ONE MISTAKE

After I saw that memory, everything about me changed. I felt broken, like something inside me had shattered and couldn’t be put back together. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every time my mom smiled at me, it felt like a mask. I stopped asking questions, stopped hoping for anything.

There was only one person I thought I could talk to. It was my best friend. She was the only one I trusted, the only person who made me feel a little less alone. So, one night, I told her everything. The memory, my mom’s words, how I felt like I didn’t even belong in my own home. She hugged me and told me it would be okay. She promised she’d never tell anyone.

The next day, my world fell apart.

I walked into school like any other day, but something felt off. People were whispering. They smirked and stared at me. I ignored it, brushing it off as paranoia, until I saw it.

Right in the middle of the hallway, projected in holograms for everyone to see, was my story. My mom’s memory, my feelings, from my own mouth, everything I had told my best friend was exposed openly.

I stood there frozen, my stomach twisted into knots as laughter echoed around me.

“Wow, what a freak,” someone muttered behind me.

“Her dad left because of her?” another voice chimed in. “No wonder she’s so messed up.”

I wanted to scream, to run, to disappear, but my legs wouldn’t move. That day marked the beginning of the worst years of my life.

At first, people whispered behind my back. I’d hear their comments, their giggles, and mock sympathy. Then the bullying started. A deliberate jolt in the corridor, a missing access chip when I needed it most, taunting holograms flickering in my personal display feed, everything kept happening again and again.

As days passed, it turned even worse. Some girls would pour water on me and record this moment in their neuro-drive while slapping me. While doing it, they would laugh and keep shouting, “Meiroko is a good girl.” while clapping their hands in rhythm.

I tried to fight back once, but that just made it worse. Eventually, I stopped trying. I stopped trusting. I stopped hoping.

My life became dull, gray and lifeless. I needed something to make it bearable, something to make the pain go away. That’s when I found the happiness chips. These chips were specialized in directly activating dopamine in the brain.

They weren’t hard to get. Just a quick order on an e-store, and a small chip arrived at my door. All I had to do was press it into the port on my temple, and within seconds, the world felt lighter. The pain faded, replaced by warmth I hadn’t felt in years.

At first, I only used them once a month, telling myself it was just a little treat. But once a month turned soon turned into once a week. Then once a week turned into twice a week. Soon, I couldn’t go a day without them.

Those chips were affordable to some extent, but that didn’t mean they were cheap enough to buy every day. I drained my savings, to keep buying them. But even that wasn’t enough. I needed more.

That’s how I ended up hacking into a small e-store. Hacking was one of the few things I was good at. It was just a one-time thing. It was a quick job to get a few happiness chips for free. I told myself I’d never do it again. But now, standing in this alley, I realized I’d made a huge mistake.

The guys blocking my path didn’t look friendly. Their leader, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward.

“You think you can steal from us and get away with it?” he said, his voice was low and threatening.

I tried to stay calm, even though my hands were shaking. “I… I’ll…pay… you back. I… just need… some… time.”

The guy laughed in a cold and sadistic tone. “Time? You think we’re running a charity? Nah, sweetheart, we don’t do ‘time.’”

His grin widened, and his eyes raked over me in a way that made my skin crawl. “But we’re reasonable guys. If you can’t pay with money, there’s other ways to settle your debt.”

My heart sank. “What… what do you… mean?”

One of the others, a stocky guy with a shaved head, leaned forward and said, “It’s very simple. You let us have some fun, and we’ll call it even.”

I felt like I was going to be sick. “No... I can’t…”

Scarface grabbed my arm and pinned me against the dirty wall. His grip was firm. His breath was hot and smelled disgusting against my face. “Listen, sweetheart, this isn’t a negotiation. Either you play nice, or we’ll take what we want. And after that, maybe we’ll sell your parts in the dark web. Bet someone out there would pay good money for your organs.”

Scarface leaned closer, his hand brushing against my cheek. “So, what’s it gonna be?”

I wanted to say no. I wanted to fight back. But then a thought crept in: If I just say yes, this will all be over. And plus, it’s not that bad, now that I think about it. Who cares if they violate me or do even worst? At the end of the day, my life has always been like this. I don’t matter to anyone, not even to myself. Maybe if I do what they say, they would spare me.

My shoulders slumped, and I let out a shaky sigh. “Fine,” I whispered.

Scarface smirked, leaning back slightly. “Good girl.”

He reached out his hand towards my hip, but as his hand moved closer, something inside me snapped. A wave of disgust and anger surged through me, so strong it felt like I couldn’t breathe. My heart screamed, No! I don’t want this. I can’t take it anymore. I want to… be free.

Tears begin to fall from my eyes as I prepared myself for the worst.

“Oi, oi, oi! Who do you think you are, touching there?”

We all turned toward the sound. A guy was standing at the entrance of the alley, casually leaning against the wall. He looked calm, but his presence was anything but calm. His messy hair, cocky grin, and sharp eyes made him look like someone who didn’t take no for an answer. And now I remembered who he was. He was the one who was pestering me to join his club. Back then I didn’t much thought about it and accepted his offer as I needed to join one.

“She’s a member of my club,” he said, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. “So back off baldy. You guys belong in the ‘Ugly Bastard’ tag of some 21st century H-anime, not IRL.”

The guys around me became a little tensed, exchanging glances among them. Scarface glared at him. “Who the hell are you?”

Ya right…what was his name again..

The guy smirked, cracking his knuckles. “Name’s Garp. And trust me, you are never gonna forget it for the rest of our lives.”

CHAPTER 11 END