Oooooooof. I could feel this deep, deep within my soul. Most of that pressure and voice inside me was self-imposed, though; not societally, the way it often seems to be in many Asian cultures. That voice shadowing every word and action demanding that you be 'better' has had a much larger role in shaping me than I think I'd often be willing to admit.
What an uncomfortably real and painful short story. And what a gentle, kind, suffering soul the author portrayed here. I hope that in the author's mind, the young man's life story has a happy end at least.