Days passed like shadows.
No change.
No progress.
But one thing couldn't stay hidden forever.
The truth.
The Moment She Found Out
It was afternoon.
The house was quiet.
Lee Eun-Kyung was cleaning when she asked casually—
"Min-Jae… how is college?"
Silence.
Min-Jae stood still.
"…fine."
She stopped what she was doing.
Turned slowly.
"Which class did you attend today?"
No answer.
Something felt wrong.
"Min-Jae."
Her voice changed.
"Are you… actually going to college?"
That question—
hit harder than anything.
Min-Jae's chest tightened.
His mind raced.
He could lie.
He always lied.
But this time—
he couldn't.
"…no."
The word came out quietly.
But it echoed loudly in the room.
The Explosion
"What do you mean 'no'?!"
Her voice rose.
"Then where have you been going all this time?!"
Min-Jae didn't answer.
"Do you know how hard I'm trying for you?!"
"Do you know what I sacrificed?!"
Each word hit him.
Not because she was wrong—
But because she was right.
"I asked you one thing! Just one thing!"
Her voice broke.
"Why are you doing this to your life?!"
That question—
he had asked himself many times.
But hearing it from her—
hurt more.
The Breaking Point
"Say something!"
Min-Jae's hands clenched.
His breathing became heavy.
All the silence inside him—
all the fear—
all the confusion—
came rushing up at once.
"I don't know!"
He shouted.
For the first time.
"I don't know what I'm doing!"
"I don't know what I want!"
"I don't know anything!"
Tears filled his eyes.
"I'm tired…"
His voice broke.
"I'm really tired…"
Silence.
His mother stood there—
shocked.
Because she had never seen him like this.
Not angry.
Not loud.
But broken.
Walking Away
He couldn't stay there anymore.
Not in that house.
Not in that moment.
He turned—
and walked out.
"Min-Jae!"
She called him.
But he didn't stop.
The Beach
He walked without thinking.
Step after step.
Until—
he reached the beach.
The waves moved slowly.
The wind was cold.
The sky was fading into darkness.
He stood there—
staring at the horizon.
No thoughts.
No plans.
Just…
breathing.
For the First Time
He sat down on the sand.
Held his head.
And cried.
Not silently.
Not holding back.
But completely.
Everything he had been holding inside—
for years—
came out.
The fear.
The confusion.
The loneliness.
The self-hate.
All of it.
And for the first time—
he didn't stop himself.
Meanwhile…
Back in the village—
panic spread.
"Min-Jae is missing!"
People searched everywhere.
Streets.
Fields.
Friends' houses.
His mother's hands trembled.
Not from anger anymore.
But fear.
"Please… just come back…"
Returning
Late night—
Min-Jae walked back.
Slowly.
Like nothing had changed.
But everything had.
As soon as he reached—
his mother ran to him.
And hugged him tightly.
"Don't ever do that again…"
Her voice shook.
He didn't respond.
He didn't hug back.
But he didn't pull away either.
Aftermath
The family scolded him.
"Do you know how worried we were?!"
"What were you thinking?!"
He stood there silently.
Listening.
Not reacting.
Because deep inside—
he was already exhausted.
One Last Push
Later—
his mother spoke again.
"Go to college from tomorrow."
Her voice wasn't loud this time.
It was tired.
Broken.
Min-Jae looked at her.
And said—
"I won't."
Silence.
Then—
another scolding.
Another argument.
But this time—
he didn't react.
Because something inside him—
had already shut down.
End Line
"He didn't run away to escape the world…
he ran because he didn't know how to live in it anymore."