Kwon Soonyoung was always an active boy. And he still was.

Whenever they allowed him, he would stroll around in the garden in the back of the hospital. It calmed him, seeing all the green and no black. He didn’t like seeing the black.

He also had an active imagination. For example, as he was sitting on the bench, he liked to pretend that the air on his back was the sea breeze and he was a pirate sailing the seven seas.

“Soonyoung.”

Soonyoung opened his eyes to come face to face to his friend, Doyoon.

“Hey, man! What’s up? How did your session go?”

Doyoon smiled and sat down next to the boy.

Soonyoung liked Doyoon as a friend. Being some of the younger patients at the ward, they got along pretty well. He also liked the fact that Doyoon said he could sometimes see the black on people. It was a little different from him, but to Soonyoung, it was if it was a testament that he wasn’t that crazy.

“It was good. I actually got the okay to be released.”

Soonyoung jumped up in surprise. “What? No way! Congrats man!” He was excited for the boy and partly saddened at the fact that it would mean he was losing a comrade.

“I’ll come visit, and I’ll make sure to bring all the things you missed, and, and…”

Soonyoung laughed. “Stop it, Doyoon. Don’t feel bad for me. Be happy. You’re finally going home.”

Doyoon smiled back at him. “Maybe it’ll happen to you.”

“I doubt it. Doc tells me that I’m not showing a fast of a progress as she had hoped.”

Doyoon frowned. “Actually, she told me that too. Today was weird though.”

“Weird?”

“Yeah, instead of the usual doctor, it was some woman. She looked a few years older than us so it was obvious she wasn’t a doctor or something like that.”

“Was she hot?” Soonyoung asked with a grin.

The other boy flushed a little and grinned back. “Actually, she wasn’t too bad. She was pretty more than anything. Not the type of person you would give a second look on the street though.”

“So, what did she talk to you about?”

“Some weird questions. I don’t really know either.”

Soonyoung peered at his friend with a narrowed eye. He knew his friend was lying, but he wasn’t sure why.

“Huh, well, still. Congrats, man.”

“Thanks. I can’t wait to see my family.”

Family. Soonyoung wondered when the last time he saw his family was.

“I’m going to head back inside. You coming?”

Soonyoung shook his head. “I’m going to stay here for a little longer.”

The other boy nodded, leaving Soonyoung to himself.

He was glad for his friend, but he was still a little jealous. He wanted to go back outside again. To eat fast food again, to go the slides like a little kid, to be surrounded with people who didn’t think that he was crazy.

But he was scared. The outside held those things, and he didn’t want to ever see them again.

It was the very thing that got him here in the first place.

 

Soonyoung was watching television in his room when a nurse came in.

“How you feeling Soonyoung?” she asked, handing him a small cup.

He smiled. “Meh. Tired,” he answered, taking the cup and shaking the contents into his mouth. The nurse handed him another cup of water, and he washed the pills down.

It was odd to him. Taking the pills didn’t affect him as much as he thought they would. He talked to some of the other patients at the ward, and they told him that whenever they took their medication, they would always feel heavy and subdued.

To Soonyoung, it was the opposite. He always felt fine, if anything, a little bit more energetic.

“Doctor Kim wanted to see you after this.”

The boy nodded, jumping out of his bed and headed down the hallway.

 

He knocked first and entered when he heard the familiar, “Come in.”

Dr. Kim was a fairly young woman, still in her early thirties. She was one those doctors that all the patients had a crush on with her elegant features. But she was married to her work and never took any interest in having a relationship.

Soonyoung liked Dr. Kim. She would joke along with Soonyoung that he would almost consider the doctor more as a friend than a medical professional.

“Ah, Soonyoung. Sorry to call you out. Hope you weren’t busy.”

“If you call being busy watching the predator of the savannah hunt an antelope, then sure, I was busy.”

“Was that the National Geographic on lions? I think I liked that one. Shark week is my favorite though.” She grinned at their usual banter. “Anyways! I wanted you to talk to someone. She’s a good friend of mine and works with cases like yours. Don’t try and lie to her. She always seems to know when you are. I would have let you meet her earlier, but she’s been busy. And she’s the only one I know who is willing to do this so often.”

Soonyoung nodded, Doyoon’s words fluttering back to his memory, and followed his doctor to one of the waiting rooms.

The doctor’s friend was already there, scribbling on a piece of paper, her back facing them.

She was mumbling something. “Gonna have to buy some more milk and bread. What else? Oh…”

“Ahem.”

She turned around with wide eyes. “Oh, hey, Jungah.” Her eyes left the doctor and landed on Soonyoung. “Thought you said that we covered everyone already.”

“Soonyoung’s a little different from everyone else. His case is similar, but there’s something about it that’s a little different.”

“Different how?” she questioned, an eyebrow raised.

“Just check him, yeah? He’s the last one. Promise.”

She snorted as the doctor handed her a manila file. “That’s what you said last time. But yeah, sure. You still owe me dinner, though.”

She laughed. “For the work you’ve been doing, I owe you like five dinners.”

“I am not opposed to that.”

Dr Kim laughed and shook her head. “We’ll talk about this later.” She then turned to Soonyoung. “Just send him back to my office when you’re done.” She gave the boy a reassuring pat on the back before closing the door behind them.

The woman gestured to the stool in front of her. “Sit, sit! This shouldn’t take long.”

As he sat down, Soonyoung peered at her a little closely. He assumed this was the one Doyoon was talking about. And he was right, she didn’t look like any doctor he’s ever seen.

She looked a few years older, maybe three or four years older, her hair tied in a high ponytail. She was wearing a black short sleeved button up tucked in a pair of shorts. She wasn’t the most beautiful girl he’s seen, but she was fairly attractive in her own way. That he would agree.

She glanced through the file, flipping up the pages one by one.

“So, your name is Kwon Soonyoung? Male. Twenty years old. Was admitted voluntarily about three years ago. Sound about right?”

“I sure hope so. I would hate to know that there’s somewhere out there with the exact same life as me.”

She grinned. “Cheeky one, aren't you? Well, no matter. It’s more interesting this way.”

She set the file aside. “Tell me about yourself. What is it that you see?”

Soonyoung suddenly felt uncomfortable. He never liked telling people what he saw because when he did, they always looked at him like he was abnormal.

Perhaps she felt his hesitation because she smiled gently. “Look. I promise I won’t judge you for whatever you say. I probably have seen weirder things than you have. The truth is always weirder than fiction. Always.”

He felt slightly better with her words. Maybe it was the approachable and easy-going nature she was exhibiting or maybe he wanted someone to believe him. Whatever it was, he let everything out.

“I see...I see black things.”

“Things as in?”

He frowned. “As in people, I guess. Sometimes they look normal and then when I see them the next, they look like black blobs. It looks like they have been enveloped by some black goop, and it’s just dripping off them.”

“You see it often?”

He shook his head. “No, not really. But I probably see them probably once in a few months if any.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, tilting her head. “Interesting. Anything else?”

“What do you mean?”

“You see anything else? Or is it just these black blobs?

He hesitated. “Sometimes people look like they have black moving swirls on their bodies. It’s almost translucent though.”

Her eyes lit up. “Ah, I see why Jungah said you were a little different.”

“Different how?” he asked.

She mused on her thoughts, pursing her lips. “It’s hard to explain because I have never heard of a case like yours before. It’s usually the second one that people see. The swirls.”

She stood up and looked at him curiously. “Want to do a little experiment?”

“Experiment?” he questioned.

“How long has it been since you’ve been outside?”

“Outside? Um, yesterday?”

“No, like outside of the premises of the facility. Like out mingling with people walking on the streets.”

His eyes widened, and he looked down. “Not for a very a long time.”

“You want to?”

“Well, yeah, but…” He paused. “Wait, right now?” he cried out loud.

Her face couldn't hold the burst of her smile. She grabbed his arm and pulled him.

“Wait! You can’t just…”

She busted open the door to Dr. Kim’s office, surprising the said woman.

“Jay, what’s up?” she asked hesitantly.

“I’m going to bring Soonyoung outside. You cool with that?”

“What do you make out of his case?”

Jay waved her hand dismissively. “Not crazy. But I want to test something out. Never heard of the other before and want to test it out.”

The doctor blinked once and then once more. She frowned slightly, her gaze flying from Soonyoung to the gilr next to him. She opened but hesitated. She returned to her papers and sighed. “Don’t go too crazy. And be careful. And don’t stay out too long.”

“Understood. We’ll be back in one hour or less.”

Dr. Kim nodded slowly. “Oh, and make sure you ask Soonyoung if he’s… wait!”

The girl had already left in a whirlwind, leaving Jungah’s words for no one to listen. She tsked, standing up and following them, only planning on intervening if she had to.

 

“Wait,” Soonyoung tried again as the lady pulled him through the front doors. “I said wait, goddamn it!”

He yanked his arm away from and frowned at her. He couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious about being outside.

She didn’t look perturbed from his expression, patiently waiting for him to talk.

“Can you even do this? You’re not even a doctor! Is this even proper protocol?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I actually never done this before. Most of the time I just tell them that they’re not crazy.”

“So, you’re saying I’m not?”

“From my experience, I would say no. Seeing that misty black lines on people? Normal for people with the sight. So, you’re not crazy in that aspect. However, seeing those blobs, that’s something I haven’t heard before.”

She frowned as if she realized that was something wrong.

“I see. I didn’t take your feelings into consideration. I apologize. I was being insensitive. Do you feel alright to go outside?”

“We’re already outside if you haven’t noticed!”

She looked around them and nodded as if it was obvious. “Yeah, that is true. But we can head back inside just as easily. I don’t want to make you do something you don’t feel comfortable doing. I got a little too excited. And I am ashamed of myself. I acted like Jo Kwon.” She stopped and frowned again. “I don’t know I feel about that,” she murmured to herself.

Soonyoung stared at people walking down the street and cars whizzing by. He turned to her. “What exactly did you want to test out?”

“You see blobs on black on people, right?”

He nodded.

“I haven’t heard of any people seeing anything like that. I want to see if I can see what you can see. Or at least what kind of person that you’re seeing.”

“I... I… want to go. But…”

“You’re scared?”

He nodded slowly.

She smiled softly and approached him, gently grabbing his hands.

“I’ll be here with you. If for any reason you feel uncomfortable, we will immediately go back. And if you just want to hold onto something…” She stuck out her arm. “My arm is free or my hand. I don’t mind either.”

He stared at her hand, and slowly wrapped his hand around hers. He closed his eyes, and he could feel a slight breeze through his hair. He felt a tiny bit better.

“A short walk?” he asked timidly.

“How about we get some ice cream?”

Soonyoung’s eyes glimmered with excitement. “Really? Cause like I haven’t had ice cream in ages. I mean, the hospital has it sometimes, but it’s never any good.”

“Guess that’s settled.” She patted his hand with her other hand. “If you happen to see anybody that looks like one of those black blobs, tell me?”

He nodded silently.

And unbeknownst to him, the girl had glanced behind her and mouthed a “Sorry” to the worrying doctor behind them.

 

While they walked, they also talked, hand in hand. Soonyoung was slightly embarrassed, especially at the fact that she kept swinging their hands. Perhaps to the passing eye, they looked like a couple.

He found out that her name was Shin Jay and that she was indeed four years older than him. She explained to him that there were more people than one would think that could see the same things that he did. She did too. And she admitted that she saw Doyoon yesterday to tell him the same thing. That he wasn’t imagining things. The black mist on people’s skin were an indicator of people undergoing a lot of stress. Soonyoung felt like she was leaving some stuff out, but he didn’t say anything. She currently lived a little past the city in a less urban area. She told him with a laugh that home was never boring ever since she acquired more company. Soonyoung wondered if they were pets from the way she described it. He imagined a large dog that kept watch on the house, a smaller dog that enjoyed her company, and a moody cat who hated people.

He told her that he had a family too, but they didn’t visit him that often. He didn’t tell her that it’s actually been a year since he last saw them. He told her about his friends in the hospital. And how that now that he was admitted, he had a much better perspective on mental illness and that it was not something to be avoided. That it wasn’t something to be ashamed of and that not every disability is physical. It was something Soonyoung felt very strongly about.

Soonyoung felt a something akin to a release from anxiety talking to Jay. She was a good listener and didn’t judge him. She would listen, add her two cents in, but mainly let him talk, nodding and interjecting at times to show that she was listening.

He was so engrossed in talking that he didn’t even notice his surroundings and before he knew it, they were at the ice cream shop.

She paid. He got mint chocolate, and she got cookies n cream.

They ate it on the way back, now having a lighter hearted conversation. He didn’t know why she found it so funny when he asked about her pets.

And then it happened.

He just happened to look to the right, past Jay, to see what he was dreading to see.

He reflexively clenched his hands, not knowing that grabbing extremely tightly on Jay’s hand.

She stopped when she felt him stop moving and the extreme pressure she could feel the boy’s squeeze. She looked at him in concern, noticing that he wasn’t paying attention to her. She followed his gaze, but her eyes did not see what he saw.

“Soonyoung,” she murmured softly.

He did not respond.

“Soonyoung,” she repeated a little louder, but the boy remained motionless with shock.

Then she did the only thing she knew.

She grabbed his face.

She blocked his view so that all he saw was her concerned face. Cupping his cheeks, it drew him out of his initial shock and forced him to look directly at her. All he could see what her dark brown eyes filled with worry.

“Soonyoung. Calm down. I’m here with you, ok? Just breathe.”

Soonyoung closed his eyes, feeling the rapid heartbeat in his chest calm down. She kept murmuring to him in a soft voice of words that he didn’t remember. It was comforting to him, and he breathed in deeply.

“How do you feel?” she said softly after a few minutes.

“Better,” he mumbled.

She released her hold on him and put her hands on his arms, looking at him with worry.

“I need to see who the person you saw. But I know you don’t feel comfortable doing so I’m not going to push you. So, if you don’t want to, I understand.”

Soonyoung shook his head.

“I can do it. Just...hold my hand?”

Jay nodded and smiled gently at him. She slowly moved away, clearing his field of vision.

He in his breath, grasping tightly onto Jay’s hand.

He scanned the area quickly until his eyes laid onto the black again.

“There,” he muttered, slowly pointing at it.

Jay’s eyes followed his finger and nodded. She turned to him and looked past him.

“Come on,” she murmured, pulling him to a nearby bench and made him sit down.

She crouched down in front of him and he stared down at her.

“Can you sit here for a while? I’ll be back.”

He grabbed onto her hand, eyes wide.

She patted his head and smiled. “Close your eyes and count to one hundred. I promise that I’ll be back before then.”

Soonyoung hesitantly let go but only because he trusted the girl. Funny how they only met a few hours ago, and he trusted her that much. His friends did always tell him that he was too naïve.

He started counting, eyes closed. Slowly but surely.

He got to seventy-eight before he noticed it got darker. He opened his eyes and looked up.

Jay stood there, a gentle smile on her face. “How far did you count to?”

“Seventy-eight,” he replied.

“Ay, not bad,” she told herself proudly. She put out her hand. “Shall we go?”

Soonyoung nodded, eyes threatening to look behind her and see if the black was still there but he decided not to. He took her hand, and they walked back.

They didn’t talk, and he was grateful for it.

He didn’t have the energy to do so, and all he could do was think about what had happened.

The black mass of a blob still frightened him, but he realized he was now more curious about it.

What exactly was it?

He was so deep into his thoughts that he didn’t realize that they were back to the hospital already.

She walked with him back to him room.

“Soonyoung.”

He looked at her with his hand on the doorknob.

“I’m sorry. That must have been stressful for you. I should have been more considerate.” Jay looked so forlorn when she looked at him.

The boy shook his head and laughed. “No, it was a bit scary, but I managed to get through it because you were there.”

“Still…”

He frowned. “Stop apologizing. You asked me if I wanted to go and I said yes. I knew there was a possibility of seeing one and I took that risk.”

Jay’s lips formed a thin line as she bit on them lightly. She looked down before bringing her gaze back up at him. “I promise to let you know what that was. I just need to check on a few things before I do.”

He laughed. “No rush. If I get to see you again, that’ll be all worth it.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Get some rest.”

He nodded and went inside his room. The blinds were drawn back so the sunlight was streaming in. He pulled them, closing himself into the dark room.

He crashed onto his bed, falling deep asleep.