Jaehyun ignored his friend's call. "He died a hero. I thought psych drugs killed him."

The conversation was interrupted by his friend's booming voice calling him again: "Jaehyun, are you home!"

"Jaehyun, go and see him," their father told him. Jaehyun rose to his feet and went outside.

"Did Baekwoon take psych drugs?" Eunji asked, her curious tone matching her expression.

Jiyeon took a deep breath before she answered, "Yes, he had been labeled schizophrenic and prescribed risperidone. He developed akathisia, which was mistaken for psychosis. His mother sent him to Japan in order to save him from the dangers of this drug, but he ended up sacrificing his life to save a stranger there."

Their father shook his head, looking sad. "Risperidone is very dangerous. This drug blocks dopamine's action on the pituitary gland and can cause the levels of prolactin to increase leading to gynecomastia, male enlargement. It can interfere with the electrical impulses that regulate heart rhythm, causing cardiac arrhythmias that can lead to cardiac arrest and death," he explained as he looked alternately at Eunji and Jiyeon. "The idea that the 'right' dose of medicine is therapeutic but the 'wrong' dose is harmful is erroneous; a substance cannot change its inherent nature in relation to the quantity in which it is used. Unintended reactions are labeled 'side effects'. In reality, all reactions are direct effects. Their occurrence after the administration of a medicine provides clear confirmation that this product is inimical to health, not supportive of it. Evidence of the harm pharmaceuticals can cause is also confirmed by the phenomenon known as iatrogenesis. Just say no to all drugs. They are poisons." 

"I never take medications or pills of any kind. I don't listen to doctors. I listen to my own body and trust the body's natural healing powers. Three hundred years ago, Voltaire, the French enlightenment writer, said 'Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing.' What Voltaire said is still true today; iatrogenesis is the proof," Jiyeon responded. "Many people have allowed themselves to be brainwashed and indoctrinated by the incessant repetition of statements such as 'Ask your doctor.' 'Consult your doctor.' 'Only your doctor can decide what is best for you.' 'Don't do this and don't do that until you ask your doctor.' It is tragic that something as fundamental to us as our own body, our own vessel of existence, is beholden to the mercy and charity of random individuals."

Eunji nodded and said, "I don't listen to doctors too. I'm an expert on my own body. You know the history of low-fat diets for heart disease has many parallels to the history of psychotherapy for so-called mental illnesses. Both were widely promoted in the 20th century by power hungry doctors, Drs Ancel Keys and Sigmund Freud, obtaining influence with powerful organizations, who in turn widely promoted their theories with the help of money and politics until their unproven theories started to seem like common sense. Under the influence of these unfounded theories promoted by parties with a financial/political stake in them, people made choices that caused more harm than good—they replaced healthy diets with unhealthy diets, and healthy authentic friendships with unhealthy paid therapists."  

"It's such a relief to know that you listen to your own body instead of doctors. Allopathic medicine sees the body as a collection of parts rather an interconnected network of processes and functions which all rely upon one another. Medical doctors are standoffish to the fact that the human organism channels a natural wisdom and consciousness of how to heal itself, and that the best a physician can do is support that process. Symptoms are targeted as the enemy—" Their father paused when he saw Jaehyun, Taeyong and Chaeyeon walk over to them.

It looked like Taeyong and Chaeyeon immediately came here after school. They were still in their school uniforms. Jaehyun settled down on the arm of the couch beside Jiyeon. Taeyong and Chaeyeon bowed to their father, then to Eunji and Jiyeon.

"How are you, Taeyong?" their father asked. "It's been a long time since you came here?"

"I'm good. Uncle, I stopped coming here since Jaehyun told me the sun is not what we've been told. He sounded like a conspiracy nut," Taeyong replied, emphasizing the word 'conspiracy'. "I find that what he told me is right."

"Chaeyeon, sit down here," Jiyeon said, patting the space on the couch beside her. Simultaneously, Eunji remarked, smiling archly, "Tae, how did you find that out?"

"I observed the sun directly with my own eyes," Taeyong replied proudly. "I don't go blind."

"Congratulations for discovering the truth. Most people will completely reject an idea that goes against their core belief system with zero consideration. The thing I'm trying to point out is that once you believe something to be true, it feels like an attack if someone says something that doesn't fit your belief system." Their father smiled. "Well, I don't want to interrupt your conversation." He stood up and made his way to the stairs.

Jiyeon patted the space beside her once again. Chaeyeon did as she was bid. Eunji looked at Taeyong and patted the empty space beside her on the couch, telling him, "Come on. Sit down here."

Does he like her? Jiyeon shook her head in disbelief as Taeyong moved shyly over to sit down next to Eunji.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Eunji continued in a teasing tone, eying Chaeyeon.

Chaeyeon and Jiyeon looked at each other. Chaeyeon stifled a laugh. Jiyeon pressed her lips together trying to hold back laughter, but this effort shook her entire body. She wasn't the only one who had mistaken someone's family member for their lover.

Taeyong huffed out a loud sigh. "She's my cousin and your brother's ex-classmate, Jung Chaeyeon."

Eunji's mouth formed an O. "Chaeyeon, I'm Jung Eunji. Nice to meet you." She gave her a soft smile. "We share the same surname."

Chaeyeon bowed her head with a small smile. "Nice to meet you, too," she mumbled.

"Okay, I get something to drink." Eunji rose to her feet and headed towards the kitchen. Taeyong's eyes followed her every move.

With a loud voice, Jiyeon blurted out, "Taeyong, you like her, don't you?"

Jiyeon, Jaehyun and Chaeyeon looked at him intently, anticipating his response. Taeyong looked a bit nervous as he squirmed in his seat.

"You really like my sister?" Jaehyun stated teasingly as he held Jiyeon's hand.

Taeyong swallowed hard, his Adam's apple becoming quite pronounced. "I-I like her as a sister," he stuttered.

"Liar," Chaeyeon murmured. Simultaneously, Jaehyun continued teasing him in a singsong voice, "Oh, really? Come on. Just admit you like her not as a sister. It's not the end of the world."

"Don't be ashamed. Just admit it. You said love recognizes no age, no barriers," Jiyeon added, her tone matching Jaehyun's.

Taeyong blew out a loud breath, scratching his head. "Stop teasing me, youngest teacher, sun boy!" he snapped, earning a small laugh from Jiyeon.

Jaehyun clucked his tongue. "You enjoyed teasing us. You know now how annoying it can be."

Taeyong leaned against the couch, rested his right foot over his left thigh and crossed his arms. He narrowed his eyes as if trying to pierce Jaehyun with his gaze. He quickly set his foot back down when Eunji approached them, carrying a tray filled with four glasses of water. He stood up and helped her hand the glasses to them.

"Here." Taeyong handed Eunji the last glass.

"No, that's for you." Eunji placed the empty tray on the table and sat back down on the couch. Taeyong followed suit. He sat beside her.

Chaeyeon took a few sips of water and carefully set the glass on the table while Jiyeon and Jaehyun emptied their glasses at one gulp. Jaehyun took the empty glass from Jiyeon's hand and put their glasses on the table, saying, "Sis, Taeyong said he likes you."

Taeyong, who was drinking his water slowly while stealing glances of Eunji every chance he got, choked on his drink. When he could speak, he said, "As a sister. I like you as a sister."

"I heard the conversation from the kitchen. I like you as a brother too." Eunji flashed him a smile.

Taeyong set the glass back on the tray before he put his arm around Eunji's shoulders. "We like each other as brother and sister," he announced, a look of disappointment crossing his face. Eunji nodded, her smile growing wider.  

It's obvious that you like her not as a sister. Jiyeon shook her head, chuckling inwardly while Jaehyun let out a short laugh. Chaeyeon remained silent, staring straight at Eunji and Taeyong.

Taeyong removed his arm from Eunji's shoulders and leaned forward. Giving them a peevish look, he went on, "Youngest teacher, sun boy, are you satisfied yet? Taking revenge on me?"  

Jiyeon and Jaehyun looked at each other, startled by his words. They shifted their gazes to him and chorused, "We don't take revenge—"

"Teacher Park, we got a new math teacher replacing you today," Chaeyeon butted in, her eyes downcast. The room fell silent. Jaehyun placed his hand on Jiyeon's shoulder and lightly squeezed. Eunji gave her a sympathetic look. Taeyong leaned back against the couch and dropped his head.

So they have decided to fire me. Well, I don't give a . My decision to live off the grid is very strong and final. Jiyeon smiled as she took Chaeyeon's hand. "So how is your new teacher, Chaeyeon?" her soft, gentle voice broke the silence.

"He's stricter than you. In the first lesson, he talked about the rules we have to follow. I don't like him," Chaeyeon replied in a low voice, keeping her eyes downcast. "You lied to me about your relationship with Jaehyun, why didn't you do the same to others so that you could still teach us? I really like you as my teacher, and I wish—" Her voice tapered off into sobs.

Chaeyeon's sobs wrenched her heart. Jiyeon wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. "I'm sorry I've lied to you," she said, her voice cracking. "Honestly acting like nothing happened tortured me. I don't regret I announced my relationship with him to the whole class."

Jiyeon rubbed her back as Chaeyeon continued sobbing softly on her shoulder. She never thought her student would cry for her. Tears welled up in her eyes. She let her tears fall freely down her cheeks. Slowly, Chaeyeon's sobs ceased. Chaeyeon broke contact with Jiyeon, dipped her head down and let her hair fall over her face as if to hide her tears. Jiyeon wiped tears from her own cheeks.

"I wish you would teach me until I graduate." Chaeyeon's voice sounded hoarse.

Jiyeon took a long, deep breath to center herself and then let it go. "You can still learn math from me whenever you wish." She softly patted Chayeon on the shoulder in a soothing way. "I'll happily teach you."

Chaeyeon lifted her head and looked at her. "Really? You don't lie?" Her voice rose a bit with excitement.

"No. I'm serious—" Jiyeon reached up and wiped Chaeyeon's tear-stained cheeks with her fingers. "I'll happily teach you while I'm still here. I will probably leave the city this week." 

"Where will you go?" Chaeyeon's voice dropped to a low whisper, disappointment palpable in her face.

"Into the woods." Jiyeon smiled. "We've decided to live off the grid. Our decision is irrevocable."

"Our fathers have given us their blessings," Jaehyun chimed in. "My sister knows where the cabin we're going to live in together is. If you want to meet us, just ask her to take you there."

"Yes, Chaeyeon. I'll take you there if you want to go." Eunji put an arm around Taeyong's shoulders. "You, Taeyong and I, the three of us can go there together." 

Taeyong lifted his head, and his eyes sparkled as he looked at Eunji. "That sounds amazing! Going camping in the woods with you is…" His voice trailed off, and then he quickly looked away and gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

Jaehyun raised his eyebrows with a teasing grin. "The thing you've been dreaming of, huh?"

Jiyeon chuckled, slapping Jaehyun's thigh lightly. Eunji pressed her lips together but failed to hide her smile altogether. "Jae, stop teasing this cute boy," Eunji said, squeezing Taeyong's shoulder.

"Miss Eunji, if my cousin admits he likes you not as a sister, will you accept him?" Chaeyeon bluntly spoke, which surprised all of them. Eunji quickly removed her arm from Taeyong's shoulders and moved a little away from him. Taeyong narrowed his eyes at Chaeyeon, and his upper lip curled slightly.

"Currently, I'm not interested in dating anyone," Eunji finally responded after a moment's silence. "If someday I want to date, I may consider dating your cousin. To me, age difference doesn't matter."

Taeyong looked surprised. He jerked his gaze to Eunji and asked, "Do you really not mind the at all?"

Eunji gave a nod and said slowly, emphasizing every word, "I don't mind it at all."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Taeyong exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air, earning giggles from his cousin and Eunji. Jiyeon shook her head, amused by her student's excitement. Jaehyun stared at him in utter disbelief.

"So you do like me not as a sister?" Eunji added bluntly.

"Yes, I like you just like your brother likes our youngest teacher," Taeyong dropped his voice to a whisper and ducked his head down, blushing.

Jaehyun clapped his hands, saying, "Congratulations for admitting your feelings."

Eunji moved closer to him and put her arm around his shoulders. "Taeyong, I appreciate your feelings for me, but as I said earlier, I'm currently not interested in dating anyone," she told him in a tender, soothing voice. "I enjoy my own company."

Taeyong looked at her and responded in a calm voice, "Then I'll wait for you."

Eunji shook her head. "No, don't wait for me. If you want to date, go ahead and date whenever you want."

"I'm not greedy for women. I won't date anyone except you. I'll wait for you—" Taeyong took her hand in his. A tone of seriousness crept into his voice, "My decision is irrevocable."

"Well then. Happy waiting." Eunji laughed softly, ruffling Taeyong's hair in a playful manner. Taeyong ruffled his hair back out of his eyes with one hand and chuckled a little. Jiyeon, Jaehyun and Chaeyeon exchanged glances and smiles.

Taeyong shifted his gaze to Jaehyun and asked, "Do you mind if someday we date each other?"

"No, I don't mind it at all." Jaehyun's smile deepened, showing his adorable dimples.

A slow smile curved Taeyong's lips. Chaeyeon took a deep breath and said, "Jaehyun, you seem to not regret quitting school at all."

"I don't have even a shadow of regret when it comes to quitting high school. Schools are indoctrination camps. The world is not what they taught us in school," Jaehyun responded unhesitatingly. "Your cousin has proven to himself that the sun is not what we've been told. You know the germ theory is fallacious and unsubstantiated by science yet it is taught in schools like it has been scientifically proven beyond any doubt. Our daily lives are based on theories. Very sad."  

Taeyong and Chaeyeon looked at each other and then looked back at Jaehyun. Taeyong said, "It's scary and intimidating in a way to have our belief systems challenged, but there's freedom in truth. So tell me more about this theory."

Jaehyun got up from the arm of the couch and sat down on the floor. All eyes were on him as he began speaking, "We've been led to believe that bacteria are dangerous pathogens. The fact is that most cells in the human body contain mitochondria that are bacterial in origin. Mitochondria perform an extremely important function, which is generating energy for the cell in the form of ATP. The bacterial origin of mitochondria demonstrates the erroneous nature of the idea that bacteria are fundamental parasites that contribute nothing to the welfare of the host. Investigations of bacteria and their relationship to different diseases reveal the existence of exceptions to both criteria of Koch's first postulate; bacteria have been found in the bodies of people who do not have the disease they are alleged to cause, and the relevant bacteria have not been found in all people with the disease they are alleged to cause. The significance of these exceptions is that they utterly refute the basic assumption that bacteria cause disease. For example, E. coli are regarded as a major cause of food poisoning, but it is also widely recognized that E. coli normally reside in the intestines of healthy people. The eminent Canadian physician, Sir William Osier found that the diphtheria bacillus is absent in 28 to 40% of cases of diphtheria—" He paused, in a deep breath.

Jaehyun shifted to rest his arms against the table; his fingers intertwined, and then he continued, "The discovery that bacteria are saprotrophic, meaning they perform the function of decomposing damaged as well as dead materials within the body, has profound implications, one of which is that it provides the most plausible explanation for their presence within diseased tissue. Our own bacteria are pleomorphic and change when they need to. Pleomorphism doesn't fit the existing consensus view of bacteria, but it does provide a compelling explanation for the variety of bacterial forms that are often mistakenly believed to be distinctly different entities, each of which is claimed to be the causal agent of a distinctly different disease. Rene Dubos, the late microbiologist and Pulitzer Prize winner, knew the risks of our divorce from our natural environment, and the hubris involved in thinking that we can get by without a profound appreciation for our microbial dependencies. He stated that 'Man will ultimately destroy himself if he thoughtlessly eliminates the organisms that constitute essential links in the complex and delicate web of life of which he is a part.' Louis Pasteur debunked his own germ theory a century ago. Pasteur admitted on his deathbed, 'The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything.' You may read E. Douglas Hume's old book Bechamp or Pasteur, A lost chapter in the History of Biology for more details."

"How about viruses?" Chaeyeon responded, a hint of curiosity creeping into her voice. "Do they cause diseases?"   

Jaehyun smiled at her. "Viruses have never been proven to cause disease. It's a theory, peer-reviewed by those who believe that theory. It was only after the invention of the electron microscope in the 1930s that particles smaller than bacteria could be observed in samples taken from people with certain diseases. It was these tiny particles that became known as viruses and assumed to be the causal agents of all diseases that could not be attributed to bacteria. The discovery of particles in samples taken from people with a disease, and the assumption that this represents a causal relationship, is akin to blaming fire-fighters as being the causes of fires, because they are directly associated with fire and often found at premises that are ablaze. Viruses are nonliving particles that are inert outside of the host cell. A virus as inert means it lacks the ability to move by itself. Ask yourself these questions, how these nonliving particles are able to move and be transmitted between people? How viruses are able to enter the body and infect cells?"

Chaeyeon patted Jiyeon's arm lightly. Jiyeon looked at her, and Chaeyeon murmured, "They are moved by passive movements, for example the bloodstream or movements of the air until they meet their target cells."

In her soft, gentle voice, Jiyeon responded, "Viruses do not have their own metabolisms. They have completely given their metabolisms to the cells. Strictly speaking, they do not count among 'microbes,' which comes from the Greek: 'micro' means small, 'bios' means life. How can viruses be in a position to become active and aggressive of their own accord?"

Jaehyun cleared his throat, and they looked back at him. He then resumed, "Dr. Lynn Margulis, a renowned biologist, provides an explanation in her book entitled Symbiotic Planet, of the distinction between living and non-living. She refers to viruses as non-living and explains that, 'They are not alive since outside living cells they do nothing, ever. Viruses require the metabolism of the live cell because they lack the requisites to generate their own. Metabolism, the incessant chemistry of self-maintenance, is an essential feature of life. Viruses lack this.' Dr. Robert Doerr, a leading virologist of the past century, even held the idea that not only phages, but also other viruses were the product of cells. Dr. Kary Mullis, the recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction or PCR, in his article entitled The Medical Establishment vs. the Truth, discusses how the entire virus-busting industry plies its dogmas, declaring them to be eternal truths, without the support of factual evidence. The assumption that a particular 'viral particle' causes a particular 'infection' is solely based on the claim that certain antibodies have sometimes been found in samples extracted from some people exhibiting certain symptoms. In other words, there appears to be a correlation between symptoms and antibodies. It's important to note that 'viruses' are not detected directly; there is no test that is able to directly detect the presence of a 'whole virus.'"   

"One of the most compelling studies to interrogate the assumptions around contagion and germ theory was conducted by the Public Health Service and the U.S. Navy under the supervision of Dr. Milton Rosenau in 1918 in healthy volunteers at multiple locations. His first volunteers received first one strain and then several strains of Pfeiffer's bacillus by spray and swab into their noses and throats and then into their eyes. When that procedure failed to produce disease, others were inoculated with mixtures of other organisms isolated from the throats and noses of influenza patients. Next, some volunteers received injections of blood from influenza patients. Finally, 10 of the volunteers were taken into an influenza ward and exposed to 10 influenza patients each. Each volunteer was to shake hands with each patient, to talk with him at close range, and to permit him to cough directly into his face. None of the volunteers in these experiments developed influenza. According to the germ theory, all of the healthy men should have been infected by the viruses and become ill. The fact that they did not fall ill poses a direct and serious challenge to the basic assumption that flu is infectious," Eunji chimed in. "When we were kids, my brother and I spent a lot of time playing outside, getting dirty, and we never got sick. This proved, to me at least, the germ theory is just a theory. If nature wanted us bacteria-free, nature would have created us bacteria-free."

"The human race would not have survived if we were so vulnerable to microbes when our physical makeup consists predominantly of bacteria that keep us healthy and upon which we depend for homeostasis," Jiyeon added. "All antibiotics are inherently toxic; they are produced with the specific intention of destroying microorganisms. The fact that they do not solely act on 'bad' bacteria is acknowledged by the medical establishment definition which states that, 'they may alter the normal microbial content of the body (e.g. in the intestine, lungs, bladder) by destroying one or more groups of harmless or beneficial organisms.'"

Lowering her head, Chaeyeon covered her face with both hands. After a brief silence, she spoke, looking alternately at Jaehyun and Eunji, "It is not unusual for people to be ill at the same time and to have the same or very similar symptoms. It makes sense to assume that they have the same disease that has been spread by some kind of germ. If the germ theory is just a theory, this assumption is erroneous. Then what makes these people ill at the same time?"

Chaeyeon looked more confident. She could speak while looking at the ones she was speaking to comfortably. The fun part is she is more open minded than before. Jiyeon couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Jaehyun and Eunji exchanged looks, and then Eunji nodded as if signaling him to answer Chayeon's question.

Jaehyun looked at Chaeyeon and answered gently, "You know in the 1960s and 70s, Japan experienced a strange nervous-system affliction labeled SMON. The clarion call was: find the virus, it must be a virus. But no, in a landmark court case, the cause was shown to be a gastrointestinal drug, clioquinol. The illusion that SMON was an infectious disease was compelling: when patients with abdominal upset or diarrhea were treated with clioquinol and developed SMON, family members, doctors and nurses took the drug thinking it would protect them—inadvertently creating the very disease they feared. The resulting cluster outbreaks made SMON look like an infectious disease. In short, what people thought was a cure for SMON was in fact its cause. In 1954, Dr. Ralph R. Scobey, President of the Poliomyelitis Research Institute, Syracuse, New York, reported in the journal Archives of Pediatrics, that herpes simplex had developed after the injection of vaccines, the drinking of milk or the ingestion of certain foodstuffs; while herpes zoster (shingles) arose after ingestion or injection of heavy metals like arsenic and bih or alcohol. Chaeyeon, we have been systematically deceived by that group who wants to divert our attention to a microbial explanation for illnesses when the real causes are toxic poisoning from various sources both chemical and electrical."

Jiyeon put her arm around Chaeyeon's shoulders, adding, "Chaeyeon, there's no evidence that staring at the sun makes you go blind. The SMON tragedy is the evidence that the pharmaceutical drug causes blindness. Toxic drugs like statins, antibiotics and antivirals can cause oxidative stress. This means that the blood's ability to transport oxygen, so important for the life and survival of cells, is compromised. Let's stop blaming Nature and start questioning man-made creations."

Chaeyeon said nothing. Her gaze fell to her lap, and she fiddled with her fingers.

"The SMON tragedy, vaccines, heavy metals," Taeyong muttered aloud, looking up at the ceiling as he scratched his temple with his index finger. He then gave Jaehyun a questioning look. "Are you trying to tell us the pharmaceutical and chemical industry created diseases through their toxic products?"

Jaehyun sighed loudly. "The germ theory is great for big pharma. It generates huge profits for them. It's also about keeping people in constant fear of the 'invisible enemy' because it's easier to control them. My only point I try to make is, educate yourself and make your own decision."

"I'd like to quote Herbert Agar 'The truth which makes men free is, for the most part, the truth which men prefer not to hear.'" Eunji patted Taeyong on the arm. "Health cannot be administered via a pill, via an injection or via a surgical procedure. If you want to truly be healthy, at some point you are going to have to take full responsibility for learning exactly what your body, mind and spirit really need in order to be healthy and then you are going to have to make the various changes that are necessary. As a self-healing organism, your body is designed to heal itself. Everything your body does is in an effort to restore its equilibrium and maintain a healthy balanced state of wellness. Educate yourself—most important: You are your own best doctor!"

The smile never left Jiyeon's face as she looked at Eunji, silently admiring her. Taeyong looked straight into Eunji's face with unblinking eyes and responded in a deadly serious tone, "Your advice makes me like you even more. And respect you."

Eunji smiled, pinching Taeyong's cheek lightly. He giggled. Chaeyeon lifted her eyes and looked at Jaehyun. Calmly, Chaeyeon said, "I really appreciate you telling me about the germ theory being fallacious. I'm definitely motivated to do my own research into the history of the germ theory."

"It can be scary and crazy finding out that everything you thought to be true could be false. But finding the truth and knowing that you've been lied to, is actually liberating," Jaehyun responded.

"You're right, sun boy!" Taeyong sprang to his feet. "Chae, let's go home. I'm sure your mother is looking for you."

Chaeyeon nodded and stood up. Eunji, Jaehyun and Jiyeon followed suit. They escorted Taeyong and Chaeyeon to the front door.