diff --git a/jsonc.go b/jsonc.go
index 1930aba..dec6fab 100644
--- a/jsonc.go
+++ b/jsonc.go
@@ -18,45 +18,42 @@ func stripComments(data []byte) []byte {
 	)
 
 	state := OUTSIDE
-	result := make([]byte, len(data))
-	copy(result, data)
+	result := make([]byte, 0, len(data))
 
-	for i := 0; i < len(result); i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < len(data); i++ {
 		switch state {
 		case OUTSIDE:
 			if data[i] == '/' && i+1 < len(data) {
 				if data[i+1] == '/' {
 					state = SINGLE_LINE
-					result[i] = ' '
-					result[i+1] = ' '
 					i++
 				} else if data[i+1] == '*' {
 					state = MULTI_LINE
-					result[i] = ' '
-					result[i+1] = ' '
 					i++
+				} else {
+					result = append(result, data[i])
 				}
-			} else if data[i] == '"' {
-				state = IN_STRING
+			} else {
+				if data[i] == '"' {
+					state = IN_STRING
+				}
+				result = append(result, data[i])
 			}
 		case SINGLE_LINE:
 			if data[i] == '\n' {
 				state = OUTSIDE
-			} else {
-				result[i] = ' '
+				result = append(result, '\n')
 			}
 		case MULTI_LINE:
-			if data[i] == '*' && i+1 < len(result) && data[i+1] == '/' {
+			if data[i] == '*' && i+1 < len(data) && data[i+1] == '/' {
 				state = OUTSIDE
-				result[i] = ' '
-				result[i+1] = ' '
 				i++
-			} else if result[i] != '\n' {
-				result[i] = ' '
 			}
 		case IN_STRING:
+			result = append(result, data[i])
 			if data[i] == '\\' && i+1 < len(data) {
 				i++
+				result = append(result, data[i])
 			} else if data[i] == '"' {
 				state = OUTSIDE
 			}
diff --git a/jsonc_test.go b/jsonc_test.go
index fa0bbe7..b6e824e 100644
--- a/jsonc_test.go
+++ b/jsonc_test.go
@@ -82,56 +82,49 @@ func TestStripComments(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:     "Single line comment",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice"} // Comment`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"}           `,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Multi-line comment",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice" /* Comment */}`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"              }`,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice" }`,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Nested comments",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice" /* Comment // Nested comment */}`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"                                }`,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice" }`,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Comment at the end of file without newline",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice"} // Comment`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"}           `,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Comment at the end of file with newline",
 			input: `{"name": "Alice"} // Comment
 `,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"}           
-`,
+			expected: "{\"name\": \"Alice\"} \n",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Multiple single line comments",
 			input: `// Comment 1
 			// Comment 2
 			{"name": "Alice"}`,
-			expected: `            
-			            
-			{"name": "Alice"}`,
+			expected: "\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t{\"name\": \"Alice\"}",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Multiple multi-line comments",
 			input: `/* Comment 1 */
 			/* Comment 2 */
 			{"name": "Alice"}`,
-			expected: `               
-			               
-			{"name": "Alice"}`,
+			expected: "\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t{\"name\": \"Alice\"}",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Mixed comments",
 			input: `/* Comment 1 */
 			// Comment 2
 			{"name": "Alice"}`,
-			expected: `               
-			            
-			{"name": "Alice"}`,
+			expected: "\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t{\"name\": \"Alice\"}",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "No comments",
@@ -151,12 +144,12 @@ func TestStripComments(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:     "Comment slashes inside string followed by actual comment",
 			input:    `{"name": "//Alice"} // Comment`,
-			expected: `{"name": "//Alice"}           `,
+			expected: `{"name": "//Alice"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Multi-line comment delimiters inside string",
 			input:    `{"name": "/*Alice*/"} /* Comment */`,
-			expected: `{"name": "/*Alice*/"}              `,
+			expected: `{"name": "/*Alice*/"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Empty input",
@@ -166,22 +159,22 @@ func TestStripComments(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:     "Only single line comment",
 			input:    `// Comment`,
-			expected: `          `,
+			expected: ``,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Only multi-line comment",
 			input:    `/* Comment */`,
-			expected: `             `,
+			expected: ``,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Comment after a comma",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice", /* Comment */ "age": 30}`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice",               "age": 30}`,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice",  "age": 30}`,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Comment inside array",
 			input:    `["Alice", /* Comment */ "Bob"]`,
-			expected: `["Alice",               "Bob"]`,
+			expected: `["Alice",  "Bob"]`,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Newline inside string",
@@ -195,19 +188,19 @@ func TestStripComments(t *testing.T) {
 			input: `{"message": "Hello
 			World"} // Comment`,
 			expected: `{"message": "Hello
-			World"}           `,
+			World"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Newline inside string with multi-line comment after",
 			input: `{"message": "Hello
 			World"} /* Comment */`,
 			expected: `{"message": "Hello
-			World"}              `,
+			World"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Multiple newlines inside string & single comment at the end",
 			input:    "{\"message\": \"Hello\n\nWorld\"}//   ",
-			expected: "{\"message\": \"Hello\n\nWorld\"}     ",
+			expected: "{\"message\": \"Hello\n\nWorld\"}",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Newline inside string with actual newline after",
@@ -216,7 +209,7 @@ World"}
 // Comment`,
 			expected: `{"message": "Hello
 World"}
-          `,
+`,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/v2/jsonc.go b/v2/jsonc.go
index 443c96f..9215900 100644
--- a/v2/jsonc.go
+++ b/v2/jsonc.go
@@ -16,45 +16,42 @@ func stripComments(data []byte) []byte {
 	)
 
 	state := OUTSIDE
-	result := make([]byte, len(data))
-	copy(result, data)
+	result := make([]byte, 0, len(data))
 
-	for i := 0; i < len(result); i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < len(data); i++ {
 		switch state {
 		case OUTSIDE:
 			if data[i] == '/' && i+1 < len(data) {
 				if data[i+1] == '/' {
 					state = SINGLE_LINE
-					result[i] = ' '
-					result[i+1] = ' '
 					i++
 				} else if data[i+1] == '*' {
 					state = MULTI_LINE
-					result[i] = ' '
-					result[i+1] = ' '
 					i++
+				} else {
+					result = append(result, data[i])
 				}
-			} else if data[i] == '"' {
-				state = IN_STRING
+			} else {
+				if data[i] == '"' {
+					state = IN_STRING
+				}
+				result = append(result, data[i])
 			}
 		case SINGLE_LINE:
 			if data[i] == '\n' {
 				state = OUTSIDE
-			} else {
-				result[i] = ' '
+				result = append(result, '\n')
 			}
 		case MULTI_LINE:
-			if data[i] == '*' && i+1 < len(result) && data[i+1] == '/' {
+			if data[i] == '*' && i+1 < len(data) && data[i+1] == '/' {
 				state = OUTSIDE
-				result[i] = ' '
-				result[i+1] = ' '
 				i++
-			} else if result[i] != '\n' {
-				result[i] = ' '
 			}
 		case IN_STRING:
+			result = append(result, data[i])
 			if data[i] == '\\' && i+1 < len(data) {
 				i++
+				result = append(result, data[i])
 			} else if data[i] == '"' {
 				state = OUTSIDE
 			}
diff --git a/v2/jsonc_test.go b/v2/jsonc_test.go
index d6e4be7..70d1855 100644
--- a/v2/jsonc_test.go
+++ b/v2/jsonc_test.go
@@ -78,56 +78,49 @@ func TestStripComments(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:     "Single line comment",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice"} // Comment`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"}           `,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Multi-line comment",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice" /* Comment */}`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"              }`,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice" }`,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Nested comments",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice" /* Comment // Nested comment */}`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"                                }`,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice" }`,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Comment at the end of file without newline",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice"} // Comment`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"}           `,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Comment at the end of file with newline",
 			input: `{"name": "Alice"} // Comment
 `,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice"}           
-`,
+			expected: "{\"name\": \"Alice\"} \n",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Multiple single line comments",
 			input: `// Comment 1
 			// Comment 2
 			{"name": "Alice"}`,
-			expected: `            
-			            
-			{"name": "Alice"}`,
+			expected: "\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t{\"name\": \"Alice\"}",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Multiple multi-line comments",
 			input: `/* Comment 1 */
 			/* Comment 2 */
 			{"name": "Alice"}`,
-			expected: `               
-			               
-			{"name": "Alice"}`,
+			expected: "\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t{\"name\": \"Alice\"}",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Mixed comments",
 			input: `/* Comment 1 */
 			// Comment 2
 			{"name": "Alice"}`,
-			expected: `               
-			            
-			{"name": "Alice"}`,
+			expected: "\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t{\"name\": \"Alice\"}",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "No comments",
@@ -147,12 +140,12 @@ func TestStripComments(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:     "Comment slashes inside string followed by actual comment",
 			input:    `{"name": "//Alice"} // Comment`,
-			expected: `{"name": "//Alice"}           `,
+			expected: `{"name": "//Alice"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Multi-line comment delimiters inside string",
 			input:    `{"name": "/*Alice*/"} /* Comment */`,
-			expected: `{"name": "/*Alice*/"}              `,
+			expected: `{"name": "/*Alice*/"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Empty input",
@@ -162,22 +155,22 @@ func TestStripComments(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:     "Only single line comment",
 			input:    `// Comment`,
-			expected: `          `,
+			expected: ``,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Only multi-line comment",
 			input:    `/* Comment */`,
-			expected: `             `,
+			expected: ``,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Comment after a comma",
 			input:    `{"name": "Alice", /* Comment */ "age": 30}`,
-			expected: `{"name": "Alice",               "age": 30}`,
+			expected: `{"name": "Alice",  "age": 30}`,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Comment inside array",
 			input:    `["Alice", /* Comment */ "Bob"]`,
-			expected: `["Alice",               "Bob"]`,
+			expected: `["Alice",  "Bob"]`,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Newline inside string",
@@ -191,19 +184,19 @@ func TestStripComments(t *testing.T) {
 			input: `{"message": "Hello
 			World"} // Comment`,
 			expected: `{"message": "Hello
-			World"}           `,
+			World"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Newline inside string with multi-line comment after",
 			input: `{"message": "Hello
 			World"} /* Comment */`,
 			expected: `{"message": "Hello
-			World"}              `,
+			World"} `,
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Multiple newlines inside string & single comment at the end",
 			input:    "{\"message\": \"Hello\n\nWorld\"}//   ",
-			expected: "{\"message\": \"Hello\n\nWorld\"}     ",
+			expected: "{\"message\": \"Hello\n\nWorld\"}",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Newline inside string with actual newline after",
@@ -212,7 +205,7 @@ World"}
 // Comment`,
 			expected: `{"message": "Hello
 World"}
-          `,
+`,
 		},
 	}