The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 2

281 🩺 🥺

Armed with two different sets of paperwork, Wooyoung felt like he was going to war. Either that, or he was preparing to pitch the proposal of his life.

Setting off for his Hyung's room, he stood in the corridor for a moment, allowing himself a breath to prepare for what he was about to do.

But suddenly, Yeosang's voice drifted out from his room, distracting him. 'Woo, I can hear you outside. What do you want?'

Well... That didn't exactly start off like I had planned...

Wooyoung, now slightly unsure of how to act after having his opening interrupted, moved unsurely into his brother's room, to find him sitting in his window seat, curled up in a blanket with a research article in his hands.

'You okay, Woo?' Yeosang asked, concern suddenly coming over his face.

Wooyoung nodded. Coming up, he sat down opposite his brother, letting him tuck him under the blanket with him. 'Sangie... Can we talk for a moment, or are you busy with your paper...?'

Yeosang immediately dropped his article, shaking his head. 'We can talk,' he said quickly, leaning forward. 'What do you want to talk about?' he asked.

Wooyoung gulped, swallowing back his fear. 'U-um... Well... There's two things... But! They're both related!'

Yeosang's lips smiled patiently, nodding. 'Okay hun. What are they about?'

Wooyoung gulped, knowing that he was about to immediately get shot down... 'W-well... It's just- I-...' Although he'd worked out exactly what he was going to say, in the moment, he couldn't seem to be able to straighten his words out into sentences, and it was already infuriating...

'Woo it's okay. Just take your time.'

Wooyoung shook his head. 'This is shit. Why can't I ever just say what I want to say?'

His brother smiled, reaching out and rubbing his knee through the blanket. 'Because you want to talk about things that matter to you. Don't stress yourself,' he said gently.

But Wooyoung sighed in frustration. Fine, he thought. I'll change tracks then instead...

Glancing down at the two different sets of paperwork, Wooyoung picked the less terrifying one of the two. 'Sangie... I- I've been thinking about it... I- I wondered whether you might be able to help me... fill this in...'

He watched as Yeosang frowned. Leaning forward, he took the paperwork, and as he looked over it, his eyes slowly widened. 'Woo...'

'But! Only on one condition.'

Yeosang glanced up, clearly more than eager to hear and do whatever it was he asked...

But Wooyoung knew he wouldn't like it... 'Sangie... I'm only going to apply for tafe, if you promise me you will do what you love, and do your residency years in paediatrics.'

Yeosang's breath left him as he stared, heartbroken. 'Woo, you should do it. You deserve the chance to build a life for yourself that you love.'

Wooyoung shook his head. 'And so do you! Hyung you don't understand. I don't hate my job. I may not always get along with Margaret , but that doesn't mean I hate it there. She's even teaching me English. Sang just because I have a general job, it doesn't mean that I dislike it there. I love that I can go to work, and then come home without my work following me home.'

'That's all well and good, but Woo, I know you. I know you want to try this.'

'But only if it means that you do what you want to do.' He leant forward and put his hands in Yeosang's, squeezing. 'It's not fair if you force yourself to pursue a career you don't want to, for me, and be selfless, when you ask me to be greedy.'

'Wooyoung I don't see how this has any relevance. There's not any connection between what I'm doing, and what you're doing.'

'Yes there is. Don't you see? You're forcing yourself to do somet-'

'Woo I'm not-'

'Sangie, ju- just let me speak...' Wooyoung took a deep breath, looking him in the eyes.

'Sang, if I was to make a choice on whether or not to study, if I made my decision for you, I wouldn't do it. I would pass up the opportunity, and I would stay working... I would do that for you... I could earn more money, get promoted, get a raise, and give everything to you... I could help mum and dad, I could help your grandparents too... I could help Hongjoong's mom... I could do so much...

But Sangie... I'm going to make a choice, for the first time... for me... I, choose, this,' he urged, picking up the tafe papers and showing them to him. 'Sangie, I'm going to do what you asked me to do... I promised you, I'd try to do what I want...'

Wooyoung linked their hands together again, squeezing. 'Hyung-ah, I've struggled my whole life, to do something like this... I didn't want it... And as much as I'd like to say I still don't...

Sangie, I think I do... I think I do want this... I'm getting greedy, and suddenly I don't just want that... I want you to do what you want, and I'm going to be an asshole and bribe you with this.' He scooted closer, leaning forward until their foreheads touched, giving him the courage he knew he was about to need...

'Sangie, I- I know you won't chase what you love, just because I sign these papers...'

Wooyoung bit his lip, and glancing up a little, he gazed deep into his eyes before letting them flutter shut and breathing in deeply his scent...

'Sangie... I... I've been thinking a lot... so much... I-if you... if it helps you feel better, and makes you feel that you can follow your heart, then... then...' He took another deep breath, using his homely scent to calm his fears... 'I- I'll see a psychiatrist...'

And he felt Yeosang freeze.

All there was was the sound of the oven faintly rumbling from down the hallway, and the sound of the cars outside the window. But although they had frozen, Yeosang's grip on his hands had tightened substantially, and very slowly, when he leant back, Wooyoung saw there were trails of heavy tears running down his cheeks.

'Sangie,' Wooyoung breathed, immediately feeling his eyes glaze over. 'Don't cry,' he begged, reaching up and brushing his cheeks with his sleeve. He picked up the clinic papers and offered them shyly to his brother, who very slowly took them.

'Hyung-ah, Joong Hyung said he'd try and find someone to see me here, instead of at the hospital or clinic...' He shook a little at the thought of what he was possibly embarking on, but the moment he looked up at the tears of sheer relief on his brother's face, he knew it was worth it.

'I'm going to get better, and I'm not going to have night terrors anymore, and I'm not going to have panic attacks. I'm going to get better,' he said determinedly, despite his voice being extremely unstable. He gazed up at his Hyung with pleading eyes. 'S-Sangie... w-will you make the promise too?'

His brother sniffed, wiping his eyes, still clutching the clinic paperwork. 'What promise?' he choked, his voice husky and choked up.

Wooyoung sniffed too, scooting even closer. 'That you will do things for you, too.'

A long silence ensued, but the moment Yeosang slowly nodded, Wooyoung let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding, and threw himself into his arms. 'I love you Sangie,' he choked, unable to hold his smile in.

And he heard Yeosang laugh through his choked up tears. 'I love you too. You have no idea how happy you have just made me,' he whispered, digging his cheek into the top of his head.

And despite being terrified, Wooyoung meant his words a million percent as he said, 'You just made me really happy too~.'

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