𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒚 ☆ 𝒋𝒊𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

twenty

"thank you all for coming to today's therapy meeting. i hope you got the chance to stop by the snack cart before settling dow-" jeongguk was used to most of the patients rushing over to the cart tainted with rust and wheels the squeaked louder than the mice within the walls. a frequent symptom of electro-therapy causing the frontal lobe to lack memory and overall awareness of oneself and their surroundings.

it has something to do with the synapses sudden inability to process information between each part of the brain. ah yes, the brain. something that jeongguk vividly enjoyed to study when he was learning for his doctorate degree.

he noticed jimin across from him in the circle, fidgeting in the uncomfortable chairs the facility bought due to their cheapness. how this place operates is solely the bare minimum, the head office does not even bother to look into at least chair with some cushion.

"alright, alright. now that everybody is settled let's start in order," jeongguk glanced over at the young woman who sat next to him and smiled, "let's start with you, sarah."

"w-well uhm, it started when my mother forced me to get high on cocaine with her since- " jimin tried to listen to sarah's heart clenching back story, he really did, but he couldn't help but zone out into a trance when he locked eyes with the therapist. the older man did not seem to give a lick of attention to the patients' words, he was too engrossed with watching, no, observing jimin. it made jimin feel like a vulnerable ant under a microscope, that microscope capable of turning a millimeter and reflecting against the sun, burning jimin to a crisp.

that microscope which rested in the hands of jeon jeongguk.

"jimin."

"ah! yes?" jimin flinched, startled out of his trace of thought. he noticed all eyes were on him including doctor jeongguk's intense stare behind the circular spectacles he wore. jimin being unsure if they were necessary or just a fashion choice.

"it is your turn to share."

fuck, fuck, fuck. jimin did not realize he would have to share if he joined the meeting, his mind went blank.

". . . my parents were murdered not too long ago and i-i might be the one who did it. . . i blacked out and was found at the scene so i was put here.".

"murderer!! he's a murderer!" a clearly mentally ill patients began blabbering, not able to comprehend the stab in the heart jimin felt every time they repeated that nasty noun.

jeongguk quickly ushered the patient to stop and dismissed the meeting. he approached jimin who was still seated in the chair, face to the ground.

"hey," he poked jimin in the shoulder, "i understand why you didn't want to come, i won't pressure you anymore. it was unprofessional of me in the first place to encourage a new patient out of there comfort- "

jimin put his hand on jeongguk's broad chest that was surprisingly more muscular than the boy would want to admit, but he ignored the rush of blood traveling down to his abdomen.

"stop, i don't need your pity. . ."

jeongguk looked away, letting the silence consume them although how silent can an asylum be with patients screaming in the distance.

"jimin, how about you come to my office later tonight?"

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