"How are you feeling, Miss Lee?" The doctor asked with a slight smile.
Yeo Ri merely spared a short glance at her before turning to observe the other patients who were currently milling about in the vicinity.
After lunch, Yeo Ri had been taken to the hospital's recreational park for some fresh air, and at the same time, to meet with a doctor who specialised in the psychological department.
Receiving no reply, the doctor smiled tightly. She scribbled some notes in the notebook she had been carrying before moving on to start another conversation with the girl.
"The weather is nice today, don't you think?"
Yeo Ri glanced at her with a dull gaze, a flash of wryness in her eyes. It was winter; while it was rather bright outside compared to previous days, it was still very cold. She wondered if this doctor was in her right mind.
Sensing the strangeness in the younger girl's gaze, the doctor chuckled awkwardly. "...Shall we go inside and get warmed up?"
Yeo Ri kept mum, tacitly showing her agreement. She allowed the nurse to push her wheelchair back inside without complain.
With the nurse's help, Yeo Ri was brought to Dr. Hong's consultation office.
Dr. Hong offered the girl a warm cup of coffee, but the girl did not accept it nor reacted to any of her comments.
Dr. Hong observed the girl with thoughtful eyes. Yeo Ri was clearly conscious, yet she was stoic. Most victims would have fallen into hysterics or breakdowns, but she was calm. Too calm. It was as if she had shut herself out from the rest of the world.
'Her heart is dead, huh...?' Dr. Hong sighed inwardly.
Yeo Ri, who was sitting in front of her in a daze, resembled a life-like doll. She stared at the wall with jaded eyes, thinking of nothing and not wanting to do anything. Added with her spectacular looks, she truly looked like a doll.
But, she was not a doll. She was supposed to be a human.
"Miss Lee, how do you feel right now?" Again, Dr. Hong repeated her question to the girl.
Yeo Ri remained mute.
Dr. Hong could tell that she was able to hear her question, but chose not to respond. Nevertheless, she pushed forward, "Did you have a good lunch? It may sound like boasting, but our hospital's food is quite tasty."
"..."
Dr. Hong did not give up. She smiled amiably at the girl, "Miss Lee, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?"
"..."
"I heard you have two brothers? How lucky; I was an only child so it was quite lonely growing up."
"..." Yeo Ri raised her eyes to look at the woman briefly at the mention of her brothers. However, she remained quiet.
Seeing her change, Dr. Hong leaned forward, testing the waters, "Miss Lee, do you want to talk about what happened that day?"
"..." Yeo Ri looked away. Clearly, she did not want to.
"Then, should we talk about something else? What do kids these days like to talk about... ah! I recently heard BTX's new song on the radio. Do you like BTX?"
"..."
Dr. Hong pursed her lips. Was she being too pushy? She leaned back into her seat.
"Miss Lee," she started, recollecting her calm. "If you want to talk about anything, do come to me. I'm all ears."
She got up and kneeled next to Yeo Ri's wheelchair. Dr. Hong placed her hands above Yeo Ri's squeezing it reassuringly, "I'm always available. Remember, Miss Lee, we are here to help you."
Unlike the time with Gun, Yeo Ri did not pull away. Perhaps because the other party was a woman, she did not display any revulsion. She simply stared at the woman with deep, empty eyes.
Dr. Hong gave her a smile. "It might take a long time, but I assure you, you will be able to become yourself once again."
"Until then, you're stuck with me," Dr. Hong added with a chuckle.
Then, the analog clock on her desk beeped, signalling the end of their session.