The only thing I remember was running down the dimly-lit hallway and my vision becoming very blurry. A strong wave of fatigue hit me and everything around me faded away into darkness.

After a long, dreamless sleep, I woke up in a different room. I was lying in a hospital bed. I shifted slowly and tried to sit up. Most of my dizziness had left but my entire body was feeling very sore. I touched my chin with the tips of my fingers. There were several bandages on it and the site was tender to the touch.

Someone next to me cleared his throat quietly.

“Excuse me?”

I slowly looked to my left.

The man who called himself Ms. Kim’s boyfriend was standing next to me, looking down at me with a calm, solemn expression.

I blinked. “Y-you…”

“How are you feeling?” He asked quietly.

I slowly looked down. “Fine. Just fine…” Then images of an unconscious Wonho penetrated my memory and my head shot back up. “Oh my god, Wonho! Where is he?”

“He’s in another room. A more…stable room.”

“What do you mean?”

He seemed uncomfortable. “Well you see…back at the mental hospital, I decided to go looking for Leah again after talking to you, but when I was walking down the hallway, you came running out of the treatment room and then fell unconscious on the floor.”

I blinked. I didn’t remember falling over.

“You wouldn’t wake up, so I went into the treatment room and…saw Leah and your friend unconscious in there. I called the police after that and now you’re in here.”

“So you think I’m responsible for your girlfriend’s head injury?” I asked quietly.

“Well that’s what I thought at first. But Leah…she told me everything.”

I looked at him slowly. “What?”

“She told me she hypnotized you and the other patients to only love her. I didn’t believe her at first, but she showed me the little white chain and even said she’d sign a legal document admitting that she was guilty. I…I still can’t believe she would do something like that…” He lowered his head.

I stared at him in shock. “But…h-how is that possible…?” I was very confused. I hypnotized her into confessing her actions but I thought it didn’t work because of the unnatural way she woke up. Plus the other suggestions I gave her didn’t work…

“I don’t know, but it’s very obvious to me now that I’ve been made a fool.” He shook his head, staring at the ground ashamed.

“…I’m sorry.” I slowly looked back at him. “I’m sure you didn’t deserve to be lied to for so long…”

He sighed and met my eyes. “I suppose it’s for the best. I’ll be extra careful next time when picking a girlfriend.”

I nodded. “Yeah…”

There was a moment of silence between us, then I carefully stood up.

“I want to see Wonho. Do you know which room he’s in?”

“I don’t think the doctors will allow you to see him.”

“Why not?”

“They said he’s mentally unstable.”

“That’s not true!”

“How do you know?”

“Because I know the actual truth! And so do you! You said Ms. Kim confessed everything to you!”

“She did…but the doctor’s took x-ray photos of his brain and they said his neurological system is very out of the ordinary. Almost to the point of…mental insanity.”

My heart dropped to my knees. “N-no…that can’t be…!” I quickly moved for the door and pulled it open. “I have to see him!”

Before he could say anything more, I was jogging down the hallway, looking through different windows of the rooms laid out in the hallway. Then I saw one door labeled “Shin Wonho, Caution: Unstable” and immediately pulled open the door.

“Wonho?” I looked around the room as the door closed behind me.

He was sitting on his hospital bed with a fresh roll of gauze wrapped around his head. His legs were crossed and his arms were resting in his lap.

Seeing him awake and sitting upright made my heart run faster.

“Oh thank god.” I ran right up to him and pulled him into a hug.

He didn’t move or say anything.

I pulled back after a few seconds to meet his eyes. “Are you okay?”

His eyes met mine very slowly. He didn’t respond to my question.

“You saved me back there. At that place we shouldn’t mention anymore.” I chuckled. “Thank you.”

He blinked and just stared at me with no emotion in his eyes.

My excitement dwindled the more he stayed silent.

“…you do remember me, don’t you?” I chuckled nervously.

I heard the door open behind me but didn’t turn around.

Wonho just stared at me blankly.

“…h-hey…come on, say something!” I grabbed his arm lightly.

“He won’t respond to anyone.” Said the voice of Ms. Kim’s boyfriend from behind me.

I slowly turned around.

“The doctors said his level of thinking and processing has decreased to almost…retardation levels.”

I stared at him in disbelief and turned back to Wonho.

“N-no…this…this can’t be! You can’t be like this! Come on, say something!!” I shook him roughly.

“This is the result of too many post-hypnotic suggestions put into his head. He was forced to do thing beyond his will and now he’s like this as a result…I’m so sorry.” The boyfriend’s voice was very quiet.

“God damnit, no!!” My head lowered and I clamped my eyes shut. I could feel tears coming to them.

Seconds ticked and the only sound in the room was my deep breathing. A strong wave of despair settled in my body.

“You can’t be like this…this isn’t fair…” I said very quietly.

“The doctors said they don’t know if his mental condition will improve, but he should still be taken care of as if he were a normally thinking person.” The boyfriend paused. “…if there’s anything I can do, I’d be happy to help out. Anything at all.”

“Can you please leave the room?” I asked, my voice cracking a little.

Silent footsteps sounded and the door closed gently. I slowly looked up at Wonho. His gaze had shifted down and he was fidgeting with his fingers.

I watched his eyes, wishing he would look at me. There was really no definite emotion on his face. As strange as it was to think, he actually looked more peaceful.

My gaze shifted to the side and I saw a pitcher of water and two small plastic cups sitting on the table next to the hospital bed. After a second, I reached over, filled both cups, and held on out for Wonho.

His gaze slowly met the cup and after several seconds of staring at it blankly, his hands rose palm up. I lowered the cup into his palms and he stared down at the cup silently. I picked up my own cup and sat next to him on the bed.

“I promised we’d drink tea together once we were out of the asylum. This isn’t tea…but isn’t it the thought that counts?” I slowly brought the cup of water to my lips and took a small sip, keeping my eye on Wonho.

Wonho stared at the cup in his hands and didn’t move. I sighed a little, put down my cup, picked up his cup, and brought it to his lips.

“Drink.” I ordered.

He leaned back a little, surprised at my sudden movement. Then he slowly leaned forward and brought the edge of the cup to his lips. I tiled the cup up and let some water flow into his mouth. He took in a short sip of water and leaned back. I placed the cup back on the table.

“Good…now our promise is fulfilled…” I stared at the cup and then back at Wonho. He went back to looking at his hands.