My life was so hard.

At home, at school, it was always full of hardship. I lived with all sorts of mental illnesses.

Looking back, the things I did to be loved only ended up devaluing myself. Love felt like a distant dream. I felt hated by the whole world. I grew more and more distant from it, and I thought my ravaged mind was too far gone to ever recover.

When I had nothing, when I was at my lowest, Cha Ijun was the one who appeared, telling me it was okay to be a little slow, that he loved even my slow pace.

But I couldn't stand how much I hated myself. I'd never received love, so I didn't know how to accept it.

So I let you go. I was scared, so I ran away.

"I'm so pathetic and unstable. You could meet someone so much better, so why someone like me..."

Even after hearing my words, you held me without flinching and soothed me. But I hated myself so much that I let you go.

To the very end, you were my rock, my whole world. Even after we broke up, you came to my house every day to cook for me. When I was having a hard time, you'd hold me for hours while I cried. When I was sick, you'd stay up all night nursing me.

But I didn't get better.

The mental illness gnawing at me had its claws in my ankle and wouldn't let go.

So this time, I ran away for your sake. Yes, I really ended it.

Three years later, my panic disorder had finally eased up a little. I could work a part-time job, go for walks, and eat out.

Meeting people was still a little scary, but I was filled with a sense of pride at the thought that I was managing to live a social life on my own.

My thoughts were full of you. I was so grateful back then. You were still my world. I wondered if you were doing well. I can earn my own money now. I can treat you to something nice now. And just then, I ran into you, and by your side was...

A woman who looked perfect and had everything.