"My girl, open your eyes. I'm standing right here."

The voice kept ringing in her ear. Its husky sweet pronunciation, like honey, brought calmness to her soul. Jiyeon opened her eyes to see nothing but a white mist. Oh God, she was blind. Panic flooded through her veins. She opened to scream, but her voice was trapped inside , her frantic mind racing with the words she couldn't get out. Help me, Mom! Help me!

Her eyes fluttered closed for a fleeting second. When she opened her eyes again, the fog slowly dissipated—the cold and dreadful wind rattled the loose windows and seeped through every nook and cranny, carrying ominous feelings of mystery and unpleasantness. And…a figure dressed in a black hooded cloak emerged, standing at the end of her bed. The figure pulled back the hood to reveal a handsome face with dark-brown eyes and blonde hair.

Jiyeon sat bolt upright in bed, hugging her knees. "A-annoying teacher told me the truth…you are B-Baekwoon...Baekhyun's twin brother, right?" Her voice came out as a raspy whisper, shrouded in fear. She trembled, a cold shudder ran through her, and there was an eerie and ghastly silence. She felt as if she was in a terrible dream. She encountered a ghost named Byun Baekwoon?

A smile slowly spread across his face. "My girl, don't be afraid. I'm not a ghost; I'm the voice of your heart." His soft voice broke the silence that had fallen between them. "Hug me." He opened his arms wide, his brows dancing.

Some people had indirectly labeled her as a person with a mental disorder because of him yet he still didn't want to tell her who he really was. Totally unacceptable! Jiyeon being Jiyeon, she turned her fear into anger and focused it on Blondie. "The voice of your , stop making a fool of me! Tell me who you really are!" she screamed as she tossed a pillow at him.  

Blondie laughed a little as he caught it and threw it back at her. It crashed into her face. She couldn't believe he had just hit her like that. With a great hissing sound caused by air through her gritted teeth, she squeezed her pillow tightly, her eyes fixed on him in a stern glare.       

"How dare you hit me?" Jiyeon threw her pillow at him.

Blondie ducked as the pillow flew by, missing his head and landing on the floor. "You're so predictable." He crawled up onto the mattress, kneeling in front of her. "My girl, being angry can make you age faster." He tapped the tip of her nose playfully with his index finger, eliciting a small laugh.

"Who cares? I'm not afraid of growing older!" Jiyeon hissed, smacking his hand away, "and who is your girl? I'm not your—"

"Park Jiyeon is my girl. I admire you so much. I love everything about you. I adore you." His voice was so gentle, his expression so serious. He gently held her face in his hands. "I would like to do this."

Before she could protest, Blondie captured with his. An utterly new sensation coursing through her made her dizzy. Jiyeon closed her eyes to stop the dizziness. Suddenly, being afraid that her body would betray her, she placed her hands over his chest and pushed him away.

Confusion splayed across his handsome features. "What's wrong?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

Amusement filled his eyes. "I find you attractive."

Jiyeon hit his head with her bolster pillow. "How bold." She slid off the bed, wiping and shuffled to the window. She peeked out through the curtains and looked up at the sky. The moon shone brightly, a swollen crescent. Tiny white glints of stars fought against the midnight inky blue. She smiled at the calm, beautiful sight.

In an instant, her smile faded away, her lips turned down and eyes narrowed, wondering. She interacted both physically and verbally with the blonde man, who claimed to be the voice of her heart. Had it all been a dream? No, the kiss felt so real—she could swear the taste of his lips still lingered in . But surely no dream could be as real as this either, or could it? The disconcerting realization came over her that she had no idea whether she was asleep or awake. Jiyeon knew how to find out.

Pain! The pain response didn't function in the dreaming state. Hence, people always pinched themselves. She pinched her cheeks. It hurt. She bit her tongue. It hurt more. She slammed her forehead against the window frame. It hurt like hell. Yet somehow Jiyeon was still unconvinced. Maybe it was possible to dream that you were feeling pain when you really weren't.           

Jiyeon felt two hands press lightly down on her shoulders, and she was sure it was Blondie. He turned her around to face him. He had deep worry lines etched into his brow between his eyes.

"Why did you hurt yourself? Is something upsetting you?" He touched her forehead, and she winced. "It appears this is the only area showing a bruise." He kissed the sore spot with infinite tenderness, and she felt gentle warmth spread through her chest that tears sprang to her eyes, relieving the pain.   

"Why are you crying?" He brushed her tears away with his fingertips.

"I'm not crying; I'm just shedding tears," she said flatly, "I'm amazed. Your kiss is like magic; it does relieve the pain."        

A small smile touched the corners of his mouth, and his eyes sparkled with amusement. "You're like a kid." He pinched the tip of her nose playfully.

She slapped his hand away. "Don't ever pinch my nose again," Jiyeon hissed as she pointed her index finger right in his face. "It's so irritating, so damn irritating."

His small smile grew into a wide, lopsided grin. "I get it. I will not do it again." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. Jiyeon squirmed and tried to wriggle free of his strong grip, but her arms were pinioned beneath his. Her heart started racing in anger at his assumption that he could do as he liked with her. However, she quelled her rage and submitted to his embrace, too weary to protest.     

"God, I love you, Jiyeon," he whispered in her ear. "Let me hug you like this for a moment."   

His voice was warm and tender—it melted her. She closed her eyes, absorbing his warmth and strength. As the embrace ended, Jiyeon took hold of his hands and held on tight. She stared up at him with tender pleading eyes. "Please tell me who you are. What's your name?" Her voice was soft and borderline pleading. "It doesn't make sense. You said you love me, while I don't even know your name. I know I'm beautiful, but there are women who are more beautiful than me. Why me?" Confidence blanketed the words that she emphasized. 

His lips curved into a smile, baring a perfect set of white teeth. "Because you are Park Jiyeon—there's only one you in the world."        

She threw off his hands as a wave of anger coursed through her veins. That wasn't the answer she expected. She felt like she was being made fun of. She clenched and unclenched her fists. Her teeth were grinding together so hard, her jaw ached. "Stop playing games with me! Tell me who you are and what you want right now!" Jiyeon's shriek echoed in the room.

Blondie covered his ears with his hands, eyes squinting. Jiyeon gave him one last fiery glare before she walked over to her bed and plopped down on it. Squeezing her eyes shut, she concentrated on her breathing, slowing it, deepening it, letting her tension flow out. She felt the mattress bounce a bit as he plopped down beside her.

"My girl, I'll tell you who I am. Let's have dinner first. I've prepared a special dinner for you," his soothing voice whispered in her ear, "I know you are hungry. You haven't eaten your dinner, have you?" He her hair tenderly.

Jiyeon opened her eyes and found him watching her. The sight melted her heart. His expression was so tender, so loving. "Promise me you'll tell me who you are," she said as she held up her pinky finger.

"I promise." Blondie grinned widely as he hooked his pinky finger around hers; then he rose to his feet. Bending over, he picked her up bridal-style, like a princess.

"Wow!" Her eyes flew wide in surprise, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her out of her room. "Please put me down. I am not a baby, and can walk myself. Mom's gonna kill me if we get caught."

He shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You are almost as light as a feather," he teased. "And no need to worry. Your mom's sound asleep. Don't scream. Keep your voice low or you'll wake her up."

Jiyeon rolled her eyes and snuggled into the warm safety of him as he carried her down stairs and into the dining room. Truth be told, she enjoyed being carried. She pressed her lips together in an attempt to keep herself from laughing as she noticed that there were only two glasses of water, two plates sitting on the table with forks on the left hand side and knives on the right. Each plate contained sausage and two fried eggs forming smiling face. Special dinner? She thought the table would be adorned with cut flowers, flickering candles, beef steak, and orange juice.

"My girl, next time, I'll make a real special dinner for you." He gently sat her down on the chair. "I put my heart into my cooking. It's a lot of work for me. So no complaints here!" He took his seat beside her.

Jiyeon clucked her tongue. "Am I complaining?"

Blondie nodded. "Yes. Don't you want beef steak, orange juice—"

"God, you can read my mind?" she cut him off, her tone infused with disbelief. gaped open slightly as she stared at him. His lips curled into an almost teasing smile as he leaned over and gave her a quick peck on her lips. She spontaneously punched him hard on the upper arm.

"Ouch. What was that for?" He rubbed his upper arm, his face scrunched up like he was in pain.

"For touching this." She tapped her index finger against her lips.

He heaved an audible sigh. "Now eat. Don't talk."

Jiyeon blew out a breath and leaned her left elbow on the table, resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she watched him cut the white carefully away from the yolk. He only ate the whites, leaving the yolks, like eyes. God, it looked like they shared the same habit.

"Why do you only eat egg whites?" Jiyeon asked as he forked the last piece of sausage into his mouth.

"I don't like egg yolks. They have a very fishy taste and make me want to throw up." He picked up his glass and drained it in one gulp. "Why haven't you eaten your food, my girl?" He placed the empty glass on the table. 

Jiyeon rubbed her left eye then closed her eyes, saying, "Could you please stop calling me 'my girl'? I'm not your girl." She squeezed her eyes tight then opened them. She gave him a stern look. "Curiosity kills my appetite. Now, tell me who you are and what you want."

Blondie nodded, got to his feet and took her hands in his. Gently, he pulled her to her feet. As he looked deeply into her eyes, as if he was looking into her soul, a strange feeling struck her. A feeling that she hadn't experienced before. She lowered her sight to his chest, avoiding his eyes.

"Jiyeon, first of all, I'd like to tell you something about annoying teacher. I'm sure it will make you happy. Do you want to hear?"

She nodded without looking up. "Yes, I do."

He cleared his throat. "Annoying teacher is...she has an intense fear of geckos. A picture of a gecko is enough to scare the out of her. She'd scared you to death, now you can scare her."

Her eyes lit up with excitement. Jiyeon dragged her gaze up to his face. "Really?"

He gave her a nod. She pumped her fist in the air and kissed him spontaneously on the cheek. Blondie touched his cheek, a bright smile splitting his face. Realizing her reaction, embarrassment enveloped her, and her face burned. She lowered her head, covering her eyes with one hand. He cupped her face between his hands, lifted her face and stared into her eyes. Jiyeon didn't know why the intent expression on his face made her heart beat faster.

"Jiyeon, we have a lot of things in common. We don't drink alcohol and soda. We don't like egg yolks, coffee and being tickled. We don't believe in both psychiatrists and psychologists, but we believe about the spirit world—" His gaze dropped to as he traced her lips with his thumb. "You're my girl, and I love you."

His tender loving voice and the motion of his touch seemed to have her hypnotized. He lowered his head to hers and captured her lips in a slow, gentle kiss. This time, she returned his kiss, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His mouth was incredibly soft, his lips warm and sweet like candy. As they kissed each other passionately, each other's lips, each other's tongues, her eyes fluttered open slightly to see the lime-green wall of her room and felt herself getting wet, which eventually convinced her that she was asleep in her bed, and…

She was bedwetting. Jiyeon jolted awake and sat bolt upright. She panicked. "Oh, no!" Her pajama pants were soaked between her legs down to her knees; there was a large wet spot on the sheets beneath her. "God, Jiyeon, how old are you?" She glanced at her digital clock stationed on her bedside table. The clock read 3:15 a.m.

Jiyeon jumped out of bed, grabbed the towel from her chair and headed towards her bathroom. She peeled off her pajamas, letting them flutter to the floor and hang the towel over the curtain rod before she the shower and stepped into the warm stream. She washed her hair, soaped up and rinsed off several times. She stood perfectly still under the steady stream of water, thinking about what she had experienced in her dream.

The dream was so vivid and close to reality that it was hard to spot incongruities. She felt everything. Why did she have to wake up? He hadn't told her his name yet. She felt like she wanted to go back to her dreamland just to figure out who he was. Truth be told, there was a small part, a very small part that she believed in what Yoona had told her that Baekhyun had a twin brother—Blondie was his twin brother. Frustration bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Jiyeon squeezed her eyes shut for a moment then opened them again as a brilliant idea popped into her head and quickly turned off the water. She grabbed her towel, dried herself and then wrapped it around her wet hair before she stepped out the shower. She bent over, picked up her wet pajamas and put them in the laundry basket.

Carrying the laundry basket, Jiyeon briskly walked over to her bed. She placed it on the floor and began stripping off the wet sheets, pillowcase and blanket, tossing them into it. She drew a long sigh as she noticed urine stains on the mattress. She felt so lazy to clean it. Shaking her head, she went to her closet to get her black robe and wore it. She immediately left her room, carrying the laundry basket and headed straight down the stairs to the laundry room. She hoped her mother hadn't woken up yet. If she knew her twenty-two-year-old daughter had wet the bed, she might find it abnormal, and that would make her more eager to force her to see a psychiatrist.

Jiyeon came to a dead stop when she saw her mother putting detergent into the machine. Her mother switched on the washing machine, which promptly made a horrible grinding noise. The noise irritated her to a point Jiyeon wanted to kick it to stop it making those horrible noises. To be honest, she hated doing laundry. Jiyeon stomped her right foot on the floor.

Her mother turned around, and a look of surprise blanketed her face. "Sweetie, the sun hasn't woken up yet. What made you wake up very early?" She approached her. Jiyeon swallowed, blinking rapidly as her mother's gaze raked her from head to toe and added, "Your hair, your robe—it tells me you've just taken a shower—" She bent towards the laundry basket Jiyeon was holding and wrinkled her nose. "It smells awful." She straightened up and looked her in the eye. "Did you wet the bed?"

A small, embarrassed laugh escaped her. Jiyeon placed the laundry basket on the floor near the washing machine. "Mom, I have something I'd like to talk about." She took her mother's hand and led her into the stairs.

"I'm ready to listen," her mother said as they sat down on the bottom step, side by side.

Jiyeon held her mother's hand in a tight clench, hoping she would believe in what she was going to say. "Mom, you've noticed me behave in a strange way, but I'm still sane. I'm not losing my mind." She injected seriousness into her tone. "I've been hearing a voice for a few months, and I dreamed of meeting the owner of the voice twice—a few days ago and today. It's a man, and I feel like he is obsessed with me, Mom."

"My girl, I'm not obsessed with you. I admire you so much," the voice rang in her ear. Jiyeon blinked, shaking off the voice.

"You wet the bed because you were having with him in your dream?"

The word made her feel uncomfortable. Jiyeon loosened her hold, lowering her gaze to her lap. "No, we just kissed," she answered, dropping her voice to a whisper. A twang of shame tugged at her heart as the images of their passionate kiss in her dream flashed so clearly in her mind, but she pushed it away. She raised her head and looked at her mother. "Mom, I'm still sane, so—"

"Sweetie, take the day off today"—her mother cupped her face in her hands, her expression so soft and almost tearful—"and go see a good psychiatrist. I'll accompany you."

Her mother's tearful expression made her feel guilty, while her request made her blood boil. Jiyeon gritted her teeth as her eyes began to mist over with tears. "No, Mom." She got to her feet, and her mother followed suit. "I rather die than go to a psychiatrist or psychologist. They are so judgmental, acting like God who knows everything when in fact they have lame tools: drugs and books, nothing less and nothing more."

Her mother's hand flew across her cheek. Her cheek stung. Her own hand flew to touch the skin, as if for confirmation that she wasn't burning. Jiyeon couldn't help but let her tears run.

"Watch out your mouth, Park Jiyeon! I've never taught you to disrespect others' professions," her mother hissed, her sharp gaze fixated on her face.

"Mom, whatever you ask me to do—I will obey, except one: see a psychiatrist or psychologist," Jiyeon told her, her voice cracking.

Her mother rubbed her hand against her face and said in a weak voice, "Why are you so stubborn? I want you to see a psychiatrist for the sake of your own well—"

"I will never, ever see psychiatrists in my lifetime because I love myself too much. Mom, you know neuroleptics destroy normal brains. Some experts say psychiatric drugs cause brain dysfunction!" she shouted.

Angrily wiping her tears, Jiyeon bolted upstairs, opened the door and burst into the study room. Wooden bookshelves lined two walls, and in the corner by the window, a desk accommodated with a desktop computer and printer. She went to the desk and sat down in the black leather chair, leaning her head back. Her breathing was shallow and fast. She closed her eyes and ceased her breathing for five seconds. She then inhaled deeply through her nose, filling her lungs to maximum capacity. She held her breath for a few seconds, then exhaled through pursed lips. She inhaled again and repeated the process ten times.

Feeling relaxed and calm, Jiyeon opened her eyes. She looked up at the ceiling, thinking about what she had done. She felt a stab of guilt at her own actions—that she had been so angry at her mother. Mom, I'm so sorry I shouted at you. She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't mean to disrespect others' professions as alleged by her mother. She just expressed her views on psychiatrists. All mental disorders are said to be chemical imbalances in the brain, but according to researchers, no chemical imbalance has been found in the brains of those diagnosed with thought or mood disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depressive disorders, etc. Instead, neuroleptics cause biochemical imbalances in normal brains. Jiyeon shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

She crossed her arms behind her head, letting her mind roam free. She snapped her eyes open when Yoona's words rang in her memory: 'you chose geckos over me'. "Maybe what Blondie told me in my dream is right. She has an intense fear of geckos." Jiyeon the computer. Winding a strand of her hair around her finger, she waited for the computer to boot up.

Finally, the computer finished booting up, and Jiyeon clicked on the icon for the web browser. She typed 'geckos' into the search bar and clicked on a link. When the page loaded, she stifled a giggle. There on the screen were pictures of geckos with feet splayed out and sticking to a wall. She copied one of the pictures and pasted it into an image-editing program. After editing it, Jiyeon switched on the printer and hit the print key.

"Annoying teacher, if you don't want to tell me the truth, I swear I'll give you the real gecko," Jiyeon mumbled through gritted teeth as she watched the printer do its work.