?(?? ? ? )? . . . . . . .
. . A seemingly "hard boy" with emotional walls built from past pain. Outwardly confident, sometimes cruel
. . A quiet, gentle girl who has endured bullying in the past. She's observant and strong, and often overlooked...
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seohyun practiced for hours, watching every tutorial, pausing and replaying parts to get it just right. by the end of the night, she had perfected her makeup application. it wasn't flawless, but it was a start—her eyes more defined, her skin looking clearer, her confidence inching upward with every stroke of the brush.
the next morning, as she stood in front of the mirror, she felt a rush of pride. the girl looking back at her wasn't just the shy, quiet seohyun anymore. it was someone who had put in effort, someone who had taken control, if only for a moment.
"lee seohyun," she whispered to herself, as though to solidify the new version of herself.
she reached for her clothes, pulling out a simple yet stylish outfit. she had no idea if it was the "right" choice, but it felt like something different. something fresh. she put it on with care, paired it with a necklace she hadn't worn in years, and added a little spritz of perfume. when she looked at herself again, she could see the difference. she felt seen.
her heart fluttered a little as she grabbed her bag and walked out the her room door. today was a new day. she didn't know how it would go, but she knew one thing for sure—today, she wasn't going to blend into the background anymore.
as seohyun walked toward the door, she hesitated for a second, standing in the hallway just before stepping out. her hands were shaking slightly—whether from excitement or nerves, she wasn't sure. she had never walked out of the house like this, never put this much effort into her appearance, and she wasn't sure how it would go.
but then she heard her mother's voice.
"seohyun...?" her mother's tone was sharp, but it didn't hold the usual disdain. it was almost... surprised?
seohyun stopped, turning back toward the living room where her mother sat slouched on the couch, a glass of something in hand. her eyes widened as they moved from seohyun's face down to her clothes, then back up again. for a moment, her mother didn't say anything. she just stared.
"well... damn," her mother muttered under her breath. her eyes flickered, taking in the changes—seohyun's makeup, the way she carried herself, the outfit she'd chosen.
seohyun's heart thudded in her chest, the silence stretching out between them.
"you... you look like your mother," her mother finally said, a bit unsteady, like she was still processing the sight. "you don't look so... ugly, anymore."
seohyun swallowed, not sure how to take the compliment—or was it a compliment?
"thanks..." she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper, unsure whether to feel relieved or confused. the words didn't come with the usual bitterness, though. maybe for the first time in a long while, her mother actually saw her, not as the child she resented, but as someone who could be more than what she'd always been.
