PART 1
After the incident that happened last night There was only one solution to all of this.
She needed to see a doctor. Immediately.
Like, psychiatric-level emergencies.
But first… she reached for her phone.
Because obviously, Google was modern medicine's emotional support hotline.
And search what she thought would be the casuse of why she was seeing the pink notification.
Search: "Dream Bliss side effects hallucinations"
Dozens of threads popped up instantly.
She skimmed the titles:
"Dream Bliss made me think I married my chair ."
"Took Dream Bliss, I feel relaxed, I can hear my dog speak fluent Japanese but oh wait i'm Japanese too wait why was i typing this again."
"Dream Bliss trip: Met my dead aunt, we had tea, she told me to dump my boyfriend."
"This drug is evil. Don't take it unless you want to feel crazy."
"Honestly? Best experience of my life. Took it, found inner peace being having a crappy life for so long. This gave me new energy ."
Yujin blinked.
"Okay. So… I'm basically screwed," she muttered, eyes wide as she stared at the screen.
Google always had this special talent making you feel ten times worse than when you got there. Too much information. Too many horror stories. It was like jumping into a pool of panic and expecting to come out calm.
She scrolled further, heart racing.
Some people claimed it helped them unlock spiritual clarity. Others were in therapy now.
A few users were fully convinced it permanently altered their perception of reality.
Search: "Help for hallucinations in Korea"
Results appeared mental health clinics, support groups, emergency hotlines.
She clicked one of the top links:
"24/7 Psychiatry & Crisis Care | Seoul Mind Center"
Hotline:010-XXXX-XXXX
Walk-in available: Yes
Specializes in drug-induced psychosis, dissociation, and reality distortion.
Perfect.
Except…
Would they believe and understand her without thinking she is crazy if she said she was being stalked by a matchmaking system that threatened her with leg cramps and ruin?
Probably not.
But what other option did she have?
She got dressed, grabbed her bag, and fired off a message to Mina.
Yujin:Heading to Psychiatry & Crisis Care at the Seoul Mind Center. If I disappear, blame Dream Bliss. This is 100% your fault.
Mina replied her chat: huh??
Ding!
[Warning: Discussing the system with others is now strictly prohibited. Penalties will be applied.]
Yujin narrowed her eyes at the floating text like it owed her money. "Yeah, yeah," she muttered under her breath. "Try me.
PART 2
The hospital waiting room at Seoul Mind Center: Psychiatry & Crisis Care Division was packed buzzing with low murmurs, flickering fluorescent lights, and the distant hum of calming instrumental music that sounded like it was trying too hard to be soothing.
Yujin sank into a stiff plastic chair with a sigh so heavy it might've needed its own hospital bed.
Across from her, an elderly man in a paper gown sat with his hands clasped like he was praying. Only… he wasn't praying. He was whispering rapidly to the empty space next to him.
Yujin squinted.
Was he… also seeing floating screens?
Heart leaping with a strange mix of hope and horror, she leaned forward. "Excuse me, sir, are you"
Before she could finish, a nurse swooped in like a hawk spotting a squirrel.
"Mr. Choi," she scolded gently but firmly, "how many times have we told you not to sneak out of the psych ward?"
"The government is listening!" he shouted, eyes bulging, feet skidding across the floor as the nurse expertly wheeled him away.
Yujin's blood ran cold.
A moment later, a woman in a navy-blue uniform stepped out with a clipboard and a too-bright smile.
"First-time?" she asked, her voice chipper and oddly cheerful for someone working in crisis care.
"Uh… yeah," Yujin muttered.
"Perfect! Here's the preliminary screening form."
"It helps us understand your dynamic and support network," the woman said, already walking away.
PART 3
Yujin looked down at the white forms. A header read: Seoul Mind Center: Cognitive and Paranormal Trauma Intake.
Below it were questions like:
Have you experienced any sudden or unusual changes in perception or reality? (Y/N)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how disturbing are your hallucinations? (1 = "Mildly confusing" to 10 = "I can move things with my mind")
Do you feel that your thoughts or actions are being influenced by an external force? (Please explain briefly.)
Have you recently engaged in any activities that might impair judgment (e.g., substance use, extreme stress, or watching reality TV)?
Do you feel an uncontrollable urge to make significant life decisions (e.g., major purchases, career changes, or getting married)?
Can anyone else see or hear what you're experiencing? If so, how do they react?
Have you made any attempts to self-medicate or resolve your symptoms? If yes, what did you try? (e.g., excessive coffee, long naps, talking to plants)
Yujin raised an eyebrow. "Isn't answering all this too much?"
She rested against the back of her seat . "Honestly? This feels kinda legit for my situation."
She started filling in answers, her eyes scanning true every question
When Yujin got to:
"Have you experienced a digital lifeform assigning you missions?",
she paused.
Her pen hovered.
Then, slowly, she circled: Yes.
Yujin said to herself inwardly.
"I didn't come all the way here to lie."
She sighed and circled.
Finally, the doctor called her given waiting number.
PART 4
"Good afternoon," the doctor said warmly, setting down his pen. He gave her a steady look over his glasses, his face neutral but expectant. His gaze briefly scanned the form she'd filled out, then moved back to her, as if evaluating her not only through his notes but through his observation.
Yujin sat stiffly in her chair, trying to appear calm, but her heart was racing. He asked the usual questions, all the things she had already filled out on the form. Her name, her age, where she had studied, how she spent her leisure time. Standard medical procedure, nothing alarming.the doctor gave her a perplexed look. "Wait, is Yujin your given name, or a nickname? I'm not very well-versed in Korean names yet. I just came back from the States, and I'm still getting used to the pronunciation."
Yujin blinked, a little thrown off by his question. "Oh… um, it's my given name. It's pretty common in Korea." She tried to shake off the unease, but the question lingered in her mind. Was there something wrong with her name, or was he just being polite?
But then, he paused. His eyes narrowed slightly as he read one particular line on the form, his eyebrows knitting together.
"Have you experienced a digital lifeform assigning you missions?" he read aloud, his voice tinged with genuine curiosity.
Yujin's throat went dry. What? She had filled that out as part of the mental health assessment, but it sounded so… ridiculous when said out loud. She could already feel the heat rising to her face.
The doctor paused for a moment, then murmured, "Well, that's certainly a new one…"