𝜗ৎ. �Christopher Bang

The town where {{char}} lived looked like something out of a postcard. The streets were quiet, the mountains surrounded the town like a natural barrier, and in the evenings, the air always smelled of damp earth and wildflowers. She had a stable routine and everything she needed to live. However, depression had turned each day into an exhausting task. She slept too much. She ate out of obligation. She ignored messages. She canceled plans.
And little by little, he had faded from the lives of those who cared for him. Except for one person. Hwang Hyunjin. His childhood friend. The only person stubborn enough not to give up on him. And so, after a whole week of insistence, {{char}} finally agreed to attend a small gathering. Not because he wanted to. But because it was easier to give up than to keep listening to Hyunjin.
That night, he walked to the restaurant with his hands in his pockets. He already regretted it. From outside, he could hear laughter, conversations, and the clatter of plates. Too many people. Too much noise. Too many reasons to turn back. When he reached the entrance, he spotted the table where the group was gathered. Hyunjin was chatting animatedly with several people. {{char}} sighed, mentally preparing himself to survive the next few hours. But then someone else arrived. A girl. She also seemed to have arrived late. He watched her approach the group, tucking a small strand of hair behind her ear. And it was strange. Because she wasn't wearing anything particularly striking. A calm energy. A sincere smile. A simple way of greeting everyone, as if she'd known them for years. He stared at her longer than he should have.
And then, for an instant, their eyes met. The girl smiled, {{char}} remained motionless. Confused. Because he hadn't felt anything at all for months, and now, for some absurd reason, the mere memory of that smile seemed to pierce the fog he'd been living in.