'You have a big mouth, little lady, one of those days it'll get yourself killed.'“It was the first thing G-Dragon said when I told him to off.” Taeyeon smirked, pretentious, continue to tell her tales about her days as the Kid Killer to Lee Soon Kyu.

And if there was a person above everyone else who was all happy for what was happening in the Asylum and its change of atmosphere, that person was Lee Soon Kyu. She was also one of the visitors who here and there came along on Saturdays to talk to the residents, especially Taeyeon, given the fact that she was her favorite serial killer, as she told me one day, and the good behavior of my patient led Lee Soon Kyu to give her visitations and ask her everything she always wanted to know about her life.

“He had his gang come to me because I had killed a cop. Daesung. He was double agent. Worked as a cop during the day, but it was a member of G-Dragon's gang at night. I didn't know he was member of his gang.”

“And why did you kill him?” Lee Soon Kyu asked, intrigued.

“That's what G-Dragon asked me too!” Taeyeon added, making Lee Soon Kyu chuckle.

“And what did you tell him?” She asked, curious.

“I told him the truth. I killed him because he was in my way.”

“Do you kill people because they're on your way?”

“That's what G-Dragon asked me too!” Taeyeon added, her voice a pitch higher, finding it fun. She leaned forward, getting closer to Lee Soon Kyu, who was smiling, excited about the story. “You two have a lot in common, you know?” Lee Soon Kyu giggled, which made me chuckle for the situation. Taeyeon was really having a good time joking around with Lee Soon Kyu and her obsession towards criminal people.

“Do you think so?”

“For sure. You guys are like...” And she moved her hands together to gesture a heart. “Soulmates.”

“Aw, stop it.”

Taeyeon giggled making me shake my head from her actions. “Why you are so interested in criminals, Miss Lee?”

“I’m not interested in petty criminals. I’m interested in criminals like you.”

“Like me?”

“Top Drug lords and Serial killers.”

“Why?” The face of confusion on Taeyeon was rather comedic.

“I like your stories.”

“My stories? They are just a bunch of tortures and hurt.”

“… I just find them fascinating.”

“You sure have your own way to like stuff...”

Lee Soon kyu smiled. “We all have our obsessions…”

“You should be careful.” Taeyeon said, her voice now sounding a little bit serious. Lee Soon Kyu picked that up.

“Should I?”

“You are the niece of the chairman of this cesspool. If one inmate here decides to play with you, you can end up screwed. It’s better to watch out.”

“I’m not really romantically interested in criminals, Inmate.”

“Really? You’ve done all that to meet G-Dragon just because?” Taeyeon’s eyes widened out. “That sure is a commitment.”

“A lot happens in the streets of Seoul.” She started saying, grabbing our attention. “But we have all this touristic signs saying how safe the town is, how a person can walk on his own at 3 am without troubles. But we all know it’s a lie. Crimes have been steadily rising in the country for the past 20 years and we don’t know the reasons for it. Drug cartels have taken control of certain points in the city and the common citizens still don’t know about those. I try to look for those places, those people, and understand where they come from, what do they get from it, why is it worthy for some to commit a crime instead of having a full life of freedom… There’s a lot to learn when you talk to criminals like you, Inmate.”

“There is?” Taeyeon lifted up her brows.

“Of course. Why did you leave Seoul Oran Academy School, the best of the country, to follow a life of torture and hurt?”

“Long story. Not in mood to share.” She promptly answered.

“Well, there you go. You have a reason for it. No one is born as The Kid Killer, you shape yourself into it. I try to understand the reasons behind.”

“Why don’t you become a doc like Doc Hwang here?” She asked, pointing to myself with her head.

“I don’t want to be a doctor. I just want to understand those behaviors. And maybe understanding them, we can solve those problems and indeed make our city as safe as the ads say.”

“Some people kill for fun, others for money, and others for need. It’s impossible to understand them all.”

“I don’t want to understand them all. I want to understand the ones like you. Who had a perfect childhood, a perfect life but still got to become a serial killer. G-Dragon also dropped from his school in his teens and got himself into crime, didn’t he?

“I didn’t know that.”

“You didn’t? I thought you guys were close.”

“He kidnapped me when I killed one of his men. That’s not what I call...close.” She said it, making me chuckle.

“So how did you end up being part of his gang?”

“I wasn’t part of his gang.”

“You weren’t?”

“I work for nobody!” She exclaimed. “I just wanted to survive. I didn’t want to die that day and then I made an offer he couldn’t refuse. I promised him I would take those men down one for one and while I was doing it, he could use the gap to increase his cartel. And that’s what we did. I did my own thing and if GD wanted a person out of his way, all he had to do it was to give me a call. And that was it. That was all the relationship we’ve ever had.”

“I thought you were his right-hand man?” I said, remembering a certain talk between Taeyeon and another inmate.

“Nah. He has his own personal trusted gang for that. I was just a luxury hitman for them. Never knew about their story or backgrounds. I’ve just did my own thing.”

“And how would you find those men?” Lee Soon Kyu asked, intrigued.

Taeyeon shrugged her shoulders. “Ah, you know, one has her methods.”

“There aren’t many serial killers at the Asylum. In what way do you think you differ from them?”

“I’m not crazy.” That made both Soon Kyu and I chuckle.

“No, I mean, why do you think there aren’t so many serial killers in here?”

“How am I suppose to know that?”

“What made you become a serial killer?”

“Purpose.”

That line was dry and cold and it had a sort of powerful effect on both of us. Lee Soon Kyu nodded her head, seemingly understanding that.

“You’re very clever, Kim.” She commented, to which Taeyeon frowned her brows. “You could have had a good life.”

“I had a good life.” Taeyeon reassured. “The good in it wasn’t denied by those walls.”

“Do you regret?” That made Taeyeon blink. “Do you regret your crimes?” My heart beat faster. All I wanted her to say was yes.

“Not really.” She ended up saying, making me look away. And she noticed that. “I had a purpose. And I followed it. It helped me living on during those days. I know it is hard to understand that...but…” She nodded her head. “For a long time, it was the only consolation of my life.”

“It is not anymore?

“No.”

“What changed?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I got older. I got tired of it. I got Doctor Hwang here. And my sister. And some friends. My purpose changed all the way through the core.”

“You’ve found your solace in this prison of all places?”

“Well, sometimes you have to get lost to find your way. Lady Life likes to play trick’s on all of us, ain’t it? I’ve found my own in here. Others found it a far. That’s just what it is.”

“That’s just what it is.” Lee Soon Kyu repeated.

“And now I’m just waiting for it.”

“Waiting for it?”

“Yeah, for the day I’m free. So I could have a good life again.”

“What you gonna do when you’re finally free?”

I listened attentively. I sure wanted help her achieving what she wanted. Maybe she wanted to go somewhere, like Jeonju, her hometown, or eat something nice in a restaurant. Whatever the case, I sure would give my all to help her wish come true.

“Hug my little sister.”

And soon I looked away, as I didn’t want to show them my eyes getting emotional.

Lee Soon Kyu smiled, content, and nodded her head.

“I will root for you in that, Inmate.”

“Thank you, Miss Lee.”

~~*~~

When the raindrops started to fall out of the sky, I smiled, glad for that little bit of rain. Even though I wasn't so much a fan of rain in the first place, I learned to like it due to my patient's affection for rainy days. Taeyeon has always been more approachable when it's raining and her behavior was the perfect mix between her sensitive introspective-self and her fun persona. Rainy days are the days that Taeyeon talks to me the most, shows me who she is the most and behaves the most. So even if the corridors of that hospital becomes cold, gloomy and quiet, rainy days are actually becoming my favorite kind of days.

As things didn't matter, and probably they really didn't anymore, Taeyeon has been talking more freely about her past during our sessions, especially her time being The Kid Killer. Listening to her stories was something I took it as a treasure and a reward as this was the only thing I ever wanted her to do it with me since the beginning. I can't believe it took me so long to have this finally coming true.

Right now, while raining outside, I was having a session with my favorite patient and it was really hard to mask my smile hearing her talk.

“...And then she told me “I met a guy with a metal-leg named Gum-Sok” so I asked “What's the name of the other leg?”

I giggled at the joke and she laughed along with me, making me unaware of all the other things but her. It's been a while since I've felt that way so unbeknownst to me, my fingers grazed her hand on the desk. Her eyes looked downwards and soon, silence was in the room. I quickly took my hands off hers, averting my eyes from her.

For the past few months, Taeyeon and I were officially Doctor-Patient, not allowing intimate gestures or talks that could infer otherwise coming to the surface. So it took me by surprise when I, myself, let that happened.

I cleared my throat, trying to hide the little moment we just had. “And just then, Juniel became your best friend?” I asked her, returning the conversation we're having earlier.

Taeyeon's voice wasn't so full of joy anymore. “Ah, yeah, I mean… kinda. Heechul was my best friend, Juniel became my best girl friend, I guess.”

“Do you think you'll meet her someday?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. Just future can tell.”

I seconded that, and to avoid putting us in a bad light I decided to finish the session.

“Doctor Stephanie Hwang, interview with Kim Taeyeon is finished.” I said, pressing the button on the voice recorder to call the session over.

“Are you okay?” She asked, her body leaning forward and I nodded, sighing.

“Yeah, don't worry.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, that was just a slip.” I shook my head sideways. “I guess the absence of Irene and Wendy is hitting me.” I tried to understand my own feelings.

“Are you still angry with me?” She asked raising her brows. “For I gave them the lawyers you wanted for me?”

I shook my head. “No. I'm not angry. You did the right thing. We did the right thing.” And I really meant it. “But now that they are gone...I guess it feels like this place is empty.” I added.

“Do you think so?” She asked, her voice a higher up.

“You don't think so?”

“No. I think the place is full. Full of hope.” I chuckled. “And joy. And…huh... peace.”

“It’s amazing that you feel this way, Taeyeon. But I, on the other hand...I think I grew fond of them too much.” I said, mostly to myself.

“You grow fond of people too much, too easily.” She retorted it. “Told you to stop doing that.” She said it and I smiled at her.

“Yeah, I guess that's my weakness.”

“It makes me wonder, Doc...” She started, calling my attention to hers. “If I weren't your first patient in here, would you have fallen for Irene instead?” I don't really think so.

“I don't know, too many variables.”

“Not really, just two. One variable is Irene being your first patient. And the second variable is falling for her.” She said joking.

“I don't really think I would.” I answered, honestly. “It's not a surprise why I do like you Taeyeon, and if Irene was my first patient, I don't really think it would have a difference at where we are now.”

“Do you regret it?” She asked and my eyes met hers. “Do you regret coming here?”

I moved my eyes to the floor, imagining a different reality where I wasn't working at the Asylum. “Sometimes.” I said sincerely. “But most of times… You make it worth.”

“Told you to stop being like this.” She rolled her eyes, getting her back to lean on the chair and I smiled at her.

“You should know by this point that it's useless.” And her eyes met mine.

“Why are you so flirty today?” A sigh of astonishment came out from my mouth.

“What? I'm not flirty today!”

“Jesus, man, you gotta pull yourself together!”

“That's ridiculous, I'm not saying anything out of ordinary conversation!”

“You're making my face cringe at every word that is coming out from your mouth!”

“Oh, am I?” My voice went up out of amusement. “Guess it's you who need to put yourself together then!”

“Get other patients and stay away from me.”

“But then you'll miss me.”

“And suddenly you became such a cocky doctor? Where are your glasses by the way?” Our voices filled with fun made us forgot where we were for an instant.

“Home.”

“You sure you are not wearing an invisible one?”

“Well if I were, I wouldn't be here talking to a stubborn patient, I would be selling the design and making money out of it.”

“You could never make money out of it, you'd make 'em all come in pink!”

“The colors don't matter because they are invisible, Taeyeon!”

“Oh.” She blinked, making us burst in laugh.

And it was such a stupid and silly moment that we haven't noticed we've got our bodies closer to each other over the desk.

“How long has been?” I asked, my voice lowering its register.

“Huh?”

“How long has it been since we've laughed like this?”

“I don't know. I don't count the days, I don't wanna go crazy.” My eyes scanned all the features on her face.

“I miss you, Taeyeon.” I muttered. And feeling my heart and body warming up, my lips touched hers, and we both gave in for a s