The sun is setting, and the sky is turning pink.

“You ate all of it,” Ra Eun smiles. “I’m glad you did.”

“The food was surprisingly tasty,” Won Sik says.

“That’s because we bought it,” Jin Young says jokingly.

The doctor walks in, and they, except Won Sik, stand up.

“I have the results,” the doctor says. “According to the results, we’re going to assign Won Sik to doctor Kim Gyu. He’s the best doctor we can send Won Sik to.”

“That’s great,” Sung Yeol says. “When does he go in?”

“Won Sik can leave the hospital tomorrow. It seems like he’s recovering just fine. Actually he’s recovering faster than most patients. After he is released, he can go in to see doctor Kim Gyu on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at ten in the morning.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Ra Eun says. “We’ll make sure he goes.”

The doctor walks out of the room.

“Visiting hours is almost over,” Dong Jun says. “Who should stay with Won Sik?”

“You guys can all go home,” Won Sik says. “I’m capable of staying here by myself, and I promise you that I won’t cause any harms to my body.”

“Are you sure,” Sung Yeol asks.

“I’m sure.”

Won Sik makes everyone leave, and when they do, he lies on the bed looking at the night sky. His mind starts to wander.

“I still feel horrible on the inside,” Won Sik tells himself. “I still have the voice telling me that I’m not important, but all my friends make me feel important. Am I taking the right route? I do want to get help, but I’m also scared. What if I don’t recover from this? Will I be worse? I don’t want to end my life like this. Let’s just decide to go on with this route. With everyone’s help, I’m sure I’ll recover. Like Sung Yeol said, I must be positive. Let’s stay positive.”

Later, he hears his door open, so his head turn towards the door.

“Ra Eun,” he says surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought I should stay again,” she replies.

“No. You should go. I want some time alone to think this over.”

“I promise I won’t bother you, but you can bother me. I brought some work with me, so I promise to be quiet.” She closes the door and walks over to the couch. “I promise,” she says as she sits down.

He looks at her every move.

Since the couch is right underneath the window, Won Sik can’t even look out the window anymore or she’s going to think that he’s looking at her.

“If you need anything,” she says. “Just holler." Ra Eun turns on her laptop and plugs in her camera. She starts to work on some pictures that her coworker sent her.

Won Sik is looking straight ahead of him. He would take glances at her and see that she is very concentrated on work. She isn’t bothering him like she promised. The room is very quiet except for her typing on the computer and clicking her mouse. Though she isn’t distracting him with words, she is distracting him with her presence. He tries to distract himself with his thoughts, but she keeps distracting him. Won Sik turns his back to Ra Eun. He thinks this would work, but she is still distracting him. Won Sik turns his body, so he is lying on his back.

“Ra Eun,” he says breaking the silence, but she doesn’t reply. “Ra Eun.”

“Huh,” she asks hearing him.

“Did you eat?”

She thinks about it. “No. I didn’t.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I was distracted.”

“The guys left the food they bought me. Why don’t you eat that?”

“No. I can’t eat your food.”

“You haven’t ate anything, and it’s already late for a woman like you to walk out alone in the streets. Just eat it.”

She shakes her head.

He climbs out of bed and grabs the bag before he walks over to her.

“Here,” he says extending his arm over to her. “I think the pork cutlet is still in there.”

“No. I can’t.”

“Take it,” he demands.

“But,”

“Now.”

She takes it. “Thank you.”

He walks back to bed.

“Finish it,” he says.

“Thank you.”

She takes out the pork cutlet and eats it.

“Mmm,” she says.

Soon, she finishes the pork cutlet and drinks from her water bottle.

“Ra Eun,” he says.

“Hmm?” She swallows the water in .

“I’m thirsty.”

“Oh.” She stands up and brings him her bottle.

He accepts it and drinks from it. “Thank you,” he says.

“You’re welcome.”

He gives her the bottle, and she accepts it.

“Just keep the bottle here,” she says. “You can drink it whenever you want, and I won’t have to bother you.”

She walks back to the couch and starts to work again.

Soon, he get comfortable with Ra Eun in the room, and falls asleep.

Won Sik wakes up in the middle of the night and looks around the room. He sees that Ra Eun is still working.

“What time is it,” he asks her.

“Huh? You’re awake. It’s two in the morning,” she replies.

“Why don’t you sleep?”

“My co-worker needs this by ten in the morning, and I still have five more to finish. If I sleep now, I’ll never get the editing done.”

“Your health is more important. Why don’t you sleep?”

“It’s okay. I don’t have work in the morning, so I can sleep then. You should go back to sleep.”

Won Sik lies on his back. He is staring at the ceiling and taking secret glances at Ra Eun. Soon he falls asleep again.

In the morning, Won Sik wakes up to see Ra Eun sleeping soundly on the couch. Her computer is still open, but on sleep mood, and the camera is still plugged into the computer. Papers are everywhere. Won Sik climbs out of bed and walks over to her. He squats down to her level and stares at her sleeping face. For once, she looks pretty to him. Without yapping around, she looks like a human being. He stares at her hair, and it’s everywhere. Won Sik’s hand slowly reaches over to her to fix her hair, but he stops midway when she starts fidgeting.  

Ra Eun stirs in her sleep and tries to turn her body, but she falls on the ground instead.

Won Sik jumps at the sight.

“Ouch,” she groans.

“Are you okay,” he asks.

He helps her sit up and looks at her concerned.

“Did you hurt yourself,” he asks.

She shakes her head and runs her fingers through her hair.

“I’m fine,” she says still sleepy.

Her back is against the couch, and her eyes are still closed.

“Why don’t you sleep some more,” he suggests. “You stayed up pretty late last night.”

Ra Eun climbs on the couch and sleeps again.

Won Sik walks to the bathroom and washes himself up. He walks up to the bed and lies down again. This time, he is facing Ra Eun. She is sleeping soundly. Her breath is steady. For the first time in a while, a smile appears on his face.

Won Sik is at home with everyone including Jin Hee. The day before, the guys have decorated Won Sik’s house with food, so now, they are pigging out.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” Jin Young says. He is hugging him. “I hope for you to be healthy forever.”

“Thanks, little guy,” Won Sik says.

“You have to go in tomorrow don’t you,” Sung Yeol asks.

They’re sitting on the couch and on the ground eating.

“Yeah,” Won Sik replies. “At ten.”

“Good,” Dae Hyun says. “Make sure to tell the doctor everything. He’ll help you for sure.”

“I will.”

“Good morning,” Dr. Kim Gyu greets Won Sik.

“Good morning, Dr,” Won Sik greets back.

“Come in.”

Won Sik walks in and closes the door behind him.

“You can leave your coat on the coat hanger.”

Won Sik takes his jacket off and hangs it on the coat hanger

“Please sit,” the Dr. says. He points to the couch beside the window that is sitting alongside the wall.

“Thank you,” Won Sik says. He sits down.

The doctor finishes typing on his computer and grabs a clipboard before he goes sit on the chair about ten feet away from the couch.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” the doctor starts. “So how about we begin by doing the greetings. Hello, I’m Doctor Kim Gyu. You can call me Gyu. What’s your name.”

“My name is Kim Won Sik. You can call me Won Sik.”

“Won Sik, I heard that you own your very own shoe company. Am I right?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Call me Gyu.”

“Yes, Gyu.”

“How is the company going?”

“Fine. My workers are very hard working, so I don’t have to worry about anything.”

“That’s great. It’s hard to find faithful workers nowadays.”

“Yes. I’m glad I met them and recruited them.”

“How did you meet?”

“We were interns for Travel with Walking. After the internship, we branched off and started our own business.”

“How courageous of you.”

“Thank you.”

“So tell me your friend’s names and what they do.”

“First, there is Sung Yeol. He’s the oldest, and he’s the one who designs all the heels. He is very great at what he does, however he took a very big hit not too long ago when he was accused of plagiarizing someone else’s design.”

“How did that go?”

“He blamed himself a lot, but I tried to comfort him by taking the blame. I mean, I am the owner. I’m the boss, so I feel like I’m the one who should take the responsibility.”

“You have great leadership I see.”

“Thank you. Next is Dae Hyun. He’s the second oldest. He makes the heels, and how he does is fine. I always wondered how he made them. Then, there’s Dong Jun. He’s the sales person, and he’s really good at his job. He makes customers feel good, and he’s always greeting them with a smile. He’s never in the back with us, so I’m sure he’s bored since we don’t have many regulars yet. Finally, we have the youngest of the group, Jin Young. He’s in charge of our budget. I feel that he has the hardest job. He’s always making sure that we have enough in our budget to make our heels, and if we are ever short on cash, it would always take a toll on him, so I have to make sure that we never go under our budget, so he doesn’t feel like he’s responsible.”

“You’re a great leader and a great friend. I’m sure your friends are grateful to have you as their friend.”

“I’m also grateful to have them as my friends. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have agreed to this.”

“I see you’re an influence to them, and they’re an influence to you.”

“Yes, and if it weren’t for her, I don’t think I would be here.”

“Who’s her?”

Doctor Gyu has been writing on his clipboard

He tells him about Ra Eun. How they met, how they separated, and how they met again. “She was just someone who annoyed me at first, but I think that’s changing. When she smiles, I can’t help but feel warm inside.”

“I see. Are you in love with this woman?”

“I don’t want to say that I am.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Let me ask you this then.” He puts down his clipboard. “Have you ever dated anyone else?”

“I have. In college.”

“Do you remember her name?”

“I do, but I’d rather not say. She’s famous now. If I said anything, I might be putting her at risk.”

“How thoughtful of you. Will you at least tell me what happened in that relationship?”

Won Sik tells him about Youn Mi and their break up.

“I see,” the doctor says. “She’s left a bad impression.”

“You can say that,” Won Sik agrees.

“While in that relationship, your relationship with your mother wasn’t the best either correct?”

“Correct. Actually,” Won Sik pauses. “My relationship with my mother was never great to start with.”

“Why is that?”

“Most mothers would consider their child a miracle, but my mother never considered me as a miracle.”

“Why is that?”

“She always told me that I was a mistake.”

“When did she start calling you that?”

“When I asked her if she loved me. Which was about a few months ago.”

The doctor starts to write on his clipboard again.

“She also blames me for her not being able to achieve her goal and dream,” Won Sik continues.

“What was her goal and dream,” the doctor asks.

“She wanted to be a skater, but she ended up giving birth to me instead.”

“Where was your father?”

“He was never in the picture. He got mom pregnant, and then left mom for another woman.”

“I see.”

“It sounds like she talks to you negatively with words. Is that all she does?”

“No. She physically abuses me too.”

“How so?”

“When I was little, she would hit me on the behind, then it would be my arms, then my legs, and soon my back. As I grew older, she’d hit me on the head instead.”

“She still does that?”

Won Sik nods his head.

“Do you remember the first time she hit you,” the doctor asks.

Won Sik nods his head. “I was about five years old. I wanted to drink water, but I accidently dropped the cup and spilled the water. I heard her yelling, and that made me scared. She came walking in and saw what I did. She grabbed my arm,” he takes a deep breath. “I remember her grasp. It was firm and tight. Mom yelled at me and started to hit me on the behind. I started to cry,” Tears started flowing down. “And she continued to yell at me. She hit me with all her strength. I somehow was free from her grip and started to run away from her.” Won Sik wipes his tears and takes a deep breath. “I hid beneath a table, but she pulls me out and started hitting me again.”

“What happened at the end?”

“I couldn’t stop crying, so she continued to hit me and yelled at me to stop crying. I eventually stopped crying.”

“How did you stop?”

“I forced myself to stop because if I didn’t, mom would’ve hit me more.”

“I see. You've kept all of this bottled inside of you for a very long time.”

“Yes,” Won Sik nods his head. “I was always scared that if I told someone, she would be taken away from me.”

Dr. Gyu nods his head.

“You're not going to take her away are you,” Won Sik asks concerned.

“Taking her away is the right thing to do, but what’s more important is for you to reconcile with her.”

Won Sik doesn’t say anything.

“Do you still keep in touch with her,” Dr. Gyu asks.

“I did up until a few weeks ago.”

“Did something happen?”

“She called me, but she said it was accidental, but I was scared that something was going to happen to her because I heard weird noises in the background, but when I visited her, she just reminded me that I was a mistake. After that, I locked myself in my room and wouldn’t come out. I only came out when my friends came to visit me. They literally had to pound on my door and beg me to come out.”

“Do you remember how how you ended up in the hospital?”

“I fainted from dehydration.”

“Why is that?”

“I wouldn’t drink or eat anything.”

“Why is that?”

“I didn’t have an appetite.”

“Would you like to lie down,” he asks Won Sik.

Won Sik turns his body and lies down.

“According to the doctor,” Dr. Gyu starts. “You didn’t have enough nutrition in your body. How long was it when you stopped eating.”

“When mom told me that I was a mistake.”

He is staring at the ceiling.

“After that, I started to feel down. I couldn’t sleep or eat. I lied awake at night in bed. The most I ate was just a bite of the food in front of me.”

“Go on.”

“I forced myself to go to work hoping it’ll distract me. Of course it did, but when I went home, I couldn’t sleep. When my head hits the pillow, my brain would start to wander. I even developed a voice in my head.”

“What does the voice in your head say?”

“‘You’re a mistake. Why are you even alive? You have no reason to live. You’re a burden to everyone.’ The voice is very negative towards me.”

“Do you still hear that voice?”

“I do.”

“Does it still speak negatively to you?”

“It does.”

“I can tell you one thing,” the doctor says. He puts his clipboard down. “I know the voice in your head is strong right now, but it’s only a voice. It’s your voice. You can overcome it by expressing your feelings. Cry if you need to. Shout if you need to. Don’t be afraid to show your emotions. It’ll be worst if you do it alone. Have people who care for you be with you. Negative thoughts can also be good. By thinking negative thoughts, you can change them to be positive. You said the voice is telling you that you have no reason to live. That’s not true. Your company is one reason why you need to live. Your friends. They’re another reason why you need to live. Your love. She is another reason why you need to live. You may not have someone you love now, but you will in the future. Fight through this. Think positive thoughts. You’re a mistake? No one is ever a mistake. Your mother blames you for stopping her from reaching her dream and goal, and I understand that giving birth takes a toll from a woman’s body, but she could’ve stepped up and reached her goal. You’re not at fault.”

“But she’s my mother. I do feel like I’m at fault.”

“No one is at fault until we start pointing fingers. The one truly at fault is the person itself. I know it sounds harsh, but that’s reality. All I can tell you now is to be with the people you love. They’ll help you the most. I also know that talking to your mother right now is hard. Don’t push yourself. When the time is right, go talk to her and fix everything. For now, let’s take it slow. That’s it for today. Come back on Sunday and we’ll continue our session.”

“Thank you, Dr. Gyu.”

“You’re welcome.”

Won Sik exits the room and heads to his car before he heads home. His home is quiet. There are still some left over food, but that doesn’t comfort him. Won Sik sits on the couch and sighs.

Dr. Gyu says he should be surrounded by the people who loves him, but they’re all busy working. He’s the only one who’s stuck at home.

“You see,” the voice inside tells him. “You’re no one. Even your friends don’t want to be with you.”

He frowns.

Suddenly, his phone rings. He picks it up to see who called him, and to his surprise, the caller is Ra Eun.

“Hello,” he says into the phone.

“Won Sik,” Ra Eun says brightly. “Are you still with the doctor?”

“No. I just came back from the doctors. I’m sitting on the couch.”

“Great! Can I come over?”

“Do you need something?”

“I just wanted to hang out.”

“Okay,” he agrees. “Since I need to be with people who loves me. I know for sure she loves me,” Won Sik says the last two lines to himself.

“Great! I’ll be there to pick you up!”

“Can’t I just meet you?”

“No. I’ll come to you. Wait for me.”

They hang up.

“She’s just like Youn Mi,” the voice in his head says. “She’s going to throw you away after she uses you.”

He shakes his head.

Ra Eun knocks on the door, so Won Sik goes answer it.

“Hi,” she greets him with a smile.

“Hello,” he greets back with no expression.

“May I come in?”

He steps aside, and she walks in. He closes the door.

“Do you want to sit,” he asks.

“Sure. Thank you,” she replies sitting on the couch.

He sits on the couch as well, but he’s sitting on the other side of the couch.

“Why did you come,” he asks.

“Am I not welcome,” she asks.

“That’s not it. I was just curious.”

“I came here to hang out with you, so how was the appointment?”

“Not bad. It was just introduction today.”

“I see, so are you doing anything right now?”

“No. I’m just sitting around.”

“Great! Let’s go out!”

“To where?”

“Actually, I came here because of work. My boss wants to take pictures other than human beings or any type of human body, so I was wondering if I could take pictures of your heels.”

“That’s fine. It’ll help me and you.”

“Great! I also want to go and take pictures of the outdoor.”

He nods his head.

“I was wondering if you wanted to come with me,” she says.

“Do you need help taking pictures?”

“No. I don’t need help, but I could use a partner to talk to.”

“I can’t stay at home all day,” Won Sik says to himself. “I’ll probably feel suffocated.” He pauses. “Okay,” he tells her. “I’ll go with you.”

“Great! Go get ready! I’ll be waiting for you.”

“I’m ready. I just got back, and I haven’t changed yet.”

“Even better! Let’s go!”

Won Sik puts on his jacket, and they head out.

“I was thinking we go to Classy Clicks first,” Ra Eun says. “We can go take pictures of the heels first, and then go take outdoor pictures.”

Ra Eun is driving down the highway, and Won Sik is sitting on the passenger's seat.

“Sure,” Won Sik replies.

“Your new product isn’t out yet correct,” she asks.

“No.”

“I’m guessing you don’t want me taking pictures of that.”

“Yes. I’d like to keep the beginning private.”

“Understood.”

“What are you doing here,” Dong Jun asks. “We agreed you wouldn’t work.”

“I’m not here to work,” Won Sik replies.

Won Sik is standing in front of the cash register counter while Ra Eun is looking around the shop and taking pictures.

“I tagged along with her,” Won Sik continues.

“Why is she taking pictures again,” Dong Jun asks.

“For work,” Ra Eun replies. “My boss don’t want human bodies anymore. She wants something other than human beings, so I’m here to promote your heels. After this, we’ll go take some pictures of the outdoor.”

“Why are you bringing Won Sik along with you,” Dong Jun asks. “Do you want him to work for you?”

“No. I just want a partner to talk to, and Won Sik popped into my head.”

“I see. Since Jin Hee is working, I understand why you’d want Won Sik instead.”

“Are you saying I don’t have friends,” Ra Eun asks offended.

“No,” Dong Jun says flabbergasted. “That’s not what I mean.”

Ra Eun smiles. “How’d you know?”

Dong Jun laughs embarrassed.

“What are the others doing,” Won Sik asks.

“Probably working,” Dong Jun replies.

“I’m going to go see them.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“Don’t you have to stay and watch for customers?”

“No. It’s been a very slow day. I’m sure we won’t have any customers today, and even if we do, they can just go about and look at our heels.”

“Don’t worry,” Ra Eun says. “I’ll keep my eye out for customers.”

“Thank you,” Dong Jun says.

Won Sik and Dong Jun walk to the back. Won Sik walks into Sung Yeol’s room while Dong Jun walks to the opposite room.

“Working hard,” Won Sik asks Sung Yeol.

“Won Sik,” Sung Yeol asks shocked. “We agreed for you to not work until you recover.”

“I’m not here to work,” Won Sik says. He walks closer to Sung Yeol and looks down at Sung Yeol’s design. “It looks great,” Won Sik says. “I like how the heel goes down like this and comes to a blunt point.”

“Thank you. I’m trying to make this heel comfortable.”

“Keep going. I’ll look to see if there’s any other heels that look like this.”

“No. I already did. I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

The others come running in.

“How was the appointment,” Jin Young asks.

“It was good. We just introduced ourselves,” Won Sik answers.

“You didn’t do anything else,” Dae Hyun asks.

“We did talk about mom.” Won Sik pauses. “Actually, we had a pretty deep talk about mom.”

“How did that go,” Sung Yeol asks.

“So so. He asked me about mom, and I answered him.”

“It must’ve been hard right,” Dae Hyun asks.

“It was,” Won Sik replies. “He also gave me some solutions.”

“Like what,” Jin Young asks.

“To be surrounded by the people who love me,” Won Sik answers. “But that’s hard. I’m stuck at home all day when you’re all at work.”

“I know it’s hard,” Sung Yeol says. “But we’ll always be there for you.”

“We’ll come to you right after work and stay with you until you sleep,” Dae Hyun says.

“That’s creepy,” Won Sik says. “Stay until seven or eight.”

They nod their head.

“Is that why you’re with Ra Eun,” Dong Jun asks. “Because she loves you?”

“Ra Eun is here,” Jin Young asks.

“Yes,” Won Sik says. “She’s here, and no, I’m not with her because she loves me. I’m with her because,”

“You love her,” Dong Jun asks.

“No,” Won Sik denies. “I need to go out. I can’t stay in all day, and I’m scared. When I’m by myself, the voice in my head starts speaking to me.”

“You’re worthless,” the voice in his head says. “No one wants to be with you.”

Won Sik shakes his head.

“I should get going,” Won Sik says. “Ra Eun is waiting for me, and you all need to get back to work.”

“Alright,” Sung Yeol says. “Have fun.”

Won Sik nods his head. “Work hard,” he says before heading out.

Dong Jun follows Won Sik out and the rest of the guys go back to their office.

“Are you done,” Won Sik asks Ra Eun.

“Just a few more shots than I’ll be done,” she replies.

“Did any customers come,” Dong Jun asks.

“No,” Ra Eun replies.

“What did I tell you,” Dong Jun tells Won Sik.

Won Sik feels bad that business is so slow, but he has to persevere, so the others won’t end up like him.