The Social Misfit

Chapter Five

At first, Mina still took off her mask during lunch.

Eating with a mask on was uncomfortable, and besides, everyone else was doing the same.

The cafeteria was always noisy during lunch.

Groups of friends sat together, sharing food, laughing about random things, and talking about their plans after school.

Mina usually sat quietly.

She didn’t mind being alone.

At least, that was what she told herself.

That day, she sat at her usual spot and slowly removed her mask before opening her lunch.

For a few minutes, everything was normal.

Then someone spoke.

“Mina?”

She looked up.

A boy from her class was looking in her direction.

“Eii…” he said, sounding surprised. “Is that your face?”

A few people nearby looked over.

Maybe he was joking.

Maybe he didn’t mean anything serious.

Maybe he would forget about it in a few minutes.

But Mina didn’t hear any of those possibilities.

She only heard the words.

Her face became warm.

She quickly looked down and pulled her mask back up.

The rest of lunch felt different.

She barely tasted her food.

She barely heard the conversations around her.

All she could think about was that moment.

The way everyone looked.

The way she suddenly felt exposed.

That evening, Mina stood in front of the mirror again.

She stared at her reflection for a long time.

Then she looked away.

The next day, she wore her mask.

And the day after that, she wore it too.

Soon, it became normal.

When it was time to eat, Mina found a way to keep it on.

She would quietly lift it just enough to take a bite, hoping nobody noticed.

It wasn’t comfortable.

It wasn’t easy.

But it felt safer.

Because behind the mask, nobody could see the parts of herself she was afraid to show.

The mask was no longer just something she wore.

It became the place where Mina hid.