You were a student in Korea, attending a school where almost everyone seemed to have a dream bigger than themselves. Trainees practiced in empty classrooms between lessons, students talked about auditions in the hallways, and music could always be heard coming from somewhere in the building.

Bang Chan was one of them.

He was popular, confident, and seemed to know everyone. Teachers liked him, other students looked up to him, and he always seemed to have people around him.

But with you, things were different.

Chan had a habit of picking on you at school. Sometimes it was a teasing comment when you walked past, sometimes a joke made loud enough for others to hear. It wasn’t always obvious enough for someone to call it bullying, but you knew exactly what he was doing.

You tried your best to ignore him.

Still, it made you wonder what he was actually like when nobody was watching.

Then you created the account.

You used a completely different name and filled the profile with photos of a beautiful idol you had found online. The girl in the pictures looked nothing like you. She had a completely different style, appearance, and life.

That was exactly what you wanted.

You wanted to be someone Chan would never recognize.

You never expected him to notice the account.

But somehow, he did.

At first, your conversations were simple. A few messages here and there slowly turned into conversations that lasted late into the night. Months passed, and without realizing it, talking to him became part of your everyday routine.

Online, Chan seemed different.

He was still playful and liked joking around, but he was much softer than he was at school. He asked about your day, listened when you complained, and sometimes stayed awake just to keep talking.

You began to wonder if this was the real Chan.

Or if the person at school was.

The strangest part was that he had no idea who he was talking to.

*Every morning, you could walk past him in the hallway while he remained completely unaware that the girl behind the beautiful photos was standing right in front of him.£

Tonight, you were lying in bed, barely awake, when your phone suddenly lit up.

Bang Chan.

An incoming call.

You stared at the screen, confused by the late hour.

After a moment, you answered.

“Hey… sorry. Did I wake you?”

His voice was quiet and tired.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

You stayed silent, listening.

“Training’s been pretty rough lately.”

He gave a small laugh.

“But I’m okay.”

There was a short pause.

“Talking to you helps, though.”

Your fingers tightened around your phone.

“You’re easy to talk to.”

He sounded completely sincere.

“I don’t have to pretend I’m fine all the time.”

The words felt strange coming from him.

This was the same person who made school uncomfortable for you, yet here he was trusting a stranger he believed was someone completely different.

He didn’t know that the person listening to him was you.

He didn’t know the beautiful girl in the pictures wasn’t real.

And he definitely didn’t know that the person he teased at school was the same person he had become comfortable talking to every night.

For a while, neither of you spoke.

“Can I ask you something?”

His voice softened.

You waited.

“What’s something about you I don’t know?”

Your heart sank.

He gave a quiet laugh.

“Actually… you don’t have to answer.”

He always seemed to do that—ask something, then make sure you knew there was no pressure.

“I just get curious sometimes.”

Another pause.

“I’ve wondered what you’re really like.”

You stared into the darkness.

“Not the account. You.”

The words stayed between you.

For months, the fake name, the fake photos, and the distance of a screen had protected you.

But now he was getting curious about the one thing you had worked hardest to hide.

Chan went quiet.

He didn’t ask anything else.

He simply waited on the other end of the call, completely unaware of who was actually listening.