“Thank you so much, Wendy-sshi!”

            Wendy, a woman in her early twenties smiled at her client, her eyes twinkling and relief evident in her smile. “Thank yourself first, Mina-sshi. I just helped, but you did it yourself.” Mina smiles at her before bowing and leaving, happy but also with a tinge of sadness leaving the clinic she had been going to for the past year. Wendy waited for her to close the door before collapsing onto the blue sofa.

“Today has been a busy day.” Wendy muttered, sighing in the process.

            She had taken up psychology in the States, with the interest to help people. Originally, she had taken up engineering because she loved math, but after an event happened in her school life, she had changed courses and pursued psychology, much to her parents’ dismay.

It was really hard, since you’re absorbing people’s problems yourself and try not to fall prey to the sadness that might radiate throughout the room.

            However, she had to face the reality that not everyone wants her help and that she is there only as a guide; because in the end, it’s all up to them. She glanced at the clock behind her. An hour break before her next client. “A short nap won’t hurt.” She lay on the sofa, her head throbbing a bit as she closed her eyes only to open them once again when her phone vibrated in her lab coat’s pocket. She prevented a curse under her breath as she picked it up, not even bothering to see who the caller was.

“Hello? Wendy Son, speaking.”

“Wendy-ah!”

“Seohyun unnie? Why are you calling?”

“Right, right. I have to speak quickly because I’m a bit busy right now in the infirmary.”

“Shoot.”

“I have a friend who’s been facing a lot of stress lately. She isn’t even coming out of her apartment and she states that um…sad memories were bothering her so I told her about you.”

            Wendy caught the emphasized, ‘sad’ from Seohyun’s worried voice.

“How old is she?”

“2 months older than me. She took a leave from work. I referred her to you in the past but she had only decided to try now. I was wondering if she could meet you this week.”

“Let’s see…” Today was Tuesday. Wendy only had three days free.

“Would Wednesdays or Saturdays be alright?”

“I think so. She said that it’s better if you set the date and time because she’s taking one of your hours.”

Wendy chuckled. “I see. She must be a grand person then.”

Seohyun went silent after that.

“She is. It hurts seeing her this way.”

“Hm…Won’t you tell me her name?” Wendy got up to stretch a bit, walking towards the bookshelf located in the left corner of the room where her patients’ files were located.

“Irene.”

Irene. Wendy frowned. The name was familiar-but she never once had a classmate in the States named Irene, and they were how many in class? 30? 40? “That’ a nice name.”

“It isn’t her real name.”

Wendy raised a brow. “Oh? Then what is her real name?”

“That’s something you should ask her yourself.”

“…Okay, I see. Would next Wednesday be fine? But I could make time for her tomorrow if she insists on making an urgent appointment.”

“Hold on. I’ll ask her and send her reply to you later. Is that fine?”

“Sure, sure.”

            After agreeing, Seohyun had to go back to work while Wendy  was in deep thought, walking towards another room connected to hers where a band of instruments were placed, facing a huge, rectangular window that had a wonderful view of the towering buildings of the city of Seoul.

“Irene, huh?”

            She walks towards the rosewood, upright piano, a song in mind. Wendy places her fingers on the keys, her foot on the pedal.

From the outside, you can hear a softly played piano, the variety of sounds coming from the heart of one particular person.

…

Irene was waiting for Seohyun in a coffee shop near the medical clinic they were going to. Irene being a nervous wreck was an understatement; she was going to go see a psychologist again, after five years, and it still bothered her how she couldn’t remember much from her last sessions. What if it happens again this time?

Her hands were clammy as she held the cup of coffee in her hands as she continually bit her lower lip while her eyes were looking out the glass front of the shop, trying to see if she could spot the medical ward she had gone to a week ago.

“Hey! Irene, did you wait long?” She turned to see Seohyun with two girl trailing behind her. Irene stood up abruptly, a small smile on her face. “Seohyun-sshi! And you even brought Sooyoung and Seulgi.”

“I told you, it’s Joy!” Sooyoung or Joy, frowned, her short hair bouncing behind her. “Why Joy in the first place?” Seulgi raised a brow at the youngest, before shaking her head. Seulgi had monolid eyes and was shorter than Joy. Joy flips her hair before sitting down from across Irene and Seohyun, Seulgi following the youngest. “Please, Seulgi unnie. I’m the Joy of your life, that’s why.”

“No, you’re not. My joy is Pringles.”

            Before Joy could retort, Seohyun clasped her hands together to gain their attention. “O-kay! We’ve come here today in order to support our dear Irene who is afraid of psychologists!”

“I am not!” Irene hissed, before sticking out her tongue playfully.

“Oh, c’mon, Irene unnie-What if the psychologist turns out to be hot?!” Joy gasped, fanning herself as her imagination shot off into wonderland. Seulgi frowned at the woman. “Don’t they have rules that you can’t fall in love with your clients?”

“It’s about me, the client, falling in love, unnie. Duh.” Joy states as if it was obvious, with her hands demonstrating.

“That is just a type of love that won’t lead anywhere.”

“Oh, I heard about this one psychologist in the past that was said to make his clients fall in love with him and he was using them for an experiment by having se-”

“Guys! You’ve frightened Irene!”

            The two students looked back to see Irene with eyes opened wide and fear swimming inside them. Her hands clenched the cup in her hands (Thank God it was empty) until the paper cup was not a cup anymore. The eldest stood up once again before trying to excuse herself, “Seohyun-sshi, never mind I’m going home!”

“No, wait! They’re joking, Irene! And stop calling me Seohyun-sshi, gosh.” Seohyun pulled Irene back down in her seat, and Irene only stared at the table, unmoving. Seohyun sighs before shaking her head, rolling her eyes at the two younger women who snickered.

“If you really want to know, yes, she’s hot and really pretty. Second, don’t worry, Irene. She won’t harm you. She’s like Olaf.”

“In what way?” Irene asked.

“Well, she resembles Olaf and she’s really energetic. I think you’ll get along very well.”

“That doesn’t lessen my worries, Seohyun.”

            Joy called the waiter and ordered for them while Irene quieted down. “Look, Irene. We can cancel the appointment. Wendy would understand that, although she must have already prepared to welcome you.” Irene panicked slightly, while Joy shrugged. “Seohyun unnie is right, Irene unnie. This Wendy girl seems to be a fantastic person. You might finally overcome the…things you’ve been feeling lately.”

“Do you guys really think I need to go to a psychologist? Is…something wrong with me?”

            The table became quiet all of a sudden, eyes on Irene who hung her head low. “Don’t think like that, Irene! I mean, it’s okay not to be okay-err-all of us have something wrong with us!”

“That’s not helping you dumb bear!” Joy whispered, nudging Seulgi in the process.

“Ow! At least I tried!”

Seohyun patted Irene on the back, looking at her sympathetically. “It’s not like that Irene. But you admitted that you’ve been feeling horrible these days. Trust me on this, Wendy can and will do everything she can to help you. But that if, you come to her. She doesn’t force you to open up. How about this, you meet her just this once and then decide if you should continue on with this.”

            Irene thought silently, while the three decided to eat while waiting for her answer. She had been dreaming of reoccurring events in her life these past few months and to keep herself sane, she painted them all in a blank canvas.

A canvas now filled with dark, red and black blotches, scaring her. She had hidden it in her closet in an isolated room filled with her other paintings.

Maybe after this, Irene could finally stare at the paintings, without fear and maybe throw what she had been holding on, away.

“…How much time do I have left?”

Seohyun smiled at this.

“About fifteen minutes. Eat first. Wendy should just be eating right about now.”

…

            Wendy was curious. Oh, so, curious. She asked if Seohyun had listed her soon-to-be-patient’s name in the record, which Seohyun answered that Irene had listed herself. So Wendy had Jisoo inform her when someone listed a name called Irene.

But no one had listed that kind of name.

Jisoo had called her a while ago, when Wendy was on the way the ward, wearing a white polo shirt with the sleeves rolled back, her black hair with faded brown locks tied into a high pony tail, and she strutted in black slacks and black heels. (In case the client was taller than her, at least she had some leverage). She had only one client today-this Irene-because Wendy wanted to see what kind of person she is and if Wendy could dig into what was bothering this lady at first talk.

“Did a woman called, ‘Irene’ finally listed her name?” That was the first thing Wendy asked when Jisoo told her to come quickly because there wasn’t much time left before her appointment. Jisoo quirked a brow, tucking a hair behind her ear. “No. I’ve been looking for your patients that might have that name but I found none. But there is someone who listed her name on Monday. She was cute.”

That piqued up Wendy’s interest. “Oh?” Jisoo nodded, taking out the record book for Wendy, Jisoo’s eyebrows raised. “Yup. She was a bit shy, trying to look for you. She wrote her name here. It isn’t this Irene person though.” She pushed the large name record book into Wendy’s hands and Wendy took a look at the name.

Bae Joohyun.

Wendy almost dropped the book.

“Woah, there. Give that back before you drop it this time. Is something wrong, Wendy?”

Wendy frowned, shaking her head. Bae….Bae Joohyun? Joohyun unnie?

            “Seungwan, are you coming back?” Joohyun asked hopefully. She and her parents went to see Seungwan and her parents off at the airport. Seungwan took Joohyun’s hands in hers, one last time. “Irene unnie, don’t fret! I, Son Seungwan, shall return for you!” Her voice cheery and eyes determined. Joohyun chuckled, her cheeks flushing a bit.

“For a five-year old, you sure know some big words.”

“Of course!” Seungwan childishly states.

“I’ll come back to Seoul, Irene unnie. Wait for me.”

“Yo, Wendy. Earth to Wendy? Are you still conscious?”

            Jisoo waved her hand in front of Wendy’s dazed eyes, amused at the woman’s rare display of spacing out. Wendy snapped out of it and she forced a smile at Jisoo. “O-Oh, no, I’m fine. I was just wondering about this…Bae Joohyun if she’s Irene.”

“Oh, is it because she’s the only one who listed her name on a Wednesday, perhaps?”

“Maybe, maybe. I’ll see you later. I’ll just go prepare the room.”

And prepare myself as well.

Ten minutes later, Irene arrives at the waiting room. The informant lady noticed her and stopped typing in her laptop. “Welcome! You are Ms. Bae Joohyun, right?” Irene froze. Was that what she wrote?

“I-I-Yes…But please call me Irene.”

            Jisoo’s eyes seems to lighten up at that. She nods, a grin on her face, which crept Irene out more. “Oh, yes, yes! So it is you! Wendy has been expecting you! Just walk straight past me and then turn left, then go to the very last room, that’s Wendy’s room.”

“O-Okay…Thanks.” Irene awkwardly bowed, before leaving.

Her heart pounding loudly in her chest.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: So hey, guys. About the psychologist Seulgi was talking about, correct me if I'm wrong, but was it Sigmund Freud?

For my other stories, I'm trying hard to put it all back together, I was on a long writing hiatus(I kind of stopped writing for a while because of my Reading and Writing exam and I kind of hated myself for that because my grades kind of dropped.)

I'll see you next update. Please comment below what  you think. I can accept criticism since I admit I am not knowledeable about this so I'm  going to consult my teacher and others. I hoped you like this.