The people on the narrow pavement keep tossing me left and right making it hard for me to find my phone, that has been ringing for the last minute while I'm trying to holding my two bags one in each hand.
I struggle to reach all the way down to my jacket's pocket "Did he have to call now" a small curse escapes my lips as I push myself to the side of the pavement letting the bags hit the ground. I take a deep breath in order to calm down the anger that is slowly starting to boil up and finally answer the phone.
"What??" I hiss in the phone speaker.
"Ahh my dear friend don't be so mean. Did you forget I'm your new apartment owner you don't want to be on bad terms with me" usually you my best friends voice would boost my mood up but today is different. That little piece of lazy shit left me to deal with my baggage alone while he is chilling at home eating snacks in front of the TV.
"You could have helped me you know" I can't help but complain as my feet don't want to hold me up anymore.
Three months ago I finished school and was already ready for change. Just the thought that I can finally live away from my parents and build my own life was a big motivation. But everyone have to start somewhere and I decided to start here. In Seoul. The city with the biggest population in Korea and the city I already don't like. How can someone get lost so fast, I don't even know which street I am standing at right now, people keep passing me, rushing to work, students to school and older woman happily buying ingredients for todays lunch.
While I'm standing here with a heavy backpack hanged on your back the suitcase leaning on the white buildings wall and the two bags on the ground close to my feet waiting for a miracle to happen.
"The show just ended, how is this even possible he was such a good dancer and they voted him out!! Can you believe that... ahh people really are stupid" Yes. He dumped me alone in an unknown city just because it was the last episode of his favorite show. A show in which random dancers from all around the country participate in finding 'the next big thing in K-pop'. I can't blame him the show is really interesting. "Come pick me upppppp" I whine in the phone trying to make my tired voice and exhausted body as visible as possible.
"Okeyyy where are you" I can hear him getting out of the apartment and I immediately start searching for the street's name. At the crowds keep passing by all I can notice is the small green park on the other side of the street and a small shop on the end of the street. "I'm.... ummm..... I don't really know where I am" the sound of his hand smacking his forehead rings through the phones speaker.
"Just describe what's around you. You can't be far from the train station" he says and I start describing the surroundings around me. He tells me to wait for him in front of the parks entrance so I slowly make my way toward the traffic light where I patiently wait for the light to turn green. A smile forms on my lips as I can't help but think about my new beginning. It might count classic but I really do hope for a new beginning or at least something new.
My lungs are inhaling the fresh morning air. The weak sun is shining on my face lighting up my mood every time I remember I can finally live the way I want to. Despite the fact that I couldn't sleep all night my eyes keep open burning with excitement.
I cross the street and sit on the closest bench patiently waiting for my friend. One of the reasons I couldn't sleep was because I haven't seen him in a while and I miss him a lot. During high school the two of us somehow ended up together and even thought many things happened in those four years we couldn't separate. After he moved here for college we would still call each other and talk for hours and finally we get to reunite.
Of course I expect a lot of fights and disagreement but that's one of the many things that keeps us stuck together like paper and glue.
In a mater of minutes a taxi pulls over and I turn my head in it's direction. A head pops out and there he is. With his sunglasses resting on his nose and his figure standing straight up so I can see him clearly. He pulls his sunglasses off and gives me a small smile.
I get up from the bench and start walking toward him with my eyes full of energy and my lips that can't help but smile. When I am close enough I throw one of the bags direct in his stomach making him whine in pain as he catches it so it doesn't hit the ground.
"Auch... I feel betrayed" he says playfully griping his stomach "Why I'm the one that got left all alone in a city I know nothing about. And all that because of a single show that you could watch a few hours later" I say as I raise one of my eyebrows.
"Oh come on you know how loyal I am to that show" he opens his arms waiting for me to give him that old hug that he is so desperate for "Come here I know you missed me" he says and I just quietly walk to him and wrap my arms around him like in the good old days.
"Your hugs are terrible" I mutter loud enough for him to hear "Your's too".
The ride home is filled with stories that we didn't get to share last night on our call. He tells me about a guy in his college that he can't stand and I tell him about how I spent my sleepless night. From all the excitement I didn't even get to pack everything during the day so I didn't really get much sleep before getting on the train for Seoul.
"But how did you get lost so fast though?? You have been to Seoul before" I look away a bit embarrassed. I don't want to give him the pleasure to tease me all day but not a single excuse cams to my mind "Ohh well... I thought I know where I was going but then all the streets seemed the same" he can't hold his laughter back as I expose the fact that I can't even memorize the city's main streets even thought I have been here a few times before.
The city is extremely close to my home in Gimbo but I never came here many times because my parents never let me have any freedom. That's probably why I became such a bold and stubborn kid. All my parents ever taught me is how to pretend to be asleep and how to recognize who is coming up the stairs by the sound they make while walking. Pretty useful in every day life not gonna lie.
But that is all behind me now. It's ok. I graduated college, got accepted for the job I applied for and now I can worry about bills and food by myself... well with my best friend. Even thought my job is not something big I like it and I'm ready to do my best making every patient I ever speak with feel accepted and understood.
Untill we arrive to his apartment he kept mocking me and laughing at me. Once we enter the small apartment I am surprised at the fact that it is actually clean. He helps me settle in my room and unpack my stuff. There aren't many items I brought with me but the small amount is still very valuable to me.
I notice a pair of plush ears peaking through the new opened backpack zipper. I slowly reach for my backpack and pull out the tiny teddy bear. His brown eyes staring at me as I hold it into my hands looking at the read heart that is in his hands. The inscription made the corners of my mouth curl up as I read the 'I love you kiddo' that is written on the heart.
I place it on the bed next to my pillow and returned back to unpacking without even noticing my best friend's soft gaze on me.
After finishing he cooks a pack of ramen for both of us and before I realize it, it is already 9am. I throw the things I need inside my backpack and hurry out of the door. "Make sure to download a map or something so you don't get lost again" was the last thing I hear before the elevator door shut in front of me.
--
Everyone greet me warmly as I introduce myself to my coworkers. The atmosphere in this mental hospital is so calming, I can feel the relaxing and friendly vibe through the hallways. Even the patients are happy to have a new nurse to take care of them, every time I pass a new face they introduce themselves with a warm smile.
The director doesn't bother much with his new employee he just lets the main nurse take care of me. She explains me a few basic things about the hospital and the patients, gives me the key to my locker so I can leave my things there and shows me around the hospital. After the warm welcome I quickly get to work. For my first day I don't do hard tasks there isn't even much to do everyone are doing what they are supposed to. I take a few patients on short walks, help some of them eat, even had a small chat with one. They keep going on and on about how the devil is going to end humanity soon and even god can't stop him this time.
It is fun to listen to the patients theory but at the same time tiring because they don't shut up even for 30 seconds. I am lucky that a nurse around my age pulls me away from them.
The hours kept passing and around 3pm I am just walking back to the main lobby after helping a patient find their lucky charm when sudden scream start coming from the first floor. It continues and continues and I start to run toward the main lobby with panic slowly building inside of me.
"AAAAAA AAAA AAAAAAAA" it is getting louder with every step I take and finally I reach the lobby "Is everything all right?? What is that?? Does someone need help??" even my breath is gone as the questions shoot from my mouth.
"Don't worry you'll get used to it" says the young nurse while playing on her phone. Confusion builds up inside of me as I hear her calm tone "He is a special patient" the main nurses voice can be heard from behind me. She walks closer to the counter and snatched the girls phone with one hand while smacking her head with her other hand "I told you to get to work" a scoff escapes the nurse's lips as she got up gives you a quick bow and runs off. The main nurse slips the phone in the pocket of her lab coat.
"What do you mean a special patient??" the curiosity started to kick in. The main nurses head turns toward you. For a moment she hesitates but after a while words start to leave her tongue "He has been here for 12 years. I watched him grow up between those 4 white walls and now I don't even think there is any home left for that boy" a deep sigh escapes from her lips
"What do you mean?? Why??" I ask my eyes digging deeper into the nurses soul "He was diagnosed with a mental disorder and on top of that he refuses to take his medicine. We give it to him forcefully by tying him up on the bed" It looks like she can read the look on my face that's why she quickly continues "Three years ago he got out of control and one of our workers got badly injured, that's why we also became more careful with him" She shakes her head a few times before finishing off "Poor kid"
I am surprised and amazed. This person turned all the warm and nice vibes into dark ones with just a few scream and their screams are still here "What did you say his mental disorder was??" you say as you slowly start walking toward the screams.
"He is a psychopath. Don't get involved with him, don't talk to him, you have zero reasons to even walk toward his rooms direction. She says in a clear and strict tone. I walk out of the lobby into the long hallway with rooms left and right but only one room that noises are coming out of. His scream echo through the hallway as the closed door on the end of the long hallway gave me goosebumps up my spine.
"Yes I understand" I said and slowly start walking back to do the little work that is left.
---------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading â¤ï¸ð¤