There were places Min-Jae avoided.
Not because someone told him to.
But because his body remembered
what his mind didn't want to.
The narrow alley behind the houses.
The empty storage shed near the fields.
The corner where older boys used to gather.
At first—
they were just people.
Neighbors.
Familiar faces.
"Hey, Min-Jae… come here."
They would call him casually.
And Min-Jae—
like always—
went.
Because that's who he was.
A boy who trusted easily.
A boy who didn't know danger.
It Started Small
A hand on his shoulder.
A grip that stayed too long.
Laughter that felt strange.
Words he didn't fully understand.
"Don't be scared."
"Why are you acting like that?"
Min-Jae would stand there…
confused.
Something felt wrong.
But no one else reacted.
So he thought—
maybe it's normal.
Confusion
Days passed.
Moments repeated.
He started feeling uncomfortable.
Not pain.
Not yet.
But something…
he couldn't explain.
When they called him—
his steps slowed.
But he still went.
Because saying "no"
was something he never learned.
The Moment Everything Changed
One day—
it went too far.
Too wrong.
Too real.
And in that moment—
Min-Jae understood.
Not fully.
But enough.
Enough to know—
this isn't right.
His body froze.
His mind went blank.
He didn't fight.
He didn't run.
He just…
stood there.
Like always.
But this time—
something inside him broke.
Silence After
He walked home slowly.
Everything felt distant.
The voices around him sounded far away.
He reached home.
Went inside.
No one noticed anything.
"Min-Jae, eat first," his mother said.
"I'm not hungry."
His voice was quiet.
He walked to the bathroom.
Turned on the water.
And washed his hands.
Again.
And again.
And again.
As if something would go away.
But it didn't.
The Birth of Self-Hate
That night—
he didn't sleep.
He stared at the ceiling.
Thoughts repeating.
"Why didn't I stop it?"
"Why didn't I run?"
"Is it… my fault?"
Tears rolled down silently.
No sound.
No movement.
Just pain.
Deep.
Quiet.
The Mirror
The next morning—
he stood in front of the mirror.
Looked at himself.
For a long time.
Then—
he turned away.
From that day—
he avoided mirrors.
Avoided looking at himself.
Because every time he did—
he remembered.
A Secret He Carried Alone
He didn't tell his mother.
Because she was already tired.
He didn't tell his father.
Because he was scared.
He didn't tell his friends.
Because he felt ashamed.
So he did the only thing he knew.
He stayed silent.
A Child Who Blamed Himself
Min-Jae didn't hate them.
Not yet.
He hated himself.
For not understanding.
For not stopping it.
For being weak.
Even though—
he was just a child.
Slow Change
Days passed.
He stopped smiling as much.
Stopped talking freely.
Stopped trusting easily.
Something inside him—
closed.
Locked.
And the key…
was thrown away.
End Line
"Some wounds don't bleed…
but they change the way a person sees themselves forever."