The woman in front of her is - in her opinion - perfect. The wedding dress she's wearing is showing off her beautiful figure, wrapping perfectly around her body. Her thin, long fingers are gripping the bouquet of flowers, and her hair is flowing flawlessly under the white veil. The only blemish that she sees is the smirk that has been playing on her face and it's making her irritated by the second. 

She's taunting me.

"You're right, I am," the low voice of the woman send shivers down her spine, and she takes a tentative step back.

"What- what do you want?" 

"It's true that I asked Daehyun to move on, but I didn't expect a guy like him to pick a girl like you."

"What's wrong with me? Shouldn't I have the same chance as any other girl?"

"Look at you poor little thing. You have nothing, and by nothing, I literally mean nothing. You have no looks, no wealth, and I must say you have no brains."

"Hey! Don't you dare say that to me!"

"Then stay away from Daehyun. He deserves someone better than you."

"You don't have the right to tell me what to do! You're dead; you're a ghost! You can't control what I do.”

"Are you sure I can't...?" her eyes travel down to Jiyoon's chest. She feels uncomfortable and covers it. Sooyoung sneers, "I'm not interested in your non-existent assets. But I'm sure you have something that was once mine."

"My... My heart."

"That's right, your heart. It was once mine, remember? Or are you too dazzled by Daehyun that you don't even remember that I was the one who saved your life?" 

"I... No. I don't forget. I never forget."

"There's one thing I want you to forget. Forget Jung Daehyun. Throw him away, make him hate you. Just do whatever so that he won't approach you anymore. I don't want to see him with you ever again. If you refuse, just bear in mind that I'm closer than you think."

"You can't do anything to me, you're just a mere hallucination."

"Am I?" Her smirk grows wider as she throws the bouquet of flowers to the ground. She lifts her gown, raises her feet and stomps her feet to crush the flowers.

"Dae- Daehyun would- would protect me. Like he did- during that time at my house- when my brother tried to hurt- me." Her words come out not as smoothly as she planned, as her ragged breath stops her from saying what she wanted to clearly.

The woman approaches Jiyoon, her steady demeanor making her intimidated. She's much taller- the heels that she's wearing add to her height. She brushes her cold fingers against Jiyoon's cheek, and it makes her hair stand on end. "Honey, if it's between me and you, who do you think Daehyun will pick? The woman that he loves so dearly or the weak girl that he just met?" Jiyoon doesn't have the time to ponder as Sooyoung digs her nails into her skin. 

She screams as she wakes up in cold sweat, the sunlight hitting her face but doesn't give any effect, as she feels dead cold. Dead. Cold. What just happened? Was it real or was it just a nightmare? She really hopes it's the second option, as she can't bear to face it in reality. She puts a hand over her heart - Sooyoung's heart - and feels the rhythmic beating. She feels a strange mixture of calmness and anguish. 

"Jiyoon, are you okay?" The doctor rushes in as soon as she hears her scream. He’s doing his usual round of check-ups, and he happens to hear Jiyoon’s cry. He’s glad that she has waken up, but feel troubled as he’s scared the patient is hurt.

"I'm- I'm fine. Just- nevermind."

The older doctor is concerned of her, but he doesn't want to pressure her. He runs his fingers through his gelled hair. "What did you do yesterday, until Soomin found you lying unconcious in the hallway? You did not do any heavy work, did you?"

Does walking around for hours considered heavy work? She looks out the window and doesn't answer his question. Every hospital room must've had the same structure, as everything's the same as when she used to inhabit the hospital wards.

"Did you eat your medicines yesterday?"

She nods. 

"Did you eat?"

I'll never be hungry as long as I'm with Daehyun. She nods again. 

Yongguk, tired of the silent treatment, pretends to check her details hung at the end of the hospital bed. He doesn't even need to; he knows her details by heart. He flips through the pages, and as if he's analysing the details, he nods at himself. Jiyoon watches his actions blankly, her mind wandering somewhere else. 

Jung Daehyun.

Kim Sooyoung.

"I need to see her!" A ruckus is occurring outside, and both of them look through the window on the door. Jiyoon clutches the white bed sheets. ‘I know that voice...’ She hopes that she heard it wrongly, because the man is the last person he wanted to see right now. Her heart (Sooyoung’s heart?) beats furiously, as if threatening to break her ribcage.

Yongguk seems to recognize the voice too, as he puts back the clipboard and goes towards the door. He peeks through the window and his heart sinks, as his guess is correct. Daehyun's thrashing around, arguing with the nurse who prevented him from coming into the ward. He doesn't want to admit it, but he's happy that Daehyun wouldn't be able to get close to Jiyoon. He grips the handle and twists it. He gets outside, and closes the door behind him. 

"Sir, you can't visit the patient as she's still weak," the nurse desperately tries to hold him back. 

"But I need to see her! You- I know you can let me see her," he points at Yongguk's direction when he sees the doctor coming out of the room. 

"I'm sorry but I can't do that. Didn't you hear what the nurse said? She's still weak, just go home."

"You just don't want me to see her."

"I don't know what you're talking about. This is serious business, I don't get feelings involved." Yongguk motions for the nurse to leave.

As soon as the nurse leaves, Daehyun grabs the collar of the doctor's coat and slams him against the door. Jiyoon, who's still sitting upright on her bed, gasps when he sees Yongguk's back blocking the window. ‘What is happening? They couldn’t be fighting, could they?’ She wants to get up and see what’s happening, but she’s still feeling giddy.

"You don't dare fight here, it’s a hospital,” he utters. The doctor appears calm, and that just angers the young man. He lets go furiously, and Yongguk straightens his coat as he shakes his head. He chuckles, "You are really impatient. Are you always this hotheaded?”

“Let me see her, you have no rights to avert me from seeing her!” he raises his voice.

“I’m afraid I do have the rights, Daehyun. I’m the doctor!” He replies in the same tone as the younger man, and points to himself for emphasis.

“The only reason you don’t let me see her is because you’re afraid that she’ll only look at me. You know that she doesn’t like you, yet you’re still chasing after her. You’re so desperate that you are blinded by it. Let her go, Yongguk. If you really do love her, let her go.”

This time around, Yongguk is the one who grabs the man’s collar, looking miffed. He lets go when he receives stares from the nurses at the nearby counter, but shoots back in a warning tone, “You just lost your girlfriend, but now you’re pursuing a girl you barely know. I’ve known her longer and I was there every single time she’s at her lowest point. I took care of her, I made sure she would survive and now you’re asking me to let her go? How could you say that so simply? What about Ms. Kim Sooyoung, did you forget about her already? You erased her easily, and now you’re running after another girl? Where’s your loyalty?”

“In that letter you passed to me, she asked me to move on. She asked me to find another girl. I’m trying to forget her; she’s in the past. I still love her, but I can’t just hold on to her memory. I’m moving on,” his tone starts to decrease in volume. The memories are just too painful.

“But why Jiyoon? When you know that I love her. You asked me that day, and I admitted it. Yet you still want her.” Yongguk sets his hand on the doorknob, as if worried Daehyun might suddenly burst into the room and take Jiyoon away.

Why? He doesn’t even know himself.

“You don’t have to have a reason to like someone. I have feelings for her, and I can’t simply tuck it away.”

“Then what about me? I’ve been by her side for years. I have feelings for her too! Are you asking me to put away my feelings for her? Forget about her? Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” he says in defiance. He has to be selfish for once; he’s tired of people taking everything away from him.

“I can’t believe how selfish you are,” Yongguk says regretfully, his hand still not leaving the doorknob. The metal feels cold against his hand, contrasting with the heat on his face.

“Is it wrong for me to be selfish because of the girl I love?”

“Stop talking about love when you’ve only met her; you know nothing about her. You’re only using her to take away the pain you’re feeling because you lost Sooyoung. She’s only your pain reliever; you don’t love her. She’s only a distraction. You think I’d let you use her? Wake up, Daehyun. You see Sooyoung in her, don’t you? You expect her to be just like Sooyoung, but when you find out that she’s not, you’re going to throw her away. She’s going to be hurt by you, and I won’t let that happen. Stop dreaming. Come back to reality, please. Get over your grief, and then talk about love. Your sorrow is casting a shade on your reality.”

“Stop talking about Sooyoung! This is about Jiyoon-“

“The heart that’s beating in her body is Sooyoung’s. You want Sooyoung, not Jiyoon,” the doctor puts a hand on the young man’s shoulder, but he swats it away.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he crosses his arms, getting into a steady position. What Yongguk said, is it true? That he only wants Sooyoung, and not Jiyoon? No. He likes Jiyoon. He loves Jiyoon. Is it logical to say that even though he has only known her for a few weeks?

“You are the one who don’t know what you’re talking about. Just leave, and get out of her life.”

“No, I won’t leave, unless Jiyoon’s the one who tells me to leave.”

“So that means you want to hear it from her own mouth?” the doctor lifts an eyebrow.

“Yes. Why don’t we-“ he his lips, “-hear what Jiyoon has to say. Let her choose between the two of us. Let her make her choice, and both of us has to accept the results no matter what it is.”

“What will happen to the guy that she doesn’t choose?”

“Leave. Get out of her life, forget about her and move on. He can’t get in between the relationship between Jiyoon and the other guy. He has to accept the fact that Jiyoon won’t return his love.”

“If she doesn’t pick you…” Yongguk let his sentence trails to test Daehyun.

“I’ll let her go.”