Prologue

Good Greetings loves 🤍

...•••••...

...🥀Tangled in a Coward’s Gaze🥀...

...•••••...

...Storyline ...

Some stories aren’t about falling in love—they’re about surviving it.

Aera Lee thought escaping her hometown meant she’d finally be free—from suffocating rules, haunting memories, and the pressure to be someone she’s not. Now at university, older than most of her classmates and quietly carrying the weight of two lost years, all she wants is peace.

But peace doesn’t last.

Not when a boy with hesitant eyes and unspoken words keeps looking at her.

Yoojoon Kim is younger, unreadable, and afraid. He doesn’t speak much, but his presence is loud—especially to someone like Aera, who promised herself never to get tangled in anyone else's mess again. Still, she’s drawn to him. Even as he pulls away. Even as his silence starts to feel like a scream.

Told through the memories Aera shares with her future boyfriend, Tangled in a Coward’s Gaze is a tragic, tender confession about the boy who came before, the pain that shaped her, and the quiet strength it takes to let go of what never truly held you.

...🥀...

...Main Characters...

Aera Lee (Now: 24 l Then: 21)

Appearance:

• Black wolf-cut hair (medium-length)

• Warm-toned skin, not fair

• Deep black eyes with poetic, pained depth

Personality:

• Quietly intense and emotionally rich

• Expressive in silence — carries memory in every gesture

• An old soul with a borrowed smile

Background:

• Shaped by absence and quiet tragedy

• Carries a past she rarely speaks of

• Still haunted by the gaze that never stayed

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Yoojoon Kim (18)

Appearance:

• Under 5'7", lean gym-toned body

• Dark hair, thin pink lips, brown eyes

• Keeps a guarded, brooding look

Personality:

• Stubborn and emotionally distant

• Protects what he loves but struggles to show it

• Sarcastic front hiding deeper vulnerability

Background:

• Raised trying to prove his worth

• Fell for Aera without meaning to

• Now trapped in silence and guilt

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Juwon Choi (24)

Appearance:

• Tousled hair, soft handsome features

• Calm brown eyes, minimalist style

• Always looks like he’s quietly watching the world

Personality:

• Gentle, intuitive, and emotionally safe

• Notices the unspoken and holds space for it

• Offers calm without needing control

Background:

• Enters Aera’s life later — the one she never expected

• Doesn't fix her, just listens and stays

• Becomes the quiet place where she can finally breathe.

...🥀...

...📚 Genre Tags...

...Tragedy...

...Romance...

...Slice of Life...

...Coming of Age...

...Psychological Drama...

...Slow Burn...

...Emotional Angst...

...Healing Journey...

...First Love...

...Memory-based Narrative...

...🥀...

...⚠️ Content Warnings – Please Read...

This story explores themes that may be sensitive or triggering for some readers, including:

Emotional abuse and toxic family dynamics

Mental health struggles (anxiety, depression, loneliness)

Unresolved trauma and inner conflict

Complex emotional relationships

Subtle romantic manipulation and emotional dependency

Grief and self-isolation

Reader discretion is advised.

Please take care of yourself as you read.

...•••••...

That was the prologue.

The rest… it only gets deeper from here.

Stay with me — there’s more I need to tell you.

See you soon 🔜

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