As Choi Irene entered her spacious home, the grandeur of the place almost made her forget that she would be eating her dinner alone. Her parents, both of whom were esteemed doctors and owned a hospital in the bustling city of Seoul, were probably still at work, tending to their patients.
As she took the last bite of her food, her phone rang. Upon seeing her mother's name flash across the screen, Irene was surprised. It wasn't often that her mother called her.
With a hint of apprehension, she answered the call.
"Hello, Mother," she greeted her cautiously.
"Today was the first day of senior year, right?" her mother asked in a cold voice, wasting no time on pleasantries.
Irene was taken aback. She couldn't believe her mother remembered such a minor detail. "Yes, it was," she replied, unsure of where the conversation was headed.
"You better be the top of the class and don't humiliate me again in front of other mothers with your average grades," her mother snapped.
"Do you know how embarrassing it is for me to have a daughter who can't even excel in her studies?"
Irene's heart sank. She had always tried her best, but her mother's words made her feel as if her efforts were not enough. "I'll do my best, Mother," she promised, her voice small.
Her mother huffed. "You better," she said sternly. "If only I didn't give birth to you, things would be easier."
With that, she hung up the phone, leaving Irene feeling more alone than ever.
Irene, overwhelmed with feelings of annoyance and anger, impulsively seized a glass and forcefully slammed it against the kitchen wall, the sound of shattering glass echoing through the empty house.
Irene's phone rang once more, illuminating the screen with a notification that her credit card had been used at the nearby mall by her supposed friends; her rage intensified, causing her to grab another glass and hurl it with unbridled fury, only to have it shatter and slice through her hand, blood seeping out in a dark and ominous manner, emphasizing the depth of her pain.
Irene had finally gone to bed that night, her mind and body exhausted from the tumultuous events that had transpired earlier. However, her respite was short-lived, as her subconscious began to take over, and she found herself reliving a haunting memory from her childhood.
In the nightmare, she was a little girl again, and her father was towering over her, his eyes blazing with fury as he kicked and slapped her repeatedly.
Her siblings, who were present in the room, watched on dispassionately, unfazed by her pain and suffering. The experience was so vivid that she could feel the sting of each slap, the pressure of each kick, and the deafening silence of her siblings' apathy.
As the nightmare reached its climax, Irene's eyes snapped open, and she was immediately enveloped in a cold sweat.
The dark room felt claustrophobic, and the silence was deafening. She tried to calm herself down, but her fear and anxiety were too overwhelming.
Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore, and a blood-curdling scream escaped from her throat, shattering the stillness of the night. It was a scream born out of sheer terror and despair, echoing through the empty halls of the house, leaving a wake of haunting silence in its wake.
Irene was not a nice person, at least not in the way that people thought. Behind her sweet demeanor and friendly smile, she was calculating and manipulative, always trying to please others in order to gain their favor.
She knew that her family don't love her so she tried to act as charming and sweet as possible, hoping that people would love her on their behalf.
Every smile and every kind word was a carefully crafted facade, designed to make people feel at ease and put them under her spell. Her genuine emotions were hidden beneath layers of pretense, and she often found herself wondering if anyone would love her for who she truly was, flaws and all.
"Wow, really? What makes him so special?" Irene continued, her interest still artificial.
Her friend began to list Sang-wook's impressive attributes - his good looks, his confidence, and his popularity. As she spoke, Irene found herself nodding along, but in reality, her mind was wandering.
She was more interested in the food on her plate than in Sang-wook, yet she felt compelled to keep up the pretense.
Upon returning to the class, Choi Irene announced that the teacher would be late before taking her seat, whereupon she noticed that the boy was still dozing off and chose to once again disregard his presence.