Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Fake Monk
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The person who grabbed Seol A-yeon's clothes as she went over the wall was none other than Jin So-yun's father. He had been searching for Kim Se-yeon, the Pediatrics Department Head who had wanted to talk after visiting So-yun, and after asking the medical staff, he made his way to the rooftop.
It was a familiar place since he had occasionally come up here with So-yun. On such a nice day, maybe he should have brought his daughter along...
Unable to find Kim Se-yeon, he started looking around the outdoor terrace area, then turned his head at the sound of murmurs. And he witnessed a scene that should never have happened.
Instinctively, without a second thought, he started running and barely managed to grab the back of the patient's gown. The problem was that even a child wasn't weightless.
His own body had gone more than halfway over the wall, but he couldn't let go of the right hand clutching her clothes. At this dizzying height where passersby below looked like ants, the moment he let go... No, he couldn't.
"Jin So-yun's father! Hold on just a bit longer! Help him!!"
With a pull from behind and Kim Se-yeon's shout echoing out, the people around finally grasped the situation and rushed over, quickly rescuing both A-yeon and So-yun's father.
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
Kim Se-yeon, pale as a ghost, kept thanking everyone around her while trembling as she took A-yeon into her arms. Her face was blank with shock. The expressions of the bystanders weren't much different.
A child not even ten years old trying to climb over the wall like that. This was the rooftop of a 20-story building. If they hadn't stopped her, no matter where she fell...
"P-Patient. Try to wake up. Hey."
Kim Se-yeon pulled herself together as best she could and checked the unconscious A-yeon's condition.
"Department Head, let's head back inside first."
Surprisingly calm, So-yun's father suggested this to Kim Se-yeon, who nodded in agreement.
"Are you in your right mind right now!? Professor Lee from Psychiatry warned you over and over, and you left that patient alone!?"
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
"This incident will be taken into account during your next assignment. Get out."
"Yes, sir..."
Kim Se-yeon let out a silent sigh inside as she bowed her head. What could she do? Psychiatry had emphasized special supervision multiple times, and she was the one who had forgotten.
She could understand the director's explosive anger. The most basic duty of a doctor: keep the patient alive. She had failed that.
It was a situation where she had no grounds to complain even if disciplined, but since no official disciplinary committee would be held without a full report, she was thankful it ended like this.
"Wait. Before you go, that patient. Another personality emerged?"
"Yes. Professor Lee from Psychiatry interviewed her... and it went quite smoothly, from what I heard."
"I see. I'll go check too. Lead the way."
"Yes, sir..."
The two headed not to the PICU but to the Psychiatry ward, straight to the CCTV room. It wasn't ordinary CCTV; the rooms with audio were exclusive to the Psychiatry ward.
The patient's family had already arrived, including the mother of the patient recently moved to a general ward.
On the screen was a patient sitting on the bed in her room, eyes closed, hands in prayer position, seemingly reciting a sutra.
"Hello, guardians. This is Kim Se-yeon, the attending Pediatrics Department Head."
"Hello... I'm sorry, everyone."
Having heard the full story, the family looked troubled but accepted Kim Se-yeon's apology for now. What else could they do? The results were bad, but the intentions were good. The director bowed beside her too.
"Has everyone seen the footage?"
"Not yet."
A-yeon's father answered as representative, and the director put on a benevolent smile.
"Then may we watch it together? The attending, Kim Department Head, needs to understand the situation too."
Rapport. A close relationship built on natural trust and empathy. No matter what, they needed to build rapport with this patient's guardians. How many papers would come from this! This patient couldn't die.
A-yeon's family nodded, and naturally, all eyes turned to Professor Lee from Psychiatry, who had been watching quietly.
"Then I'll play it."
Professor Lee started the recorded footage, and the video began.
"Are you conscious? Can you tell me where this is?"
The patient had passed out but received normal results on all tests except heart function, and the EEG had already confirmed consciousness.
Was she deliberately avoiding conversation now? Professor Lee thought of several possible conditions and shrugged slightly.
"Eh, what a hassle this is."
"Eh?"
Even Professor Lee, who had seen every symptom imaginable as a psychiatrist, couldn't help letting out a dumbfounded sound.
Deep, bright golden eyes. A voice full of clear annoyance. It wasn't the husky voice. Nor a woman's.
A young man? No. It was the voice of an elderly man.
"Heh, why are you spacing out?"
"Ah, uh. Patient, do you remember where you are?"
"A hospital, isn't it? I've been watching from inside."
"...Watching from inside?"
Professor Lee swallowed hard. The drastically changed eye color, another personality. DID often involved five or more personalities, so this wasn't unusual.
"Just take it as it is."
"Did you perhaps kill the original personality and the other personalities?"
The worst outcome in DID: another personality eliminating the original and others to take over the body. Wondering if that's what happened, Professor Lee asked urgently, but the personality before him slowly shook his head in denial.
"Such scary talk. Even if I look like this, I'm a Buddhist. Don't say such violent things."
"A Buddhist?"
"Well, as a created being, it's ambiguous. But at least this personality wants to call itself a Buddhist."
Professor Lee's mind raced. Buddhist. One who follows Buddha's teachings and takes refuge in Buddhism.
This personality had no issues with conversation and showed no physical convulsions. Crucially, it seemed unlikely to harm the original or other personalities.
"May I ask a few questions?"
"Of course. Ask away comfortably."
With the personality nodding readily, Professor Lee inwardly cheered and began the interview.
"What's the situation with the original personality and the other personalities?"
"They're under the impression they're dead and quietly asleep, I suppose? They kept waking up, so I temporarily took over."
"The original, the red one, and the black one—all three?"
"That's right. Those three were in control when trying to go over the wall."
"Will you return control when the original personality comes back?"
"That's obvious. We originated from the original personality to begin with, and we don't want to kill her. But if the original tries to die again, I'd like to stop that. My life doesn't matter, but don't you think the original is too pitiful?"
"...There was a report that the black personality attempted suicide."
"But that wasn't trying to kill the original, was it? Physical death and mental death are different. Crucially, if taking over the body, you'd want to live in it. Why seek death? Simple. That personality thought it best for the original to die without more suffering. From its perspective, it was consideration for the original."
Well, this wasn't an ordinary patient; judging by conventional standards wouldn't work.
"...That makes some sense."
In DID, other personalities antagonize and try to kill the original to seize control of the body and live through it.
Professor Lee organized his thoughts. This wasn't typical DID. The personalities shared the original's memories and weren't fighting for body control. It should be seen as a new form of mental illness, not DID.
"Are there more personalities?"
"Plenty."
"...Pardon? Plenty—how many?"
"Have you ever counted human emotions numerically?"
"Typically divided into six: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust."
"Then what emotion do you think I represent?"
"...Hard to say."
"Human emotions are far too subtle and varied to begin with. Among the six you mentioned, where does 'desire' fit? You know the red one is sensitive to desires, right?"
"From what I hear, you know what the other personalities did?"
"Indeed. The original doesn't remember our actions, but we remember what other personalities did. Of course, the red and black ones are asleep now, so they won't know this conversation."
"...But you introduced yourself as a Buddhist. Don't you represent an emotion?"
"I told you it's not that simple. It's not just personalities handling specific emotions. In my case, I was formed from the memory of the monk the original met when hospitalized in Busan. Modeled after that person's behavior."
"So memories form the basis of personalities?"
"At least for me. But the others probably won't explain so easily. The black one... seems like the manifestation of 'despair,' I think. Just speculation. They appear when an emotion exceeds what the original can handle."
"The black personality is despair..."
"Likely. Does that make sense now?"
"Mm. May I summarize? Personalities formed from intense emotions the original can't bear, and personalities based on figures from memories?"
"Correct. Can it be treated?"
"..."
Professor Lee couldn't answer easily. The self-proclaimed Buddhist personality smiled kindly. It was an astonishingly pure smile.
"Not easy, I understand."
"...I'll do my best. But if we treat it, won't you disappear?"
"Why would I disappear? I'll remain as part of the memories inside."
"..."
"Oh, and one thing I didn't mention. Personality conflicts or other personalities using the body consume a tremendous amount of energy. So, can I get some food? I'm hungry."
"Uh, yes?"
"I'm hungry, so give me some food."
"...Understood. Should we exclude meat?"
"Why exclude that delicious stuff!?"
"But you said you're a Buddhist..."
"I want to call myself one, but I'm not, so bring it all."
"..."
Professor Lee revised his real-time assessment of the personality before him. From cooperative good personality to fake monk.