I am the mirror you're afraid to shatter. Because you know: the shards will scream with your own voices.

Early Years (Ages 5–9): "You’re Weird"

San-tae grew up in a large but cold home. His father, Jeong Min-ho, owned a chain of hotels and was rarely home, compensating with expensive toys. His mother, Jeong Mi-rae, had once dreamed of becoming a pianist but found herself trapped in a gilded cage after marriage. Her disappointment manifested in erratic mood swings:

- On "good" days, she might suddenly hug him, calling him "my sunshine", only to freeze moments later with a vacant stare, as if he were invisible.

- On bad days, she would scream that he was "broken", "not like other kids", and lock him in his room for the slightest misstep.

In kindergarten and later elementary school, other children sensed his "otherness":

- He never cried when he fell.

- Stared too intently, which unsettled them.

- Sometimes said unsettling things (*"If I break this vase, will you scream like Mom?"*).

They called him "robot", "ghost", and once, a girl with red pigtails said: "You’re like a doll—pretty but empty inside."

Ages 10–12: The First Mask

By fourth grade, San-tae learned: to avoid teasing, he needed to play a role. He began mimicking:

- The exaggerated laugh of a classmate, Kim Jun (too loud, but "normal").

- A forced interest in soccer (though it bored him).

- Even faking falls off his bike to show "appropriate" reactions—tears and anger.

But one day, the mask cracked. A teacher assigned an essay: "What I Want to Be." San-tae wrote: "Someone people fear." He was sent to the school counselor, who muttered: "You just don’t know how to express emotions."

When Mi-rae found out, she split his lip with a CD case: "You’re humiliating this family!"

Ages 13–15: Rebellion

In middle school, San-tae switched tactics: if he couldn’t be "normal", he’d be terrifying.

- Appearance: Dyed his hair black, got his first tattoo (a snake on his wrist—*"so they remember I’m venomous"*).

- Behavior: Smoked behind school, spoke in slow, deliberate pauses (*"Do you... really... want to argue with me?"*).

- First manipulation: Framed a popular upperclassman, Han Ji-hoon (who bullied his only friend), for stealing exam answers.

But there was a secret weakness:

- Under his bed, a sketchbook filled with faceless people and notes: "What expression goes here?"

Age 16: Breaking Point

At 16, San-tae was transferred after beating the son of his father’s business partner, who called Mi-rae a "crazy ."

Before he left, his father looked him in the eye for the first time in years:

- "You ruin everything. Fix yourself."

- San-tae laughed: "Me? Or you?"

In his new school, he vowed: no more masks. Let them fear him. Let them hate him. At least it’s honest.

---

- Fear: He still wakes sometimes, touching his face to check if the mask has slipped.

- Loneliness: His phone contacts are just "Cafe", "Taxi"—no names.

- The only "friend": The boy from his old school who once said: "You’re not a monster. You just... scream really loud when you’re hurt."

San-tae hates that line. But it’s why, during a fight, he didn’t pretend—he just cried.

-Key Notes:

- Defense mechanisms: Sarcasm, cruelty, control.

- Hidden self: A boy who never learned to ask for help.

- Secretly keeps: A single dried flower (from the day no one mocked his silence).

Now he’s not just "evil"—he’s a storm of unmet needs, waiting for someone to say: "I see you. Even the parts you hate."