The golden rays of the setting sun slipped through my bedroom window, painting the room in soft shades of orange.
I stood in front of the mirror, tying my hair into a high ponytail before putting on my white taekwondo uniform. I adjusted my black belt around my waist and smiled faintly at my reflection.
I had never dreamed of becoming a princess.
I wanted to become a heroine.
The fearless girl who could protect herself.
The one who never waited for someone else to save her.
Maybe it was because I had watched too many dramas and read too many novels, but every time the heroine defeated the villains with a perfect kick or punch, I admired her more than the hero standing beside her.
Who wouldn't want to be like that?
Strong.
Confident.
Unbreakable.
A small laugh escaped my lips.
"But unlike those heroines..." I murmured to myself, picking up my sports bag, "...I don't need a hero in my life."
Not now.
Not after everything what happened with me.
Especially not someone like Elvric.
The thought of his name was enough to ruin my mood.
I grabbed my headphones and left the house.
The familiar sounds of the taekwondo academy welcomed me the moment I stepped inside.
The sharp echoes of kicks hitting practice pads.
The squeak of shoes sliding across the training mats.
The coach's firm voice correcting students.
It had become my second home over the years.
After placing my bag inside my locker, I walked toward the training area and started stretching my arms and legs.
For the first time that day...
My mind finally felt peaceful.
No thoughts about Christmas.
No thoughts about roses.
No thoughts about Elvric.
Unfortunately...
Peace never lasted long.
The academy door opened.
A girl from the senior batch stepped inside.
She clapped her hands twice, catching everyone's attention.
"Everyone!"
The conversations stopped immediately.
"We have a new student joining our class today."
Excited whispers spread across the room.
"I hope you'll all make him feel welcome."
A tall boy slowly walked inside.
He wore the academy uniform perfectly, but something immediately caught my attention.
A black face mask covered the lower half of his face.
Only his eyes were visible.
Dark.
Sharp.
Oddly familiar.
For some reason...
I felt as though I had seen those eyes somewhere before.
He stood in front of everyone and gave a small wave.
"Hello, everyone."
His voice was calm.
"My name is... Elv."
Elv?
I frowned slightly.
Why does that name sound familiar?
Before I could think further, Coach clapped her hands loudly.
"Enough introductions."
She pointed toward the mats.
"Everyone, back to stretching."
"Yes, Coach!"
The class returned to warming up.
I continued stretching quietly until someone stopped beside me.
It was the new student.
He bent slightly while stretching his shoulders before glancing at me.
"What's your name?"
I didn't even look at him.
"Why?"
He blinked.
"So I can know your name."
I finally looked at him.
"And what are you going to do after knowing it?"
He lift his eyebrows.
"...Nothing."
"Then you don't need to know."
"Were you born this cold?" he asked
I rolled my shoulders lazily.
"Were you born this annoying?"
He laughed softly.
"I was just trying to make a friend."
"I already have enough."
I walked a few steps away and continued stretching.
A few seconds later...
That strange feeling returned.
Someone was staring at me.
I turned around.
The masked boy was still looking in my direction.
The moment our eyes met, he awkwardly waved at me.
I stared at him for two seconds.
Then looked away without reacting.
Seriously...
Who behaves like this on the very first day?
And why wasn't he taking off his mask?
What kind of mysterious character is this?
Coach blew the whistle.
"Everyone, gather around."
We quickly stood in a line.
"Today's lesson will focus on sparring practice."
She looked toward the new student.
"As for you..."
"If you're not comfortable yet, you can simply observe today's class."
The masked boy shook his head immediately.
"No, Coach."
"I'd like to practice."
Coach raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
A confident nod.
Coach smiled.
"Good."
She looked toward everyone.
"Now pair up."
Students quickly began choosing partners.
Within seconds...
Everyone get someone to practice.
Except me.
I wasn't surprised.
I had always kept my distance from everyone here.
People often mistook my quiet personality for arrogance.
No one dared approach me.
I looked around the room.
Even the new student had already found a partner.
I sighed softly.
Looks like I'll just observe again.
I leaned against the wall, folding my arms as I carefully watched everyone's techniques.
Watching others was never boring.
Every person's fighting style revealed something about them.
Some fought with confidence.
Some relied on speed.
Some panicked under pressure.
And some simply copied whatever they had learned.
As I observed, a group of girls walked nearby.
They weren't speaking to me.
At least...
Not directly.
"Did you see that kick?" one girl shouted excitedly.
"She defeated her partner so easily!"
"That was amazing!"
I smiled slightly.
At least someone was improving.
I reached for my water bottle.
Just as I took a sip...
Another voice reached my ears.
"Lucky some people actually know how to fight."
The girls laughed.
I ignored them.
Then another girl spoke loudly enough for me to hear.
"And then there's someone who comes here every day but never spars with anyone."
Another burst of laughter.
"I've never seen her fight."
"Maybe she doesn't even know taekwondo."
"She probably just comes here wearing the uniform."
"If she ever fought someone..."
"...she'd fall flat on her face in less than ten seconds."
The entire group laughed again.
I closed my water bottle and said nothing to them.
I simply smiled to myself and turned to leave.
Behind me, one girl muttered,
"Look."
"She's running away."
The next second—
Someone grabbed my wrist.
Before I could react...
A fist crashed against my cheek.
The room fell silent.
I slowly touched the side of my face.
It stung.
I looked at the girl standing in front of me.
She was breathing heavily.
Waiting for me to cry.
Waiting for me to complain.
Instead...
I smiled.
A genuine smile.
Exactly what I had been waiting for.
I cracked my knuckles.
"Thank you."
The girl frowned.
"For what?"
I stepped into my fighting stance.
"For finally giving me a reason."
The first kick landed before she even realized I had moved.
She stumbled backward.
The second girl charged toward me.
Side kick.
She lost her balance instantly.
Another girl.
Roundhouse kick.
Blocked.
Counterattack.
Sweep.
One after another...
They came.
One after another...
They fell.
The academy echoed with gasps.
No one expected the quiet girl standing in the corner to move so fast.
Even the masked boy had frozen in his place.
His eyes followed every movement I made.
Coach didn't stop the fight.
She simply stood there with her hands behind her back.
Watching.
Observing.
Testing.
A final opponent rushed toward me.
She aimed a punch.
I stepped sideways.
Spinning hook kick.
She landed safely on the mat with a surprised expression.
Silence.
Then—
Applause erupted throughout the academy.
Cheers echoed across the room.
"That was incredible!"
"I've never seen her fight before!"
"She's so fast!"
I ignored every compliment.
I walked straight toward Coach.
Bowed respectfully.
"I'm sorry, Coach."
"I didn't want to create trouble."
Coach looked at me for several seconds before smiling faintly.
"You defended yourself."
"That's different from creating trouble."
I bowed once more.
"Thank you."
Without another word, I picked up my sports bag and walked toward the exit.
I had barely stepped outside when hurried footsteps followed behind me.
"Hey!"
I ignored them.
"Wait!"
"Excuse me!"
I sighed.
Then stopped.
The masked boy caught up with me, slightly out of breath.
"How did you do that?"
I blinked.
"Do what?"
"Fight like that."
I shrugged.
"Practice."
His eyes sparkled.
"Can you teach me?"
I adjusted the strap of my bag.
"I think you should ask Coach instead."
"I practice with her after class every day."
"She'll teach you much better than I can."
I started walking again.
"But can't you just—"
Before he could finish, I placed my headphones over my ears.
Soft music filled my mind.
His voice disappeared beneath the melody
I walked home, completely unaware that the mysterious boy behind the mask was watching me leave with a small, amused smile.
The evening breeze brushed against my face as I walked home, my headphones still covering my ears.
The music played softly, but my thoughts were much louder.
His eyes...
His voice...
Even the way he looked at me...
Why did everything about that masked boy feel strangely familiar?
I shook my head and let out a frustrated sigh.
"Stop overthinking, Viara."
Maybe I was only imagining things.
After everything that had happened over the past six months, it wasn't surprising that I found reminders of Elvric everywhere.
By the time I reached home, the sun had almost disappeared beyond the horizon.
The warm lights inside the house welcomed me.
"I'm back, Mom," I called out while taking off my shoes.
No one answered immediately.
I tossed my sports bag onto a nearby chair before collapsing dramatically onto the sofa.
"My whole body hurts..."
I closed my eyes.
Only a minute passed before I felt someone gently holding my hand.
I slowly opened my eyes just to see my mom was sitting beside me.
She carefully turned my wrist over.
A faint bruise had already started appearing.
Her brows immediately knitted together.
"What happened to your hand?"
"It's nothing."
She gave me a serious look.
"Viara."
I looked away.
"Just answer what I asked."
I knew that tone.
There was no escaping it.
"I got into a fight during taekwondo class."
Her eyes widened.
"A fight?"
I nodded.
She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with an ointment box.
Without saying another word, she gently applied the medicine over my bruised hand.
The sting made me wince.
"You always manage to find trouble," she murmured.
I laughed quietly.
"I don't find trouble."
"It finds me."
She looked at me without amusement.
"Viara."
"Okay..."
I sighed dramatically.
"Maybe I find it a little."
She couldn't help smiling.
"I knew it."
After a few moments of silence, I finally spoke honestly.
"They were making fun of me."
Her hand paused.
"They said I couldn't fight."
"And then?"
"One of them punched me."
Mom looked into my eyes.
"So you defended yourself."
I nodded.
"I tried to ignore them."
"I really did."
"But they crossed the line."
She finished applying the ointment before gently patting my hand.
"I'm not angry that you defended yourself."
I blinked.
"I'm only worried."
"You've already been through enough."
Her voice became softer.
"I don't want anyone hurting you again."
For a brief second...
My chest tightened.
I forced a smile.
"I'll be careful."
She placed her hand against my cheek.
"If anything happens..."
"You tell me."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
She smiled warmly before standing up.
"Now go freshen up."
"Dinner will be ready soon."
An hour later...
The entire family sat around the dining table.
The atmosphere was peaceful.
For once, everyone seemed relaxed.
Dad looked around the table.
"So..."
"How was everyone's day?"
"It was good."
Everyone answered one after another.
When it was my turn, I simply smiled.
"It was... interesting."
Xavier laughed.
"That doesn't sound convincing."
"It isn't."
Everyone chuckled softly.
Dad took another bite of his dinner before speaking again.
"Oh..."
"I almost forgot."
My hands stopped moving.
"I met Elvric today."
The room became unusually quiet.
I slowly looked up.
"He came to my office this afternoon."
Dad continued calmly.
"He apologized."
No one interrupted him.
"He explained everything that happened six months ago."
My fingers tightened around the spoon.
"He admitted he made mistakes."
"But according to him..."
"He never wanted anyone to bully Viara."
"He didn't know how serious everything had become until much later."
I lowered my eyes toward my plate.
Dad looked at me.
"Viara."
His voice was gentle.
"My daughter..."
"I never meant to hurt you."
"I hope you understand why I couldn't believe everything back then."
The words reached my ears.
But they also reached the wounded part of my heart.
The part that had spent six months trying to prove itself.
I looked at him and smiled.
"I know, Dad."
"It wasn't your fault."
"I understand."
That smile...
It looked real enough to fool everyone.
Except me.
Because inside...
My heart was screaming.
You didn't believe me...
None of you did.
I cried alone.
I fought alone.
I carried every rumor alone.
And now...
The moment Elvric apologized...
Everyone was ready to give him another chance.
Was it really that easy?
Was six months of pain worth nothing?
I quietly took another bite of my food.
No one noticed how difficult it was to swallow.
After dinner, I stood up.
"My dinner is finished."
"I'll wash the dishes once everyone else is done."
Mom smiled.
"Thank you."
While the others continued talking, I carried the empty plates into the kitchen.
The sound of running water filled the silence.
Sometimes...
Doing simple chores was easier than thinking.
Later that night...
I returned to my room.
The soft yellow lamp illuminated my desk.
I opened my sketchbook.
Jewelry designing had always been my escape.
Whenever my heart became too heavy...
I designed.
Pencils never judged.
Paper never questioned.
I began sketching a delicate silver necklace decorated with tiny roses.
Without realizing it...
Every design I drew tonight had roses.
I stared at the page.
"...Seriously?"
I sighed.
Even my sketches had started betraying me.
I closed the notebook.
Maybe designing wasn't going to help tonight.
After washing the dishes, I took a warm shower and changed into comfortable clothes.
My skincare routine usually relaxed me.
Tonight...
Nothing worked.
I switched off the lights and lay down on my bed.
Moonlight slipped through the curtains.
The room was completely silent.
Yet my thoughts refused to stop.
Was he really innocent?
Did Jessica manipulate everything?
Was Elvric also a victim?
If he truly didn't know...
Should I forgive him?
I immediately turned to the other side.
"No."
The answer came quickly.
"I won't."
I pulled the blanket over myself.
"He was still there."
"He could have stopped everything."
"He could have asked me what really happened."
Then another memory surfaced.
"Look into my eyes."
"Do you think I'm lying?"
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Why did I remember that now?
Why his eyes?
Why not his mistakes?
I sat up suddenly.
"This is ridiculous."
I pressed both hands against my face.
"My heart..."
"Don't be stupid."
Trust wasn't something people earned with flowers.
Or apologies.
Or beautiful words.
It was earned through actions.
And once broken...
It wasn't easy to repair.
I took a deep breath and lay back down.
"I won't forgive him."
"I won't trust him."
"If thetruth finally stood in front of me... would I have the courage to face it?"