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– trigger warning: violence, mental illness

Born into the Shin family, the owner of Nongshim Co., Ltd., Hana should have had it pretty easy growing up. Unfortunately, her choices never seemed to line up with what her father was looking for. Born a year after her charming, charismatic, perfect older brother, Hana was never able to live up to his success as a child.

Even in a private school, Hana still found a way to hang out with the seediest students she could manage, widening the gap between her and her father even more. A love of art kept her going throughout her school years, but never meshed with the company plans her father had for her.

A deep existential dread began to consume Hana in her high school years. Unsure of where life was taking her, her view of reality began to crumble. She began to experience disassociate episodes, in which reality and her own distorted view of the world would mix together with often terrifying results. Anger towards this meaningless world and resentment for her family for making her feel so empty incited violet outbursts of frustration and anger. If she wasn't with her friends messing around, she was at home, trying to sleep off the aching feeling of impending doom.

Junior year, a classmate called her name in gym class and she snapped. Her bat smashed into his head four times before a friend could pry her away. He woke up from his coma three months later. Hana graduated by taking online classes.

After graduation, Hana's father immediately shipped her off to Seoul National University, paying a hefty number of won to get her in despite her record. Unable to study sculpture and design like she wanted, Hana struggled in her marketing degree, still occasionally seeing 'shapes' where people and objects should be. Her first three semesters were a blur of psychosis and loneliness, and she finally couldn't take it anymore and left. She spent a year and a half traveling, trying to 'find herself.' In all actuality, she was trying to escape and be someone else.

She finally returned, and was able to graduate with a marketing degree and a clearer mind.

After graduating, Hana has found an apartment and is reluctantly planning on working for the company soon as a marketing manager. She continues to experience disassociation, but therapy and journaling helps her ground herself. She's trying to reconnect with her old friends and see what they've been up to, but they don't always want to be found.