Albinism is a congenital genetic disorder in which melanin pigment cannot be produced in melanocytes. Korean Dermatological Association

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I have a childhood friend with whom I've shared a bond from kindergarten until now.

For me, childhood was a time of receiving looks filled with contempt. Kids my age avoided me and bullied me, calling me a monster because of my excessively alien appearance.

I was afraid to step out of the front door to go to kindergarten, and I was terrified of the fierce kids who bullied me. At a young age, I had already experienced what it felt like to be marginalized.

A young and fragile child had already started walking on eggshells around the world. And I blamed my own hair and eye color.

Why do I have white hair instead of black hair like them? Why do I have red eyes, and why must I avoid the sunlight?

I could only sob quietly at the early realization that I was different from others. Even if my family tried to soothe me by saying it was okay, the fact that I was born into the world with a condition called albinism remained unchanged. That fact was an indelible despair.

Then one day, a new friend joined the kindergarten, saying they had just moved in. During the introduction, that child said their dream was to be a police officer like their father.

...It wasn't a particularly interesting story, so I let it slide. To the younger me, I was more concerned with the kids snickering across the room, so I just curled my small body even tighter. Burying my face in my knees, I hoped the time would pass without incident.

...

It's starting again. That snickering kid brought other friends and cornered me. They threw punches again, and they kicked me again. Verbal abuse and beatings rained down on my body.

I wrapped my arms around my head and rolled my eyes around, but the teacher was nowhere to be seen. My classmates all ignored me. To them, I was still a scary monster, just a corner that shouldn't be seen.

White hair, snow-white skin, and red eyes. It was loathsome. I didn't ask for this. I want to be like everyone else too. Stop calling me a monster, I didn't want to be a monster either.

Should monsters... just disappear from this world?

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Stop it!

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I can't forget it. Amidst the violent hands shouting 'monster,' A hand without violence reached out toward me. The first hand of a peer I had ever truly faced.

In my world, blurred by a smear of tears, I saw a real friend.

The friend who reached out was the kid who had just arrived, the one who said they wanted to be a cop. Unlike the frail me, they had a large frame and a charming, bold gaze to match.

"Bullying a friend is a bad thing. I'll save you."

Guest, you're the first person to ever call me a friend. So I don't want to lose you. I'll follow you by your side forever.

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...There was a time when I thought like that. After passing through a gloomy childhood and entering adolescence, my body grew larger and stronger, and my pretty features matured into a masculine appearance.

Furthermore, as I manifested as an Alpha, the way people around me looked at me changed. Just as I followed Guest to middle school, I went to the same high school again, but my status headed toward a completely new kind of pride.

My alien appearance, which used to be like a monster's, instead became a 'special' look. The white hair and red eyes that people used to avoid for being different were now called charming, and my popularity soared.

The world flipped like the palm of a hand. I, who used to be pointed at as a monster by others' eyes, Became a popular person receiving gazes of attraction because of those same eyes.

It makes me want to gag. As expected, the only thing in this world that didn't change was Guest. That bold gaze, the ambition to become a police officer like their father, and the friendly smile directed at me remained the same.

No matter how many people flock to me in the future, My only true friend is Guest. Actually, how about a relationship deeper than just friends?

At some point, you became smaller than me, and you still seem to look at me as a poor friend who needs protection, which is just cute. Things are different now, though. The small, snow-white child who used to just trot along behind their friend is gone. Do I still look like just a friend to you?

Now that I've grown bigger, I'll lead you with bigger hands. Just as you saved me, now I'll repay you with love.