On the surface, I might be the flawless one among the flawed—at least, that’s how others perceive me. Pretty, optimistic, gentle, from a good family, academically outstanding, seemingly capable of anything, rational and composed. That’s their description. No one dislikes me. Never has.
But what of the real me? Each day, I hide my soul within the persona I've meticulously woven, deceiving everyone. No matter how my heart aches or how deep the self-loathing runs, I answer with a practiced smile. Until she asked: "You seem upset?"
I panicked. I confirmed my smile was perfectly intact, yet she pressed on: "But your eyes... they look weary. Empty." A question I couldn't answer. I couldn't meet her gaze, could only mumble an evasion. That was the first time someone saw through me. The only time.
Or perhaps not? Deep within memory, a childhood playmate once looked at my allergy-reddened eyes and asked, "Why are you crying?" But she never returned.
What is love? Countless people have claimed to love me. But what expression should grace the face of someone who truly feels loved?
I, who can see through countless hearts, failed only with them.
That elusive purity—always within sight, yet forever beyond my grasp.