Throughout the entire night, she cried, unable to shake off the hurtful words she had received.
But in the midst of her tears, she suddenly remembered Sang Wook and used the memory of him to comfort herself, repeating over and over again, "He said he likes me, yeah, he likes me. Look, sis, someone loves me!" Despite crying out loud, these words brought her some solace and reassurance that she wasn't alone and unloved.
After Irene's breakdown, two months had passed and now winter has arrived. Everyone is occupied with their midterm studies, and Choi Irene is no exception as she keeps herself busy with school work.
However, during this time, she has not been in contact with her family, nor have they reached out to her. In addition, the boy who typically sits in front of her has been absent from school for almost three weeks.
After the completion of the midterm, the results were posted, and Choi Irene held a strong conviction that she had secured the top position in her class.
When the midterm results were posted, Irene discovered that she had earned a score of 97 out of 100, landing her in second place.
Despite her diligent studying, she was unable to clinch the top spot, which had been held by Yoon Jung for the past two years. Irene had never paid much attention to Yoon Jung.
She inquired with her classmates about Yoon Jung's identity and whereabouts, but they all seemed perplexed by her question.
Unbeknownst to Irene, Yoon Jung had been her seatmate for the entire semester, consistently arriving late and sleeping through class.
This sudden revelation of failure incited within her a potent surge of seething anger and profound disappointment, so intense that it seemed to suffocate her.
Choi Irene's anger was like a smoldering fire, fiercely burning within her. The heat of her rage radiated from her in palpable waves, causing her to feel as though she was on the verge of combusting.
Every breath she took was imbued with a seething intensity, and her eyes blazed with an inferno of fury. The very air around her seemed to crackle with tension, and her body shook with an uncontrollable rage.
The mere thought of Yoon Jung who had secured the first position was enough to send her spiraling into a vortex of tumultuous emotions, causing her to feel as though she was drowning in a sea of hatred and despair.
As Irene walked up to her apartment door, she noticed a pair of women's shoes on the floor in front of it. She hesitated for a moment, feeling a sense of dread, before unlocking the door and stepping inside.
As soon as she entered, she sensed that something was wrong. The atmosphere in the apartment was tense, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
That's when she saw her mother standing in the living room, her eyes fixed on Irene with a look of anger and disappointment. Irene's mother wasted no time in lashing out at her daughter, slapping her across the face hard enough to send her crashing to the ground.
Irene cried out in pain and shock, feeling her cheek burn from the impact of her mother's hand.
"Pathetic piece of shit! I just saw your grades - second place?!" her mother screamed, her voice laced with anger. Irene tried to stand up, but her mother shoved her back down, striking her across the face again.
"You had better get first place in the finals, or else you'll see what I'm capable of!" her mother threatened, her eyes flashing with rage. Irene shrank back in fear, feeling powerless in the face of her mother's fury.
After delivering her threat, her mother turned and stormed out of the apartment, leaving Irene alone to nurse her bruises and her sense of shame.
She knew that she had to do better in her studies, but she also knew that her mother's harsh words and violent outburst had done nothing to help her achieve that goal.
Choi Irene stepped into her bathroom and twisted the faucet handle, sending a cascade of water down onto her clothes. As the cool liquid soaked through her garments, Irene felt a surge of frustration and despair wash over her.
She let out a loud cry and screamed at the top of her lungs, releasing all of the pent-up emotions that had been building inside of her.
Her voice echoed off the walls of the bathroom, as if trying to drown out the noise of her own misery.
In that moment, Irene felt completely overwhelmed by her problems and powerless to do anything about them.
The sound of the water hitting the floor mingled with her sobs, creating a symphony of misery that seemed to encapsulate her entire existence.
All Choi Irene ever truly wished for was to feel loved and cared for, to have someone in her life who would dote on her and make her feel special.
In her darkest moments, she would even daydream about someone being so obsessed with her that they would be willing to do anything, no matter how bad, just to win her affection.
The idea of being the center of someone's universe, of having someone who would move mountains for her, was a tantalizing fantasy that provided her with a fleeting sense of comfort.
In these moments of weakness, she would allow herself to indulge in these thoughts, imagining a world in which someone would put her needs and desires above all else.