It was thundering outside, and the people inside were starting to complain that they were hungry and needed to eat. Officers didn't have a choice other than to try solve the problem. In fear of inmates and staff run out of food, the lunch made for the crowd was a bowl of ramen. Many didn't approve but they recognized they weren't in the position to ask for something better than that.

Soon, a huge line was formed as it was being served one regular bowl for person. Due to the amount of people in the refectory, many had to eat on the floor as the tables were already taken by others. My eyes followed the small girl with the teddy bear. Taeyeon had called her Hayeon...was someone she knew? Or was she just confused by her looks? Could that little girl being someone related to Taeyeon?

She took the bowl with both her hands and proceeded to sit on the floor near the windows.

Upon seeing her by herself in that moment, I decided to approach her.

“Hi.” I said bowing to her. She smiled upon seeing me.

“Hi, Doctor-Unnie.”

“May I join you?”

“Of course.” She replied bowing her head. I instantly sat at her side. “Aren't you going to eat as well?” She asked.

“Our lunch will be served later, don't worry.”

“Do you want some of mine?” She offered her bowl to me. I dismissed it.

“No, it's okay. Thank you for your offer but you need it more than me.” She smiled and started enrolling the noodles with the chopsticks. “Why are you alone in here?”

“I'm not alone. You're with me.” She answered before slurping some of the ramen, making me chuckle by her answer. Witty.

“Is Inmate-Unnie okay?” My eyes widened. Jesus Christ. Really? Even that seven-year-old was asking me about that woman? “She was hurt before...by that officer.”

“She's alright.”

“You're her doctor?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Is she really evil?” And for a moment all I heard was the thuds of my own heart. I didn't know what to answer. “My aunt says she's evil. But she got us in. So now I'm confused.” Yeah, me too. Though my confusion is about other stuff.

“I… don't...know.”

“You don't know?” She asked not understanding. “But you are her doctor...”

“She's not evil to me…” I replied the question, as honestly as I could.

“Is she evil to everybody else?”

I wish she wasn't. It would be so much easier if Taeyeon was behaving herself here. It would be so much easy if she didn't hurt anyone. “Sometimes.” I finally said. I heard her slurping her soup once again.

“You must be a good doctor.” My cheeks blushed.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because if she is not evil to you, that means she likes you, right?” I didn't answer. “And if she likes you, you must be a good doctor.”

“Do you think so?”

“Hum. I think so.” She nodded, making me chuckle. “She was hurt by that officer… maybe she's evil to everybody else because they keep hurting her. In my school there's another girl, she's a bully, and she keeps pulling my leg, and I don't like it. Sometimes I want to hurt her so she would stop hurting me. Maybe Inmate-Unnie feels the same.”

I gulped, staring the rain through the windows. “Yeah, maybe.”

“If they stop hurting her, she'll stop hurting people too.” I wish it was that simple.

“What's your name?” I asked curiously turning my head to her.

“Kim Juhyun.” Juhyun. Nothing like Hayeon. Why Taeyeon called that little girl Hayeon?

“I'm Tiffany. Nice to meet you.” I greeted. She slurped some of the ramen before answering.

“Nice to meet you too, unnie.”

“How is the ramen?”

“Good. I like hot ramen on cold days.” I smiled. “What about Inmate-unnie?” She asked turning her face to me. I looked at her.

“What about her?”

“Isn't she hungry?”

Probably. “She's alright. Don't worry, she'll have her lunch later.” And after that she returned to eat her ramen again.

“How long she'll be here for?”

“I don't know.”

“Is it for a long time?”

“I don't know. Maybe.”

“How long she's been here?”

“Five years.”

“That's a lot of time. Doesn't she feel lonely?”

“I think she does...”

“When I'm scared and lonely, Prince helps me with that.”

“Prince?” I asked not getting it. She lifted up her brown teddy bear beside her and I chuckled. “Sometimes when I'm sleeping at night he is the one saving from the monsters under my bed.”

“Oh really?” She nodded her head with enthusiasm. “What a brave little bear you have...”

“He's a Prince. And a bear. And a Knight. He's very brave by his own nature.” I smiled softly.

“The thing is...” I started saying, feeling hurt for my own words. “Inmate-unnie is a grown up so she doesn't have a Prince to help her anymore.”

“So she needs to be helped by other grown ups.”

“Yes.”

“And you're the one helping her?”

“I'm trying to.” I answered and the girl smiled showing a toothy grin.

~~*~~

As soon as Yoona and I got back to the table with our lunch, screeches were heard throughout the refectory.

“YAH! LET ME GO!” I instantly recognized that Yah as belonging to Taeyeon. My eyes quickly searched up for her and when they finally met her, my hands clenched into fists as she was being dragged away by Officer Lee.

“What's going on now?” I heard Yoona's complaint.

I gulped hard when on an instant, Officer Lee was in front of me. “The key, doctor. Please.” He commanded. He had given me the key of her cell that day earlier upon asking me to take her back to her cell. It seems like he's the one finally doing the job.

I looked from him to Taeyeon and I saw her shaking her head as if she was telling me not to. I paused for a moment, wondering what I should be doing. I noticed many people looking at us, not saying a word. It is for the best, Tiffany, I told myself. They need to be safe. She needs to be safe.

I sighed and I gave him the key.

The look on her face made me want a hole in the floor to swallow me up, burying me alive for what I was doing. “YAH! NO!” She tried to get away from his grip.

“Don't ing try my patient, Kim!”

“I'm not to! Get off me!”

“You'll get back to your cell! NOW, MOVE!” He yelled making some people flinch at the volume of his voice. Me included.

“I don't want to!”

“You don't want?” He stopped in front of her, his breathing hitting her own face. “You think you have a choice in here, you scum? Do as I say and MOVE!” He then proceeded to drag her away. I honestly wanted to say something to make him stop. But I didn't. I didn't want to confront him in front of so many people. I didn't want to start another commotion. I didn't want Taeyeon to be thinking that she has powers over me.

And if she goes back to her cell, the officers will stop mistreating her, right?

It's for the best. Indeed is for the best.

“No, let me stay! I don't want to go back to my cell!”

“You don't want to go back to your cell?” He stopped by the sliding doors of the building. “Ok, fine! Just stick in there!” And saying that, he pushed her away with some force, the automatic doors of the Medical Center opening to the sides. Taeyeon fell on her back on the floor outside and the back of her clothes got wet. As the thick rain drops kept falling down, her face was soon wet from the rain. And then, her shirt. And pants. And hair.

I closed my eyes, feeling the anger I felt for her attitude previously completely melt away. What I was feeling now was a desire to stop that humiliation and hug her tight. But I didn't move. And neither did Taeyeon. Tired, she just let herself down on the ground, completely soaking wet from the rain.

Without a care in the world, officer Lee went outside, just getting as wet as she was, and quickly handcuffed her.

Taeyeon got herself up slowly and giving a last look behind, she followed his steps, her head lowered all times. My heart just shrinking inside my chest as I witnessed that scene.

“Taeyeon….” I muttered in lament. Yoona squeezed my shoulder at my side.

“I'm sorry.” She said softly to me.

~~*~~

I exhaled and finally started walking away. I grabbed my phone but upon seeing 'No Service' on the screen, I put it back on my pocket. Taeyeon was angry due to all that happened today and I'm not really in the mood to deal with that. But if I want to really help her, I need to get over our argument and be the person she needs for.

Using the phones of the hospital, my fingers quickly tapped the numbers of Lee Sunkyu's cellphone. One ring, two rings, three rings…

“Hello?”

“Miss Lee Sunkyu?”

“Doctor Hwang? Are you alright?”

“I'm alright, don't worry about me.”

“Something going on in there?”

“The crowd behind the gate stormed up a little because of the rain but Officer Yuri Kwon offered shelter inside the hospital for the civilians. It's everything under control right now.”

“Really? Isn't that dangerous?”

“All inmates are in their cells. There's no danger whatsoever.”

“How long these people will stay there?”

“Till the rain stops.”

“What if the rain doesn't stop? What if rains for the whole day?” I didn't answer. “What about the inmates? What about their lunch and dinner?” Funny how this was exactly what Taeyeon asked me too.

“We'll think of something. Don't worry.”

“I'm sorry but I find hard not to. If any accident happens...”

“It won't. Believe me. There's no reason for it to happen.”

“Alright… and do you need anything from me? Is there enough food there for every one?”

I have no idea. I didn't even think about it. “Hum… I called you to talk about Kim Taeyeon?”

“...”

“I'm sorry...it's just that...”

“Did she hurt someone?”

“No. She's in her cell.” I lied. “It's just that... Huh… about her… You know a lot about her life as The Kid Killer, isn't that so?”

“I don't know if you can call it a lot. I know some of it.”

“Hm. Do you know by any chance if she has a sister?”

“...”

“Like a younger sister.”

“I do believe she has a sister called Kim Hayeon.” My heart beat faster. “She helps their parents in their shop back in Jeonju…”

“Shop?”

“Taeyeon's parents are doctors.”

“Doctors?” I was surprised. I mean I didn't believe her when she told me her father was a milliner or a circus manager but I never thought her parents could be doctors. Then it makes sense why she attended Seoul Oran High School, given the fact that doctors are ones of the most lucrative professions in South Korea.

“Optometrists.”

“Why they don't come here? Do they know about her situation?”

“They live in Jeonju. I don't think they would travel from that far to come here just to talk to Kim Taeyeon for like one hour.”

“It's their daughter!”

“Well, some parents don't give a damn for their children.”

“Do they still live in Jeonju?”

“As far as I can tell, yeah.”

“Then why she had graduated Seoul Oran High School?”

“What? What are you talking about? I don't follow.”

“Taeyeon's scholar records say she attended Seoul Oran High School. That means in her high school years she was living in Seoul.”

“Okay… what's the deal? They've could send her to Seoul when she was younger to finish her high school. It's quite common, Doctor. Seoul has the best schools in the country, specially for those students aiming to attend SKY universities.”

“I know… I'm just… I'm sorry, Miss Lee, but can you tell me how to find them?”

“What are you thinking? Bring her family to see her?”

“Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.”

“Why?”

“It's her family! She needs their support! Taeyeon is alone here… she doesn't have anyone...”

“And why bringing her family would help her? It's been years already! She's probably got used to it.” I don't think someone gets used to something like that.

“I really think it's important to her treatment...”

“You don't even know how they're like, Doctor Hwang. What if they're abusive? What if they don't really want to see her? What if they don't care about her? What if...”

“I just want to talk to them. To know them. If I get any traits that they don't really care for Taeyeon, I'd leave them alone. I promise. But if they are normal parents and care for their child, it's fair that they should be allowed to visit her.”

“They are allowed to visit her. It's just that they never bothered to do it so.”

“Can you tell me how to find them?” I interrupted her. I didn't want to look at the worst scenario. Having a conversation with them might be enough to change their minds and make them come here. “Like where exactly do they live in Jeonju? Their address… email… any sort of communication?”

It took a while to her to answer. If it wasn't for her breathing on the other side I'd probably suspect she had left the phone there and gone somewhere else.

“This conversation is being recorded… and it's not safe to spill information like thi