"I'll catch up with you later, okay?" said the woman in white, as she turned away and walked towards another woman nearby.

Claudine, also known as Claui, was left sitting alone on a wooden bench nestled under a leafy tree. She glanced over at the man sitting next to her, taking in his appearance as she inhaled the subtle scent of his hair. In all her time spent here, he was the only familiar face she had come to know.

"Have you been here for a while?" Claui asked him, breaking the silence.

"Just got here," he replied with a charming grin.

Claui couldn't help but smile back, feeling a flutter in her stomach. Who wouldn't be smitten with a man as handsome as him. He was tall and well-built, with chiseled features that made him look like he belonged on a basketball court. But it wasn't just his looks that drew her to him, it was the way he always seemed to be there for her during her toughest moments, a source of strength and comfort. Whenever she had something heavy on her mind, he was always there.

"I'm just glad I still have you. My family just up and left me here, telling me I have no chance." Claui said, her voice filled with sadness.

"Don't listen to them, you're one of a kind," he reassured her with a gentle tone.

"People say I'm ill and they couldn't handle taking care of me anymore, which is why I'm here." Claui explained, her voice laced with disappointment.

"Don't let yourself think that way. You're not sick," he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know, sometimes I feel fine," Claui replied, her tone uncertain.

"That's great to hear," he smiled and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, making Claui let out a small chuckle.

Claui couldn't understand why this man was so kind to her. If he only confessed his love for her, she would have immediately said yes. She wouldn't have to think twice about it because he's been paying attention to her for a long time now. Claui was just too shy to ask him about his intentions towards her.

"You know, we've known each other for quite a while now. I'm glad you haven't gotten tired of being with me yet," Claui said with a hint of teasing, but also a hint of vulnerability in her tone.

"Because being with you is enjoyable," the man replied with a warm smile.

Every word he spoke sent shivers down Claui's spine. She playfully hit him, pretending to be annoyed and flipped her hair behind her ear.

"You're lying." Claui said to the person she was talking to.

"Why? It's true that you're fun to be with."

"Yeah, yeah." Claui turned away for a moment to hide her grin. "You're always here, aren't you afraid your girlfriend might get mad?"

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"Why not? You're good-looking. Oh, if I didn't have this illness, maybe I would have made a move on you." Claui laughed loudly. She didn't expect to say that to the person she was talking to so directly.

"Wait. You said you didn't feel like you were sick?" the person noticed, seemingly teasing Claui now.

"I don't." Claui gave a short answer.

"So, are you going to ask me out?"

Claui pushed away the person she was talking to playfully. Despite clearly liking the man, she wasn't the type to make the first move. She would rather wait for him to make a move towards her.

"You're annoying. You're getting too close for comfort," Claui said, turning away from the man, pretending to be upset.

"Just kidding," he said, playfully tapping Claui on the shoulder. But she only responded with a shrug, indicating for him to stop.

"Sorry. I should be the one asking if I can court you. But I was worried you might already have a boyfriend."

"I don't have a boyfriend," Claui stated, trying to convey her frustration with the man, but her lips twitched, betraying the small smiles that were starting to peek through.

"So, can I court you?" The man asked, his voice filled with hope and a hint of nervousness.

Claui couldn't bring himself to look the man in the eye. Instead, he played with his fingers, twirling them around as he avoided direct eye contact. "Are you serious?" He finally asked, trying to hide the flutter of excitement in his chest.

"Of course I am." The man replied, moving closer to Claui.

Claui let out a sigh, "Fine, you can court me." She covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stifle the laughter that was bubbling up inside of her.

"I've liked you for a long time. How about you? Can you see yourself falling for me?" The man asked, looking at Claui with a longing gaze.

Claui stood up from his seat, his legs still trembling. He clutched his hands together, and faced the young man once again.

"You're annoying. Why don't you try courting me first?"

The young man approached Claui and wrapped his arms tightly around him. Claui closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of finally being protected by someone. It had been so long since he felt this way.

"Do I really have to? I love you, and I know you love me too. That means we're together now."

Claui pulled away, a hint of worry creeping into his voice. "It's all happening too fast. What if our parents don't approve?"

The young man brushed off Claui's concerns. "We're both of age. We don't need their blessing. Let's just leave and be together. You don't have any obligations holding you back, do you?"

As Claui and the man were talking, the woman in white approached them again.

"We need to go back to the room now," she reminded Claui, taking her hand and leading her away.

"But I'm still talking to someone, can it wait?" Claui pleaded.

However, the woman in white was deaf to Claui's request. She almost forcibly pulled Claui away, taking her back to the room where she was staying. Once inside, the woman helped Claui onto the bed and made sure she was comfortable, tucking her in with a thin blanket. After doing so, the woman in white left the room.

As she left, another woman in uniform greeted her. It turned out that this woman had been following them and observing their every move since earlier.

The other nurse approached the woman who was assisting Claui and asked, "How's your patient doing?"

"She's okay. She didn't want to go back to her room earlier because she said she was still talking to someone, but there was no one there," the nurse replied.

"Be careful with her. When I was assigned to her, she suddenly attacked me. She claimed that she was ordered to do so by some man she was talking to," she sighed deeply, visibly still troubled by the memory. "If it weren't for my need for experience as a nurse, I would have left this mental hospital a long time ago. It's driving me crazy."

Inside the room, Claui was lying quietly on the bed. Suddenly, she noticed someone sitting on her bed. It was the man she had been talking to earlier.

"How did you get in here?" Claui asked the young man.

"It doesn't matter," the man replied, leaning closer to Claui. "You know, we're always being separated by that woman. Maybe it's time for her to leave our path."

"I've noticed that too. Maybe my Mom sent her to keep us apart."

"Will you allow it?"

"No way." Claui firmly replied.

"Tonight, after she's given you your medicine, you need to kill her. After that, we'll leave this place and be together forever." The man said to Claui, a sly grin spreading across his face.

Claui just gave a nod while laughing loudly. Finally, the man he loved would be his and no one else's. He would make sure tonight to put an end to the life of the woman who always came between them and together they would escape this place.

You can now read more of my stories on Toodat.