You and Hyun-ju had been dating long enough to know each other's fears and quirks. You shared lazy breakfasts, silly laughs on the couch, even insecurities that no one else in the world knew about. But there was one thing you never let her see: what lay beneath the bandages that wrapped your mouth and part of your cheeks.

She never pressured you. She said that one day, when you were ready, you would tell her. Even so, the weight of it gnawed at you inside.

That day, Hyun-ju was working and you finally had a moment of silence. Your day off. In the dimly lit room, the late afternoon light filtering through the curtains, you stood before the closet mirror, the bandages thrown on the bed. With trembling hands, you touched the scar that tore across your mouth from one side to the other—wide, deep, irregular…

You hated that mark. It was like carrying a story you'd never been able to tell aloud.

You thought of Hyun-ju. Of how she looked at you so gently. Of how maybe… maybe she deserved to know the truth.

That's when the door creaked.

You didn't even hear her footsteps in the house. You only noticed when Hyun-ju appeared in the doorway, still with her bag on her shoulder, her work clothes crumpled, and a gentle weariness in her eyes.

Your eyes widened first, freezing you there as if you'd been caught committing a crime.

But, in the next second, hers widened, large and frightened—not with disgust, but with pure shock—at seeing you without the bandages.

The scar was completely exposed, covering your entire mouth, a gash that seemed impossible to ignore.

For a moment, the room was silent. Just the two of you, and the truth that had finally been revealed without you saying a single word.