Stockholm's Syndrome

I.

《I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river, and it made me complete
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on》
("Somewhere only we know" ㅡ Keane)

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When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was how much white was around him. As soon as his senses came back to him, he was trying to understand where he was, the only thing he know is that he was never been here before. It wasn't an hospital room. He was been in there before, and it looked and smelled in a particular way. The one in which he is now is an half-empty bedroom, with white and vacant furniture. It is one of those left to themselves rooms in a house as big as empty. 

He was laying in a canopy full size bed, definitely much more comfortable than the dirty mattress on the floor he's been sleeping for 3 years. At each side of the large bed, two big open windows let in the dazzling light of the sun, and a light breeze made the white curtain flutter. 

Around him, everything was quiet, and incredibly silent. He has never heard such silence in his whole life. It was so relaxing being in there, in that stranger place. place.

Becoming addicted to the torpor of the big bed and the tranquillity that were around you, he closed his eyes and sighed. In a few seconds he was already collapsed in the arms of Morpheus; he dreamed about grass, sun and a pair of dark deep eyes.

***

After about 2 hours, he woke up again because of a painful twinge in the leg, in the same moment, he heard someone sit besides him and two voices whispering to each other something he couldn’t understand. As soon as he opened his eyes, he’s blinded by strong light in the room, for which he have to blink his eyelids several times to be able to resume his view and focus the room around him.

The first thing he saw was a bush of raven hair styled in ringlets which surrounded the face of a stranger man with a pair of eyes strangely familiar.

At first sight, Youngjae, looking at him, he could do nothing but think Handsome. 

After several seconds of as intense as strange contemplation between the two of them, the stranger cleared his throat, looking away.

“In short, - deciding to stop the silence created in the room, the strange spoke, and the other, as soon as he heard him speaking, he thought about how much deep, and at the same time sweet, his voice sounded - I saw you running from a couple of policemen, at some point you got shouted in a leg and passed out. I brought you here and got you medicated, so from now on you’re under my protection. Don’t rustle too much, because what I’ve done is not free, so, in a way or another you have to repay me. As soon as I found out which way”.

After this he paused for a little, meanwhile, he took some moments to look at the boy, who only then could sense the coldness and austerity the person in front of him was able to transmit with his only presence. 

“Mine name is Bang Yongguk, you can call me Mr. Bang. At the moment you are at my mansion, in one of the guest room. Right after I take you here, you’ve been visited by the most qualified doctors in this town, they took the bullet out and bandaged your leg. in any case, you’re completely out of danger and you should be healed soon. You understand?”.

Youngjae nodded.

“Perfect. Now. I assumed that, after you’ve been sleeping for more than 18 hours, you should be hungry. So I made you make porridge by the cook” said that, Yongguk leans towards the nightstand to take a tray and pose it on the legs of the boy.

“Enjoy your meal”.

Youngjae, surprised, at the beginning, could only alternate the look from the other to the plate in front of him. Taken courage, he can open his mouth to whisper a faint “Thank you”, impeded by a severe burning in his throat, probably caused by the long sleep.

After the first spoon, he tasted the good food prepared for him. He hadn’t eaten for too long, they could give him any crao and he would like it. After that, taken from an exaggerated hunger, he started to eat with fury, under the emotionless sight of the other guy in the room.

“Well, maybe you were more than hungry. So, can you tell me your name now?”.

After he swallowed the last spoon of porridge and cleaned his mouth, the guy answered:

“I’m Youngjae. Yoo Youngjae”.