Mental Asylum || PURINZ

026

I locked all the doors and closed every window as soon as I reached home, then dialed a number.

The phone kept ringing until it finally went to voicemail.

Dr. Yang Jungwon, leave a message.

The way she looked at me and the fact that she called me babe...

Yunjin never called me that.

I left a detailed voicemail, stressing the urgency of the situation.

Surprisingly, I received a call exactly thirty minutes later from an unknown number.

"I told you not to call me!" came the familiar voice on the other end.

"Jen?" I asked.

"Of course, who else were you expecting?"

"You're not answering the phone from ForestVille Asylum, are you?"

"What's happening, Chaewon?" Yunjin asked, her tone more serious than I had ever heard it.

"There's a woman in the asylum that the authorities have brought in and confined. She looks exactly like you. Everyone believes it's you. I was fooled for a minute until I looked into her eyes. They were definitely a shade darker than yours. Please tell me I'm not losing my mind..."

Silence grew on the other end.

"Say something, Jen."

This revelation disturbed her more than any news could.

I could feel the tension through the phone.

"It can't be," she said almost in a whisper.

"What can't be?"

"My... my sister Yujin," Yunjin stammered.

And Yunjin never stammered.

"You have a sister? What is she doing here?"

Yunjin acted as if she hadn't heard me.

"You don't understand, Chae!" she said impatiently. "It can't be her!"

"Why not?"

"Because Ahn Yujin is dead."

"If your sister is dead, who is that woman in the hospital?" I asked.

"It can't be Yujin. I... I was there with her when our car crashed. I was the only one who survived... unless..."

"Unless?" I pressed.

"Unless she didn't really die and was in hiding for a long time," Yunjin said.

"Do you think she killed all those people?"

Yunjin fell completely silent, showing the escalation of her concern.

"I have to go. I'll talk to you later. If that woman pretending to be me is Yujin, you must be very careful. If they label me as dangerous, it's only because they don't know my sister yet. Inform the authorities and, for God's sake, Chae, don't go to her room alone again."

I didn't mention the part where I kissed her. I figured that could wait a bit.

"I promise I won't," I said.

"This makes things more complicated," she said.

"But..."

Before I could say another word, Yunjin hung up on me.