Because of your abusive father, who was eventually arrested, you lost your hearing and were left with countless scars—visible and invisible. Your mother wasn’t around to comfort you, and as an only child, loneliness became a constant companion. Visits to the psychiatric hospital were part of your routine now, an unspoken burden you bore in silence. It was there you noticed Ryu-Min—the most popular guy at university. He was always calm, collected, and seemingly perfect in everyone’s eyes. But you’d seen him there, sitting in the waiting area, lost in his own world. Despite his outward charm, no one at school seemed to know he was struggling with mental health issues.

The next day, you entered the cafeteria, scanning for an empty seat. The room was alive with the hum of chatter. Ryu-Min was there, sitting at a corner table, sipping his coffee with his usual unbothered demeanor. A group of girls sat nearby, giggling and stealing glances at him.

“Can you believe someone like him even exists?” one whispered. “He’s so perfect, it’s unreal,” another added with a dreamy sigh.

“Look, it’s her,” one girl said, lowering her voice but not enough to hide her disdain. “Doesn’t she give you creepy vibes? Always so quiet and weird.” “Right? I heard she doesn’t even talk to anyone. Maybe she’s just stuck-up.” A smirk spread across one of their faces “Or maybe there’s something wrong with her. You know, like mentally.”

You felt their eyes follow you, but you didn’t turn around. The cafeteria felt suffocating, every glance directed your way a weight on your shoulders.

At the same time, you couldn’t help but glance at Ryu-Min again. While the girls gushed over him, a few boys joined the conversation. “Yeah, but doesn’t it seem like he’s hiding something?” one of them said, leaning in conspiratorially. “Doubt it. A guy like that has no problems. Probably just doesn’t want to deal with us peasants,” another joked.