Mental

xl.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Wonho asked, his voice rising defensively. The boy who had spoken first frowned as he took in the situation, stepping fully into the room to get a better look at Hyungwon, who was still trembling and remained unresponsive.

"What did you do to him?" the boy asked, turning to look at Wonho with anger in his eyes. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Wonho replied, taking half a step forward and gesturing vaguely to prove his point. "I woke up here - wherever here is - and he started calling me Nathan! I don't know who Nathan is or why you guys think I'm him, but I'm not, and I don't know any of you and I especially don't know why that kid is convulsing in a corner!"

"He's having some kind of a panic attack," the boy snapped, brushing past Wonho. "Probably because of something you did."

"I didn't do anything!" Wonho insisted as the second boy came up to Wonho and gestured to the hallway.

"He'll take care of Hyungwon. Maybe you should step outside to give them some space," he suggested, and Wonho frowned before nodding, mainly because he didn't want to be there any more, and he moved out into the empty hallway, surveying it twice before looking back to the boy who had come out with him.

"Who are you?" he asked, studying the boy's face.

"Shownu," he answered easily. "I live here. We all do."

"Here, where is...what is 'here'?" Wonho asked, and Shownu tilted his head.

"It's basically a boarding school," he answered. "For kids with psychological conditions."

Wonho took a step back. "Psychological...what is this, an asylum?"

The boy shrugged. "That's a heavy word for it. They like to call it a 'program.'"

"Well, get me out of here," Wonho said, casting a quick glance at the room he'd just left behind. "And get me away from that kid. I swear, he thinks I tried to kill him or something."

The boy frowned for the first time, and it was only in its absence that Wonho realized the gentle warmth of his smile. "Please treat Hyungwon more kindly. I understand that you're upset-"

"Upset? I have no idea where I am and nobody's giving me any straight answers!"

"-but that's your friend and what's more, you're his friend," Shownu continued calmly as though he'd never spoken. "I get that you're confused, but we're not your enemies, and you're really going to hurt Hyungwon's feelings if you keep talking about him like that. We've already lost a lot of our friends, and we don't want to lose you too."

Wonho frowned. "Friends? I don't know you. Any of you guys. And I'm sorry if I did something to set that kid off, but I didn't know, okay?" He squares his shoulders, his eyes narrowing defensively.

"No one blames you," Shownu assured him, patting his shoulder, but Wonho squirmed under his grip.

"That other kid does. I know it. You saw how he looked at me. I didn't do anything, I swear, one second I was trying to ask him about what's going on here and the next, he was just ranting to himself."

"Changkyun has just been on edge lately. Don't worry about him, okay? It's just been a rough couple of weeks." Shownu paused before looking over at Wonho. "You should probably go see Dr. Irving. He can answer your questions, and I'm sure he'll want to talk to you." He paused. "Um...you're right, maybe we confused you for...Nathan...but...would you mind telling me your name?"

Wonho blinked, trying to figure out what angle this kid was pulling, before giving in. "I'm Shin Hoseok. I don't know who Nathan is, all right?" He paused. "I'm sorry." He threw in the apology mainly for the boy he'd left in the other room, but he didn't know why he should feel sorry about not being who they expected.

Shownu just nodded, his brow furrowed as he led Wonho down several hallways. After a few minutes of silence, he stopped outside a door and turned to face Wonho. "Just knock before you go in and ask the nurse at the desk to see Dr. Irving. He'll explain everything. Hopefully." Shownu left Wonho with a weak smile, presumably to return to the other two boys, Changkyun and Hyungwon.

Wonho turned toward the door, hesitated a moment, and knocked.