Her eyes grew wide, stunned, and her jaw opened slightly. Jiyeon then blinked a couple of times to clear her vision. Blinked again. She just couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. The picture that Yoona showed her was the picture of the sleeping blonde-haired man she'd met in her dream—he was sound asleep with a little smile on his lips, curled up in a fetal position on a blue sofa bed like an innocent baby. He looked so peaceful and handsome. He was dressed in a white sleeveless t-shirt and army green baggy knee-length trousers.

"Who is he? How did you get his photo?" Jiyeon inquired, curiosity evident in her voice, trying to snatch her cell phone out of her hand.

She quickly stuffed her phone into her pocket and fell into silence for a moment, her eyes downcast, her hands clasped in front of her; then she looked up. "He is Byun Baekwoon, Baekhyun's twin brother," Yoona replied, sadness seeping into her voice. 

She didn't move, didn't blink and didn't say anything for a few seconds. "B-blondie is Baekhyun's twin brother? His name is Byun Baekwoon?" Jiyeon breathed out. "Are you kidding me?"

Giving Jiyeon a grave look, she leaned closer, her lips almost brushing Jiyeon's hair. "I'm not kidding. Baekwoon died a year ago," Yoona whispered, sounding extremely serious, "it means you dreamed of meeting his ghost."

Jiyeon froze in time, unable to believe what she'd just heard. Blondie is Baekhyun's twin brother who died a year ago? Does it mean I've been haunted by the voice of his dead twin brother? Why me? Her heart raced, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She felt a cold chill of dread creep up her spine, raising the hair on the back of her neck.

Yoona suddenly burst out into a loud laugh, clapping her hands together like a retarded seal. She laughed so hard that her eyes were moist. Between her laughter, she said, "I'm just kidding, youngest teacher. The photo was Baekhyun's that was taken when he had just dyed his hair." She reached up and wiped the sweat off Jiyeon's forehead.

A huge wave of relief washed over her while her heart was still beating out of her chest. She placed her hand over her heart and inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly in an attempt to slow her heart rate. "That's not funny," Jiyeon snapped. "Fear is almost killing me."

"I'm Park Jiyeon, twenty-two years old, the youngest teacher here," Yoona pronounced, imitating her, a proud smile dancing on her lips. Jiyeon clucked her tongue at her imitation. Yoona then laughed again before adding, "I think you're really smart, but you're so easily fooled. So easily fooled. Why are you so frightened?"

"Because I've been hearing a voice; no joke, the voice sounds exactly the same as Baekhyun," Jiyeon answered through clenched teeth. She leaned her back against the fence and closed her eyes. "I thought you told me the truth that Baekhyun had a twin brother, which meant I was being haunted by the voice of his—" 

"His ghost?" Yoona interrupted, patting Jiyeon's cheek lightly. "I don't believe in ghosts. Don't tell me you believe in all that mumbo jumbo?"  

Jiyeon opened her eyes and wrinkled her nose in annoyance, rubbing her cheek as she looked at her. "Yes, I do believe in ghosts. There's a spiritual world around us, whether we are aware or wish to acknowledge or believe it or not," she replied, her voice taking on a serious tone.

Her belief in spirits sort of was intertwined with her belief in God and demons. Jiyeon had also had a personal experience. It occurred when she was nine years old—she saw a bright white-light leave her grandfather's body, float above him and then disappear after his death in the hospital. She believed it was his spirit leaving his body.

Yoona heaved a long sigh as she scratched her right temple with her index and middle fingers. "Well, I'm not going to argue about that. That's your belief." She lowered her voice and adopted a serious tone. "But the voice that you've been hearing, I think it's your own imaginary voice."

She drained the remaining mineral water in a few large gulps. "I respect your opinion, but I'm one hundred percent sure it isn't my imaginary voice. It's someone else's voice." Jiyeon leapt to her feet. As she looked beyond the white puffy clouds that were gently floating through the bright blue sky, she felt she saw the face of the blonde-haired man, smiling down at her. She snorted and began to hum out loud in frustration: "Hey, Blondie! You're the voice I hear inside my head the reason that I'm being crazy. I need to find you. I gotta find you before Mom takes me into a mental hospital."

Jiyeon could hear muffled laughter from the woman beside her. She turned her gaze down to her. Yoona was covering with one hand, her entire body shaking with muffled laughter. "You seem to love laughing a lot. You laugh even when there's nothing funny," Jiyeon said, her voice dripping with annoyance, "are you not tired of laughing?"

Smiling, she rose to her feet and dusted off the back side of her skirt. "Your last line is funny, youngest teacher," Yoona responded as she put her arm around her shoulder, and Jiyeon instinctively shrugged off her arm. "I'm not tired. Laughter is a coping mechanism for the normal stress of life. So why not laugh?" She tickled Jiyeon's side, making her jump.

"Stop it!" Jiyeon screamed, squeezing the empty bottle of mineral water, causing it to go flat. Being tickled was maddening. She loathed it. She didn't find it cute or funny. It made her angry. 

Her eyes widened, and fell open. "I was trying to make you laugh, but wow"—Yoona shook her head as if in disbelief—"I wonder what will make you laugh."

"If you want me to laugh, say something funny," Jiyeon responded, looking directly into her eyes. "Don't tickle me. It's not funny."

The profound silence enveloped them as they indulged in a staring contest, Jiyeon glaring, Yoona smirking. A half-minute passed. C'mon annoying teacher, blink. Blink. Blink. Jiyeon's eyes started to feel dry. Yoona seemed very relaxed. She must win this game—she was quite sure Yoona would laugh if she lost. Her laugh was extremely irritating. It sounded like someone mimicking a laugh than a real laugh.

Another half-minute passed, and Yoona finally blinked. Yes, I won! Jiyeon laughed inside herself and blinked, squeezing her eyelids together in order to wash her eyes with a fresh layer of tears.

"Okay. You won," Yoona said, then bowed her head slightly, adding, "I'm sorry for tickling you. I won't do it again."

Jiyeon could hear the sincerity in her voice. "I appreciate your apology," she countered, smiling a little. "Ms. Im, I'm really sorry for being rude to you." She bowed in apology.

An extensive smile slowly spread across her face. "I accept your apology." Yoona put her arm around her shoulder. "Let's go somewhere quiet, a little family café or a coffee shop after teaching. As a small token of my thanks to you for accompanying me to my first class, I'll treat you to some coffee or whatever you want to eat or drink."

Jiyeon was silent for a moment, thinking, and then she said, "Yes, why not?"

They looked at each other, exchanging smiles. I'll use her invitation as an excuse to not being able to go to a psychiatrist. Her smile deepened. Jiyeon really didn't want to see a psychiatrist. To be honest, she didn't believe in both psychiatrists and psychologists. She wondered: all psychiatrists are medical doctors, but what are they doing that is medical? It seems that the only medical aspect of most psychiatrists' jobs is prescribing drugs. Psychologists are too lax in their diagnoses—all behaviors can be labeled as something like hyper equals ADHD, obsessive equals OCD, overemotional equals Borderline Personality Disorder, and so on.  

"Well, doctors and healers don't have an income if we are well," Jiyeon muttered quietly as she looked down at her watch.

"Did you say something, youngest teacher?" Yoona asked, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. Jiyeon shook her head. Only seconds later, the bell rang signaling the end of recess.

"Could you please stop calling me 'youngest teacher', Ms. Im?" Jiyeon said as they descended the stairs. Their shoes made a muffled clacking sound as they walked down the corridor towards the staff room. A number of male students smiled at them as they passed by. They greeted them smiling as they walked on.

"Why?" Yoona responded in a low voice. "Aren't you proud of being the youngest teacher?"

"Because it sounds like you're mocking me," Jiyeon countered, depositing the empty bottle into the recycle bin. It would be a lie if she said she wasn't proud of being the youngest teacher. "Yes, I'm always proud of it." She darted a sideways glance at Yoona and noticed the corner of twitch upward. Before Yoona could open , she added, "I have a name, Park-Ji-Yeon." She emphasized each syllable of her name.

Yoona blew out an audible breath. "Okay, I'll call you, Miss Ji-Yeon."

"Thanks." Jiyeon quickened her pace, leaving her behind. If she didn't need an excuse, she wouldn't accept her invitation. That new teacher was so annoying. She entered the room and greeted other teachers with a warm smile as she walked over to her desk. She grabbed her math book before she headed towards her class.

When she came in the room, all students stood up to greet her. They sat down when she told them to do so. As she was explaining about the same topic as the previous class, they were taking notes while listening.

"Teacher Park," Jaehyun called, raising his hand.

She looked directly at him. "Do you have any questions?"

He gave her a small nod and said, "How do I know when to use the washer method or shell method?"

A smile tugged at her lips. She was always excited and happy whenever her students asked any questions politely. "Thank you for asking that question," Jiyeon said. "To tell the truth, it depends on whichever method is easiest. You just have to look at the problem and decide whether horizontal slices or vertical slices are easier to work with for your function."

Jaehyun nodded, saying, "Thank you."

She smiled and shifted her attention to the whole class. "Does anyone else have any other questions?"

She turned to the blackboard and wrote down some problems when nobody raised their hands. "Class, I have written some problems. Who wants to come up and try to solve them?" Jiyeon said, still holding the piece of chalk.

Not seeing any hands go up, she began calling names and one of them was Jung Chaeyeon. Jiyeon told her to explain the steps. It was her way of helping her speak up in class. She stood, leaning against her desk, whilst Chaeyeon stood at the blackboard and explained how she solved the problem, talking through the steps while doing it. Her voice sounded faint and far away. She was shaking. However, Jiyeon did nothing, since she was quite sure if she told her to relax—it would only make her feel even worse, or if she told her to go back to her seat, she might feel ashamed, and her classmates might judge her as stupid. Jiyeon believed that Chaeyeon could conquer her fear and solve the problem—she knew Chaeyeon was a smart student.

Chaeyeon paused and looked at her right hand, taking a few deep breaths, as if trying to stop the trembling in her hand. Jiyeon mouthed 'respect her' when she noticed a couple of students whisper behind cupped hands.

"You did the right thing, my girl," the voice whispered in her right ear, sounding soft and sweet.

Jiyeon squinted, wondering why the voice didn't talk to her during her conversation with Yoona in the rooftop. He is Byun Baekwoon, Baekhyun's twin brother. She's my... Yoona and the voice' words kept repeating in her head like a broken record. "She is his aunt if she told me the truth. Did she tell me the truth or the joke actually?" she muttered under her breath, squeezing her eyes shut in frustration.

"Don't believe a single word that comes out of . She is a liar. Decline her invitation, or you'll definitely regret it!" the voice rang loud in her left ear. Jiyeon shook it off and took a few deep breaths, then brought her attention back to Chaeyeon.

"T-the volume is 19.0 units​³."

"That's correct." Jiyeon approached her and gave her shoulder a light squeeze, saying, "You did a very good job, Chaeyeon."

Some of her students clapped their hands together and said in unison, "Congrats, Chaeyeon."

Chaeyeon bowed towards them. "Thank you." Her voice was so soft, Jiyeon could barely hear her. Then Chaeyeon briskly strode back to her table and sat down; her hands were still shaking a bit.

Jiyeon turned her attention back to the whole class, but before she could open , the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day; everyone, except Chaeyeon practically jumped over their tables in an effort to find the door. She shook her head, watching them before she went back to her desk.

"Teacher Park," Chaeyeon called in a low-pitched voice as Jiyeon took her book from her desk.

"Yes." Jiyeon looked at her. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Chaeyeon rose from her seat, slinging her bag over her shoulder, and approached her. She bowed her head. "Teacher, I have appreciated all you've done for me," she said, her eyes unfocused. "I-I've always wanted to speak in class, but something..." Chaeyeon's voice trailed off, lips trembling. She lowered her head.

Jiyeon placed her hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently, saying, "I'm glad you—"

"Let's go home, Chae—" Taeyong halted in the doorway. His face showed a hint of surprise.

Lee Taeyong! You came at the wrong time! She seems to want to open herself up. Jiyeon pressed her lips into a thin line, one corner of puckering against her cheek.

"Have you found the real culprit yet?" Jiyeon asked as Taeyong walked over to them.

His sharp gaze narrowed. "I haven't, youngest teacher," Taeyong replied as he took Chaeyeon by the arm and pulled her along with him.

That recalcitrant student is your boyfriend, Chaeyeon? Jiyeon shook her head in disbelief. She then went out of the classroom and strode along the corridor. The staff room was calm and quiet, with afternoon light filtering in through the windows onto the floor when she entered. There was only the annoying teacher sitting in her seat; she was on the phone.

"She is here. See you there," Yoona said and hung the phone up, waving two fingers to her.

Jiyeon nodded slightly as she walked over her desk and sat down. She gathered her things quickly and stuffed them into her bag. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she strolled over to Yoona's desk. She placed her palms on her desk and leaned in, "Ms. Im, actually what you said about Baekhyun's twin brother—"

"Youngest…Miss Jiyeon, the blonde-haired man in the photo was Baekhyun, and the voice that you've been hearing is your own imaginary voice." Yoona rose from her chair and took her bag. "Let's go." She grabbed Jiyeon's arm and walked down the corridor, dragging her along towards the double door entrance.

"It hurts." Jiyeon yanked her arm out of Yoona's grasp.

Yoona smiled. "I'm sorry."

Jiyeon blew out a breath. Side by side, they walked out of the entrance and down the pathway that led out of the school gate. The annoying teacher hailed a cab, and they climbed in. Yoona asked the driver to take them to Heartful Café. In what seemed like moments, but had actually been about twenty minutes, the cab came to a screeching halt in front of the café and interrupted the silent communication between the two women. Jiyeon watched as Yoona paid the driver; then they stepped out of the cab and walked right into the café. Jiyeon smelled the sweet aroma of pastries and coffee while being greeted by the employees.

"Ms. Im, why didn't you tell me you invited him too?" Jiyeon whispered as she saw Baekhyun sitting at a table in the corner while reading a newspaper. He showed off his muscles in a tight blue t-shirt.

"Aren't you curious about him, youngest teacher?" Yoona took hold of her wrist and dragged her towards him. "How long have you been here, Baekie?" She took a seat beside him, while Jiyeon took a seat in front of Yoona and placed her bag on an empty chair beside her.

He closed the newspaper, folded it neatly. "I've been here less than ten min—" Baekhyun paused as his eyes landed on Jiyeon, then turned his eyes to Yoona. "Auntie, she is—"

"I'm Park Jiyeon, the youngest teacher in this city—her colleague." The words slipped out of like spray from the ocean. Jiyeon bit her lip, feeling embarrassed as she realized what she had just said. Boasting again!

Yoona clucked her tongue, shaking her head. "Wow, you're extremely smart, youngest teacher," she remarked, clapping her hands in a rhythm, sarcasm lacing her voice. Jiyeon rolled her eyes at her.

When the waitress came over, Yoona and Baekhyun ordered iced coffee and apple pie—ala-mode, while Jiyeon ordered strawberry shortcake and lemon iced tea.

Baekhyun looked at Jiyeon. "How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-two years old." She smiled.

His mouth gaped open and shut, over and over, as if fighting to speak before he could finally speak, "How can a twenty-two-year-old be a teacher?" Baekhyun glanced at Yoona. "I'm twenty-three years old, and I haven't yet completed my bachelor's degree."

"Age has nothing to do with it. Skills and requirements are what matter. Byun Baekhyun, some people finish university at twenty or by twenty and do a diploma for one year; then they can teach," Yoona responded. "Take me as an example." She pointed to her own face; then she smacked his head, saying, "You haven't completed it yet because you are so lazy."

Baekhyun snorted, rubbing his head. "It hurts."

Well, what Yoona had just said was right. Jiyeon graduated high school at seventeen and finished her four-year degree in three years by taking a higher amount of credit hours every semester and enrolling for extra short courses, and in just one year she completed her master's degree. She'd spent her time studying rather than socializing. This was her first time visiting a café. Jiyeon looked around the café. It seemed somewhat old-fashioned—it was quite charming. She immediately fell under its spell. One wall held bookshelves crammed with stacks of books. An old jukebox stood right next to them. A long counter almost reached the front door, and three tables on the left as you came in. The café was quiet; other than Yoona, Baekhyun and herself, there was only a middle-aged man sitting at a table near the counter, writing something.

A moment later, the waitress came back to their table, carrying a tray containing two glasses of iced coffee, a glass of lemon iced tea, two plates of apple pie and a plate of strawberry shortcake. "Ya'll enjoy." She finished adding up the charge and placed the bill face down on the table. 

"This is really good, Ms. Im," Jiyeon said as she spooned a bite of strawberry shortcake into . "I just love fresh strawberries."

"I'm glad you like it," Yoona responded as she slowly stirred her iced coffee with a straw. Yoona and Baekhyun looked at each other; then she gave him a nod. He turned his gaze to Jiyeon as Yoona took a sip of her iced coffee.

"Jiyeon, I hope you don't mind if I record our conversation," Baekhyun said as he placed a cell phone on the center of the table. 

Jiyeon spooned another bite, wondering why he needed to record their conversation—what's the purpose! She gave him a suspicious look. "For what you—"

"By answering his questions, you help him," Yoona interrupted, "so answer him properly, okay, miss Ji-Yeon?"