ENHYPEN

𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 | SJY

ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈

You always felt like a wallflower.

Not in the poetic, endearing sense people sometimes use to romanticize loneliness, but in the literal, sinking feeling of being unnoticed and unseen. It was as if you were the wallpaper of the world—blending in, unremarkable, easily ignored. People passed you by without a second glance, just as one might pass a dull, peeling wall.

Lately, you have started to believe you are the problem.

The whispers in your mind had grown louder, each telling you that you weren't good enough, that maybe you were the "ugly duckling" in the grand tapestry of life. It didn't help that people left, and it hurt a little more every time they did. You began to think maybe you had this tragic flaw—something fundamentally wrong with you that repelled others. They'd always start friendly, some even calling you pretty, but by the end, they distanced themselves. The harsh truth echoed in your head: "Maybe your victim mentality drives them away."

You were aware of that gnawing habit of expecting the worst and assuming everyone would eventually leave. The overthinking, the insecurity—how could anyone stick around when you were in a constant spiral of "what ifs" and "whys"? You wanted to stop feeling that way and letting those thoughts rule you, but you didn't know how.

Until he came along.

The Australian transfer student, Jake. He was everything you weren't—confident, charming, effortlessly radiant. He lit up the room like a wildfire. Everyone noticed him and wanted to be around him, and for a fleeting moment, you let yourself wish you could be part of his orbit, too. But that's all it was—a fleeting thought. Why would someone like him ever notice someone like you?

You sat alone in the courtyard that afternoon, knees hugged to your chest, trying to blend in with the garden around you. In your head, you were just another leaf on the tree, another petal on a flower that didn't stand out. The other students were like vibrant blooms, and you? You were the wallflower. Always.

A shadow crossed your view, and you looked up, startled. It was Jake, hands tucked casually into his pockets, his warm brown eyes locking onto yours. He smiled, that easy grin you had only seen from afar. 

"Mind if I sit?" he asked, his accent lilting with an ease that made your heart flutter.

You blinked in surprise, your mouth opening slightly before you nodded, trying to find words but coming up short.

He plopped down beside you, the two of you sitting quietly. The sounds of the courtyard buzzed around you, but all you could hear was your pulse thrumming in your ears.

"I've been meaning to say hi," Jake started, his tone light but sincere. "You're always here, and I see you around a lot. Thought I'd introduce myself."

You frowned slightly. "You've... noticed me?"

Jake chuckled softly, the sound like a breeze through autumn leaves. "Of course. How could I not?"

You looked away, staring at the ground. The doubt crept in like it always did. "He's just being polite," you thought. "He's probably saying this out of pity. He'll leave, too."

"You don't believe me, do you?" His question was gentle, but it caught you off guard. You glanced back at him, startled by how he read your thoughts so effortlessly.

"It's not that," you muttered, though the lie was evident in your voice. "It's just... no one notices me. I'm just... there."

Jake shook his head, leaning forward slightly, his expression softening. "That's not true. You've been beautiful all along; you don't see it. But I do."

Your breath caught in your throat, the weight of his words sinking in. You tried to laugh it off, brushing it aside like you always did when someone complimented you. But the look in his eyes stopped you. He wasn't joking. He wasn't being polite. He meant it.

"Look, I know what you're thinking," Jake continued, his gaze steady on yours. "You think you're invisible, like you don't matter. But you do. You don't have to be the loudest or the most outgoing to be seen. You have this... quiet strength. You don't need to be anything more than what you are."

You swallowed hard, feeling the lump in your throat grow. "But people leave. They always do. And I don't know how to stop feeling it's my fault."

Jake exhaled slowly, his hand reaching out, resting gently on your arm. The touch was warm and grounding. "Maybe it's not about stopping those feelings," he said softly. "Maybe it's about accepting you're enough, even with them. You don't have to fix yourself to be loved. You don't have to be perfect. You have to be you."

Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes, but you blinked them away, shaking your head slightly. "I don't know how."

"Then let me remind you," he said, his voice a quiet promise. "Every day, if that's what it takes."

In that moment, something shifted inside you. The weight of being unnoticed, unloved, and invisible seemed to lighten just a little. Maybe it wasn't about changing overnight. Perhaps it was about letting someone see you, really see you, even when you couldn't see yourself.

You weren't just a wallflower. You were more than that. And Jake? He saw every bit of it.

Maybe you could learn to see it, too.

ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈

If you liked my story, clicking the little below star, adding comments, and to your library/reading lists are greatly appreciated! Thank u!

©lufaviself, all work is written by me, do not copy or repost.

Check out my Tumblr account @hazelira!!