San Josè, United States of America, January 2011

Jihyun stepped in the old-fashioned building and wiped her shoes on the mat.

The palace was a little bit old and since there were some works of maintenance ongoing, the whole place smelled like freshly painted varnish.

The girl ignored the men who labored there, walked through the atrium and climbed the staircases silently, taking the second corridor of the third floor, where she knocked on a wooden door.

There was a small label stuck on the surface that recited a name in golden letters: Philip Allen, Psychologist.

Waiting a few seconds, she heard some footsteps come towards her from the other side of the door, and eventually a man opened the door, giving the young girl a faint smile.

"Hi Jihyun..." - He greeted" - "...why don't you come in?"

She stepped in and closely observed the surrounding environment.

The main room of the small studio was a little bit narrow and a lot of space was occupied by the large table that had a lot of papers and books of all kinds stacked on.

She sat on the bigger of the two red couches that were placed in the middle of the room.

"I apologize for the mess" - The man calmly began - "I hope you mind..." - He added, grabbing a pile of documents that was laid on the other couch and moving it aside to take a seat.

"It has been a while since the last time we saw each other, isn't it?" - He expounded, grabbing a small notebook and a pen - "How were the holidays?"

Jihyun started telling him about the bittersweet December she had spent.

She had started dating Daniel, the guy she met at the hospital. Initially she didn't really think a man of his age could be really interested in her, but then they started texting and she had finally found the courage to ask him out.

It was awkward for her, but those charming hazel eyes captured her in a way she had never experienced before.

Every single moment of her life she felt the need to kiss his lips and caress sweetly his brown hair that always smelled good.

"I think I am in love" - She sighed to therapist, who let out a little smiled and wrote a note on the notebook.

At the beginning she had understated her relationship, as if Daniel were just a random man they had bumped on who could work as a distraction, just an empty amusement.

But he was too good to let him slip away.

He even knew how to play a guitar, and they spent a lot time together in the girl's workroom, fixing her songs. She had finally revived her love with music she used to have before the troubles she was in had come.

She finally had a reason to live happily, besides her work.

"You really look like another person" - He said, writing another note - "I sense you're stronger than the girl I knew..."

"However, you have a weakness that I can still glimpse behind your momentary euphoria" - He said, pointing at her heart - "You found a person you highly esteem, but you still undervalue yourself..."

It was true. Jihyun still somehow hated herself, her slim visage and her whole body devoid of sensuous curves.

"I don't undervalue myself" - She bitterly mumbled - "I am unattractive for real, which is different..."

The man observed with a slight curiosity the pessimistic remark she had made.

"Among all the people I have talked with during my whole career you're one of the smartest, Jihyun" - He said - "When I asked the reason why you had wanted to come here, you gave me the best reply I ever had..."

Jihyun let out a little giggle - "Come on, I told you that I wanted to know whether I that much objectively..." - She said - "It was a stupid come back"

"It was the best come back you could ever come up with, though" - The therapist explained, looking into her eyes - "Sometimes you just ignore your strengths to deal with your weaknesses..."

The girl nodded, unconvinced.

Since she was young she was taught that appearance didn't matter and she had been begrudging those girls who dressed skirts and wore heavy makeup, hiding behind a boyish image.

She remembered when her father read her a bedtime story and tucked her in the bed.

He used to say that all the great men of history had faced the fittest fenced through their walk before they could complete their mission. You have a mission - he often said - and you always have to face the fence...

There's always to be a savior and a saved. That was the reason why Gayoon and Jihyun had a special bond...

"A special bond, you say?" - The doctor asked, writing yet another note on his book - "Could you tell me more about this bond?"

Jihyun knew Gayoon was torn between her unrequited love for Jiyoon and the crush she had for her, and she hated the fact that the girl felt a debt towards her, somehow.

The only thing she sought for was her health and she knew that Jiyoon wanted the same thing.

However, she couldn't help but watch silently their friendship torn apart and it hurt. She ended up deceiving her that something could happen between them, as if they could annihilate each other's loneliness.

"Well... I think she likes me..." - She admitted.

"It started all two weeks ago..."