Lost and Standing Here [Short Story]

I'm standing here lost

I'm still lost today

Why are you wandering?

Um.. well.. no I think I know why

The reason why I can't write anything in the space where I write about my future hopes

Today, during career guidance class at school, I was the only one who couldn't raise my hand when the teacher said, "People with dreams, raise your hand." Why was I the only one...? In the end, I received a piece of paper: a "future aspirations survey." Just looking at it made me sigh. Why on earth do we even do this?

Mom, I received another survey about my future aspirations. This time... I'll list my dreams, okay?

어머니

Yes, you can, instead tell me and write it down

Yes.. I want to be a singer..

어머니

Singer? No way. You don't have the talent to be a singer, and your voice isn't very good. Write down other things.

Oh.. then I'm angry..?

어머니

Do you think you can become an artist? What kind of artist is someone who hasn't won a single art award?!

..I..then can't I be a writer too..?

어머니

Ha.. you.. no, now that I say it like this, what can you do? You didn't study, so you only got an average of 96 points on this test, right? Ji-eun•••

...She told me to write down what I wanted, what my dream was, what my future was, what I liked and was interested in. Is that the judge you want? To be that? Mother... I... This is hard...

I can't stand it anymore. Is this enough? The reason I hate the "Future Hope Survey"

And the reason I don't want to live