Sick | BTS ✓

3

When I walk into the room, I see a small circle of chairs has been set up in the middle of the room, and all of the chairs are filled except for two of them.

"Welcome, Clara. I see you've met Jin," the therapist smiles warmly. "Sit."

She gestures to the two empty chairs and Jin and I walk over and sit down next to each other.

"I would like to start today's session by welcoming Clara to our group. Clara, would you like to share anything about yourself?" The therapist asks.

"Not really," I mumble, keeping my eyes trained on my covered hands in my lap.

"That's okay. Only share when you feel comfortable. This is a safe space for you to open up and share your thoughts," she says, and I glance up at her to see her smiling politely at me.

I smile back and nod. "Thanks."

"Jin, maybe you would like to start today?" She turns to Jin, who is leaned back comfortably in his chair.

"Sure thing, Dr. Lee," he smiles as he sits up a little straighter.

"My name is Worldwide Handsome, and my face is my good luck charm!"

I snort in laughter and my head whips around to look at him. "Are you serious?"

Jin laughs. "You looked like you could use a pick-me-up. I'm not only a good cook; I'm also hilarious."

"And he's very narcissistic," the person on the other side whispers to me and I laugh again.

"Clara, how about we talk about this morning? How did you do with eating the food provided?" The therapist ignores the childish remarks going on.

"Um... it was really hard. But I started off with something small and easy to handle like you suggested and eventually, I finished all of the food. I couldn't get myself to touch the tray though."

"That's perfectly okay. A victory is still a victory, no matter how small it may seem. Now, who would like to share their small victory next?"

**********

"See? Not so bad, huh?" Jin grins at me as he holds the door open to let me out.

"Yeah, actually," I say, surprised to find myself smiling back at him.

The group therapy really lifted a weight off my chest. It showed me that I truly am not alone and that there truly are people who understand the chaos that goes on in a mentally ill mind.

I'm not alone. I'm not alone. I'm not alone.

"So what now?" I ask, turning to Jin.

"I have to ask the therapist for something really quick. Wait for me?" He asks, standing in the doorway.

"Oh, sure."

He winks at me before stepping into the room and closing the door.

I stand awkwardly in the hallway, rubbing my covered hands together as I keep my eyes locked on them.

After a few minutes, the door opens and Jin emerges from the room, a wide grin on his face.

"I have a present for you, but it'll take a little while to get here, so let's go sit in the day room until then. Is that okay?" He asks as he gestures for me to start walking.

"A present? For me?" I ask, frowning as I watch him closely.

"Sure! We're friends now, right? Friends can give presents to one another," Jin says, shrugging.

"I-I suppose..."

"You don't want to be my friend?" He asks, eyebrows raised.

"I just don't know much about you, I guess."

"You know that I'm handsome, that I smell good, that I'm a good cook and I'm hilarious. What more do you want to know?"

I laugh. "I also know that you're weird."

"Wow, maybe I won't get you a present."

"I'm kidding," I say, grinning at him.

He laughs. "I like when you smile. It's a much better look on you than when you're sad."

I feel the blush creeping on my cheeks from the small compliment. "Nice to know I look terrible when I'm sad."

Jin laughs. "So how long are you staying here anyways?"

"My treatment plan says that I'm here for three months, but it could be longer depending on how I respond to the therapies and medications," I explain.

"I'm busting out of here a month earlier than you," he boasts. "But I've also already been here for a month."

"Why are you here, anyways? You haven't mentioned anything about your reasons for being here," I say, smiling at him when he opens the door to the day room for me.

"Believe it or not, I'm not always this cheerful handsome man you've come to adore. Well, I'm always handsome, but not always so cheerful."

He leads me to a small empty couch next to a large window and gestures for me to sit down next to him.

Once I sit down, he turns in his place to give me his full attention.

"Depression then?" I ask.

"The one and only," he sighs. "I seem to thrive when I'm around other people because I've always been one to put on a mask in front of people. But when I'm alone, that's when it gets... bad."

"Don't put on a mask in front of me. Okay? I understand how depression works all too well. And we are friends, remember? You can always be yourself with me," I say, wishing I could comfort him with a hug or something like a normal person would do.

"Jin, here is what you requested," a nurse walks up to Jin with a small box and she opens it up, showing him a pair of black leather gloves.

"Your present," Jin grins as he looks at me and points to the gloves.

"Gloves?" I ask, tilting my head.

"Yeah! That way you can touch things without your skin actually coming into contact with anything. I asked the therapist and she said it'd be okay to wear them when you're in the day room but that you have to take them off during therapy sessions."

I smile at him. Such a small gesture but it means the world.

He's noticed how much I've been struggling with this and he's gone out of his way to make me, someone he just met today, feel better.

I gently pull the gloves on and flex my fingers, letting my sleeves fall down my arms as I admire the beauty of the simple black gloves.

I smile and glance over at Jin, who is watching me carefully with a small smile on his lips.

"Thank you," I say, barely above a whisper.

I've made a friend today.