“So, you did it again?”
“Yes.”
“You did it again without realizing it?”
“Yes.”
The bespectacled man, who twice asked the question, now sighed heavily. The two questions he voiced were answered positively. However, the positive answer indicated that there was something ‘negative’ with the other man.
His narrow eyes stared straight at the figure sitting in front of him, trying to dive into the man’s soul even though no words were spoken. In fact, it was quite difficult to understand the figure he had known for a long time even though he had read hundreds of psychology books.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go into therapy or maybe start taking medication, Ren?” A handsome figure, with an ID that read Damien Lau, MD., asked again.
Despite being constantly attacked with a series of questions, the young man in front of him remained calm and undisturbed. The young man, who was called by the name René, then replied, “You are thinking too much. What I’m experiencing is only a mild disorder, right? No need for therapy or medication.’
“You’re right, Ren. But, somnambulism is still a disorder that can’t be ignored. In addition, you’re experiencing it twice a week now, whereas previously it was only once a week. The intensity will likely increase, and it may affect the quality of your sleep.”
The fair-skinned youth with the full name René Huang now seemed to be contemplating the words of the older figure. The disorder began to occur a few weeks ago. At first, he was shocked and a little scared, thinking that maybe he was possessed or something. Therefore, the mixed-blooded man went to visit a psychiatrist he knew for a little consultation.
At first, the psychiatrist asked René not to worry because somnambulism, or generally known as sleepwalking, was actually not a serious mental disorder, and no need to be worried about that. Sometimes, the disorder was not even included in the category of mental disorders.
But, at this time, the doctor who belonged to the surname Lau, seemed to have a different idea only because his arrival today gave the news that within a week, the incident had happened to him twice.
But, for the option of taking medicine or doing therapy, he didn’t think about taking it at all. It seemed too much if this kind of disorder must be overcome with chemical drugs or therapy. It was enough for him with a consultation. The burden in his mind was slightly reduced by doing that. At least, he had someone to talk to.
“Ren,” the doctor called the patient. “As I’ve said before, the disorder can be caused by many things. You said you always get enough sleep, never experience fatigue, nor stress. So, what do you think could be the cause?”
The young man, who was sitting in front of the doctor, suddenly laughed strangely. “You are being weird again, Damien,” he commented. “You are the doctor here. Shouldn’t you be able to diagnose?”
The doctor laughed. His junior figure when they were in elementary school was known as a person who didn’t talk much, but once he spoke, his words could pierce to the bone.
“It’s not easy to diagnose the cause of somnambulism, Ren. The causes are varied, so I can’t jump to conclusions.” The doctor smiled faintly, but then his face turned serious again. “I’m just worried that you’re depressed or too stressed that you’re going through this. You’re really not in a complicated situation, are you, Ren?”
One of René’s eyebrows rose in confusion. “Do I look like someone who is depressed and almost committed suicide? What kind of problems can I have? My career as a painter is very successful. I'm often asked to be a speaker in seminars or art forums and often asked to be a guest lecturer in the art faculty of a prestigious university as well. Is it possible for someone like me to be depressed?”
Doctor Lau couldn’t help but shake his head at the haughty chatter of the younger man. Aside from being bone-chilling, René’s words could make the ears heat up because of the content of arrogance that exceeded the limit. Fortunately, the young psychiatrist was used to hear something like that. René’s arrogance was like daily food for him.
“Yes, you did have a brilliant career, Ren. But, what about your love life? You’re 27 years old now, but you’re still single—I don’t even know if you’ve ever had a girlfriend. You could be frustrated by that, right?”
Ah, the doctor’s words caused René’s face to turn crimson to the ears.
“What’s wrong with being single, Dam? I’m still young. I’m not like you who got married at a young age because your girlfriend got pregnant first.”
“Hey! Elloise didn’t get pregnant first! We didn’t get married because she got pregnant first. We love each other, so why delay it too long?”
“How can you be so sure when you’ve only been dating her for four months, Dam? People thought that your wife was pregnant when you rushed to marry her last month.”
Damien sighed again. The 31-year-old man tried to calm down even though René kept urging him. He was the doctor, so there’s no way he could turn insane just because of the younger guy’s bluntness, right?
“I know people think like that, but I don’t care. Over time, people will know that we got married quickly not because Elloise was pregnant first. In fact, she hasn’t been pregnant yet even though we are already married.”
René gave a faint smile to the figure in front of him. There was a hint of respect on his handsome face. Although there was a complaint at the end of Damien’s sentence, René knew that Damien was happy with his marriage. René was quite proud of that because he was the one who introduced Elloise Monet to his best friend.
Elloise was his college friend, and it was unknown what prompted him to introduce the blonde girl to Damien six months ago. Perhaps, he had the talent to be Cupid.
“It looks like I have to go now, Dam.” René started to pack his things. “I’ve been in consultation with you for an hour. Isn’t that a very long time?”
The doctor laughed briefly before replying, “You call one hour long? I even have a patient who consults for ten hours, Ren. Maybe it’s my handsome face that attracts my patients to spend time here.”
René snorted faintly at the doctor’s confident words. “I’ll see you again if my issue gets worse. You have to spare your time for me,” he said.
The older man laughed again before he replied, “I have a hunch that you will come again in a few days, Ren. Probably just five to seven days before you call me again.”
The patient glared at the doctor. “Don’t jinx it!” He exclaimed. “I’ll leave for real now. Thank you for your time.”
After bidding goodbye, the 27-year-old man waved his hand before immediately left the consultation room.
Another free consultation service provided by Damien Lau for 'his beloved brother.'
That surely wouldn’t be the last. He got a feeling that René Huang's case wouldn't be simple.
René Huang. His age would soon touch the head of three, but his face was still flawless without a single wrinkle. He was a French-Chinese mixed blooded. His father was Chinese, while his mother was French.Even so, he was born in China and spent his first six years of life in the Asian country. It was only when he started elementary school that his family moved to Europe. Therefore, he pocketed the French nationality.His family was not living with him now, though. They moved back to China ten years ago, leaving him with his grandparents, who loved him dearly. Unfortunately, his two special figures passed away last year.He was completely alone afterward. The only ‘family’ he had was the psychiatrist, Damien Lau. They weren't related by blood, but they had known each other for so long that they became brothers. Moreover, Damien was also mixed-blooded, and that fact alone made them feel connected. Sometimes, they were chatting in Chine
That night, René returned to his apartment after meeting his old friend and having a few drinks. The tall man had a high alcohol tolerance, so drinking a few glasses didn’t make him drunk.After cleaning himself and changing clothes, René quickly laid down on his king-sized bed. The next day, he had a schedule to teach the students at a famous university. This time, he wouldn’t be merely a guest lecturer, but he would be a temporary lecturer for half a semester. He was asked to replace his former professor at the university who was currently being treated in a hospital.He was about to close his eyes when his phone on the nightstand suddenly vibrated. He sighed before getting up from his position. With a heavy heart, he stretched out his hand to grab his phone. He stared at the phone screen blankly when he saw his dad’s name flashing on the screen.It was already midnight in Paris, so it was around 6 AM in Beijing. His father must
René was sure that he didn’t recognize the dark-haired girl. Or perhaps he just didn’t remember the girl? He met a lot of people in his life, and he could forget a person or two.He decided to ask someone about the possibility. Someone close to him probably knew the girl.The painter walked out of his studio and turned to his bedroom. He was about to pick up his phone from the nightstand when it suddenly vibrated. The handsome painter frowned as he lifted his cellphone from the nightstand.Once he read the name flashing on the screen, his eyes bulged. The caller was Albert Martin, the Dean in the Faculty of Art in a famous university. The painter immediately answered the call.“Hello?” René’s deep voice greeted the caller.“Mr. Huang, did I disturb your rest?”René’s hand ran toward the nape of his neck and stroke it awkwardly. He didn’t have a proper rest la
René’s mind wondered, and his eyes didn't leave the young figure in front of him. The figure was looking back at him in confusion.“Um, Sir? Is there something wrong with my face?” The student finally spoke up because René had been staring at him mysteriously for a quite long time.Finally, the painter cleared his throat, trying to neutralize the rumbling in his chest. “There’s nothing wrong with your face,” he said awkwardly. “Even so, you are still violating the rule by coming late. But, since it’s the first meeting this semester, then I will tolerate you. Now, please state your identity.”“Thank you, um... Mr. Huang?” The student thanked him in a hesitant tone at the end. “My name is Alain Kim, and this is my friend, Brielle Park. We both are third-year students.”René subconsciously recorded the student’s name in his brain. Alain Kim.
The orange rays approached, coming with the twilight at the end of the day. It flaunted priceless elegance, giving a calming sense of peace, perfecting a day that had passed.René was back at that point, a point where he looked straight at a painting he 'accidentally' drew in his deep sleep last night.He had produced a lot of works, dramatic titles had also been arranged for each of his paintings. But, René was a painter who had characteristics; he only painted objects he was seeing or had ever seen in the past.Sometimes, he painted some moments that happened in the past. For example, the moment when he and his sister were still young. They used to fight a lot. Yes, fighting. They did not hesitate to kick and punch each other, even wrestled each other like professionals. Once, René painted a picture when he and his older sister were in a brutal fight.René had also painted heart-wrenching scenes. Tears, blood, and sorrow. The
It had only been a week since their last meeting, but they once again sat opposite each other with only a table separated the two men.“So, I guessed it right, didn’t I? You come to see me again just a week after our last consultation,” Damien opened the conversation as he grinned naughtily.René, who was sitting in front of him, scoffed in annoyance before he replied, “It’s your fault, Dam. You shouldn’t have jinxed it. I’ve warned you before.”The doctor laughed at his friend’s statement. “I don’t have the power to see the future, Ren,” he denied the accusation. He then erased his playful grin and plastered a serious expression when he said, “So, you painted someone you’ve never met in your sleep?”Before he came to see the doctor, René had told the doctor the general issue he had been experiencing. He called the doctor and told him about the mysterio
“That’s all for today. See you again next week,” René ended his lecture today.The students showed a happy expression before they started leaving the classroom.The lecture went smoothly. He explained some drawing theory and the technique, and the students seemed to be interested in what he was explaining. He was slightly in doubt about that, though. He wasn’t sure whether the students were interested in the course of his handsome face.No one could deny that his handsome face was like a magnet that attracted the people's attention. He didn't know whether he should be happy about that or not.He was about to pack his things up, but then his sharp eyes caught a glimpse of someone walking toward the door. Subconsciously, he left his bag and rushed to catch up with the person.He then stopped right in front of the person, making the said person halted his steps as well and looked up at him confusedly.“What&
As soon as he arrived at his flat, Brielle Park had been waiting for him at the door. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her eyes stabbed into Alain’s eyes; demanding an explanation. Zhou Yongliang could only sigh at the sight. He had expected it, so he wasn't surprised by the girl's appearance. “At least, let me go in first. There’s no way we can talk outside like this, right?” The girl still glared dangerously at Alain even after the man had voiced his request. Alain knew that his best friend was so stubborn, so he patiently waited for the girl to relent. After contemplating it for a moment, Brielle finally shifted her body from the door, letting the owner of the flat open the door before leading the way to the residence. The owner of the residence entered the room, took off his shoes, and put them on the shelf. Brielle followed closely behind him. It wasn't the first time the pretty girl visited the flat, so she felt like s
They didn’t speak to each other. In the black car, the two of them still refused to unlock their lips to produce any words. It had been five minutes since they left Brielle Park’s residence, but they were still reluctant to leave the basement of the building. They were already in the car, but the painter had not yet started the engine. The sound of gasping breaths was heard. It was the only sound that filled the silence in the car. “Your friend is very strange,” René finally broke the silence that had been enveloping them for a few minutes. Alain turned to René and put on a guilty expression. “I’m sorry, Sir. I’ve known her for a long time and know about her past, but I didn’t expect her to be like that.” René sighed again. He was wrong for being suspicious of the girl named Brielle Park. He thought the chubby-cheeked girl would be able to give him a clue, but he was wrong. He couldn’t judge people with the surname only. "What do y
The girl was certainly surprised to see who the two guests were. She reflexively covered his face with both hands. “Oh my! What are Alain Kim and Mr. Huang doing here? I look very bad right now! It's so embarrassing!” She squeaked loudly with a slightly hoarse voice. Seeing the adorable attitude, Alain chuckled as he stretched out his hand to keep Brielle’s hand away from her face. “We came to see you. Why are you hiding your face, huh?” He asked softly. “My face must be really ugly right now. I haven’t even showered yet. I'm so smelly!” Again, Alain chuckled as his hands ruffled Brielle’s messy hair. “I thought your face was the same as always.” And Brielle’s hands automatically beat Alain’s body because of the man’s words. They continued to immerse themselves in their worlds until finally, René cleared his throat to interrupt. The painter felt awkward to see their ‘intimate’ interaction. He could see their close relationship, and that made h
They waited until the class was empty before they finally interacted. There was nothing to hide, but the two subconsciously didn’t want the other students to notice their interaction. Maybe they didn’t want anyone to misunderstand and give another meaning to their interaction. Not many words were spoken when they interacted in the classroom. Without further ado, René immediately invited Alain to walk to his car, which was parked in the campus parking lot. They walked hand in hand, but there was still some distance between the two men. Apart from not wanting to cause misunderstandings, they also felt quite awkward because it was the first time the two of them walked normally like this―previously, René always dragged Alain when they were walking together. René used a Germany-manufactured sedan when he when to teach his students at the campus. The black car was parked neatly with a row of other lecturers’ cars. After unlocking the car, the painter immedi
Alain didn’t react at all, and he still blinked innocently in front of René. The latter patiently waited for a response and didn't say anything either.“You believe in the theory of reincarnation? You’re a very devoted Buddhist, aren’t you?”“It’s not about whether I’m a Buddhist or not, but It’s about my analysis of everything that happened.”René tried not to get angry at the student. He had come to a conclusion after a series of mysterious paintings in his sleep, and he had thought about it deeply too, but the student seemed to be taking it lightly.The painter slightly glared at the student, and the said student was frowning at him. If René could guess what was on the student's mind, then it seemed like the student was thinking hard right now.“Okay," Alain finally replied. "Let’s say the two of us are indeed reincarnations of them. Then, what else? Why
The painter didn’t lie when he said he would buy Alain a drink in the cafeteria. The painter’s steps stopped in the cafeteria, and Alain could heave a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the painter wasn’t kidnapping him again. The tall men were both standing in front of the vending machine in the cafeteria. “What do you want?” “Can I get a Sprite?” “Of course.” René obeyed Alain’s wish. He took a can of Sprite that had come out of the machine and handed it to the student. “You don’t drink?” Alain asked when he realized that René only bought a drink for him and didn’t buy himself a drink. Instead of answering, the painter immediately sat down on one of the cafeteria chairs. Inevitably, Alain also sat across from him. “I’m not thirsty right now,” the painter replied. “Drink first, and then we’ll talk.” Instead of opening his drink can, Alain put the can on the table, then looked at René probingly. “Why are you so eager
Last week, René only painted once in his sleep, which was when he painted a man who looked just like him. A different phenomenon than usual because he brought his painting equipment into the bedroom without realizing it when the sleepwalking symptoms hit him. After that, he wished he subconsciously would paint again, but nothing happened when he woke up in the morning. This morning was the same. He woke up in his bed, and no painting was produced. That meant, he didn’t get any additional clues today. Instead of getting a hint as an enlightener, his vision was getting bleaker. Perhaps his mental disorder was entering a void period, and he couldn’t do anything about it. No matter how much he wanted to reveal everything, he had no control over his subconscious. All those mysterious images come and go beyond the control of his brain and heart. If Damien’s assumption last night was correct that he and the man in the painting were two different people, then who exa
A man in formal attire was walking down an alley. He was not alone because beside him was walking a beautiful lady with shoulder-length hair. The lady’s delicate hand was perched on the man’s right arm as if to show a right of ownership.The link was only released when the man pressed a bell near a door. No need to press the bell repeatedly and also wait for a long time because the door opened from the inside immediately.“Oh, you have come?” That was the greeting they got from a man who just opened the door for them. The man, who just opened the door, turned his gaze to the lady and asked lazily, “You came too, Elloise? I thought you had forgotten about me after marrying my best friend.”Damien snorted loudly at those words. “Be polite to my wife, or I’ll go home doing nothing here, René Huang?”René immediately smiled sulkily at the older man. “I was just kidding, Dam,” he s
He never needed an alarm to wake up in the morning. His eyes always opened automatically when morning came, and the same habit happened this morning too.His eyelids began to open slowly, revealing the beautiful emeralds that had previously been hidden in the thin flesh blanket. His hands felt around, and the soft texture was immediately felt by his sense of touch. He woke up in his bed today, not on the work chair in his studio.The painter sighed. Perhaps his mental disorder had completely healed, and he didn’t need to expect the existence of mysterious paintings anymore. It was also possible that the mysterious paintings actually mean nothing at all.Perhaps it was just a figment of his imagination, an imaginary dimension that seemed to have its own power to create works that he didn’t recognize. Yes, perhaps he should learn to forget everything. Everything was meaningless. The girl named Park Ah Reum was not real, and his student named Alain Kim
“You scared the poor boy, dude.”That was the first response he got from Damien Lau after he finished telling the whole story.The doctor visited him today, and he served some mineral waters to him. He was just a bachelor who didn’t really care about food at home and only had mineral waters with him.Despite being a bad host, the painter still dared to pour his heart out by telling the story that bothered him since yesterday. Yeah, he had told his friend about his ‘experience’ with his student yesterday.“He was so weird yesterday, Dam. He didn’t believe in what I said and just left me like that.”He could hear his best friend sigh heavily. “You are the one who’s being weird,” the doctor commented. “How could you forcefully grab your student to your house like that? You look like a pedophile by doing that. No wonder he was scared and left you.”René scowled