Cheong viewed Ja-yeo as a child constantly on guard, a cautious observer of others’ reactions. Her habit of stuffing food into her mouth whenever she saw it had faded after a day or so, replaced by a new behavior: casting tentative glances to see if it was okay to eat or not.

This was an unusual, almost unsettling trait for a child to exhibit.

Children, by nature, are self-centered beings, focused solely on their own needs and wants. It’s their defining trait to demand what they desire without hesitation, so to see Ja-yeo suppressing herself and constantly checking her surroundings …