Between worlds

Class 11 — The Beginning

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYI8HlirhKE

The room is quiet.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46qsasNaDe

A soft yellow light fills the corner where she sits with her laptop. It’s late evening. Homework is done. The world outside is ordinary.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYUsrKide1

She clicks play for the first time.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0ljymgPIA

The screen glows.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMm4P1K3tx

A bright OST starts playing. A slow-motion scene. A hero walking under cherry blossoms. A heroine with teary eyes but a hopeful smile.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKGaC37nOI

She freezes.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaNI44LAxN

“Whoa… is this real? How is this so magical?”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxA8yAbDV1

Her heart doesn’t know yet — this is just acting.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqXTsTZt69

It only knows that something inside it has awakened.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ese2Qb9qJ

And just like that… she is no longer sitting in her room.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHXkyExg1x

She is walking through Seoul streets.

Standing under streetlights.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2eTHLASsI

Feeling love in the rain.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWsh49BXqX

Falling Deeper — Every Genre, Every Emotion

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qTCwO1f5a

School dramas make her giggle.

“High school never looked this cinematic…”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DJ1S4nkBg

Romance makes her blush.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFchv5a1hP

Why does a simple hand-hold feel like fireworks?

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Z2LHuEXuv

Thrillers make her nervous.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIpbZxZ9Gc

She leans closer to the screen.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrnhLTm3h6

“Don’t trust him… something’s wrong.”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwNC7AKUhk

Historical dramas steal her breath.

The costumes. The sacrifices. The slow, intense love.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQM45R5bt5f

“I wish someone would love like that in real life…”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhZ41dFiTG

Tears fall easily during emotional scenes.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGvkHkmlrq

She cries for characters who don’t even know she exists.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdNSCIuXnF

“How can something fictional feel more real than my own day?”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTMawEe4MQ

Slowly, dramas stop being “shows.”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KJrk1QMzu

They become comfort.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRf7ASRXeHJ

They become escape.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWNKxqIBlL

They become expectation.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWeucfi1pu

When Fantasy Meets Reality

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43tgR559Z9

Time passes.

Class 11 moves forward.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepp6P684zx

She scrolls through news one day.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQouppZbR5

An article pops up.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuOZF2WZ4u

Then another.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKwwI3iFqz

“Wait… what?”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeTthalrRN

Actors she adored. Faces she trusted. Smiles she believed.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJP1nWzZBkM

Behind the scenes — controversies. Mistakes. Scandals.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYb9Y5d9jk5

Her chest tightens.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVIznSqyjv

“But… he was so kind in the drama.”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwBCwfqEJ1

A quiet realisation hits her.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCP9FUgfuB7

They were playing roles.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL5oyslKqM

The warmth she loved wasn’t always real.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtfmzlvvsh

The perfect lover wasn’t real.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqKMfahZxU

The poetic hero wasn’t real.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXACRrRgwI1

It was scripted.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLQO9kmK4i

For the first time, the magic cracks.

She feels foolish for believing too deeply.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hPyATRUnS

She feels betrayed for reasons that don’t even make sense.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgomd8eGtzc

She cries — not because of the actors

—

but because her illusion broke.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL44eOIc0uq

And illusions hurt when they shatter.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5X81Z3slso

Slowly… she stops watching.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuy15MgxJa

The laptop stays closed more often.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcooFY9DRMg

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkb8l2X6fG2

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOSJv3GDvq

Class 12 — A New Beginning

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3Iuj5U7RG

Board exams approach.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcksM7D8rXX

Pressure builds.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJIoVxuOkb

Friends talk about marks, careers, future plans.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiMiE2CaHE

Her mind feels heavy.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKz9bQKO9yJ

One night, just to distract herself, she clicks on something different.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNyQPu2v0B

Not live-action.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJCJbFfPEk

Not real people.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX2BfPJpS8

Animation.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59FQ83iaRY

Bright colors burst onto the screen.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArj3Hqyfky

At first, she feels awkward.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fTQavN6CY

“These are just drawings…”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdniiGuF0Od

But the story pulls her in.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGk7YT83sJU

A lonely character trying to act strong.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbd3l1HJSf5

A fake family slowly becoming real.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEu5hzNnbr

A quiet child hiding secrets behind a smile.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVa8LQdQCLw

She leans back.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fPmOhKdyx

Something feels… safe.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVmP8BndEu

The Difference She Begins to Feel...

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfP2kHoFoo

With K-dramas, she fell in love with actors.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcH6coaUZS8

With anime, she fell in love with characters.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7aJWeeN4z

And that changed everything.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9I5ZtVKO6P

Anime characters will never appear in a scandal.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3IKAuL7xl

They won’t disappoint her in a news headline.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nIM2pHAhk

They won’t break the image she holds of them.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAjbvUkIoG

They are fictional.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYiSrPDe6P

And somehow… that honesty feels comforting.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvRiQGgeG7

In K-drama, the actor and the character mix together in her heart.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4B2Aasn4j

In anime, the character exists purely in their world.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOC17j61D89

No interviews.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlvkyoWvvv

No gossip.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QFHpNgoMz

Just story.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZdA41lGQL

Just emotion.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEK2j34rpvp

Just art.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOs9sJGcf8

And for someone who was tired of reality crashing into fantasy…

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8j3NOOqpk

That felt peaceful.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0w85gT6xhZ

A Different Kind of Magic

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzdsoN7RYc

She starts exploring more.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPebMhmc48

Fantasy worlds.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiTeKC49WN

Dark thrillers.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprG8QyHD0l

Complex anti-heroes.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcY8GXikFb

Stories about trauma, strength, identity.

Anime doesn’t hide that it’s fictional.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2y8hus7io

It proudly lives in imagination.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs44WZNOhtL

And because of that, it doesn’t pretend to be real.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gvIlFK6ha

That honesty comforts her.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWezdJ8lTH

When she cries watching anime, it feels pure.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRxE1LhNbb

When she laughs, it feels light.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdhpqq3a6W

No fear of checking news later.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPfecZ7zrt

No anxiety about “What if this actor is different in real life?”

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx91wyjIl3I

Just story.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3e9T7bVbx7

Just emotion.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVRltxJoko

Looking Back

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouzzXabLLj

Sometimes she remembers Class 11.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyFCQ4svP7

The girl who believed everything on screen was a glimpse of reality.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSD7fCuH9T

She smiles softly.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQMFFDpwuo

That girl wasn’t stupid.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwB9ILE0Zp

She was hopeful.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY14KK8Ibe

K-dramas taught her romance, softness, cinematic beauty.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixYQH5FAac

Anime taught her imagination, emotional depth, and safe escapism.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9JcEfEepi

One showed her how beautiful reality could look.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoahajvHUh

The other showed her how powerful fiction can feel.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9xubIYWpx

Now she understands something important:

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bT86O5yPr

Magic doesn’t have to be real to matter.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMaJ3xVVx0

It just has to make your heart feel alive.

And maybe…

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdy2TJ3zOR

She didn’t lose her love for stories.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zqCfybbFE

She just found a world where her heart felt safer.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylzioUA29M

Between live-action tears and animated dreams,

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WKtbnBN0E

she grew up a little.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSwh2o7C8k

And somewhere inside those thousand fictional lives she lived…

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3BVrBQjxO

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7y9cvmw7Zl

This time she cried —

but they were tears of happiness.

191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAYXAfN9lM

She slowly found her own.

ns216.73.217.15da2

Reading Theme:

Font Size:

Line Spacing:

Paragraph Spacing:

Load the next issue automatically