Eva is an abused schoolgirl who lost her will to live. But her repeated attempts of suicide were unsuccessful and after each attempt her abuse kept multiplying. During one such attempt, she gets an message from an unknown id in her dm - "Pixieuwu":...
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The next day, I found myself in Foreign Language Studies class, nervously flipping through my Korean workbook. I knew I was struggling, and I could feel the eyes of the other trainees on me, some smirking and whispering among themselves. No matter how hard I tried, I kept stumbling over the same sounds, the same phrases. It felt like no matter how much I practiced, I was always falling short.
Jun-Pyo, our language studies teacher, noticed my frustration. He was incredibly patient and kind, always giving me time and gentle encouragement. But today, even his encouragement felt like it was just barely holding me together.
"Eva," he said, smiling warmly as he stood beside me, "why don't we go over it slowly? Just one word at a time."
I nodded, but the other trainees were already snickering. I heard a few of them murmuring things like, "She'll never get it," and, "Is she really trying to be an idol here when she can't even say a simple sentence in Korean?"
I clenched my fists under the desk, trying to block out their voices, but it was hard not to feel the sting of their words. They didn't understand how much effort I put into every single lesson, or how it felt to be in a new country, trying to learn an entirely new language just to keep up.
Jun-Pyo's face softened, and he gently placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You're doing just fine, Eva," he said in English, his voice quiet but firm. "Language takes time. You're here to learn, not to be perfect."
I tried to smile, but the smirking faces around me made it difficult to focus. Just when I thought I'd reached my breaking point, the door to the classroom opened, and Felix walked in. He was here to drop off a message for one of the instructors, but when his eyes landed on me and saw the frustrated look on my face, his expression shifted instantly.
"Hey," he said, coming over, ignoring the other trainees entirely. "Eva, you okay?"
My cheeks flushed, embarrassed that he'd come in at a moment like this. "I'm fine," I mumbled, even though I knew my face probably gave me away. "Just...trying to keep up."
Felix shot a sharp look at the other trainees who were still whispering, and the room fell into an awkward silence. He leaned down, giving me a warm smile that instantly made me feel a bit lighter. "You're doing great. Don't worry about them."
He then turned to Jun-Pyo. "Is it okay if I stay and help her for a bit? I have some free time."
Jun-Pyo looked delighted. "Of course, Felix! It's always helpful to have more support."
Felix pulled up a chair beside me, grabbing a spare workbook and flipping to the page we were working on. "Alright, where are we?"
I gave him a grateful smile, my shoulders relaxing for the first time that day. Felix had a way of making me feel seen, as if he knew just how hard it was for me and didn't judge me for it. We went through the phrases slowly, repeating them out loud together. Having him there made it easier to focus, and soon I found myself picking up on words I'd stumbled over before.
