Closing her eyes, Jiyeon took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before allowing it to flow up slowly and out of . "Ms. Im, you said the photo was taken a week before that incident happened. What was the incident?" she began, mild curiosity evident in her voice, and she heard the light sound of laughter coming from the woman beside her!

"Youngest teacher, you threatened me to come here only for asking me this question?" Yoona's voice rose with disbelief.

Jiyeon opened her eyes and gasped in surprise to see Yoona sitting right in front of her. Yoona was staring at her, a vertical wrinkle appearing between her brows. She shook her head. "No, I have a few questions. Now give me a truthful answer."

Her upper lip curled into a snarl. She then took a deep breath before speaking in a serious tone, "Baekwoon was a hero—" Yoona reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out her phone.

A hero? Jiyeon watched Yoona as she fiddled with her phone dragging her finger across the touch screen.

"He died saving a female middle school student from a rip current at Kanegahama beach. According to the witness, he was walking alone on the beach. He plunged into the water when after he heard the screams of the student being caught in a rip current. He managed to bring the student close to the shore where he was assisted by a beachgoer. While the student was rescued, the strong current hampered his ability to get out of the water. He ended up being swept away by the powerful currents. Baekwoon was a poor swimmer anyway, and his body was found two days later by the coast guard and Japanese police." Yoona showed her the old news article on her phone, her eyes shining with unshed tears. It said:

A blonde Korean man sacrificed his life to save a middle school student from a strong rip current at Kanegahama beach in Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.

Jiyeon could feel the hot tears stinging her eyes. "May I read it, Ms. Im?"

Yoona gave her a small nod, and Jiyeon quickly grabbed her phone and looked down at it to read the news. He was a true hero and a truly great man. Jiyeon bit her bottom lip as two tears streamed down her face. The Japanese media widely cite witnesses of the incident as declaring that Baekwoon didn't hesitate for a second when he jumped in the water to save the drowning student. His humanity and heroism made her want to know more about him. 

"How he risked his own life to save a stranger is amazing," Jiyeon said, feeling her lip tremble as she handed the phone back to Yoona, then wiped her tears away with her fingers.

Yoona stuffed her phone back into her pocket before standing up. "Youngest teacher, the photo that I showed you was taken by Jaeko. He sent it to me and told me that we didn't need to worry about Baekwoon. His condition was much better, no longer experiencing hallucinations." She gazed down at her, her expression neutral, then shifted her gaze to the azure sky.  

Jiyeon got to her feet abruptly and looked directly at her face. "Who was Jaeko? And what—"

"The man whom you met in front of the café, Kim Jaejoong. I gave him the nickname "Jaeko" because he is so obsessed with geckos," Yoona cut her off, raising her voice almost to a shout, then took a deep breath, as if trying to calm herself down.

Yoona moved to stand beside Jiyeon, leaning against the fence, and her voice sank almost to a whisper as she continued, "Baekwoon had been closer to him than his own family; he started distancing himself from me after I broke off my engagement and cancelled my wedding with Jaeko. Youngest teacher, Baekwoon had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia and had been prescribed risperidone. After his funeral, Jaeko told me that he brought Baekwoon to Japan at his mother's request. Baekwoon told his mother that the medication gave him akathisia. He had trouble sitting and staying still; akathisia kept him from sleeping so he was up all night. He spent his time pacing back and forward. His father and Baekhyun thought it was his psychosis and Schizophrenia to blame, and his father wanted to hospitalize Baekwoon just like his psychiatrist suggested him. Akathisia disappeared when he stopped the medication." She covered her face with her hands and lowered her head. "Miss Jiyeon, I'm really sorry for suggesting you to see a psychiatrist to get you on some medication. That is really, really, really not a good idea. I'm also really sorry for what I said about your parents didn't teach you to respect others. When I'm angry, I tend to say mean and hurtful things to satisfy my ego." The tone of her voice spoke sincerity.       

"I appreciate the apology," Jiyeon said in a gentle voice and lapsed into silence; her lips were pursed tight in concentration. She didn't believe that Baekwoon had suffered from Schizophrenia. His circumstances might be related to spiritual experiences just like hers. Schizophrenia is a non-existent disease. Mental illnesses are not diseases, but they are wonderful justifications to lock up innocent people in prisons called "mental hospitals", and as a result psychiatrists earn more money, while drug companies reap huge profits from neuroleptics—toxic drugs.   

She drew a deep breath and released it slowly. She fixed her gaze on Yoona. "Ms. Im, did his psychiatrist perform physical tests?" Jiyeon asked, curiosity lacing her voice clearly.

"Youngest teacher, psychiatry is not a precise science. The diagnosis is made based on a mental state interview of Baekwoon, observation of his behavior and an interview of family members. His psychiatrist did not do physical tests to confirm his diagnosis. The reason is simple; there's no reliable physical test for Schizophrenia," Yoona replied, keeping her head lowered, then drifted into silence. She clasped her hands below her chin like she was praying.

Is she a believer? Jiyeon scratched her temple lightly with her right index finger.

Yoona let out a long, deep, audible breath and looked at Jiyeon as she added, "Jaeko who calls himself an anti-psychiatry once warned me to be careful believing what his psychiatrist said. Psychiatrists get all of their recommendations from pharmaceutical companies. Schizophrenia isn't a brain disease but a myth. This illness has no biological origin and does not exist according to science. Baekwoon hears voices and has periods of paranoia, but psychiatric drugs should not be given as treatment to cure these experiences. Taking psychiatric medications will only destroy his mind and body. Neuroleptics are intended to correct the "chemical imbalance" that is causing the "brain disease", which in fact there is no chemical imbalance. Don't be fooled by psychiatrists and their chemical imbalance theory; their drugs create biochemical imbalances. I talked to my sister—his mother about discontinuing his medication, and she agreed, but her husband disagreed. He believed in what Baekwoon's psychiatrist told him."        

Yoona's words inspired a strange exhilaration within her. A wide smile stretched across her face. "Really? Mr. Kim calls himself an anti-psychiatry?" Excitement raised Jiyeon's voice a pitch.

She arched a brow. "Why are you so excited?" Yoona countered, her sharp gaze fixated on her. "Don't tell me you're interested in Jaeko?" A touch of jealousy laced her tone.

Clicking her tongue, Jiyeon rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not interested in him. I just think it will be great if I can talk to someone who has the same view on psychiatry," she responded in a soft, calm voice. A teasing tone crept into her voice as she added, "I sense some jealousy in the air. Do you still want him, Ms. Im?"

Yoona gave no response and turned her face to the sky. Letting out an audible sigh, Jiyeon switched her gaze to the sky. Silence encased them as they watched the clouds float by. It was a beautiful day with white puffy clouds above. The clouds seemed so soft, like the feather pillows on her bed. A small cough broke the silence, and Jiyeon turned her gaze to Yoona.

"Seeing how angry you were when I tickled you reminded me of Baekwoon. He always got angry when someone tickled him. When he was particularly angry, he would beat on his own chest while making direct eye contact with whomever he was angry at and screaming threats. He didn't drink alcohol and didn't like coffee like you, Miss Jiyeon—" Yoona looked at her and smiled. "He also believed in the spiritual world like you."  

Her returning smile was thin. Her other questions had been answered without her asking. "Ms. Im, did he only eat egg whites and leave egg yolks like eyes? Did he drink soda?" Jiyeon gushed out as quickly as could speak the words, "and you believe Schizophrenia is a myth, right? So why did you arrange a meeting for Mr. Byun and me?"

Yoona shook her head, her smile growing wider. "Eating only egg whites and leaving egg yolks like eyes had been his habit since he was young, and he had never drunk soda. Did you ask me all these questions because you believe in what I said before that you dreamed of meeting his ghost?"

"Yes," Jiyeon answered without hesitation, "and the voice that I've been hearing belongs to Blondie—your nephew."  

Yoona placed her arm around Jiyeon's shoulder, saying, "Youngest teacher, "the voices in your head" are just auditory manifestations of parts of your psyche. When you, as a "normal" person, talk to yourself, it's you talking your thoughts, but when you have multiple voices in there, it feels like somebody else is talking inside of your head even though it all stems from your own brain—" Yoona paused to take a deep breath. "Yes, I do believe Schizophrenia is a myth. I arranged a meeting for you and Baekhyun because I thought if he knew your achievement, it might motivate him; I tried to help him finish his thesis. He's so damn lazy. I personally don't like psychology. Besides that, you seemed so interested in him."    

"You sound like a good aunt. I wasn't interested in him, just curious about him because he looked exactly like Blondie," Jiyeon remarked, "I have to say I agree with your statement that the voices in our head are just auditory manifestations of parts of our psyche, but I'm sure my circumstances are related to spiritual experiences. I'm not kidding I dreamed of meeting Blondie again, the man whose voice I've been hearing. He told me that he and I have a lot of things in common. In that dream, he only ate egg whites, leaving egg yolks like eyes, which surprised me. That's my eating habit. I wanted to make sure if all what he told me was the truth. Hence, I threatened you to come here—" Jiyeon paused, almost choking on her words as she took a deep breath before continuing, "Think twice, you didn't tell me about your intense fear of geckos, right, Ms. Im? But I know it because Blondie told me. Aren't those spiritual experiences?"   

Letting out an audible sigh, Yoona removed her hand from Jiyeon's shoulder and folded her arms across her chest. She squinted, then shook her head. She turned her face back up to the sky and spoke in a soft voice, "Youngest teacher, I don't believe in ghosts, some things are just coincidences. It's all a matter of perspective. I guess that the Ghost is most likely a combination of Chemicals and Electrical current squirreling about in the brain of the observer, which causes the person to perceive something that isn't there."

Jiyeon her right hand into her pants pocket, her thumb protruding, saying, "Well, people believe what they believe." She stared at Yoona, her eyes unwavering. "Calling the voice I've been hearing "imaginary voice" and arranging a meeting between me and that psychology student, who's doing a final research paper on Schizophrenia did make me think that you indirectly labeled me as a person with mental illness. That's why I've been rude to you." Anger wrapped around the word she emphasized. She drew a deep breath and blew it out between her pursed lips before moving to stand in front of Yoona. "Ms. Im, I am sincerely sorry for my rude, disrespectful behavior." She made a ninety degree bow.

"I really appreciate your honesty, and I accept your apology, Jiyeon." Yoona patted her on the back. "Hearing voices or having had hallucinations doesn't mean mental illness. Hearing is a common human experience. To tell you the truth, I get hypnopompic hallucinations quite regularly—occasionally kicked someone in the same bed as me because of it. This morning, I woke up to the feeling I can only describe as a light ball being bounced on the bed, but there was nothing there."   

Yoona's tender voice was like a sweet caress that filled her with such delight. Jiyeon straightened up, and they looked at each other, exchanging smiles. Yoona reached out and her cheek tenderly, sending warmth coursing through her body. Jiyeon's smile expanded wider, and she felt her eyes grow moist. She blinked a couple times.

"Are you okay?"

"You make me feel like I have a big sister. I'm an only child and have always wanted a sister, who I could cuddle with and talk to." The words slipped out of . Jiyeon swallowed, embarrassment seeping through her body as she realized what she had just said.

"Why not regard me as your big sister?" Yoona pinched her cheek lightly, smiling widely, a sparkle in her hazel eyes before wrapping her arms around her neck in a big hug. "Whenever you are tired of things, or whenever things get difficult, you can come and talk to me."

Jiyeon didn't say anything. She wrapped her arms around her and rested her chin on her shoulder. She let her eyes drift closed, imagining being in her own sister's arms. She felt safe. The warmth of their embrace was comforting.

It was a while before their embrace ended. They exchanged wide grins, then Yoona said, "Lil sis, speaking about hallucinations, they are just the creation of our mind. It was pretty fascinating when I woke up and saw colorful balloons floating around the room. It lasted about twenty seconds and disappeared."

Yoona's experience of seeing balloons floating around the room sent a shudder down her spine. Jiyeon took a deep breath, rubbing her palms up and down her arms. "It feels so good talking to you, sis. Thank you for listening, not judging me crazy and sharing your hallucination experiences," she spoke in a low, calm voice, "yesterday, I woke up to hearing his singing voice and the feeling hot breath tickling my ear—" She paused when she heard the bell ring to mark the end of recess. "I believe that wasn't a hallucination but spiritual experience."  

"I respect what you believe, and I wasn't kidding when I told you I admire you, Jiyeon. The thing I don't like about you is your boasting about being youngest teacher. That's why I made a fool out of you," Yoona responded as they walked over to the stairs, side by side. The steps echoed with a hollow resonance as they descended slowly. "Lil sis, there are people smarter than you out there, so don't brag about your intelligence. If you're super smart, you really don't have to tell anyone. They already know." Yoona patted her on the shoulder lightly.

"I appreciate your advice, sis. I won't deny I like introducing myself as youngest teacher. It isn't because I feel I'm the smartest person on earth," Jiyeon said, casting a sidelong glance at her. "I'm just so proud of my achievements—all my hard work has finally paid off. Well, I try to change my immature attitude."

Her lips curled into a smile. "Glad to hear that." Yoona put her arm around her shoulder as they headed towards the staff room. They greeted students as they passed by.

"Ms. Im, can you tell me where your nephew is buried? I think I'd like to visit his grave after teaching."

"West Park Cemetery, I'm sorry I can't take you there; I already have an appointment with Jaeko's older sister."

"It's okay. I will go there my—"  

"Baekhyun can take you there. I'll send him a text message," Yoona interjected softly as they stepped into the staff room. She went to her desk before Jiyeon could open to reject her offer.

Jiyeon sighed as she walked over to her desk. She really didn't want to meet Baekhyun again. She still felt angry at him for indirectly labeling her as a person with mental illness.

"You and Miss Im seem to get along well together," Mrs. Kim said as Jiyeon pulled out her chair and sat down.

"Ms. Im makes me feel like having a big sister," Jiyeon admitted innocently, then bowed her head slightly, smiling when Yoona gave a small wave in her direction as she walked out of the room, holding the book in her left hand.

"Are you an only child?"  

Jiyeon gave her a nod. "Yes, I'm an only child." She opened the drawer and pulled out her bag.

"I too am an only child, and I am the mother of an only child."

Jiyeon jerked her head sideways to look at her, surprised. "Really?"

Mrs. Kim nodded before she rose from her chair. She held the book close to her chest and flashed a smile at her. "Are you free tonight?"

Jiyeon let out a silent sigh. Why did Mrs. Kim ask her that question? She didn't like when someone asked her a very open-ended question. Truth be told, she had no plans for the night. She usually spent Saturday night with her father. Standing up, she flung her bag over her shoulder and said, trying to sound polite, "Why, what's up?"

"If you're free, I'd like to invite you to my house for dinner," Mrs. Kim replied as they strode out of the room, turning right and heading off down the corridor. Her voice sank to a whisper as she added, "And introduce you to my son, Junmyeon."

Mrs. Kim's words halted her in her tracks. Why does she want to introduce me to her son? Is she trying to matchmake her son with me? How old is her son?

Halting as well, Mrs. Kim pivoted to stare at her. "Are you free, Jiyeon?"

An awkward smile slowly crept across her face. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Kim," Jiyeon said, bowing, "I have to visit my grandmother's house tonight."

Mrs. Kim reached out and gave her upper arm a light squeeze. "It's okay," she responded, a tinge of disappointment lacing her voice, then turned and walked off, heading to her class, leaving her behind.

Jiyeon felt bad lying to Mrs. Kim, but she felt that she had to. She didn't like the idea of matchmaking—she felt too young to be engaged and get married. "You're going to miss a lot of fun by getting married so early. Youth is supposed to be a carefree time," she murmured under her breath as she continued down the corridor until she reached the classroom.