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“Dunno if you're listening - hell, I don't even know if you can hear me. But, um, we've arrived.”

Silence was the only reply to the van driver's muttered words. His voice made it clear he wasn't even expecting an answer anymore. Despite his attempts to spark at least some conversation with his doll-like passenger, the person in the back hadn't made a single sound so far.

Without any intention to get out of the vehicle, Yesung kept his shining eyes fixed straight ahead.

With a heavy sigh, the driver stepped out, closing the door a little too forcefully. Though he knew the man was clinically insane, that didn't stop him from being pissed off. Doing his best not to be too rough, he dragged Yesung out of the van. The vehicle was white and bore a red cross, but there were no instruments or medicine inside, apart from a few sedatives. Yesung was a different kind of patient.

Glancing nervously every few seconds at the mute man, the driver led Yesung to the faded aquamarine building they stopped at. A rough gravel road led across a neat lawn to the tired-looking hospital ahead. Definitely, it wasn't what you'd imagine a mental institution would look like. Rather, it resembled an oversized country house, one your grandma might fancy.

Although he'd been obediently walking to the door, Yesung suddenly stopped in his tracks. However, running away was the last thing on his mind. He was simply staring at the neat sign pinned on the door.

Dr Park Leeteuk

Private Medical Institution for Psychiatric patients
 

At first glance, the letters seemed typed, even though it was written by hand. It was the neatest handwriting Yesung had ever seen.

“...Umm, Yesung – that's you name, isn't it? I'll, you know, drop you off here. Okay?” said the van driver, stuttering under the unsettling gaze of the raven-haired man.

Thankfully, Yesung's attention quickly moved away from the driver's face. A sigh of relief escaped the driver, as he gladly left Yesung to the newly-appeared figure at the door.

“Oh, that's our new friend! So glad to meet ya!!!”

A thick layer of bangs was covering Yesung's eyes. No response came from him, even though the smiling voice was almost irresistibly inviting.

However, the overly-enthusiastic medical worker didn't seem bothered at all. Still glowing with joy, he led Yesung by the hand through an old-fashioned maze of corridors. Everything was of humble size, often visibly aged, but well kept and clean.

“...Not so bad here, ya know. I do gardening every day, they let me out, imagine that? See those sunflowers out there?” chatted Donghae restlessly, pointing at a window.

“I tend them all the time, that's why they're so beautiful!” gushed Donghae proudly. He seemed like an ajjushi talking about his little grandchildren.

Something was amiss about the medic's story though. There were no sunflowers outside.

Not that Yesung seemed to notice. Still silent, he followed Donghae to the main doctor's office.

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