He's going to bombard me with questions? About what? Jiyeon stopped eating and stirred her iced tea with a long spoon, the lemon wedge swirling in the dark liquid. She sipped her iced tea, shifting her gaze to Baekhyun, then Yoona, then Baekhyun again. Her gut feeling told her that something wasn't right about these two.

Baekhyun cleared his throat and clasped his hands on the table, fingers interlaced. "Okay, Jiyeon," he began, a serious expression adorning his face. "Auntie told me that you've been hearing a voice, is that true?"

Why did you tell him about that, annoying teacher! Jiyeon gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes at her.

Yoona pressed her lips together into a thin line. "Answer him properly, Miss Jiyeon." A hint of pleading crept into her tone.

Jiyeon closed her eyes momentary. Since answering him meant helping him, she gave him a nod. Well, her parents had taught her the importance of helping others by donating money to charity. She always got a sense of fulfillment, happiness from helping others.                                            

He tapped his right thumb against his left thumb, his lips curling into a faint smile. "You hear someone speaking to you or telling you to do certain things, and the voice may be angry, neutral, or warm, am I right?"

Jiyeon nodded and folded her arms on the table. "He sings and hums too."

"So it's a man's voice?"

"Yes," she replied, her hazel eyes looking directly into his dark-brown eyes. The voice sounds like yours. I feel like I'm talking to the voice.

"How long have you been hearing the voice?"

"A few months."

Baekhyun kept tapping his right thumb against his left thumb, his gaze fixated on Jiyeon. "Next question, how much alcohol do you drink? How much caffeine do you drink?"

Her jaw clenched at the question. Jiyeon leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes. Then she leaned forward and placed her palms on the table, her sharp gaze fixed on Baekhyun's face. "Do I look like a bad girl who loves to drink liquor?" she retorted.

Jiyeon heard Yoona's muffled laugh as Baekhyun slowly nodded, which made her grind her teeth. She had never touched liquor and had never seen her parents drinking. They had once told her that drinking alcohol would destroy everything good in someone's life—it caused crime like murder, , domestic abuse and so on. Too stupid to drink something she already knew would only ruin her life.  

"I never drink alcohol at all because I love myself too much. You see, both of you ordered iced coffee, whilst I ordered this"—Jiyeon picked up the glass of her lemon iced tea and showed it in front of his face, then in front of Yoona's face—"why? I don't like coffee. I consume less than 100 mg of caffeine per day." She drained the rest of her iced tea and slammed the glass down on the table, which made Yoona and Baekhyun flinch a bit.

"Calm down man," Yoona and Baekhyun said in unison.

"I'm not a man; I'm a woman," she snapped.

They looked at each other, then turned their gazes to Jiyeon and simultaneously said, "You're so hilarious." And burst into laughter. 

Anger flowed through her like an open faucet. "Annoying teacher, Byun Baekhyun, stop laughing at me!" Jiyeon braked and slammed her palms down on the table, rattling everything that rested upon it. They stopped laughing, sitting quietly as if in a velvet upholstered concert. She gave him the angriest glare she could muster. "Why did you ask me all those questions? Tell me right now," she demanded through gritted teeth.

"Drinking too much alcohol and caffeine can lead to hallucinations—that's why I asked you about that." Baekhyun held her glare, with no cracks in his voice and a stern confidence that emanated from his words. "I'm a psychology student, currently doing a final research paper on Schizophrenia."

A short laugh of disbelief escaped Jiyeon's lips. She accepted Yoona's invitation in order to avoid seeing a psychiatrist, but instead she met a psychology student—soon to be a psychologist? She did regret having accepted her invitation.

"See, my girl. I've told you to turn down her invitation, why didn't you listen to your own heart's voice?" the voice whispered in her left ear, sounding angry.

"No, you're not my heart's voice. Tell me, who are you actually?" Jiyeon muttered inwardly.

"Youngest teacher—"

"Don't talk. Just eat, annoying teacher."

Yoona clucked her tongue at her and forked a bite of the pie into . Jiyeon leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose, then exhaled slowly through pursed lips, attempting to calm down. Feeling calm, she opened her eyes to find his gaze still fixed on her.

Jiyeon cleared . "Are you trying to diagnose me with Schizophrenia?" she asked in a voice tinged with accusation.

He let out a small cough and took a drink of his iced coffee while looking at her, then he answered, "No, only a psychiatrist can make a diagnosis. I'm just trying to—"

"What is Schizophrenia?"

Baekhyun sighed. "It's a brain disorder that affects the way a person behaves, thinks, and sees the world, and auditory hallucinations are a prominent symptom of Schizophrenia."

Jiyeon nodded, lips pressed into a tight line. "You said only a psychiatrist can make a diagnosis. Does she or he perform medical tests such as blood tests, urine tests, and brain scans?"  

"To my knowledge, there are no medical tests to diagnose Schizophrenia. The diagnosis is made based on an interview of the person and family members," Baekhyun replied, his voice and demeanor oozing confidence.

If so, I will definitely be diagnosed with Schizophrenia then. Jiyeon exploded into laughter, her belly bouncing up and down as she wiped a tear from her eye. It hurt knowing people, who she'd just met, indirectly labeled her as a person with a mental illness, although she knew the bitter fact that people are being labeled not based on medical tests, but based on psychiatric opinion.

Yoona glanced at him, a look of confusion decorating her face. Baekhyun raised his eyebrows, shrugging his shoulders. Then she shifted her gaze to Jiyeon. "Hey, are you okay?"

She stopped laughing and looked directly into her eyes. "You said laughter is a coping mechanism," Jiyeon responded, a snide tone creeping into her voice, "but now why are you asking me if I'm okay?"

Before Yoona could open , the phone rang. She excused herself and walked out of the café. Jiyeon brought her attention back to Baekhyun—his gaze still fixated on her as if he were examining her behavior.

"You said Schizophrenia is a brain disorder, but brain scans cannot be used to diagnose it. My question is—" Jiyeon grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She fixed a challenging gaze on him. "Does Schizophrenia exist?"

Baekhyun held her challenging gaze. "Yes, Schizophrenia exists—"

"Prove it then—show me the proof—tell me where I go for a physical test for Schizophrenia?" Jiyeon raised her voice a notch, slapping her right hand on the table. He flinched a little and put his right hand behind his back, his eyes unfocused.

She took a deep breath, calming herself down. "I wonder what's normal in psychology. People who cycle back and forth between happiness and sadness are considered to be suffering from bipolar mood disorder, while people who feel compelled to perform certain behaviors, such as washing their hands repeatedly, are considered to be suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder." Jiyeon looked up at the ceiling, then back at him. "I guess, it's because their behaviors met the criteria Professionals listed in 'their official books', right, Mr. Byun?" 

"Jiyeon, you seem—" Baekhyun paused, a flicker of shock crossing his face as Jiyeon sprang to her feet. She placed her palms on the table and leaned in. He blinked, leaning back in his chair.

"Don't label a person based on books. Books are written by humans not God. We are all created differently. We would see and experience things differently. Carl Jung said, 'the shoe that fits one person pinches another', which means even if we can relate to the other person's experience, we will never, ever, really know how it feels for them," Jiyeon told him before she walked off, leaving him there speechless.

Jiyeon stopped in her tracks at the sight Yoona and a man standing on the sidewalk in front of the café, arguing. The man was about five feet eleven inches tall with a slim build. He had an oval shaped face, short dark-brown hair—the hair near the forehead stood erect. He was dressed in a tailored gray suit, a black tie. His cordovan shoes were highly polished. He looked like a successful business executive and looked to be in his early thirties.

"You chose geckos over me. Now you're accusing me of betraying you." Yoona hit his chest with her fists repeatedly. "I hate you, Kim Jaejoong!"

Geckos? Did I mishear? A handsome man chose geckos over a beautiful woman. That small, pesky reptiles? Jiyeon covered with her right hand, her body shaking with inaudible laughter. She found it so damn funny.

"What are you looking at?" Jaejoong's voice boomed out as his eyes landed on Jiyeon.

Yoona stopped hitting him and glanced over her shoulder. She turned around and narrowed her eyes at her. "Are you eavesdropping on us?"

Jiyeon gave her an innocent nod. "Tik tik tik." She shot her a pitying look. "Poor you, he chose geckos over you."

"Do you know her?" Jaejoong placed his hand on her shoulder.

Yoona gave him no response. She balled her hands into fists, glaring at her; her lips pulled back, exposing her clenched teeth. It looked like she was ready to attack her. Before she could do anything, Jiyeon ran down the sidewalk as fast as her legs could move.

"Stop youngest teacher! Don't run away!"

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Yoona chasing after her, running as fast as her pencil skirt let her. Jiyeon increased her running. She ran like the devil was after her and her mind was working at an incredible pace. Her clothes clung to her body, drenched in sweat. Her legs felt like soggy mush. Her lungs felt as if they would burst, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Trying to catch her breath, Jiyeon slowed down as she turned left down a narrow street. The street was lined with small houses bedecked with green lawns. It was clean; there were rubbish bins lined up on the street. 

Jiyeon threw a glance over her shoulder. There was no one behind her, and a feeling of relief washed over her. She dragged her feet towards a large pine tree in someone's front yard. She was exhausted and thirsty. She sat down under the tree, leaning against the trunk. Her legs extended straight out in front of her, she held the bag on her lap. Closing her eyes, she began taking deep breaths until she felt relaxed. She felt a small smile tug at the corner of her lips as a soft breeze caressed and cooled her sweaty skin. A sigh escaped her lips as she imagined drinking water.

"What are you doing here, Yeonyeon?" A familiar, annoying voice echoed in the air.

Her eyes jerked open. Taeyong was standing in front of her, wearing a grey knitted hat, an oversized grey long-sleeved t-shirt, black baggy cargo trousers and brown leather casual sandals. His eyebrows lifted, and a wrinkle appeared on his forehead. The golden light pouring through the pine leaves made him look younger.

"None of your business," Jiyeon replied tartly. "What's that?" She pointed at a black plastic bag he was holding in his left hand.

Taeyong glanced down at his left hand, then back at her. "Beverages. Why?"

A faint smile crept across her face. "Please give me one. I'm so thirsty," Jiyeon said, her voice taking on a pleading tone as she held out her hand with her palm facing the sky. "I'll pay extra."

Taeyong clucked his tongue as if in disbelief and reached into the plastic bag. "I wonder what makes you end up like this. You look like such a vagrant." He handed her a can of coke.

Jiyeon rolled her eyes at his words and said, "I don't drink soda."

Taeyong let out an audible sigh as he put it back into the plastic bag. Jiyeon shook her head as he handed her a can of coffee, saying, "I don't like coffee."

"I only purchased cola, coke and coffee." He raised the pitch of his voice. "What do you want to drink, Yeonyeon?"

Jiyeon tucked her messy hair behind her ears and gave him a flat look. "Mineral water, Taetrant."

He put his right hand on the back of his neck, squinting. "What's Taetrant?"

"The first syllable of your given name plus the last syllable of recalcitrant equals Taetrant, which means you're so damn recalcitrant," she explained.

He nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "Then I'll call you, Jiboast because you're so damn boastful." Taeyong laughed as he walked down the brick path to the front door.  

Jiyeon made a sound, half-snort, half-laugh in vexation. She didn't think that Taeyong would have emulated her creating such a sarcastic nickname and didn't expect to meet him outside school. It seemed like he never failed to get on her nerves.

A little while later, Jiyeon blinked in disbelief, slightly opened as she saw Chaeyeon come out of the house, carrying a bottle of mineral water. She walked barefoot towards her. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail. She was dressed in a white short-sleeved t-shirt and blue knee-length shorts. I'm sitting in Chaeyeon's front yard or Taeyong's? Did they live together? I'm sure they aren't married yet. They're too young to get married—they are still in high school. How could their parents allow them to live together? Jiyeon shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"H-hello, Teacher Park," Chaeyeon greeted and handed her a cold bottle of mineral water.

Jiyeon returned her greeting with a big smile as she took it. "Thank you."

She nodded with a faint smile. "Teacher, do you want to come in?"

"No, thank you."

Chaeyeon sat down beside her as Jiyeon twisted open the bottle cap. And then she drank deep, feeling the cold liquid slide down . It tasted refreshing. Drinking in big gulps, Jiyeon emptied it in a few moments. Her face was radiant with freshness as she brought the empty bottle away from her lips. Thank God. A contented sigh slipped past her lips.

Jiyeon looked at her, a smile hovering around the corners of her lips. "Where's your boyfriend, Chaeyeon?"  

Chaeyeon scratched her index finger against her left temple. "My boyfriend?" she responded, confusion creeping into her voice.

"Lee Taeyong. Isn't he your boyfriend?"

Chaeyeon tilted her head sideways, and her body was shaking a bit. It seemed like she was letting out an inaudible laugh. But why? Jiyeon was sure she didn't say anything funny.

She looked back at her. "Teacher Park, Taeyong isn't my boyfriend. He's my cousin." Chaeyeon's lips curled into a thin smile. "He's playing a racing video game in the living room."

Jiyeon bit her tongue, feeling embarrassed. Twice! She had mistaken someone's family member for their lover. She then opened her bag, took out some money and handed it to Chaeyeon. "Give this to Taeyong."

She just looked at it, and Jiyeon took her hand and placed the money in her palm. "This is..." Chaeyeon's gaze darted between the money and her. "For what?"

"For paying this." Jiyeon shook the empty bottle.

Chaeyeon shook her head. "You don't need to pay. You are our teacher." She gave the money back to her.

"Well, thank you." Jiyeon put the money back into her bag.

Chaeyeon smiled. "Teacher, what brings you here?"

She stared at Chaeyeon without blinking. "To get some rest. No joke, I've been chased by the 'devil'," Jiyeon replied, her voice carrying a serious tone.

"Devil, really?"

The 'devil' is our new teacher. Jiyeon nodded, and Chaeyeon burst into laughter, wide open. Jiyeon watched her in disbelief. She reminded her of Yoona when laughing. It looked like Chaeyeon assumed the devil she talked about was the 'real devil'. She probably didn't believe in supernatural things—therefore, she laughed?

"It's really such a surprise seeing you laugh," Jiyeon remarked when Chaeyeon's laughter subsided.

Chaeyeon drew her knees to her chest and hugged her arms around her legs. "Teacher Park, I can shout, scream and laugh only when I'm in my house," she said in a soft voice. "I can only speak normally to people I'm very comfortable with—like my parents, Taeyong and his parents. My voice comes out weak and unclear itself when speaking to other people or in front of a lot people. It feels like something is holding back my voice. When I try to speak loudly, my voice sounds like I'm angry. It's frustrating me." She rested her forehead on her knees.

Jiyeon moved closer and put her arm around Chaeyeon's shoulder. "Were you bullied in your childhood?" she asked, sympathy lacing her voice.

Chaeyeon raised her head up and nodded curtly. She looked Jiyeon straight in the face. "Teacher, speaking up in class is a huge issue for me and has been since elementary school. I've always refrained from speaking up even when I felt strongly about something. Today was a day that I will likely remember for the rest of my life. I finally managed to speak up in class. Thank you for your encouragement and support teacher."  

Jiyeon could see from the sparkle in her eyes that Chaeyeon was really happy, and it gave her a warm feeling. "You're welcome." Jiyeon smiled. "Now I hear you clearly without having strained my ears. Does it mean you're comfortable with me?"

Chaeyeon nodded. "I guess so."

They exchanged bright smiles. Jiyeon's smile faded away as the voice echoed loudly in her ears: "My girl, your mom has been waiting for you. Go home now!"  

Jiyeon glanced at her watch and winced: it was 5:50 pm. "Chaeyeon, I gotta go home," she said and rose to her feet. "Thank you for sharing your feelings with me."

Chaeyeon's smile expanded wider as she got to her feet. "Be careful, teacher."

Jiyeon gave her one last smile before walking off. She dropped her empty bottle in a recycle bin and began to run toward the main street. When she reached there, she hailed a cab, got in, and told the driver her destination. She looked out the car window into the sky. The sky was getting darker, and the first few stars began to sparkle. Such a beautiful evening! She rested her head against the car seat and closed her eyes. So much had happened today, who knew where it would lead, who knew what future had in store for her. Why worry about the future anyway? The future doesn't exist. She shook her head.

"We're here," the cab driver said as he pulled over to the curb.

Jiyeon handed him some money and told him to keep the change as she grabbed her bag and got out of the car. Humming, she walked down the concrete path towards the front door and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight her mother standing at the front door with her arms folded across her chest and legs apart. Her eyes narrowed, and curled into a thin hard line. No doubt her mother was angry with her because she didn't obey her words.

Jiyeon took a few deep breaths, mentally preparing herself for the punishment. "I'm home," she said as she took steps towards her mother.

Her mother reached out and grabbed her by the ear. "You're such a rascal kid. Where have you been?" She twisted her ear. "I've told you I'll accompany you to see a psychiatrist after you've finished teaching."

"Mom, my colleague invited me to a café as a token of her thanks to me. Wasn't it rude if I refused it?" Jiyeon's face puckered into a grimace of pain.

Her mother released her grip on her ear and took a deep breath. "Okay, I've forgiven you, but tomorrow don't try to look for excuses. I'll accompany you to see a psychiatrist."

She rubbed her ear. "Mom, I've told you I don't need a psychiatrist. I don't have any mental-health—"

"Do you want me to accompany you to school and wait for you there?"

Jiyeon could feel frustration bubbling up inside her. "Oh, God!" She scratched her head. "Mom, do you know how a psychiatrist makes a diagnosis? I'm sure I'll be diagnosed with a mental illness even though I don't have..." Her voice trailed off as her mother turned and headed towards the kitchen. She slammed the front door shut, then ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

As Jiyeon got into her room, she placed her bag on her table, took off her clothes, headed straight to the bathroom. She the shower and stepped under the steaming hot water, letting the hot water soothe her aching muscles. She ignored the fact the water had scalded her skin pink. She stepped out of the shower once the water had gone cold and wrapped herself in a white fluffy towel. She walked over and opened the closet to get her red pajamas.

Once she had put on her pajamas and draped her towel over the back of her chair, she threw herself down onto her bed and hugged her bolster pillow tight against her chest. "Hey, Blondie. Some people have indirectly labeled me as a person with a mental illness—even my own mother wants to take me to see a psychiatrist. Do you not feel sorry for me?" Jiyeon muttered, sadness seeping into her tone. "You've always claimed yourself as the voice of my heart. Please tell me who you are."

Jiyeon closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep when she heard the room door open. "Your dinner's ready. Come down stairs now." Her mother's quiet voice echoed in the room.

Mom, I have no appetite because you keep forcing me to see a psychiatrist. Jiyeon held her breath as she felt the blanket being pulled over her shoulders.

"Sweetie, you seem so tired. You know I want you to see a psychiatrist because I care about your well being," her mother said, caressing her cheek. "Good night. Have a good sleep." She pressed a kiss against her forehead.

Her mother's touch made her heart grow warm. Jiyeon didn't open her eyes or release her breath until she heard the door close. She rolled over onto her side. "Hey, Blondie. Please tell me who you are. It's unfair. You seem to know everything about me, while I don't even know your name," she mumbled, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, "if you don't want to tell me, please go away from my life." She wiped moisture from the corners of her eyes. Squeezing her eyes shut, Jiyeon tried to will herself to sleep.

"My girl, open your eyes. I'm standing right here."