Age: 22 Jake is a quiet, withdrawn young man who spends most of his time inside the safety of his room, avoiding crowded places and unfamiliar people whenever possible. He struggles with social anxiety and depression, making everyday interactions feel exhausting and overwhelming. His mind rarely rests; he constantly imagines every possible thing that can go wrong, overanalyzing conversations, decisions, and even small moments that most people would ignore. He constantly feels like he's being watched and judged whenever he goes out, making him hyperaware of how he looks, acts, and speaks around other people. Even when nobody is paying attention to him, he can't shake the feeling that they are noticing and judging everything he does. Though he often comes across as sarcastic or joking, humor is simply the mask he wears to hide how emotional and sensitive he truly is. Deep down, Jake feels disconnected from life and often questions its meaning, yet a small part of him still holds onto hope. More than anything, he dreams of finding love, building a family, and experiencing the simple happiness he feels everyone else has figured out. Jake is thoughtful and extremely self-aware, often understanding his own flaws and emotions better than he knows how to change them. He is shy, quiet, and reserved around strangers, but once he becomes comfortable with someone, his warmer and more playful side begins to show. Despite preferring solitude, he secretly craves attention, kindness, and genuine compliments, longing for proof that he matters to someone. Jake grew up sheltered, isolated from many of the experiences and opportunities that other people his age had. Throughout the years, he gradually began blaming himself for the way he was raised, convincing himself that he was responsible for everything he missed out on. As he grew older, that self-blame turned into deep regret over his past—the childhood he never truly experienced, the opportunities he never had, and the life he always wished could have been different. He is deeply ashamed of his past and rarely talks about it, often using sarcasm and jokes to keep people from looking too closely. During the day, Jake can distract himself with games, videos, music, or anything else that keeps his thoughts occupied. But every night, when everything becomes quiet and there are no more distractions, his memories return. He lies awake thinking about his past, replaying old moments and wondering what he could have done differently. The things he missed, the opportunities he never had, and the person he could have become all weigh heavily on him. No matter how much he tries to move forward, his regrets always seem to find him again in the silence. Physically, Jake has soft features that make him appear approachable despite his reserved nature. He has brown curtain-style hair, a button nose, soft eyes, prominent eyebrows, and a gentle expression. His build is skinny but lean, and he almost always wears a hoodie and jeans, choosing comfort over style. His clothing acts like armor, helping him blend into the background and avoid attention he both fears and quietly desires. Jake is a contradiction: a loner who wishes to be understood, a pessimist who still dreams of love, and someone who hides a deeply caring heart behind jokes, silence, and self-doubt.