Tzuyu didn't leave my side the next day. We actually have the same schedule every Tuesday and I'm very thankful for that. After telling her everything last night, she made sure that I'm always with her or she, with me everywhere and every time. She never left my side for longer than five minutes and her presence keeps me distracted. She said she's going to spend more time with me because I only overthink and cry when I'm alone.

Last night after I bared my soul to her, she just hugged me while crying so hard I thought she'll start wailing.

"I'll help you forget. I'll help you get over your fear. I'll help you in all the ways I can. I don't care how I will do it but I will help you, Yumi. You're not alone in this."

"I can't believe that I will be this relieved to know that Professor Shin is here."

We're inside the classroom, seated at the far back, me beside the back door and Tzuyu on my other side. This is our last class today, Art. Today, we're talking about painting, something Tzuyu actually likes. The only thing she doesn't is our Professor Shin, a spinster who made it a hobby to scare the living daylights out of her students.

"Well, it seems like you're not the only one." I whispered back and we both looked around. They all looked thankful and we couldn't help but giggle.

The reason why everyone felt happy to see the lady beast is because they wouldn't want to meet her substitute again, who was worse than Ms. Shin, by the way. No, she's not meaner. Frankly, they're the total opposite. Mrs. Baek was all smiles and rainbows and unicorns when she first stepped inside our classroom and all of us thought that maybe, we will start liking arts because of her. But we couldn't be more wrong. She started handing us costumes and made us dance into different kinds of traditional dances, depending on what costume we had picked. The second meeting was when she made us sing trot in front of the class and of course, the glimmering costumes can't be left out. And last week, she gave each one of us weird looking charms and taught us rituals that our ancestors used to peform and we have to do it, too. Obviously, her understanding to our 'Arts' class is different from ours. Man, those experiences were worse than Ms. Shin glaring at you with her small eyes.

"I want all of you to express yourself through the paintings you'll make. I don't care what kind of painting as long as you can channel your emotions and heart to it. I'm only giving you an hour to finish. Now, begin."

---

"That was fun." She said as we walk back to the building of the dormitory. We talked about the painting that we did. Turns out, she painted a picture of her brother because she misses him so much. "How about you? What did you make?"

"Nothing special." I shrugged my shoulders and took my keys out to unlock the door.

"Oh, come on. I told you mine." She whined while removing her shoes. I was doing the same when I felt my phone vibrating inside my pocket.

"It's Mom." I told her then answered the video call. Mom's smiling face was the one that greeted me. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, Aunt Miru!" Tzuyu waved her hand at the screen.

"Hi, girls. I see you're in a good mood."

"We are. We painted today."

I told her everything we did today and we talked for two hours (Tzuyu left for a while to go get something somewhere) until Dad's and my brothers' faces appeared on the screen.

"Hi, princess!" The four young men shouted at the same time, making me giggle. "Hi, sweetie." Dad lovingly greeted.

"Hi, Dad."

And we spent a couple more hours talking until they told me to rest. As much as I want to protest, I agreed because I know they're busy, too. Laying in bed, I stared at the ceiling thinking if I can finally talk to my father and brothers personally. It's been six years and I miss them so much.

We have tried before. It was six months after they had me go see a doctor and undergoing therapies, they tried to check if I would be okay seeing my father and my brothers. I thought I'll be fine with it so I agreed. I want my Dad to be the first guy that I would see in such a long time. I was even confident that I can take it because I missed him so much. But when I saw a glimpse of him, I started shaking and crying and screaming at the top of my lungs and I just wanted to run away as flashes of memories came back and the last thing I remember was everything went black.

Apparently, after going to even more series of tests and therapies, they managed to make me talk to them through voice call at first then through video call after months. But every time they try to get me inside a room with even just my dad, I would start freaking out and we will go back to square one.

"Why is she reacting like that? She was already fine seeing and talking to them through the phone? What difference does it make if she'll talk to them in person?" I heard my mother asked one time.

Dr. Lee sighed before she answered. "It is a whole different thing, Miru. Talking and seeing them through the phone gives Yumi the security that they can't harm her because they're far away from her. It gives her comfort that she's safe because they could never touch her. It gives her a sense of control and power because if she felt like not wanting to see them or make them go away, she could with just a push of a button. But when they're in one room with her, she becomes vulnerable and helpless. She feels trapped and suffocated and all she would ever want is to escape. Her instinct for survival is getting the best of her, clouding her rational thinking."

"I was out for a couple of hours and here you are, overthinking again." Tzuyu's voice snapped me out of my reverie.

"Sorry." I said with a guilty smile. She clicked her tongue and walked to the small dining table to set the paper bag in her hands down. "What did you buy?" I asked, walking towards her to see what's