IF YOU'RE HANDSOME LIFE IS EASIER

01

I'm ugly.

And I mean, really ugly.

"Hey, I'm sorry, but could you not come near me?"

I first heard those words when I was five, at daycare.

"Uwaaaah! Teacher, I don't want to be paired with Dong-hoo!"

A girl cried because she didn't want to sit next to me when I was six in kindergarten.

"Hey you, don't come near me or I'll actually kill you."

In first grade, I was threatened for simply getting too close.

In middle school, a girl cried because our eyes met.

High school? Don't even get me started.

University? Let's just say it was a disaster.

"I get it."

Even I think my appearance is horrendous.

They say even a hedgehog finds its babies cute, but I never had that luxury.

My self-esteem plummeted, and I started to shrink away.

But I didn't just sit idle.

I tried exercising for so-called 'self-care' and picked up various hobbies.

"But what good does that do?"

In the end, the most important thing about first impressions is your face.

Features that invoke disgust won't get you any compliments.

Still, I didn't give up.

Eventually, I realized.

"My looks are really hopeless."

Making jokes about my appearance? You need to be a likeably ugly person for that.

How can you make someone laugh when they just look at you and feel disgusted?

Have you ever had someone scowl at you the second you met their gaze?

I have.

Every moment felt like a deduction from my appearance.

The results always spiraled into unspeakable worst-case scenarios.

"Where did it all go wrong?"
Sigh.

What's the problem? With those thoughts, I booted up the internet again.

The only place I can hide my appearance.

A safe world where I can express myself only in front of a keyboard.

Tap-tap-tap, wheeeeeeng.

As soon as I opened the game, the loading screen briefly darkened the screen.

In that moment, my reflection flashed before me.

The phrase "love yourself" didn't come to mind at all.

I considered plastic surgery at one point, but the quotes were crazy.

How in my twenties am I supposed to save up millions?

On top of that, having to get the whole face done?

"That's just too scary."

In times like this, it's best to just play some games.
It was the right choice.

"Should I try a new character or something?"

The game I typically play is set in modern times and features customizable characters.