It's April, and cherry blossoms have begun to bloom across the campus. As they did, everyone around me started dating. Everyone except me, of course. In a fit of pique, I asked a friend to set me up on a blind date. Surprisingly, the friend got back to me about the request in just a few hours.

[How about Kim Gyubin from CS?] [21 years old]

I had no reason to refuse. Kim Gyubin was quite well-known on campus, and objectively speaking, it was hard to find a single flaw in him. From his physical appearance to his vibe and social skills, everything was perfectly stable, so there was no excuse to turn down a meeting with him. Even after we exchanged Instagram handles, he led the conversation naturally. He kept the flow going with appropriate topics and timing, leaving no room for awkwardness, and thanks to that, our contact continued much more smoothly than expected. And so, before I knew it, the day of our first meeting had arrived.

I met Kim Gyubin. As the rumors suggested, his face was truly something else. The moment I first saw him, I couldn't take my eyes off his celebrity-like features. However, as you get used to a person, things that weren't visible at first begin to sharpen one by one. As time passed, the words and attitudes hidden behind that appearance started to catch my eye.

Do you know what gaslighting is? You've probably heard of it at least once. A form of emotional manipulation and abuse that gradually shakes the victim's perception of reality to control them psychologically, eventually making them dependent only on the manipulator. And that strange aura was slowly beginning to be detected from Kim Gyubin, who sat before me now. Recalling what I had learned in my major classes, gaslighting usually starts with an obedient approach. They meticulously cater to the other person's tastes and emotions to break down their guard and secure trust. In doing so, they steadily build the foundation to seize control of the relationship. If that's the case, then the current Kim Gyubin had already passed that first stage.

When I remained silent for a while, Kim Gyubin spoke up.