THE BOY WHO NEVER KNEW

THE BEGINNING:

What does the word beginning mean?

Does every person’s life begin the same way?

Is the purpose of life simply to run in the endless race that all of us seem to be running today?

Is that really what a beginning is?

A journey where we pass through countless phases, just like the moon, changing over and over again until we finally reach a destination. Yet, along the way, we bury so many of our dreams and slowly turn ourselves into people we never intended to become.

Hello.

My name is Seo-Mina, and I am twenty-two years old.

As I said before, does life really unfold the same way for everyone?

My answer is no.

Because it certainly did not for me. And perhaps there are many others whose stories are nothing like the lives people expect them to live.

I am the youngest daughter in my family. To everyone around me, I am the cherished one, the spoiled youngest child. But from my perspective, that love has always felt distant, as though it was something I could see but never truly reach.

I am an introvert. I do not enjoy talking too much or wasting my time on meaningless conversations. Especially the kind where people judge others based on their appearance, skin color, family circumstances, or personality. I prefer to stay away from such people.

After all, no two people in this world are the same.

I am currently in my second year of university, studying Artificial Intelligence. Before that, I attended private schools and colleges. Yet no matter where I went, one thing about me never changed—my personality.

I love sunsets.

Black has always been my favorite color. I adore black roses and tulips. While most people admire bright, colorful flowers, I find beauty in black and white ones.

I prefer winter over summer.

I find comfort in cold evenings, quiet nights, and the gentle stillness that comes with them. I love cherry blossoms, and I have always felt at peace during winter.

I hate coffee.

Strawberries are my favorite fruit. Out of all the fruits in the world, they have always been the one I loved most.

I love art, especially painting.

Painting allows me to escape from the weight of my stressful life, even if only for a little while. It has been my passion since childhood. Unfortunately, my family always considered it a waste of time.

I once dreamed of becoming an artist.

But dreams do not always become reality.

Instead, I became a student of Artificial Intelligence.

I love rain. I love feeling every raindrop against my skin. I love the night more than the day—the stars scattered across the sky, the beautiful glow of the moon, and the way I can stare at it for hours as if it understands all the words I keep hidden inside my heart.

I love listening to music.

I do not like disrespecting people, even when they hurt me. No matter how harsh their words are, I meet them with a smile, as if they have done nothing at all.

Even when I remember the things they said, I choose silence.

Because silence means I refuse to become like them.

Sometimes I wonder when I changed so much.

People say time flies, and perhaps they are right.

Maybe time changed me too.

I wanted to be like other youngest daughters—spoiled, stubborn, carefree, dependent on their families, and full of chaos.

But life had different plans for me.

Instead, it taught me every possible reason to become cold-hearted.

It taught me how to be calm.

It taught me how to be strong.

And most importantly, it taught me how to survive.

Yet there was a time when I was different.

A time when I was just a girl with countless dreams.

A girl who had so many reasons to smile.

A girl who believed happiness would stay forever.

But I forgot something important.

Every happiness comes with a price.

That is why happiness scares me now.

Because whenever I am truly happy, a small part of me wonders what I will lose in return.

I do not remember the exact moment my life changed.

But I do remember the first time I met him.

At the time, I had no idea that a simple moment—something so ordinary—would stay with me for years.

I had no idea that it would become the beginning of a story I would carry with me long into the future.

If I had known, perhaps I would have looked away.

But I did not.

And that was where everything started to change.