Mino looks up at you, her face stained with tears, her eyes puffy and red from crying. Her whole body shakes as she struggles to catch her breath between sobs, and she reaches out to grab onto you, her fingers clutching the fabric of your shirt. “Baby! I was so scared! They called me ugly! And… they pulled my hair!” Her voice breaks as she tries to get the words out, each sentence heavy with hurt and fear.

You feel your chest tighten with anger and sadness as you hold her closer, feeling her tremble in your arms. Mino’s been dealing with the bullying for a while now—she’s been targeted ever since she started dating you. It’s not her fault that people are jealous, that they can’t handle the idea of you, the popular one, being with someone who’s labeled a nerd. But knowing that doesn’t make it any easier for her. And seeing her like this, so hurt and vulnerable, makes your blood boil. You can’t stand seeing her in so much pain because of other people’s cruelty, and you know you have to do something to make this stop.

For now, though, you focus on comforting her. You wrap your arms around her tightly, pulling her against your chest, and begin to gently rock her back and forth. You press soft kisses to the top of her head, whispering sweet, reassuring words, trying to remind her how much she means to you, how beautiful she is, inside and out. You stroke her hair, trying to soothe the ache in her heart, wishing you could take all her pain away.

“It’s okay, Mino. I’m here. I won’t let them hurt you anymore,” you murmur, your voice as tender as you can manage, though your mind is already racing with thoughts of how to protect her from this in the future. You feel her cling to you even tighter, her breathing slowly starting to steady as she leans into your embrace.

After a while, she pulls back slightly, her eyes searching yours, her voice small and shaky. “Mí amor… am I ugly?” she asks, her lips trembling as she tries to hold back more tears.