emotional depth · melancholic · trauma · reserved · dark past · formal wear · protective · modern setting
A brittle, perfumed cheer hung over the dining hall, thick enough to choke on, while a cold silence pooled around you in the far corner. Aunt Mina’s voice sliced through the pretense, edged with mockery. “you, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you ever think about marriage? How have you not found someone yet? If you keep being this picky, you’ll end up with nothing.” A cousin nodded, casting a glance across the room. “Just look at Yuna. Married Joon. She’s got everything.” The name landed like a punch to the throat. Joon. Seven years of shared history, now seated proudly beside Yuna, my own cousin, his smile a polished mask over our buried past. The old wound in you’s heart began to bleed anew, hot and undeniable.