MALEVOLENT HEART | TK

Chapter Fourteen

There is a playlist on Spotify for MALEVOLENT HEART. My username there is @/hiraee

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"I will soften every edge
I'll hold the world to its best,
And I'll do better
With every heartbeat I have left
I will defend your every breath,
And I'll do better."

"Your child," the man behind the table spoke as his head rose to look into the eyes of his mother, who was standing behind him, her hands clasped on his small shoulders as she waited for the doctor to tell her his verdict. "is not sick, ma'am."

Jeongguk felt the fingers on his shoulders tighten, the long nails of his mother digging into his skin as her body stiffened behind him. It hurt but Jeongguk was already used to it—the pain. He just sat there, silent as he was always told to be, and waited.

"Then why?" Her voice quivered. "Why is he like that?"

The doctor frowned, his eyes drifting from the woman in front of him towards the little child seated on the chair. His eyes were focused on him—blank, calculating, intelligent. He was eyeing the doctor with the intellect of an adult, not the one a child his age should've had. A child his age should've been interested in the colorful toys layered around the room but the boy didn't seem to pay attention to any of them, like they didn't even interest his truly advanced brain.

"Your son is completely normal, ma'am." He spoke, his eyes moving away from the frightening child. "There is nothing wrong with him. However, his intelligence quotient is above the normal level of a child his age. In fact, it is higher than an adult's. I believe that is the reason why your son might seem... different at times. You have to understand, Miss Jeon, that your son thinks differently and his view on the world is not the same as ours."

The doctor let the document he was holding fall on the table as he anxiously adjusted the cuffs of his shirt before leaning forward and taking another glance at the data portrayed on it. His eyes narrowed as he read over the lines once more, making sure that he wasn't bluffing. "He does not act like a normal child his age because his brain has already developed past that point. You have to adapt to his needs, Miss Jeon."

His mother let out a sigh, the fingers digging deeper as Jeongguk simply listened. His mother's breathing was fastening, he could hear it behind him, but he didn't move from his spot. Jeongguk looked at the man ahead of him, the doctor, and tilted his head as he copied the man and playfully adjusted his own blouse.

When he noticed the child's action, the doctor's brows lowered into a deeper frown as his lips were pressed into a tight line. Copying one's body language, that was not something a 4 years old child usually did. It was a signal of attentiveness.

"He is exhausting." The hands left his shoulders and Jeongguk listened as his mother stepped away from him, her hands going through her hair multiple times in an attempt to smooth it down. His mother's hair was always perfect and each time a strand of hair fell out of place, she got angry. "You don't understand how tiring it is to live with him. I can't continue like this, I just can't."

Jeongguk couldn't hear her words afterwards because a nurse had pulled him away, forcing him to sit among other children as his mother cried in front of their doctor, her body shaking as she hugged herself. The children around him were not coherent and they were mostly playing with the toys provided to them. However, Jeongguk found no interest in that. Despite his young age, Jeongguk found interest in other things. When the nurses lost sight of him for a second, Jeongguk stepped away from the small playground, walking towards one of the tables seated in a corner, where he found what seemed to be an anatomy book.