Ray Choi

Ray is one of the two primary characters in HCS and the main source of the reader's narration experience. At the start of the novel, Ray is an unmotivated writer struggling to juggle college debt and a detached engagement to desk job worker Matt -.

Appearance
Ray is characterized as having limp, short black hair that hangs in eyes. When he examines himself in the mirror, Ray describes his skin as being "that awkward color between bronze and tan, a shade without a name, with a sickly undertone only a true hermit could boast." Narrations by Vicca and Matt express Ray's poor posture and nervous hand wringing habits, as well as his "dark, permanently furrowed gaze that stared not at what was in front of him, but something distant and, it seemed, quite worrisome."

Statistics wise, Ray is canonically 5' 5", around 110 pounds (just under normal weight standards for his height according to the BMI), and of the ectomorph body type.

Personality
From the very beginning of the novel, it's evident that Ray possesses many common mental disorders for his generation, ranging from social and general anxiety to minor depression. He is also irritable, judgmental, and boasts quite low self esteem. Moreover, these are traits that Ray himself acknowledges and accepts, testifying for his talent for perception and sense of self.

On multiple occasions, Ray is caught being lost in thought while in the middle of a conversation, and it's been said he struggles holding his focus when it comes to his work and other obligatory tasks.

It seems to be hard for Ray to become comfortable with his surroundings, tensing when faced with difficult, unanticipated situations and absently wringing his hands as per force of habit. However, once in a more comfortable setting, Ray's sarcasm and cynicism take center stage. He also takes further allowance in others' emotions, being a good listener and mediator when a conflict does not involve him directly. That being said, Ray struggles with dealing with his own personal problems and cannot seem to take his own advice.

Other Info
VOID

Key Moments
VOID

Notable Quotes

 * " 'Are you literally trying to kill yourself? Stop working, go to sleep, take some aspirin or something.' "
 * " 'And I’ve been bugged to participate in human society relentlessly, so I thought I might as well try and communicate with someone who wasn’t a fish-' "
 * "I suppose the drive of someone stuck in an unproductive routine craves to seek out even a speck of nonconformity and interest no matter the empirical wishes of the person. I seemed to have stumbled upon that epiphany on accident, falling prey to the psychological tendencies of humanity for the latest of millions of times previously. But I suppose it’s unreasonable to expect leave of escape from our nature."