kennedydaphne900

Born on a day that should have been perfect, twin sisters Kang Hana and Kang Dara entered the world with equal promise—or so it seemed. As the years passed, one blossomed into a vision of beauty, while the other became a shadow, labeled “ugly” by a society obsessed with perfection.

Hana grew up in a world where beauty and talent were everything, but she had neither. Ridiculed, dismissed, and treated as a joke, her only solace was a desperate dream, to become an idol and prove her worth to the world.

Yet the road to stardom is not kind to those who don’t fit the mold. Desperation leads Hana to make a fateful decision, one that transforms her life forever. But beauty comes at a price, and the secrets she keeps and the lies she weaves to sustain her new life may just be her ultimate downfall.

As Hana rises in the cutthroat world of idols, she faces a harrowing choice: cling to the fragile perfection she’s achieved, or rediscover the strength to embrace who she truly is, even if it means losing everything.

A story of ambition, identity, and the dark side of fame, The Ugliest Beauty asks the ultimate question: How far would you go to be loved?

THE UGLIEST BEAUTY

Hana stood up, her uniform clinging to her skin, cold and soaked through.

She felt the weight of the water, the humiliation, and the pain all at once.

Her white shirt was smeared with dirty footprints, and she didn't have a spare. She couldn't go back to class like this, but skipping wasn't an option either.

Her life was already in shambles; she didn't need her teachers or, worse, her parents finding out and making things even harder.

Footsteps echoed through the empty bathroom, and her heart leapt. Maybe it was someone kind, a classmate who could lend her a spare uniform, or at least offer a word of comfort.

Dara took one look at Hana's disheveled state and smirked, her eyes gleaming with cruel delight. A sharp, mocking laugh tore from her lips as she leaned against the doorway.

"You know what?" Dara said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You actually look better this way."

She pulled out her phone, the flash blinding as she snapped a picture.

Hana clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms. But she didn't flinch.

Dara cocked an eyebrow, her tone dripping with mock pity. "What? Are you expecting sympathy?"

Hana laughed bitterly, the sound rough and raw. "Sympathy? From you?"

Her eyes burned as she met Dara's smug gaze. "Even killers are kinder."

The smirk faltered for a second before Dara's expression darkened, morphing into the twisted, furious glare Hana remembered all too well.

That look had been burned into her memory, the same one Dara wore the day she tore her face apart, leaving her with the scar that never fully faded.

Dara washed her hands in the sink, her movements slow and deliberate, as her glare turned into something more sinister: a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Was that scar not enough?" she asked, her voice low and spiteful.

Hana's jaw tightened, but she didn't respond.

Dara leaned closer, her voice dipping into a saccharine tone that made Hana's stomach churn. "Clean up and come to class. You wouldn't want people thinking something… happened to you, would you?"

Hana met Dara's gaze with a plastic smile, her lips trembling but holding. "I wouldn't dare."

Dara's grin widened, pleased, before she turned on her heel and walked out, her laughter echoing through the hall.

Hana stood there, alone in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the cracked mirror. Water dripped from her hair, her cheeks burned red, but she refused to cry.

Chapter 8