Jiyeon had to pinch herself to make sure this wasn't another dream. It hurt. This was real then. A smile formed on her lips, but her smile immediately disappeared, replaced with a frown as he kept running past her. She unconsciously dropped her bike and began sprinting after him.

"Don't follow him. He is not me, I'm the voice of your heart," the voice rang in her left ear.

However, she kept running, ignoring the voice. Her curiosity was piqued. Who was he? He looked exactly like the blonde man she'd met in her dream.

"My girl, I said don't follow him, or you'll regret it!" the voice rang again, sounding like thunder rumbling, sending sharp thrills up her spine.

She halted in her tracks. "Shut up! I'm not your girl and stop bugging me!" Jiyeon barked as loud as the voice that had just rung in her ear.

The black-haired man stopped under a lamp post—a few steps away from her. He turned around and stared at her with a puzzled look on his face, and Jiyeon flashed him an awkward grin, scratching her forehead in embarrassment. Then she saw a thin young lady come out of the alley and run towards her direction. The young lady was dressed in a tight black leather skirt, which she teamed with a chic grey jacket, black top and a pair of black leather boots. She wore her long brown locks in y loose curls, and added a touch of extra glamour with a slick of dark red lip. She was about the same height as her: five feet six inches tall. She looked pretty. Very pretty, in fact, gorgeous, beautiful, foxy, y.

"What took you so long?" the brunette asked with annoyance lacing her voice as she tapped the black-haired man's shoulder. "You got lost?"

His puzzled look had been replaced by a look of happiness. A big goofy smile crossed his face. He turned to face the brunette. "I'm sorry for having kept you waiting for so long."

Jiyeon found herself shaking her head in disbelief with gaping wide open because the black-haired man's voice sounded exactly like the blonde man's in her dream. She swallowed hard, blinking as the brunette's sharp gaze landed on her.

"Who's she?" she asked him as she pointed at her.

He snapped a quick glance to Jiyeon and shrugged his shoulders before he leaned closer to her. Jiyeon could see that his lips were moving as if he was whispering something in her ear. Giving her a strange look, the brunette grabbed his hand. She heaved a sigh, watching them walk hand in hand towards the park.

"You better go home now; your mom is waiting for you!" the voice boomed louder than before.

Jiyeon flinched, startled. Covering her ears with her hands, she ran off towards her house, but then she stopped by the park as she saw him sitting on the bench. He had his head rested on the brunette's shoulder, and she started to run her fingers through his hair. She lowered her head as she continued on her way home, wondering why she felt sad to see them like that. She shook her head and glanced at her watch. It was forty minutes past seven. God, Mom is definitely worrying about me! She ran as fast as lightning. Her breath came in gasps, but still she ran on. She wanted to stop and rest, to catch her breath; however, the image of her mother worrying kept her running. Her legs felt numb and wooden as her feet kept pounding against the pavement.

When she finally arrived in the street in front of her house, she bent over at the waist, resting her hands on her knees, her long, straight brown hair hanging down around her face in an effort to catch her breath. She noticed her mother pacing back and forth on the front lawn.

"Mom, I'm home," Jiyeon said as she approached her.

A flood of relief passed over her mother's face, and the lines between her brows and alongside disappeared, replaced with the tinge of a smile. "Why did you come home late?" her mother inquired as she gently wrapped her arm around her shoulder and led her into the house.

"I've corrected my students' exam papers, and my bike has a flat tire," she explained, then tapped her forehead, realizing that she left her bike on the roadside. She'd like to go back there, but she was exhausted, so she decided to go there tomorrow.

"When you come home late and don't call me, I feel worried because you might be hurt. I'd appreciate a phone call next time."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Mom."

Her mother nodded. "Go take a shower. You smell sweaty, " she said, turning up her nose. "I'm going to cook you dinner."

I'm so lucky to have you as my Mom. I'm incredibly grateful for your love and care throughout the years. Jiyeon gave her a nod, and her mother smiled before she headed towards the kitchen. She slowly made her way upstairs to her bedroom. She opened the door and stepped in. She placed her bag on the table before she entered the bathroom and the shower. After peeling off her clothes, she stepped under the shower, allowing the heated water pressure to massage her skin. It felt so good she didn't want to get out.

"You have to. Your mom has finished cooking your dinner. She is waiting for you in the dining room," the voice rang softly in her ear.

This is crazy. The voice is talking to me even when I'm taking a shower, . Jiyeon shuddered and instantly turned the water off. A thick towel hung beside the shower, and she reached for it, quickly drying herself. She wrapped her towel around her petite body and stepped out of the shower, then went to her closet to take her blue pajamas. Once she had put on her pajamas, she flew out of the room, dashed down the stairs. Walking into the dining room, she was greeted by the aroma of soup. The smell was making water, and her stomach gurgled with hunger.

"Come here." Her mother smiled, eyeing an empty chair beside her. She approached her and sat down.

"Here. I've made this for you." Her mother placed a bowl of chicken soup with noodles before Jiyeon.

"Thank you, Mom." She picked up her spoon and dipped it into her soup. She brought it up to , blew on it and swallowed the soup. Her eyes lit up. It was undoubtedly the best she'd ever tasted.

"Tasty?"

Jiyeon nodded and devoured the soup, slurping and gulping so fast, she burned her tongue, but she couldn't care. She hadn't eaten for hours, and it felt like days.

"Slow down. You'll choke eating that fast," her mother told her.

"Listen to your mom," the voice whispered in her right ear.

"Shut up!" she shouted in response to the voice.

Her mother pounded her fist on the table and that made her flinch and choke. "Jiyeon, be polite. I'm your mom that you have to show respect," her mother hissed through gritted teeth. Her face twisted in anger; the creases etched on her forehead.

"M-mom, I'm not shouting at you," she stammered.

"So you're talking to yourself?" her mother countered, anger lacing her tone. "Tomorrow I'll accompany you to go to a psychiatrist." She sprang to her feet, her chair scraping loudly across the floor.

"Mom, why do I have to go to a psychiatrist? I'm not crazy!" Jiyeon screamed as she watched her mother walk out of the dining room, heading to her room. She threw the spoon on the floor. "The stupid annoying voice, who are you? Why do you keep bothering me?" She shot up from her seat and spun round the room, trying to find his figure, but there was no one.

"My girl, why are you mad? I'm the voice of your heart," his voice rang in her ear.

"Mom gets angry at me because of you. And stop calling me your girl. I'm not your girl!"

"No, it's not my fault. And I won't stop. You're my girl."         

Scratching her head in frustration, she returned to her room and sat down in the chair. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and out slowly trying to calm herself down. She breathed deeply for a few more moments, then slowly opened her eyes. She felt relaxed and calm. She opened her bag, took out her students' exam papers. She hadn't finished correcting them.

"Park Jiyeon, let's continue," she muttered under her breath and started grading them. She put a red X mark next to each incorrect answer. Her smile evaporated as she graded Chaeyeon's exam paper. Chaeyeon almost got perfect score—only one question that had been answered incorrectly. She wrote down the correct formula.

A few hours later, Jiyeon finished grading. She was tired, and her eyelids felt droopy. Yawning, she leaned back in her chair, running her fingers up through her hair and stretching her arms over her head. She glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. "Quarter to twelve. Almost midnight." She got up and walked over to the bed.

With a sigh, she threw herself down onto the bed and lay there with her arms splayed out, and looked at the ceiling. Suddenly, the black-haired man's face flashed through her mind. You know you look exactly like the blonde man in my dream. Who are you? She rolled over on her side before pulling the blanket up over her body.

"Don't think about him or try to approach him. He will only make you suffer, understand?" the voice rumbled in her ear, sounding so angry. The voice started to drive her insane. She covered her head with the pillow.

However, Jiyeon could still hear the voice starting to hum: "Oh, my girl, I'm sorry, so don't be furious. Let your own heart's voice tell you a lullaby to make you feel alright and sleep in peace. Let no dream disturb your rest. Know in your soul that I am here for you always."

The voice sounded so beautiful and enticing. A smile worked its way across her face and into her eyes. Jiyeon closed her eyes, feeling calm and at ease as the warmth of the voice reached her heart. Within minutes, she slipped into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

"The sun's rays are knocking on your morning door; its saying that it is missing you. Good morning it's time to rise."

Jiyeon stirred as she heard the voice sing in her ear, then she snapped her eyes open, feeling hot breath tickling her ear and sat up straight. She rubbed her ears as her eyes roamed around the room, trying to find his figure again, but there was no one in her room. Letting out a silent sigh, she walked over to the window and opened it. It was a totally beautiful morning outside! The lovely yellowish orange form of the early morning sun signified a lovely day that had just begun. Clouds that formed different shapes above at times caught her eyes. The gentle breeze brushed her cheeks, making her feel so alive.

She leaned her elbows on the window sill and cupped her chin in her hands, wondering who the owner of that beautiful voice actually was and how the voice could know what was on her mind; whether she was being haunted by a ghost, or it was just hallucination. Last night, when she was thinking about the black-haired man, the voice rumbled in her ear, forbidding her to approach him or think of him, sounding so angry. The thought of being haunted by a ghost made the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up. She rubbed the back of her neck as she strolled over to the closet to grab some clean clothes.

"I'm not a ghost but the voice of your heart and stop thinking about him!" the voice rang loudly in her ear, just as she was about to open the closet. It echoed off her skull like voices in a cave, and a sudden, powerful gust of wind came roaring through the open window. Her students' exam papers scattered across the room in a white whirl, and the curtains threatened to rip from its rings.

"Mom!" Jiyeon called out in fear as she sprinted out of her room and ran down the stairs. She looked around and spotted her mother putting dirty clothes into the washing machine in the laundry room. She dashed there and jumped on her mother's back, hugging her tightly, making her flinch. She breathed heavily, panting like a fox fleeing from savage hounds. Her whole body started to shake, and she just couldn't stop it; she had goose bumps but did not feel cold.    

"Jiyeon, what are you doing?" Her mother smacked her arm lightly. "You're bothering me."

Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Mom-mom... There is a..." Jiyeon's voice trailed off, unable to continue.

Her mother removed her hands from her waist and turned to face her. "Hey, what's happening?" she asked worriedly, cupping her face.

Her touch did calm her down a bit. "M-mom, there is a ghost in my room."

Her mother let out a short laugh, seemingly not believe in her words. "Sweetie, there's no such thing, so calm down," she remarked.

"But—"

"Have you taken a shower yet?"

She shook her head. "I haven't."

"Then quickly take a shower," her mother said, raising her voice.

Jiyeon ducked her head down in embarrassment as she implored, "Mom, can you accompany me to my room? I want to take a shower, but I'm scared of going there alone."

Her mother patted her shoulder lightly in an act of comfort. "Okay. Let's go."

Smiling, Jiyeon linked her arm with hers as they walked upstairs. When she entered her room, her eyes widened in surprise because her room was so neat and clean; her students' exam papers were neatly stacked on the table as if nothing had just happened, or rather someone had just cleaned her room. This made the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up again, and goose bumps were all over her arms.

"Mom, wait here until I finish my morning routine," she told her.

Her mother nodded and sat down on the bed. Jiyeon went to her closet and pulled out her formal clothes: a white long-sleeve shirt, navy suit vest and navy suit trousers. Then she headed towards the bathroom to take a quick shower. By the time she had finished her morning routine, she freaked out because her mother already left her room. She quickly grabbed her bag from the table and ran out of her room, heading towards the living room.

"I'll accompany you to go to a psychiatrist after you finish teaching," her mother told her, just as she was about to take a seat next to her.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't have any mental-health problems, so I don't need a psychiatrist," Jiyeon retorted, taking a piece of toast before strolling over to the front door.

"Like it or not, you have to go. I've noticed you behave in a strange way!"

She threw the toast onto the floor as she heard her mother shout. She opened the front door and slammed it shut behind her. She walked down the street, heading to where she had left her bike, grumbling incoherently. Her mother really made her furious. Why should she go to a psychiatrist? It would just be a waste of money. She didn't have any mental illness. She didn't need both psychiatrist and psychologist. She was sane, normal.

A few minutes later, Jiyeon stopped by the park. As she stared at the bench the black-haired man had sat on, the voice rang in her ear, sounding like the rolling waves, "My girl, I already told you, don't think about him again!"

"I'm not your girl, and I hope I'll meet him again!" she screamed, covering her ears with her hands before continuing on her way.

"My silly girl, he's a playboy!"                                 

"The stupid annoying voice, shut up! Don't meddle in my affairs!"

Jiyeon lowered her head as the passing pedestrian gave her a weird look. She thought the voice wasn't the voice of her heart but a ghost voice.

"I said I'm not a ghost!" the voice boomed louder in her ear.

She sprinted as fast as she could. It was really strange and scary that the voice knew exactly what was on her mind. When she reached the roadside where she had left her bike, she groaned, stomping her feet on the pavement enraged. Her bike wasn't there anymore; it was gone. The first thing she had in her head was someone had stolen it. She looked down at her watch and noticed that she only had twenty-five minutes to get class. If I continue walking, I'll definitely be late again. She ran towards the main street and quickly hailed a cab. She asked the driver to take her to Daegu High School.

About fifteen minutes later, she reached her destination. She gave the cab driver money and said, "Keep the change." Grabbing her bag, she stepped out of the cab. As she walked down the hallway, she heard male students talk about a new teacher. One of them said she was so beautiful, and the other one said she was so damn y and cute. She rolled her eyes when they all shouted in agreement at the last statement.

"Jaehyun, she's not y. She's abnormally skinny!"

Jiyeon heard a female voice shout behind her. She glanced over shoulder and saw Sohyun smack Jaehyun's arm lightly, arguing about a new teacher. They stopped arguing when their eyes landed on her.

"Good morning, Teacher Park," they greeted her as they walked past her.

Jiyeon nodded, smiling. She entered the staff room. "Good morning," she greeted the other teachers, who were busy preparing for their classes, collecting their registers.

The other teachers greeted her back simultaneously:

"Good morning."

"Morning."

"Teacher Park," a familiar female voice called.

Jiyeon put her bag on her desk and turned around, only to see Principal Han and a woman coming out of her office and walking over to her. The woman's hazel eyes flew open wide as she looked at her, and Jiyeon felt like her eyes popped out of its socket. She was the brunette Jiyeon met last night: the black-haired man's girlfriend. She was dressed in a white long-sleeve blouse with bow ribbon tucked into a black pencil skirt. She wore her curly hair in half-up and half-down style with side swept bangs. She looked so classy and elegant! Such a beautiful woman! No wonder the black-haired man fell in love with her.

"This is Im Yoona. Miss Im is replacing our chemistry teacher who retired," Principal Han introduced her, and Yoona stuck her hand out for a handshake.

She shook her offered hand and bowed in respect. "I'm Park Jiyeon, twenty-two years old," she said, "the youngest teacher here." A proud smile appeared on her face.

Yoona's lips curled into a tiny, unreadable smile. "Nice to meet you. Let's work hard together."

"Can you accompany her to her class and introduce her to the students?" Principal Han added.

Jiyeon gave her a polite nod. "Of course, I can." She grabbed her math book and looked at the new teacher. "Let's go."

They made polite bows to Principal Han before walking out of the room. Jiyeon led her through the corridors.

"If I'm not mistaken, I met you last night," Yoona started.

Jiyeon nodded. "Never thought I would be meeting you again," she responded, glancing at her. "You're so lucky to have such a damn handsome boyfriend."

Yoona burst out laughing, opening wide and stopped in her tracks, causing Jiyeon to halt as well. "I wish he was my boyfriend but that will never happen," she remarked, laughing.