Story is not mine. Credits to unniesone at asianfanfics

...

Upon reaching my destination, I saw the black gate of the facility, making my heart beat in anticipation.

Even in the morning the place was quite intimidating. I had a feeling that at night, that place would be one the creepiest of the whole city of Seoul. The gate was large and old and some of the iron were oxidized given the rusted bits around the bars.

On the right side of the gate there was a black sign in golden letters written in both English and Korean: Welcome to Lee Soo Man's Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

Criminally Insane.

I, Tiffany Hwang, was going to work at one of the most renown mental health institutes of Seoul: Lee Soo Man's Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

My mind was a fuzz as I pictured what kind of inmates I would be dealing with.

Two guards opened the gate and I parked the car inside. It didn't take long to me been greeted by a middle aged man. He used round frame glasses and it looked the frame was sort of broken as it had a scotch tape in the middle of the spectacles to tie it together as one piece. Upon looking at this, I also noticed his nose bridge was a bit crooked as if it had been broken somehow.

"Doctor Hwang, it is a pleasure to meet you." The tall man greeted me with a bow.

"Thank you, sir, it is a pleasure to meet you too." I responded bowing to him as well. On the left side of his white coat there was a tag where I could read his basic information written down: Ho Sung. General Supervisor.

"I have to ask, Doctor Hwang, after reading your resume, why would you leave your job to work in a place surrounded by criminals?"

My first proper job was at Seoul's Mental Health Institute for the Youth. My patients at the time were most children and occasional teenagers with traumatic experiences. Although all my previous patients had different mental disorders none of them were actually criminals.

Yet I always had pleasure studying the human mind and how many unexpected world could coexist inside one's head. I don't know why nor how this strange fascination begun, but since I was a child, reading stories about serial killers and psychopaths were my favorite hobby. They always had something pulling my curiosity forward, wondering how their mind work. I attended some criminology classes in college and courses but I didn't have any experience dealing with inmates.

But being able to actually feel the closure of a criminally insane was something I was looking forward to. So, though I knew it would be a tougher challenge than I was used to, I thought my chance to feel the real experience of working with such people have finally came; and when I heard about the vacancy for psychotherapists and psychiatrists at the Asylum I wasted no time in sending my resume.

Truth to be told I wasn't expecting to get the job though. I don't have a great background, in fact, it's been just a couple of years since I graduated and finally started working in the field. There's not much I could bring on the table other than what the Asylum already had. Or so that was I believed, but I was wrong. I got the job. Thank goodness I was wrong.

"Understanding the mind of a criminal is a tough challenge but I believe this could lead me to grow personally and professionally. I'm well aware of the consequences and the difficulties of this job but that doesn't mean I'm not ready. I'm ready, sir." I finished trying my most confident posture.

He gave me a gentle smile and I smiled back. "Come, please, I'll show you the place around."

I nodded, saying "Thank you, sir," before following the man.

My eyes moved around the place trying to know it any better. We were in the yard and it was tidy, large and beautiful. It had fountains, benches and well-trimmed trees. The fountain at the center of the field was spitting water, and judging by the only the yard itself, that place didn't really look like a penitentiary at all, let alone an Asylum.

"This is the yard. We also call the Garden Area." Ho Sung started to speak as he leaded me along the way. "Every day, for a couple of hours, the residents come to the gardens for recreation."

"All of them?" I asked curiously. It was bit risky having criminals with different mental disorders all together in one place at same time. Not because they were criminals but because some disorders could lead to violent outbursts under a second.

"The residents are split into units and sections. There are two main units: Regular Penitentiary and Intensive Care. Regular Penitentiary is known as RPand the criminals under it are the ones who have some sort of lucidity; psychopaths and sociopaths are often under RP. Intensive Care holds the patients with either extreme mental conditions or ones who may lose their sense of reality: most of them schizophrenics. We never allow patients from RP meet with IC's. Their recreation happen in different times." He calmly explained. I nodded feeling a bit relieved.

As walking through the gardens I soon saw the two squat building standing side by side. Both of buildings were equal in structure, facade and even color. The building on the left was the only one with windows and I didn't need the man to tell me which one was the main hospital.

"The building on the right is the Penitentiary and it is where all residents stay for most of the time. Each of the residents have their own cell as they could be...individualistic." I nodded at that. I may not have experience dealing with criminals but most of the children I had to care at the hospital were very delicate and for the lack of a better word...obsessive. If children could be that way let alone insane criminals. Ho Sung continued his speech. "The building on the left is the general hospital or as we call the Medical Center. All our medic team operates inside the hospital. Each doctor have their own office and all equipment needed is provided."

I had seen the pictures of the asylum on the internet and honestly I didn't expected to be that much alike given the so many fake articles one could find online. However, the hospital was indeed very clean and tech supported as the pictures showed. It was impressive.

"Here is the Refectory." He showed me the place. "Here is where the residents have their meals. As well as it happens with their recreation, the inmates are split into sections so everybody has their turn to eat." I nodded my head. "The refectory is also used by the medical team and the correctional officers in general." Oh, that was kinda nice. It meant I didn't need to bring lunch from home.

After taking the lift to second floor, while following Ho Sung, I could see some doctors have already started their sessions with their patients. I even came across one of the residents. He was wearing a gray uniform and his black hair was greasy and messy. His eyes were big and there were bags underneath indicating he's been lacking sleep. There was a tag on his chest with only his last name 'Kim' written down. One officer was escorting him as he was about to have a session with his doctor.

We finally stopped stopped at the third room of the corridor.

"This office was Doctor Young's but as he was resigned from his post, it will be now yours." I nodded in gratitude. "I should add by now that you'll also be responsible for his patients."

"Yes, sir. May I ask how many?"

"About three or four. No doctor here at the asylum have more than five patients. All the residents files are found in our archive. So before you start your sessions, we recommend you to read their profiles beforehand."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, moving on to your sessions... The length of the sessions will be up to you but none of them must exceed three hours. If the patient becomes violent of some sort, the session will be finished immediately. If you feel uneasy about the patients you may require two officers to be with you inside the room along the session to keep you safe. All sessions are recorded and kept in our archive, where you can access them at any time. Do you have any questions, Doctor?"

"Where is the archive, sir?"

"In the basement. You will also always find Officer Kwon keeping an eye on it."

"Will I have any sessions today?"

"If you will. One patient of yours is scheduled to have sessions today but we may skip it if you wish it so. First day is always a tough day."

"No, it is okay. I'm ready." I said it one more time. My voice didn't sound as confident as before but I stood still. It was usual to feel nervous about a new job. When I was at my previous job I also got nervous in my first day. I also was nervous to know all my sessions would be recorded. Back in my former job, my sessions with the kids weren't recorded and that made all the environment much cozier. But maybe because they were just youngsters. If the asylum records all sessions there must be a reason why and I wouldn't dare to say otherwise.

"I feel relieved to hear that. As it is your office, would you like to enter now?"

I nodded my head.

When he opened the door, I was a little disappointed. I honestly expected a better room. It was surely clean but that was all. The walls were plain white and there was only one table at the center. The lamp of the ceiling had a long wire cable which made the office look more like an interrogatory one. In front of the table there was a small wooden chair.

I really felt the urge to redecorate the place right away. I am a psychotherapist not an inquisitor. I don't need a plain white room with nothing in it, I needed colors, books, comfy chairs and toys! Well at least it was what my former patients needed. However, as much as I want my office to be pink and cheerful, that place was an asylum for criminals not a place for children.

"Your session is scheduled to start at but if you wanna do it earlier or later, suit yourself."

"Thank you sir."

"Now, let's proceed with the inspection, shall we?"

After the inspection inside the Medical Center was over, I was on my way to the archive which was located in the large basement of the edifice. I headed there as I needed to gather the files of my first patient. Ho Sung had told me I would find officers there so it wasn't surprising when I actually spotted them sitting casually on a desk talking to one another. What it was surprising to me was the fact both officers were women.

I don't know why but I never thought that, a part from the medical team, a place like that would have women. I mean, I know it is a bit of sexism but it shocked me. In my opinion, women were not supposed to be officers on a prison for insane people.

"Oh, hi!" The tallest officer greeted me, not forgetting to bow as she got out of the desk. I quickly did the same. She had long dark hair and seemed to be friends with the blonde next to her. "I'm Kwon Yuri. The officer responsible for the archive." She added.

"I'm Kim Hyoyeon. Not responsible for the archive but still an officer." The blonde introduced herself with a smile.

"Hello, nice to meet you all. I'm Tiffany Hwang. The new psychotherapist at the Asylum."

"Oh, so you are the one taking the vacancy left by Doctor Young." Yuri's black eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"Yes." I confirmed.

"And you have work today already?" Hyoyeon asked curiously.

"I have a session with a resident yes and I would like to give a first look at my patients' case files beforehand. Need a bit of knowledge about their background."

"Sure." Yuri quickly turned her way to the several metal drawers in the room. "Your patients are the same ones of Doctor Young's?"

"I was told so."

My eyes snapped wide open in subtle shock when the woman didn't took less than one minute to deliver the files. "You are very efficient, officer." I blinked a little baffled by how fast the woman was.

She grinned. "Much appreciated, Doc. But I don't do much here other than keepin' an eye on this babies, so I pretty much know where each resident file is."

"She also knows everything about the residents." Hyoyeon laughed. I frowned at that. That wasn't very ethical.

"Shut up, you moron!" Yuri punched the other girl's arm.

"Oh c'mon, all the officers at the Asylum know that."

"But you can't tell this to doctors!" True. But as long as officer Yuri doesn't take advantage of that I don't see problem at all. So I smiled back.

"It's okay." I assured. "I won't tell anyone."

"See...it's safe." Hyoyeon shrugged her shoulders.

"Thank you, Doctor Hwang."

"Thank you for the files, officer Kwon -"

"Call me Yuri, Doc." I nodded. As I was ready to leave the archive, I heard Yuri say behind my back. "Good luck today, Doctor. It's not the best day to start your new job."

"Why do you say that?" I asked curious.

"Your first patient..."

"What about?"

"Very delicate to deal with."

"You know whom resident I have a session with?"

"Sure I do. Kim Taeyeon, Intensive Care unit."

Intensive Care unit.

Those three words seemed to echo inside my head as my legs were leading myself to my office on the second floor. I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised by my patient when I opened the case file and saw the small picture of the resident clipped on the profile page.

Kim Taeyeon was a woman.

A criminal.

Under Intensive Care.

It never crossed my mind that Kim Taeyeon could be a woman.

And when my patient; being escorted by two officer guards and wearing a bright orange outfit, entered my office, I gulped a little nervous. I would be lying if said I wasn't a bit scared by that woman who, though short and young, happened to be a dangerous criminal under Intensive Care.

My heart beat a bit faster than usual when the woman greeted me with a grin.

"Hello, Doctor..."