The girl stood by the window, staring at the colors she was about to see up front, and not with a piece of glass and approximately 15 feet of distance in between.

Is this it? Is it freedom from now on? Is there another life waiting?

Those were a few questions of the many that lingered on her mind.

Baekhyun had said that she was his responsibility after her discharge. But she didn’t know exactly what he meant. Was she going to live with him?

Areum had mixed feelings.

She hated the white room, always wishing she was out of it. She wished she was anywhere but there. But that didn’t exactly mean she was thrilled to be facing the real world again. It was the world that she had been hurt and broken in, before she was tossed aside like trash of society into a mental hospital by her own family. She was afraid of meeting new people, afraid that if she became attached again, he’d kill himself just like Lu Han had. She was also afraid of meeting old acquaintances, like her family, not wanting to be questioned ‘how it was like in a mental hospital’.

And to be under Baekhyun’s care, she worried how Baekhyun’s care was going to turn out. She was afraid of bad treatment, but she was afraid of liking it too. She’d get attached again, leaving her utterly vulnerable.

Mixed feelings.

Since when did Areum even feel anything?

There was the sound of the door being opened behind her. Areum’s eyes warily looked around, not recognizing the presence. It wasn’t the boring, lazy entrance by the nurses nor was it the careful, quiet entrance by Baekhyun. It was unfamiliar.

“Annyeong,” said a distinct man’s voice.

Areum slowly turned around to see who it was. She was initially waiting for Baekhyun to arrive and bring her to her new home, so she wasn’t expecting any visitors, especially not from a person she didn’t even recognize.

The man held her gaze, not blinking or looking away as he closed the door behind him. He was extremely tall, towering above Areum when he stopped approaching her once he was about half a metre away. His hair was messy and he wore a black slim fit windbreaker with a pair of black skinny jeans. With his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he looked a mixture of smart and mysterious.

But his cold, serious demeanor didn’t waver Areum’s wall that drew the line between her and him within half the metre that they stood.

“I’m Kris,” he said.

Areum looked away, realizing she wasn’t interested.

“Wait.. Don’t you remember me?” he asked, his hand landing on her shoulder.

Areum froze, turning slowly towards the hand that made contact with her.

She turned more, letting the hand fall out of her comfort zone.

She wanted to tell him off, “Don’t touch me!”

Instead, she simply sighed and asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Kris. Remember? The guy from school?”

Areum scrutinized his face. She really couldn’t remember ever seeing him.

He looked down at his feet. “I was from 1-2 and you were from 1-3. But our classes always had physical education together. That’s how I got to know you. But you never mixed around with the 1-3 students so you never noticed me amongst the large number of students in 1-2. But I noticed you. I was always watching you whenever I saw you, not in the creepy stalker kind of way, but the curious and concerned kind of way. You were always surrounded but there was always that look of sadness that I think no one else noticed. I did, though.”

He continued. “Last summer was when you disappeared right? During spring, you were still around. But after the summer vacation, I never saw you at school anymore. I guess I got too curious when no one from 1-3 spoke of your disappearance. I figured Park-ssaem had instructed them not to.”

Kris scoffed with bitterness and sadness, his eyes sparkling with tears that accumulated. “Ahh, it’s annoying. I was even actually planning to finally talk to you after the summer break of working on my looks. What do you think? You can’t recognize me, right? I used to be scrawnier with many pimples and really disgusting hair. But I worked on myself over the summer break, only to know that you had disappeared. It was really a disappointment. But whatever it is, I found you again after a long time of searching. I’m really glad…”

Areum blinked. It was then that she understood why she couldn’t recognize him. It wasn’t that she never noticed him, like he thought. It was simply because, like he said, he’d changed his looks, and by then, she had already been sent to the mental hospital.

But her attention wasn’t fixed on the fact that there was an old friend from school who has figured out her stay in the mental hospital. Her attention was fixed on the fact that there was actually someone who was looking over her the whole time she was at school. She’d thought no one cared at all, explaining the subtle look of sadness she always had that no one but Kris noticed. She thought she was alone. But there was a person anyway, waiting and working to be noticed, but failed when what he was waiting for disappeared just like that.

Areum muttered a reply, wanting to somehow express the appreciation she felt towards him for his concern. “It’s nice to meet you…”

Her response earned a smile from Kris. He wasn’t expecting her to try to express any gratitude towards him but he appreciated it.

“Anyway, I’m just here to visit. I know you’re leaving this place today. And I’m happy for you. I hope your condition keeps improving. You have my prayers. See you around.”

And with that, Kris walked out of the room, not without ruffling Areum’s hair like she was supposed to be okay with that. Barely a few seconds after the door closed, it opened again but this time, it was Baekhyun. Being greeted with such an intense stare from Areum was completely unfamiliar to him. He was always greeted with the view of her back rather than her face, much less her emotion-filled eyes.

“Oh, annyeong. Were you waiting for me?”

Areum decided she wasn’t going to share her encounter with Kris with the man she still considered a stranger, realizing that Baekhyun hadn’t seen Kris on his way in.

Baekhyun comfortably sat himself on the white chair, staring up at Areum. He didn’t seem to mind that his question was left unentertained.

“Sit down,” he told her.

Areum took small steps to listen to his instructions. She sat opposite him and clasped her hands together, the mixed feelings returning.

“You ready?”

Areum looked up at him. She wanted to say no, deny it profusely. But she ended up shrugging her shoulders.

Baekhyun seemed happy, though. He smiled.

“You know… it’s not only the two of us.”

That caught Areum’s attention.

And seeing that it did, Baekhyun continued to explain. “Remember the first day I came? I showed you a picture of Lu Han, myself and a boy named Kai. That boy, the one named Kai, he lives with us. He was part of the oath Lu Han left.”

“Before I take you home, I want to give you a gist of what is going on. Basically, we will be living in Lu Han’s home and together, we will follow the orders according to his oath. Lu Han clearly states that he wants you to know that it is your choice whether or not you want to follow his oath with the two friends he has left you with, however, he also wanted you to know that this was his last wishes to make his life at least worth something for the fact that he has ended it earlier than others through suicide. This was what I was ordered to inform you of as his lawyer.”

Areum slowly nodded.

“I am entitled to tell you that if you agree to come with me, I will be responsible of your nutrition and wellbeing. You will live with me and Kai and you will get enough food and clothes for as long as 5 years before we have met the aims that Lu Han has set for us, and therefore, the wealth will be passed on to you and Kai.”

Areum nodded once again.

“So… you ready to come with me?”

Areum didn’t respond. She didn’t know.

And then, she suddenly thought of Kris’ words. He was happy that she was recovering. He was happy that she was leaving the mental hospital. Maybe he would rather see her at a public space than a mental asylum. There was no doubt about that.

And that very thought had made Areum nod, and accept the new life that she had been offered.

---

For the first time in a long time, Areum felt the Sun’s heat prickle her skin. She wore comfortable flats and could feel the road under her tippy-toes. It had been these feelings that gave Areum happiness for the first time in a long time.

She entered the comfort of a car, something very foreign to her as her family didn’t own a car. Baekhyun sat next to her and looked out of the window. The car started moving and Areum found herself watching the streets outside the window. She watched the people and the activities they were involved in.

“Do you… want to open the window?”

Areum pondered for a while. Then, she shrugged.

Baekhyun leaned over and pressed on the button to roll down the window. Areum looked out and felt the wind blow her face. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the wind. She felt free. Free from the place she hated most other than her home, the hospital.

They finally arrived after some time.

Lu Han’s house was a mansion. It was huge. It wasn’t any typical home in South Korea. It was a billionaire’s home.

Baekhyun got out of his side of the car and Areum of her side.

He guided her into the house and she took in the sight of the big house, registering all the expensive furniture she would have never been able to afford.

“Welcome to your new home,” Baekhyun whispered into her ear, making her flinch away from him.

But Baekhyun only laughed and carried her luggage in. Areum slowly followed behind him as he led her to her bedroom in the hallway upstairs. However, she paused when she caught the sight of a tall male standing in that very hallway.

His arms were crossed and he was looking down at his feet. Sensing her staring at him, he looked up and met eyes with her. His lips curled into a smirk, scaring Areum by the second. Yet, she did not budge and merely stared at his mysterious figure.

“Han Areum?” Baekhyun’s voice was heard from her bedroom.

He appeared out of it and studied the atmosphere between Areum and the male.

“Ah, Kai. This is Areum, the girl Lu Han mentioned in his oath,” Baekhyun explained.

“I know,” Kai curtly said.

“Areum, this is Kai, the guy I was telling you about.”

“Hi…” Areum tried saying, but Kai only scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Right then, Areum knew he wasn’t too favourable of her.

“Kai, be nice.”

Kai only scoffed again. “Come on, Baekhyun. We both know she and I are not going to get along well. You know how I feel about her.”

“No, Kai. I don’t. I don’t get why you’re so negative about everything!”

“I never wanted her in this house from the start. She will only be a burden and a nuisance!”

There was silence as Kai was fuming and Baekhyun was attempting to control his patience from running low.

“And besides,” Kai smirked after the long moment of silence. “We both know she was the trigger to Lu Han’s relapse of obsession with suicide. Her negativity ruined our best friend’s life! And, unlike you, Baekhyun, I don’t believe in this pretense of care that you’re suddenly sporting. I’m not going to even try to be nice to this .”

And with that, Kai opened the door behind him and slammed it close, leaving Baekhyun angry and Areum in a state of shock with the knowledge she had just acquired – that she was the reason Lu Han even contemplated suicide. Her negativity gave him ideas and suddenly, he wanted to die too. Suddenly, Areum didn’t even miss Lu Han anymore. Instead, she wished so hard that she hadn’t even met him at all, for it would mean she would have spared his life from the punishment of being too sorrowful. For it would mean he would still be alive and well. If only they never met. If only.