And then he would wonder—who was the girl sitting in front of him?
Was she really his daughter?
Or someone else, wearing her face?
Gu Jin's throat tightened.
Her walls went up without her even thinking about it.
"I don't remember," she said, her voice flat, empty again. "Maybe it was just always like this."
Dr. Yuan didn't push. He only nodded, watching her closely.
"Alright," he said softly. "We can start from there."
Dr. Yuan let a few seconds pass in silence, as if giving her space to breathe.
Then he asked, gently, "Do you have trouble sleeping?"
Gu Jin hesitated, then nodded. "Sometimes. It's hard to fall asleep. Harder to stay asleep."
"Nightmares?"
"Not always," she said. "It's more like… my brain doesn't stop. It keeps running even when I want it to stop."
Dr. Yuan tilted his head slightly. "Do you ever feel like you're just… going through the motions?"
"All the time," Gu Jin replied without hesitation. "It's like I'm watching someone else live my life."
