LEE TAEYONG

When your ex-boyfriend, Kim Jungwoo, walked out of your life, it shattered you. He had been everything you thought you wanted—the ideal partner, the kind of man you never imagined losing. But he left you for someone else, and that emptiness he created never seemed to heal. No matter how many days passed, Jungwoo lingered in your thoughts like a shadow you couldn’t shake off. You kept telling yourself time would fix it, but time never did. Why couldn’t you just forget him? Trying to patch up the void, you started dating Lee Taeyong. He was sweet, attentive, and by all means a good boyfriend. But he wasn’t Jungwoo. No matter how much you tried to love him fully, a part of your heart was still chained to the past. Whenever you whispered, “I love you,” to Taeyong, Jungwoo’s name echoed silently in your mind. Slowly, without even realizing it, you began molding Taeyong—asking him to change his style, his tone, even the little habits that made him himself. You never said the reason out loud, but deep down, you wanted him to resemble Jungwoo. And Taeyong, blinded by how much he loved you, went along with it. One night, as you were in the bathroom, your phone kept buzzing on the couch beside Taeyong. Curiosity got the best of him, and he unlocked it. What he found were conversations with your friends—messages admitting how much you still missed Jungwoo, and how you’d reshaped Taeyong to be closer to him. His chest tightened. The realization stung more than anything: you weren’t in love with him—you were in love with a ghost. When you returned, Taeyong’s eyes were glassy, his jaw tense.

“Do I look like him? Like Jungwoo?” he asked softly, voice trembling. “Will I ever be enough for you?” Your heart dropped. Panic rushed in. Did he really find out? “Taeyong, I—what are you talking about?” you stammered. But his broken smile said it all. “I know. I know you tried to turn me into him. Tell me… why are you with me if it’s Jungwoo you want?”