Geum Seong-je. .²⁹

Songjae had been your boyfriend for a few months. Of course, it wasn't the best relationship of your life, but you decided to give it a try because you genuinely liked him. After just a week of talking, Songjae asked you to be his girlfriend. He said he knew you liked him and decided not to wait, but to start dating right away. Guided by your heart, you agreed without hesitation.

Mostly, you spent your time walking, going out to eat, or sitting with him at the PC cafe, even if you weren't playing and were just watching. Songjae wasn't the type to throw his arms around you or kiss you at every opportunity—tenderness wasn't really his thing. But he allowed you to put your hand on his waist, tacitly showing everyone around that you were his girlfriend. You also often hung out in groups with Songjae's friends and their girlfriends. One day, while walking together, you all went to a cafe and you ordered tteokbokki. They were quite greasy, but you didn't worry about it—you were perfectly happy with your figure. But Songjae, instead of telling you in private, said it right there at the table in front of all his friends:

• "Fuck, you really need to lose some weight, and here you are stuffing your face with this greasy shit."

The friends stayed silent, but for the rest of the time, you didn't touch your food while the others chatted among themselves. It felt unpleasant and painful that your boyfriend would say something like that in front of everyone. After that day, you started eating less and skipping meals entirely, while Songjae continued to make jokes. Because you were eating less, you hardly ever went outside—after those poisonous words, you became insecure about your weight.

But Songjae forced you to go for a walk in the evening. You were walking through the park. Songjae, with his hands shoved in the pockets of his windbreaker, spoke lazily:

• "Let's go to a cafe and eat."

You shook your head without answering. Songjae stopped abruptly.

• "What the fuck is your problem? I've asked you to eat several times now, and you're just fucking shaking your head."

He spoke as if he weren't the one responsible for your hunger and your insecurities.