The clinic was just a few blocks from the building.
Seina realized that the next day, when she walked there with her mother. The street was busy, full of small shops, cafés, and bright signs hanging from storefronts. People rushed by, talking on their phones, crossing the street before the light changed.
Everything felt too normal.
Her mother walked beside her, holding her purse with both hands.
"There's no need to be nervous," she said, glancing quickly at Seina. "It's just a conversation."
"I'm not nervous."
The answer came out automatically.
Her mother didn't argue. She just kept walking.
A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a narrow building with a simple sign near the door.
Clínica Park — Psychology.
"This is it," her mother said.
Seina looked at the sign for a moment.
It seemed too small for something that had been bothering her so much.
They went in.
The reception area was quiet. A couch against the wall, a table with magazines, a plant in the corner. The smell was faint, something like lavender.
A woman behind the counter looked up.
"Good morning."
Her mother responded, gave Seina's name, and mentioned the appointment time.
"You can wait for a moment," the receptionist said.
Seina sat on the couch.
Her mother stayed beside her but didn't say anything else. The silence there was different from the silence at home. Tighter.
A few minutes later, a door in the hallway opened.
The psychologist appeared.
"Seina?"
She had the same calm posture as the day before. Glasses, hair tied back, a composed expression.
Seina stood up slowly.
"You can come with me."
She glanced quickly at her mother.
"I'll wait here," her mother said with a smile.
Seina nodded and followed the psychologist down the hallway.
The room was simple. Two armchairs, a sofa in the corner, a small table with chairs, a bookshelf against the wall, and a window that let in enough light that the lamps weren't needed.
The psychologist gestured to one of the chairs.
"You can sit wherever you feel more comfortable."
Seina chose the chair closest to the door.
The psychologist sat in the other, crossing her legs calmly.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
"How was the move?" she asked.
Seina shrugged.
"Normal."
"Tiring?"
"A little."
The psychologist gave a small nod.
"Moves usually are."
Silence returned.
Seina looked at her hands, fingers intertwined.
"Your parents seem worried about you," the psychologist continued.
"They worry too much."
"And you think you don't need that concern?"
"I'm fine."
The answer came quickly.
The psychologist didn't contradict her. She just observed.
"Sometimes, when a lot changes all at once… we can feel like we've lost a bit of who we used to be."
Seina looked up for the first time. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…" the psychologist rested her arm on the chair, "when someone asks who you are, what do you usually answer?"
Seina frowned slightly.
"I don't know."
"You don't?"
She thought for a moment.
"I just… am me."
The psychologist smiled faintly.
"It sounds simple when we say it like that."
Seina looked away again.
"How would you describe yourself?" the psychologist asked.
The question hung in the air for a moment.
"I don't know."
"It doesn't have to be a perfect answer."
Seina thought.
"I… don't really like people."
The psychologist made a small mental note but didn't pick up a notebook.
"Introverted?"
"Maybe."
"Do you have friends?"
The question made Seina hesitate.
It took her a moment to answer.
"I had."
The psychologist noticed the pause.
"Had?"
Seina fiddled with the sleeve of her jacket.
"I moved."
"So you're far from them now?"
"Yes."
"Was it someone important?"
This time, the silence was longer.
Seina felt a strange tightness in her chest. "It was."
The psychologist didn't press.
"Sometimes important relationships shape who we are a lot," she said. "Friendships, family… even stronger feelings."
Seina kept looking at the floor. The wooden surface reflected her restless feet.
"Your parents seem to want to get closer to you now," the psychologist continued.
"They used to fight all the time before."
"And now?"
"Now they're… avoiding it, you can tell."
She said it as if she didn't quite know what to do with that information.
The psychologist tilted her head slightly.
"And how do you feel about that?"
Seina took a while to answer.
"Strange."
"Strange?"
"It feels… late."
The psychologist stayed silent for a moment.
"Do you feel like some things have already happened and can't be changed?"
Seina didn't answer.
The question lingered between them.
After a few seconds, the psychologist shifted the tone of the conversation.
"Can I ask a slightly more personal question?" Seina raised her eyes. "About relationships."
She immediately grew more rigid in the chair.
"What kind?"
"Close friendships… or maybe something more."
Seina felt her face warm without knowing why.
"I don't…"
She stopped mid-sentence.
The psychologist waited.
"Have you ever fallen in love with someone?" she asked calmly.
Seina fell completely silent.
Seconds passed.
She looked at the window, then at the floor.
The name appeared in her mind before she could stop it.
Thalya.
Her chest tightened.
"I… don't know," she said at last.
The psychologist nodded.
"It's okay not to know."
Seina breathed slowly.
The session continued with lighter questions after that. New school, routine, simple things.
But one question kept echoing in her mind as she left the clinic some time later.
Who am I?
She walked down the busy streets of Seoul with her mother, trying to ignore the thought.
But it stayed there.
Persistent.