The moment the picture was taken, So-yeon flashed a satisfied smile, as if the perfect shot would somehow make everything else fall into place.
"Thanks, guys!" she said, her tone still overly bright, like she was hosting a private, exclusive event. "If you don't mind, can you follow me on Instagram? I'll accept your friend requests."
She paused just long enough for the words to sink in, as if waiting for a reaction. And sure enough, the others immediately pulled out their phones, fingers swiping quickly to find her profile. They didn't even hesitate—they all knew the unspoken rule: When asked to follow, you must follow — or you most definitely hate them."
Yujin, however, hesitated for just a fraction of a second before pulling out her phone. She didn't want to seem rude, but the idea of following So-yeon on Instagram felt so… transactional. So obvious. But she did it anyway.
So-yeon was watching them all, her eyes glinting with that subtle power she held over them. As Yujin clicked "follow," So-yeon gave a little nod, satisfied. "Great! I'll post this and tag you all, hope you don't mind." She glanced over at Yujin, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Especially you, Yujin. I'd love to tag you too, if that's okay."
Yujin's stomach churn
Reality Hits HardThe celebration stretched late into the night, but Yujin left early.
The streets were quieter now, the neon lights of nearby shops flickering against the darkening sky. As she walked, her mind still lingered on the night's awkwardness, the jarring mix of happiness and envy.
A notification popped up, snapping her back to the present.
It was from So Yeon — her friend request had been accepted on Instagram. Yujin briefly stared at the notification, her stomach doing a small twist, but she quickly shrugged it off. It was just another follow, just another part of the endless game.
She tapped on her phone again, this time pulling up her emails. Her thumb scrolled absentmindedly as she looked for the one that mattered most: the job offer.
There it was.
"Dear Miss Ahn, we regret to inform you…"
Her breath caught in her chest. She exhaled sharply, a mix of disappointment and frustration flooding over her.
With a small grunt, she shoved the phone back into her bag, feeling the weight of it all. Another rejection. Another reminder of how far she still had to go
Home, Sweet HomeHer apartment was exactly as she had left it—small, cramped, and barely holding itself together.
She set her bag down and collapsed onto her bed.
A loud knock came from the door.
She already knew who it was.
With a sigh, she forced herself up, opening it just enough to see the familiar scowl of Mr. Park, her landlord.
"Rent's due," he said, crossing his arms.
She had been hoping to delay it a few more days. "I just—graduated today. Can I get a little time?"
Mr. Park scoffed. "Will you pay with your diploma?"
Yujin clenched her jaw. Of course not.
Reluctantly, she reached into her wallet, pulling out what little she had left.
The landlord counted the bills before nodding in approval. "Next month, don't be late."
The door shut.
Yujin exhaled, running a hand through her hair.
So this was adulthood.
Job Hunting—Or The Lack Of It
Days passed. Then a week.
Yujin sat at her small desk, her laptop open to job listings. She scrolled through the same pages she'd visited a hundred times before. Apply. Wait. Rejection. Apply. Wait. Rejection. The cycle repeated like some cruel joke, with her inbox filling up with polite rejections and form letters. The job market didn't care that she had a degree, good grades, or big dreams. It didn't care that she'd spent years studying while balancing part-time work. All it cared about was experience—experience she didn't have.
"Ugh," she groaned, flopping onto her bed. The sheets smelled faintly like detergent and missed opportunities. Was she going to be stuck in a convenience store forever? She stared at the ceiling, where the fading paint peeled in slow, sad curls. Was this it? Was this all there was to life after graduation?
Her phone pinged, pulling her out of her spiraling thoughts. A notification from Instagram. She unlocked it automatically, but for some reason, a wave of dread washed over her.
She knew what she was about to do. The thing she knew she shouldn't do. Check someone else's life.
Her finger hovered over the screen before landing on So Yeon's name. They weren't close friends, but Yujin couldn't deny how often So Yeon's name came up in her mind. How often she found herself wondering—what was her secret? How was it that every picture So Yeon posted looked like it was pulled straight out of a magazine?
Yujin tapped on her profile, and before she could stop herself, her eyes were glued to the screen. She instantly regretted it.
First post: a pristine photo of So Yeon with a Birkin bag slung casually over her arm. The caption, something about "rewarding myself for surviving uni" dripped with the type of casual luxury Yujin could only dream about. The photo itself was so aesthetic it felt like it had been captured by a professional photographer, the lighting perfect, the framing flawless. Yujin felt her stomach churn.
Swipe. The next post. So Yeon in a bikini, lounging in the Maldives with a group of glamorous, impossibly beautiful friends. They all looked so happy—so carefree. So perfect. It made Yujin feel like she was looking at another world entirely, one where her problems didn't exist.
Her thumb kept scrolling, against all better judgment. Post after post, the luxurious, effortless life unfolded before her eyes. A selfie from a posh nightclub, So Yeon in a glittering dress with a cocktail in hand. A photo of her in Paris, laughing under the Eiffel Tower. Another shot from a friend's private jet. How is that even…possible... Yujin's head spun.
And then—there it was.