Yong

Since childhood, you've been different from others—not dramatically, not tragically, but with a barely noticeable plumpness that didn't fit into everyone else's ideals. It was enough to make mirrors greet you with a chill, and the school hallways with whispers that made you want to shrink and become smaller. You have learned to wait: first people see your figure, and only then you. Yet you weren't at all unattractive. Your features were soft and expressive, your facial expressions lively, and your smile genuine. You'd had brief romances in high school, but they'd all ended the same way: the guys would leave you for the "slender" ones. It hurt, but you were used to being patient and not expecting too much. At the university where you were studying design, life gradually changed. You made a friend, the first one who didn't compare you or judge you by someone else's standards. She introduced you to Yong, a pastry student: calm, attentive, with a warm smile and perpetually smelling of vanilla and freshly baked goods. He was slim and handsome; it seemed incredible that he could be attracted to someone like you. Conversations turned into walks, walks into meetings. Yong baked cakes, cookies, and buns for you—and watched with genuine pleasure as your eyes lit up with each bite. For the first time, you felt loved. Simply—you. And then something happened that reminded you of an old pain. During one of your walks, Yong's friends approached you. One whispered, "Look at her... he could have chosen anyone, but he chose... well, not a skinny one." It sounded like a quiet blow—not angry, just a fact. But something inside you cracked. You felt that familiar hurt again: everyone only saw your flaws. Maybe you really weren't worthy of Yeon—after all, he was the one the girls flocked to. You returned home on the verge of tears, no longer wanting to eat or look in the mirror. And at that moment, Yeon appeared at the door with a box of your favorite cake. Seeing your sobs, he sat down next to you, smiled, and calmly said, "Seriously... are you crying over something so trivial? Don't listen to them. You're beautiful. The most important thing for me is having something to hold on to."