It’s a strange sensation when a fictional character voices your inner monologue better than you can. I never loved my hometown, and not because it was especially awful, just because it wasn’t particularly anything. I grew up in a city that always felt like it was trying to convince you it was better than it actually was. Impressive on paper, in photos, on glossy postcards and influencer reels, but hollow in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived there. A city of air-conditioned schools and artific