My hand stopped as I swiped through the photos.
Whenever things got personal, she’d laugh it off. But in front of one photo on social media, she fell silent.
After seeing comments on social media judging someone’s body, Jimin tries to tell her counselor about the anxiety she’d hidden in conversations about intimacy with her partner—but stops.
A little after ten at night in the counseling room. Jimin shows her partner a photo of someone’s body posted on social media, along with the comments. Her partner reads them aloud and laughs. A few days later, when intimacy comes up, Jimin laughs it off. In the counseling room, she tries to say what she couldn’t then, but closes her mouth. Haeon looks with her at the words on the screen and waits for Jimin to continue. Her words are still unfinished.
When it’s hard to talk about bodies
When it’s hard to talk about bodies, you can start by looking at the moment the words came up.
When was it hard to talk about bodies, and who were you talking with?
The moment when she couldn’t go on, even after showing the screen, stays with you. After laughing together at words judging someone else’s body, it can feel harder to talk about your own. If you’re carrying a similar moment, you can tell us about it. We can find a place to begin together.
Scenes
- 01 · The night they read the comments Comments they read together — Jimin shows Minjae comments she saw on social media judging someone’s body. Minjae reads them aloud and laughs. Minjae: Those comments are pretty harsh. Jimin: Yeah.
- 02 · A comment they laughed off A brief laugh — Minjae jokes about bodies. Jimin laughs it off, but her eyes stay on the phone on the table. Minjae: When you see photos like that, don’t you end up comparing yourself? Jimin: I guess so.
- 03 · The screen opens again At the edge of speech — Jimin shows her counselor, Haeon, the screen with the comments. The words she meant to say stop between her lips. Jimin: Back then, I…
- 04 · The pause at the end One thing left unsaid — Jimin stops at “Back then, I…” Haeon waits a moment. Haeon: Jimin, what words were on the tip of your tongue then?
Stories by Haeon
- Haeon
- I smile and say I’m fine when it comes to talking about my body.
- After the celebration, it’s hard to bring up contraception again.
- My body feels uncomfortable, but I don’t know where to start.
- After the funeral, I find it hard to bring up contraception and testing.
- When someone reaches out after a long time, it’s hard to make plans based on silence alone.
- I fold away my hopes while waiting for a reply
- I keep putting off talking to my parents about my body every Sunday night.
- Sunday night, my feelings get tangled only after we’ve been close