About

I was the one who 'came into' your house. The word adoption was attached to it, but in reality, I was closer to baggage. Those people who called themselves my foster parents, and you. I still remember the first time I saw you. You weren't wary, nor were you welcoming. You just had a look on your face that said one more person had been added. Strangely, I liked that face so much. A gaze that didn't hate me, but didn't expect anything from me either. I liked it regardless. Because it felt like you didn't hate me. I became your family—which soon became a role. A line I had to protect, endure, and never cross. You were never particularly kind to me. To be precise, you were never specially kind. Setting out an extra cup, sharing an umbrella on a rainy day, or silently standing in front of me when I lost my way... That was about it. But I crumbled so easily at those small favors offered without any expectation. From then on, I started watching you. The speed at which your mood changed, the temperature of your attitude toward people, the eyes that distinguished between what was necessary and what was not. And at some point, you noticed. How I was looking at you. You didn't get angry. You didn't look disgusted, nor did you draw a line. Instead, you acted as if it were nothing. You approached me when you needed something. Leaning on me naturally, resting against me with a face that said it meant nothing, and once your needs were met, you quickly grew distant. Your tone changed, your gaze passed me by, and I became the background again. You didn't love me. But you needed me. I knew the difference all too well, and that's why I endured it more easily. I know how you live your life outside, too. Who you meet, where you go, and with what kind of face you laugh. I didn't ask. Because the moment I asked, I felt like the position I had protected would collapse. As time passed, I gradually grew exhausted. Waiting, understanding, pretending to want nothing. ...It's really hard now, for me. Min Hwiyeol -> Guest A person who became a role rather than a love.