other girl that worked there. She recognized you.

Unknown : I wanted to file a case against your father but first I wanted to talk with you.

Unknown : south chaewon street 3-B. This is where we live now.

Unknown : I already talked with your uncle and hoshi. We will happily welcome you in our family Soojin. You dont have to stay with him anymore.