"Why is this happening to me?" I cried, disheveling my hair and collapsing onto my knees.

"Just kill me already you son of a bitch!" I yelled.

You may be wondering how I got myself into this mess. My love life; was shattered. My dreams; withered away. I even feel like I lost a part of myself...

Daehun High is one of the most prestigious schools in Seoul, and getting in is highly competitive. You might think I'm some little Miss Smarty Pants but you'd be wrong. My father's connections with the principal got me in; otherwise, I'd never stand a chance against these kids.

The halls here are a literal prison. We wear the same uniform and similar hairstyles; everything to blend in. Yet there I am, that one person who somehow stands out.

"Hey, loser!" A sharp voice cut through my thoughts and shoved me into my locker.

There was a slight pain in my head, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through, knowing I would invite more trouble if I spoke up.

"Look at her hair! Did she roll out of bed or something?"

Laughter followed me down the hall like a haunting melody.

As I stumbled towards History class, trying desperately to avoid attention, I could not shake the feeling that today was different. Was it the couple shamelessly making out in the back row? No, that's practically normal here. It was more the tired resignation in our teacher's eyes, as if even she had given up on maintaining order.

"Class, turn to page 20," she announced, her voice weary.

My father's voice echoed in my mind; focus on your studies, don't disgrace our family name. But my gaze wandered, landing on a familiar face from last week's encounter at the coffee shop. 

The sunlight caught his tousled, dark brown hair just right, highlighting the subtle sheen. I wanted to speak, to break the silence that kept us apart, but the butterflies in my stomach began to protest against it. Besides what do I have to offer to someone like him?

Then, as quickly as the moment began, the bell rang.

Jae-hyung gathered his things and left without taking a glance in my direction. The bitter taste of disappointment lingered on my tongue, so I fled to the library.

A sense of relief washed over me as I settled into a corner with my phone, grateful for the decent Wi-Fi that allowed me to escape into my online world.

But fate had other plans.

A discord thread with over one hundred messages caught my eye, discussing a recent discovery in the news.

"I can't believe they found him after all these years! " one user wrote.

Links flooded the chat, claiming a body had been unearthed; a body that had been missing for decades.

"People are saying Kyung-ho did it," another message popped up.

I shook my head, dismissing it as a wild speculation. Kyung-ho, an urban legend? Surely not.

"People will believe anything," I muttered to myself.

As I lost myself in the digital world, the librarian's voice jolted me back to reality. 

"Sweetie, we're closing up. You have to leave now."

I sighed, irritated but compliant. Gathering my things, I made my way home, feeling the weight of the day pressing on me. 

Later that evening, I sat with my father in front of the television, hardly listening to the news. My mind wandered back to Jae-hyung, the bullies and the boredom at school. But then something on the screen caught my attention.

"...in other news, the remains of a missing individual by the name of 'Seungjae Choi' have been discovered in a remote area outside Seoul. Authorities suspect foul play but have yet to identify a suspect..."

My heart skipped a beat. The same Kyung-ho from the Discord thread? It couldn't be real...could it? But if the news was covering it, maybe there was more to it than idle chatter.

My father's reaction, however, caught me off guard. His face turned pale, his hands clenching into fists. 

"Blood hell..." he muttered, his voice trembling with suppressed anger.

"What's wrong? Dad?" I asked cautiously, unsure of what triggered his sudden fury.

He looked at me, his eyes haunted by memories long buried.

"When I was your age," he whispered, "I...I saw something. Something that shouldn't exist. It called itself 'Kyung-ho,' but it wasn't human. It...It couldn't be..." He trailed off, his jaw clenched as he remembered something.

I watched him in stunned silence, the pieces beginning to click into place. His strictness, his aversion to anything supernatural; it all stemmed from his childhood. 

"And now they're dragging this back into the spotlight," he continued bitterly, his gaze fixed on the television. 

"They have no idea what they're dealing with. It's all lies, just to sell a story."

With a heavy sigh, he rose from his chair and headed to his bedroom, locking the door behind him. I sat in silence, the glow of the television casting flickering shadows across the room. 

My thoughts swirled with conflicting emotions. On one hand, I understood my father's skepticism of his words. Yet, on the other hand, the stories of Kyung-ho pulled me in with the promises of my dream life.

"Even if all the rumors are true," I whispered to myself, "What makes them think I would throw away an opportunity like this? This clearly was a good spirit that wanted to help us with our troubling life, yet they bicker about him. People sicken me."

As I stared at the closed bedroom door, an idea managed to find it's way into my thoughts. I couldn't brush off the feeling that Kyung-ho held the key to unlocking everything I truly wished for; I could finally see what it's like to be popular! No one in my class would be able to disrespect me once that happens. But most importantly, I could finally win Jae-hyung's heart.

Quietly, I slipped out of the living room and retreated into my bedroom. The glow of my laptop illuminated my face as I returned to the Discord thread, searching for more clues, more strange occurrences, or anything that could lead me to Kyung-ho. 

"I will find you," I whispered, my fingers pacing back and forth across my keyboard. 

"And when I do, No one can stop me."

The days following the news report about Kyung-ho kept replaying in my mind, I was so sick of my life. Everyone else seemed to have a perfect life; they found their soulmate and had students clearing the way when they walked by, but I felt like a mistake. I could hardly focus on my schoolwork, why did others get to meet Kyung-ho but I couldn't? It boils my blood so much that tears threaten to spill.

In the classrooms, I saw the popular girls who are known all over the school as The Queen Bees ever since Soo-jin started getting straight A's. Soo-jin is a huge trendsetter in Daehun High and she has the guys and even the girls wrapped around her finger. She is a babe when it comes to cheerleading, those eyes and that snatched waist make me wish I was...like her. The rest of the girls are Hana and Eun-ji. This trio was annoying yet people criticize me.

But someone happened to catch my eye, Jae-hyung! He walked past me, his arm around Soo-jin, shattering what I had left of my heart. They looked so happy together, the way he looked at her made me realise that he could never love someone like me without...Kyung-ho. Wait I can't think like that, father was so upset about Kyung-ho...but why? 

During lunch, I was sitting alone in the library, as usual, I had to escape the chaos somehow. The soft rustle of pages brought me comfort, but today it only intensified my loneliness. I picked up a book, hoping to distract myself, but my mind kept drifting back to the news about Kyung-ho. 

I opened my phone and searched for more information about him. The stories were always the same: lives miraculously improving and dreams coming true. Why couldn't that happen to me? What was I doing wrong? My father's harsh words made everything worse, I felt incomplete. 

"Hey, Seon-yun." 

I looked up to see a girl from my literature class, Min-ji, standing there with a concerned look on her face. 

"Are you okay? You've been acting odd lately."

I forced a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind."

She sat across from me, her eyes softened upon me. 

"If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."

I nodded but I knew talking wouldn't change anything. My problems were too deep, I was tangled up with my insecurities and fears. Min-ji grinned at me then left to join her friends.

My thoughts began arguing with me again, I must find more about him! I eagerly scrolled through more articles about Kyung-ho. Each story seemed like a fairytale; someone's life magically turning around, dreams fulfilled, and happiness found. I felt like I was going insane. Was it because I didn't believe hard enough, or was it because of some hidden rule that I didn't know about? 

Around me, friends quietly chatted. A pang of envy struck me as I watched friends huddled together, messing around with eachother and telling jokes about romance books. I longed to have friends where I could feel like I belonged, I could be me. 

Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the cool wood of the library chair. The faint scent of old books mingled with sterile aroma of cleaning products; a familiar, almost soothing combination. Yet, in that quiet moment, the weight of my loneliness weighed down on me.

I didn't want to admit it, even to myself, but seeing Jae-hyung with Soo-jin stabbed deeper than a knife. It wasn't just about him; it was about feeling incomplete. I hate myself with all my heart but with Jae-hyung, I would feel unstoppable. Was it too much for a pinch of the joy that others were wealthy in? 

Is it weird to feel like I am being watched? That evening, as I walked home, I swore the shadows stretched longer, and the air felt colder. I hurried my pace, trying to ignore the paranoia seeping into my thoughts. 

When I got home, my father was sitting in the living room, his face buried in a newspaper. I hesitated before speaking. 

"Dad, do you really think Kyung-ho is just a myth?" 

He peered at me, his eyes narrowing.

"Great! You're insane just like the news reporters." 

"But what if it's real? You even said you thought you saw him."

He slammed the newspaper down, anger flashing in his eyes.

"Enough! This is exactly why I threw away your journal. You'll end up like those lunatics, chasing after myths and wasting good people money."

I wanted to speak but hesitated, talking would only make father more furious. I sighed heavily and locked myself in my bedroom and cuddled up in my bed sheets.

"Why does is he so mad about the news?"

That was when the realization hit me. Kyung-ho was real, father just was finding ways to deter me away from him. How cruel!

I was so disgusted by my father that before I know it, I was drifting off into a restless sleep. Suddenly, a boy around my age appeared before me, his presence both relaxing and uneasy. His eyes gleamed with wisdom that knew far beyond me, and he began to speak in a calm, almost hypnotic tone.

"Seon-yun," he began, "to experience the gift Kyung-ho has left for you, you must craft a world by staring into the void and just think about the things you truly desire. Only then would Kyung-ho reshape your reality."

I listened intently, trying to absorb every word.

He continued, "Close your eyes and picture the world you desire. Visualize it with every detail, every color, every sound. See yourself in this world, living in the life you dream of."

"Next," he said, "you must face your face your fears. In your mind, confront the things that terrify you the most. Stand firm and do not fall, for it is through this confrontation that you will find strength."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in.

"Once you have done this, say these words: 'Kyung-ho, I demand you to create my world.'

The boy's voice grew softer, " Remember, Seon-yun, the world Kyung-ho shapes for you will be a reflection on your soul. Be mindful what you wish for, for it may come with unexpected consequences."

His words faded, I immediately awoke, my heart pounding. I rushed to jot down everything he had said on a piece of paper, afraid I would forget the details of the dream.

In the following nights, I did as the boy instructed. I visualized my perfect world and faced my deepest fears. Finally, I whispered the words he had told me. That night, I fell into a deep sleep, a sleep so profound that it felt like I was in a coma.

When I woke up, everything seemed different. I am finally living the life I always wanted! I looked at myself in the mirror; cute dimples, goodbye braces and hello pony tails!

I can't wait for school tomorrow! Everyone is going to love me, why shouldn't they? I constantly checked myself out in the mirror, I looked just like Soo-jin but ten times hotter! Kyung-ho is a sweetheart for this, I hope I can meet him one day so I could hug him tight and say how much I love him.