The other nurses walk away hurriedly when Baekhyun gives them the scariest glare, with deep eyebags and extremely red eyes with the package of the highest voice pitch. His fair skin is now pale as the dead ones. He sits on his chair limply and continues his sketching angrily. He rips the page and bangs his fists on the table while cursing loudly.

“Look at you now, Byun Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun looks up straight when he hears the familiar voice. He blinks his eyes for a few times and gasps. His breathing becomes faster as his heart starts to pound crazily. He rubs his eyes and shakes his head. The person in front of him laughs and leans against the wall. Baekhyun is completely frozen in his spot but he manages to speak, “Y-you…”

“You look ed.”

Baekhyun is still frozen, “H-how? You’re dead!”

Sarang laughs, “I am.” Baekhyun’s jaw open slightly, “What do you mean? W-what do you want from me?” Sarang shakes her head, “I don’t want anything from you.”

Baekhyun keeps on staring at her; eyes wet. He has always wanted to see her and now she’s here, right in front of him. However, he’s not sure whether she’s real or not. He knew that she’s dead because Suho killed her, but the body in front of him seems so real and it makes him in doubt. Sarang walks towards him and sits on the chair opposite him, “You seemed surprised.”

He is indeed. He stretches his right hand slowly to reach Sarang’s left cheek. He gasps when his palm touches her skin. Sarang shuts her eyes for a second and smiles. Baekhyun stares at her, “You’re real…” Sarang chuckles softly while shaking her head, “I’m not.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, “What?”

Baekhyun looks around him when he suddenly flinched softly as if he is awake from a day dream when Sarang vanished. Baekhyun looks in front of him again, but Sarang is not there anymore. Baekhyun breathes heavily and he jumps a little when he hears Sarang’s voice right beside his ears.

“Forget me, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun stares at her, that is now standing beside him, “W-what do you mean?”

Sarang stares at his face. Baekhyun notices the difference in her voice between now and just now. Her face turns serious and he could feel goose bumps all over his body. “Set me free, Baekhyun. Stop thinking about me.”

“I don’t understand!” Baekhyun raises his voice. Sarang kneels beside him, “Forget me.”

Baekhyun shakes his head, “I can’t…”

“Set me free, Baekhyun.”

“You’re already free!”

“Set yourself free, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun frowns to her statement, “What do you mean? “

“Forget me.”

Baekhyun shakes his head vigorously, “What the hell are you talking about? Just tell me what you want, straight to the point!” “Set me free.” Baekhyun grits his teeth while messing his hair, “You’re already free! How can I make you free if you’re already free?”

“Set yourself free.”

Baekhyun cups his ears, “Go away! I don’t understand you, just go away!”

“Forget me.”

“Set me free.”

“Set yourself free.”

Baekhyun looks around him but Sarang is nowhere to be seen. However, her voice is still echoing.

“Forget me.”

“Set me free.”

“Set yourself free.”

Baekhyun cups his ears harder and shouts “Go away! Go away!”

“Forget me.”

“LEAVE ME ALONE!”

“Set me free.”

“Please… leave me alone…”

“Set yourself free…”

“Go away… please…” Baekhyun breaks down and his sobs loudly.

“Forget me.”

“I’m sorry, Sarang…”

“Set me free.”

Baekhyun sobs, “I’m sorry for everything… please don’t do this to me…”

“Set yourself free.”

Baekhyun shakes his head and whispers, “I can’t… I can’t be free from here…”

Suddenly, her voice stops echoing. He is still looking down while cupping his ears. Silence fills the room except for the sound of his heavy breathing and light sobs from him. He looks around and his fast heartbeat starts turning normal.

“You can, Baekhyun.”

He quickly turns his head and faces Sarang, who’s sitting on the chair in front of him. Sarang smiles sadly, “You can.”

He stays silent and keeps on staring at her.

“I am just a piece of your imagination. You have to stop thinking about me. With that, I could stop showing up in front of you. I could finally be free and rest in peace. You’ll be free from me; your own imagination. After sometimes, I promise you… you‘ll be free from this place. Forget me, set me free… and set yourself free.”

“I let you go, Sarang…” Baekhyun whispers and she smiles while nodding her head. Baekhyun looks down, “I love you.” Sarang touches his left cheek, “You’ll find better.”

Baekhyun looks up to her again, “I’ll forget you.”

Sarang nods slowly with a bright smile, “All the best, Baekhyun.”

“You are sentenced to death because of ethical violations as a doctor, selling organs illegally, doing surgical procedures without license, kidnapping, murder attempt, and murder.”

Suho stands there frozen and just follow the police steps as he’s dragged towards the exit. He knows that his life is going to over soon so he curls up his lips to form a smile and slowly turns it as laughter. The police ignore his maniacal behaviour and just drag his arms to the car.

He enters the car and leans against the leather seat. He sighs but then smiles sadly, “I’m coming for you, Sarang.”

Baekhyun walks freely in his ward since the nurses untied his hands since a few days ago. The doctor saw him talking to himself, saying Sarang’s name for a few times but then he eased quickly. He was silent since the incident and the doctor has decided to free his hands. He wasn’t acting aggressively and instead, he’s very quiet. The nurses get in his ward for many times but he didn’t yell at them like he used to.

It is 3a.m. and Baekhyun hasn’t sleep. He has been lying on the bed since hours ago and he finally gets up. He looks around him and he quickly switch off the ceiling fan. He walks towards the window and pulls the green curtain down. He twists the curtain and ties it to make a circle. He takes the chair and places it under the fan.

“It’s time.” The policeman opens the jail and takes Suho by his arm.

Baekhyun steps on the chair and ties the curtain to the fan. He inserts the small circled curtain to his neck and sighs.

Suho stands on the platform with her hands tied at his back. The policeman puts the rope around Suho’s neck and steps away. “Any last words?”

Suho stands there in silence. He keeps on looking down and shakes his head.

And then the platform is replaced with nothing, making Suho chokes and his breathing stops.

Baekhyun is about to kick the chair away when someone speaks softly.

“You don’t want to do that.”

Baekhyun turns around and sees a nurse which he has never seen before. The nurse walks towards him, “Life is hard but… you don’t have to do that.”

“Leave me alone.” Baekhyun scoffs but the nurse shakes her head, “So that you can hang yourself? I don’t think so Baekhyun-ssi.”

“I will still hang myself even though you’re here.” He says. The nurse sighs, “Can I try to change your mind? Even though you’re going to do it, can I at least try?” Baekhyun frowns but he still stares at her. The nurse sits on the table, “Every patient here needs help. So do you…”

Baekhyun scoffs, “I don’t need your help.”

The nurse shrugs, “Then why are you here?”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, “I was brought here, obviously. Who came here voluntarily?”

“Well, I came here voluntarily.” The nurse says. Baekhyun laughs dryly, “No .” The nurse nods, “No it’s true… I volunteer to help people like you.”

“I told you I don’t need your help.”

“But you’ll be astray if you don’t get any help. I know it’s your life but…”

“Then let me be. You told me it’s my life.” Baekhyun raises his voice, annoyed. The nurse shrugs, “It’s my job to prevent you from doing that. Okay, fine! If you really want to do that, could you tell me at least one reason for you to hang yourself?”

Baekhyun looks away, “I want to be free.”

The nurse raises her left eyebrow, “Free? From what?”

“From all of this.” Baekhyun looks around and sighs. The nurse nods, “So you want to be free by hanging yourself? You don’t want to get out of here?” Baekhyun chuckles, “As if I can.”

“You can.”

Baekhyun froze and stares at her. His mind suddenly thought of Sarang. You can. The nurse drags the table towards Baekhyun and quickly jumps on the table, standing on it in front of Baekhyun. His eyes widened, “What are you doing?”

“Just standing in front of you. On the table. No big deal.”  The nurse smiles while shrugging. Baekhyun stares into her eyes and realised something.

She has the same eyes as Sarang. The nurse continues, “No one lives here forever. With the help on medications, supports, and advices… everyone can leave this place. So do you.”

“Your soul wouldn’t be in peace if you kill yourself. Trust me, I know.” She says and he frowns, “You know?”

She nods vigorously, “I was this close to death…” She pulls up her right hand, showing a tiny gap between her thumb and her index finger then continues, “But I didn’t die.”

“What happened?” Baekhyun asks; curiosity hits him. She smiles, “If you’re up for a chit chat instead of trying to hang yourself and have hot chocolates right now… I promise I’ll tell you everything.”

Baekhyun stares at her for a few seconds and he releases his neck from the curtain. He continues to stare at the nurse in front of him, “Tell me everything.”

“I was suicidal when I was 18 years old. I had many problems and obviously I couldn’t deal with the problems quite good. I was planning for a suicide but before I could even kill myself, I was involved in a car crash and I got into a coma. A one year coma. I was having training as a nurse that time. It’s funny that I wanted to become a nurse to help people but I couldn’t even help myself.” The nurse laughs bitterly and Baekhyun keeps on staring at her. She continues, “I felt lonely and sad. I wished that I could get up from the oblivion. It was a coma but it already felt like a permanent death. I was not happy with my situation that time. It’s scary. I got up from my coma but my eyes were blind. One person saved me by giving her eyes to me. She was already dead that time but she signed a paper a long time ago, saying that her organs are allowed to be given to whomever in need. I needed new eyes so, I finally can see now. That’s how I’m back here… training.”

Baekhyun keeps on staring at her face and she looks down in embarrassment, “I think you should stop looking at me like that.” Baekhyun nods, “Sorry.”

She looks at her watch, “I have to go now. Thank you for listening and thank you for not hanging yourself.” She takes the curtain and walks towards the door. She turns aroundm “Killing yourself will solve problems indeed. Problems gone; so do you.”

Baekhyun looks at her, “Will you come back?” She shrugs, “Only if you want me to.”

He shrugs, “Um… it’s just… I-It’s nice to talk to you.”

“I’ll come back tomorrow. I’ll be the one who’s in charge to give medicines to you from now on.” She smiles and Baekhyun nods and his lips curl into a small smile, “I’ll see you then.” She nods, “I’ll see you too Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun stops her when she’s about to leave, “Wait! What’s your name?”

She smiles, “Kim Areum.”

                                                                                                    THE END