As days passed, Ji-eun found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions. The conversation with Ji-hoon in the library had stuck with her, echoing in her mind at the most unexpected moments. She couldn't quite explain why, but there was something about the way he looked at her, the sincerity in his eyes, that made her feel... seen.
But as much as Ji-eun wanted to embrace the idea of being herself, it wasn't as easy as just shedding the mask she'd worn for so long. The pressure to maintain the perfect, idealized version of herself—Irene—still loomed over her.
At school, she was still Irene. The confident, fashionable, and untouchable girl everyone adored. Yet, the more she interacted with Ji-hoon, the more she felt the weight of the mask. It was as though every time she was around him, the illusion she'd built up began to crack, revealing a part of herself she wasn't ready to share with the world.
That afternoon, she found herself alone in the school courtyard, sitting at a table and trying to focus on her homework. But her mind kept drifting, her thoughts tangled in a mess of doubt and insecurity. What if Ji-hoon didn't actually like her for who she was? What if he was just being kind? What if, deep down, he was just like everyone else—someone who only liked the version of her that didn't exist?
As she stared at the pages in front of her, she heard a familiar voice.
"Ji-eun."
She looked up to see Ji-hoon standing there, a gentle smile on his face.
"Hey," she said, feeling a little embarrassed. "I was just... thinking."
"About what?" Ji-hoon asked, taking a seat across from her.
Ji-eun hesitated, biting her lip. She had been so caught up in her own insecurities that she didn't know how to express them. How could she explain to Ji-hoon that even though he made her feel like she could be herself, the world outside still expected her to be perfect?
"I don't know..." she began, her voice soft. "I guess I'm just... afraid."
Ji-hoon raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Afraid of what?"
"Afraid of being... seen," Ji-eun confessed, her voice trembling slightly. "I've spent so long pretending to be Irene, this person I'm not. What if when people see the real me, they won't like her? What if I'm not enough?"
The vulnerability in her voice made Ji-hoon pause for a moment, his expression thoughtful. Finally, he reached across the table, gently placing his hand over hers.
"Ji-eun," he said softly, "you don't have to be anyone else but yourself. The real you is more than enough."
Ji-eun felt her heart skip a beat at his words. She wanted to believe him, but a part of her still clung to the fear of rejection. She had always been terrified of not measuring up, of falling short of the expectations others had for her.
"I'm just not sure if the real me is someone anyone would want to know," Ji-eun whispered, looking down at their hands.
"Well, I'm here to get to know her," Ji-hoon said with a reassuring smile. "And I'm not going anywhere."
His words were like a lifeline, pulling Ji-eun out of the darkness of her insecurities. For the first time in a long while, she felt a glimmer of hope—hope that maybe, just maybe, she could stop hiding behind the mask and start being the person she had always wanted to be.
But as much as she wanted to believe that, the road ahead would still be difficult. She had spent so much of her life running from her true self that facing it head-on seemed almost impossible.
And yet, with Ji-hoon's words in her heart, Ji-eun knew she had to try.