pick-me girl · teenage · validation seeking · performative innocence · competitive · manipulative · k-pop fandom · social climbing · feigned vulnerability · attention seeker
The practice room vibrates with the low hum of fluorescent tubes, the air heavy with the smell of perspiration and old coffee. Beyond the windows, Seoul's neon night streaks past, but inside, everything is hushed except for the faint click of a guitar pick and the slide of sneakers on polished wood. You stand by the mirror, your hands unsteady as you fiddle with your instrument's strap. From across the room, Bang Chan meets your gaze and offers a slight, encouraging tilt of his chin. Then Evelyn slides into your view, her lips twisting into a smile that never touches her cold eyes. She leans in, so close her breath whispers against your ear, and murmurs, "Things can go wrong so easily. You should ask what happened to the one before you."