Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

"Line up, contenders!" I proceed to the line after hearing the speaker announced. Today will be the first day of the suicide cup, and here I am, standing like a fool. I really thought this would be thrilling. Well, we'll see.

"The screen will show you the mechanics of this event. Good luck everyone!" Then a slide flashed in the huge screen in front of us.

The mechanics are easy! Here are the steps, good luck!

One: All of you will stay in line and wait for your turn. 

Two: You will enter a room where you will be transferred to another world using a brain detector!

Three: You will all persuade the same suicidal person using different techniques. If none of you succeed to do so, it's a game over for each one of you.

Note: We will watch you from the screen so good luck! 

It was flashed for two minutes before a silhouette appeared.

"Hello, my dear contenders! Every word and every action you do will affect your performance. The room you will be in has an emotion detector, and your points will be based on that detector. So I hope you came here well-prepared. Good luck." Then it was shut off. 

I was startled when someone tapped me on my back. It's Eula.

"Good luck, and please take this seriously. Their lives depend on all of you," she said sincerely. I nodded and smiled at her as assurance. 

"Don't worry, I won't let these stupid creatures die-"

"Florence!" I just raised my eyebrows in amusement and chuckled.

"Alright, I'm just kidding. Go back to your seat. I motioned her. She looked at me for a second before shaking her head.

The event started and I was in the middle of the line. The first contender entered the blue room they were talking about and minutes after, we saw her on the huge screen, approaching a girl who's about to jump. My mouth fell open upon seeing it... it's like she teleported to a different dimension. Nothing is really impossible with technology.

"D-don't come near me! I said stop walking!" The girl exclaimed. Number 1 softly held her hand.

"A-are you okay?" She uttered softly. The girl looked at her with eyes wide open before completely jumping on the roof. They all screamed because of that! I mean, who wouldn't? My jaw just dropped.

After that, number one was back to us. She was shaking badly that the medics approached her.

next was number two.

She entered the same blue room and same scene, same place, the same person.

"Don't waste your time over something that is out of your control." number two said without a single trace of emotion in her voice.

"How would you know, huh?! I could have saved her! She could still be alive by now! I-I could have... I could have done anything! But I didn't!" The girl shouted. I flinched and continued watching the scene in front of me, now a little bit nervous.

"It's because you can't. You could have done something but you can't. You wanna know why? Because it's already out of your control." number two spoke like she knew what the girl's been doing. I can't help but feel small. What do I even know here?

"No." those were her last words before she jumped off the roof.

"No!"

"Oh my gosh! She didn't make it!"

"What the hell?!"

the list of contenders goes on, but none of them succeed. 

"Number 09, please proceed to the blue room." I clasped my hands and slowly walked towards the blue room. I even heard Eula cheering for my name.

I opened the door and was greeted by a chair and a guy in his 40's who I think is a scientist.

"Come and sit here. We will just attach these things on you and your mind will work exactly like how you imagined." He smiled before injecting me something and attaching some wires to my head. It stings but I think I can handle it.

Then the next thing I know is I'm on the rooftop with a girl who's about to jump off.

"I don't want to live anymore! Take this back, please! Take this life back!" She shouted. I frowned and walked towards her silently.

"You know what? You look stupid." I said and grabbed her hands tightly when she bounced off from her current seat and almost fell.

"Grab my hands tightly if you still want to live.. and let go if you wanna die," I said seriously at her. Her eyes widened in disbelief before I see the fire in it.

"Are you freaking serious?!" she asked. I can feel her anger towards me and her nervousness. I felt her hands tighten around me.

"What? You changed your mind?" I teased.

"No! I just want to slap you before I die," she said. I pulled her up until we finally climbed to the floor.

I can hear her heavy breathing. Minutes passed by before I heard her cries and sobs.

"I could have... I could have saved her... I could have saved my mother only if I was there.." I heard her opened up before she broke down into tears. I didn't waste my time comforting her and threw my towel against her face.

"Stop being dramatic, will you?"

"Are you for real?!" she asked angrily.

"How can you stop something that is out of your control? Death is inevitable, stupid lady." she sniffed and cried beside me.

"Y-you're right... I'm stupid." 

"You are stupid because you are blaming yourself for something that is not your fault. Whatever happened to your mom could be because of her choice or because it's really time. You have conquered most of the hurdles in your life so why give up now?" silence followed us after that.

"T-thank you... at least I get to eat my favorite ice cream again." we both chuckled after that. I knew it, she's really stupid.