A Body Of Water; A Mind Of Light

Condensed Vapor

"How are you feeling, Jeongguk?"

"Like I was hit by a truck... and then by a bus... a double-decker one... and then-"

"I got it," the man looks at him through his thick glasses. "You don't have to add more vehicles."

The doe-eyed boy is in a rectangular room with blue walls and brown furniture. On the wall, there is a photo of an alpaca. Jeongguk has asked the man before him if he brought it himself. He always says it's a gift from his husband.

"So," The man in the grey suit starts, twirling his pen between his fingers. "You said you hallucinated again. What was it this time? Describe it to me."

"I had just finished work. I think I also had those things you mentioned, acusias or something-"

"Paracusias," the man corrects him. "What was it this time?"

"Wind chimes..."

"Are you sure there wasn't a stimulus?"

The young boy nods, keeping his hands in a tight knot. It's been 3 years since he started visiting Kim Seokjin. It was around the time he got a job at Peuli-jeum's souvenir shop. Without a Peuli-jeum, there's no Kim Seokjin. And without Kim Seokjin, Jeonguk feels lost.

The young one always had those thoughts- of being haunted, hearing and listening to things that weren't there.

He thought he was going crazy. These thoughts have been with him since forever. And now that he is 22, he can't still function properly.

"Jeongguk?"

"I'm sorry, no. I'm sure there wasn't one..."

"And then? What happened then?" The doctor asks, taking down a few notes on his leather notebook.

"I saw a boy reflected on a puddle..." Jeongguk's eyes roll on his feet, reliving the scene.

"A boy reflected on a puddle? That's new. No lighthouses and boats this time?"

"No," the young one tries to recall the face of the boy. "It was just a child. Probably 6 or 7 years old. He was playing with a small puppy."

"Puppy?" Kim Seokjin's eyes lift from his notes, looking at Jeongguk's face with curiosity.

"Yes..."

"Did you have a dog as a child, Jeongguk?"

"No. I don't think so. But I always wanted one... It's just-"

A sudden headache spreads on his forehead, making his fingers rub his temple.

"Are you having headaches again?"

"They come and go. Especially when it's stormy."

"Ah, my bones hurt so much," the doctor points out. "It seems the storm season is here early."

"Yeah..." Jeongguk's eyes rise to face the window. A thick sheet of grey clouds is covering the small town.

"So, about the boy," Seokjin attracts his attention. "Did you know him?"

"No. It was dark, too. I didn't see him clearly. He was just sitting there playing with that dog..."

The same headache drills his mind. There's a name swirling in his thoughts.

Yeonjun? Yeonbin?

No. It doesn't sound right.

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing in particular..." The young boy murmurs, hands untangling to fix his plaid shirt. "I just..."

"Yes?"